Home 26: Rooms to let, fifty cents

[Murkus]

[Fettina's Place - Fight!]

"I'll join you." Kirk replies through tight lips. He follows her where she leads. "Are you really, though? How long have you known her again? A few months? How do you know her motives?" He presses.

[Fettina's Place - Fight!]

"You still like eggs? I remember you liking eggs," Fettina sidles into her chromed out kitchen. The place is almost as shiny as her, but it's practically just four walls and a single mirror-finish countertop. As she enters, other things begin to fold seamlessly out of the walls: additional counters, appliances, something that might be a stove.

His continued accusations finally get a skeptical look out of her. "Okay, Kirk, I think maybe we should start with why you are so distrustful of Cantie-- well, not just Cantie. People. In general. I mean, I understand when it's people like you or me. Nobody should trust us off the cuff. But Cantie's a sweetheart. I think you've been in the wrong circles too long."

Finally, a little smile turns the corners of her lips up. "Or maybe it's something else."

[Recaiden]

Irregularities in the transmission of fiendish essences. Conventional measures ... ineffective.
Possibility, that summoning could combine abilities of marquess and abilities of host.
Question, known side effects of fiendish possession?
There's details the princess isn't mentioning, but probably Sekhmet doesn't want to hear them.

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

Uh, none? Besides the, uh, obvious. Loss of free will, insanity, physical transformation over time to match the needs of the inhabiting demon. Unless they mean side effects for the demon, in which case none known. But nobody really studies that. Uh, the summoning will definitely combine the, uh, abilities. The physical ones. Uh, I don't know about magic though. Maybe?

[Recaiden]

[Eurus Hive]

How exciting. They can make demonological history.
Those seem possibly fine. Loss of free will is not a problem, the physical transformations are beneficial. The mechanism of the insanity could be problematic.
Possibility, that alterations to host could impede original abilities.
We will learn.

The chanting nears its end. The strange marquess conjures a bit of flame, which sweeps towards the candles.

Question, known methods for removing fiend from host?

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

If you're the summoner, there's, uh, a simple ritual to, uh, dismiss it. Otherwise, uh, you have to destroy the host or use divine power to, uh, exorcise it. Sekhmet doesn't know why they would want to know that. They're just bringing back Serket, right? They shouldn't need to dismiss her.

[Recaiden]

They want to avoid her being dismissed.
Exorcise. Unwholesome concept. Rare to encounter, confirm?
Should be largely safe from removal, more likely to lose host again.

The candles catch fire, and at the same time, the marquess concludes,
"Lokatil-Ess Nemtr Fil, Serket"
All at once the candles flare up, devouring the tallow as the magic is directed, purpose realized in connecting this prepared shell to the lost fiend. The body's limbs seize and writhe as it's re-inhabited, the summoning marks shine with reflected hellfire, and the final drop of blood falls.
It is done. The demon is here.

And she's mostly shouting in pain and confusion. It's not like she expected to be summoned back, and being dead was pretty awful, I expect.

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

Sekhmet gasps in surprise when Serket returns to a semblance of life. She knew it would happen, but it was still a shock. Serket? Are you all right? Sekhmet rushes to her cousin-sister-daughter to see if she can help in any way.

[Recaiden]

The princess lets go of the human and twists to run her tail across his arm, erasing the cut as if it had never been there. He opens his eyes and breathes a sigh of relief. A worker flutters out of the garden, carrying a bit of food. It's important to keep your strength up - and they're going to need more blood before this is over.

The weaver also approaches Serket, though a bit more slowly, to make her semblance of life a bit more lifelike now that there's an animating regulating force in the body.

Serket herself reaches out to her progenitor, wrapping her wings around Sekhmet desperately.
"Are-are you really here? Not-not-not ghosts, not alone?"
Here, I feel you, feel everyone. The panic has given way to overwhelming relief at being able to feel the hive's thoughts again.

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

Sekhmet throws her arms around her kin in a bit hug. Yes, I'm here, we're all here. You're safe now. What happened to Serket? She can only assume she must have been in Hell. Sekhmet wouldn't wish that on her second-worst enemy. (She would on her mother though).

[Recaiden]

I was growing a-, and then everything was gone, empty, it-it-
I can see again! More a feature of not being in hell than anything else. The candles are gone, the eye sockets filled with empty black fiend's eyes, as they were before.
And most importantly, she's not completely alone anymore. Her stay in hell wasn't nearly as long as the time-displaced Sekhmet went through, but it was quite terrifying all the same.

Success, welcome back to the hive cluster Serket.
Instruction, take necessary measures to recover fully.
The princess steps up and reaches out a middle hand to help lift the new demon to her feet, and gives private instructions to the other hivelings for the next phase of experiments.

Jet removes their robe, passes it off to the worker, and steps up to the slab. Another worker comes by, carrying long iron implements into the garden.
The final marquess from this hive, Haru, appears in the passageway, an eager smile on her face.
Context, first experiment is success. We proceed to attempt a combination with a living host.

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

Sekhmet watches the repeated proceedings with more curiosity and less disgust. They're going to try transferring Haru into Jet's body? Why? She's curious what will happen, as much as she is confused about the reasons. She hasn't done much with the summoning side of fiendish magic, after all. Why are you doing this?

[Rebonack]

[Isaac's Room]

"No cheating!" Melissa loudly objects, already dashing Iknika's hopes for a quiet game. "Don't even joke about cheating."

Only faeries are allowed to cheat.

It's in the rules.

"Okay so first after you pick your color you have to roll the dice to decide who goes first," Melissa says as she grabs the two dice and gives them a roll.

A three and a four!

Melissa wrinkles her nose.

"Lame. Just a middle roll. Okay you roll next, Isaac," she says, passing the dice over to her brother. "Once we know who goes first then we'll put three of these cards in this envelope without anyone seeing what they are. Then the rest of us get the other cards! You roll the dice to see how many spaces you go and when you're in a room-"

She points at the study.

"-you make an accusation! I THINK IT WAS COLONEL MUSTARD IN THE STUDY WITH THE CANDLE STICK!" she very loudly proclaims, pointing at Isaac. "Then if someone has one of those cards (which means it isn't in the secret envelope) they show you that card and then it's the next person's turn. OH! And if you think you know the answer you say what you think the answer is and check the envelope but if you're wrong then you LOSE."

[Recaiden]

Reason, to understand, know our own capabilities.
Reason, to make the two more effective as one.

This one doesn't involve a dead body, but it's not necessarily pleasant either.
First a worker comes back with iron chains, that are wrapped around Jet's neck and hands. Then it lifts specially prepared little spikes and drives them into the skin with hammer blows from its claws, which Jet accepts, if tensely, with no complaint.
Then the worker retrieves from the garden the irons glowing red-hot...

The incantation begins anew.

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

Sekhmet watches. She flinches to see Jet chained, impaled, and burned, but she can't pull her gaze away. What is about to happen? She doesn't know, but it intrigues her. What will become of Jet's mind when Haru takes control? What about Haru's body?

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Room

Isaac groans and hands Melissa a candlestick card. He rolls the dice and comes up with a four.
"Yeah, with three people it probably won't be a super long game. Uh, Mrs Peacock, kitchen, knife? Anyone?" he looks around as he sets down his piece. There's not a terrible amount of rules to the turns of the game.

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Iknika looks at her cards. Mrs Peacock, kitchen, knife. Nope.

"I don't have any of those. So Mrs. Peacock might be in the envelope and might be the murderer?" she asks uncertainly.

[Recaiden]

At the end of the chant, Jet is soaked with grease and lit on fire, eliciting a piercing scream-
"-Keyra Charal Haru!"
The flames are swallowed up as the branded symbols start to glow from within instead. They had some difficulty with that, the burns started to heal up right away and had to be reapplied during the duration of the chants. Must have been terribly painful.
Haru quickly falls over, all tension gone from her muscles. But - heart still beating, breaths still taken.
Jet's orange eyes turn demon-black as they bolt upright from the slab.
Oh wow!

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

When Haru possesses Jet, it should be clear that Jet's mind isn't gone. They could attempt to resist Haru's control and struggle for dominance, or they could just allow it to happen, of course. But unlike summoning into a corpse, there is some uncertainty as to who will be in control after the ritual.

Sekhmet watches Haru fall and looks at Jet-Haru. Haru? It worked? Is Jet there? she asks, curious. How does it feel?

[Gullara]

[Fettina's Place - Fight!]

"You still like eggs? I remember you liking eggs," Fettina sidles into her chromed out kitchen. The place is almost as shiny as her, but it's practically just four walls and a single mirror-finish countertop. As she enters, other things begin to fold seamlessly out of the walls: additional counters, appliances, something that might be a stove.

His continued accusations finally get a skeptical look out of her. "Okay, Kirk, I think maybe we should start with why you are so distrustful of Cantie-- well, not just Cantie. People. In general. I mean, I understand when it's people like you or me. Nobody should trust us off the cuff. But Cantie's a sweetheart. I think you've been in the wrong circles too long."

Finally, a little smile turns the corners of her lips up. "Or maybe it's something else."

[Fettina's Place - Fight!]

"I may have been in the wrong circles, but Cantata is in those same circles. She works for Merc, remember? We run a background check on everyone that joins." Kirk sets his jaw, straining to keep an even keel. "I can't say anything for certain, but but you should be careful not to run into a situation without thinking it through."

[Recaiden]

It worked! Yes, we're both here!
This isn't that strange, now that the fire is put out.
The possessed stalker springs up from the slab, clumsily as both minds try to do it at once, and then catches itself and turns to look at Haru's abandoned body.
We're so strong now! I knew, but I didn't know, right?!
I have been working with Haru since they hatched. This is...it's different, but not difficult.

You will be next, Sekhmet. Has your demon-name been changed recently?

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

"What? Me?" Sekhmet seems surprised. "No, uh, my name hasn't changed. But, uh, why?" Why does she need to be summoned? She's fine the way she is! She doesn't want to be stuck in someone else's body.

[Recaiden]

Reason, you have the strongest form of any marquess; there may be differences with you not seen in others.
Reason, marquesses should be experienced acting in new bodies.
Detail, it will be more temporary; your body seems functional

Haru moves off the slab, at first moving wrongly, thinking she has wings and a tail, slowly getting used to delegating some motions, and very carefully reaches out a tentacle to her original body.

Workers once again scurry about with their preparations.

[Murkus]

[Fettina's Place - Fight!]

"Kirk, I don't run background checks on people I'm seeing. Imagine if every woman you've ever got with could get one on you. You'd never get laid again." Fettina says all this as she cracks a few eggs into a pan for them. "Two eggs or three, dude?"

She spins once she's got the pan going, leaning on the counter and looking at Kirk across it. Her little smile crinkles the corner of those alien eyes. Alien to look at, at least. The attitude they convey is still all Tina. "Now, are you ready to tell me what's actually bothering you, or are we gonna keep pretending it's cuz Cantie might be dangerous? She's my sweet lil' creampuff, Kirk. Are you trying to say I don't know how to judge people?"

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

Uh, okay? Sekhmet relents. They'll just bring in another hiveling, she'll possess it, and they'll dismiss her, right? It's not like she could even refuse if they decided to do it without her permission. She might as well go along with it for a little bit.

[Recaiden]

With some awkwardness, a mantis squirms into the cavern. The passageway is wide enough to permit striders and princesses to come through, but it is definitely not designed with flying creatures in mind. The bat/serpent/bug lays on the slab, tail and wingtips spilling over the sides, squirming with nervous energy.
Hypothetically, would summon into a mother. Or queen. Cannot spare any.

One last time, the workers carry in their torturous tools, the the marquess begins chanting, the princess spills blood upon the altar.

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

Sekhmet watches with even more fascination. That mantis will be her body in a few moments? What will it feel like? How long will they expect her to keep it? She braces herself for whatever the summoning will feel like.

[Recaiden]

They have even more trouble preparing this host body for possession. Mantises have the second-best regenerative powers in hive history, and they end up needing Haru to continually reheat the brands during the chant (which she can do without any real trouble, manifesting fire at the end of Jet's tentacles).
But finally it is done, with the recitation of Sekhmet's overly-long name (at least she doesn't compete with her mother) "-Sakiril-Ess, Toktr Etsa Korrel, Kodira Myn-Erl, Nolvilik Kendek, Resyr Lotaka, Okaril-Ess, Keyra Dogetal!"

After whatever leaving her body is like, there is a brief impression of irrepressible happiness and joy.
The mantis's four eyes go black, and Sekhmet will feel the lingering pain of the ritual flames, the traces of oil running down her longer face, the wings are a bit changed, the lack of legs is probably noticeable. One's senses may be overwhelmed; the mantis has a much keener nose than a human, they can 'hear' radio, and navigate by echo. The body's instincts, if any are left beneath the possession, will be shouting at her to get up and fly!

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

Sekhmet's body goes limp as her spirit leaves it. After a the shocking sensation of being disembodied, Sekhmet snaps to consciousness. She gives a shocked gasp, garbled by her unfamiliar mouth. She can smell so much, and sense things she can't even describe. Wow, uh, what? She squirms to get into a more comfortable position. At least she seems to have coordinated control over this body. I need to, uh, see myself. This is such a strange experience, being something totally inhuman like this.

[Recaiden]

Take a look!
Haru shows Sekhmet what the possessed mantis looks like through Jet's eyes. Long fangs, long body, wings and maneuvering jets, weaponized tail, the whole deal. A perfectly normal bat-serpent hiveling, except for the demon-eyes.

Workers return the ritual implements to the garden to be cleansed in fire and stored till they are needed again, and also carry Sekhmet and Haru's old body off out of the way.

[bc56]

Eurus Hive

Sekhmet flexes her body and twists this way and that to get a good look at it. Wow, that's me? It's, uh, hard to believe." She thinks back to the princess. Uh, it worked. Now what? This enclosed space is starting to get to her. She needs to be up in the sky.