Chapter 21.2
Protector and Junior Architect Walker: Shit.
Head Protector Damie: I'll stop it. 199 tech? We stopped using it Dreamers ago for a reason. Those types of wars are not worth fighting.
Walker: If we keep letting you merfolk decide, we won't fight at all.
Damie: You merfolk? Most Protectors are merfolk but I don't make these decisions without Undane. And he's been through wars, newbie. So fix your attitude around me and my comrades. Don't know why Moji brought your pixel-puppet-ass up here in the first place. Always playing matchmaker.
Walker: At least that's what Dreamers do, right? They build legacies. Unlike a certain Head Protector that keeps moping around in his office because his mistress moved on.
Damie: What d'you say?
Walker: I get it. I'd be crying too. If I couldn't keep -
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Damie: Alright. You had enough time to get your shit together. Ravi played nice. And an idiot gave you some toys to torture and it still wasn't enough. You're either going to get your entire crew to calm the void down now and stay calm or my sister can use an entire sixam of lifeforce for her new Savefile. What's it gonna be?
We're not calming down? Aight. You had your chance.
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Head Healer Juniper: There's a reason we do missions like that together, Damie. You're lucky you walked away with only a couple scars.
Damie: Shouldn't have let them get that close.
But a bit of hand-to-hand combat is good, you know? And whispering a lullaby takes less energy than screaming it.
Juniper: You're getting more precise with extraction as well. I don't think you wasted any of their lifeforce. How are you feeling? Did you meet Zuri?
Damie: I don't need her. I'm good. Calm. No bad vibes.
Juniper: No bad vibes... Good. The - uh - the white tattoo? Is it?
Damie: Yeah... I knocked out after they treated the wounds and when I woke up, it was there.
Juniper: I see. Did Kaiso come to you? While you were knocked out?
Damie: How did you know?
Juniper: It's my job to know. Enjoy the celebrations when you return to 085. I'm sure the elders will be pleased that the warrior's blessing has returned to the tribe. But come speak with me tomorrow. Please?
Damie: I'm good, Junie. I can handle myself.
Juniper: I'm sure you can but you don't have to. Should I explain to Zuri?
Damie: No need. Like I said I don't need her. *exhales* And um, if we do the ceremony tonight, I'm sure her new sim will explain. 100%.
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Trait-giver Zuri: Moji would love it here.
Head Enamourer Kenny: We can bring her and Ravi next time.
Zuri: Maybe. But there's something I should tell you. Can we -
*Noise on a frequency only merfolk can hear*
Kenny: Sorry, Z. We gotta go.
Zuri: Go where?
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Zuri: So this "warrior's blessing" hasn't happened since his grandfather?
Kenny: Exactly.
Zuri: That's so long ago. And most of the records for the simulation at that time was destroyed when Grim took over, no?
Kenny: Yes. But we kept our oral traditions. And the elders hid stories in the caves before they were taken to the Savefile. And um, one of Kaiso's friends was a werewolf that hid one of our wise elders. Maricela told me that Damie found them on Sixam-026. So we'll have a lot of community events and history lessons soon. You'll, uh, probably have to meet him.
Zuri: A 085 wise elder? Is he coming to Sixam-302?
Kenny: No, no. He'd never go near any headquarters for The Cube. No, uh, he's just my dad. You met mom. You should meet dad.
Zuri: Kenny... I. Are you -? Didn't you think he -?
Kenny: We don't have to talk about it... The, yeah, the, uh warrior's blessing. It's about -
Zuri: We can talk about that later, Kenny. Are you okay?
Kenny: Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. This is good. Damie's gonna call a thunderstorm. It's necessary for the ceremony. That's why the party happens before it starts. Um, I should probably get you indoors. You're lucky you're not a mermaid, Nebula. 100%. 'Cause the mermen are going to be screaming war cries and aggressive lullabies all night.
Zuri: I thought war cries were restricted to your chief.
Kenny: Not anymore. That's one part of the warrior's blessing. After this ceremony is over, the parts of us that we lost when Grim and Odenna altered our ancestors' coding for the Savefiles will be returned to us.
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