Hal Henderics

"I am the eldest hunter of my home world's Stonerist Chi tribe, and intimately know the stonerist arts, the method by which I can gain anomalous knowledge of fault lines in material, and I dabble in the magical art of channeling." "While such things are common in my world, they are not common in my land, I too have been faced with many surprising things since beginning this journey." Mar responds.

"Yes, and one of yours in the future, I hope." "I am Mar, of Stonerist Chi." He responds, setting the two cases down. "And you are?"

Mar returns to the engineering bay, Alexandria might note that he is wearing new clothes now, and seems to have two cases, though what is in them is unknown from here.

Cobalt Tries to use Endeavor, but it fails! Everyone else makes their variant of escape, making their way to the top of the cliff where the Lairon below rages fruitlessly. "Is this everyone?" Metaknight asks. He pulls out some kind of phone and presses the big red button on it. -- Meanwhile, Azurian slips into the open door, it seems to be some sort of Mechanic's bay, Rows of machines sit wall to wall, and several odd looking spaceships sit near a door which appears to be capable of opening, on the far end of the room. It seems that every machine seems to be chained to their respective cubby by some sort of electronic lock. There are strange motorcycles which only have one wheel. There are strange bladed implements, which look almost the exact size to attach to a helmet. A giant polished gold machine sits ominously by itself. It appears to be some sort of mechanical walker, with two giant gold pincer arms, and large rockets on it's back. In the middle of the room, a strange purple machine sits freely, it appears to be in some kind of round capsule, made entirely of steel, welded together. Shadowbugs are slowly pouring from it. Shadowbugs seem to have already gotten into the control mechanisms around the room somewhat. Azurian should probably leave, before they notice him.

"Nah, my heartstrung sword is fire-element too, so I've got experience getting cooked, heh." Laver comments off offhandedly. He picks a wall and lounges against it, sitting down.

"Your eyes are pretty cool too lady!" Laver says, after getting a good look at her face.

"Ahh, Much better." "Probably would not have felt good with that junk in my blood pipes." "Oh what the heck, looks like the lady over there is getting her problems solved. We better get to work, or there won't be any mental instability left to fix!" Laver takes her hand and walks her over to Lexiel, who seems to be really having a good time right about now. "I think we need that floor mam" Laver jokes

"Can I let you in on a big secret? I've seen this sort of thing happen so many times, and cause more pain than you might think." "Sometimes there just isn't anyone at fault. Or there isn't anyone left alive to take the blame." Laver shakes his head. "I don't think anyone there did a single thing wrong. I just think that everyone there hit their limit, somewhere along the line." "I've always wished that I could live to see a world where things like this don't happen. Not that bad things should not happen to good people. That's Naive. I just wish there was a world where everyone had the strength to weather life when it goes wrong, and the wisdom to be able to force themselves to accept that it was just a bad situation." "I'm lucky, I get to punch a lot of problems until they go away. A lot more than most." "I'm sure if they knew which problem to punch, they would have fought with their lives to get you back, but for a lot of people, it's easy to become lost. Both in here and in here." He points at his head and his heart. "Just try to be strong in the real way. Sometimes all we can do is understand that a lot of terrible things don't have a face we can hit, or a cause we can lay blame to properly. It's hard to even me to accept that." "When I think about that problem, I try to remember that I want to get better, instead of bitter." He pauses. "That's all I've got." He finishes. (beat) "Also, I think your Knot poisoned me." He jokes, before heaving over in pain.

"I'm all ears mam." Laver smiles, suprisingly ruefully for his age. He seems to have done this before, but with no less respect for the person in his metaphorical therapy chair.

"Yeah, funny how that works. I kinda had to go into your special hell to fight your demons. Your Heart should be clear for now." He drinks the water, sighing refreshedly. Before his grin is wiped away by a more serious matter. "Ultimately, I tell all of my patients this, but I do not want you to feel pressured. It is unlikely that those Knots will return, so long as you face the emotions that brought them to be, and understand them with a clear mind, either that, or you simply take care to keep your head clear when encountering things that would cause you to backslide into your old habits. However, I always offer a Checkup after the fact, just to make absolutely sure the emotions involved are able to be resolved in time." He takes out what looks like a soup can. It has a glowing blue string hanging off of it which seems to fade into nothing. "This is an arcane device capable of communicating verbally along and listening into the strings of the heart. Much like the one used by children, it can allow you to communicate with anyone on the other end of the line. If you like, I can help you attach them, and make some calls in private, if you feel that would help. There are 4 Primary Strings that made up your largest and most terrible knot. I can also listen to them, or allow you to listen to them, to hear the memories that made those strings up. Whether it be to cut ties or to remember the bonds that made up those heartstrings, the choice is yours."

The Heart Doctor faces two very dangerous foes, each one more viscious than the last. The first Knot defeated within Marisa's heart, the pain of discrimination from her own town, this knot took the form of an Aged Horned Demon, wearing the clothing of a simple villager, and using deceptive clothes, hurtful remarks, and it's Flaming Torch and Pitchfork to accost Laver, It held the power to duplicate itself, and the power to steal away the power of healing, but neither of them were a match for Laver's Lightning quick Blade, aided by Metal Sonic's Accord, Laver struck down the demon, using his own brand of trickery to mock it in it's final moments. The second Knot, however, was nothing to laugh at. A hulking Demon King, Wearing a crown of gold, it bore atop this crown four twisted dolls, which mocked and belittled our hero, It's Twisted sword crying out accusations of it's own damnation, This monster took to Laver's own strategy, Healing itself and Weakening him as he did the same, the fight lasted seemingly for hours, as each side refused to give up so much as an inch of ground in the healing war, The Demon fired blasts of black magic, blowing away Laver and deflecting his attacks, while the Vibes that Laver sent towards the monster seemed to do nothing but prolong the inevitable, The beast even used poisons, sapping Laver's strength further with every passing moment. It was only when Laver came upon the silly idea to use his blade's healing properties on his own head that the tide began to turn, Laver would restore all of his wounds, while the demon's dark font of power began to wane, perhaps it was divine providence, stealing away it's twisted mockery of the Cleric's Arts, or maybe it was it's own weakness. Maybe still it was Marisa's own willpower that saved the day, as her help allowed Laver to infuse his weapon with her magic, and strike down the demon. It is then that Laver returns again, Hunched over and breathing. "That stupid Sulfur, I hate that smell." "Does anyone have a bottle of water?" He asks, wiping soot off his face and trying to shake the numbness of poison out of his veins. It seems he never actually managed to cure whatever poison seems to be in him while he was in that fight.

The instant she does, Laver pops like a soap bubble, sucked away to some other frequency of reality. If she were in tune with that sort of thing, she might notice, and not think he literally just exploded. Then, as soon as he is gone, he is back again, and Marisa feels different. "Well, that one wasn't too tough, It was a really old one that was almost gone anyway, I guess." "Only one more remains. Let me catch my breath and I'll try my hand at that one."

"I do my job to make people better. I think we should help each other to help her, if you are willing." Laver holds out a hand.

"You were Abandoned a long time ago, and then Abandoned in a much worse way slightly more recently, this abandonment forms two distinct knots, one large, and one small, which are very close to one another, and feed on your new relationships, forcing you to view people through a lens that simply isn't entirely fair." "Is that a fair assessment?" Laver says, examining her heart. Very Clean, he is impressed.

"Whenever I help someone, usually by curing their Knots and helping resolve the underlying issues, the emotional connection forged grants me a Heartstring from that person, known as an Accord, Like the ones I currently have. I can only be helped by someone who has an Accord with me." Laver shows off his Metal Sonic's Accord and his Dark King's Accord. One is a collection of Metal Blue Thrusters, and the other is an Iron Chain, wrapped with old vestiments tangled inside it. "If we were to somehow form such an Accord, you could join me in combating her inner demons. Though in practice, It would require us doing some serious talking, and me beating down a few of yours."

"Afterwards, I will try to work with you to cure as many of the smaller knots as I can on my own. The improved clarity and stability can only help, even if it's only a bit." Laver nods.

"Without that Binding, you could help me overcome your deepest problems. As it stands, the high-risk trauma in your heart is shielded by an invincible barrier from your own inner development as a person. Do you believe you have the fortitude to fight off your inner demons if you has the tools at your disposal?"

"I have to engage in single combat with the Knots themselves, and I can receive no help other than help from people who I have a personal connection to." "Even then, this does not solve their emotional problem magically, All it does is clear their thoughts of the tangled, confused, and twisted feelings that are clouding their true thoughts on the matter, It lets them truely come to terms with what made the Knot in the first place." "The largest of her Knots would beat me without much effort at all. I could probably destroy the weakest of her knots, if only to clear up a few of them, and, if it were desperate enough, I could sever her feelings to certain matters." His face hardens for a 15 year old. "This isn't something to be undertaken lightly though. The ramifications of no longer having an emotional connection to something can be drastic They are what allows someone to act humanely towards a matter. Sociopaths and Psychopaths both lack those connections, in many cases, for example."

"So you can do anything so long as it pursues the Law and Order? If we don't save the multiverse, Everyone and everything dies, something arguably the worst possible event. Wouldn't that supersede any possible binding that respects law and order?" "By this Doctor's Professional opinion, you will probably go completely insane in short enough order if your mind continues being fractured like that. Especially if I can't clear up some of these Knots."

"See that? That right there is exactly what I am talking about. That isn't your Self Actualized self speaking, that's everything horrible that has happened to you speaking. You desperately need someone to poke around in there and kill off all those rotting and growing knots in your heart, it would probably kill me if I tried to fight even one of the larger ones though. I'm surprised you haven't already turned into some frothing monster or genocidal madwoman. There is enough pain in here for 10 of those. I can't believe someone so emotionally strong could exist."

"I am The Heart Doctor." Laver says. and one can hear the capital letters when he says it. "This is a heartstring made manifest." He hold up his toy sword, a rubbery hose wrapped around two pullies at the tip and base. "Every single time you make an emotional connection to someone or something, it is made manifest as a Heartstring, I can see these, and I can interact with them." "There's a lot of analogies you can make, people with thick and strong connections between them, thinner ones for weaker connections, and the heart itself, a weave of one's most precious feeling and self." "Knots are what happens when complex and tangled emotions are put under intense tension. They commonly form as Monstrous caricatures of the thing you have an emotional connection with, and take the place of that person or thing at the end of the heartstrings once connected to them." He points his Heartstrung sword loosely in Lexiel's direction. "Her Heartstrings, her emotional connections to others, are a twisted hellscape of endless pain and emotional torture, Knots that would tower over buildings if manifested in the physical world, and so many smaller knots that I actually cannot count them, or give you a rough guess. I've never seen anything like it."

"Your heartstrings..." "It's like they are screaming, I've never seen a single living thing with this much pain in their heartstrings." Laver almost looks a bit glazed. He certainly still looks rather horrified. "Knots of impossible size, and so many smaller ones, I can't even count them." "I need to know what is going on in more detail, if you please."

Suddenly, Laver is seen sliding around the corner, running up to Marisa, he stands next to her as she pokes around. "I saw some real bad stuff over here, and came as fast as I can. What is the sitch?" Even though nothing particularly impressing is happening near Lexiel, the young boy looks like he is staring into the event horizon of some horrid singularity of evil. His grip on what appears to be a toy sword is white-knuckled in tension.

(Syn+Skill) (4d6 = 3, 5, 6!, 5, 1, 6!, 1, (4 Hits)) (3 Needed) Reaching in with his bare hands, Keith somehow manages to scoop shadowbugs into an empty Artillery Shell, sealing them inside. -- Shanks gets what Shanks Wants. He easily retrieves the lance. -- Azurian finds (8, 5) Two Busted Catapillar Tracks, and a pile of Busted Tech. They look beat up, but maybe they still work?

Entering the Hole, Keith finds the armory, what is this shit? It's all just medieval weapons and artillery too big for personnel use! Strange purple bugs weave into and around cracks, glowing ominously. You have the strange feeling that firing your gun in a room full of high explosives is not something to do lightly. -- (Skill) (1d6=5, (1 Hit)) (1 Needed) Cim manages to shoot at some shadowbugs, despite the sandstorm and distance involved, the force bolt helps stave off even more of them hampering the group below. -- (Strength) (1, 2, 1, 2, (0 Hits)) (1 Needed) (Skill) (6!, 3, 5, 4, (3 Hits)) (2 Needed) Gnarles is unable to hold the heavy monster, it slips from his grasp, and throws him off balance, however, he is thankfully able to grab onto the cliff and finish climbing up, He is placed at the bottom of the initiative ladder Aron uses Harden again, becoming more durable! Lairon Picks up massive boulders, throwing them Cobalt's Way, and dealing (1d4+9=13) 4 Damage! Cobalt is Badly smashed by the boulders crashing down, but manages to weather the storm. (1d100=89) Cobalt Flinches! But it has no effect. Aelius Lashes out with his spear, dealing 2 Damage from Scale Breaker's Effect! Gnarls uses Power up on Aelius, increasing his damage by 1 for the next attack he makes! Aelius attempts to escape battle! (Skill) (2d6 = 5, 1, (1 Hit)) (1 Needed) And Succeeds! -- (Skill) (4d6 = 6!, 6!, 1, 1, 3, 6!, 2, (3 Hits)) (3 Needed) Azurian tries to find the Robot's Core, and sees something his gut tells him is it! (Skill v Skill) (6d6 = 5, 5, 6!, 2, 1, 6!, 1, 5, (5 Hits!)) (1d6 = 6!, 3, (1 Hit)) After that, it's child's play to just snatch it out! The Machine falls dead before Shanks can even waste an Omen Slash on it... Combat Log