[TINY CAT PEOPLE] VOID SESSION: ACT 4

[Lilium Mortem]

>let's roll
>How are things going with the other groups?

[Guest]

Get the hell outta dodge

[Guest]

New voice here. I have just catched up and there is something that I am concerned.

This base is some kind of spiral going down. In the upper part, there is a murder sludge of the doom which technically could erupt at any moment. We knew this were a trap, but was not that hard to get over it. We are putting all our TCP inside, but there are some of Spit's TCP outside.

I don't know, If I were Spit I would totally make this base a death trap, lure most of the TCP inside and click the autodestruction buttom. I would bet something that once we reach there the sludge will start to rise and flood over the base.

[Dzib 9001]

New voice here. I have just catched up and there is something that I am concerned.

This base is some kind of spiral going down. In the upper part, there is a murder sludge of the doom which technically could erupt at any moment. We knew this were a trap, but was not that hard to get over it. We are putting all our TCP inside, but there are some of Spit's TCP outside.

I don't know, If I were Spit I would totally make this base a death trap, lure most of the TCP inside and click the autodestruction buttom. I would bet something that once we reach there the sludge will start to rise and flood over the base.

this is defiantly the worse case scenario, but the likelihood of it is slim to none. We should bring it up just in case, but let everyone know this doesn't seem likely.

[skinstealer]

VOIDSY: Nah, I think we’re good here. 
VOIDSY: Let’s keep moving.

 
You pass on the instruction to Marnet, and by the look of it, everyone else. The group gathers and starts moving, albeit with a bit more caution this time around. Looks like the bungle encounter has everyone on their toes.



 
You decide to check in on the group at the pit, and to your relief, they’ve reached the surface. Everyone seems okay...aside from Jetter, who staggers out of Writhe and nearly falls over.

WRETCH: what happened?! his health is going down-
EASTWOOD: I don’t know, you ask him! He’s your TCP!
EASTWOOD: Of course something had to happen while we were occupied…

 

 
You can hear Jetter mutter that he got hit with something on the way up, and pulls what looks like a dart out of his shoulder. Dad demands to know why he didn’t say anything, to which the razorblade type mumbles that he didn’t want Jasper to freak out and drop them. Your fatherly TCP sighs and drags the bag over, asking Jetter to put his hand in every so often and soak up some jelly. At least that would keep him stable until whatever it is wears off.


 
Jetter places his hand in and presumably heals, based on Wretch’s relieved sigh. He seems guilty over the whole thing, and doesn’t say much else. Dana pats him on the back as she starts looking around at the spiral’s steep walls. How far was it to the exit? Jasper says that they can fly up and scout, and Dad seconds it as a good idea. The ghostly TCP flies up, taking a moment before dropping back down- it’s a long way, but they can vaguely see the other group way in the distance. With any luck, they’d meet up in the middle.
  

EASTWOOD: Why the hell didn’t you notice your own TCP get hit?!
EASTWOOD: The game tells you when a status effect gets inflicted!
WRETCH: i dont know ok!! i dont know!
WRETCH: i got distracted with the whole giant bird monster thing
WRETCH: it was fuckin terrifying and slick wasn’t able to do anything and i dont fuckin know get off my back about it
MILLER: Please be more careful, Wretch...but I understand.
MILLER: Don’t give her too much hell over this, Eastwood. Her TCP suffering is enough of a rough time as it is.
EASTWOOD: Fine. But watch it next time.
VOIDSY: Let’s just relax…

 


You decide to check in on Primus and Buddy next, eager to distract yourself from your team’s bickering.

Oh god.



 
Primus looks like he’s been through a horror movie, covered in Buddy’s fluid and looking completely shell shocked. You ask him what’s wrong, what happened, and take a look at Buddy- to your relief, its leg is amputated and both it and its facial wound are sealed cleanly, with the TCP itself looking like it’s resting...but judging from the stray knives and stained blanket, it wasn’t an easy time.


Primus says that he can barely think right now, and asks one of the nearby clowns (equally spattered with fluid) if they can explain. While a little confused about talking to some unseen person above them, Numfi takes the reins and says that they just did surgery on Buddy, and the scalpel that Primus used did a great job! But...it looks like the pain rebounded into him, or at least that’s what he warned them it would do. Frankly, she’s surprised he was able to hold up through that, something that Slop seconds. The revenge type is impressed with the guts Primus had on display, and he did a great job, too. There was just one problem…


 
Primus weakly says that he doesn’t know what to do for Buddy so that it can walk again, or at the very least, get around safely. Slop volunteers to carry it around in the meantime, but they really should get something figured out. Is there anything they can use around the tower that could work? She’s not familiar with what’s here.

Primus is quiet, deferring to you on this one.

[OOC Note: it’s suggested that you look back through old panels to see what you can find- you do not have to come up with something right this second, but you cannot create things currently, and will have to improvise if Buddy is to get a mobility device now.]

[knux400]

The first thing that comes to mind is to make a classic peg leg using the handle of this shovel from way back when. Even if it's too long, we can cut it down to size using any number of blades we have lying around. We can also cut up some blankets and wrap them around the nub itself for comfort and safety, and I'm sure we have some rope or tape somewhere we can use to hold everything together. The T shape of the handle should be a good place to anchor everything.

Alternatively, where's the Dadwalker? There should be a manual in one of its compartments. If Buddy fits in there, that seems like the ideal solution.

[cosmo]

The first thing that comes to mind is to make a classic peg leg using the handle of this shovel from way back when. Even if it's too long, we can cut it down to size using any number of blades we have lying around. We can also cut up some blankets and wrap them around the nub itself for comfort and safety, and I'm sure we have some rope or tape somewhere we can use to hold everything together. The T shape of the handle should be a good place to anchor everything.

Alternatively, where's the Dadwalker? There should be a manual in one of its compartments. If Buddy fits in there, that seems like the ideal solution.

seconding all of this. seems like a solid plan, especially in combination (it might be hard for buddy to get in and out of the dadwalker without the peg leg and also probably some assistance from friends.

[Lilium Mortem]

If the dadwalker is unavailable we could either try combining a chair with either primus' skateboard or the wheels on the trailer. primus should have rope and a hatchet, to make that possible. I'm suggesting that in addition to the peg-leg, which could also be sourced from a/the chair. if there's time someone could get to work carving a more ergonomic wooden prosthetic from picnic table wood.

[skinstealer]

 
You tell Primus that he can use the picnic tables outside as a source of wood, and use his hatchet to hack it off into a prosthetic. He nods and asks if Buddy’s knives could be any help here too, to help carve it into a proper shape- you say that’s a great idea, and that the Dadwalker could be used as well to help it get around outside. Primus seems to feel a bit better after these ideas, and goes to get his hatchet...only to fall, clutching at his leg.

It hurts, he says, his whistling voice stuttering.

You ask Primus where it hurts, and he manages to get out that both of the places he operated on, Buddy’s face and leg, seem to have been mirrored onto him with the scalpel during surgery. He promises he can make it work, but Slop stops him and guides him over to the bed.


 
Slop tells him to rest with Buddy for a while, and let her and...the clowns, figure it out. He goes to protest and Slop shushes him, gesturing to how shaky his leg is. He’s in no state to go climbing up and down stairs, and if they’re going to survive this thing, the team medic needs to fucking rest.

He goes quiet, and finally agrees. 


 
Slop and some of the clowns start heading out, one of them, Numfi, staying by the side of the bed. She reaches out and brushes a sleeve against Primus’ face after magicking away the fluid stains, muttering soothing words in an effort to calm him. The tent type can’t help but cry a little at that, but seems grateful to have the physical comfort right now.

You really wish you could do the same for him right now, but having a giant clown play the direct role of caretaker will just have to do.


 
After a while of being whispered to and patted where it hurts, Primus speaks up- talking directly to you.

He asks if he did a good job.

He asks what everyone’s going to do now.

He asks if everything’s going to be okay.

[seppawku]

we’re gonna do our best to make sure it is, primus. you did gr8

[victorianflorist]

You did a great job Primus, we are so proud of you. You did everything you could and Buddy is going to going to recover in no time.

We're going to keep fighting and surviving. This world, this fight, is only the first hurdle and when we get through this we'll be together and free.

We can't promise you that, I don't know if we're going to be okay. We are up against a brutal enemy, one without mercy who delights in creating suffering in the world, both on your scale and on hers. But we won't stop fighting, we won't give in. I dream of the day where we can look each other in the eye and I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that our family can be together. You're all I have Primus, you and everyone else are all I know, I'm quite literally nothing if we don't fight this. But we're a family, and families don't give up.

[Lilium Mortem]

Primus you went above and beyond. I'm not sure I could have done what you just did. Buddy is going to be ok, the other teams are leaving spits base as we speak. I don't know what the future has in store but for right now everyone is fine. You were amazing, I couldn't be more proud.

[skinstealer]

You tell Primus that he did great, and that you’re so, so proud of him. He went above and beyond, and you’re not sure you could have gone through what he just did. He did everything he could, and Buddy’s going to recover in no time.

Primus asks how you can be so sure, and you tell him that you can’t exactly promise that everything’s going to be okay, really, but you’re going to do your best to make sure that it is. You have no plans to stop fighting or give in, and you dream of the day where you can all look each other in the eye and be a family together in person. He weakly says that that sounds wonderful, and you tell him it will be. He seems soothed by your words, his pain eased enough for him to stop whistle-y whimpering.

You want to let him rest, but you figure you should at least let him know what’s going on- the other teams are leaving Spit’s base as you speak, and should be regrouping at Miller’s base soon. 

He asks if they should get over there too, somehow- maybe one of the clowns could ride the sphinx, and everyone else could come in the trailer.

...well, after someone handles the captured TCP down in the sanctuary. He doesn’t know what’s up with them yet, and he can’t exactly go down to check himself like this…



One of the clowns across the room pipes up that the TCP down there’s been interrogated already, and that she was there for it before coming up to help with this. None of the TCPs at the tower were really suited towards interrogating anyone, so...clowns did it.

You process the idea of clown interrogation for a moment, but decide that there’s much weirder things in your collective life so far. 

Primus asks how it went, and the wizit shrugs and says that the TCP seemed pretty shaken up, and not like a weird murderer at all. They said that they were scared and wanted to talk to “the nice voice”, and not to let Spit get them again. 

No idea what that means, though.

[victorianflorist]

Alright, seems like Primus is settled. I propose making everyone hot chocolate or something else when everyone is together again. This has all be brutal.

Lets ask the others for status updates.

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

Worth investigating what they mean by the "Nice Voice". See what you can get out of this, may be a potential ally or tool whatever it is.

[Dzib 9001]

we need to check on all our cat's and teammates. To say this has been tiring on everybody is a bit of an understatement.

[skinstealer]

You ask if Primus is up for conveying things between you and the clowns, to which he says that he’s not sure. One of the wizits asks what he’s talking about, and he says that you don’t have a way to communicate with them without a middleman. The wizit involved in Chops’ interrogation pipes up again, saying that she might be able to help. Her name is Facade, the Lady of the Laughs, and one of her magical abilities is to focus and hear otherworldly entities. Whatever you are, she might be able to listen in.


 
You tell Primus it’s worth a shot, which he passes on. Facade takes a deep breath and strikes a pose, taking a moment before a puff of confetti bursts from her tail.

Should be good now, she says.

You say hi, and she says hi back, no delay. So...what’s the deal?

You say that you’re curious about this “nice voice” deal- could she bring up the TCP and get some more information out of them?

She says can do, and starts heading down the stairs. You awkwardly sit there, not wanting to leave Primus out of view.



After what feels like forever, she comes back up, pulling a restrained Chops along with her. The TCP looks nervous, looking around wildly- were they in trouble? What was with all the-

They only look more taken aback as they see Buddy, their voice coming out panicked and strained.

They swear that they didn’t hurt it that bad, they just captured it and tied it up, because M-mom told them to- they promise! They really didn’t do it!

You tell Facade that you know, and that it was Hark who injured Buddy that badly. Chops grows quiet as the clown passes it on, and nods. That...makes sense. They ask if Hark got hurt back, which you pass on that yes, she did, but only out of self defense. 

Chops says nothing.

You take the opportunity to ask about “the nice voice”- what was up with that?

Chops hesitates, and says that they could get in trouble if they told, but Mom doesn’t seem to be around right now, so...it was probably okay.

They say that there’s a nice voice that they hear sometimes, that tells them not to be afraid. It made them a toy, even, and didn’t get the chance to talk to anybody else before getting pulled away again…

Mom doesn’t seem to like it very much, and they think they heard it getting yelled at for not being harsh enough with them before your TCPs showed up.

Facade says whatever she’s going to grill them on or do next is up to you.

[victorianflorist]

Is there any more info Chops can give on the Nice Voice?

[Stonek]

My guess is either the "nice voice" is Wax, or Spit got a roommate, we should ask around if thats a possibility

[Lilium Mortem]

Call the gang, ask if it's possible for someone else to use the computer that a god is using for a tcp session because I'm pretty sure spit is offloading some of the work onto someone else, maybe her demon. And that person seems to be trying to be nice to her tcps.

Ask chops if they ever heard spit mention a name, or the voice introduce themselves in any capacity.