Micro Journey

Micro Journey is the twenty-ninth episode of Reflection.

*The situation in the world below alters as Eternity sets up shop in the Derelict, sending our pyromancers surfaceward. Following their trail is a lone butler and an even more lone penguin.*

## Summary

At the bottom of the Derelict, Nectar and Stephano gossip as Eternity and his companion converse with the Queen of Flames. After Nectar leaves, Eternity’s companion briefly tries to flirt with Stephano, but he eventually excuses himself to prepare their rooms. Elsewhere in the Old World, Laughter, Sei, and the Golden Knight encounter a horde of Flametouched, led by a gigantic, mutated conglomerate entity made up of lesser Flametouched. After defeating it, they encounter one of Circuit’s clones, who snuck into the Old World during Compulsion’s attack. Ace reveals himself to her and tells her not to tell anyone on the surface, and she decides to comply. The group then head back to the shoreline, where Logic appears and tells them that the three of them have been ordered to head to Beleth to corral stray Flametouched and study the properties of Godsblood. Up on the surface, Ace receives a checkup from Ridill and Treble. After the checkup concludes, the group begins conversing about Seagazer, who attempts to butt in on the conversation to mock Ridill. After a certain point, Ridill shrouds the three of them in an Isolation field so they can privately discuss Ridill and Treble’s theorizing about whatever mysterious forces are attempting to tie the three of them together to forge the real Seagazer.

Elsewhere in Fuse City, Mic eats breakfast at Arg0s’s aunt’s apartment. She is visited by Circuit, who gives her new clothes. Once she is all ready, she heads out towards Beleth. Meanwhile, Stephano speaks briefly to Fio before heading to the surface on his own mission. While sneaking through upper Fuse, Mic encounters a heavily disguised Stephano, and after learning that they are both heading to Beleth, they decide to accompany one another. Back at OPIA, Solace wakes up and helps Cal serve drinks at Darkside to Willow Wisp and Aura Pridwyn. At the same time, Arg0s’s aunt receives a knock at her door, where a clone of Basilisk Id appears, calling herself “Free Will Backup Unit 07”, and asks where Mic is. Arg0s’s aunt says she needs a warrant and shuts the door. In the Undercity, Mic and Stephano manage to sneak around some GEIST guards to contact a Manifestation ESPer to create a motorcycle for them, which they use to leave Fuse City. Meanwhile, Ridill and Treble arrive at the Lunar Gate to train with Hex, a member of Exulansis, specifically regarding Ridill’s swordfighting skills. After failing to land a hit on Hex several times, Ridill uses her ESP to cheat. Hex finds this unbecoming of a “knight”, but respects Ridill’s resourcefulness.

Mic and Stephano continue down a highway through Goldenrod. They encounter another Basil clone, this one being “Free Will Backup Unit 04”. When Mic attempts to converse with 04 using her and Basil’s personal Empathy-based language, she does not understand, so Mic immediately recognizes her as a fake and drives away. The two briefly stop at a petting zoo run by a man who resembles Cassius. They then continue on their way when they eventually come across a checkpoint operated by GEIST. Soon after, Unit 04 catches up with them, so they abandon their motorcycle and manage to move fast enough to jump the gate and evade being seen by any guards. While crossing a bridge on the other side of the checkpoint, Unit 04 finally catches up to the two of them. Mic sends Stephano ahead as she tries to converse with 04 to talk her down from fighting, but Number Five contacts 04 and redirects her away from Mic’s manipulation. She attacks Mic, who manages to deflect her and trap her by destroying the bridge. They run ahead to Circuit City, a small city in Goldenrod bordering the Sylt Islands, where they book a room at a hotel. They speak for some time about their early lives and the similarities between their creation as an AI and a Stranger respectively. After night falls, they are interrupted by the appearance of Decca, who still wants to claim Mic’s key to the Derelict’s Flame for Exulansis. The two briefly engage Decca before taking an opening to run away, where they are attacked by Unit 04 once again. In the chaos, Unit 04 ends up fighting Decca, allowing Mic and Stephano to slip away. While heading across the underpass that connects the Sylt Islands to Beleth by road, they are once again approached by a severely wounded 04. She nearly dies, but Mic gives her some Pureflame to stabilize her form, which leaves her incapacitated for the moment.
Some time later, Mic and Stephano finally arrive in Beleth. Once there, they greet the Golden Knight, Laughter, and Sei. Upon Mic realizing who Laughter is due to her Muse abilities, she jumps on the Golden Knight and begins punching his mask repeatedly, and is only stopped by a combined effort between Sei and Laughter. Mic and Laughter have a somewhat tearful reunion, and Mic calms down and agrees to join the group for the time being and keep Laughter’s identity a secret.

## Characters

### Player Characters

* Ace Galatine
* Willow Wisp
* Ridill Arondite

### OPIA

* Solace
* Mic
* Circuit
* Cal

### Demonic Courts

* Queen of Flames
* Pyromancer of Laughter
* Golden Knight
* Logic
* Stephano
* Nectar
* Sei Miscellany

### GEIST

* Number Five
* Free Will Backup Units 04 and 07

### Exulansis

* Gram
* Treble
* Decca
* Xi
* Hex

### Other

* Eternity
* Seagazer

## Trivia

* This episode was streamed on Jay's birthday as a special episode, and was GM'd primarily by Roma instead of Jay as a result.