First things first. Before the meeting you have to attend to your morning routine. The first half of which involves checking up on your other selves.

Trinity isn't the only one with friends.

Ever sense the first baroness bizarre was born-or rather created-by a group of theosophists in an attempt to create an Atlantean her family members have come in threes. One of physical matter, one of the spirit, and one of mental energy. One for each of the three Earths. The power of the Dream-time which unites the three into one allows each of you to travel to and exists in the other Earths. But your base natures do not change. You are a man of the physical earth bound forever to a woman of spirit and a madman of mind.

The connection the three of you share powers your mutual control over Dream-time. It works in the same principal as the USA's infinite energy generator that created the super hero presidential body guard, politico, and statesmen Public Service. The generator works by channeling atomic energy through ley lines, points where the Atlantean walls are weak and the 3 Earths crossover. The channeling causes an effect similar to an electric circuit. As long as the ley line circuit passing through the worlds is complete a net gain in energy is created.

The Dundo Infinite Railroad is built on top of the circuit in an attempt to make the idea of humanity having an infinite energy generator more palitable to friends in the other two Earths.

From what Doc told you it seems you'll be investigating the Infinite Railroad. You find it distressing how much of your life revolves around yourself...you do not want to become your grandfather, cut off and alone from anything but himself.

You face the mirror of distance. Your reflection blurs and shifts and the mirror smokes with vivid colors.

"Hey BB!" One of the Trinitys says. "The mirror is cool and all, but it takes soooo long to get a picture! You should get Dad to install a trans-Earth communicator, he can even make it look like a mirror if you don't want to rock the "technology and magic Castle Greyskull" theme."

"Trinity, the mirror is a poetic symbol. I use it t commune with my other selves. The image starts with me and fades into theirs. It is a reminder that no matter how different they seem they are my reflection."

"Eh, you don't have to be so solemn BB. I got annoying twins myself! Hey!" One Trinity ducks the punch of another.

CONTACT SPIRIT YOU FIRST OR MENTAL YOU FIRST?

>>385241
Start with Mind, then spirit.

>>385241
Mental I suppose

>>385259
>>386681

You command the mirror to hone in on your mental counterpart. The mirror swirls with images of Mental Earth-the great tree of life, the singular monad and the ENDLESS LIBRARY constructed on top of it in which houses all knowledge that was in will ever be and is watched over by THE LIBRARIAN of the STATESMEN , the diamond consciousness, the Jungian web of synchronicity, the organic fields of new mathematics and the neighboring great workshop of numbers.

One of the Trinity's taps their foot. She does not see what you see in the frothing mists. Few do. Maybe she'll start to see more after a few lessons...

The images focus and bring the image that you want, the image of the Baron Bizarre of Mental Earth.

"Baron Mad" your relatives call him. They remind you not to feel guilty about him. He is of you, and yet he is not you. And you are not the first Baron to have an "evil twin".

"Hey Baron Bizarro!" One of the Trinity's wave and the other one sticks her tongue out.

"Trinity, please don't taunt my mental self. Insane though he may be...he is me."

Baron Mad has your face and your features, but he glances around with a bored expression. He hunches under his cloak of instability. The snow white cloak totally covers him save for his head and messy hair. The cloak breaks him down into particles and his magic builds him back up. He destroys and remakes himself out of habit, he has long given up looking for secrets within his makeup and taken to finding secrets in others.

Which was why you and your spiritual self had to team up to place the crown of compliance on his head. Unfettered and out of your control he would try to solve the secrets of the universe by reducing it to its most basic and simple particles.

He wants to find the single particle that composes dream-time from which spirit and atoms and mental energy derive. He wants this because you want this. You want to find simplicity within complexity. You want to find a simplicity that could be understand by anyone with but a glance.

He is your reflection as if through a cracked funhouse mirror.

He waves back at Trinity. "Has one of you died? I only see two of you..." He asks curiously.

"Naw. No such luck. She's downstairs having lunch with the other GENERALS."

Is she? You know from experience to always be on guard when you can't see three Trinitys...

"You would tell me if you were going to die, wouldn't you?" He presses his face against the mirror. "We're friends, right Trinity? I need to see what happens when you die. There are so few things like you in the universe and my bulling other selves keep me here and I only see out of their eyes you know? It's so frustrating..."

"Sorry buddy. None of me are planning on checking out anytime soon."

"But one day? One day surely? Please?"

"Ahm." You interrupt. "Just checking in as usual. Making sure you're were we left you."

Baron Mad sighs. "Oh, that was such a marvelous death yesterday.

-cont

>>386786
"I think I had an epiphany although I quickly forgot it. I know I saw something as the Ancient One burned its life away...but you had to obscure things with your meddling. Oh it was a wonderful death indeed, but who knows what I would have seen if he faded rather than burned away as Death intended? I might never get to see a being like that break apart ever again..."

"Too bad. Good guys won chump as usual!" Trinity says.

SAY/DO?

DO YOU SHARE YOUR DAY WITH YOUR DOUBLE OR KEEP IT TOO YOURSELF?

>>386800
Share experience. Not like keeping it from him out of spite will improve anything.

>>386800
sharing is caring.

>>386802
>>386850

"My other...I've had quite a day. I'm not sure seeing out of my eyes can really express it..."

"Tch. I don't get why you have to be so sentimental with your evil twin!" Trinity says.

"I mean come on." The other Trinity says. "We don't always get along but we none of us have ever tried to destroy the universe just to see what everything's made out of!"

"Ah, my other self, I know your heart." Baron Mad replies. "Am I not yourself? You are bothered by the small ones that cannot understand you because they are small. Like an atom trying to understand a star. They can't even see what you do yet alone appreciate."

You nod. "They are...difficult. But that is my burden. Dealing with them as best I can is how I must make peace with the world."

"But imagine if I you and her only took this crown from my head...I could fix them all. I could take them apart and put them back together again. I could make them MAKE sense..."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm sorry you always feel that way. We have tried and tried and will try to fix you but...perhaps this is how you must make peace with the world?"

"I'm here for you...the world can't possibly get better. It was born broken. When the world becomes so bad that you and her finally understand me...I'll still be here for you."

In his own way Baron Mad cares for you. He is after all you.

"Until tomorrow morn, my other self." You say as the mirror begins to blur again.

"Until tomorrow morn, my other self." He reflects the words at you.

"Man..." The two Trinity's hug you, one on each side. "I'm sorry you got such a creep as a twin BB."

You pat their heads. "I believe it is time to check in with my better half, don't you think so?"

"Yeah! Baroness Mellon! We were waiting for her!"

She spoils the Trinitys rotten. When she was a girl you often took turns with Mellon being her babysitter. She was the first to notice that Trinity had a natural talent with Dream-time manipulation.

The mirror of distances shifts again. You peer into the spiritual Earth past the peaks of Mt. Olympus and past the sleeping giant Maha Vishnu who excretes multiverses as he slumbers (no seriously) and past the glittering blue waters of the Mystical Archipelago and find your other self within the aquatic empire of Thule.

Baroness Mellon floats before a spiraling coral castle. You can see blue skinned Thules line the parapets of the castle waving at you.

You awkwardly wave back. "Good morning Mellon."You greet.

"Good morning Servais." She greets back as she reclines on a gleaming silver throne, one of the usual things she turns her cape of transformation into. "It is morning there, isn't it?"

"Er...not quite..." The Trinitys elbow past you and stare into the mirror. "Hey Aunt Mellon! It's us!"

"Oh Trinity! It's good to see you again!"

"Hey Auntie, look what happened to BB!" She holds up the copy of SUPER:NOWER at the mirror.

Sometimes you want to hit that girl...

-cont

>>386883
Baroness Mellon lifts up her wide brim hat and studies the cover for a moment then smirks. "Ah, one of those scandal rags. How ever did they think of this to draw? I haven't had much time to go over our collective thoughts you know. I've been very busy helping the Thule negotiate a truce between Antillia and Crockerland."

"How is that going by the way?" You ask.

"Quite well actually! I've gotten them to agree that the ghost pirate raids aren't actually coming from the other side, but that just leaves the question of who is sending them."

"Ghost pirates?" Trinity asks excitedly.

"I think it might be a treasure map they're after."

"Treasure maps?" The other Trinity exclaims.

"I've found pieces on their ghost ships, and I think that might be what they're being paid in exchange for their raids on Antilla and Crockerland."

"Oh man..." Trinity whines in the arms of herself. "It ain't fair. We're stuck doing this undercover security detail for Dundo's new Infinite railroad..."

"The one built on the atomic ley line engine? Why Trinity, that sounds far more exciting than what I'm doing! You'll be one of the first beings in all of existence to ride it!"

"Yeah I guess...but it's not hunting ghost pirates through phantom islands for a treasure map..."

"My, you really haven't read our memories yet." You say. "But everything going well? Is there any way I can be of assistance?"

"The pressing matter at the moment is over which island gets to cross over into physical waters. They both pride themselves on a history of being phantom islands and they're sort of using the single ley line opening up as a point of competition. One says they deserve it because they lost more in the raids and the other island says the same thing."

"Well, perhaps I could help you there? One Bizarre talking to each island?"

She looks at you and for a fleeting moment you see pity in her eyes. "It's fine Servais. I don't want anyone thinking I'm trying to strong arm them. It's a very touchy political situation still even if the worst is behind us."

You get the message.You can feel her desire to not have you show up. And she can feel how you respond to it.

Her look of pity as for both of you, for you are both the same.

"I've spent a long time building up trust here. A long time. You know how we are Servais. We frighten people. I wouldn't want you to call me over if you were in a similar position. Remember when I tried luring out the ghost pirates with an illusion only for Thule to attack it?"

"I wouldn't mess up. I have you memories of their culture and habits..."

"And I know myself Servais. Going this alone is the safe bet."

"You don't have much faith in yourself, do you?" You ask.

"No you don't." She replies.

You both chuckle.

"You know if you need an extra hand Auntie, I got six!" Trinity offers.

"Oh Trinity, thank you but I'm sure you'll find your railroad adventure a far more rewarding experience.

-cont

>>386903
"But when you're done perhaps you can accompany me to the palace for dinner one evening? I'm sure the Thule court would get a kick out of you."

"Is that really such a-"

"YES!" Trinity cuts you off. "What do I wear? A swimsuit? Ball gown? Can dad create a swimsuit ball gown?"

"I believe adopting one of their native dresses would be most prudent." Baroness Mellon says.

"Hmmm...still want to see how a swimsuit ballgown would work." Trinity says.

"Only if YOU try it on." Her twin replies. "Remember when dad tried making us a "battle dress"?"

"So Servais." Baroness Mellon says. "What's this all about?" She points toward the SUPER:NOWER cover.

SAY/DO?

>>386906
Suggestions:

OUTRIGHT LIE. THINGS WENT GREAT. GLARE AT TRINITY IF SHE TRIES TO SAY ANYTHING

EXAGGERATE. PLAY UP THE GOOD WE DID

TELL THE TRUTH

VENT. SHE'S YOU. SHE'LL UNDERSTAND

>>387061
Well, lets tell the truth, and maybe vent a bit if we need to. Just to let out the tension.

>>387061
Tell the truth and if she'll understand then go ahead and vent a little. Nothing too much with Trinity nearby, though.

>>387061
TRUTH!
Speak it brother.
any requests anons.

>>387061
Vent. Who better than to listen to us bitch and moan than our self?

>>387258
>>389307
>>389475

"Oh..." You begin. "Are you sure you wouldn't just want to access the memories?"

"I think it would be much better for us if I heard you say it..." She replies drawing half her slim mouth into a frown. "You got a lot on your mind. I can feel it."

"Oh...where do I begin..." You take a sip from your coffee mug. You taste the rich, hot, bitter and perfectly material coffee. It's your cape of stability before you put your cape of stability on. "You know I was in Elfland recently right?..."

You launch into a quick explanation of yesterday's events. Trinity adds her own commentary as you do, its the first time she's heard all the details and compliments you when you describe how you outwitted Death the Devourer and "woo hoo go BBs!" when you lead him to the Monkey King and vaporize him when he follows you to Earth.

You pat her heads. Trinity has her moments, but her spunk and enthusiasm are contagious. She's great for a pick me up. And she's one third of her high school's cheer squad.

"And so I left..." You sigh as you describe the end of your adventure. "I was so tired I practically fell into my orb. I left PHOENIX to continue with the monitoring and guarding. As soon as I'm done with the meeting I'm gathering HAUNTER and BOB CAT to enter the New One and make contact with its mind."

"BOB CAT...just from my memories you know that she can be serious when the situation calls for it...most of the time. And HAUNTER has always been dependable in covering our mental blind spot. We've picked a good team."

"Well yes. That's not what bothers me." You tug on your robe. " I'm sure the team will be fine. I"m sure the first contact will be fine. I'm GOOD at Bizarre things like that. I'm GOOD at being Baron Bizarre."

"Ah, the people are bothering you again."

"Yes again!" You say with an emphatic wave of your hand. "And I'm sure something will happen again. And again. And again..."

"Simon seemed to understand."

"Simon is one man. One. And he was more patient with me than understanding. That's the best it seems that I can ever reasonably hope for!""

"Things ended well though."

"You call THIS ending well?" You shove the magazine at the mirror.

"Aw, come on BB. You take those things too seriously. You gotta be like me and Dad. Didn't you see the collage Dad made of his?" Trinity says.

"Compared to having to explain to the New One what "trapped in a pocket dimension" means I'd say yes things ended very well."

"That was only because of COBALT BLUE and her exceptional diplomatic skills."

"Aw BB..." The Trinitys hug you. "Don't you know we're a team? We're supposed to help each other like that."

"I know Trinity...but there is so much I am I responsible for that the rest of you are not. If I cause a shift in reality I owe it to the inhabitants of that reality to explain what it is I do..." You clench your fists. "And they make it so hard! Spalding and his desire to transform NIGHTINGALE into a paramilitary organization

-cont

>>389645
"...Just because he's afraid of global militias like what the CHROMAN EMPIRE has! And these so-called journalists pushing their agendas, misconstruing everything I say, drawing me in their ridiculous pictures!"

You take a long drink from your mug. Your interdimensional teapot materializes and tops you off. "Oh....and the worst isn't them. The worst is Simon to be honest..."

"...Because he was patient and kind..." Mellon finishes your thoughts. "And educated in the ways of magic and the 3 Earths, and still did not understand like you would have liked him to."

"He had to trust me without understanding." You say. "And I HATE that."

"Why do you hate it?" Trinity asks. "I mean I only know a few spells you taught me. Dad knows more about what you do than I do, but I trust you BB. What's wrong with trusting you?"

"Because blind trust is a great burden." Mellon explains in your place. "It allows me to get away with so much if we should so choose."

"Say I was irresponsible. Say I was reckless. Someone like Simon would be unable to tell the difference...the bottom line is I let Death onto the Earth. Innocuous though the incursion may have been the reporter was right. It should not have happened. And the only thing that makes the action not a consequence of my carelessness or incompetence is...my say so."

"...Dad deals with stuff like that a lot." Trinity says. "People say he's crazy or stupid when something of his blows up or doesn't work right but they're wrong. He's just trailblazing scientific disciplines only he can understand. He's like an explorer. Sometimes he hits an iceberg."

"Aye. It is why your father and I have been friends for so long. We are similar. Sometimes he seems as if a fourth version of myself."

"And what does that make me?" Trinity asks.

"A fraction. Of my patience." You reply with a wry smile.

"Servais...is he being means to you again Trinity?" Mellon asks.

"Yeah. Go on and kick yourself Auntie Mellon, that'll teach him!"

Baroness Mellon chuckles. You smile feeling her laughter well up inside you. "Well. I wish you well on your mission to establish contact with the New One and protect the Dundo railroad! Farewell, my other self!"

She waves as the mirror of distances blurs and churns. "Farewell, my other self." You return the wave.

"Bye Auntie!" The Trinity twins wave.

You stretch and moan. Your old bones pop a little under your robe. "Well now. Half the chores are over."

"Now you're going to the SECRET OF CASTLE BIZARRE right" The Trinitys grin.

The SECRET OF CASTLE BIZARRE. Not even Doc knows of it and he's your best friend.Only Trinity, your family, and Cromwell know the secret. Trinity only knows it because she, true to her nature, explored the most forbidden parts of the Castle when she was younger and uncovered it. In exchange for her silence you have her basic tutoring in the mystic arts. Her father only knows of these lessons obliquely.

-cont

>>389754
He wants Trinity to be a super scientist like himself. Trinity isn't sure what she'll be. But she doesn't want to disappoint him by showing an interest in magic, and has managed to pass her parascientific manuals on the mystic arts as "quantum science".

She knows the secret. But she is the only one in all of creation that lives beyond the castle walls.

ASK ABOUT THE THIRD TRINITY?

CHECK ON THE SECRET?

GO AHEAD TO THE MEETING?

JUST FOR FUN: WHAT DO YOU THINK CROMWELL IS? WHAT DO YOU THINK THE SECRET IS?

I'm sorry if there hasn't been much besides talking to people sense we got back to physical Earth. I'm just trying to build up BB and the Generals before we hop on the train and get into the real GAME ON part of the game.

>>389764
Ask about third Trinity.

Take your time with the build up; I understand that you need to set everything up first, and you've done a great job of it so far. I'm really looking forward to more "build up" just as much as I am the real game.

>>389819
The door of your study opens into the halls of your ancestral home. You levitate out and Trinity follows.

"Alright! Off to the dungeons then!"

"Yes...but only if you tell me where the third Trinity is.."

"Oh...it's like I told Auntie Mellon, she's down with he others." Her twin nods and nods.

You squint at her and they she smiles far from innocently.

"Trinity..." He say lowering your groggy face down at her. "The spell of unnerving detection of truest truth could tell me that you weren't lying and I still wouldn't believe you, not with that face. Where is the other you?"

"Oh darn..." Trinity slaps her head. She knows she's busted.

"This is your fault! You shouldn't have made such a goofy face!"

"You're the one that gave us away!" Her twin replies.

"Oh come now Trinty." You say. "It is far too early and we are all far too busy for your games. Where is the other one? Are you trying to find the unicorn again!" You raise an accusing eyebrow at them.

"No no no!" They say as one.

It's the unicorn.

"Trinity." You mug floats out of your hands so you can cross your arms. "I have told you the unicorn does no want to be seen."

"But it isn't fair!"

"Yeah!"

"I save his life from that techno virus and he just stays hidden in the castle!"

"Trinity. How he chooses to recover is no ones business but his own. If he wishes to recover in solitude that is his decision and you should respect it. You haven't bothered him have you?"

"No...Trinity 3 hasn't found him yet. Why is he in the most tangled part of the endless hallway anyway?"

"And Trinity 3 is coming right back here right this second?"

"Yes BB..." They reply slowly in unison.

"Good. And sense you asked its because CONNECTING-CUT keeps sneaking into the castle trying to find the unicorn."

"The sword guy?"

"What does HE want with my unicorn?"

"He is not your unicorn first of all. He does not owe you for saving his life. And it's because he aspires to master all techniques of bladed combat-even the techniques unicorns use when they fence with their horns."

"That jerk! You send him packing BB?"

"He simply wishes to challenge the unicorn to a duel. He is many things, but he remains a man of honor. He would not harm the unicorn nor would be force it to fight him."

"He doesn't need a jerk wanting to fence with him!"

"What he's doing is really not that different than what you're doing, you realize that!"

"I don't want to sword fight him...I just want to see that he's okay you know? He was all scarred up when you took the bionics out of him and he looked so sad..."

"Aye. A scarred unicorn is...a sad thing indeed."

"I just want him to know...that he's still beautiful to me. Even with the scars."

"He knows. I have told him you find him as beautiful as he was."

"Then why won't he let me see him? Why won't he let anybody see him?"

"Because unicorns are as prideful as they are beautiful. His scars are something he has to make peace with."

"I just..."

-cont

>>389958
"...I know he's alright."

"We know that." Her twin says. "We do and we trust you to take care of him but we still want to see him. We worry..."

TELL TRINITY SHE JUST HAS TO TRUST YOU AND THE UNICORN?

CAVE AND SAY YOU'LL TAKE HER TO THE UNICORN. HES PROBABLY WITH THE SECRET ANYWAY. AND IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR HIM.

>>389970
Take Trinity to the unicorn

>>389307
Trinity and the Unicron. I didn't realize I needed this until now

>>389971
>>389977
The unicorn was originally from Tir Na Nog, a spiritual realm of everlasting youth and beauty, one of the great Arcadias of existence, sister to Elfland. It was one of many victims of a great disaster.

You have described what happened as a car accident on a cosmic scale, sudden and violent and lingering in its effects. A young spiritual world first contacted in the 1910s by Dadist futurists named the great twittering machine developed what Doc called a reality cancer. The great twittering machine is a world of endless construction and deconstruction. Wires and metal and concrete build up into the stuff of an abstract expressionists dreams just to crumble and build up again.

It was a harmless realm, fancied by avant garde artists and poets. But a few months ago it was discovered that a part of the great twittering machine was growing-and not stopping. It had developed a cancer, for even spiritual realms suffer freaks and imperfections. Death the Changer is the shadow twin of Life the Giver. Et in Arcadia Ego was a motto you learned early into your career as Baron Bizarre.

Before the flaw could be contained by you and your allies the new face of the dark old God moloch who secretly pulled the strings of power in Mussolini era Itsly, Futuro, appeared and laid siege to the great twittering machine. He wanted to exasserbate the cancer and use it to create a self replicating city virus to stealthily infect the universe and then conquer it all in one crowning move aeons late after the viruses grew.

He was stopped by his children, Velocita, Suono, Leggero, and Citta as he usually is. But their fighting caused rip in the spiritual earth and part of the cancer fell into Tir Na Nog completely b accident.

You managed to contain the reality cancer to a small seemingly vacant glade while Soc reprogrammed it. You thought you might have avoided casualties. Fairy forests are loved by their masters, but they usually live beneath them under mounds.

Unfortunately unicorns favor out of the way locations. Psinobi detected the unicorns' thoughts and Trinity armed with her fathers gadgets managed to fight through the technological tumors to rescue the unicorn from the heart of the cancer.

But great damage was already. Metal circuits covered its white body. Concrete blinded its eyes. Psinobi couldn't hear it's heartbeat under the hum and grind of new clockwork organs.

Doc performed miracle surgery on the noble creature while Trinity held its head. He restored the unicorn to seeming perfection. It's eyes opened. Its white body breathed. It's horns glowed. And yet it bore scars from the trauma, scars that even your magic couldn't hide.

It was a scared unicorn. And while the Fairys accepted the strange metal and wire forest-for a conservative people they appreciate the novel-they could not accept a scarred unicorn.

It lives now protected from the outside world in your castle, slowly healing, slowly coming to terms with what it has beco
-cont

>>389971
>>389977
>>390003

...what it has become.

"Please BB..." The Trinitys plead with you, gloved hands clasped together. "Please...I won't spook him. He won't even have to see me. I just want to check up on the little guy."

You close your eyes and think. It's not an easy call to make. Trinity is facing the same problem people that deal with you normally face. They trust you, but there's a hidden side to who you are and what you do that they can't see.

But this time, they can see. You can show her...

"Pleaseeeeeeeeee?"

You open your eyes. "Oh...alright. Alright. But you have to promise to be respectful. Don't rush at it, don't startle it. It is resting."

"Yes! Thank you BB!" The Trinity's nearly dog pile you. "You're the best!"

"Er...right. Now let us proceed down into the dungeons and the endless hallway." You say.

The Trinitys flinch as if startled by something. "What's wrong?" You ask. "...You didn't actually find the unicorn did you?" You nearly gasp. You can believe Trinity has the magical aptitude to navigate the endless hallways...but the actually solve them? It's not possible...

"No...although you might wish our trin did."

"Ohhhh boy..." Her trin walks backwards and bumps into you.

"Ahem." A voice that makes you groan calls to you from the direction Trinity's staring.

You take a big gulp of coffee and turn to face who you know you'll see.

You face Baroness Bizarre, the first of your line. She's one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. She was raised by Aliester Crowley. She saw the founding of a seventh sphere in the Summer Land. She met Lewis Carrol. She left a legacy of wizards to safeguard the 3 Earths.

She's the matriarch of you family, and judging by the look on her ghostly face she isn't pleased.

She hovers close to the ceiling above even you. Her skin is as grey as her Victorian gown which flows like the strands of her long black hair as she floats. Through her you can see the end of the hallway.She is virtually a ghost like all the previous Barons. The power of the 3 Earths circuit that flows through your 3 bodies and allows you to call upon the endless power of the dream-time would be diluted if more than one trio used it. Thus in order so that the Baron Bizarre of the time always has as much power as possible the previous Baron passes his or her connection to the circuit onto the next in line for the title at a time he or she deems fit. The ex-Baron becomes a wispy phantom composed of Dream-time vapors and lives at the CASTLE BIZARRE becoming and adviser and teacher to the next generation.

Baroness Bizarre sure looks like she wants to teach someone a lesson...

She holds trin 3 in one of her ghostly hands by the scruff of her neck like a kitten. She grins guiltily and manages a nervous chuckle. "Heh heh heh...sorry guys." She says to her glaring trins.

"I believe this is yours Servais."

"Aye, that is mine."

She dumps the trin on the floor. "The endless hallways is not a park young lady."
-cont

>>390019
"And as for you Servais, if you have guests in my home you should make sure they keep out of places they are not welcomed! It's bad enough you let a maniac armed with more needles than my pin cushions walk around down there but now you let this spritely tomboy walk freely..."

"Hey!"

"I was JUST looking for a friend!"

"What's your problem Miss Havisham?"

You slap your face. Sometimes Trinity just can't keep her mouths shut.

"Speak when spoken to. And cover up your legs."

"What!" They cry in unison.

"I trust you will do your job now and keep her where guests are allowed? I do not want to find children playing down where I contemplate." She stares at you and awaits and answer.

SAY/DO?

TELL HER YOU SAID TRINITY COULD GO DOWN INTO THE DUNGEONS AND SEE THE UNICORN

GIVE IN AND PROMISE SHE'LL STAY OUT

LIE AND SNEAK TRINITY INTO THE DUNGEONS

>>390024
>TELL HER YOU SAID TRINITY COULD GO DOWN INTO THE DUNGEONS AND SEE THE UNICORN
No reason to lie; we honestly believe that meeting Trinity will help with the unicorn's recovery. Besides, we also have some secret we need to check up on.

>>389977
I'll give that a shot. Been busy with work and some medical stuff today. Just gotta catch up.

>>390024
Tell her she could head down into the dungeon to see the unicorn.

I mean if it turns out like its a bad move we'll catch up to her and put a stop to it.
Or let it happen anyways.

>>391212
>>392411

"Er, I might have told Trinity should could accompany me-VERY close to me-down into the dungeons to see the unicorn..."

The Baroness just stares.

"She WILL NOT touch anything and WILL NOT leave my side." You say more to Trinity than to the Baroness. "Is that right Trinity?"

All three Trinity's nod and smile.

"Servais, dear...you are hopelessly soft."

Oh boy. Here it comes again...

"You take too much after your grandfather my boy, and not your father. A girl wants to meet a unicorn-"

"That we SAVED!" The Trinity's interrupt.

"Allow me to correct myself, a very rude child wants to meet a unicorn, who has requested to be left alone. You tell her no, she sneaks down into the dungeons anyway and disturbs my quiet communion with the cosmic numbers. She gives you puppy dog eyes and you change your mind. Soft, Servais, Soft."

"I feel it would do the unicorn a great deal of good to see her again."

"Is that a decision made out of reason or emotion?"

"Simple reasoning. Unicorns go to maidens. Trinity is a maiden. The unicorn feels like it has lost its inner nature following the accident. An encounter with a maiden, especially one it knows firsthand to be kind and brave, will help it feel like its old self again."

"And if he is instead made embraced by her presence? If her presence makes him uncomfortable? What then Servais, what then?"

"Er...I feel it is a risk well worth-"

With a snap of her ghostly fingers the old Baroness levitates SUPER:NOWER magazine out of Trinity's hands.

"Hey!"
"Give that back!"
"Thief! Go read a spellbook!"

"And what is this Servais?" She says shoving the magazine in your face. "Explain this?"

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN IT?

>>394837
Oh right, this would be a good time to tell her that Death is now hiring assassins and the Intercessor was recently reborn.
First things first; we need to fill in our teammate and adviser on recent cosmic happenings. Brief her on our encounter with Death, the current status of the New One, the current status of things on Physical Earth in relation to the New One, and our planned team to protect the New One.

If we're lucky she may have some advice or helpful information, or even be able to aid us in this situation herself.

And if we're really lucky she may forget about how much trouble we're in.

>>394875
"Oh dear...were to begin...basically Death the Devourer has recruited assassins as yet unknown to kill an ancient Intercessor and prevent the birth of the new. I could not save the old but I managed to save the new and birth it in the physical Earth."

"And don't forget the team-up with Sun Wukong!"
"That was the best part!"
"He totally punked Death itself!" The Trinity's remind you.

"Er, yes. I repulsed Death the Devourer by leading him to the thrice-immortal Monkey King."

"Clever stratagem."

"Er, I suppose. But he dragged himself after me to physical Earth and for a moment he was on Earth before I dispersed him!"

"And so? What importance is that?"

"He was on physical Earth..."

"...And?"

"Well obviously to you and me the thought of him incarnating on Earth for a moment is nothing to get worked up about..."

"Indeed. Even one of that Japanese Woman's students could have dispersed Death the Devourer after meeting the Monkey King. So why does it bother you? And what's more, why do you expect it to bother me?"

"Because it scared people great ancestor! You can't say you lured an embodiment of Death to the living physical planet Earth for the sake of one newborn and not expect them to get upset! Embodiments of Death are common nuisances only to beings like us. To everyone else they're absolutely frightening! And that's not even getting into the New One sitting in the New Mexico sky like a second sun! It's an infant to you and me but a giant intimidating monster to everyone else!"

"Enough!" She silences you with a wave of her hand. "You are Baron Bizarre now. Not I, nor your father. You. Why do you trouble an old mathematician such as myself with such trivialities?"

"Because how they feel isn't trivial! I've frightened everyone! I had to get COBALT BLUE to talk to Commander Spalding to stop the idiot from trying to shove the New One into a pocket dimension! And I tried explaining things to the media and well, you can see the result right here."

"Trivialities! Servais, you weakling! Trivialities! Why do you even bother with the plebeians? If you had one tenth of your father's spirit they wouldn't dream of insulting you like they do? And what of threats from this "commander" Spalding? Is the Dream-time not yours to command? Are you not mightier than this fool? Do you see this?" She points to your menacing cartoon figure on the SUPER:NOWER cover. "You should have given them this. You should have rose up on the winds and declared before them all I AM THE BARON BIZARRE. YOU SHALL NOT DISTURB THIS NEW LIFE THAT I HAVE GRACED THE WORLD WITH. I HAVE SPOKEN."

"Father would not have done that." You reply resolutely.

"Aye, neither would he have tried to make excuses for his actions like some sort of kicked dog. By the endless supertasks! Where is your masculine vigor?"

"I don't want them to misunderstand me. I don't want them to think me a threat."

-cont

>>395026
"Ha! As if they could understand anything! The unwashed masses watch television while their books gather dust. They elect morons to rule them while their poets and philosophers starve. They send their children to schools because they lack the ability to teach them anything themselves. You might as well try explaining yourself to a pack of dogs."

"Oh, check out the big head on the ghost!"
"It's so easy to talk about people when you never have to deal with them!"
"Jerk!"

You pull the Trinity's behind you, one with your hands and two with magic hands.

"Please keep the brat out of my dungeons. If I so much as sense her down there again I'm sending my numbers after her." Your ancestor falls through the floor, returning to her endless number crunching.

"You aren't going to listen to her are you BB?"
"She's such an old jerk!"
"Please take me to the unicorn! I really want to see him!"

SNEAK TRINITY THROUGH THE DUNGEONS?

TELL HER TO STAY BEHIND WHILE YOU FINISH YOUR MORNING CHORES AND CHECK ON THE SECRET?

>>395056
>SNEAK TRINITY THROUGH THE DUNGEONS?
No, brazenly march Trinity through the dungeons, numbers be damned. We'll show her our masculine vigor.

>>395091

"You shall have your wish Trinity."

"But what about the Baroness?"
"YES!"
"I don't want you to get in trouble BB.."

You shrug. "She usually finds something about me to complain about. Letting you back in the dungeons will just be a drop in the bucket."

The Trinitys dash down the hallway and are at the door to the dungeon stairs in an instant. You fix your coat and float after them.

This part of Castle Bizarre reflects the tastes of the man who raised the Baroness Bizarre and created the castle-Aleister Crowley, Master Therion himself. He constructed Castle Bizarre to serve as his stronghold during his secret shadow war with Madam Blavatsky's Theosophists. Castle Bizarre is older than your bloodline which is named after the citadel.

The black marble floors always have a polished sheen that catches the light that pours in from the arabesque windows like bullet shaped honeycombs. The walls are an earthy orange like pyramid walls and are filled with flat pictures of demons and gods and wizards. They are at peace for now, but occasionally you have to go into the walls to stop their battles and squabbles. Ionic Grecian columns made of the sacred red Atlantean metal orichalcum rise to a a vaulted ceiling.

This is the part Crowley had built. The dungeons are in the part he but discovered.

Castle Bizarre was built on top of a Sidhe mound. A leyline runs below it which allowed for a spiritual location like a Sidhe mound to manifest in Physical Earth. The fae of the mound have long returned to Tir Na Nog, but their magic remains.

You follow Trinity down a flight of spiraling wooden stairs. Not a single step creaks though they be older than the stones above them. The air is cool and pleasant and smell of a spring glade. The earthen floor and walls are smooth without dirt or dust.

Light comes from the Lights, and the Shadows make mischief in the corners as they are wont to do. The Lights are the caretakers of this place. In a sense Castle Bizarre is their home. They tend to the secrets and dangers kept here and are the secret to navigating the Endless Hallway. Anyone that tries to find their way through the Endless Hallway becomes hopelessly lost. This applies to everything and everyone. Even you with your infinite powers would be lost in them. But the Lights are the sole exception to the rule. They alone can know the path.

The solution through the Endless Maze is simple, but a thief or neer-do-well like Trinity or Connecting-Cut would never think of it. One simply has to ask directions.

You'll tell Trinity the solution of course...when she's older.

"Excuse me." You say to a Light passing overhead. The white orb stops and lowers itself to you face. "Could you please escort us to my secret?"

"And to the unicorn!" Trinity adds.

"He's probably there already, but if not then afterwards." You reply.

The Light bobs as if it were a nodding face, then it slowly starts to make its way to the wooden door to the Endless Hallway.

-cont

>>396024
"Don't know why we need a Light BB, you and I both know how to magic up some illumation of our own."

"Politeness, dear Trinity. The Lights exist to be stewards of the Castle."

She'll know the truth one day...

One Trinity casts shadows with her hand and the Light. Another runs her fingers across the supernaturally smooth earth. And another just follows you.

"I got to admit it. I sure didn't think I'd be licked by it." Trinity says facing the sturdy wooden door to the Endless Hallway. "I did that whole "trust your magic instinct" thing and thought I was making my way through it."

"I knew we should have all gone in!"
"That would have made it worse dummy, it would have pulled our intuition in three directions!"
"Maybe next time..."
"Shhh! Not so loud!"
"SO BB...how come I couldn't do it?"

"The Infinite Hallway confounds anyone that does not know its secret. Anyone, even someone with your magical potential. You really should have known better. Even your father had to give up with his quantum computer."

"You know he's working on the 2.0 version now?"

"Poor man." You grin. "He might as well try string at this point."

ENTER THE ENDLESS HALLWAY WITHOUT CASTING A SPELL?

CAST A SPELL OVER TRINITY TO HIDE HER FORM THE BARONESS?

>>396031
Casting a glamour over trinity might be a help.
sorry busy work week has prevented me from doing as much as I intend.

>>396031
This glamour wouldn't affect the Lights, would it?

>>399643
>>399628

We can choose who we want the glamour to effect, so the Lights cans still see her if we want.

ROLL 1D100 FOR GLAMOUR SPELL. LOW IS GOOD, 80 PERCENT CHANCE OF SUCCESS.

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>399671

>>399679
Trinity and you follow the Light through the heavy wooden door fitted with iron bands and a rung handle.

The iron was a safety measure from back when this was a fairy mound. Only the lord of the mound's brutish red cap servants could open the doors. His rivals-and prisoners-were barred by the doors.

The door swings open before the presence of the Light. "A moment Trinity." You say casting an orange ray over the trio. "This ray of Sekhmet will cloak your aura. No need to trouble the Baroness again."

"Screw her!"
"Hurry up!"
"Let's go!"

The Endless Hallway was an addition to the fairy mound created by the Baroness. She found that that there simply wasn't enough space in the mound or castle proper for the mementos and monsters she collected. So she selected one hallway in the mound and stretched it into infinity. Behind the door it seems simple enough. It has cobblestone floors, sides, and ceiling. Each side has wood and iron doors just like the first door. At the very end of the hallway you see a cobblestone wall with two sets of gold Ouroboros snakes arranged to form an infinity symbol. That's what everyone sees, including Trinity. But you of course see a bit more. You see Infinity the Growing. The snakes move and hiss, living forever, feeding on each other forever.

Nothing can touch the end of the hall. The more one walks toward it the more it recedes and the more doors appear on the sides.

As you walk the Trinity's can't help but investigate some of the doors. One burns her hand touching one of the doors, even through her glove. "Ouch!" She says recoiling. "How did wood get so hot?"

"Not all of the doors are wood Trinity. Most aren't. They simply appear that way for aesthetic value."

"Seems kind of boring to me..." Another Trinity presses her ear to a door. "Heyyyy...I hear pipes on the other side...pan pipes! Olympus?"

"Quite possibly. And you have to remember Trinity, the average person isn't supposed to be down here. The monotony of the place is supposed to encourage them to take the door behind them and leave."

"Speaking of guys that should leave, that Connecting-Cut douche been around here recently?"

"I wouldn't let you see him even if he were. The last time he was here was about a week ago I think. With any luck he's finally learned his lesson."

You pass a few of the furnishings installed in the hallway over the decades. Trinity steals some cookies from a replenishing cookie jar and comments on the tackiness of the furniture.

Beings sometimes find themselves trapped here after a cosmic crisis or interdimension disaster. So you leave out beds and couches and showers and even trays of food to comfort the confused and lost until the Lights an attend to them and guide them out of the hallway.

The Light stops at a door. "Well, here we are." You say.

"You think the unicorn is with your secret BB?"

"If not, it won't take long to locate him."

Just as you are about to open the door...

-cont

File: Math Attack.png (571 KB, 879x531)

571 KB PNG

>>399701
...You notice a pack of numerals slowly closing in behind Trinity.

Well, Baroness Bizarre's senses ARE sharp for an old ghost...

"Oh ancestor..." You say with a sigh. It's way too early in the morning for rough housing.

Well, it's probably like 2 PM now but for you its morning...

At least they're integers. They're rational. They can be reasoned with.

WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT THE NUMBERS? TRY REASON OR TRY MAGIC? WHAT SPELL DO YOU CAST?

>>399628
It's alright. I'm just glad this isn't a dead thread yet. I want us to at least make it to the meeting before it dies.

>>399705
Can Trinity condense herself back into one person? If she does so, could the changing number of people mess with the numbers at all?

>>399707
"Trinity quick! Maneuver 3!" With practiced quickness Trinity merges with herself to fuse into one person.

The integers look puzzled for a moment. Math thought forms tend to be very set in their ways even by the standards of thought-forms. The sudden disappearance of two of the Trinity's might confuse some of them...

But they quickly remedy their confusion by summoning up a couple of threes and fraction bars.

They stand confidently on their fraction bars, right as rain.

"Oh ancestor..." You sigh again.

"Ah, so she sent bouncers after me eh? Well I hope she didn't like that peace and quiet too terrible much!" Trinity looks like she's ready to crunch some numbers.

FLEE THROUGH THE DOOR TO THE SECRET OR ROUGH HOUSE? CAST A SPELL?

>>399714
Can the numbers get lost in the hallway? If they can then let's just try to get away.

If we do end up fleeing, cast come kind of duplication or illusion spell to try and confuse them again, even if it's just for a second that might help.

>>399715
>Duplication or illusion spell

If they have to take the time to change themselves to match Trinity, perhaps if there were a lot of Trinity's multiplying and dividing all at once...

ROLL 1D100 75 PERCENT CHANCE OF SUCCESS

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>399721

>>399723
SUCCESS!

With a wave of your arm you summon the illusions of Kokopelli. A dozen Trinity's feel the hallway all dividing and multiplying and making faces.

The poor numbers are overwhelmed. They keep appending operation signs to each other in an attempt to keep up but its ultimately futile. They jam up the corridor and collapse under their algebraic gymnastics into a pile.

"Sorry to have to do that gents." You say offering righting the defeated numbers with a magic spell and dusting them off. "But its much too early and I am much too busy for fun and games. Take it up with the Baroness if you have any complaints."

The integers march off down the Endless Hallway at a slow, defeated pace. Their lines droop as if someone with poor penmanship were drawing them.

Trinity looks almost as disappointed as they are.

"Awwww...."
"Awwww...."
"Damn it!" The trinity's split apart into three again. "I wanted to fight some numbers, make up for all the extra homework dad makes me do!"

"Maybe they'll play with you some other time. Right now..." You say taking the iron rung of the door in hand. "I need to finish my chores and check up on the most important thing in the world.

You open the door and have to squint at the blinding pure sunlight. Fresh healthy grass crunches under your feet. The sky is blue and endless above ancient brown oaks.

She could not experience the world, so you did your best to bring the world to her.

She sits in the middle of a patch of wildflowers, white sun dress flowing off her alabaster skin like light from the moon. With one gentle hand she pets the unicorn resting his head in her lap. With the other she touches her long fire red hair.

Her pointed ears twitch as she notices you and greets you with a warm smile and ocean water blue eyes. "Hello husband! And you brought Trinity with you as well! What a surprise!"

She is your wife. The elf handmaiden Luin. Only Trinity and your family know about her existence let alone that you keep her here.

You have enemies within and beyond the world. The last thing you want any of them to find out is that you're married. Luin has friends and family they could easily target. And you don't want to tell your teammates. You don't want them to make a fuss over you and you don't want an enemy to glean knowledge of Luin through the minds during a telepathic attack. And besides, you don't want Doc to compare his failure of a marriage to your own. That would just be horribly awkward.

You sort of "won" Luin as per the folklore of men and fairy wives. You were adventuring in Tir Na Nog back in your twenties and she caught your eye while you were paying a visit to the court of the Sidhe. She was so witty and so intelligent and so beautiful. It wasn't long you were answering the riddles of the elf king and retrieving phoenix eggs for her hand in marriage.

The ladies of the court were heartbroken. You were quite the catch back in the day.
-cont

>>399763
But there is catch to the marriage. There always is. The ancient laws of the Sidhe demand these laws. If you were ever to harm Luin three times she would be forced back to the Sidhe, there to remain forever. And the law is very loose with what counts as you harming her. If she were to accidentally touch cold iron in your presence that would count.

You would love to have her explore the physical Earth with you, to show her firsthand the wonders of your homeland...but there's so much metal everywhere. And she is of pure stock for a handmaiden. It may be that only iron harms her. It maybe that all metals. You don't want to risk one of your chances finding out.

She's fine with living down here in the dungeon. You bring her anything and anyone she wants. Fairy wives are always devoted to their human husbands. But sometimes it makes you feel like she's your prisoner kept in a gilded cages. Sometimes you feel so guilty...

"Unicorn..." The Trinitys gasp.

You hold out an arm to stop her advance. "Hold on Trinity. Don't spook him. Stay there and I'll see if he wants to see you."

"But...But what if he says no?"
"Let me hold him, please BB!"
"He just needs to know I care for him!"

"Oh yes." Luin says. "Servais told me how you saved his life. Few maidens can boast of having met a unicorn, but even I having listened to the stories of the fairy elders sense I was but a wee lass cannot name of a single maiden that rescued her unicorn."

LET TRINITY SEE THE UNICORN? TALK TO HIM FIRST?

>>399767
>Talk to him first

>>399816
"Hold on."

"But BB..."

"Trust him girl." Luin says stroking the Unicorn's head. "The Baron Bizarre knows what he's doing."

The Trinity's nod, and you disguise her presence with a simple spell.

You float over to your wife. "Ah, husband. I can feel your gloom. Perhaps you need to rest your head in my lap more than this poor prince of beasts."

"It's nothing Luin. Just more of the same difficulties I've always had." You sit on the ground and bring your robe covered legs against your chest.

The Unicorn sleeps peacefully. You and Doc did great work separating him from the great twittering machine virus. It is only when you are close enough to see his eyelids flutter that you can see the imperfections that drove him from Tir Na Nog, the puckering scars on his smooth white flanks, the chipped sides of his pearl colored horn, the spots of thinning fur.

"Tell me about this nothing husband."

"You know I don't like bringing my problems to your bower. You deserve better than that. It's just work anyway."

"The New One, up in the New Mexico sky?" Luien says with a sly grin.

"I wish you would stop scrying me. There's so much more interesting things that go on in the world besides an old man frighten people."

"Aye, but I came to this world for the old man, not the beautiful things." She kisses your cheek.

You glance over at the Trinitys waiting on pins and needles.

"She wants to talk to him. I didn't plan on taking her down here but we're having a meeting and she asked and Baroness Bizarre doesn't like her down here anyway so I thought I could get at her by taking her down here."

"It's going to break her heart if he rejects him."

"Yes. Unfortunately Trinity is rather used to heartbreak."

"Is she still not over the vampire?"

"No. But he came to you?"

"I sang and he came to me out of the trees like back in Tir Na Nog. He didn't say anything. He just placed his head in my lap and slept."

"If he's willing to be seen by an elven woman he should be willing to be seen by Trinity right?"

Luin shakes her head slowly. "I do not know. Remember that I am but a handmaiden by birth and Trinity saved his life. He may very well hold her in higher esteem."

"Oh damn. I'm nervous. I almost don't want to wake him up." You say spinning bands of morning sunlight between your fingers. "All the power in the universe and yet whether my morning is saved or not depends on how a girl and a unicorn get along."

"Oh don't be so melodramatic husband. If this doesn't work out try again later."

"True, true." You touch the orange and gold bands to the unicorn's eyelids and they slowly open to reveal beautiful blue eyes that make even you who has walked the halls of the court of elves gasp with their beauty.

Slowly and with a grace no beast from physical Earth can match the unicorn lifts its head. "Wizard." It speaks through its mind. "Wizard. Have you found a way to fix me?" It asks the same question it always asks, and you have to answer what you always answer.

>>399901
"I am sorry, not yet."

It stares at you and the silence communicates all his frustration and grief. "Then there is nothing more to discuss. Farewell. I return to the forest." It turns to head to the trees.

The Trinity's shout "Wait!" behind their silent glamour.

"Wait unicorn."

It stops and slowly turns its majestic noble around in one fluid motion. "There is no more that needs to be said. Do not think I am ungrateful. You have given me a new home and new forest to watch over. The animals here know me as sure as animals anywhere. I clean their water and watch them be born and die and I am a unicorn. But there is nothing more that can be said between us. Goodbye."

"Er, how are you doing though? I'm glad to see you've found my wive good company."

The unicorn tilts its head at you and if unicorns could sigh you think he would. "She reminds me of Tir Na Nog. She smells of that realm. And I find her singing beautiful. When I sleep on her lap I dream only of Tir Na Nog and not of the...machine."

It slices its head away. Bad memories obviously. "I am as I were in her lap. As when I knew not fear..."

"About that incident though..."

YOU MIGHT ONLY HAVE ONE SHOT TO GET THIS RIGHT AND SAVE TRINITY'S SMILE(S)

TRINITY WANTS TO SEE YOU, YOU OWE IT TO HER TO SEE HER.

YOU OWE IT TO ME AND DOC TO SEE HER

YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO SEE HER

YOU OWE IT TO LUIN TO SEE HER

I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU!

>>399906
He owes it to Trinity.

He also owes it to himself, so maybe mix that in there, if nothing else than to sound less demanding.

>>400416
ROLL 1D100. 60 PERCENT CHANCE OF SUCCESS.

Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>403895

>>403896
SUPER SUCCESS

"The young lady that saved your life and held you close while my partner and I bled the contaminated reality out of you is here with me."

"She is?" The unicorn knives its head this way and that. "Where? Can she see me?"

The Trinitys grimace.

"Be calm. She's not here." It's not totally a lie. She's out of phase with this reality. "But I can bring her here in an instant. And she very badly wants to see you. She is a young maiden, you understand. And she worries about you."

"But I am...no. No I cannot." He stares at you with wide, troubled yes. "I cannot present myself. Not to her. She deserves to meet a unicorn like all good maidens, not a scarred, mangled horse."

"Go to her." Luien says. "She does not see you that way."

"Elf, do you not remember your maidenhood? When you walked through the forest as your mother and her mother had before and waited for one not as I am but as I were to come to you and rest his head on your lap? That silent moment of absolute beauty and peace?"

"Aye unicorn. No maiden that meets a unicorn forgets."

"That is what the one that saved my life deserves. Not the presence of a monster."

"But you can give her that." You say. "And more besides. She is troubled over you. She wishes right this moment to see her. Maybe she does deserve what you say. But she wants to see you. And you owe it her to comply with her wishes."

The Univorn paws at the grass, nervously thinking. "Wizard...when I dip my horn into the waters and lakes of this new forest you have graced me with I close my eyes. The last time I saw my reflection was when the machine had swallowed me and I, dazed and dying, saw what I was in a pool of my own sacred blood mixed with oil."

The Unicorn slightly tips its head to you. "I cannot see myself reflected in her eyes. I cannot."

"You owe it to yourself to try. And if you won't try for yourself than try for her. She does not care about how you look. The young maiden has many faults but believe me. She sees beyond the superficial. Truth is her virtue."

"Is this superficial?" The Unicorn shows its lined flank to you. "These irregular scars, this mangled skin...horses are more like unicorns than I..."

"To her it is the utmost foolishness. Please believe me. Shall I summon her now?"

The Unicorn takes a deep, long, slow breathe. Its chest swells and its neck rises. It puts on a prideful demeanor for the sake of the maiden.

"I shall try."

You wave your hand and Trinity appears in a blink.

The glade fills with silence as the maidens and the unicorn contemplate each other across a field of wild flowers.

"H-hey..."
"I'ts me, Trinity..."
"You look a whole lot better than the last time I saw you."

The Unicorn moves a hoof back...

"Wait!"
"Hold on!"
"Unicorn don't go!"

His back moves to the forest, head bowed as if ashamed.

You have never seen a Unicorn tremble on its hooves before. In all your life you have never seen it.

"...I am sorry..."

-cont

>>403950

"Sorry about what?"
"There's nothing to be sorry about!"
"Unicorn please don't go!"

'...I can smell your soul. It is a clean, pure soul. A good soul. You deserve to know a good Unicorn..."

INTERVENE OR TRUST TRINITY TO HANDLE THINGS?

>>403951
Trust Trinity

>>403953

"I don't want a good unicorn! I want you!" A single Trinity yells out. The others are silent. One is too choked up with tears to speak and the other just nods in silent agreement with her double.

"You aren't the only one with scars you know!"

The Unicorn stops.

"I'm not perfect. No one is. A bad thing happened to you and it left its mark. I'm a super heroine. Bad things happen to me all the time. Super villains, disasters, interdimensional crises...and when we solve the crime and save the day and beat the bad guy it takes time to set right what went wrong. And some things don't ever get fixed...I have a friend named Blue, and I'm not sure if they'll ever be peace between her and her folks. My mom...she does bad things, and I don't know if she'll ever change. And I bet you don't think Dad and BB are ever going to fix you like your were before.That's a scar to...but it's like my Dad says. We make tomorrow a little better than today. If we can't make something better we find something else to make better. You want to be fixed right? You want things to be like they were before? W-well Unicorns..." The Trinity chokes up and one of her twins takes over for her.

"Uncorns are supposed to come to good maidens and rest their heads in their laps right? They aren't supposed to run back into the trees. Maybe BB and Dad can fix you or maybe they can't. But Dad says I'm going to grow up to be three times the scientist he is, and BB is already teaching me how to do magic things. I'll fix you one day if they can't! But I can't do that right now. I don't know how. But I do know that Unicorns come to maidens, and if you want to be a Unicorn you should start acting like one and come to me!...Please?"

You hold your breathe. Luin grabs hold of you hand. In the quiet you can hear the Trinity trio sniffling...

The Unicorn takes a step forward.

You breathe very slowly so as not to make a sound.

The Trinty's sit down on the grass. One nearly topples on to her back. Another gently helps her twin down as she dries her tears.

Silently, gracefully, the Unicorn approaches the maidens. Just as in the storybooks he kneels down and places his head in their hands.

The Trinity's whisper soft, lovely things to the Unicorn that you can only hear because of the complete silence of the forest. The entire forest holds its breathe for the tender scene.

"You're so beautiful..."
"You ARE a Unicorn..."
"I don't care what they say, you're my Unicorn and I love you."

You find yourself lost watching the momment until Luin squeezes your hand. You have a meeting to get to and you think Trinity needs some time here.

You want to say something before you depart, but as usual you can't think of the words. But as usual your wife knows what to do. She begins to sing a soft elven lullaby as the Unicorn naps and Trinity strokes its white mane.

You nod toward your Wife and silently float to a familiar wooden door on the side of a tree and open it.
-cont

>>404003
You step back into the Endless Hallway and give the touching scene of maiden, elf, and unicorn one final glance before gently shutting the door.

The Light leads you back to the Mound and you ascend the spiraling staircase to Castle Bizarre proper.

With a snap of your fingers your coffee mug vanishes. Your hair is tidied, teeth cleaned, and robe is replaced by your familiar wardrobe. A light purple vest, white pants, black pointed shoes, and finally your mighty cape of stability.

The half-lightning bolt symbols flash with re-awakened power. The half-lightning bolt is your sigil. It symbolizes you. One half visible and one half invisible. One half order as in the lightning bolt of Zeus, the Vajra of Indra, and the spear of Izanagi, and one half chaos as invisible and weightless as the primal water snake Tiamat.

One half physical light and one half invisible spirit. You bind the two into one. You are a theurgist. You are a wizard. You are a shaman.

You are Baron Bizarre, and you are ready for another day of work in the 3 Earths.

The stars inside your cape whisper good morning to you, silent voices filled with light traveling over the void of space to reach you.

You whisper good morning back and call for your butler and valet Cromwell. Its time for an update on your lodging teammates.

CROMWELL IS A:

Skeleton? Cat? Bird? Something else?

WHAT IS OUR FAITHFUL VALET?

>>404035
A giant shrimp

>>404075
Humanoid or just a giant shrimp?

>>404508
Just a giant man-sized shrimp. Maybe with our crest on the back of its shell?

File: Cromwell!.jpg (84 KB, 634x325)

84 KB JPG

>>404548
Sounds very possible. Did you know crabs come in purple? Not only does Cromwell have our sigil on his shell but his colors match!

>>404548
>>404508
>>404075
>I somehow read shrimp as crab

Oh darn. Is a giant purple crab okay?

>>404730
Not him but I'd like a purple crab.

You hear the familiar tapping of purple feelers on the black marble floor of the castle and in a moment Cromwell appears around the corner.

"E'lo gov'nor!" Your faithful valet greets with a wave of his orange tipped pincers. "You slept well past lunch, but your teammates seemed to rather enjoy my cookery."

"They usually do." You reply with a warm smile. "Any messages while I was preoccupied with my morning ritual?"

Cromwell is a giant purple crab large enough to be ridden on (Trinity has done so before). He is also an adept sorceror in his own right, a cordon bleu chef, a skillful tailor, and concert pianist,

He is a gentleman's gentleman. He used to serve the royal Thule households before he was given to your father as a sort of gift from the royal assemblage of Thule in recognition of your family's services to their realm (and in recognition that Castle Bizarre in those days was rather unkempt. The Thule Queen called it "spooky". The Thule even called it "The house of shadows piled atop shadows" but fortunately they now call it "The house of shadows piled atop shadows organized by Cromwell the butler"). Cromwell comes from a long line of butler crabs and takes great pride in supporting one of the most powerful households in existence.

"Just what you'd expect." Cromwell fusses over your hair with one of his enormous claws. Even magically perfect he insists that he makes sure you look presentable. "PHOENIX is now in charge of the whole New One thing and eagerly await the arrival of your contact team."

"They won't have to wait long. As soon as I'm finished with with teammates here I'll assemble them."

"They're waiting for you in the dining hall. I'm afraid Dr. Chase has found your old board game again and has grown quite fond of it."

"Oh dear. Is he playing alone?"

"Cobalt Blue is humoring him. As for Psinobi I'm afraid she hasn't arrived yet."

"Ah. Well at least I'm not the one running late this time. She say why?"

"Only that it had to do with her college work 'gov."

"Very well then." The air hums around you as you prepare to teleport to the dining hall. "I've kept my guests waiting for far too long."

"Diner will be served at 7:30 to accommodate your guests. Sorry about the delay gov'"

"Three teenage girls and their hyperactive father? No my good man, feel sorry for cooking staff!"

You teleport to the dining hall...

NEW THREAD:>>409038