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Tree branch: check. Assorted lightweight seed-bearing fruits and nuts: check. Other seeds: check. Water bottle, for when she has to veer away from the river: check.
Better not linger in her starting place too much longer. Yellow's faster than her and may have already come home to a wreck. Thorn might have a habit of checking up on the place, even, just in case. She's invisible, inaudible, unsmellable - that won't help if he sends someone thorough. Or comes in person.
She sets out.
She's been flying for about thirty minutes after her shopping trip when she falls through a tear and squeaks inaudibly and lands in the middle of -
imeanforever
wormcan
Alexandria can tell Promise is being evasive, and has some guesses, but doesn't press the point.
If the clones weren't doing a theme, they are now. "Pugilist?" suggests one, while the other grins and says "Pyrrhic."
If the clones weren't doing a theme, they are now. "Pugilist?" suggests one, while the other grins and says "Pyrrhic."
imeanforever
"What does that mean?" asks Blue.
"I can't vouch for whether any of these things start with P without effort I am not remotely in the mood for, but the first suggestion means someone who punches things and the latter means winning in such a way as to not be worthwhile," says Promise.
"Heh, Promise starts with P, too," says Blue. "I'll be Pugilist."
"I guess I'm Pyrrhic then," says the remaining Victoria.
"If the remaining Slaughterhouse Nine cannot be chased down at this time I need to go find the sparrow, see if changing her back is an instant disaster or not somewhere safe, and figure out something that will hold you five while I take a nap. I don't like operating on inadequate sleep."
"I can't vouch for whether any of these things start with P without effort I am not remotely in the mood for, but the first suggestion means someone who punches things and the latter means winning in such a way as to not be worthwhile," says Promise.
"Heh, Promise starts with P, too," says Blue. "I'll be Pugilist."
"I guess I'm Pyrrhic then," says the remaining Victoria.
"If the remaining Slaughterhouse Nine cannot be chased down at this time I need to go find the sparrow, see if changing her back is an instant disaster or not somewhere safe, and figure out something that will hold you five while I take a nap. I don't like operating on inadequate sleep."
wormcan
"We don't have much of a way of tracking them.
Before you try any of that, can you have one of your Panacea clones fix what Bonesaw did to Vista? I'd send her to the real one, but she can't do brains."
"And they can?" Vista asks.
Before you try any of that, can you have one of your Panacea clones fix what Bonesaw did to Vista? I'd send her to the real one, but she can't do brains."
"And they can?" Vista asks.
imeanforever
"They can. Pestilence, Plague, are you going to volunteer to help here? Please note that if you demonstrate the ability to distinguish good and not-good courses of action and pick the former when you can't really do anything else instead, I can safely leave more judgment up to you in your long-term order sets, even if I won't let you unleash your namesakes."
wormcan
"You want us to help her.
As tempting as that offer might be, I think I'd rather let her go to Panacea. Make her look a kid in the eye and explain why she's choosing not to help."
As tempting as that offer might be, I think I'd rather let her go to Panacea. Make her look a kid in the eye and explain why she's choosing not to help."
imeanforever
Promise sighs. "Vista, do you know exactly what Bonesaw did? I might be able to do something about it myself if I had more detail."
imeanforever
"I am too fucking tired to - ugh. Let's go back to the hospital and see if they can find out. Come along, starts-with-P brigade. Vista, do you want to chance soliciting a ride from an evil clone who just named herself "Pugilist" or would you rather walk?"
wormcan
"I'll get there."
She follows with Promise and her vassals, only slightly more clumsily than normal.
She follows with Promise and her vassals, only slightly more clumsily than normal.
imeanforever
Eventually, they are at the hospital. Promise goes in to look for someone suitable to dump her weird problems on.
wormcan
Weird problems are successfully dumped. Much of the medical equipment stopped working when Shatterbird sang, but they had advance warning and soundproofed what they could. It will take a little time, but they'll be able to tell what changed in Vista's brain and hopefully whether she's in any danger.
In the meantime, a sparrow flies up to Promise. It's slightly larger than Noelle was when Promise left.
In the meantime, a sparrow flies up to Promise. It's slightly larger than Noelle was when Promise left.
imeanforever
"...Hi. I need to find a safe place with nobody around to try turning you back. I'll... borrow a hospital gown. You seem to have... grown... but as long as the rate is pretty controlled I should be able to reset you periodically. Sound good?"
imeanforever
"I'm afraid most of the deserted locations in the city have a lot of broken glass on them, so it might take some looking. Do you have the hang of flying? There might be a suitable roof."
imeanforever
"Okay. Roof-hunting."
How are the roofs around here doing on the "broken glass" and "unoccupied" and "could hold full-sized Sparrowgirl if called upon to do so"?
How are the roofs around here doing on the "broken glass" and "unoccupied" and "could hold full-sized Sparrowgirl if called upon to do so"?
wormcan
Plenty unoccupied. Many without glass, roofs usually being above windows. The last requirement rules out a fair few. But they end up above a suitable roof eventually.
imeanforever
Promise doesn't land, but: "Go ahead and touch down. I'll stay up here." Well out of reach of any protruding bits of Needs A Giant Shoe Version.
wormcan
The bits in question are very good at protruding, but hopefully it won't come up. The sparrow lands and looks up at Promise.
wormcan
And Noelle reverts to being enormous.
Compared to a sparrow. She's standing, on her own legs, on the roof. "It worked! I'm, I'm me again!" She's barely concerned with being only half dressed, under the circumstances.
Compared to a sparrow. She's standing, on her own legs, on the roof. "It worked! I'm, I'm me again!" She's barely concerned with being only half dressed, under the circumstances.
imeanforever
Promise tosses her the hospital gown. "Still don't touch me." That's enforced. "And I don't know how to get rid of your power altogether. You should probably get a force field generator like mine, and I'll need to sparrow you and back to reset you on some regular basis."
wormcan
"I wouldn't turn one of those down. Where did you get it? And yes, I'd rather avoid being like that again."
imeanforever
"Paid for it with a gatepair. If they have any sense they'll give you one as a public safety measure. If they don't, I'll get you one, but I'd just as soon ration the gates so I can get other tinkertech as needed; I don't know how many gates they'll find that motivating."