Serious Plots 9: Srsr and srsr

[Terumitsu]

Mountain Temple

Hm. You know, it's kind of amusing, this shape. One can simply curl up in a huge pile of oneself and be one's own seat while watching the water foam. It's...odd. But then...well, everything is odd. The face that reflects in the pond is odd. Beautiful but odd. Can this be what they are? What I am? It's hard to say. Arty's head is spinning and the clarity of any thought at the moment is in question.
But then again, that might not be anything to do with the cosmic existence being called into question and more the natural shock of it really hitting you that you're being made into some gilded serpent. Just a quiet twinge wonders if it's too late to just go back to an average-looking horseperson.

But preservation? Life and vigor? It has always been Arty's pursuit: to strive for the life and safety of others. To put their vigor above his own. So there is definite agreement. There is a duty in preservation.
But hm, there was something different just now. That name. Something you altered for just a moment, imperceptible. Are you getting at something?
A storm within, a very shiny passive serpent without.

Today sure is confusing.

Mountain Temple

It was too late to go back the moment I asked Libra in the first place. That said, yes, it is easy to get nice and comfortable, isn't it?

I am gladdened that I feel the same about my decision. It makes things feel like I chose correctly. I made a compact that some would call foul yet none suffered more than a moment's scare. Well, none other than I but I thought I had prepared myself for the consequences. One might think my actions reflect shamefully upon House Wadjet, yet I, who sat at the king's dual-crown, could see better than any other. To help those we love, sometimes must we shock them to correct them; an injection of strictness and painful lessons to immunize against true harm. But, sadly, as the strongest medication is always the most bitter, I can only hold my tongue as the treatment takes. Still, I go now with satisfaction as I saw the galvanization even as I stood trial. I could do nothing but plead guilty but perhaps when I return, they will know why I stood with pride. They will sing the hymn of voltaic Soma and burn away every last speck of rot far better than even the fires I spit upon those who would approach. They shall surpass chemical burn and thus glimmer nuclear as they return to the Dance with new vigor.

They shall once more see, feel, be Alive.

And soon, I may join them once more. Or I may not. This mortal skein has been known to be a potent concoction, after all, and none who sups upon it is unchanged. A reaction just filled with uncertainty... I feel myself strangely at peace with this. It will be like the times eld where I knew not what happened when I would mix things, only knowing that they could be joined.

Still, I feel I owe myself some further answers. I've asked myself that question a few times now, haven't I? 'Who am I?' I should give myself an answer. I was, am, and will be Artie of House Wadjet. But perhaps for now, just Artie, yes? And no, I was not called such until the moment my Pneuma became housed in Soma yet it is now something that is irrevocably mine as it was but void before. I was always, ever of House Wadjet and that used to be the only moniker that was ever necessary.

As for my question of what was altered... Mmm. Mayhaps I should ask myself that? I merely plucked the name from where it rested. Naught was changed, merely retrieved. It concerns something that I would best ask myself, however... When I was but Pneuma, it, like a name, was void. I was not a he nor a she nor between. I was void for there was no need nor reason for my being to be any such thing. Yet I asked myself if I, my Pneuma was feminine, countering to my soma. I ascribed my twining Pneuma a feminal aspect. I ask myself now, should I remain as I am? Or perhaps should I ask myself why I had this secret name for myself? Perhaps I should, now that I can, make both Pneuma and Soma align?

What does Artie think?

[Deathkeeper]

Mountain Temple

Artie makes a pledge to the sun and the stars: this conversation will not reflect future conversations with normal people. The Predecessor sliver of Pneuma is making the correct but vexing assumption that it's an easy manner to follow all this flowery language and archaic terms.

For Artie's body, it's preferable to not having one, is it not? Perhaps Artie's old self is comfortable with not having one but Artie...Artie thinks that what's happened today is enough of a shock as it is for one day.

For their mind...every [word] you [express] Artie's head aches. Sides and chest and hands and ears. It all feels off the longer this goes on. Artie wants it to stop. Artie needs it to stop.
Because it's sounding more and more like this fate is forever. When the Predecessor's voice slides into their combined Self there will be nothing but Artie and an eternity. And feeling this way forever is not really a preferable option, is it?
Or if not forever, as long as this body lasts. Which may well be a very long time. Those of Wadjet...they last quite a while even encased in flesh, don't they?
So perhaps Artie will let their diminishing Pneuma take the reins one more time. After all, the other half can't do it just yet.
After all...Arty spent his whole life stammering over pretty people. Maybe Artie can feel things from the other side. Maybe that is deserved. But House Wadjet? That sounds so...royal. Sophistication, class, these are all alien things...

[Terumitsu]

Mountain Temple

Nothing took the reigns.

There wasn't anything there to give them to. There hadn't been for some time. Oh, it might have felt like it for a moment, Artie, but don't mistake make-believe for the real thing. Come on, now, the path whence was taken to arrive at the temple was right outside. Just.. Forgotten and ignored for a bit. Left invisible to notice as things.. Worked out.

It was a hell of a thing, binding together like that but even before the first words, it was already done. The rest was just.. Well, figuring it all out. Making sense of this sudden influx of something, someone else becoming gestalt with that which was already there. Wisdom of something beyond filtering through the lens of mortal perception. It was akin to those long arguments with some invisible 'other' in the shower, the 'what could have been's or the 'what should be's all in a long narrative.

Through it all, it had just been Artie.

It had ever only been Artie.

Two were now one. Oh yes, one might attribute one line of thought coming from one part's past and one desire coming from the other's but the time was long over that there had been a separation. No You. No We. Only ever I, Artie.

The Pnema that was had been gone in a breath, as non-humorous as that pun may be. But not the legacy it had. Though the line had been spliced with something new, it remained unbroken... Though it may be some time before all the bits made sense. House Wadjet, royalty, all of it would take a long time to fully filter through, wouldn't it? It might even be a lifetime.

But.. Artie had a lifetime, right? A time to live long. To discover in ways that would be like remembering while yet encountering things that were also truly new. Long enough to try walking like them to where, in the end, it is they that would walk like you.

----------

Nothing took the reins.

But yet, something changed even still. It was, perhaps, the last gift given before that breath was over. It would be sealed away until it was discovered/remembered once more. But once more/one last time. Just as before/just as has been. The soul would shape the flesh/the Pneuma would dictate the Soma/As Above, So Below. It was, perhaps, a better thing than that first gift of that weird, stretchy-sticky tongue. That hadn't been forgotten, right? That was the first thing the moment the mask was put on! Yet, maybe overshadowed given.. Well, everything else Artie had to work herself through.

And... A thought occurred. It was strange as it was impossible to tell if it came from one part or another of this gestalt named Artie as the sum was now the greater whole. It was an odd yet playful thought: Was I stammering over them because I thought they were pretty or because of envy? Why not embody that desire both of and for that which I laid eyes on? I mean, my body is, at least for now, mine to control. Why not become desired? Why not take the obvious last plunge?

Why Shouldn't I Be Glamorous?

[Deathkeeper]

Mountain Temple

Artie gives one last sigh, one last skin shed. Why not go all out? Her body is almost finished melding with her Self. There's not much time left anyway. It's a good thing she has a mirror even if it's a flawed one. Yes, why not have a little fun? Why be average when one can not? She wonders idly if she might have gone with red instead. No, green and blue are fine. Gold worked either way. But again, why not go all-out? Why not look like a goddess? She can keep her toned muscles but give herself the kind of physique she always wanted to look at. And she can now, in the mirror. Perhaps play with her ear shape and her lips and wait sticky tongue? She opens her mouth as her Soma shifts and oh dear, was that really her idea? Oh right, that's a tradition, isn't it? Blasted traditions.

The gold on Artie's face fades and she at last feels truly settled.
In this ruined temple in a jungle in the middle of nowhere. Naked with only clothes covered in fruit juice and vastly unfitting. In the sun, with only fruits and water. Artie starts to feel the weight of her actions and her new body.
Perhaps she must needs make plans and take her leave of this place...

[Recaiden]

[Hodgepodge Street]

Well, not necessarily. You also keep animals in buckets! Mostly sea creatures. Slimes are like sea creatures, right?

Now, it's fast enough, but the bucket isn't really the largest.
It would be easy for a slime to spill out of it.
"Do you intend to stay spilled on the street?" they seem to ask, trying to get the slimegirl back into the bucket for the third time.

[Mirror of Art]

A dim outline, dark shapes, a better cabin than this one-
Just a glimpse, before they cause a disturbance, and the ranger gets up so quickly...So of course she'll notice Ein.

Who pauses where they were caught, and waves a hand.
"Hello?"

[Elevator Landing]

Hmm. Has the place been sealed up? Or was it always blocked off, and that's why Prumathe was zipped away by magic?
Places should have doors and windows. Maybe they can leave through a window of the tower, and fly or climb from there into the fortress?
They take a moment to have Kiun fly outside and look for a way further up. Perhaps she will be useful on the way up after all!

[Shivernight Manor]

Pokemon belong in pokemon gyms and daycares, not in kidnapping attempts.
Besides, it was shocking to find Sekhmet here too.

"Hello Mrs. Richards. We're from House Tor. We don't approve of Sekhmet being kidnapped into our city, so we've offered some support." Even if she's familiar with Skyside politics, that probably doesn't explain much at all!

Unfortunately, Sekhmet seems to be busy with some weird task here, and is not being safe at all! The numbered people will have to follow along.
"This can't be who you wanted to get back to...?" 017 remarks.

[Shadowcaller]

Throne Room
The silver bullet bites into Erzsébet's head and she tumbles backwards. Sapphira, however, neatly sidesteps the second shot and raises her blade, rushing in a flurry of movements towards Anika, her weapon making a series of quick swipes at the bear.
Prumathe manages to get the sword blade against his chains and, with enough force, snap one of them, freeing one of his arms. With more freedom of movement, each following chain will be easier to break, and Sapphira seems distracted from her prisoner.

Throne Room

Wait, the boss was a sword fighter? Anika had taken her for some kind of mage. Not that it mattered as they all usually ended up in melee anyway.
Never the less, Anika is taken by surprise and forced backwards by the series of swipes.
She didn't think old Sapphy had it in her!
To counter she... hopes that Blanche is going to do something. She couldn't find an opening in these rapid attacks so she just played it defensively for now. It looked like she at least was distracting Sapphy so even if she was hardly winning this fight she was still being useful and that's all that mattered!

[5a Violista]

[Hodgepodge Street]

That is a pretty decent point. There are definitely several kinds of sea slimegirls. At least, this slimegirl assumes there are. There have to be. She hasn't met any, but it makes perfect sense that there would be. And if she were a sea slimegirl, she probably would be okay with being in a bucket, too.
Maybe it would be nice to be a sea slimegirl. Then, at least, she could paralyze people that stuff her in a bucket.

The slimegirl puffs her cheeks out and mimes blowing a raspberry at the person holding the bucket. Geez! Fine! Ugh!
She pulls as much of herself together as she can into the bucket, trying to hold herself together. As much as her head is still distinguishable, she voicelessly 'hmph's and turns her head away.



[Mirror of Art]

The ranger blinks several times to make sure she's not dreaming. She pinches herself.
"H-hi?" she responds, looking at Ein. She waves slowly.

Nope, not dreaming.
"I don't recognize you." She's pretty sure that she's not imagining things, and there weren't any animals nearby that would cause hallucinations...Is something weird going on? If someone appeared around here tonight then someone on watch would probably notice them first...but then someone might have sent them to her. Seems reasonable enough; might as well not assume this is suspicious (it's just a little weird).

"So what do you need?"

[Earl of Purple]

Throne Room

Once he's free, Prumathe will head towards the combat, trying to be stealthy enough that Sapphira doesn't notice his approach. He knows very little about what he's doing, and has never used a sword before, but will try to hit Sapphira with his silver blade whilst she's distracted- and hopefully doesn't get hit by Anika's bear claws.

Shivernight Manor

So the slaves! The numbers know where to find one, the skimpy maid upstairs. She's quite willing to lead the group to the others; one is in the other wing, in a ballroom converted to an obstacle course, wearing dark grey martial arts type gear. One is sleeping in a small cell on the way to the dungeon, and one is in the dungeon itself, curled up and having a nap with a half-eaten apple. The final slave is in the kitchen, with a group of cultists that Sekhmet might recognise from earlier in the summoning ritual.

[Arkhosia]

Spoiler

Show

Avenue of Unpleasant Dreams

"Are you suggesting I'm not the monster?" Jenette asks skeptically. Even at the peak of her optimism and control, it's inconceivable to her that she could be anything other than some manner of horrific magical creature, rightly shunned and feared by mankind. As if to illustrate her point, she lifts up an forearm and looks it over, turning it around as if it might yield some secret truth or ancient power if she looks at it hard enough.

"Jaahlyn, I don't know if Jenette is even here anymore. I know I have her memories; meeting mom and dad again proved that, but do I have her soul? Maybe the real Jenette passed to the afterlife a long time ago, and I'm just a dark, horrible spirit possessing her body. I don't know; nobody ever told me how this all works," Jenette insists, so wrapped up in her own tired acceptance of the way things have been that she doesn't even notice the way the basement rumbles and rattles ominously whenever she speaks.

Avenue of Unpleasant Dreams

Jaahlyn eyes Fidelia nervously, it wasn't really her position to question these things as she barely knew Laz. She would do it in her position as an outsider but she didn't think she could hit the proper notes here. Fidelia was the only person here who knew her that well.
The fact that the basement shock as Laz spoke didn't exactly make the whole thing easier and her hoofs shift uneasily while she's trying to think of something to say in response. She would simply have to venture a few guesses based on what she knew of the reputation of her Saint Lazarus persona.

The satyr takes a deep breath as she feels words once again starting to form inside her. She takes a firm stance, feeling her hooves press into the ground and speaks just as firmly. "Erm... regardless of what you are or see yourself as, you try to use what you have to do as much good as possible, don't you? You've been dealt a pretty bad hand but you're using it the best way you can and that's pretty extordinary, especially if you're an evil spirit." She gestures towards Laz. "For instance, have you seen others with your condition? How did they act exactly? Did they try to do good like you do?" Her eyes once more look to Fidelia, she couldn't really answer her question as the key here was getting past this hurdle.
Right now Laz was one with her curse and while that could be beneficial they wouldn't be able to confront any of those aspects of her while that was the case.

Avenue of Unpleasant Dreams

"I... also think it doesn't matter," Fidelia responds "I mean, so what if you are? You're still the Jenette I live for, the one who goes out and fights bad guys and keeps me safe and warm. Tell me, if I weren't the real Fidelia but a confused ghost convinced she is Fidelia, would you say it mattered to you?"

Spoiler

Show

Throne Room
The silver bullet bites into Erzsébet's head and she tumbles backwards. Sapphira, however, neatly sidesteps the second shot and raises her blade, rushing in a flurry of movements towards Anika, her weapon making a series of quick swipes at the bear.
Prumathe manages to get the sword blade against his chains and, with enough force, snap one of them, freeing one of his arms. With more freedom of movement, each following chain will be easier to break, and Sapphira seems distracted from her prisoner.

Throne Room

Wait, the boss was a sword fighter? Anika had taken her for some kind of mage. Not that it mattered as they all usually ended up in melee anyway.
Never the less, Anika is taken by surprise and forced backwards by the series of swipes.
She didn't think old Sapphy had it in her!
To counter she... hopes that Blanche is going to do something. She couldn't find an opening in these rapid attacks so she just played it defensively for now. It looked like she at least was distracting Sapphy so even if she was hardly winning this fight she was still being useful and that's all that mattered!

Throne Room

Blanche scowls as Sapphira manages to side-step her shots but chooses not to let up, firing another three-round burst as her target presses the offense. She aims further back to her side in order to avoid hitting her ally - at the very least, failing to hit might push the duelist closer in than she'd like, into the close quarters Anika's bear form is suited for.

[Rebonack]

[Shivernight Manor]

Geneva has some pretty strong feelings about where pokemon belong and isn't terribly supportive of gyms or day care centers, so she would likely disagree on those points.

Regardless!

On to freeing slaves and collecting prisoners!

One a crazy guy who hugs Sekhmet! Geneva isn't getting any hostile feelings from him (quite the opposite, really) so he's probably fine.

Maybe?

And then a snake.

...wasn't there something about a serpent in the prophecy?

Something about a serpent that will both help and harm Sekhmet's quest?

Ugh.

Why do prophecies have to be so cryptic and useless?

Geneva tries mentally reaching out to the restrained snake woman.

~Miss? I'm guessing you're being held here against your will. If you promise not to try to harm any of us we can release you.~

Geneva really doesn't want to get harmed. She's basically perfect fit-in-unhinged-snake-jaws size.

[bc56]

Path of Vines

"Fine." The pods lurch and spit up their contents in a rush of fluid, leaving several office workers now gasping for breath and spitting out the last of the slime. "She's right through there, up the stairs." A section of vines come alive and pull apart, revealing a dark, narrow staircase beyond them.

Hive Scouts
Kiun should spot a staircase leading into the structure all the way up at its very peak. It would be an ideal entry point for the group, if they can make it.

Shivernight Manor
The cultists panic and beg for mercy when Sekhmet appears. She takes the halfling slave away before they get over their fright.

When Geneva contacts the serpent, she'll feel that there's something strange about her. She seems to have two minds in her one body, but they aren't working together. They're violently at odds with each other. Deal. she replies, but
No! Death to the traitorsss! I am loyal to the misssssstressssss! she also replies. Please hurry. If Geneva gives the word, Sekhmet will immediately melt through the bonds with her flames.

Throne Room
Sapphira swings up an arm as the bullets fly towards her, and a shield of solid fire springs up in between them, deflecting the attack. Even as she steps closer into Anika's reach for a lunge, she points at the still body of Erzsébet. The fallen succubus' wounds heal over, and she stands up. "Kill the gunner. Quickly." Erszébet raises her hands and casts a bolt of searing lightning at Blanche with a loud thunderclap.

[Recaiden]

[Mirror of Art]

"...I just arrived today." Ein explains. So of course they're not recognized.

"I came to find a way here and back." They point a tentacle. "Your glass, it shows the other world. But, that's all I know. And it's very lonesome here. No other hint of where we came from."
That should explain everything, right?

[Hive Scouts]

"Okay, we're going up those stairs! Kiun first, and then help lift. Sylvette, I'll throw you up to them and then come along myself."
Haru doesn't even glance before saying "Leaving the hound down here. It can keep its eyes open for anything."

[Shivernight Manor]

The numbered people follow along, ready to move to stop any danger that the captives might pose.
Not knowing about any prophecies or anything, they're having doubts reaching out to Sekhmet in the first place.

[Earl of Purple]

Throne Room

Prumathe isn't a bear, nor a gunner, but he does have one advantage- Sapphira and Erszébet don't seem to have noticed him yet. So when the order is given, Prumathe changes his mind and rushes the other succubus, boosting his speed to close the ground quickly and swinging somewhat randomly with his silver sword. This is the first time he's used his biomancy since he got free, so if either succubus can sense magic he's just given himself away. He's hoping it's late enough that if they can sense it, they don't get enough warning to stop him.

Shivernight Manor

The halflings all follow quite happily, and one will tug on Sekhmet's hand, open her mouth and point down her throat before pointing. She wants permission to fetch the bottles containing the voices of her and all the others; it won't take long, she knows where they are. She'll return with them, the bottles all held close to her chest. The other halflings will each reach out and take one of the bottles, since they can feel their own voices.

[5a Violista]

[Mirror of Art]

Oh.
That makes perfect sense, then. Probably.

The ranger yawns. "I see," she says, a little too tired to get all the nuance of what Ein says.

She looks over at the mirror. "Yeah. It does," she says. "You saw it? It's kind-of...a special circumstance of how I got here. Some barmaid killed the person who took my place, leaving this behind." She gestures at it. "Not really sure how it works, but I can control a body there with it."

She nods.
"There's definitely some kind of connection, but, like..." The ranger sighs. "The others here really need my help so I wouldn't feel comfortable living out my life and just abandoning them all. So I just keep it in there. Last person who saw it seemed to slowly just go crazy from longing, and ran off and died in the forest." That explains why she keeps it with her and in a bag, to stop that from happening to others.

[Shadowcaller]

Throne Room

Sapphira swings up an arm as the bullets fly towards her, and a shield of solid fire springs up in between them, deflecting the attack. Even as she steps closer into Anika's reach for a lunge, she points at the still body of Erzsébet. The fallen succubus' wounds heal over, and she stands up. "Kill the gunner. Quickly." Erszébet raises her hands and casts a bolt of searing lightning at Blanche with a loud thunderclap.

Throne Room

Wait, she was a healer too? Pick a class and stick to it, demon-boss-lady!
And speaking of sticking to it, Anika was also of the opinion that Sapphira should stick to one action at the time as when she's lunging towards her and is casting a spell at her fallen ally at the same time the druid sees an opportunity.

Switching her strategies completely Anika doesn't retreat back this time, as Sapphira might have expected, instead she moves forward once the succubus queen lunges and lets the blade be deflected by her surprisingly tough fur. Another thing Sapphira might not have expected.

The druid is planning to drive her bear head straight into Sapphira's stomach to knock the air (or whatever demons kept in their stomachs) out of her and possibly interrupt the spell she was casting. But just knocking her on her ass would do.

[Orobou Office]

Artie will as she dreams find herself coiled up inside a... chair? No, even if this object shares the same function it doesn't look anything like one.
It's roughly shaped like the upper side of a spinning-top and is more than large enough for her entire body to coil up around inside of. It's made of some kind of black rock that feels warm to the touch. Like it has been gathering heat in the sun on a particularly hot day.

Indeed, the sun is glazing above her suggesting that she's outside and there is a soft breeze with a saltiness to it which suggests that she's by the sea. Yet despite the lack of a ceiling or a roof she's actually inside what she likely would consider to be an office.

The details are blurry, much like any dream, but she's pretty sure there's four wooden walls, a floor, a lamp, some decorations, the total lack of windows, and of course a big desk.

Behind the desk things get more dream-like however as it's occupied by a snake-like being situated in a seat much like her own.
It starts of much like any snake, if a snake was the size of herself, with a head and a long serpentine body. But he scales on top of its head curve upwards like the beginning of a lion's mane and it's big eyes are a deep blue, quite unlike any snakes she's ever seen.
So far nothing too out of the ordinary but then at some point further down its body it seems to split apart. Arty might have heard of many-tailed foxes but what about a many-tailed snake? As this one seems to have even more than nine of them. All slithering around it like a mass of tentacles which just like those of a squid seem to be able to operate all sort of things. Like how it's being able to hold a long feathered pen and what seems to be a notebook.

How exactly all this blends together is difficult to make out as the serpent is wearing a long robe which obscures the part of its body where all its tails would conjoin.
As she's taking all of this in the serpent speaks up.
"Welcome, Artorias, Arty or... well, whichever name you prefer now. I am [the mental image of a lone star situated against the background of a black night sky flashes before Arty's eyes] but you might find it easier to call me Vez, or Outer Administrator as is my role here. You are within this dream space since one of the former members of the court I represent are responsible for the strange transformation you have recently experienced. This is not something which has been ordained by the court so I wanted to try to clarify a few things with you regarding what exactly happened if that's okay? I understand you must be feeling quite confused right now."

[Deathkeeper]

Orobou Office

Artie barely so much as blinks at her surroundings. After all, you just don't question where you find yourself in a dream. Just like how Artie doesn't question that she's wearing some manner of top despite not sleeping in one. You wouldn't ever show up to your office naked, would you? Of course not.
She suddenly feels much more comfortable with her wings, looking at this gentleman. Clearly a very refined sort but well...she thinks one tail is quite enough.
"Ah, you may put me down as Artesia, I think. But everyone called me Artie up until now and I don't see any reason to change that." Except maybe the spelling for clarity.
"Are you with House Wadjet then? Or one of the other names. I only got bits and pieces from all of this." Or perhaps the fragments of her predecessor's ego floating about her mind. It really didn't give her a lot besides some names and a vague idea of her role as an overseer of things chemical. Ah, and the fact that the snake and the tongue things were just how things are.

[Recaiden]

[Mirror of Art]

"The body you used to have? Or any? Or...?" Ein asks in a hurry, the words tripping over each other.

"You won't leave them, but if a connection let everyone leave? That would be different?" Ein shakes their head.
"There are strange creatures out there, but I don't think I would die in the forest. And I don't think I would run off into the forest."
They might be tempted to do some things that aren't actually useful, but not to die. The fact that there's no one else here makes it even more important to carry on!

[Bucket of Slime]

The slime girl is, in fact, being brought off to wherever. Back into another part of town. No demons here. Just zombies shambling around.
"So you understand me, but you can't make any noise?" her captor asks. "Can you talk some other way?"
"You did save a lot of those people there, in the mist. Not that they thanked you for it. Any particular reason?"

[5a Violista]

[Mirror of Art]

"Kind-of? Kind-of my body? Ish?" she says, pretty unsure. She pokes her own arm. "I mean, I still have a body here. So maybe it's more like, a copy there. But...yeah, yeah, if I found a way out that would work for everyone else, then I would leave too."

She sighs again, and makes the mirror visible and lifts it up. "Near as I can tell, this only works for me, though. Maybe if I had studied to be a wizard or something, I could do something more."


[Bucket of Slime]

The slimegirl finally decides to stop being mock-indignant and finally turns back.

She sticks out a tongue again just to show that, although she is cooperating now,. she's still not a fan of what's happening.

The first question is a hard question. The answer is simple – yes, she can understand; no, she can't make decent noises. If she nods, that might be interpreted as saying 'yes I can' but shaking her head could be interpreted as 'you're not correct'...so she tilts her head to show how hard this question is and she needs further questions.

Which is lucky! Because it is followed by more questions. She shakes her head: no, no talking. She mimes writing on something, but then demonstrates that it's impossible by reaching a hand out of the bucketed slime, reaching to the bucket handle. She holds the handle like it's a pencil, then squeezes...and suddenly, that part of the handle is inside the translucent hand. See? she seems to say. Not possible.

The third question is, of course,.really hard to answer. She makes the same gesture as she did in response to the first question, to show that she's thinking about it.

Stuffed in a bucket, it's hard to shrug. After trying and failing to shrug, she shakes her head since that's close enough to the actual answer (which is 'who needs a reason to save people?' but she feels inadequate at explaining what she's thinking).

[Morty]

[Path of Vines]

Wenomir takes a look around. How does he get the civilians out of here quickly? He can't trust this succubus not to capture them again the moment his back is turned.

"Crawl through there and then get down the stairs, quickly," he tells them in an authoritative voice, pointing to the space he arrived through. He hopes that in a moment of such confusion, having someone tell them what to do is going to do the usual job of overriding their indecision. "Stay put and don't follow them or I'll find you and make you wish I'd simply killed you," he tells the succubus in a tone that makes it clear it's not an idle threat, then runs into the staircase.

[Arkhosia]

Throne Room

[Caress], can’t these demons just do her the simple courtesy of laying down and dying when they’re supposed to? The catgirl ducks into the cover of the hallway with an angry growl, pulling a canister off the belt on her waist and tearing out the pin with her teeth before whipping the flashbang into the room. She doesn’t bother to shout out any indication, calculating that blinding Anika won’t be much of a detriment to savaging Sapphira in close quarters. Unfortunately Prumathe doesn’t get the same consideration, or Blanche may have chosen to act differently - she was already behind cover when he entered the fray, so she doesn’t know he’s freed from his bonds yet.

[Shadowcaller]

Orobou Office

Vez nods.
A gesture which would be hard to identify for anyone else as his neck doesn't bend the way a humanoid does, but it's obvious to Arties new perspective.

One of his tails then dutifully write down the name and places the notebook on the desk.
"That's quite right, Artesia. House Wadjet is one of the names we go by though I think the 'house' part is somewhat misleading. We prefer the term 'court' as we deal with legal matters, but I'm getting ahead of myself now."

Vez looks up at her and puts his feathered pen to the notebook. "So first thing first, would you mind sharing what you do know about the situation you're in and us so I know where to start? If there are any of these memories that make you uncomfortable we don't have to go through those of course. This is a simple informative meeting where we're supposed to learn of one another."

[Deathkeeper]

Orobou Office

Indeed, Artie does find herself with a complete understanding of serpentine body language despite herself retaining her humanoid neck. At least for now.
"Ah. Well. I know that I have found myself acting as successor to one of your members. I know that my predecessor held [the breaking and formation of chemical bonds] as their purview. And somehow that led them down a series of decisions that the Court was very much not in approval of. And ah, I know that forever is now on the table for me though I am currently still occupying my previous mortal body. Which ah, I'm aware that I should vacate before it expires at some point." She's also vaguely aware of certain aesthetic decisions being an influence of the Court but she doesn't consider that relevant to the Administrator. Honestly the last thing is one of the more distressing bits because she doesn't really have the context, just the knowledge that she will live on if her mortal body dies with her in it, but not quite necessarily her. A vague sense of a different but still manner of death.

[Recaiden]

[Mirror of Art]

"Kind-of? Kind-of my body? Ish?" she says, pretty unsure. She pokes her own arm. "I mean, I still have a body here. So maybe it's more like, a copy there. But...yeah, yeah, if I found a way out that would work for everyone else, then I would leave too."

She sighs again, and makes the mirror visible and lifts it up. "Near as I can tell, this only works for me, though. Maybe if I had studied to be a wizard or something, I could do something more."

"I have studied some magic." Although not as much as some of them. They should have sent Françoise instead, but Ein didn't stop to think of that. "Show me, maybe we can do something more using it?"

Ein leans in to look at the mirror, but with lowered hopes now. If it only works for this one person, it is probably very distant from a solution.

[Bucket of Slime]

The slimegirl finally decides to stop being mock-indignant and finally turns back.

She sticks out a tongue again just to show that, although she is cooperating now,. she's still not a fan of what's happening.

The first question is a hard question. The answer is simple – yes, she can understand; no, she can't make decent noises. If she nods, that might be interpreted as saying 'yes I can' but shaking her head could be interpreted as 'you're not correct'...so she tilts her head to show how hard this question is and she needs further questions.

Which is lucky! Because it is followed by more questions. She shakes her head: no, no talking. She mimes writing on something, but then demonstrates that it's impossible by reaching a hand out of the bucketed slime, reaching to the bucket handle. She holds the handle like it's a pencil, then squeezes...and suddenly, that part of the handle is inside the translucent hand. See? she seems to say. Not possible.

The third question is, of course,.really hard to answer. She makes the same gesture as she did in response to the first question, to show that she's thinking about it.

Stuffed in a bucket, it's hard to shrug. After trying and failing to shrug, she shakes her head since that's close enough to the actual answer (which is 'who needs a reason to save people?' but she feels inadequate at explaining what she's thinking).

The slime-napper nods, and then pauses to stick out their own tongue at the slime.
Still, better stick to simple questions.
"You can read and write, but not hold a pen? We can probably deal with that."

On to the questions - wandering across several topics.
"Is there somewhere you urgently need to go? Is there anyone looking for you, such as back in that mist? Are you an actual living creature? Would it be bad to put you in the water?"

[Shadowcaller]

Orobou Office

Indeed, Artie does find herself with a complete understanding of serpentine body language despite herself retaining her humanoid neck. At least for now.
"Ah. Well. I know that I have found myself acting as successor to one of your members. I know that my predecessor held [the breaking and formation of chemical bonds] as their purview. And somehow that led them down a series of decisions that the Court was very much not in approval of. And ah, I know that forever is now on the table for me though I am currently still occupying my previous mortal body. Which ah, I'm aware that I should vacate before it expires at some point." She's also vaguely aware of certain aesthetic decisions being an influence of the Court but she doesn't consider that relevant to the Administrator. Honestly the last thing is one of the more distressing bits because she doesn't really have the context, just the knowledge that she will live on if her mortal body dies with her in it, but not quite necessarily her. A vague sense of a different but still manner of death.

Orobou Office

"Yes, it's rare that kind of punishment is employed. Unusually harsh in my own opinion but you can't be in the majority every time. But you shouldn't worry about vaccanting your body. We keep track of these things and it will be a while yet, as experienced by a physical body, until it experies. But speaking of which... just exactly how did you aquire the mask of your predecessor, Artesia? Since it was stolen from us." Vez raises one of his tails in the air as if asking her to hold back. "Understand that you're not being accused of anything here. We've already eliminated you as a suspect. But I'm afraid that before we can move on to your questions I need to ask you some more first. It shouldn't take long, depending on how much you can tell us of course."

[Deathkeeper]

Orobou Office

Artie blinks. She squirms a bit in her seat. Stolen?
"Wait, so this punishment was intended but...I wasn't the intended successor? Um. Well..." she searches her memory, eyes flicking.
"I don't remember exactly how. I remember waking up with the masks and some instructions for some manner of medicine. Well...
The last thing before that that I remember is talking to a being who calls herself Libra. Oh, it would be just like her to throw me into this and steal important things just because of some mortal whims I'd had." She hasn't forgotten about that time with the moon and the singing imps.

[Rebonack]

[Shivernight Manor]

Two minds in one body?

Geneva definitely doesn't have any experience with that.

No.

Really.

She doesn't.

The two Genevas are the same person from two different universes. They aren't particularly different when you get right down to it. Pink is a bit better at managing mental stress for obvious reasons but otherwise they're really quite similar. Having two violently oppositional minds in the same body is something she has no experience with.

~Go ahead and free her. I'll do what I can to calm her down,~ Geneva sends back. Then? She'll send out mental tendrils to gently prod at the possessed woman's mind(s). ~I'm going to see if I can't pacify the demon a bit so that it's less of a danger to you and us. Is that alright?~

[bc56]

Throne Room

Anika headbutts Sapphira in the gut. It's like hitting a brick wall. Sapphira laughs coldly. "Foolish bear. I am invincible!" With a wave of her hand, she conjures a blast of invisible force, powerful enough to possibly hurl the bear away from her.
Erszébet flinches back from the flashbang, although Sapphira seems unaffected, right into Prumathe's attacks. Sliced and bleeding black ichor, she turns on him, her claws outstretched, attempting to grab hold of him.

And at this time, Wenomir emerges from a staircase to see everything unfolding.

Hive Scouts
It takes time, but the group can make their way up to the entrance. From below, there are the sounds of heated battle. They aren't the first to have arrived here, but they probably knew that.

Shivernight Manor

Yes, please. No, you ssshall die, infidel! As the chains melt their way off Ophelia, Sekhmet nods to the slaves. "Go get them. I'll do what I can to restore your voices." Then she yelps in fright, as a very angry demonic snake woman is uncoiling, lunging at Geneva with murder in her eyes. "No! Stop!"

[Shadowcaller]

Orobou Office

Vez makes a note as Artie mentions 'Libra' but that isn't the line of discussion he chooses to pursue as she finishes explaining.

"To explain the situation, we have a group mortals who have, to use a term you might relate to, 'signed up' to possibly inherit a fey's role should anyone of us be judged unworthy to work with us. We try to make sure to mentally prepare them as much as possible before the transition as it can be quite harrowing." Vez tilts his head as his serpentine eyes seem to focus in on her. "Or so I'm told. You understand the process much better than me at this point. What I do know is that some can have trouble adjusting afterwards even with all the preparation and that's why you're a special case for more than one reason."

The serpent pauses for a moment, letting only the sound of his scribbling pen fill the room as more notes are being taken. "But to bring the subject back to my question, 'Libra' is someone we're aware of so it's good that you can confirm this. Tell me though, is this your first encounter with this being? We know for a fact that she has a special fascination with mortals and their, ah, desires. We're convinced that she believes that she's helping them out."

Throne Room

If Anika had let something as simple as a brick wall stop her she wouldn't even be here today. Someone that didn't run their head into a brick wall on a regular basis would probably be too smart to fight a demon lord head on like this.

But while Anika might really be a 'foolish bear' she was also damn proud of it!

Anika is thankfully not flung away too far by the blast as the heavier you were the harder gravity hit you when you came tumbling down. It still definitely hurt though, but now everything in her body seemed to be and that's how she knew things were going decently so far.

She's hurting but Blanche wasn't, meaning everything went exactly according to the only plan she came into this room with. But now she needed to keep that up.
Getting up she was going to throw herself at Sapphira yet again as she has turned to face Prumathe. This time aiming to basically leap up on her back. Even if Sapphira could take a headbash to the stomach having a bear hanging on her back might at least impact her fighting style somewhat.

Sapphira was probably going to throw her around again but it would at least give Blanche enough time to deal with her only minion. Then they could focus all their attention at Sapphira.

[Deathkeeper]

Orobou Office

Artie squirms a bit in her seat again. It sounds an awful lot like she was thrown to the- well, snakes in this case.
"I've encountered her before. She helped me heal the mind of a god named Chadwick. Nice fellow. She called me a 'friend' and that's probably why I spilled some of the things I wanted when I bumped into her. But I think that this turn of events would of course be a bit extreme just because tipsy centaur started talking about mortality..." She fumbles with her hands. Her new, slender hands.
"Um. Is all this going to be a problem, Administrator? I didn't exactly mean to but it seems my entrance here has been brought about by more than one unfortunate turn of events." And more than one unsavory character. But even in a dream she feels like avoiding insulting Libra. She's not exactly unhappy with her new self, but it does seem possible she could have gotten a much worse package.

[5a Violista]

[Mirror of Art]

The ranger thinks about it.
And she shows the mirror to Ein.
"It took me several hours just to figure out how to move it around comfortably," she says, and then adds, "and it took me a month to get used to just...doing more than the basics."

The mirror, obviously, shows the other world.
"I used to have to move it around physically all the time..." She lets go of the mirror and it hangs in place, and then swivels around Ein, showing more of the room that the 'other side' is in. "But...yeah, somehow, I figured out how to control the body attached to the other side as long as I'm near it."
Probably some sort of psychic connection. Makes sense. Unfortunately, the ranger doesn't really know anything about psychic connections and would be completely unable to explain how it works or maybe even what it is, other than 'look I can do this, sorry I don't think anyone else can'.


[Bucket of Slime]

The slimegirl wonders what her kidnapper means by 'we can probably deal with that'. Like...what? A computer? No, that doesn't work for more than a few letters at a time. And don't get her started on touchscreens! It's like whoever designed them didn't even consider that someone made of slime might want to use them! At least, the ones she tried. And just pointing at things is way too slow and boring.

She sticks her hand out of the bucket - not the one that grabbed the handle, because it's too liquidy to hold form after grabbing onto that - to answer the questions. Her hand is balled into a fist, mimicking the ball-like shape of a head.
And, while listening to the questions she looks out at the surroundings – the zombies, or whatever else is around.

Her hand shakes 'no' to the first two questions - no (she doesn't urgently need to go somewhere, although she would very much appreciate if she was no longer getting kidnapped, because it's very disturbing how someone could just carry her away just like that; and, no, there's nobody looking for her even back in that mist. And besides! You put her in a bucket and are kidnapping her! Are you just hoping for someone you can ransom her off to, or something? If you ever stop walking and stick her in a prison cell or something, you'd better beware because she's not going to just sit around waiting for kidnappers to find someone willing to buy her or whatever it is you sickos want. Sure, there's nobody waiting for her but that doesn't justify kidnapping her and auctioning her off! Don't presume she's going to cooperate! She's going to tell everybody what an awful deal it is to buy her.

To the following question, she wants to roll her eyes but that wouldn't show up on her facial features at all. Ugh, how frustrating. Obviously she's an actual living creature! Isn't that obvious? Her hand then 'nods' but unfortunately it can't even come close to conveying how disgusted she is by why her status as a living being is even in question. Opacity is not a measure of personhood! Obviously.

Finally, she opens her fist. Finally, a decent question! Which she can't exactly answer. Is it bad to put her in water? Well, depends on the circumstance and the chemical makeup of the water and the temperature and maybe a few other things like how long she'd be in it and what exactly you mean by 'bad'. Bad for her? Sometimes. Bad for someone trying to kidnap her and hold her in place? Definitely, she might be able to escape. Or maybe it won't be bad.
So,
She just, with an open hand in a cupping shape face down, she rotates the hand back and forth to give off the feeling of 'more or less'. Maybe. Depends. Honestly, without seeing the water in question, there's really no way she can just give a definitive answer.