drove to Chicago, all things know, all things know

[cherryblooded]

[This is getting so routine.

Cherryblod had thought about napping the rest of the day, like he'd said, but there are people to take care of, people who'd been closer to Aiden and Shirazu than he had been. So after about an hour in his room to decompress, he'd headed to the kitchen and started cooking. At some point Stan and Bruce had both joined him.

Almost everyone seems to want to take care of those who are remaining. Almost everyone.

The food this time is mostly soup and sandwiches - nothing fancy, nobody's in the mood to appreciate it - but it's there set up in the dining room by the time everyone (alive) receives notes under their doors. ...He slips an extra one for Sigrun under Mettaton's door, just in case.]

[name],
If you want to spend this time by yourself, that's fine.
If you'd rather have some company, there's food in the dining room, and you're all welcome there.
If you want to take some food and go, that's fine, too.
Take care of yourself.
-Cherryblod, Stan, Bruce

Comments

[amygdalae]

[Bruce cracks open his notebook too, flipping open to a brand new page - he's starting to run low on those, since he's been using this book for a good while already.]

Whatever happened down there, I suppose.

[...quite a bit had transpired down there, after all.]

[pokexplorer]

Oh, certainly!

[It's the spread of note she currently has open anyway, so that works.]

Wasn't Shirazu's ability fascinating? His was one of the abilities I had always wanted to see since the discussion at our first meeting. It seemed as though he had accelerated healing as well...I wonder if it only comes into play if he can activate that ability of his?

[That has to be the case...he was a victim, after all.

...]

Ah, but it is unfortunate that this is the only way we got to see the ability in action...much like plenty of the others.

[amygdalae]

[...yes, the first meeting - the one about their powers.

An uncomfortable lump works its way into Bruce's throat, but he does his best to ignore it. It shouldn't matter in here since its not as if he would transform, anyway, but still--there's still a feeling of guilt from not being fully upfront with all of them.

That's something to dwell on later, though.]

That has been something on my mind for a while. [He taps a finger against his notebook.] Why do these copies have powers that we apparently have lost in our arrival here?

[pokexplorer]

[When Bruce asks that question, Colress' expression turns from one of excited curiosity to like...serious as fuck. Because it reminds him of a note he had made a few weeks ago. A very important note.]

A very good question. And I can do you one better.

[He takes a deep breath as he flips to the appropriate page.

...Please forgive him for this, Tarrlok.]

The... [Ugh...give him a second.] The night before Tarrlok passed, he told me about the dreams he had been having- his memories of what was going on back in his world.

Mr. Banner, if his dreams were true, and he truly believed that they were, he lost his ability to bend before he even awoke here. And yet, in that pit...he was doing just that.

[He winces a little bit, thinking back on it. He knows how much Tarrlok disliked bloodbending, so. It's difficult.]

How is that possible?

[amygdalae]

[...you didn't have to talk about it, Colress, honestly, but Bruce does appreciate it all the same. Having more information is useful and this is... pretty useful indeed.

He frowns as he hears this, attempting to process this as quickly as he can. He's going to need more time later to properly go through this, but at least from his own inital thoughts--]

I'm not sure how his abilities actually work, but I assume that at least its something that occurs from a genetic level. In that case, it wouldn't matter what happened to him - its not as if genetics will change even if something on the outside happens.

[This, at least, is something Bruce knows to be certain... from personal experience.]

And if that is the case, then it seems that whatever those copies are, they arguably must have our DNA somehow.

[pokexplorer]

[He's finding solace in the fact that this is hopefully going to give them some good ideas as to what is going on. It'll...be fine.

Colress nods slowly in response to Bruce's thought that it's a genetic thing, because he actually does know that it is for the most part. But...that's an interesting viewpoint about it.]

Admittedly, I am not exactly sure how the technique that removed his bending operates. But if it was some sort of seal, then indeed...I suppose the Kingmaker could get around it somehow.

Him having our DNA goes without saying though, doesn't it? If he is able to make copies in the first place.

[amygdalae]

[Bruce sort of... makes a shrug here. He sure wishes he could know as well, but its not like they can just go up and ask Tarrlok - especially with what Colress said.]

I don't have much of a clue myself, but for now that's the best theory I can come up with, based on my own experience. [Every power needs to have some sort of basis behind it, right...??

Anyway.]

Yes, but... if we look the other way and don't think that all powers we have here originated from the genetic level, then the question is how does he manage to get those?

[pokexplorer]

[He looks like he's giving that some good consideration.]

As I've also said in the past, there are abilities out there that are also useful for copying the forms and abilities of others, be it organic or inorganic.

I obviously cannot confirm if something like that is in play, of course, but it could very well be the work of another ability that we are not aware of.

[amygdalae]

[A nod.]

There are a fair few possibilities. [...most of which are really out there but Bruce is doing his best to keep an open mind about this.] But at least one thing we do know now is that whatever happened to us externally clearly doesn't affect these copies.

[...as Tarrlok apparently shows, according to Colress' words.]