Home 27: Ward-bound

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower]

"That can be fixed," says Wren, giving an encouraging smile. "If this is your first experience with drow beverages, I'm sure this will be an... interesting experience regardless."

Wren wanders off towards the kitchen to fetch a bowl and a glass for Wenomir. Lunch today appears to be a heavily spiced seafood stew of some kind, served over noodles. Geneviève's cooking is, of course, sublime as always.

"It does have quite an interesting kick," says Cass, giving Wenomir a knowing glance. She's seemingly recovered enough to get off the couch to give Wenomir a hug and a kiss as well, nuzzling against his chest for a moment. "How've you been? I know I've been occupied with a few things over the last little bit. I'm glad you're here."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower]

Wenomir's arms wrap around Cass. As usual, the severe and stern warrior relaxes, smiling, as he holds her.

"Being preoccupied is more or less a permanent state for me. I had to remind one of my people not to sleep in her lab again. So I'm glad to be here too. And I'm glad Wren gets to have his own body now. I know it wasn't easy for both of you."

[Underside Tunnels]

"Oh yeah. I still have no clue how he finds honey underground. Most of our neighbors had never seen honey before he came along."

Brinika also has no clue where the fog is coming from, but this is the second strange occurrence in the half-hour since they came here. So it can't be a coincidence.

"What is happening today? Was there a leak in some alchemist's workshop or something? That'd be really odd..."

As they talk, the kids reach the mouth of the tunnel. They step out onto a path that seems to lead along the wall of an enormous cavern. A giant chasm riven in the body of the mountain. Its walls are riddled with tunnels just like the one they just left and there are catwalks leading out of them along the walls of the cave and criss-crossing the space between them. Underneath are many buildings great and small - but for such a small folk, goblins seem to build vertically as a matter of course. Many buildings are essentially built into stone pillars and columns reaching out from the bottom of the chasm, sometimes to its roof.

This isn't quite a city, more like a district of it. But it shimmers with lights in the perpetual gloom of the underground. Goblins swarm the catwalks, stairs, elevators and the bottom of the cavern. The kids will be passed by a family of two adult goblins, six chattering kids about as old as they are or younger, and a pudgy, brownish giant molerat happily trotting along beside them.

[Ironsmith]

[Underside Tunnels]

Khannie looks a bit sheepish at Cheasadh's observation.

"Yeah, kinda," she admits. "It was really dumb. I was feeling extra-rotten about my illusion breaking at school and was grumbling about how I wished I was a human girl while I was waiting for the train and then all of sudden this cat thing just pops out of nowhere and says 'I can grant that, if it's your desire."

Khannie uses a bit of her illusion magic to alter the sound of her voice, mimicking the creepy thing's emotionless tone as best she can.

It sounds superficially cute.

But...

Hollow inside.

"I should have just told him to get lost. I almost did. I didn't think he could actually do what I wanted, but he said he could. Grilled him about any traps or downsides or monkey paws with the wish. I guess he didn't lie, he just glossed over the bad parts," Khannie says with a snort. "It doesn't matter that much, I don't think. I've been having checkups at Inari's to make sure I'm okay. I just feel stupid that I got played."

"I told Khannie she should wish for a bag of candy that never runs out but she didn't li-oop!"

It would appear as though Maridia has been captured by Pookie.

How tragic.

Also?

Even in the midst of her grumbling Khannie can tell something weird and magical is going on.

What's with that fog? Why is it leave... what even IS that? Ice? Glue? Frosting? Bacon grease? She has no idea.

Underside Tunnels

"Well, that's absolutely mean and horrible. I hope you can sort it out." But Cheasadh doesn't want to press any further, if Khannie isn't comfortable talking about what exactly the bad sides of this are. "I don't need to wish for a magic bag of candy, Maridia. If I want something sweet, I ask Pookie and he gives me more honey than I know what to do with." And nobody's ever figured out where Pookie gets it from, either, because pokemon are odd. She doesn't notice the increased heat and humidity, or the fog. She can smell that the air's damper than usual, but is assuming it's just... cave-weather, or something affecting the cave's airflow. She'd also be able to smell that Arthfael's more nervous than usual, but to do that she'd need to know him well enough to know his usual scent and also train her nose a little, which is not something she knows how to do.

[Underside Tunnels]

"Oh yeah. I still have no clue how he finds honey underground. Most of our neighbors had never seen honey before he came along."

Brinika also has no clue where the fog is coming from, but this is the second strange occurrence in the half-hour since they came here. So it can't be a coincidence.

"What is happening today? Was there a leak in some alchemist's workshop or something? That'd be really odd..."

As they talk, the kids reach the mouth of the tunnel. They step out onto a path that seems to lead along the wall of an enormous cavern. A giant chasm riven in the body of the mountain. Its walls are riddled with tunnels just like the one they just left and there are catwalks leading out of them along the walls of the cave and criss-crossing the space between them. Underneath are many buildings great and small - but for such a small folk, goblins seem to build vertically as a matter of course. Many buildings are essentially built into stone pillars and columns reaching out from the bottom of the chasm, sometimes to its roof.

This isn't quite a city, more like a district of it. But it shimmers with lights in the perpetual gloom of the underground. Goblins swarm the catwalks, stairs, elevators and the bottom of the cavern. The kids will be passed by a family of two adult goblins, six chattering kids about as old as they are or younger, and a pudgy, brownish giant molerat happily trotting along beside them.

[Underside Tunnels]

Arthfael lets out a sigh of relief as they enter the... city? Tunnel? He's really not sure how to internally describe it. It's much larger and more open than he was expecting, and even though there are a lot of people here, most of them are a comfortable distance away and too preoccupied doing their own thing to really be much trouble for him.

The only thing that really bothers him is the height. To him, it feels like one bad step could send him tumbling down into the chasm.

Which probably wouldn't kill him, but falling from that sort of height is always a terrifying experience, and the impact would promise to be quite painful, plus it would likely break every bone in his body and leave him unable to do much of anything for a while, which would be its own kind of awful.

And since his magic seems to be completely against him today, he'll just hug the walls for now, thank you very much.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower]

"Falling asleep in a lab. The irresponsibility of some people. Don't they know how to take care of themselves?" Cass deadpans.

[Rebonack]

[Underside Tunnels]

Khannie doesn't want to go into too much detail about the bad parts.

She doesn't want her friends to be worried about her.

There's no reason why they should have to feel bad because she made a dumb decision.

But hey subject change?

"Where DOES Pookie find all that honey, anyway? There aren't that many bees underground, right?" Khannie asks.

Honestly she can't imagine there are. Underground would be a really weird place for flowers AND bees. Brinika's reply more or less confirms it.

"Maybe he just... makes it somehow? Like how Maridia makes all that glittery dust on her wings?"

Glittery dust that gets goobered off by the honey. Anywhere the scales have been rubbed off Maridia's wings are little little glass windows. This always happens when Pookie starts hugging her and they have always grown back within a couple minutes of her escaping.

And then?

The view.

"Holy beans it's huge!" Khannie gasps as she moves precariously close to the edge so she can see the whole expanse stretching out above and below. There's a huge grin on her face as she grips the railing and leans forward, apparently not concerned in the least about the precipitous fall a single shove could tumbling into. "Some of those pillars have GOT to be about as tall as some of the buildings Inside. I think the only thing taller are the crazy Skyway spires."

Also?

She waves at the passing gaggle of goblin kids.

And tries not to blech at the mole rat.

It looks like someone shaved a bidoof.

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower]

Wenomir nods solemnly. Well, fake solemnly. It's nonetheless pretty believable.

"Yes. Scientists falling asleep over their work? Unheard of. What is the world coming to? But I handled the situation. I haven't had a proper fight in a while, but Kal has been teaching me how to use a poleaxe. It's been a new experience."

[Murkus]

Cool Limo



"…Tina is right, yes," Cantata responds - although she doesn't seem quite so confident as she signs. It was the truth from the outset of this little scheme of theirs, yes, but there was something about Tina's flippant dismissal that seemed to set a small hole in her stomach. Folding her arms, the woman shifts in her seat, glancing awkwardly out the window.

Cool Limo

Alas, Fettina is too wrapped up in herself to notice Cantata's distress too keenly. She definitely wasn't expecting to have to explain this to her father - maybe to spring it on him and enjoy the look on his face, but not to have to actually go over it before it was done.

"Well, I see... I suppose I was confused by all the effort to put together a ceremony... and a reception, from what I understand," says the older man. "If that's how you feel, then... why not just get married in a small chapel or some such? I understand that it doesn't have to be an exhausting process. Although I admit the rules to your condition seem rather confounding..."

"Just... for fun!" Fettina rolls her hands. "Just to see what it feels like. Right?" She looks to Cantie to support her position. "And I can always use an excuse to party. It's like... celebrating my... liberation. From this."

"Is this condition so terrible?" Fettina's father asks.

"Yes!" Fettina replies abruptly. She glances down at her thighs. "Yes. I mean, ask Cantie! I'm cold-- all the time. I can't feel... can't feel like I'm supposed to be able to. I feel... strange..."

"But you're sober, baby," her father cuts in. "You're clear headed."

"Daddy," Fettina half snaps, half sobs, giving her father a reproachful look. Her face is full of hurt... and her eyes simmer with rings of fire, like twin blotted suns.

[Arkhosia]

Cool Limo

"Yes!" Cantata "states" by way of nodding enthusiastically, whatever troubles that seemed to plague her instantly melting away as she turns back on the cheer. She's just happy to give Fettina a chance to feel happy and alive again, shake off the malaise her angelic nature has seemed to cause her and find that spark of joy and life once more.

As the conversation goes on however, the empath chooses to lean forward and try to intercede. She gives Fettina a reassuring glance and a pat on the arm, unable to help a soft touch of her own feelings from exerting to amplify the gesture's intention - It's okay, you're safe. Everything will be alright. Looking up towards Fettina's father, she raises a hand.

"You're right - she is sober, she's clear headed. The way she plays the piano now is just..." Cantata seems to fail to find a sign which conveys it, but the look of wonder and adoration about it is clear enough. "But she also feels cold. Closed off. Like there's something missing,"she argues, clutching around the heart to emphasize that she means at her core. And then she pauses, studying the man for a moment. "What would life feel like if your very sense of touch was dulled? Taste? That between your body and the world around you there was some sort of faint barrier?"

[Earl of Purple]

Underside Tunnels

Cheasadh doesn't react to the view, impressive as it is. She's seen it quite often by now. "I really don't know where the honey comes from. He just... finds it, if nobody has their eyes on him for long enough. And long enough doesn't have to be very long at all." Pokemon abilities are odd like that, though Earl doesn't know enough about the Mystery Dungeon games to know if Khannie would have had one before she made her wish. Cheasadh also has a sniff of the air, and assuming the fog is magical rather than alchemical, "No, I don't think so Brin. I can't smell anything suggesting something's happened to the alchemists." She can smell alchemical reagents, but nothing new to the area and nothing more pungent than usual.

[Morty]

[Underside Tunnels]

"See? Told you it was bigger than you thought. There's lots of buildings in spires. No use letting them go to waste, right?" Brinika's ears twitch. "Yeah, and we'd probably have heard something if there was an accident in an alchemist's laboratory. Must be something else. Weird."

She turns right and starts leading the way along the catwalk, which soon splits into one lane that stays level and another that leads downwards. She chooses the downwards slope. As she does so, she points into the distance, where a domed building is visible above smaller ones. The roof is made of some white material between metal beams that make it look quite like a beetle's shell.

"Our dad works down there. And they've got giant beetles. He's never rode one, mind you."

[Ironsmith]

[Underside Tunnels]

Arthfael waits until the rest of the group is past him, then follows Brinika and the others down the catwalk, keeping a white-knuckled grip on the handrails at all times. At least if he looked up away from it, the catwalk was sturdy enough that Arthfael could convince himself if was solid ground.

"They made it kind of obvious, didn't they?" Arthfael half-snarks as he looks out at the building Brinika pointed out. The building that looks like a giant beetle is full of giant beetles. Who could have seen that coming?

Well, actually, it might also have been some sort of goblin-flavored theme park. An indoor complex with a beetle mascot or something.

Still could be, now that he thinks about it. These guys seemed to like their beetles.

For no apparent reason, a nearby gaggle of passing goblins burst out laughing uproariously, as though someone had told them the funniest joke they had ever heard.

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

Khannie is having trouble sleeping.

"I'm saving the universe from itself."

What a weird thing to say. Entropy. Kyuubi was talking about entropy like it was something she should be aware of. What the heck is it, anyway? How could it be so important that the little monster is willing to do terrible things to all these girls in order to fight it off? The thought has had her mind racing. What could possibly be that dangerous?

She glances over at her dresser where Maridia's bed is. The little fairy dragon is all curled up half way between her back and her side. Every now and again one of her feet kicks in her sleep. Better to just let her snooze since she's loud.

Khannie slips out of bed, shuffles her slippers on, and pulls her bath robe around her jammies. Then she'll veeeery carefully open the door to her room and creep down stairs.

Her target?

The family computer.

There are a few squeaks from the floorboards and stairs, but she knows where the loudest ones are thanks to a lifetime of juvenile delinquency. A quick push of a button and the computer whirs to life.

Entropy.

Her fingers flick across the keys and her query is answered.

"A thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a system's thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder or randomness in the system," she half-whispers off the screen. Ugh. Why do scientists have to use such giant words? Khannie is pretty sure it's just to make themselves feel smart. She knows what all of those mean, except maybe that first big one. "That doesn't sound so bad. Why does he gotta torture kids for that?"

She clicks a link to read further.

There's a bunch of impenetrable math that she hasn't learned about yet. But the basic idea seems pretty simple? Any time you do something, some of the energy you used to do it can't be used for doing stuff anymore. And that effect is irreversible. Eventually all the energy runs out and then everything stops. Like a top spinning down. And while you can just picking up the top and spin it again, what if there's no one to do that?

Then the world is consigned to stillness.

Heat death. Eventually the whole universe stops. But that's a really, really long time away, right? Like a mind-boggling long time away. But that's what Kyuubi is trying to prevent. He wants to keep the top spinning forever. He wants to sacrifice a few girls so everyone can keep living. People who haven't even been born yet. People ages in the future.

A link down in the See Also: section catches her eye.

Nightshades, a personification of heat death.

Against her better judgement, Khannie clicks the link.


[Underside Tunnels]

"I never met any 'ursas before Pookie," Khannie admits, glancing over at the bear grappling the fairy dragon. Maridia has stopped licking him for now and is instead working on some more traditional grooming with her claws. In spite of how they tussle around it's pretty obvious that the pair are buddies. "But their ability is a heckin' weird one. When I was little I could just punch ghosts. It didn't come up much."

When you're a child in a village how often do you really expect to be decking specters?

Not often, that's for sure.

"Most pokemon abilities are just like... They get stronger when they're injured. Or they're really good at some type of attack. Or they get really fast when it's raining. Stuff like that. Things for fighting. Not so many for other things," Khannie muses. Though that sweet smell might manage to attract wild pokemon.

It sure attracts Maridia even though she isn't one.

Khannie takes another look at the view, treasuring the memory away, and then heads off after her friends. She'll glance over her shoulder every now and again, taking in the sights.

"Wouldn't have guessed you can fit all this stuff under ground. But I guess there's lots of room down here? If you dig it out, anyway. Did they make that beetle building look like a beetle on purpose?" Khannie asks. They must have, right? That couldn't have been an accident.

No real notice is paid to the laughing crowd. People laugh at jokes all the time, right? Khannie has no idea whether or not that's a normal thing for people in goblin cities but she would assume so.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower]

Wenomir nods solemnly. Well, fake solemnly. It's nonetheless pretty believable.

"Yes. Scientists falling asleep over their work? Unheard of. What is the world coming to? But I handled the situation. I haven't had a proper fight in a while, but Kal has been teaching me how to use a poleaxe. It's been a new experience."

[Cass' Tower]

"Hopefully those training sessions are more productive than ours." Cass murmurs.

It's at this point that Wren returns, though, with a glass, bowl, and cutlery for Wenomir to serve himself of the spiced stew and rice, as well as the mildly-poisoned wine. Wenomir will find the food to be as delicious as he may have learned to expect from Geneviève's cooking - definitely heat-forward when it comes to spices, but vibrant and well balanced in flavor as well.

"Before you arrived, I was quite soundly beating Cass at this game we were playing. It'd be a bit hard to get you in now, but perhaps we could find another game for all of us to play?"

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower]

"More productive but not as entertaining," Wenomir murmurs back, leaning into Cass' ear. When Wren returns, he looks up at him and follows him to the table. "Angling to have two people you can decisively defeat? Board games aren't really my speciality. And please do pass my compliments to Geneviève for her cooking." He's not sure what the sorceress thinks of him. He has a feeling it's not much. But it doesn't hurt to be polite.

[Earl of Purple]

Underside Tunnels

"I actually hadn't noticed it looked like a giant beetle." Mostly because she was looking at other things until this place became familiar, and also because she's been talking to Brinika when things did get familiar and so not looking at it any more. "I don't know much about other pokemon, really. I don't know what they can do, just that Pookie finds honey everywhere." It can be used to cause an automatic pokemon fight with a wild pokemon, in some generations at least. Otherwise, it's just a sellable item.

[Morty]

[Underside Tunnels]

"This place was already here when we came. They did tunnels, though," Brinika says. "And I think they did make it look like a beetle on purpose. You know how humans associate horses and birds with being quick and delivering stuff? For us it's wolves and beetles." Her ears flick. "The wolf pen is probably too far away for us to visit."

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

From the bulky wooden computer desk comes a rumbling. A shuddering. A slow, terrifying creak as the lowest, largest drawer which was slightly ajar slowly extends and opens by itself to reveal-
"Khannie what are you doing up this late?" asks the sleepy pocket dragon from his sub-bed.
Everyone has a sub-bed right? The bed you use when you're up until midnight playing MMOs and upstairs is a really big distance away since you're tiny so you just put a cushion in the drawer of your desk? You know, your second backup bed.
"Are you up looking at things on Moogle at 3am?" he mutters. Obviously she hadn't been doing heroic exploits because then Commissar would have woken them up. Commissar knows Khannie isn't supposed to sneak out.

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

Khannie freezes at the sound.

Oh heck she's been found out what should she-

Oh wait it's just Zebes.

"I couldn't sleep," she says, answering the first question. Then on to the second! "Something Kyuubi said kept rolling around in my head so I decided to look it up."

She points at the way too bright oh my gosh screen. Apparently she is reading about vague blurry objects but why at 3am?

"He said he was saving the universe from itself. From entropy. Did you know the universe will just stop eventually and everyone will die? Everyone. I guess it isn't for a really long time but... I don't think what he's trying to do is actually bad. He's just doing it in a really bad way. He doesn't feel things, Zebes. I don't think he really gets what he's putting me and the other girls and our families through."

A few seconds pass. When Khannie speaks again it is scarcely a whisper.

"Is it... is it selfish that I don't want to die? Even if that means everyone else will get to live?"

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

Zebes' expression is kind of hard to read being a tiny dragon in the dark, but it seems to soften. Zebes crawls out of the drawer and expends some energy to be something closer to eye-level for Khannie. It's a form he rarely uses except when he wants to look tall next to Jace.

"There's a few things you should know, Khannie. The first is that the Nexus doesn't follow any rules and any assumption you make about it based on whatever world you come from is destined to be wrong. In one universe, Entropy is a person, the Lone Power. Every day good people fight not just to defeat them, but to bring them back to the side of good. I should find those books for you. Just because Kyubey thinks he has to inflict pain on the Nexus to save it like his own world doesn't mean it really works like that." For some reason Zebes does a weird gesticulating thing with his hands while discussing this despite it being too dark to really see it.

"The second is that the natural order is there for a reason. Everyone has an end, Khannie. Eventually you'll have to make it without me and Jace, and that's okay. Immortality is usually a curse. The fact that the universe has an expiration date (maybe) only means that there's meaning in what we do. We have to use our time the way we want because we only have so much time. You don't want to die because that's how people are supposed to be.

And the third is that the ends don't justify the means. The trolley problem is a fallacy; if the trolley has to hit either one person or ten people, the hero's job isn't to think about pulling the switch. It's to kick it off the tracks so it hits nobody. And maybe you won't be able to every time. But that's what an ideal is: something you always strive for. So we don't sacrifice kids so others may live. There is always a better way, even if you can't see it yet."
He nods, giving her a smile.
"You understand?"

[Ironsmith]

Spoiler: Underside Tunnels

Show

[Underside Tunnels]

"I never met any 'ursas before Pookie," Khannie admits, glancing over at the bear grappling the fairy dragon. Maridia has stopped licking him for now and is instead working on some more traditional grooming with her claws. In spite of how they tussle around it's pretty obvious that the pair are buddies. "But their ability is a heckin' weird one. When I was little I could just punch ghosts. It didn't come up much."

When you're a child in a village how often do you really expect to be decking specters?

Not often, that's for sure.

"Most pokemon abilities are just like... They get stronger when they're injured. Or they're really good at some type of attack. Or they get really fast when it's raining. Stuff like that. Things for fighting. Not so many for other things," Khannie muses. Though that sweet smell might manage to attract wild pokemon.

It sure attracts Maridia even though she isn't one.

Khannie takes another look at the view, treasuring the memory away, and then heads off after her friends. She'll glance over her shoulder every now and again, taking in the sights.

"Wouldn't have guessed you can fit all this stuff under ground. But I guess there's lots of room down here? If you dig it out, anyway. Did they make that beetle building look like a beetle on purpose?" Khannie asks. They must have, right? That couldn't have been an accident.

No real notice is paid to the laughing crowd. People laugh at jokes all the time, right? Khannie has no idea whether or not that's a normal thing for people in goblin cities but she would assume so.

Underside Tunnels

"I actually hadn't noticed it looked like a giant beetle." Mostly because she was looking at other things until this place became familiar, and also because she's been talking to Brinika when things did get familiar and so not looking at it any more. "I don't know much about other pokemon, really. I don't know what they can do, just that Pookie finds honey everywhere." It can be used to cause an automatic pokemon fight with a wild pokemon, in some generations at least. Otherwise, it's just a sellable item.

[Underside Tunnels]

"This place was already here when we came. They did tunnels, though," Brinika says. "And I think they did make it look like a beetle on purpose. You know how humans associate horses and birds with being quick and delivering stuff? For us it's wolves and beetles." Her ears flick. "The wolf pen is probably too far away for us to visit."

[Underside Tunnels]

Just as well. Arthfael isn't sure how he'd react to seeing a bunch of creatures resembling his uncle hanging out in a pen like that. It'd be a surreal image.

"Wait, wait wait wait." Arthfael begins, catching onto something Brinika said which actually sounds kind of interesting to him. "That beetle building was already here when you guys first settled the place? Somebody was here beforw you guys and built a thing to look like a beetle for... reasons?"

That raised some salient questions. Who were these people? What happened to them? Are they still around or did they have to abandon this place? If the latter, why?

[Rebonack]

[Underside Tunnels]

Oh now that's interesting.

"You guys just found this place and expanded on it?" Khannie asks curiously. "Did the builders leave anything behind about who they were?"

That's...

Well.

That's something she knows a bit about.

Living in the ruins of another civilization.

The pokemon world was like that. Whenever she asked about who had built all those ruins she never really got a good answer. No one knew.

Now all of a sudden this is a mystery! Which makes everything a little more exciting. This place isn't just neat it's also mysterious! Where they like the dorfs who live in the fortress under GLoG? Or were they dug out by someone else? Someone even more strange?

Suddenly Khannie has a new objective on her stay in Underside. Discover its secrets!


[Jace's Place]

The computer screen offers a little illumination so Khannie can see her uncle waving his hands around. How else would she get to enjoy how silly he looks wearing that little hat?

His first reminder tugs a small smile from her, which quickly wilts into a frown. "There are these things called 'nightshades'. Not like the flowers, though. I guess that's what tomatoes are?"

You never know what sorts of nonsense you'll get funneled into while taking a wikiwalk.

"They're heat-death, but in monster form? A few of the girls on Paragon have mentioned them. There was one following Kyuubi around murdering any girl who was about to make a wish. They want the universe to die. They like it to be still and quiet. So they try to stop girls from turning into Witches, but they're just as terrible about it as Kyuubi is. They seem pretty scary, but I bet I could clobber them."

Khannie isn't afraid! She's brave and tough and... and she wants to live.

"...I don't want to lose you and dad," Khannie whispers. "Not to villains or nightshades or Witches or anything else. What if all the hero stuff is putting you in danger?"

What if they get hurt? What if they die because of her?

Sniffing away at her treacherous running nose, Khannie nods at Zebe's question. "Like Superman," she finally concludes. "Even though he's got all those dumb powers he can't save everyone. But he doesn't give up. He still saves the people he can."

She really doesn't like Superman much as a hero. Maybe because lots of the older comic books have him using his powers to be kind of a jerk. But the ideal behind it, maybe it fits here?

You can't save everyone but you can save someone.

That's enough.

It has to be.

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

"We're semi-retired but we're adventurers, Khannie. If Jace's life isn't in peril at least once per year he starts to get wanderlust. We help people because it's the right thing to do. But we delve into hilariously dangerous places with no apparent cause or reward because we can. And for no other reason." he smiles, tilting his head a little to the left and shrugging.
"And you should know that for you he would die six times over, and happily each time. As for me-" he crosses his arms and turns, looking at Khannie from his side.
"Well maybe two or three. Your uncle would start questioning your tactics after that."

"So! Don't worry about us. Worry about yourself. No running head-first without a plan, ask for help when you need it, and don't save all your consumables for later if you need one now. Got it?"

[Earl of Purple]

Underside Tunnels

"I thought it was a natural formation before the goblins moved in. But I wasn't here when that happened." Earl thinks the Underside colony was established onscreen, meaning their dad might know what was about first, but things may have changed since then. "They aren't the Thanksmas wolves down here, these ones aren't as friendly. They look just as soft, though."

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

"I didn't mean that you're helpless; I would just feel kind of bad if you got hurt and it was my fault," Khannie admits.

The idea of someone being hurt because of something she did really weighs on Khannie.

Because of something she failed to do?

That's...

Not quite as bad.

Otherwise you get stuck second guessing yourself forever.

There's no time to hesitate in the middle of a fight. You move or you get your head ate by a candy Witch.

"I've been trying to get the girls on Paragon to work together more," Khannie admits. "Since if you've got someone to watch your back you'll do better and have someone to cheer you one. Like there's this one girl, Ester? She's a really strong Magical Girl. She and me are both really tough and we've been chatting a lot and making friends. I haven't met her yet, but she seems really nice. She's mostly just worked solo but I've talked about the idea that maybe we should team up and just squash any strong Witches that pop up."

And at the mention of consumables she sticks her tongue out at Zebes.

"But what if I really need a bunch of them later against something that's really tough?"

[Deathkeeper]

Jace’s Place

Zebes shrugs.
”Then you’ll die, because you never think that something ‘big enough’ is here so you save it forever even when it’s really obvious you need it.” he says, though his expression hardens a little.
”You seem to be making a lot of progress on the magical girl stuff and zero progress on the ceasing to be one. You know, that thing you have to do or you will die? You haven’t even mentioned asking around about soul forgers in months.”
Khannie probably told him that she didn’t like Arlem’s suggestion but that’s not a lot of lines of inquiry for how long it’s been.

[Rebonack]

[Jace’s Place]

Khannie wrinkles her nose at that reply.

"I still use them!" she objects. "I used a seed just tonight to refill my magic. I just... they all used to be girls like me, Zebes. If I use them too much they might turn back into Witches again. Witches WAY stronger than the first time. Ester was the one who figured out how many times you can use a seed before it hatches. AND she beat the Witch that popped out. I'm not going to take that risk, though. I want to hang onto them instead of feeding them to Kyuubi like I'm supposed to. Maybe the priests are Inari's will be able to figure out how to get the girl back. They've been working on it! I used my first seed twice then gave it to them. And if they can figure that out then... I guess... then maybe if that happens to me, too, they'll be able to save me."

Silence falls over the room, flickering light and shadow cast against the wall by the screen.

"I've been looking online about how to get my soul out of the gem. I'm not the only one searching. There's a whole channel about it on the Magical Girl sub-server. Lots of girls are looking because we all know what will happen eventually if we don't find a cure. There are some good ideas, I guess, but nothing has worked yet. And lots of the people who are willing to work with souls and things are really creepy."

SUPER creepy.

Like that complete creep demon librarian guy.

"Zebes I don't know if you really get how powerful Kyuubi is. The stuff he can do with those wishes... It's impossible stuff. Anything. I don't think he'll let us go until he gets what he wants from us. I'm not giving up! I'm still looking. I'm not losing hope. That's how that stupid white rat wins. But we need a backup plan, too, just in case..."

She manifests the little purple crystal egg with its fancy gold filigree, gazing down at it. With wistful sigh she flicks the shimmering surface.

"...just in case there's no way out."

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

Zebes nods. "As long as you're taking it seriously. Have you seen that dog again? The one you saw when you made your wish?"
Oh right Khannie never told Zebes that it's kind of a reflection of an egyptian god of guiding souls to the afterlife.
"And there is always a way out. Remember that." he says, his face dead serious.

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

"The black pointy one?" Khannie replies. "No, not for a while. Just once at the park and once when I was making my wish. And I think he possessed Commissar once, too."

That is a really weird sentence to say out loud.

"I'm pretty sure he isn't actually a dog. Or a normal dog. Or something. Mister Mourne 'worked' for him so he was probably some kind of god?"

She really isn't clear on it.

It was a very weird situation.

Khannie gives an exasperated "UGH!"

"How come our family is always having to deal with all these powerful weirdos?"

Libra, Fortuna, Pointy Dog, Kyuubi...

Way too many powerful weirdos.

"Maybe I should ask Sekhmet at GLoG? She's a witch, I think? But a good one, otherwise I don't think she would be allowed to live at GLoG."

Might not be the sort of witch that can do stuff with souls, but it is probably worth asking about. Maybe she could-

Khannie yawns a huuuuuge yawn, her eyes starting to feel heavy.

Oh right.

It's still 3am.

[Murkus]

Cool Limo

"Yes!" Cantata "states" by way of nodding enthusiastically, whatever troubles that seemed to plague her instantly melting away as she turns back on the cheer. She's just happy to give Fettina a chance to feel happy and alive again, shake off the malaise her angelic nature has seemed to cause her and find that spark of joy and life once more.

As the conversation goes on however, the empath chooses to lean forward and try to intercede. She gives Fettina a reassuring glance and a pat on the arm, unable to help a soft touch of her own feelings from exerting to amplify the gesture's intention - It's okay, you're safe. Everything will be alright. Looking up towards Fettina's father, she raises a hand.

"You're right - she is sober, she's clear headed. The way she plays the piano now is just..." Cantata seems to fail to find a sign which conveys it, but the look of wonder and adoration about it is clear enough. "But she also feels cold. Closed off. Like there's something missing,"she argues, clutching around the heart to emphasize that she means at her core. And then she pauses, studying the man for a moment. "What would life feel like if your very sense of touch was dulled? Taste? That between your body and the world around you there was some sort of faint barrier?"

Cool Limo

Tina gives Cantata a grateful look. Her father takes in Cantata's reply more slowly, observing the signs from her hands carefully.

"I can imagine," says the older man with all seriousness. "I've been asked to design and implant sensory deprivation packages for military personnel with a similar function. Military personnel... and convicted felons."

His face falls.

"I don't want that for you, baby. It's torture. But I don't want you to--" He glances at his weathered hands, folded in his lap. Fettina looks at him hard. "I don't want you to start using again. Not any of it."

"Why, so I don't end up like mom?" Fettina snorts derisively. "You don't even know what I was on while I've been here, dad--"

"Does it matter why?" he interrupts firmly.

Fettina looks down at her lap. There's obviously a lot of hidden history here Cantata is missing out on... and maybe she'll get a chance to ask Tina later.

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

"Personally, I blame everything on Libra. It's simpler." Zebes says with a shrug again.
"Go back to bed, Khannie. In the morning you go talk to whatever gods you can find. You'll need to talk to someone that can out-magic Kyubey's scheme, but that's just the deep end of the pool you got thrown into by being in this family." He gives her a sympathetic smile. Whoops, you didn't get close to Jace, you were born close. Sorry.