Gwen's Journal

__FORCETOC__
Back to Gwendolyn du Lac.
These journals actually physically exist in-universe. Challenge kept them for Gwen while the latter was in space and has read them and has recited several parts of it to Rekken.
For later adventures of Gwen's, you can check the OVA material Space Logs by Gwen, or the post-OVA Season 2 material in Gwen's Second Journal.
== Season 1 - Gwen Joins the Big Team ==
2018, September 5th
Hey mom,
I guess I'll just call this my journal... I've been told I should keep one--Sir Crisp said that it would help me order my thoughts and feelings, and my new teammates seem to do it too.
I wish I could write letters to my mom. I haven't seen her in years. I haven't even seen dad since they rescued me from GREY. Before that? Before that I saw nobody for two years, save scientists and other experimental subjects in the brief times I can remember. Ugh. I've got the power to see the past of things and of other people, but yet I can see so little of my own! I'm... I'm not really sure I want to.
This is getting depressing to think about, but they were right. It is helping me order things for myself.
We might get along after all, Journal.
== Season 1 Finale - The Big Dance ==
2018, September 15th
Also starring: Rekken, Side-step, Dominik Tegan, Redshift.
Hey Journ,
I know I don't write in you daily. You're not a dairy after all--remember that! It's an important difference. I write stuff in you when that shit's important. And gurl, this shit today is so important that I'm gonna fucking fill several pages if it's the last thing I fucking do.
Fuck yes do I need to curse don't even bother asking fuck
Listen. I wanted to write stuff down in you even before more shit hit the fan, but I'll lay it out all nice and easy for you, okay? Like I said before, it helps me order my thoughts and feelings. I hope it does so this time too, because I have a lotta thoughts and a lotta feelings.
So first up, the Big Dance. The Fredrick H. Big High School Autumn Dance. I hadn't expected to go, didn't even know what it really was, but this really nice girl, Olivia, invited me. (She's also known as Rekken on the Big Team, but Olivia just sounds... noble, y'know? Though I've gotten into the habit of calling her R.O. in my head, for Rekken Olivia, just like with everyone else, trying to keep things straight with all these different names around me. Then again, keeping things straight was always a problem for me. I guess the hero names work better since I live in the Big Team base right now... but I'm getting off track. And that's a stupid naming scheme too.) So yeah, Olivia invited me, and so it was us, S.F., DomDom and this guy Casper. I knew Olivia and DomDom well-ish, since they'd rescued me, Olivia has checked up on me a few times (she's so sweet) and DomDom's around the base a bunch (I think he might live here too?), but the other guys were new to me.
We arrived in a horse-drawn carriage at the Dance (nbd) and the Dance was just... it was the best, okay. For as long as it lasted, the Dance was as terrible and yet also perfect, and if all those films I watched in the past two weeks taught me anything, it's that a Dance should be like that, and it do. I danced with Olivia and she only stepped on my feet like... two times. I think we had some punch after that? I don't remember much about the punch. I think I liked it? Made me hungry though. Oh! I do remember that S.F. at one point came up to us to take a selfie. I wasn't sure why at first, it was a little awkward and we were in the middle of a dance... and then later on he called out OUR NAMES over the fucking INTERCOM to DEDICATE A SONG TO US. He started SINGING. That... yeah that and all the eyes being on us was a big sign of "let's get the fuck outta here".
So... yeah, see? Told you I would fill several pages! AND I'M NOT EVEN HALFWAY!
I'm not sure it hit Olivia harder than me, but I was in shock for a little while, I think. I acted, I did things, but not much registered. All I remember is sitting on a bench outside with a while for Olivia for a while with Olivia under her cape no wait. We figured out (well okay, Olivia figured out) that S.F. might have some romantic problems and I thought I was being a bad friend for not seeing his distress. Mom would've known, what with her magic, and dad obviously would've, a proper knight can support their comrades.
We bumped into S.F. again and I think we might've saved him from a teacher. He seemed very down at this point, and I was trying to figure out a good way to cheer him up. My brain was still a bit foggy, so what do I come up with? Of course, Journ, you guessed it: I summon my sword and I KNIGHT HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL.
WHAT THE FUCK GWEN
THIS MUST BE ILLEGAL IN LIKE FIFTY COUNTRIES
Okay, breathe. Like okay, I paused for a bit to breathe properly there. I don't think I can legally knight people, going by the laws of Avalon. But nobody here needs to know. I don't think even sir Crisp knows, at least not for sure. The son of King Arthur is apparently here though! I hope he never finds out. Maybe if I ki No Gwen, even as a joke that's in bad taste, considering what happened.
*sigh*
Okay. I'll skip to the important part: we found DomDom and Casper again and that's when the grey vans rolled in. The GREY vans. It was clearly bad news when soldier-like goons started pouring out and some white-masked Darth Vader lady flung around commands. We engaged them and I took care of the goons easily. The lady was tougher though, and when she shot me with an ice blast, my powers reacted badly. I think I might've frozen myself and a teammate for a while there... I vaguely recall a shiny green dragon made of light knocking a helicopter out of the sky and wrecking the rest of the bad guys. Much of what happened after is a blur... I heard the important details later.
Journ. A friend died that night. A member of the Big Team. I know I'm new here, but this guy lived in the Big Team base while I was here. I mostly avoided him, but he didn't seem like a bad guy, he was friendly with the others. I don't know. I feel like... I shouldn't be sad, because I didn't know who he was or even what he was, but I am sad nonetheless. I am sad.
And I am angry.
GREY will pay for what they've done.
They don't deserve to live.
== Pre-Season 2 Teaser - Keeping Bee-Zee ==
2018, September 19th
Also starring: Dominik Tegan, Hyena.
Hey Journey,
Since the Dance, things has just been going crazy all throughout the city. School's moved to a temporary building for now while they rebuild. Lots of people are changed. Many new folks have arrived in the city around this time, either on purpose or by accident. Our team has grown as a result. I've got three new roommates, even! All boys though. They make a mess. Squire is especially smelly. I'm glad I don't have to sleep in the same room as him. Valour's okay though, but then again, he's a robot cyborg-man.
Also Rhi's here now and I'll tell you all about Rhi later, that's gonna be a big thing.
While DomDom and I were out shopping for clothes we came across some newbies fighting a swarm of bees and other transformed, chief among them Portability--an annoying old villain who teleports around a lot, always confusing to fight, but now transformed into a locust-man. Gross!
DomDom and I helped them bust down on them. I'm not sure if they would've made it without us. One of them got scared halfway through? Honestly, they need to shape up or ship out. This hero stuff is not for everyone. I care about them, but they need to know their limits too. I don't want them to get hurt... If they're on the Big Team, they're basically my siblings in this world, aren't they? Okay, actually I hope not. My siblings back home are a different kind of pain in the ass, but I miss them. And some of my teammates here I have... other ideas about.
Anyway, the newbies did well enough! I'm also pretty new to this thing, even if I had dad as an example and plenty of lessons before... well.
Portability got away in all the ruckus though. That's my bad. I told DomDom to go after him while I dealt with a snail-person and I completely failed at it. We should've switched around. I can fly! DomDom's also strong and he's probably better at comforting people. He's a big ol' teddybear. I got a sword that talks to me to tell me what to say to people.
I know who I'd pick for a difficult conversation.
(It's me, because I'm difficult at conversation.)
== Pre-Season 2 Teaser - Heli-carry On My Wayward Daughter ==
2018, September 26th
Also starring: Dominik Tegan, Lightning Lad.
Hey Journ, it's me again.
That's how you know shit's fucked again, huh? It's like sir Crisp says, "You never call unless you need help." And just like that, I guess I don't often write in you unless I've been in a situation where I could've used some help.
I should've actually written in you yesterday, at the unveiling of the Helicarrier that billionaire Tony Luthor(?) some "philanthropist" had manufactured for the city's defense force or something. There was an attack during the unveiling and as we went in to help, I had to summon my sword. Something went wrong. My sword materialized before it got to me and punched through one of the engines, causing it to make an emergency landing in the Halcyon National Park across the river.
I and this one guy, Lightning Lad, we fought off the attack. It was the Hellbenders, some ladies who are against the authorities, anarchists, whatever. I'm all for a little trouble, but their actions just seem dishonourable. What's worse, they'd probably commend me for downing the thing. Ugh. Either way, I'm sure stopping them was right, and maybe that Helicarrier not being operational is also right. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with something like that looming constantly overhead, watching everyone, monitoring everything...
But just because the outcome of a thing you did is good, does that mean the action of doing it was good? My intention was good--I think, but does that mean the rest of it was?
Nimue tells me I worry too much. She's very sweet, but I still have doubts.
I just hope the cameras didn't capture my actions. If I am to work well on this team, I can't have this hanging over my head. I'm pretty sure this may have caused my collateral damage cost to be higher than everyone else's combined, DomDom and wizard boy included. Not that I'm keeping count.
Aw shit, how am I gonna explain this to Rhi?
Maybe someone on this team has memory wipe powers...
Gwen no
That's evil
== Season 2 Episode 1 - New Roof, New Truths ==
2018, October 1st (Session was September 29th-30th)
Also starring: Rekken, The Morrígan, Freedo, Parrot.
Hey Journicle,
The school building has reopened, clubs are resuming business and recruiting people, and all around Halcyon City racist people are putting up "NO TRANSFORMED" signs. Honestly? Bad takes. I feel for those people, y'know. Not just 'cause I fought off GREY agents on T-Day and we saved... well, most of the school, but mainly because I could've easily been one of them if GREY's experimentation had had different goals or effects on me. I should probably try to find out what they were trying to do with me, really...
Some other day. Today? Today our subject is going to be the transformed. And... well, I don't want to talk about my time in GREY too much either. It's hard for me to even write about. This girl in our class, Alex, she joked about "experimenting" or something and... well, I don't recall the rest of her joke, but it triggered some flashbacks for me. Of needles and tubes. Of people in white coats and grey suits. The sounds of beeping monitoring machines and the smell of disinfectant. People wiping my arms clean with tissues to prepare for injections. Of how they fed me a shitty diet and kept me inside some birthing pod tube for weeks on end to keep me pale and make my veins stand out more and yet healthy enough to remain alive throughout the whole thing. I wonder if it's because I'm from Avalon? Was someone blackmailing father? I... I don't know, I don't wish to think more about it.
The loud noises from the class brought me back, but it still weighed heavily on me. I think Alex shouted something about people fucking? That seems like the kind of thing that draws attention in class, so maybe that was it. She's a fucking nerd by her own admission (that was basically all of her introduction to the class), but she seems okay. Bit of an asshole, but... I guess today I realized that perhaps I am too. I need to work on that. Not socializing for... a long time? That's not gonna leave me soon.
I guess you can take a girl out of GREY, but you can't take the GREY out of... me.
Rhi was the one who really helped me snap back to reality, though. She's a sweet cousin, even if... even if... okay Journ, we'll take it one thing at a time. There's just going to be a big THING later on that's gonna make your perspective shift on this. I just want you to know--and I hope she does too--that I love my cousin. Or at least I love my memories of her. Two weeks ago, at the hospital? I saw so much of the old Rhi and I still think that much of that is there. On the other hand... I think the last few years have changed her, too.
I'm going to need to find out how much and why. Maybe she was in a similar situation as me with... No, I hope she wasn't, but whoever forced such change upon her will have to answer for it eventually. I'm no witch myself, but I am as much a child of my mother as I am my father.
Anyway, getting a little off track... sir ASSCLONE Crispy step-father has told me to write my thoughts and they're disjointed and stream-of-consciousness and like, that doesn't work well for good reading, but FUCK I AM GETTING OFF TRACK AGAIN
ANYWAY
LUNCH PERIOD: Olivia and I sit down with some transformed people, who seemed to be shunned by the other students. Oh, I actually almost forgot: in our class there'd been a rabbit girl too? I think Jackson knows her. She seemed to want to avoid most people though... these transformed seemed to want to be around other people, but they were shunned instead. There was a lizard guy, a rat guy with a student council badge, a pig, a centaur (is that racist? I hope that's not racist, he seemed nice) and a bird girl (she only tweeted chirped, but they could understand her). Olivia got this idea to start a club together where they could feel welcome, but this jerkface other lizard guy, some nerd, walked up and got them to leave with him to some meeting.
Day's barely halfway over and guess what's up: Crispy step-father turns out to be our substitute English teacher. Talk about our luck. (It's bad.) ((Also I'll explain later why he's not sir Crisp anymore.))
He gave us a test about some play called Romeo & Juliet. I had no clue. I'm bad at this "modern English" stuff! I can read, write and talk good already, why do we need this? Give me Latin or Greek or Hebrew or--what's that Norseman language called again? Icelandic? I'm good at those. Maybe a bit of French, even. It can be fun to learn new things. It's not fun to learn old things. Or... modern, Englishy things, at least.
I used my powers to read the past of the desk I was sitting at, figuring that I could see what people taking the same test in the past had answered. But it was multiple choice, not open answers, and Crispy step-father turns out to have CHEATED and given us different versions of the test!
Also like... I know Rhiannon absolutely crushes on Crispy step-father as this big hero guy (I wonder if she still has that poster from when we were little?), but I just wanted to avoid her figuring this out. This was not a great place to run into him and sure enough, Rhi left a terrible first impression. Not by my standards, but... well, if it wasn't for everything else, I'd feel for her. At the time, I did...
We got a mission. A real one.
I was excited.
We decided to infiltrate the transformed at their meeting (honestly I'm a little hazy on the details considering all that happened later and I'm still shaking) with Jackson Freedo using his illusion powers on himself and Alex Parrot to turn them into transformed. Rhiannon (should I call her "The Morrigan"? it feels weird to call her that), she covered me and her and Olivia Rekken with an invisible field so we wouldn't be seen. We laid in wait outside, ready to strike. I texted Freedo a lot for status reports. The meeting breaks up. Turns out there's like 6000 of these people at a commune in the National Park somewhere. Some dude approached Freedo and Parrot to go be "pro-active" and bust a gas station owner's kneecaps for putting up one of those racist signs. Now I'm all for punching racists, but I'm not a fan of putting people into the hospital when there's more... okay I was gonna say "more constructive ways to deal with them" and honestly I'm not sure I can write that with a straight face. I must not tell lies. Knight's code.
...I must at least not tell myself lies.
We went there. Freedo and Parrot still disguised, with those bad people. Rekken and I were nearby, ready to help.The Morrígan (Rhi) had illusion'd herself to replace the gas station owner (we convinced him of the danger). It went... pretty well. Parrot got them to back off with a fake warning the cops were coming. Rhi didn't have to get punched yet GWEN, GOD, WHAT THE F
sigh
Yes, we got away basically unscathed. Crispy step-father commended us for this when we got back to base. Parrot dragged Rhi into the office (she was waiting outside, probably too ashamed to face hero crush Crispy step-father) and we told Crispy step-father about the great job she'd done.
Then Crispy step-father mentioned the "Zodiac Virtuous" in relation to the group we'd encountered.
That the Zodiac Virtuous were saved by my father.
That apparently my father had killed GREY people trying to find me.
I told him I wanted to see my father.
He did NOT have the right to keep me from him or him from me.
He told me it was not safe for me to see him or him me.
I...
I tried to punch him.
I really did.
But Rhi, she...
She jumped in front of him.
I punched my cousin.
Right in the kisser.
I... she... she scolded me after that. She lashed out. Not like a regular person does, but in that cold... matter-of-fact, big sister student council president type of way.
I was just SO ANGRY
So why do I now feel SO GUILTY?
Well, okay, not that guilty. Olivia came to my room later. She talked to me and about what happened and about what had happened to me and I think I mentioned my dad and that I wanted to see him and everything kind of spilled out and... I dunno. Everything kind of spilled out. Olivia is a good friend. I'd punch Crisp again for her of course she'd never need me to do that, she's better than I am.
Maybe I need to ask DomDom for advice. He's broken a lot of things, physical things at least, and I seem to be good at both that and breaking... well, people. Not their bones, but their hearts. Would he have advice for that?
Maybe he'll have tips for how to break... into wherever they keep father.
== Season 2 Episode 3 - Tales From Under The Mask ==
2018, October 2nd (Session was September 30th)
Also starring: Challenge, Rescue, Hyena.
Hey Journice,
I know now.
I was just playing games in the living room. The Witcher 3. I hadn't saved for hours. I was SO deep into it! I love Yennefer.
And then the power went out. FFFFFF!
I shouted and cursed before someone turned the power back on. It just had a green screen and a giant "E" on the screen. It's barely October and already spooky shit is going on.
Ryena, Challenge and Rescue were there too and we checked out the control room, but the door was locked. I helped Challenge and Ryena into the vents and they opened the door from the other side. I had to provide them with some guidance though. Luckily I could tell them about how I picked the snack cabinet's lock last weekend. Crispy step-father really ought to put a new lock on it and get us better snacks... He knows I'm still pretty skinny. I'm dying for a triple chocolate muffin. I bet he just doesn't care.
We busted some laser turrets in the control room. I used my retrocognition to figure out if anyone had been there, but no... this was some other thing. Hackers? That's what the others called it. Someone unplugged the control computer, because we kept hearing this voice over the intercom talking about us and to us. Me and Challenge then went to check out the elevator entrance and the others went to the tunnels, to make sure we weren't compromised.
I felt uncertain. My powers hadn't helped us much at all, but Challenge talked to me a bunch and she seemed super excited to work with me and thought my sword was cool. It is cool! Hear that, Nimue? You're cool. Not just "you're a water spirit" cool, what with your powers, but people cool.
We got the elevator door open and I flew us up into the shaft (the elevator was all the way up). Challenge had her arms wrapped around me and called me "my hero". Damn. Call me a tomato, cuz I was red. I don't know if I ought to curse or bless father for those 'divine beauty' genes or powers or whatever the origin of that is. Just kidding. He's the only super pretty one in the family. Speaking of father though...
One thing that puzzled me about the voice was how it knew so much about us. They surely couldn't have all that information simply from this one break-in, right? It called Challenge "Matilda". That's a pretty name, but if she wants to be called Challenge, I'll just call her Challenge. Giving people nicknames is cool and all, but sometimes people choose their own names and want you to call them by that and you should respect that.
Challenge got a call from a "Temperance"? Who's apparently close to Crispy step-father? She said if we'd push some big blue button in a side-room of the control room she could take control over everything and get this El Zinga out of our systems (that's the hacker's name apparently, she was rather forthcoming with information).
We went there and as we flew, it struck me... this hacker woman knows a lot about us. Does she know about father?
We arrived at the place. There was some giant spinny thing protecting the big blue button.
I asked El Zinga about father.
She told me what I'd heard yesterday, that he attacked GREY labs and freed transformed people. And she told me where he is.
Right before Challenge pushed the button.
Challenge...
She's nice, but I wish she could read the mood better. Like Parrot, but y'know, less of a butt. (Maybe they should meet.)
It's... just frustrating.
sigh
Oh well. I got a lead. That's all I really need.
And speaking of me being a tomato earlier, Rescue seemed to have gotten covered in them. What was up with that?
Now that will probably forever remain a mystery.
== Season 2 Episode 6 - Lac of the Law ==
2018, October 7th
Also starring: Parrot, The Morrígan, Freedo, Redstreak.
Hey Journyssey,
Today I was out heroing with Parrot, The Morrígan, Freedo and Redstreak. We started things off right by chasing an armoured van through the Financial District. I flew in, dropped Parrot into the vehicle and she faced down... like, I'm not kidding, okay? She faced down gunfire. That's no joke, and I don't think I would've dropped her in if she'd been anyone else. But Parrot just becomes one with things, y'know? She became as strong as steel the second she hit that van.
...abs of steel
Freedo tricked them with illusions of a police blockade and they crashed into a wall. We faced them down as they stopped and ran out of the vehicle. Morrigan (Rhi) captured EIGHT of them in one fell swoop with a magic barrier! Also, she's got fricken' BLACK SHADOWY CROW WINGS now? What the shit, couz. Cribbin' my aesthetic. How dare. It's cool, I guess. No big. I'm not jealous.
I landed on the other end and me and Freedo stopped them short, but there was a problem... a Parrot-shouting, van-sized, bomb-shaped problem. Parrot got out of the van in time, but we don't know about bomb disposal! I... kind of had no other idea but to flip the thing sky-high with Nimue (sorry!) by using her as a lever.
The van exploded. Debris raining down everywhere. Money raining down everywhere. Just... Benjamins, all around. And then the cops and Sledge arrived. Eyes on me, who had just grabbed some of that cash. Look, I didn't mean to steal, okay? But this came from some billionaire's bank account that is probably like triple insured. Sledge's stern look made me feel a little guilty though, so I handed over a bill. I remember Rhi making a noise. C'mon, couz, you've got your family wealth to cushion you. I can't access father's assets because I'm not 18 yet to get a lawyer and jump legal loopholes to get what's mine. All I got is what Crispy step-father allows me.
That's when the French dude arrived. Silencer? He was kinda creepy. He apparently works with the Police Commissioner. Now, PC Gordon O'Reilly? Real fucking stickler. Hates the Big Team like we killed his dog (oh god did we?) no, don't think about that
He'd apparently met up with Redstreak earlier to get an idea of what was going on and he asked our help with a case he was on. He seemed believable enough, Sledge even confirmed with the Police Commissioner. Morrigan and I checked the area by his suggestion and found what looked like a sniper's nest. With my retrocognition we learned that there'd been someone here with a tattoo of planets on his upper right arm, a guy Silencer (he can just appear out of nowhere?) told us was named Orbital, who has the power of gravity and to shoot any object at lethal speeds. Nuts.
I'm honestly not sure about much what happened on that roof. It's pretty hazy. I think my retrocogition might have scrambled things a little by accident? There was a bomb, and Rhi did a thing, and Silencer ranted about attending a fancy party with assassins he's got invitations for and I'm like... sure, fuck yeah, whatever. I don't really know what that has to do with bank robberies, but I got a headache so I just want to get out of the sun, please.
We suited up (yeah, I got some extra clothes! had to yoink ol' steppy's jacket though). Freedo cleans up okay. Alex is actually pretty classy for the nerdy butt she is. Redstreak seemed to be more comfortable in her casual clothes. Maybe I should've helped her with something? I'm not sure she was comfortable even in her comfortable clothes, given the location and situation. I might not have helped with that... I kinda ended up talking to Jay Jonah Fallon at the party and kinda ended up dragging Redstreak (Amber) and Alex into the conversation? He seems to think my actions with the heli-carrier were commendable. Wow, okay. I hadn't seen that news report yet. Shit, I'm not going to have to be the PR person for the team now, am I? Like seriously, DomDom wrecks a secret GREY lab and the team gets sent the bill. I wreck a multi-billion dollar military vehicle meant for surveying the civilians of Halcyon City and... okay yeah, maybe I can see it.
I'll just have to teach Dom what to wreck. Then we can go on a city-wide destructive rampage! Gwen, what did you tell yourself about joking about villainous thoughts?
The Police Commissioner was there too, talking with Alex and Max Luthor, the guy who had the heli-carrier built in cooperation with the Halcyon City Police Department (I think?). Great. So I got Jay Jonah on my side, but not the billionaire or the Police Commissioner. Scratch that earlier PR person comment.
Anyway, shit hit the chandelier!
Lights went out, waiters pulled out guns and started shooting. Warning shots at first, luckily. It was high time to fight crime with a side of lime.
I got my sword out, transformed, and in a flash of madness or brilliance, I pulled the champagne from all the bottles and glasses around me, popping corks everywhere, and controlled it like water to wall off the waiters. Parrot, Redstreak and Freedo seemed to get the rest under control pretty well, but... I heard Rhi scream from upstairs.
Okay.
I've been a bad cousin and a lot of other bad things, but I'm not about to be a bad teammate. Like father said, a knight should protect their comrades, come Hell or high water.
There were two dudes in front of the stairs, but I washed them down the stairs with the champagne and they turned into King Kong and Dracula or something--I don't care, they were down there and I was going up.
I found Rhi upstairs.
Knocked the fuck out.
Nope. That's illegal.
Fuck your noise, floating Max Luthor outside the broken window whomst is strangling some guy and has a bunch of knives floating around him?! Yeah, that's a bad guy sighted. Long story short? Kicked his ass. Kicked it GOOD. At one point I had to choose between going after the bad guy and saving the guy he tried to kill (whomst Rhi had encased in a barrier? or Redstreak? those copy powers are funky). I thought, why not both? So I yeeted that sword past Luthor (Olivia taught me that word, it's new, language is also funky), then dove down to push the other guy so he would no longer be floating outside the building in mid-air and instead float inside the building, then while still falling I summoned my sword back through the dude.
I was fucking raging, Journ.
Nobody KO's my cousin but me
Also, I still needed to fly and not hit the ground, thankyouverymuch
So what happens? I cut the dude's arm off. The arm with the tattoo on it. I... I think I was hoping that would neutralize his powers somehow? Like it was the source of it?
I hate it when I'm wrong about dangerous things. He started screaming to high Heaven and his gravity-powers (ohhh, I get it! This was Orbital! That explains why it looked like his face was melting, his makeup was coming up) his gravity powers started crushing the building with everyone still inside. I shouted for Freedo. That amazing little shit got to him, tackling him, hugging him tight, and shut down his powers. Remind me to treat him to milkshakes later. He's earned it. That was a baller move.
The cops came in, they arrested the waiters and Fake!Luthor/Orbital (I healed his wound, that makes this... well not okay, but slightly less bad, right?), the Police Commissioner seemed to commend us? He and the guy we saved--Rodriguez--and ol' steppy talked to the press. Steppy-stepdad seemed to be okay with how we handled things. Gave me a thumbs up. I guess we're cool now? Fuck that, I'm not cool with you yet.
But... I think I'm cool with Rhi now. I apologized for punching her and we talked for a while. She hugged me and forgave me and she apologized for jumping in front of me and being useless in our fight. What? Heck naw, couz, you're not useless. If I've ever been in a fight where nobody was useless, that was today. Redstreak was awesome with Rhi's powers, too! Magic circle shuriken tossing, that was a new one. Rhi should definitely consider using that one.
I think, overall, today went well.
We saved the day! The bad guys got captured! The heroes prevailed! Team PR is going well!
...so why do I feel I missed something of vital importance?
...anyway, pushing that aside, more importantly, I've got to make something good for Olivia. It's her birthday today! I didn't know until like, last week, after the incident with the hacker. I don't want to rush it though... and I'm definitely not going to use the money I've got now to buy her something. She'd definitely be against that. But she's like... my best friend and good and pure and cute and I gotta get her something that reflects that.
I think I've got an idea.
== Season 2 OVA (Non-canon) Episode - Night Light ==
2018, October 13th(?)
Also starring: Redshift, Sherman, Bestiary.
Woah, Journ-a-gurn,
Dreams are funky.
One of the city council members, Councilor Benoit, came in and had discussed a request of his with step-Crisp. He needed some protection, but he left before we could ask questions. He was being real stuck-up. Maybe we should've just refused the mission if our charge doesn't want to work with us?
With me were Sherman, my old prison buddy and Weedboy.
We were tasked with keeping Councilor Benoit safe overnight from attack by a villain named Whitelight, who's a wizard?
We divided tasks. I was gonna get us magical talismans to protect us from light magic (sunglasses, bought at Smithtons’ Apothecary and Cabinet of Curiosities); Sherman was going to get equipment from COLOR; Bestiary and Redshift were going back to talk to Crisp to get some missing information we'd forgotten to get first. And then... they didn't even get more information about Whitelight's powers and weaknesses. Good job, team.
We met up at the location. We scouted around (they hadn't even given us a layout of the building! or access! WE HAD TO BREAK INTO A BUILDING. CONTAINING THE PERSON. WHO WANTED OUR PROTECTION.) and ended up encountering Whitelight's daughter: Blacklight.
Now Blacklight is a straight up bitch.
Redshift got Councilor Benoit out while the rest of us fought and contained Blacklight. She tried to get away, but Bestiary pinned her down outside. Meanwhile, Redshift was shouting he was going to kill Benoit.
WHAT IS OUR TEAM EVEN?
I flew in, blocked Redshift's path with my sword and used my retrocognition on Benoit, trying to shock him into unconsciousness so he would stop freaking out--because he was having some seriously bad mental effect on Redshift, and I was starting to feel an oncoming migraine too. Luckily it seemed to work, and he fainted.
We called him an ambulance, rounded everyone up and went back to base to put away Blacklight in jail before she'd be picked up to be sent to prison. I did at some point read her memories and found that she was a model, on the cover of a fashion magazine. That should narrow it down...
...also Redshift, in the mental stupor induced by Benoit, apparently tried to rip out my heart? While I wasn't looking?
One thing is for sure: I need to take charge more. This team is a fucking mess.
...well, this little group, at least.
== Season 2 Episode 9 - Spirit Realm Supermax ==
2018, October 14th
Also starring: Rekken, The Morrígan, Dominik Tegan, Valor, Wild Thang.
Ugh.
Okay, Journal.
Serious time. This is going to be a Big Thing. Strap in.
So... I was hanging out at the base with Olivia and Rhi when we got a notification that the trail mix man was going to be out of town for today. This was my chance, I thought. DomDom was at the base and--since he has spiritual powers--I thought we could ask him to take us to the Spirit Realm, to the Horn of the Wild, so I could go see father.
Unfortunately DomDom does not have that power, but he wanted to come along to get Jake's help with this. Okay, fair, he did promise me that I'd get to see father and he'd help me with that. Valor ended up coming along as well after an invitation--also fair, I guess? He's such a strong, silent type, I don't really know what goes on in his head most of the time, but it would be good for him to get out of the base for once, too.
We show up on the doorstep of the Mansick house. Jake's mom opens up. She's transformed. Fly lady. I... I felt for her, but I think I didn't make it look like it was a big deal to me? We got Jake out of the house, went to chill at Philosotea and talked a bit about his home situation... before I tried to geeently breach the subject of like... whether we can count on him for Big Team business still and whether we could today. DomDom snubbed me for it. Valor realizes what I'm talking about (I want to visit my father!) and says it's a bad idea.
I tell him off, like, "wouldn't you want to see your parents after being separated for so long?"
Valor goes cold. He storms out. I... I can't leave it like this. I follow with DomDom after a few moments and catch him outside. I apologize. I was insensitive. Valor accepts it. He's very gracious in action. He does his name honour.
Jake ends up agreeing to the plan, but wants us to go back to his house first. Okay, sure? Does he need to pick up something?
Yeah, turns out he's picking up his mom to go cure her transformation in a magical healing fountain. Dude. Sick.
Fast-forward to us getting there (past a whole bunch of travelling through nature and Olivia connecting her USB to Valor to "update his sensory drivers"--hmmm) and we run into "Gramps".
Now, I didn't know about "Gramps". I thought DomDom had a Gramps, who is a Dragon. Jake's Gramps is--and I'm not making this up, I'm quoting directly from what the team chat told me--a "sexy bikini grandma who talks to Jake in his head".
Now Gramps is not happy we are sneaking into the Horn of the Wild. She apparently hates Jake's mom for being a vile temptress and luring his father off the righteous path of becoming the Wild Thang. She tries to stop Jake from taking his mom to the healing fountain. Dom tries to explain the situation. I impose myself between her and her grandson. She's not stopping me, and she's not stopping any good healing from happening. A hero needs to be more than their emotional hangups.
wow hypocrite
A hero needs to be more than their emotional hangups.
A HERO NEEDS TO BE MORE THAN THEIR EMOTIONAL HANGUPS. *inkblots stain the page from hard pressure*
She relented. We left Jake's mom at the fountain and went down to where Jake guided us. There was a door with wooden carvings of fearsome animals, a green glow coming from the cracks. Behind it? I can't say I expected this. It looked like... it felt like the Underworld of myth, it felt like Hell... It was called Ferinon Prison. Almost sounds non-threatening, especially when we were given a guided tour of the place by a gerbil named Girvil.
It was dark. I transformed, to have my wings light the way, but something went wrong. I didn't have my regular armor on, but father's. Full plate, blackened by dragonfire. It was a shock. One of many today.
It was hot, then cold, then hot again. We fought off a hungry beast and sped through, and our guide led us to an endless eternal battlefield. I saw people cutting each other down, only for them to rise up again, their wounds scarred over. I couldn't believe it at first, but Girvil told us that this was where they sent people who had killed many, the wrothful sinners.
This was not prison.
This truly was Hell.
And I found my father there, prevailing, thriving in the battlefield. I spoke with him, Journal. I was so happy!
Was.
*inkblots stain the page, clearly put there to hide pre-existing, more watery stains*
...I'm good. I spoke with father, as I had set out to do. I hugged him even, for the first time in years and years. He took his armour back, leaving me with mine. And... with prodding from DomDom he answered my questions about how many people he had killed. Apparently at least a dozen, all for the sake of finding me.
He agreed to leave with us... but Girvil told us we couldn't take out a prisoner. Then Valor, the bloody genius, decided to arrest my father. Arrest him! In Hell! To take him to a human prison for crimes against humanity!
It didn't work. First of all, Jake was against it. Then DomDom told father he'd only allow him to come with if father would surrender his sword to me or Rhiannon, so he wouldn't kill more people with it. Father said he'd only give it to me, but didn't deem me worthy of it yet. The asshole knave bloody *illegible scratchings*
He said "I'd rather stay in Hell until you're worthy of this sword."
"Fine," I told him. "If you won't give it to me, then I'll take it from you and take you out of here with it."
I attacked him, the team assisted me, father fought us all off and just tried to walk back into the battlefield. I rammed through one of Rhi's barrier spells, struck father down, disarmed him, bound his arms with manacles of ice and took his armor back. It's mine now. His sword--wait, where is his sword? I completely forgot the sword! Fuck!!
I was exhausted. On every level. Jake opened a portal to leave, seemingly relenting. We went through, Valor last with father, but... he did not come out with him. Valor told me he'd felt a pull on him. Hell would not let him go. Instead, what the portal spat out was Jake's mother. I put father's cape around her, but I remember little else around our return. I was distraught. Father was still in that infernal prison. I should've let him keep his sword and this armour. He could at least stand a chance there! He was covered in scars, and now I can't even be there to heal them, to heal him, to see him atone for his sins.
I'm just happy that I don't suffer alone. Jake's mother is cured of her transformation, but he is still shaken. I have Rhiannon and Olivia to support me. This team gives me a lot of headaches sometimes, but it helps me with all my heartaches.
Thank you.
...also, I've finally found time to give Olivia her birthday present. It's a little steel locket I found in a yard sale. I polished it up and engraved it with calligraphy and inside I put a picture of the first time the two of us hung out with friends at Philosotea. It was one of the first joyful memories I've had since they rescued me from GREY.
I...
I'm...
She's precious to me.
Good night, Journal. I have a lot to sleep on, if I even can.
== Season 2 Minisode - Getting Re-Acquainted ==
2018, October 15th
Scene: Getting Re-Acquainted.
== Season 2 Minisode - Night Time Secrets ==
2018, October 19th-20th
Scene: Night Time Secrets.
== Season 2 OVA (Canon) Episode - The Thorn and the Roses ==
2018, October 21st
Also starring: Parrot, Lavender, Challenge, Riley.
Salut Journ-de-la-journ,
Today we got called on a mission again. Me, Challenge, Lavender, Parrot and No-Powers-But-Attitude. Hostage situation. Tricky business. Nasty business. Luckily, we managed to not make it nastier. I don't know how we managed that, but I'm glad. In hindsight, I don't think any of us could've handled the aftermath if we hadn't taken care of it the way we did.
When we arrived on the scene, the cops already had set up in front of the place, the Sipper, a coffee shop. Good thing they didn't have a thirst for tea. Lavender took to action right away, teleporting himself and Sk8rgorl to a nearby rooftop. Have-Attitude-Will-Travel tried to jump to another rooftop and instead ended up hitting the side of the building and barely hanging on to the edge. What the shit, y'all, this is why I wanted to get a heads up of what everyone can do! I didn't know Tokin' Powerless didn't have super strength or jumping ability or flight! Everyone I know's got something, and only when we were in the thick of it did I discover she was there with just a baseball bat. Fuckin' kickass, tell ya what, but I'd like to have known before, yanno? I don't want another teammate dying, or comatose or in prison or whatever. We're here to do this together.
...that being said, I really should've told them I can fly. Did Lavender know? I'm not sure I told him. I think I've gotten too used to everyone I work with just knowing what I can do. Big Mistake. Gotta learn.
Sorry Riley.
(Not sorry for all the nicknames though.)
We gathered up on the rooftop and we finally got to making a more coherent plan. Challenge checked the back alley: two bad dudes with one gun. No cops. Terrible work ethic on their part, leaving the criminals with an escape route. I'm telling.
Now, the best thing here, in hindsight, would've been to be stealthy and methodical about it. Now methodical I can do, but stealthy? I'm coming in swinging a sword bigger than I am, wearing armour that is out of this time and out of this world, with wings made of light. I am the antithesis of subtle, okay.
...which is why Lavender would make portals into the coffee shop below and us two and Parrot would take care of business there, while Challenge and What's-Her-Name (no seriously, what's her hero name? (I know this is super hypocritical actually (but I'm just used to this and I don't have a double life to live, really?))) Challenge and Torn Denim took care of business in the back alley.
I put my faith in them.
They all did as planned. Super proud of them.
I yote Parrot through the Portal at one of the goons, Lav took care of another, and I flew out there at the one with the megaphone talking to the cops--and for some reason I felt the urge to cry out "GATE OF AVALON!" while flying through Lav's portal in a flash of light.
I totally fucked up there, but Parrot and Lav and Challenge covered me. We saved the hostages. All ten nine of them. Then it turns out that Soft Spot let the bad guys go. What the shit? From questioning, we'd learned that they were meant to be some sort of diversion, that they'd been hired to do this and that they were desperate for money.
That's when Lav walked up to one of the hostages and straight up punched a bitch. I was ready to get up in his face about it when he asked me if I recognized her and oh fuck
It was Thorn, Lav's abusive ex. Just grinning broadly, because obviously she'd planned all this and she was probably about to get away scot-free. Lav stormed out the back to get away from her--I wanted to go after him, make sure he's okay, but there was still business to do inside.
And then, coming back to the "desperate for money" bit, that is exactly why Moral High Ground (come on Gwen, don't be a dick) why she let those bad guys go. Something wrong with "the system". What system is she even talking about?
Anyway, she yelled at me for not just flying right after them to catch them and question them more--because apparently one of those two she let go was the one who'd gotten them this job--I yelled back at her because they'd run off I don't know when to I don't know where, there were two of them and they might split up, we don't know which one it is, and I don't know their faces so I'd have to take her along with me to ID them and leave Parrot and Challenge to deal with the rest alone.
Speaking of which, they got the hostages out and the guns rounded up and done talking to the police quite nicely. Especially Challenge. Kudos, girl.
We all need some time off, I think.
But we're not gonna get it for long.
We headed back to base and--
Wait, why is there a giant hole in the recreation room in the base?! Note to self: yell at someone later. Probably Super Crisp or Freedo. Maybe Sherman and his explosives.
I ran the treadmill for a while to get my head out off the Wonk Zone or whatever it was I ended up in with the hectic hero business we'd done. I spoke with Lav and Challenge about how things had gone. Made sure they were okay--heh. Some among us seemed more than okay, even excited to be doing this. Some of us look more than okay too, judging by Alex' shoulders
I think I did good, for once? I lead the team and this time it seems like they think I didn't let them down. Maybe Riley... I tried to talk to her while were at The Toolbox, but I'm not sure she was in a talking mood.
I think I'm starting to feel more okay with telling teammates what to do, Journal.
I just hope they feel that way too.
But y'know... whatever.
Fuck those people.
They're a good team. With me, or without me.
== Season 2 Episode 12 - Suffer the Little Children ==
2018, October 31st (evening)
Also starring: Lancelot-Less, Zip, Sherman.
Dear Journal,
I have gained a lot of respect for the parents of super-powered children. They've got a lot to deal with, don't they? I guess my parents ought to be glad they didn't have to deal with me having the abilities that I do...
Heh.
We were just having dinner at Big'n'Broad Burger, Elle and I. Still getting used to having her around. There is... some resemblance. And Nimue confirmed that she really is... well, not my father. But she is Lancelot. She eats neatly, but uses a lot of sauce and very unusual ones at that, just like father. Just... slathered it in sriracha. I think she might've been crying while she ate it?
People poured out and into the streets while we were talking, and this drew our attention to a news helicopter that was spinning out of control. We ran out, along with Sherman (he'd come in a little after us, I think? Clones deserve burgers, too) and managed to handle the situation. Elle supported me greatly, Sherman saved the people who fell out the helicopter, and Zip shut off the propellors, allowing us to put the vehicle down. Applause all around!
A short-lived victory. Crisp-o-matic had shown up in his swanky '50s car, having apparently dropped Zip off with us. He told us he needed us to babysit. Babysit. On Halloween night. Ugh. Well, we were assured it wouldn't take all night, at least. Gotta be back before the party starts. And it was early, barely evening yet. Looking around at the team and at dear old Team Step-dad, I knew there was only one way to get us to the address he gave us. There was only one vehicle available, and it wouldn't fit all five of us.
He gave us the car.
He gave us the car!
I wish I knew more about cars, because I absolutely love how cute this car is and it's pretty powerful for how old it looks! If only he took as good care of the team as he did his car come now, Gwen, the old man tries.
I'm still adjusting to the fact that he didn't know anything about what really happened to my father--like how could he not?--but Jake didn't know either, and when Rhiannon asked him about it (all subtle-like, like a witch does) he seemed honest in his response, or so she said.
So. Elle, Sherman, Zip and I, babysitting. We found out it was at a witch's house. Her name's Mystic Madge, she's a clairvoyant, her husband is a slick-looking memory-draining warlock, and their son is... Galahad. I'm not sure if this is some cosmic joke, but apparently the name is "not that common" before she ran off, so it sounds like he's the son of the Galahad I know (but then why would he call Mystic Madge his mother?) or the Galahad I know got cursed to be a child and got adopted by supervillains (which would've happened after T-Day, since Elle has met Galahad the day after T-Day). Oh yeah, apparently they're supervillains. Former. Retired? Reformed. Off to the opera or some superhero business, I don't know, they didn't say. Meanwhile, there were four powered teens babysitting their precious boy. There must be some big mess with him, eh? Well... yeah.
I tried to keep eyes on the kid the whole time, but Zip was the only one who actually stayed with him the whole time. Sherman did a sweep outside and inside the house, but when I followed Zip and Galahad upstairs, soldier boy started screaming. I flew in, got him out, but like... the floor was lava. Like, literally lava. And though I only recall going up one flight of stairs, I had to fly down four floors. Something fucky was going on...
...something extremely fucky, because the next thing I know, we rolled over the kitchen floor and I think Elle leapt out of a cauldron? Of course, I got worried about Zip, let alone our charge, but when we left the kitchen we suddenly found ourselves outside.
The whole house looked out of phase, save for the garage, through which we'd entered before. The car was still there... covered in animated garden gnomes with knives. True story. Sherman scared them, but they just hotwired the car and drove off, stopping in the middle of the street. Limited range animation magic, I guess. I got the car off the street (safer that way), but it was busted up pretty bad from all the knives... Was! Mystic Madge had promised one favour to us in return for babysitting, so her husband Lucian ended up fixing the car for us later.
The garage door did prove the right way in and we found Zip and Galahad with a giant cat lady and... Cerberus? The three-headed hound? The cat lady apparently wanted us to fight them as Galahad's "champions".
We did.
We kicked ass.
Zip even demonstrated some new wind powers! We talked a bit about it on the ride home... I am so excited for her! New abilities are always cool, although... I'm a little worried for her. She seems like she's freaking out a little.
Oh, and I gave Galahad my sword... briefly. He borrowed it. Nimue was okay with it. He saved our butts in the last minute. I was like "go get 'em champ" and he beat the big scary cat lady into a pool of green goo. Nice going, kid.
The magic parents came home, we left, it's all good under the hood. I think. Maybe there's magic under the hood. Hope CRISPR father doesn't take offense to that, if that's the case.
It's dark out.
I hope we'll be back on time?
At least there's plenty of time to talk about things. Like what happened this morning...
== Season 2 Episode 13 - Hollow World ==
2018, October 31st (morning)
Also starring: Spectre, Sherman, Lancelot-Less, Bestiary, Squire Smith.
I'd had an easy night, for once. The night terrors have been decreasing since I talked with Zip and started confiding in her since that one time.
I got up early-ish, walked to the kitchen for some breakfast cereal... and Spectre and Sherman were there, talking about stuff, like her adjusting to life again and being part of the Big Team since she got busted out of that GREY base that was apparently underneath our own the whole time. Like, actually what the shit. Her experiences might be the closest to what I've had to go through, length of time notwithstanding.
But she doesn't remember.
Nothing of it! Gods, what a blessing that must be, I thought. I didn't want to have to imagine what she had gone through. With me, they took their time over those two years. With her... who knows?
...but she wanted to remember. She was certain there was something important there, something that would reveal something of GREY's plans. That was valuable. And I saw Sherman looking at me. Did he remember that I can use my retrocognition to experience people's past? I did use it in front of him that one time* with Blacklight...
*See the limited-canon OVA episode "Night Light".
Ugh. I... I told Spectre about my retrocognition ability. She seemed eager for me to use it on her. I didn't want to. I so definitely didn't want to. But I offered. If this was that important to her, to the team, to the city... I'd do it. I just told them to wait for me on the couch while I finished my breakfast in the kitchen and tried to keep myself from breaking down in tears. I probably took longer than they expected me to... I had to clean up the spilt milk and broken pieces of my bowl, 'cause I'd dropped it.
I think the others there perhaps sensed something was wrong, because when I sat down next to Spectre and grabbed her hand for my ability to work, Elle took my other hand and the others there (Sherman, Bestiary and Squire) joined in, forming a circle. I don't know what went wrong, maybe it had to do with that blender Elle had turned on that was still buzzing and fucking shining bright white light--
--but we all ended up in a drab, rocky desert, like we got shipped off to Mars or Arizona. And in there... we saw scenes playing out, over and over again, like recordings stuck on loop. Scenes from Spectre's past. We saw her talking to Sherman in the kitchen. We saw her stab Redstreak (her GIRLFRIEND?!) in the fucking NECK (DID THAT HAPPEN?! I ought to call her ASAP) and tried to save her (Redstreak). We saw her in a white costume together with she-Vader Freya Winters. We found that we could interfere with these memories, fight her, fight her memories, and when we did the memories would respond and we could ask them questions.
When we beat her and Freya, I asked how we could heal her--and she said we couldn't... She, Spectre, in her guise as this "Hollow"(?) said we couldn't heal her. Fuck that, you can't tell me what to do to you (remember the consent lessons, Gwen). She instead told us we could suppress her (Hollow) and make her (Spectre) not remember her (Hollow). Ugh. I... I get it. I don't want to remember my time in GREY either, but I remember all of it.* I didn't want this, I don't want to remember or re-experience my time there.
*(Do I, though?)
But how do I protect my teammate from her own past while also letting her know what she wants to know--needs to know?
We find her again, with a jacked af man Sherman recognizes as a "Dr. Pills". Bestiary tackles him to the ground and we hold off Hollow. I hug her. I hold back the tears. She disappears after Elle asks her if the pills created her. The same pills that Sherman uses to unleash some alternate spirit within himself that is incredibly violent. Now, the boy may be violent too, but he tries to reason, he listens... his alternate self is not compassionate the way he is. Hollow? Spectre? I know little of her yet, but I've heard so much about her from Redstreak that I know she's reasonable and compassionate. These pills... They're dangerous. They ought to be destroyed.
And we needed to keep moving. I told Bestiary, "Mr. Jonson, tear down this wall!"
And he just BARRELED through, dragging Dr. Pills along for use as a battering ram, busting down two more walls for us and bringing us to, once again, Dr. Pills, The Supervisor and... Spectre, in the midst of her process to become Hollow. She was writing stuff on a blackboard in a classroom. Stitches jumped on The Supervisor (he apparently has some Unresolved Issues with him... can't blame him), Squire was shooting at guard dogs that were chasing us, and Elle and Bestiary took care of Dr. Pills while I busted down the blackboard and hoisted Spectre over my shoulder. I opened a window to escape the base and the memories, but it was pitch-black out there... like we were surrounded by a veil of crude oil. The same blackness was outside the door as well, and behind the walls when Bestiary busted down another. The Supervisor and Dr. Pills told us we couldn't save her (Spectre).
Fuckin' watch me.
We all held hands. I grabbed Elle's froggy paw (she was dressed up as a frog, because it's Halloween, and I guess she got frog powers in this mindscape? not super important so I didn't bring it up before) and she grabbed Sherman's and the rest joined and we leapt out the window.
Snap back to reality. oh here comes gravity
First thing that I remember is waking up with a start because Spectre shouted "Ghazal is making a doomsday device!"
So apparently Ghazal (one of the GREY heads? as far as we know?) is making a Doomsday DeviceTM to spread the pink gas world-wide.
Fuck.
My.
Boots.
Nope, that's illegal. We gotta stop that. We're gonna stop that.
...don't look at me like that, though. I'm... fine. I didn't go into this much detail when I told Zip in the car. I didn't want to crash. But... I did get to school late today. I got scolded for it. The whole thing only took 10 minutes, but I think I'm just gonna call in sick tomorrow.
Especially given that there was also still a party that very night...
deep breaths, gwen
== Season 2 Episode 15 - Big Base Party ==
2018, October 31st (night)
Also starring: Rekken, Zip, The Morrígan, Rescue.
holy shit holy shit holy shit HOLY SHIT
okay, I had to get that out of my system first. WHEW
OKAY
Zip and I arrived back in time before the party and get our costumes from our rooms. Rhiannon was with us, and Rescue and Olivia. Basically the entire team, but I wanted to note these precious costumed heroes in particular, for we got dragged into a bit of a... Chips-in-American would call it a "kerfuffle".
I got Search some bacon bits from the trail mix in my pocket (very hard! because I was wearing a panda onesie for my costume, so I had to wiggle my arm out of the sleeve, into my pocket, then out of the face-hole), and when I was about to get some punch with my tired ass, my tired ass got dragged to the dance floor by Rhi-fang-on the Wampire Vitch to dance with Search the Rescue and Magical Best Girl I Reckon iRekken. Dog boy and his good girl were swinging, Rhi led me into a tango (she can DO that?! wait, we had lessons together, right). The Unicorn even took control of the lights to turn the place into a kaleidoscope display.
...and then a ghost showed up? Something like that? Mist rolled in while Thriller played and everything got weird. My body felt different. My eyesight got pretty bad, but it looked like Rhi had fangs? And Rescue was a dog now? And Zip was an actual unicorn? And--my god--Olivia was a magical girl. Like, flesh and blood magical girl. Like, sugar and spice and everything DAMN nice magical girl.
And... okay, I want to give a decent report of what happened, but I'm kind of too excited to get to a specific point, so I'm going to try and give you the CliffNotes version of it, basically, okay?
There was a ghost with a guitar named Emilio who rocked up the party and drove a car over Crispy Bacon (he was wearing a bacon costume) and we chased him behind a curtain into some kinda weird place that really vibed to me the same way things were this morning in Spectre's mind. I'm thinking maybe my retrocognition is going unstable, or perhaps it just gets outta wack during Halloween? Might be the spirits of the dead interfering with it somehow.
Either way, we chased Emilio and his brother Raoul through several memories of his. A music performance. A heated argument. Newspaper clippings of the owner of Club Cyclone having been killed in a hit and run. (Said club apparently was located in the warehouse above our team base at some point years ago.) They tried to run from us, fleeing to their car.
I charged. Except I was still a panda. And when Nimue came to me, she was a bamboo sword instead of her regular form. And the armor I received from her was like what the history books about Japan show me. And instead of wings I had a golden cloud that got boosted by Unicorn magic and Solar Flair, like a rainbow nitro boost. Mario Kart's been outplayed, I found the best possible powerup right here and it's cute magical girls (who can also be unicorns or robots).
I rammed into the car. There was a flash of light, and suddenly I found myself sitting in the lap of Raoul, inside the car, while Emilio was driving. The rest of the team was in the back seat. I yanked the keys out of the contact, but they hit me back and something went wrong, because cherry blossom petals just exploded out of my sword and covered the car.
We crashed.
Emilio (or Raoul? they looked very alike) was playing music as we scrambled out of the car. He seemed determined to keep on playing and continuing on with his show--a consistent theme throughout his other memories--as he was trying to impress some bartender lady. VampiRhical Evidence walked up to him and said something that really stuck with me:
"Every song ends eventually. You can't move on to the next until the first one ends."
Powerful stuff, Journ.
I... I think that was the thing that did it? The ghost faded away, having accepted its final fate, and we ended up back in the team base. Back to normal. The party was going on around us. I'll admit, at first I had thought Freedo's illusions might be behind this, but nobody else had noticed anything. Had it been my powers going out of wack again? If so, that's something to investigate later...
So, back to normal. Olivia was amazed at having been a magical girl. (Hmmm...) She still looked heckin' cute. I told her as much. She told me I looked cute too. (Not just as a panda, but like, generally. Heck.)
Either way, it had been a long day. A long, long, long long day. Between going inside Spectre's mind, babysitting Gally in a witch's mansion and dance-fighting ghosts, I was pretty done. I needed some quiet time. And we were in the sub room. The submarine room. (Yeah, I know.) So, naturally, I climbed into the submarine.
...and it wasn't long before Olivia climbed into the submarine too and closed the hatch behind her.
She had some trail mix with her. I'm starting to see a trend with this team, or at least with us. It's kind of adorable, really. She asked me if I wanted to see a magic trick. Sure, I love magic. She turned off the lights and turned on lights inside her eyes. Cool! (Wait, I knew that she could do that, didn't I? Is this new? Like I said, it's been a long day.) Then she turned them off... and suddenly we were sitting in pitch-black darkness. I was about to say something, but words hard when cute girl kiss. Yes. Repeat Gwen for yourself: you just got kissed. By a cute girl. Who's a robot. And with a more heroic heart that you'll ever have. And with the most adorable reactions, because I could hear her fans spinning faster.
Wow.
Like okay seriously, my brain had a hard time deciding between shutting up forever, going full Owen Wilson "wow" over and over, or doing a Borat voice and I don't think we're ready for Borat voice but still holy SHIT.
What my mouth instead said (after it words had roomhad room for words) was something like... "you know, up until now, I've been asking people if they have a strong bond with someone like I do with Nimue, and some said they do and some said they don't, but... I think from now on I may have to ask instead if they have a strong bond with someone like I do with you."
Was that cheesy? Did I fuck up? I fucked up didn't I. I'm not 100% sure, because she didn't run off, but we were kinda stuck in a submarine together. Which we got into on our own. And then sat together in silence for a while, hugging. Oh yeah, the hugging! Yeah okay, it definitely was good. You know you've done something right when you kisses and hugs. (It was the locket, wasn't it. I knew it.)
Y'know, Journ. Life's been hard lately. And today was a heckin' busy and hard day out of a bunch of heckin' busy hard days. But with people like her in my life, and with such good friends backing us up, I think it's going to be alright.
I wish I could sleep.
But I don't need to dream anymore.
== Season 2 Episode 18 - Los Muertos Desaparecidos ==
2018, November 2nd
Also starring: Parrot, The Morrígan, Lancelot-Less, Wild Thang.
Hola Journaria,
These pagan holidays sure are interesting around this time of year! Father was never big on them, but mother had many good tales of Samhain. Now we've had Halloween (and you know what a day that was!) and today it was Dia de Muertos. Alex had invited us to some celebrations. Apparently this is a very Christian holy day from Mexico, so I was very excited to see what it was like! I love learning more about my teammates and the city and the people in it. I never knew there was such an abundance of cultures so closely around us--well, beyond all the food, given all the restaurants father and I used to go to. It's... upon reflection, it's interesting how much more liberated and free to act I am now that I no longer have parents (in a practical sense, and Elle doesn't count!) or the wealth that comes with my station and heritage... heh. Starting to think Lav may have a point.
I got some help picking out a nice dress and got my face painted like a skull. It looked pretty cute, if I dare say so. We went to Megalo Cemetary to pay respect to the souls of the dead. There were candles burning, tiny altars, shot glasses with alcohol and other things. It was so sweet. I wish I had known my grandparents better--I'm not even sure if they're alive or dead.
All was not well at the cemetary however, there was this... group of people. They were cloaked and their mouths were sewn shut. They stood in a circle deeper in the cemetary, with piles of bones and crystals, energy flowing between them, with a muscular man in the center. He looked like a biker gang version of a necromancer. Apparently, Alex and Challenge and Jake (who were all there with me) had fought him before. Besides them and me, Elle and Rhi were also there.
We ended up making a heck of a team.
Rhi seized the necromancer's staff and kept his power contained. Elle wrecked the bone piles and drove off the people. I yeeted a mouse-sized Jake at the necromancer (and he turned into a rhino in mid-air! BAM!) and did the same for Parrot (I gave her Nimue to cooperate with and she looked hella sharp in her sword-magic outfit). They took him down easily and Elle pinned him to the ground.
I didn't do much honestly, but Parrot assured me that "you're my Capitan".
sidenote: heck, Capitan is a great hero name, and it's basically a good thing for me to be on this team? Parrot, you're a genius.
Overall, I had a great time! I really should thank Alex for letting us in on her family's and culture's celebrations. Maybe next year Rhi and I can show her a bit about Samhain? I don't know if that's really celebrated here in Halcyon though. Ah well, otherwise I'll take her out for Saint Paddy's. She'll probably be into that.
Oh, and...
Yeah, I guess there's this other thing I should talk about.
After we'd beaten the necromancer, there were some ghosts (souls? spirits?) that showed up. Rhi talked with an old teacher. Alex with a grandfather? Elle and I, we met King Arthur. The man himself, who died saving Halcyon City from a dragon like 4 years ago now. And he told us he was proud of us. He told us he was proud of us. King Arthur told us HE WAS PROUD OF US.
A HERO NEEDS TO BE MORE THAN THEIR EMOTIONAL HANGUPS REMEMBER
heck, that was about to be it that night. But no. There... there was another ghost. There was...
There was me.
I was there.
I was dead.
Well, she said she was me, but not quite me, like a clone. A clone, like Sherman. Created by GREY. Fuck. Fuck.
Fuck yes do I need to curse don't even bother asking fuck
Not only did they put me through two years of hell (not literal... ah forget it) but because of me there were others, made from me? (fuck that feels weird to write, I get the creeps already and it's NOT HER FAULT FUCK GREY) that SHE went through that too, and the thought that there might be even more? Shit. Was I one of those clone templates like the people Sherman and his brothers were cloned from? He's mentioned there being four "other batches" and...
Jesus.
I don't even want to think about that.
I'm going to need more tequila again.
== Season 2 OVA (non-canon) Episode - Big Boot Campy Camp ==
2018, November 9th
Also starring: Freedo, Lancelot-Less, Hesperus, Challenge.
Howdy Jourdner! fuck Squire is infecting my brain, I'm supposed to be teaching him how to read and write, not him teaching me' how to talk bad. I speak the King's English.
This weekend is gonna be a fun one! I hope. We're headed up to a log cabin in the woods by a lake (not the lake, a smaller one--also isn't there, like, a thing about cabins in woods?). We just got done shopping for it. I got rope, pitons, flint and tinder, duct tape and a Swedish Army Knife. It's blue and yellow and it says "IKEA" on it!
Turkey Bacon is driving. I got the front seat, of course, which means we're playing my music (okay, Cyclone just gave me a glare so I guess we're back to his classic rock tunes). Elle, Freedo, Challenge and Gabe are in the back seats. Decent group. camping with your two dads, EHHH olivia save me from myself
...
Hey Journal, it me again.
We're on the drive home now. I'm sitting in the back with the new boy. I think they're a boy? I don't think we really asked. The whole "got a sword made out of blood magic" was a bigger deal, tbh.
Yeah, you heard me.
The trip was... fun. Overall, it was very nice! We found a trash panda in the attic, we went fishing (Freedo convinced Elle there are "potato-fish" and--oh fuck, right, that's where Trevor comes in.
Trevor was the trash panda--err, raccoon (Rekkoon? heh)--we found earlier. When I summoned Nimue (she's been sleepy lately, but a good sword always comes to aid), Trevor somehow came flying with her. He got all up in Gabe's face! It was quite hilarious, but I ordered him off his face and I think he may have bowed? Raccoons are mysterious creatures.
We also had 'smores around a campfire. I'd never had 'smores before! It's a tasty combo, I gotta say.
There was some rustling in the bushes and something rushed into the house. Now that can't do now, can it. Freedo lead the charge sneak into the house to scout it out. We split up. Me and him and Elle went to the basement. The power had apparently gone out? But we turned it back on. Nothing weird really. Not until we got back to the ground floor and found this boy(?) there. I retrocognized him(?) and it turns out he was an escapee... from GREY. Fuck this chases me everywhere, doesn't it.
Poor kid. Sweet kid too, though, from what I gather so far. Doesn't deserve this kind of life. Had a sword, as mentioned. Ended up giving it back to them. Seems to mean a lot to them. Don't worry, kid. We'll get you a place to sleep, food to eat and people that will care for you, just as they did for me.
...
...okay not quite as they did for me. I hope they do better, because I've been pretty bad. Not because of the team though! I wasn't quite the best when they found me. Freedo um... he told me that apparently I initially attacked him, and DomDom, and... Olivia was there. Did I attack her too? How did she end up trusting me so? How did any of them who were there trust me? DomDom was around a lot those first weeks, up until T-Day... was he keeping an eye on me? Were they all doing that? Was it because they were caring for me, or was it because they thought I'd kill or kidnap people, like GREY does all the time?
...
Okay, fuck today, Journal.
Elle and I got dropped off at Rhi's house. I decided I might as well stay there for the weekend now that the camping trip got cut short. But...
Ugh. I had to tell her about this. She asked me after we'd gotten back and we were alone, about my time at GREY, after she'd overheard me talking to Freedo. She got hella pissed. OF COURSE SHE GOT HELLA PISSED I'M FUCKIN' PISSED ALL THE TIME ABOUT THIS
But even moreso, she asked about father--er... herself, I guess. And what he'd done. What... she would do? I still don't entirely grasp it. Time and relative dimensions are... weird. My mind gets like jell-o just thinking about it, all wibbly-wobbly. I need to think more about cheetahs, I think. Anyway, she... didn't take it well, hearing about my kidnapping and being in GREY's custody for two years and that father started to grow a graver man after the death of King Arthur, his best friend. She stormed out. She grabbed some of her stuff and left. It... it worries me.
Especially because... I know how she feels.
I feel like that too.
== Season 2 Episode 20 - Sky's the Limit ==
2018, November 10th
Also starring: Lancelot-Less, Deadfall, Hesperus.
Hola fuck Journitia, today is THE DAY OF DAYS.
I'm not just excited, I am HELLA FUCKIN' FRIGHTEN. Like I am DOING ME A BOOK OF REVELATIONS. I thought it was just going to be a casual (if weird?) night at the observatory (I like looking at stars, but not like... in a dorky way), with Deadfall, Elle and Gabe. NOPE. MOON FELL ON TOP OF US.
I've been informed the moon didn't actually fall on top of us, but it's an appropriate dramatic exaggeration for the situation--but for the record, parts of the moon did fall on top of us
There were some figures falling amidst all the moon rocks and I caught them with a watery giant hand after Deadfall had broken open a water fountain to help me. It was two aliens and one had a box with her that they didn't let us touch, because it had the universe in it. Okay, not really. It was worse. Apparently? This box and several others with it created the universe. I know, it sounds overblown and weird and nonsensical, but that's the gist of it and I can confirm it is true, which I shall elaborate on later.
In the meantime? We fled, because we saw spaceships coming in after these refugees we'd saved. Deadfall led us to a cave while we saw those ships land and people getting out. Yikes.
We were kind of trapped and forced to go deeper into the caves before we could find another way out and that's how we came across... the Mole People. Gabe apparently had dealt with them before, but they dead not like him one bit. As such, I told him to stay back, Deadfall to prepare a trap just in case, and Elle and I would negotiate with them. We convinced them to help us find a way out, though it required a bit of threatening, because they wouldn't want the LITERAL SUN coming into their kingdom, would they?
Rinse repeat after they brought us to their king. Short fella guy, relative to the other Mole People. Once again, we convinced him to aid us. Like, I literally told him, "there's aliens out there who are stronger than humans, so if you want to prove you are stronger than humans, you should totally beat them".
I was, perhaps, a little more eloquent at the time. I don't feel like I need to be eloquent here. You get what I'm saying without me needing to be like that, Journ. That's what I like about us. We get each other. You get me.
Elle let their army in battle! It was absolutely glorious. She stood at the vanguard while I was at the rear, and tbh I felt like quite a butt for it too for a bit, but I think it worked out okay. Deadfall and Gabe went up to take out this device that seemed to be controlling the robot army of the aliens that we were fighting. And then... after we'd cleared most of them out, the cave started to collapse. Elle told me to keep the "spirits" (the friendly aliens) safe and she would go help Deadfall and Gabe. Splitting up the party. Eh, it works sometimes.
I helped them get out through the king's chambers (yeah, he was fleeing too, the coward). Before they were out of sight though... I got to touch the box.
And I retrocognized.
And I saw it.
I heard it.
I felt it.
I WAS it.
The music that created the universe. The experience of being the Big Bang. The song that begins all things. It was... I... was beautiful. Creation. Pure. Endless. Glorious.
I swear, if I wasn't Catholic, this would've been my "come to Jesus" moment. A real moment of truth for me. Eye-opening.
...and then after they'd gotten out and my team had met up again, we met the leader of the aliens. A nasty piece of work with a masks and one eye, burnt up from fighting my teammates. And holding a chain around the friendly blue alien lady, who called herself The Guardian. He... he murdered her. Not right away, not swiftly, not then and there, but he's responsible for her death, and I'm glad he did not survive either. I think.
I did not experience much of the fight myself. Our plan to get Gabe to teleport away with the box (the music box, the Sonata as it's called) failed miserably. Too powerful a thing, I guess. I ended up grabbing it while Elle tangled with the Cyclops and told me to run with it and leave her behind. Alone.
I...
I had seen what the Sonata could do, and I wasn't about to have it fall into evil hands. But I couldn't abandon her either! I was torn, but I had to make a call, and Elle told me what that call was. I ran. Like a coward, I flew away. I was chased by robots, but those pitiful things perished easily in their chase. Once I got the word that the Cyclops was dead, I came back. I needed to ensure my team was okay.
They were.
The Guardian was not.
Before she perished, she managed to tell me how she knew our names before we'd given them to her. She said something about... I dunno, it sounded like some kind of prophecy. Maybe the Sonata told her? Honestly, with how that filled up my brain, I had no idea how to cope with stuffing any more information in there for the rest of the day. I couldn't handle it. I certainly couldn't handle someone dying on my watch...
But... it was not all darkness today. Side-step is back! Sir Frederick! Fuck, does he remember that? Maybe he shouldn't remember that. He's got a lot of explaining to do.
But first, tonight... we mourn.
...and we gather. There's been a lot of this going on today. We need to confer a team meeting. Something needs to be done about all this moon debris. Apparently other teammates have also encountered parts of the Sonata. Shit, if all of them are here... that could spell Big Trouble.
Well then, Gwen.
It's time to be the Capitan.
For real this time.
== Season 2 Bonus Material ==
2018, November 11th
Extra material available on the website for the Big Team show: Goodbye Letters from Gwen.
Category:Journals
Category:Gwendolyn du Lac