Sliding Along On The Crest Of The Wave

<> Demiurge says "Dana came through the Portal a few minutes before Sephar."

<> Sephar nodnods.

<> Demiurge says "She comes through to notice a Lilim, a Malakite, a Kyriotate, and a Seraph, in front of the gold-and-rainbow-crystal Spires of Judgement."

... and the world changes. And Dana is standing in front of the gold-and-rainbow Spires.

Aron is perched on a golden spar, a toothpick caught in his teeth and an easy smile defining his features.

Dana looks at the assembled people, trying to look like she knows what she is doing here.

Nearby, on another spar, a tiger's-eye, tawny-winged Seraph coils. It seems to be wearing a T-shirt.

Dana grins up at the Seraph. "Hello."

Daimonique looks distinguished in her red silk shirt with the Mandarin collar, black pants, and hairpin.

The Seraph raises his head, ripple-blinking his golden eyes with interest. The T-shirt reads, "Hug a Judge."

Jordan calls, "Hello, lovely!"

<> Sephar just dies.

Daimonique turns and looks. She smiles graciously. "Dana! Why, I thought you were on Earth."

Dana looks over at Daimon and smiles. "It's been an odd day, to say the least."

Hitherby is just an ordinary Kyriotate. Her Advanced Cloud Metric Device hangs in her misty shape performing important metric duties, and her metallic eyes click as she surveys Dana.

Daimonique raises a single carefully manicured eyebrow.

Aron drawls around the toothpick, "Odd? What makes you say that."

Dana walks over to the Lilim. "I don't think I'm supposed to be here."

<> Jordan rolls the d666 and gets 4 4 CHECK: 6.

<> Jordan asks, "Izzat true?

<> Demiurge says "Oh god yes. :)"

Jordan rippleblinks, then marque-blinks.

<> Demiurge says "You pick up even her belief that she shouldn't be in this _universe_."

Hitherby extrudes a small metal cup-like device and sends a *ping* of sound towards Dana.

Jordan says "All right, that's true. That's very true. That's very *WEIRD*."

Hitherby listens for a moment, and then jots something down on the notepad underneath her.

Daimonique looks Dana up and down. "You don't look like you did when you left this morning."

Dana says "Yeah? How did I look? Just, you know, curious."

Daimonique says "A little more stylish."

Jordan takes off from the spar to land quietly behind Daimonique, resting his chin on one of her shoulders and draping a wing over the other.

Hitherby says, calmly, her voice the humming of a dozen lab machines in synchrony, "She is most probably a portal-traveler, from another Heaven. There have been others."

Daimonique grins happily, and reaches to pet Jordan up on the head.

Jordan adds, "She certainly doesn't think she should be in this universe."

Jordan rubs against Daimonique's hand, trilling softly, eyes half-closed in bliss.

Daimonique says "Maybe she's in a slightly different state of mind. Earth assignments and all."

Dana smiles at Daimon and the Seraph. "Not that I wouldn't *want* to be here..."

Sephar tumbles through and blinks mildly at all the gathered folks.

Jordan returns his attention to Dana, though still draped over Daimonique rather like a feathery boa.

Hitherby says, seriously, "An impossible claim; there is by definition but one universe. Nevertheless, some perspectives on the world change how you see -- and some change *what* you see."

Jordan says "If you're not supposed to be here, where should you be, lovely Cherub? And can we help?"

Sephar's eyes get kinda wide at seeing Jordan draped on Dana and then does a serious Kyriotate double-take on Hitherby, entire cloud turning to look again.

Dana blushes. "I don't know. Um. I don't know who you are."

Jordan rippleblinks again. "Name's Jordan. Seraph of Eli."

Sephar murmurs softly, "Dana?" and then coughs at Jordan's introduction.

Jordan rears up a little and shows off his "Hug a Judge" T-shirt to the newly arrived Kyrio.

Dana says "Hi, nice to meet you. Um. Sephar? I think you aimed wrong or something."

Sephar says "Woah."

Dana says "I love the shirt, Jordan."

Sephar says "I think so. Though... uhm... I have to admit, Dana, I don't know how to aim it. I'm just jumping to see if I can follow the others."

Jordan preens happily!

Daimonique just blinks.

Hitherby surveys Sephar. "A veritable menagerie," she clicks. "I believe I can repeat the practical advice my Bright Lord gave the last travelers. Nevertheless, I must warn you: there have been detectable variations in the emanations of this portal that may indicate an instability. I cannot vouch for my prior information remaining correct; I cannot even promise that the portal is safe."

Dana pauses. "Who were the last travellers?"

Sephar blinks mildly at Hitherby. "Oh, good, the others have come through?"

Sephar says "Which others were they?"

Jordan eyes Daimonique. "Are you as confused as I am, Dai?"

Dana hopes nobody came through behind her...

Sephar eyes the disc behind them.

Daimonique says "I think I am, Jordan."

The disc behind them is still, merely a ripple of light in the air. Nobody attempts to follow.

Hitherby says, "Daimon and Sarah, Sephar. Were there others?"

Hitherby's eyes swivel in small circles in their sockets, indicating interest.

Jordan nods. "Good. I'd hate to be the only one confused here." He raises up his head to pay attention to Hitherby.

Sephar sighs in relief, "No, no others, blessed be."

Daimonique raises TWO eyebrows. "_I_ came through that portal? When did this happen?"

Dana gets distracted and peers at the Spires for a while.

Jordan uncoils and goes over to Dana. "Truly, is there something I can help you with? We of Judgment are here to help, after all."

Hitherby glances at Daimon. "No doubt you were intoxicated at the time."

Sephar says, half in answer to Daimon, "Hopefully not too long ago."

Daimonique looks confused, and walks over to the portal. She doesn't remember going through.

Daimonique says "Must have been some party."

Hitherby gives off a staccato series of clicks: a laugh.

Sephar meeps and slides quietly between this Daimonique and the Portal.

Dana speaks quietly. "Things are bad where I am from."

Sephar says "I think, maybe, it would be good if you dind't go through, I'm not sure if we can even get back..."

Jordan gently brushes a wing against Dana's. "Talking about one's problems often helps," he suggests.

Hitherby says, "If I may offer an analogy, Daimon -- it was you, but not the Forces you present here, and the two have become -- indistributable."

Daimonique says "Wow."

Daimonique contemplates being indistributable.

Sephar blinks at Hitherby, "Indistributable?"

Dana keeps looking at the Spires while she speaks to Jordan. "Who is the Archangel of Judgement here?"

Jordan replies, "Eli, of course."

Hitherby nods to Sephar. "As with a Kyriotate who can no longer divide her Forces freely."

Sephar says "Ah."

Daimonique says "Was I distributable before?"

Sephar just looks at Jordan for a bit after his answer and half its eyes close for a second.

<> Jordan, Seraph of Eli the AA of Judgment, considers having more than one Daimonique around, and looks interested!

Dana smiles a little. "The one who created me for Judgement is Dominic. He, uh, until very recently was a Seraph. Our Eli is Creation. Nice guy."

<> Daimonique attempts to distribute herself. The effect is that of clothes ruffling.

Hitherby sinks low and hums a mournful note. "I am only now beginning to appreciate the basic metaphysics involved. I believe the answer is yes: it was the moment of your creation by your Ar-- *one-tone cough* -- your creator that differentiated you."

Jordan ripple-blinks. "Your... Eli..."

Dana says "The Eli I know. He even gave me an attunement."

Jordan shakes his head. "Ooookaaay."

Daimonique says "A Mercurian of Creation would lead to an untidy universe, I would think. How does he remember the truth of where everything goes?"

Sephar mutters mildly, "Metaphysics."

Daimonique says "I think we're happy the way we are."

Dana says "I think he makes it up as he goes along. Creation, you know."

Jordan chuckles at Daimonique. "Tidiness is all well and good, but one has to have some fun too!"

Sephar eyes Hitherby, "Uhm. Are you serving Jean, here?"

Daimonique says "We have fun, in between writing our structured poetry and following the rules of musical theory."

Jordan adds to Dana, "Ah, Daimonique is of Creation, in service to the Boss."

Hitherby says, seriously, "The Great One has dedicated much study to a practical metaphysics -- a 'technology of the soul', as he puts it. Yet this is a dangerous study; I was until this day forbidden from it."

Sephar sighs softly.

Jordan raspberries Daimonique. "That's not fun, that's... a straitjacket! Metaphorically, of course."

Sephar eyes both Jordan and Daimonique and it looks like its brain hurts.

Jordan blinks back at Sephar. "Are you well?"

<> Jordan rolls the d666 and gets 6 4 CHECK: 6.

Daimonique says "Rules are what allows for the clear paths of Creation, Jordan."

Hitherby clicks, neutrally, "Rules are," *fzzt* *spark*, "positive things."

Dana giggles at Daimonique. "You just told me a couple of days ago that you were an anarchist. This is so strange."

Sephar says "Uhm... thank you, Jordan, I am merely off-set by fundamental differences of assumption."

Jordan rolls his upper pair of eyes, and says, out of the corner of his mouth, "Rules have little place in proper judgment. Everything has reasons, backgrounds, motivations, circumstances..."

Sephar meeps quietly at Hitherby.

Daimonique raises her eyebrows. "I'm not an anarchist, I'm an _artist_."

Hitherby bobs. "Such it is with the Servitors of Animals. Most untidy minds."

Sephar's eyes get all wide at Hitherby.

Jordan adds, "If you used fixed rules, there would be injustice *everywhere*!"

Sephar says "Servitor of Animals?"

Dana nods at Jordan. "Rules have their place, but they are not Justice."

Hitherby emits another tiny little cup to *ping* Sephar. "This is not your Service?"

Jordan smiles at Dana. "See, Daimonique? She understands."

Daimonique says "Oh Puh-leeze, Dana, don't HELP him. Jordan is already insufferably silly."

Hitherby looks faintly aghast. *click* *click*. "But what of the ants?"

Jordan raspberries Daimonique again.

Dana says "Oh, I think I'm starting to like him."

<> Sephar just nearly dies at Jordan's line.

Daimonique says "But he's cute, so we forgive him."

<> arcangel is just dying here.

Jordan winks at Dai. "Well, at least you think I have *some* value."

Daimonique says "You have plenty of value. We all love you, Jordan."

Sephar says "Ants?"

Sephar says "I'm in Service to Lightning, not ants."

Hitherby eyes Sephar.

Dana ponders Judgement run by a Mercurian and just boggles.

Jordan preens his tawny-banded feathers. Then he pauses. "Really, Dana here is the one who could use the help." He turns back to her. "Ah, should I be asking who *your*, um, Judgment is?"

<> Sephar just dies laughing.

Hitherby says, "Dear, dear Sephar."

Sephar eyes Hitherby uncertainly.

Hitherby says, "It is transparently obvious that you do not serve Lightning. Where are your Eyes That See Too Deep? Where are your Cups That Go Ping? Where, I ask you, is your Cloud Metric Device?"

Hitherby clicks.

<> Sephar says "Is there a way I can show the Lightning in my bones without zapping someone?"

<> Demiurge says "Not really."

Dana says "Uh. He's not really Judgement anymore. He kinda Fell. No, he really Fell."

<> Demiurge says "You could zap a spare bit of building or something."

<> Sephar doesn't then.

<> Maxwell says "Zap 'em!"

Jordan gapes. "What??"

Daimonique says "Dominic FELL? That's terrible!"

Sephar looks really confused at Hitherby.

Hitherby rotates four eyes around to watch Dana. They clatter against each other like clapperless bells.

Jordan clicks his jaw shut and looks horrified.

Sephar then stares at Dana when that conversation actually penetrates.

<> Maxwell says "We feel the same way, Jordan."

Hitherby tilts six eyes around to watch the portal. *clitterclitterclitter*.

Jordan covers his head with his wings, whispering, "How awful for his angels."

Hitherby says, "This portal must be sealed."

Daimonique says "We can't let something like that come through here."

Sephar says "We should likely go on, before it is sealed, but, yes, that would likely be the right thing to do."

Dana says "In my home, yeah. He took a lot of his angels with him, though I've managed to run away successfully so far."

Jordan recovers himself, and then hugs Dana. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Sephar whispers softly, "Me, too. I didn't know why the Spires were gone, there... but now..."

Tears leak from all six of his eyes as he croons soothingly to Dana.

Dana hugs back. "It's awful, but I've been feeling too sorry for myself about it, I think. Yeah, Sephar, that's why.

Sephar shakes off quietly.

Daimonique says "Wow."

Dana sniffles a little. "Sephar, could something have followed me or you through that thing? Is it closed on the other side now?"

<> Daimonique says "Man, that's some sucky GM that did that to poor Dominic. :)"

<> Dana says ""No kidding! :^)"

<> Jordan weeps!

Sephar hugs Dana and Jordan quietly. "I don't really know if it closed behind or not. Did it look like it closed behind you when you came through?"

<> Dana says "Yeah, our GM needs a kick in the pants. :^)"

<> Jo says "Evidently that entire world is heretical! :p"

<> Sephar says "Did the portal fade out after me or did I see it fading as Dana saw it fading?"

Hitherby fires little hook-tipped tendrils at the opposite edges of the portal, to see whether it may be physically pulled together.

Jordan pets Dana with his wings, silently weeping at the horror she has undergone.

Dana says "I didn't really look, Sephar. I just sorta... Okay, I've had a lot of weird stuff happen recently, you know? I thought the portal was part of that."

<> Demiurge says "The portal still exists."

Dana continues hugging Jordan, cos he's obviously more broken up about this than she is. :^)

The hooks fail to quite connect with the portal, and clatter to the ground.

Sephar says "That makes sense, Dana."

Daimonique has no choice at all but to join the hugging angelpile. It looks so warm.

Jordan sniffles. "Poor Cherub. How awful that must have been."

Jordan moves a wing happily to let Daimonique into the angelpile.

Sephar moves to the portal as well, studying it now, rather than just jumping through.

Hitherby reels them in with the *spinning* sound of automatic fishing poles.

<> Demiurge says "Hm. Sephar _did_ get the impression that the portal vanished behind him when he came through to this world, mind."

Dana says "Thanks, Jordan. I haven't had a lot of time for comfort."

Daimonique cuddles Jordan, because he's such a cutie.

Sephar says "I think it closed after me when I came here from the last place."

Sephar says "So it might be that Dana and I have to go through again to have it close here."

Jordan cuddles Daimonique, because Servitors of Dominic need cuddles more than they think they do.

Hitherby hesitates.

Sephar says "It might be capacity triggered."

Hitherby says, "Others departed."

Jordan cuddles Dana, 'cause she *needs* it!

Dana cuddles, like, everybody, cos they're there and everyone needs more cuddles.

Hitherby reflects. Literally.

Sephar blinks quietly at Hitherby's reflection.

<> Demiurge says "Hitherby, you saw the _previous_ portal close when Daimon/Sarah left."

<> Demiurge says "Then a new one opened up when Sephar/Dana came through."

Sephar says "It might be that since two came through, two must go through to have it close."

Dana says "Mmm. Warm cuddly angels."

Jordan chuckles. "It's a pity you think you shouldn't stay, Dana -- maybe we could convince Daimonique there are virtues outside of rules."

Daimonique says "Heh. Hardly."

Jordan licks Daimonique's ear. "You're already in service to the right guy!"

Sephar just blinks at Daimonique at that.

Daimonique says "Only through rules can we find the true path to individual Freedom. It says so right in Kant."

Dana laughs out loud. "That would be an interesting conversation, no doubt."

Daimonique then gets licked. Woah.

Jordan snorts, "See, Dana? She's always going on about rules and freedom. She doesn't understand that sometimes you just have to go wth what's *right*."

<> Maxwell says "In this universe Kant was obviously a lot clearer."

Jordan says "It's the only way to get true justice."

Daimonique says "Hey, I'm the one with Freedom built into my forces, Jordan."

Jordan nods, "True, but you express it so oddly..."

Hitherby twists several mouths into frowns. "Perhaps we can phase-shift Heaven while inverting the Empyrean flow; this may be able to prevent these portals from opening our Heaven to such enemies."

Jordan is still cuddling with Dana, of course. Cherubim need cuddles.

Dana says "It is! Wow! But you don't have the freedom to break the rules, Dai."

Jordan . o O (Judgment Rules for Cherubim: Cuddle.)

Dana cuddles with Jordan, cos he's a servitor of Judgement who is talking sense!

Dana says "Sometimes, with the right motivations, it can be okay to test the rules."

Daimonique says "I have the Freedom to live within the rules."

Sephar eyes the port and (do I have any idea as to the theory behind these things?) Hitherby's thought.

Jordan murmurs in an undertone to Dana, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get her to relax?"

Dana says "That's great if you choose to do so. Really. But sometimes rules need to change. That's something I've been dealing with a lot lately."

<> Demiurge says "Sephar: no, not really."

<> Sephar says "Hokay. "

Hitherby mutters to herself. "Perhaps the problem is with our Feng Shui."

Dana gives Jordan a smoochie. "She CAN be kind of uptight, can't she?"

Jordan shakes his head. "Obviously the Word of Judgment must be leavened with relaxation."

<> Demiurge says "Though, Sephar, feel free to have as many suppositions as you like. :)"

Jordan smoochies back, expertly!

Jordan says "I try to get her to take her hair down sometimes."

Dana wants to stay here, thanks.

Sephar sighs quietly, "It started with a portal in my Heaven, maybe if I can get back, I can stop things from the source."

Hitherby reflects (from her Advanced Cloud Metric Device). "Of course, adjusting our Feng Shui would involve moving the Council Spires."

Dana says "I've tried to explain to people for centuries now: it's all about motivations."

Sephar says "Feng Shui?"

Daimonique raises an eyebrow. Relax, pshaw. Creation NEVER relaxes. It's always creating.

Jordan tilts his head back. "Moving the Spires? Woah. Cool."

<> Sephar is so completely bewildered, it's causing its player to die of laughter.

<> Demiurge imagines moving the Council Spires to fix the Feng Shui, and just cracks up.

Daimonique says "I think not, Hitherby. I'm sure that Heaven provides a proper balance to all things."

Jordan pipes up, "But change is good too! Who knows, maybe we're stagnating! We should think about moving the Spires!"

<> Sephar now dies laughing.

Dana says "Is there a problem with it being where it is?"

Daimonique says "We will not be moving the Spires."

Jordan explains, "Hitherby thinks that moving the Spires might make a better Feng Shui."

Jordan says "Or something like that."

Dana says "Would it better serve Justice elsewhere? I don't think it matters."

Jordan shrugs his wings. "I'm not always the best with technical stuff."

Sephar just can't help itself and starts laughing.

Jordan pouts slightly at Dai. "Oh, but think where we might be able to put them?"

Dana says "You seem to be adept at some things." and smooches again.

Jordan wraps himself around Dana and smooches back. "Haven't been getting enough of this?"

Sephar takes a bit to catch its breath again, after a deep, long belly laugh and then eyes both Jordan and Dana.

Daimonique says "They are very happy where they are."

<> Daimonique says "My God, Daimon and Jordan have swapped brains."

<> Sephar says "Hyup. Isn't it frightening?"

Jordan asks Dana, "Want to help me convince Daimonique to *consider* the aesthetics of moving the Spires? Or do you want to go to my room and catch up on cuddles?" Seriously, he adds, "Cherubim Need Cuddles. One of the Rules of Judgment."

Sephar says "Dana... uhm... I need to catch up with the other Daimonique and Sarah..."

Sephar says "And I don't know if the portal will close if you stay."

Hitherby unfolds a big metal flower on the side facing Daimon, and then it snaps shut into a cone and withdraws. "Your pardon, Daimonique. I foolishly placed the security of Heaven above Dominic's view."

Dana unentangles herself from Jordan, reluctantly. "No, Sephar is right. I need to go, and the more I stay, the more I want to stay. And my place isn't here."

Daimonique says "Forgiven, Hitherby."

Jordan nuzzles Dana's ears. "If you're sure. I'm sorry you have to leave for elsewhere."

Hitherby clicks several times, faintly amused. "Perhaps if we reinforced the air."

Dana whispers to Jordan "I am too, but it has to be this way. There is much Justice to be done where I am from."

Jordan nods solemnly to Dana. "If you feel you must, then I guess you must. But, if it helps, remember that there's a place where your Archangel hasn't Fallen, where the Word of Judgment is still strong."

Dana just can't imagine a neat stack of paintbrushes, all clean and ready to be used.

Sephar hovers very quietly.

Jordan snuggles Dana one last time, before uncoiling. "And remember that there's a Seraph who thinks you've very cute."

Dana says "I know, Jordan. That means a lot of me. Thank you."

Jordan says, "You're welcome." He pauses. "If you waited, like, just a few moments, I could get you an official Judgment T-shirt to take back with you!"

Sephar experimentally pings the way Hitherby has been pinging.

Nothing happens.

Dana smiles. "It might be interesting to see if that would work. I'll wait if Sephar says it's okay."

Jordan raises his head, "Can you wait just a few moments while I get her a T-shirt?"

Sephar says "Oh. Sure. I don't think a few moments will hurt with the way things have been going."

<> Dana speaking of pinging, I'd like to give a tug on the ol Attunement and see what happens.

Jordan nods and launches himself up into the air, winging his way to his Archangel's Cathedral.

Hitherby hums in that computer-fan manner of hers. "Sephar -- you are Lightning, truly? Perhaps you might care to interface briefly or otherwise share the most interesting recent discoveries of your world?"

<> Demiurge says "Hm. Dana, your attunement doesn't answer you."

Hitherby says "There will likely be a hundred-percentile overlap."

Sephar says "Truly. And if you do not believe it would contaminate this reality..."

Hitherby says "But if there is not ..."

<> Pat says "We're sorry, but that attunement has been temporarily disconnected. Please try again later."

<> Maxwell says "I get that message all the time."

<> Dana didn't think it would. Hmm.

Sephar says "Would a Song of Ethereal Tongues work as an interface or did you have something else in mind?"

<> Dana laughs. Max really does get that message! :^)

<> Demiurge says "We're sorry. Engineers of the Game are currently working to fine-tune your attunement. Please let us know the moment you can sense your attuned feeling pain."

Jordan returns, bearing a Cherubic-style T-shirt.

Hitherby reflects. "That will suffice, Seph', if your Jordi did not equip you with proper data jacks."

Hitherby adds, "And cables."

Sephar says "Data jacks. My."

The T-shirt reads "Hug a Judge" on the front, and "Cherubim Rules: Cuddle!" on the back.

Hitherby says, seriously, "We must ever strive for self-improvement, to battle the demonic threat; we must learn to use our tools, to meld with our tools, to *become* our tools; this is the way of the machine. How else may we survive the urban jungle?"

Dana hugs Jordan. "Thanks. I won't forget you."

Jordan presents it to Dana and hugs her. "And I will pray for you, Dana."

Sephar uses its Eth Tongues in a quick flash and mentally pipes all it knows to Hitherby and takes all it can get from Hitherby as well.

Dana waves and jumps through the portal.

Jordan waves!

Sephar then jumps after Dana when Hitherby hits an EOM, saying, "God go with you."

---

Fiat Justitia