Serious Plots 9: Srsr and srsr

[5a Violista]

[Tra fo Ytnuoc]

It's not that big of a settlement. Just a hodgepodge of lost people, with basic shelter and the beginnings of civilization.

There's lots of animals, though. And plants. And insects. Should be easy to find something to eat while looking for traces of the people.

Since people sporadically show up in here, they occasionally go on patrols looking for people, and leave lines and signs that'll leave back to them.


Meanwhile

Not being able to talk is a pretty significant thing, but it's pretty likely that Ein's Cearta won't notice this difference for a while. Possible that it won't even be for several days.
Tentacles are nice, though.
More people need tentacles, she thinks. If more people had tentacles, she would have tentacles more often.

[bc56]

Xuracorp Tower
41st Floor
As the pair crawl into the passageways, they seal up behind them. There is no going back. But they're not as long as one might expect, opening out into rooms as different as the tunnels were..

The Path of Vines
Wenomir emerges into a room choked with plant life. However, before he notices that, he'll probably notice the smell. The room stinks of rot, death, and decay. The dark, twisted vines are everywhere, decorated with mottled pink and red flowers. There is only one path forward, an archway of vines leading out into a hallway and the stench is even worse in that direction. But there's also the faintest suggestion of a door buried beneath layers of vines on one of the side walls.

The Golden Path
As Ilpholin emerges, she'll hear the sound of laughter. She's entered into a high-ceilinged golden chamber, decorated with golden fountains and statues of attractive people. The golden mist drifts invitingly around the floor. There are ordinary-looking people here, milling about and chattering amongst each other as if at a party. But there's a vacant look in their expressions, as if they aren't really aware of what's going on. Tables and trays laden with hors d'oeuvres and glasses of fine wine and champagne, A golden archway leads out to another, even larger room, where more partygoers can be seen.

Roof
Erszébet yelps when grabbed. She doesn't seem especially strong or able to resist. "I assure you that will not be necessary. It would be quite ineffective, and I am content to remain as I am. Please release me before I must resort to... Violent measures." She's surprisingly able to maintain her dignity while being carried over Anika's shoulder.

Throne Room
Prumathe will stumble through a portal. Sapphira is too impatient to wait for him to take forever searching the building. Once he arrives in the throne room, the portal closes behind him and Sapphira speaks to him. "Ah, my... Son in law. We have much to discuss." The fiendish queen is lounging on a throne of black stone, the same as the walls and floor. She dresses a bit different than he might remember though. Sure, her face is the same, and her unrealistic build, but the armor is new, bronze plates which don't cover nearly as much as armor should, but still far more than what Sapphira would usually wear.

Ground Floor
The Hivelings will have to make their own way up. Sapphira doesn't leave the portal open for them. The tried-and-true method is the stairs, forty flights under grueling heat. But if they want to take the elevator, or find another way up, they have those options.

Skyside
Geneva becomes Sekhmet, and then feels a horrible sensation of her body being pulled through another dimension and into somewhere else. So her plan is working, but with one small problem. Nothing she's carrying is coming with her.

Shivernight Manor
Sekhmet sighs in resignation, when suddenly there are two naked Sekhmets crammed into the summoning circle, their wings and tails getting tangled up in each other. "What?" It takes the first Sekhmet a few moments to untangle herself and process what's just happened. "Who are y... Uh... Geneva?" She realizes. Geneva should be able to feel Sekhmet's full psychic presence now, and also the circle of silver glyphs that are keeping the pair of them, and their powers, contained.

Hodgepodge Street
The Hivelings dig. It won't be long before they've broken into the cavernous chamber they discovered.
Most of the chamber is taken up by the creature dwelling there. It's mostly a huge, toothy maw, with long tentacular limbs it reaches up through the cracks in the ground. Rubble from the digging crumbles into its mouth, and it swallows it up without a second thought.

Meanwhile, the snake, now free, changes again. It grows larger and larger until it is easily large enough to swallow a person whole. It rears up and lunges at the now-discovered stalker.
But it's a trick. The large snake is merely an illusion. The real snake is the same size as before, but invisible and much closer, striking at the ankle instead of the head.
Meanwhile, the slimegirl frees another mesmerized person from the spell through strategic suffocation. This time, the victim runs away almost immediately. It seems the trance isn't being quite so strongly maintained.


Iconquest
"Made is a strong word, in her case. These things just sort of spring up when she eats." Jade explains. She looks back at the hallway. Of course getting out won't be as easy as getting in. It never is. "She's nice, but really weird. Even before I was like this, she was weird."

[Recaiden]

[Tra fo Ytnuoc]

Ein will pick up an animal to eat somewhere along the way. What a lush and bountiful place this is! Much better than the human-style city smothering the land on the other side of the mirror.

Upon finding the settlement, they keep up their supernatural unnoticeability and try to just watch over the town for a while, trying to watch the people live their lives, the patrols come and go.

[Shivernight Manor]
The voice, both exhilarated and angry and shocked, sounds in Sekhmet and Geneva's heads both.
Another one!?!

At the gate...
No answer. Disappointing. Not surprising.
026 draws his gun and attempts to blast the gate open with a stream of super-heated plasma.
017 would then hurry in to the manor grounds and find an actual door to do the same to.

At the wall, the plants grab 3 and pull her down. She was careless not to get to an angle that could see them before crossing the top of the wall.
But in a moment, she's settled on a countermeasure. Bands of sharpness manifest on her surfaces, pointing outwards. Anything trying to wrap and squeeze should find itself getting cut to ribbons.
And any vines that find bare skin on her face or above her gloves should start becoming grey and weak, though probably not fast enough to matter.

[Xuracorp Tower]

Elevator! They don't want to be too worn out from the climb.
And if something goes wrong, going up the elevator shaft would probably be better than going up outside.

[Hodgepodge Street]

Aha! They found it! There was a time when the hive would deploy monsters a lot like this one - well, a lot smaller, but otherwise...the matter at hand, though, is destroying it.
A pair of hounds dig to widen the gap, while the archers fire their bolts of bone and silver down at the monster, aiming a little inward from where the tentacles meet the maw.

The stalker jumps back, away from the lunging snake they see-
and feel something bite into their ankle, which they grasp at wildly, but likely too late.

[Morty]

[Xuracorp Tower]
The Path of Vines

Wenomir spots the possible other door surprisingly easily. Is it a real alternate route or is Sapphira just trying to tempt him with it? Curse those mind-games. He decides to take a risk and go to work clearing the vines off with his axe. The answer should make quick work of them, capable as it is of cutting through just about anything.

[Arkhosia]

Xuracorp Tower Roof

Blanche is of a similar mindset to Anika here, but isn't going to complain when their host graciously provides them an entrance. Beats having to fly down to a lower level, though she isn't too inclined to accept the accompanying escort. Before she can offer a solution to that however, Anika's already bursting into action!

"I don't think you're gonna get very far with those," Blanche advises as she picks up the pace and follows behind, keeping as keen an eye on their surroundings as she does Erszébet's hands. If she tries to reach for a weapon or cast any spells, the catgirl's perfectly ready to try and interrupt.

[Shadowcaller]

Xuracorp Tower Roof

"Dude, why do you think we came here? To have a tea-party?" She accidentally pats Erszébet on the butt as she starts carrying her into the building and immidiately stops. "Ehh... as I was saying, we were expecting you to try to kill us. Not invite us in. So if you're gonna threaten us you're giving us exactly what we want, yeah? Besides, I don't think your master wants us to get delayed to... whatever final epic fight you got planned so kindly shut up and just watch us do this."

[Nova_Eclipse]

[The Hunter, Hunted]

It's a perfectly ordinary day when the messages are sent. They are sent to four different people, though these people are not chosen at random, and the sender is known in some manner to all of them. Perhaps not all of the recipients will actually receive the messages, but the sender is desperate, and has little choice.

Cassandra, sorceress and mercenary, receives a text on her phone, as does Wenomir, commander of VIGIL, and Fayyaad, adventurer. The last message finds its way to Dipsnig, leader of MERC, or rather, to the goblin businessman's computer. In all cases, though, the message is simple and concise.

"Help. Captured. Electra." A string of numbers follows these three words. The message doesn't come from Electra's own mobile number; in Dipsnig's case, the message comes up on his computer's screen, though it doesn't stay long, and if the MERC leader isn't at his desk, he most likely will not see it. For Wenomir, too, if he fails to see or hear the noise his phone makes, he likely won't know. For Cassandra and Fayyaad, though, the message is more subtle; arriving into their devices' inboxes like a normal message, despite missing the usual reply number. Curious.

[Reinholdt]

[Xuracorp Tower - The Golden Path]

"Oh a Tea-Party. I should have dressed up," Ilpholin says to no one at all. She could change outfits rather easily, but decidedly doesn't want to. She doesn't much trust any of these people, though there is the potential that they were the actual employees of the office building who have been noticeably missing. Some kind of trance perhaps.

It's a shame such a fancy party is wasted on such an evil demon. Sapphira's got half-way decent tastes at least, though this much gold is a little gauche. Enjoying these parties... feels like a different world that she left behind. The old one.

Well the Phyrexian Nymph can't go back to that world and seeing no other way forward, she heads towards the golden archway, giving the party-goers as wide a berth as she can.

[Earl of Purple]

Xuracorp Tower

Prumathe glares at Sapphira. "Where's my wife? What've you done to her? That's the only thing I think we have to talk about." He's tempted to charge in with his silver sword and enhanced strength, but... he doesn't think he has much chance- and unlike Sekhmet, he doesn't know how to get out of the afterlife.

Shivernight Manor Outside

The gate is blasted open, and there's actually two routes- one to the front door, one to the garage. Assuming the front door is the one the two heads towards, it can also be blasted open. The entry hall is large and opulent; there's quite a few doors, too. There's a double staircase on either side, and doors to the left and right. The left wing is the one that's still being repaired, so either ahead or to the right is the best choice. Ahead, there's a big door between the double staircase and another at the top of the stairs, and three doors on each side of the room.

Inside

"What... You've duplicated yourself. I should have made this thing bigger. You still can't get out of there, y'know. Even if there's more of you than can physically fit in the circle." Bluefoot's a little surprised, but not too worried- yet. She enjoys looking at both Sekhmets, though, but she thinks they're both under her control.

[Morty]

[The Hunter, Hunted]

Wenomir does indeed miss the message. He wasn't looking at his phone when it came and he never knew it appeared. Dipsnig doesn't; he's sitting at his computer when the message arrives and disappears. Needless to say, it sends him on high alert; he begins to pull up records of Electra's latest activities or jobs she went on, to try and find just how she might have been captured.

Fayyaad's reaction is altogether different. Thankfully he's not otherwise occupied; he'd just got back from serving as security in a casino (a regular job of his, dull but pays the bills) when he saw the message. His immediate reaction is to call Cassandra; he suspects she has received the same message and they need to act quickly.

[Rebonack]

[Shivernight Manor]

Geneva isn't one hundred percent certain what the mental 'another one!?' is about, but given the particular tang of the voice she suspects it has something to do with the hive maybe? Regardless of the source, that isn't the most important thing at the moment.

No, the most important thing is ACTION!

The Sekhmet double gives a brief nod before derezzing into a mess of pixles before rapidly resolving again into a floating pink cat-like creature! She's missing her signature jacket and wrist computer. Both were left behind when she was summoned. Hopefully no one will steal that stuff. They're the last mementos she has from home. Be that as it may, this is all a very important development.

See, summoning circles are typically designed to contain devils.

Not pokemon.

You need pokeballs for pokemon.

Which means Geneva will drift right through the circle, a nimbus of psionic power shimmering around her.

~You're going to let my friend go.~

That mental voice isn't an attack, not yet. But it could become one quite quickly if Bluefoot decides not to comply.

One way or the other, it looks like-

ENGINEER GENEVA WANTS TO FIGHT!

[bc56]

Xuracorp Tower
Throne Room
"I haven't done anything to her... yet. My cult has her captive, and when I'm done here, I will go collect her." Sapphira stands up, taking several steps towards Prumathe. "You don't have to lose her. But first, I want proof that you're worthy of her. What are you willing to do to get her back?"

Roof
Erszébet glares at Blanche from over Anika's shoulder. But she seems to believe the threats given. "You will both regret this." But she doesn't resist further as they descend the stairs. A few moments later, they start to hear faint voices from below. "What are you willing to do to get her back?"

Path of Vines
Wenomir slashes apart the vines, revealing a door! When he opens it up, it reveals another room, roughly cubical, and quite large. It's even more completely covered with vines and flowers, and the stench is even worse here. Every so far, along the wall, is a plant, a large flower with a bulbous, semi-transparent stalk. Inside each stalk is a person, curled up in the fetal position, surrounded by strange fluids. There are maybe a dozen of these in all. But there's also someone in the room. From the waist up, she's a typical succubus, but with vines and flowers like those on the walls entwined in her hair. From the waist down, she has the body of a powerful black elk, more flowers studding her flanks. "Ah, you found me very quickly." She slowly, deliberately, draws a pair of throwing knives from a belt around her waist. "Should I kick you out, or take you prisoner?"

Golden Path
The next room is dominated by a pool fed by numerous fountains, with golden mist swirling around it. More entranced guests are here. But there's also a succubus, dressed in an immaculate suit, with a wine glass in one hand. She sees Ilpholin and beckons. "Welcome, honored guest! Please, have some refreshments, make yourself comfortable!" She paces back and forth as she speaks, her hooves clacking against the golden tiles of the floor. "I wouldn't try to kill me if I were you. The old laws of hospitality are strong in this place."

Elevator
The elevator has only one button, for the 40th floor. As the Hivelings ascend, Sapphira finally contacts them. You're still here? I'm not interested in your kind, not after what you've done to my daughter. Farewell. There's the sound of metal tearing and snapping, the elevator lurches, then it begins to fall. The Hivelings better act fast to avoid being crushed when it hits the bottom, dozens of stories below.

Shivernight Manor
"Geneva, uh, don't bother. Just destroy some of the runes, and I'll be free." Sekhmet says. She raises her hands, fire swirling between them. "Then we need to free her slaves. Then, uh, get away." She's ready to make a break for it as soon as the imprisoning circle goes down.

Hodgepodge Street
The silver bolts hit home, and for the first time, the creature seems truly injured. It roars and thrashes. Cracks start spiderwebbing through the ground as it tears it apart. The ground above it begins to cave in, sliding towards the massive maw, including the part the Hivelings are standing on.

[Deathkeeper]

[Iconquest]

”Jade, that describes everyone we know.” Hector and Heather say in unison, then burst into giggles.
”We’re fine. This place just sucks.” Hector nods as they continue forwards. They could have been in a nice smelling room but instead they got spooky hallway. Ick, something would have been wrong with the other one anyway.

[Reinholdt]

[Xuracorp Tower - Golden Path]

"You know what else is strong? My desire." Ilpholin takes a step towards the succubus.

"My desire to inch my blade into your skin, to peel it from your bones." Another step.

"My desire to watch you writhe, disjointed, broken, separated into small pieces that no one should have to live through." Step.

"The coldness starts to seep in, your vision blurry, but the pure agony keeps you awake. Pleading. Crying."

Step.

Ilpholin is now very much in the succubus' personal space, her black helmet devoid of expression, only conveying a cold maliciousness.

"I have no one left with me to hold me back. Your threats are meaningless. Your hostages are meaningless. Your games are meaningless. You have only two choices. Tell me where your boss is in exchange for a running head start." Ilpholin's arm turns into a wicked serrated blade.

"Or die."

[Morty]

[Xuracorp Tower]
Path of Vines

"I've got another option in mind." Wenomir stares directly at the succubus, his axe deceptively low to the ground. "You can tell me who these people are, why they're here and what the quickest way to your mistress is. Then I won't have to do anything drastic and permanent."

[Shadowcaller]

Xuracorp Tower Roof

"Lady, I'm pretty sure anyone would regret going into a demon temple- er, tall building. Yet here we are. We're simply just too dumb to care." In fact, that ought to be VIGIL's motto!

"Now then- aha!" A secret conversation!
Anika pulls Erszébet off her shoulder and holds her right in front of herself. "So, does your boss have some kind of secret weakness? Like silver or... chasity? Virgins maybe? You guys always want to sacrifice those for some reason." A beat. "You're not a virgin are you? Nah, that'd be silly... are you?" Her eyebrows raise as she eyes the succubus suspiciously.

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Hunter, Hunted]

It's a perfectly ordinary day when the messages are sent. They are sent to four different people, though these people are not chosen at random, and the sender is known in some manner to all of them. Perhaps not all of the recipients will actually receive the messages, but the sender is desperate, and has little choice.

Cassandra, sorceress and mercenary, receives a text on her phone, as does Wenomir, commander of VIGIL, and Fayyaad, adventurer. The last message finds its way to Dipsnig, leader of MERC, or rather, to the goblin businessman's computer. In all cases, though, the message is simple and concise.

"Help. Captured. Electra." A string of numbers follows these three words. The message doesn't come from Electra's own mobile number; in Dipsnig's case, the message comes up on his computer's screen, though it doesn't stay long, and if the MERC leader isn't at his desk, he most likely will not see it. For Wenomir, too, if he fails to see or hear the noise his phone makes, he likely won't know. For Cassandra and Fayyaad, though, the message is more subtle; arriving into their devices' inboxes like a normal message, despite missing the usual reply number. Curious.

[The Hunter, Hunted]

Wenomir does indeed miss the message. He wasn't looking at his phone when it came and he never knew it appeared. Dipsnig doesn't; he's sitting at his computer when the message arrives and disappears. Needless to say, it sends him on high alert; he begins to pull up records of Electra's latest activities or jobs she went on, to try and find just how she might have been captured.

Fayyaad's reaction is altogether different. Thankfully he's not otherwise occupied; he'd just got back from serving as security in a casino (a regular job of his, dull but pays the bills) when he saw the message. His immediate reaction is to call Cassandra; he suspects she has received the same message and they need to act quickly.

[The Hunter, Hunted]

There's a brief delay before Fayyaad can get through to Cass, before it's answered with an unceremonious "Fayyaad", low and urgent. Fayyaad will recognize the more masculine tone of Cass' 'Nocturne' disguise, and given the slight breathiness to his voice, combined with the muffled sound of distant gunfire coming through the line, now is not a good time.

"Where are you right now?"

[Nova_Eclipse]

[The Hunter, Hunted]

Dipsnig will find that Electra's recent jobs have all been happening in Skyside of late. Most of them seem to be espionage or fact-finding expeditions, most done in disguise and through various aliases. She's been buying and selling a lot of info, mostly pertaining to some sort of high-tech equipment. Her reports are vague enough, though, that it's hard to tell exactly what sort of equipment it might be. The characters she's been dealing with, however, are shady indeed. Any one of them might have had the resources to capture her, though some might not have had the subtlety to be able to pull it off.

[Recaiden]

[Interlude - Outside]

We're in the middle of nowhere, a particular nowhere, far enough from the town not to be bothered, close enough to be safe. I sit, waiting for the clatter of chariot wheels. I the radiant, the representative of the Earthly court. She, the beginner, the one asking for help that is its own price. There's no worry that Yone won't show up. We have a deal to conduct, and people like us always see our deals through.
I hop off the chariot, hauling out the trapezoidal device. And I knew enough to know I'd need this. I have doubts, by now, but people like us don't go back on our word. Message offered to help, and I, in fear of the demons, accepted. Now I wonder if anyone, no matter how powerful, is really safe enough.

"That's what you're using for your Blade? I mean, don't you think a cat with a big gun is a bit overdone? And it's not very classic." In a flash the sword is in my hand, all wavy black crystal, spikes and piercing points.
"It's different, and it's mine. It will work, won't it?" I ask pointedly while flipping the gun over in my pads. Four barrels, an odd stock meant for someone with a steadier grip than any human, built with a love of straight lines. It all adds up to a really weird gun, but as a tool it has served me well enough since I scavenged it long ago and far away.

"Yeah, I mean, it will work, I was just making a suggestion. Now, the other important thing is we go into the dreamworld, and seize your dream of self, who you could be. And in this case it's got to be a nightmare."
"Really?" It seems like there should be lots of kinds of dreams associated with blades and battle.
"It doesn't work like you want it to work. I mean, listen.
"It's not about making you safe. It's about making you dangerous."
"It's not about winning, it's about making them lose."
"If the Blade protects you, that's a side effect of punishing them for putting you in danger."
I admit that, for a moment, that was what I wanted. "Get on with it."
"Come on, shouldn't we try to be friendly? There's only like, seven of us here, right?" The words are a challenge, an offering, a vision. I snap them away.
"After what you did?" Perhaps others were also to blame. But I was wronged, she started it; those facts are enough. History is scattered around us like a set of traps.

[Morty]

[The Hunter, Hunted]

Dipsnig will try to zoom in on a few groups or people whom Electra has had dealings recently and pull up concrete information, especially about where they might be found and what their background is. They need to narrow it down as much as they can, otherwise it will likely be too late before they can get to the right one.

"I'm at home." Seems Cassandra wasn't quite as lucky as he was when it comes to the timing of Electra's SOS. This makes things even more complicated. Despite what he just said, Fayyaad sounds urgent, concerned and even frightened. "Did you get a message from Electra?"

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Hunter, Hunted]

"I did," says Noc, sounding similarly concerned. "Can you get in touch with Dipsnig? He might know something about Electra's whereabouts. I'm... occupied at the moment. Call me back when you have info, or if I can clean up here I'll call you back first."

*click*

[Nova_Eclipse]

[The Hunter, Hunted]

As Dipsnig digs, he finds two recurring names in the list of folks Electra has been dealing with.

The first is a female Twi'lek broker who goes by the name of Jette. Electra's reports of interactions with her are generally positive, until their last interaction two weeks prior. Apparently, Jette tried to amend the terms the of agreement they'd had by attempting to strongarm Electra and then doubling her asking price for the information Electra had requested. Electra had been forced to engage in "aggressive negotiations", and noted in the report that while Jette had agreed to return to the original terms of the agreement, that she would be considered a "minimal use asset" going forward. Further research reveals that Jette conducts most of her business out of the back office of a hangar at Skyside's spaceport, and that she deals a lot with smuggled or exotic pharmaceuticals.

The second is a middle-aged, cybernetically enhanced human male who goes by the name Maddock. In contrast to her business relationship with Jette, it's very clear from the first report of her interacting with Maddock that Electra harbors an extreme dislike of the man. The feeling didn't appear to be mutual until the previous week, when Maddock sold her some info that turned out to be bogus, and almost got her alias in trouble with one of the local gangs when she tried to verify it. Things got heated when she called him on it afterwards, and while things didn't spiral quite so badly as with Jette, she notes that that particular alias may need to be scarce in that area of Skyside for a while. Electra was wise not to trust Maddock; research reveals the man has a reuptation of backstabbing and selling clients out. The only reason people deal with him at all is because he deals in very niche high-tech items; Electra's report mentions nanotechnology in passing at one point. Maddock does his business out of a warehouse in Thunderhead.

Out of all of the others, these two are the only ones in the reports that might have some kind of motive other than money to harm Electra. At least, in the past couple of months, anyways. Curiously enough, Electra didn't have plans to meet with anyone today; at least, nothing recorded in her schedule.

[Recaiden]

[Xuracorp Tower]

Well, that's very different from how Sapphira spoke before. Where's the anger and threats? But they've no time to reply.
Haru uses their magic to push up on the elevator, to slow its descent (a thorough trap!), while at the same time lifting the hound up so it can claw the top of the elevator open.
No panic! Sylvette first, then Kiun, then me. Out, grab the cables and sides.
We get to climb after all!

[Shivernight Manor]

Outside
Front door it is!
Then up the stairs, listening for sounds. They can't move too quickly, though. There's likely to be other traps in the home.

3 circles around the house, from what they're getting from Sekhmet inside things are a mess already. May as well follow the others in.

Inside
Once Geneva stops being Sekhmet, that tangy voice is gone.
To Sekhmet, it thinks [I] am [here]. [Securing] an exit.

[Hodgepodge Street]

The archers continue firing even as the ground caves in around them.
The hounds that had been digging, though, try to cling to the wall and keep the earth clear.

[Morty]

[The Hunter, Hunted]

Dipsnig is entirely unsurprised when Fayyaad calls him to tell him about Electra's message. She would have obviously try to send it to others as well. And since he was going to get someone to investigate and help Electra anyway, volunteers are welcome. He gives him the two names, the details of Electra's apparent dealings with them and likely location. He'll be in touch if he learns anything else. With that, Fayyaad calls Noc back.

[5a Violista]

Hodgepodge Street

Ugh! This is so frustrating! The slimegirl wants to scream.

Why is everyone so...so...so vain and self-absorbed? That's the second person she has helped here, and not only do they just...step through her like she's not even there, but they also just completely ignore everyone else that is still mesmerized! Don't they know how hard it is for a slimegirl to wake someone out of a trance? If they just cared about someone else, then they could all be free in less than a minute!

The slimegirl can feel the toxic air seeping into her body, into her slime.
It stings, a little.

But! Just because everyone only cares about themselves doesn't mean she can stop now! Just because that mist-person stopped killing people, she can't take a break or run. She is fully confident that it will get right back to killing as soon as she leaves.

After taking a few more moments to recollect herself and recover structurally, she moves on to the next person, to repeat what she has already done.

Tra fo Ytnuoc

As long as you don't go too near the Hunting Grounds or certain parks or other similarly dangerous, wild places, it does seem pretty lush and bountiful. They've even spread out farther than they are in the regular world.

The town...well, it goes on with normal life, not noticing the supernaturally-unnoticeable person.

While the sun's up, it's a lot of work. They really don't have any of the conveniences of modern life, so most of their time is spent gathering supplies and food, taking care of those who were injured and are still recovering, and so on. Luckily, because there's so few people everywhere, diseases are also pretty absent so none of them are sick. Having a professional ranger helping them clean up everything and escaping infections is pretty helpful, too.

It isn't until nightfall that they actually have some spare time, at which point a few of them gather around a campfire (while the rest sleep), discussing different ways they can simplify the work they need to do – better traps, more efficiency, how to upgrade the houses and fences so they need less time repairing them, the possibility of domesticating some of the plants or animals to reduce the need to hunt and forage.
Finding a way back doesn't even come up, since they haven't had that discussion since they found the next-to-last person who got stuck in this world.

[Earl of Purple]

Xuracorp Tower Throne Room

"I'm willing to do this." Prumathe raises the silver sword and runs towards the archfiend, using his magic to boost his speed and strength to hopefully surprise Sapphira long enough to cut her head off. He doubts it'd work in the long run, but it's important she knows exactly where he stands on the matter of working with her.

Shivernight Manor Inside, Foyer

Up the stairs they go, through a large set of doors to another corridor. There's only five obvious doors here, two on each side and one on the end, but there's also a hidden servant's stairwell accessed by a door hidden in the passageway. A halfling girl wearing a rather revealing maid's outfit is standing on a stepladder at the end, dusting a lantern. She hasn't noticed the two intruders yet, instead nodding along to a tune she's listening to through her headset and an old CD player. They don't find any more traps.

Outside

3 might find a trap, depending on what she does. There's more assassin vines growing against the building, making it look easy to climb whilst simultaneously preventing the average thief from succeeding, and the ground floor windows are magically alarmed. There's also a few spiked pits, but they aren't yet covered over and so are easy to avoid- except a concealed ditch in the flowerbeds under some tarpaulin-covered windows in the uninhabited right wing.

Inside, Ballroom

Bluefoot takes a bottle from inside her robes and waves it towards the flame-producing Sekhmet before putting a glass stopper in and rubbing wax around the edge to seal it. The fiendling should find herself unable to talk once the bottle is sealed, though it took a while to manage to find it so she doesn't interrupt Sekhmet's plan to Geneva. "Your voice is in this bottle now. I'll let it out- when your mother gets here. If you aren't here when that happens, it'll be lost forever. I've sealed it with my Self and magic. Anyone else tries to open the bottle, they fail. If they smash the bottle, your voice escapes and nobody can get it back. My slaves won't go with you. Not only are they not slaves, because I pay them- not much, granted, but there's worse than me out there- and also I've got their voices in bottles, too." The magic of the binding circle might interfere with Bluefoot's magic bottle, or Sekhmet's own fiendish nature. Bluefoot's never tried trapping the voice of somebody who isn't entirely mortal, except Orphelia.

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Hunter, Hunted]

Dipsnig is entirely unsurprised when Fayyaad calls him to tell him about Electra's message. She would have obviously try to send it to others as well. And since he was going to get someone to investigate and help Electra anyway, volunteers are welcome. He gives him the two names, the details of Electra's apparent dealings with them and likely location. He'll be in touch if he learns anything else. With that, Fayyaad calls Noc back.

[The Hunter, Hunted]

Noc answers right away. From the sound of the now much closer gunfire, as well as Noc's heavy breathing, it seems like his circumstances haven't improved, but he'll insist on Fayyaad relaying the information that he's received, listening attentively, despite the pitched combat that seems to be going on around him. Once Fayyaad's done, he'll hear a heavy sigh coming from the other end.

"Skyside, huh. Well, I'm already here. Meet me by the Tempest Row west docks, I should be all cleaned up by then. I'll find you in front of Lou's Kitchen. It's right across from the live animal market."

*click*

[Rebonack]

[Shivernight Manor]

Well.

This is what Geneva gets for trying to be diplomatic instead of just manifesting a psionic assault on the halfling immediately.

Voice in a bottle? How would that even work?

No.

Nono no, now isn't the time for trying to puzzle out magical theory there are more important things going on.

~Maybe I wasn't clear enough,~ Geneva sends as she reaches out with psychokinetic claws and rakes them across the silver runes behind her. ~Return my friend's voice and escort us out of here.~

That wasn't a request.

Not this time.

That was a command.

The psychic attack seeks to implant an overwhelming compulsion to do exactly that. Bluefoot's brain should begin screaming at her to obey Geneva. Would Bluefoot be able to resist the compulsion? That's certainly possible. But it would be by no means simple. If that doesn't work then the mew may begin applying more violent solutions.

[bc56]

Xuracorp Tower

Throne Room
"Tsk, tsk." Sapphira waves her hand and thick steel manacles appear, lashing out at Prumathe to bind him in place. "You really are so stubborn, aren't you. Fortunately, as long as I have you captive, I don't think she'll give me any trouble." At this time, Anika, Blanche, and Erzsébet arrive down the stairs. "I am not a virgin. Put me down." It's now that she finally seizes her chance to resist. She grabs Anika's wrist. Her very touch saps strength and vitality out of her victims, she's trying to weaken Anika so she can make her escape.

Golden Path
The succubus doesn't seem the least bit frightened by Ilpholin's threats. In fact, the closer the nymph comes, the more confident the succubus seems. The golden mist seems to thicken as Ilpholin approaches, becomes more resolute in her course. And in the instant she creates a weapon, the magic of this place snaps around her like a trap. "Oh, sweetie," the succubus says, stepping backwards out of her reach, "You could've just asked. My mistress wants to deal with you personally. But threatening your host?" She laughs coldly, "I didn't warn you about hospitality for my safety. Have fun with the curse! Toodles!" Ilpholin should feel her body stiffening and becoming cold, as her flesh begins to transmute to solid gold. It's a slow process, but not a pleasant one. Meanwhile, the succubus runs off, up a staircase that appears in the wall behind where she was standing.
It is possible for the curse to end on its own, but it feeds off hatred. If Ilpholin could truly let go of her hate for long enough, its effects would vanish.

Path of Vines
"Oh, they're no one important. Not yet. Just one of my experiments. In time, they might become more handmaidens for my mistress." The succubus-taur laughs. "But where are my manners? I'm Corpse Blossom, handmaid to queen Sapphira and palace torturer." She smiles widely and licks one of her knives. Her tongue is disturbingly long, and a sickly shade of green. "I think I made up my mind. I'll add you to my collection." She throws the knife at Wenomir. Her saliva is a paralyzing poison, so it would be a bad idea to be hit with it.

Elevator Shaft.
The Hivelings narrowly squeeze out of the falling elevator and into the shaft. Below them, there's a loud crash as the elevator hits bottom, followed by another when its counterweight does. Now they just have the long climb up the shaft to the 40th floor, where Sapphira's lair is.

Shivernight Manor
Ballroom
The field containing Sekhmet goes down and she steps out, her psychic awareness spreading out. The creature she's been in communication with will no doubt detect the sudden massive spike in her power. She tries to speak, but no sound comes out. She frowns, and projects her thoughts into Bluefoot's mind. You shouldn't have told me that. Now all I need to do is make you unseal all those bottles, and your slaves will go free. Even as Geneva is invading Bluefoot's mind, Sekhmet is as well, tearing through it for information. How many slaves? Where are their bottles kept? Other prisoners? Defenses?

Hodgepodge Street
Well, those people aren't heroes. It makes sense they'd be a bit overwhelmed by everything that's going on.
The venom of the devil-snake sends thoughts of madness and forbidden secrets, a hunger for knowledge, and a disregard for others through the stalker's mind. With its corrupting influence delivered, and the odds of it further profiting off this incident, it slithers off elsewhere to find some new victims. As that happens, the remaining entranced people begin, slowly, to awaken again.

Meanwhile, the creature the Hivelings are battling roars and stretches forward, trying to reach and swallow up the archers that are sliding towards it. It seems weaker and more sluggish now; there's a lot of silver projectiles stuck in its body and burning its flesh.

[Morty]

[Xuracorp Tower]
Path of Vines

Wenomir was, of course, expecting the knives to come in his direction at any moment. He's not surprised when it does, and a few things start happening very quickly. First, he twists his body to avoid it - just enough that it flies by. With the same motion, he draws a silver knife from his bandoleer and throws it at the succubus-taur's throat. As soon as the knife leaves his hand, he follows through with the motion, charging towards her with superhuman speed. She might find that trying to avoid or block the knife puts her in a poor position to defend herself from his axe as he tries to chop her right arm off at the elbow.

[The Hunter, Hunted]

Fayyaad wastes no time getting to Skyside. Soon he's waiting in front of Lou's Kitchen. He's wearing his adventuring gear, which consists of a loose, broad-sleeved shirt hiding armored plates and a resilient weave, tight pants and high boots. The folded staff is at his side.