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thalia-amongst-the-thorns · 6 years ago

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Yet Another OC Ask Game

You know the drill; questions from this post, requested by @all-made-of-stardust, let’s do-it to-it!

#squad: who’s friends with who? what are the squad dynamics like? #SquadGoals: Sasha and Marcos are easily the closest of the group, each feeding off of the other’s energetic, outgoing personalities. They enjoy hanging out and goofing off in costume and out of costume, have lots of inside jokes, and just get each other as extroverts. Also, bonding over getting the rest of the group out of their comfort zones. #ScienceBros: Raiqah and Marcos as cool science buds, the ones the group turns to for technical expertise. Marcos’s big brother instincts kick into high gear whenever he’s with Raiqah, encouraging and attentive listening when she gets shy, and for her part Raiqah recognizes the highly intelligent mind concealed behind Marcos’s doofy puns and wisecracks that people tend not to take seriously. #CoffeeAndChill: Mae and Angie get each other as the “responsible ones” and enjoy just talking about life and mundane things. They each see the other as someone they can be completely honest with, who will listen and empathize and care. Also, Mae thinks Angie’s coolly sardonic, and Angie appreciates Mae’s honesty and compassion. #BashBros: Daniel and Ed, much to Ed’s surprise, get pretty close over time. Like everyone else, Ed acts as the straight man to balance out Daniel’s eccentric nature, and Daniel easily sees past Ed’s stoic façade and views him as a valuable member of his pack. And as a member of his pack, Ed should have the skills to defend himself, and both of them have a lot of fun bonding over Daniel teaching Ed how to kick ass and being s boss battle duo. Plus, Ed appreciates that Daniel doesn’t try to get deep with him; they punch people and Daniel doesn’t try to make him divulge any deep dark secrets.

microscope: zoom in – describe the little, insignificant details about an OC. While Marcos’s sense of fashion is atrocious, at least it is entertainingly so. His closet is bursting with florescent Hawaiian shirts, cargo shorts, and socks that you can bet your first born on will be worn with sandals. Perhaps the absurdity of dress is meant to embrace the absurdity of his body; skinny arms and legs, a soft middle, and a long face with a knobby chin complete with a soft fuzz that could generously be referred to as a mustache. Adding a bit of whimsy is the noticeable gap between his front teeth, good for whistling and catching stray bits of food.

fragrance: what do your OCs smell like? As identified by Daniel; Mae smells like fresh dirt, sweat, and pine. Sasha like the charge of static, bubblegum, and shea butter. Marcos like sweat, burnt wires, and paprika. Ed like hair gel and fabric, a noticeable lack of a “human” smell. Raiqah like lavender oil, old paper, and plastic. Nobody like blood, street grime, and gunpowder. Angie like coffee, nail polish, and leather.

photo album: describe one of your OCs’ favorite memories. The first time Ed picked up a guitar; the feel of the smooth curve of the guitar in Ed’s too small hands, the sting as his soft kid fingers plucked at the string which vibrated wildly. The squeal of static through the speaker, both startling and thrilling. Nerves jangling, eager to translate the twitching of his hands into music that’ll blow peoples’ minds and set their souls on fire.

mixtape: 5 songs that describe your OC(s) or songs they themselves would like. Ed likes anything by Queen, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, anything that falls into the rock category that his parents would absolutely loathe.

wardrobe: what’s your OC(s) style like? Mae: honest farm girl with lots of denim and flannel button ups. Also, cowboy boots. Daniel: Clothes are overrated/did you pull that out of the trash? Ed: Professional intern who secretly wants to be a rock star Angie: Supreme Goth-Punk Goddess. Marcos: Nerdy and Unironically Hideous. Sasha: Bright, tight, should be out on the boardwalk. Raiqah: Conservative librarian. Nobby: Probably stole it out of a goodwill bin.

lightning: who’s the most impulsive character? and who is their impulse control? Daniel and Sasha no question, impulse control provided by Mae and Ed.

ufo: identity! what are some key identifying qualities or traits of your OC(s)? how to they identify in regards to gender/sexuality? Mae: Female and asexual, a moderator with a side of fighter. Daniel: Male and straight, a lover and a fighter. Nobby: Female, asexual and aromantic, a fighter and a fighter. Angie: Female and bisexual, a moderator Sasha: Non-binary and pansexual, a lover Marcos: Male and gay, a joker and an inventor Raiqah: Female and pansexual, an inventor and introvert Ed: Male and questioning, a loner and introvert

love note: who likes who? crushes? relationships? are they mutual or unrequited? Sasha likes Ed, eventually reciprocated in a relationship. Daniel likes Mae, eventually reciprocated in a relationship. Raiqah had a brief crush on Ed and Sasha. Angie had a crush on Mae and Daniel. Pursued the relationship with Daniel, not long term.

poison: vices/bad habits? what are they? how do they affect your OC? Daniel: Just forgetting to be a human, both physically and mentally. From a young age his powers have basically merged his thoughts with every animal in his vicinity to the point where Daniel doesn’t see himself as a human: he’s an animal, plain and simple, and prefers in that way. As such, he tends to just talk out loud to any animal he comes across, exhibits animalistic behavior (grooming, growling, etc.), sometimes partially shapeshifting in front of regular people, walking on all fours, etc. Also, shapeshifting = loss of clothes, so Daniel has a habit of just. Being naked. He doesn’t care and doesn’t get why people make a big deal out of it. All this tends to make people think Daniel’s just straight up crazy and be a bit wary of him. Angie: Identifying “rotten” souls and being forced to possess them so that Palivāńkum may see justice carried through, which usually boils down to “let’s shatter their minds and rip out their souls”. This was led to Angie isolating herself to avoid Palivāńkum carrying through with this, at the sacrifice of her friends, family, and any semblance of a normal life.

compass: who’s the moral compass? in general: what are your OCs’ morality like? do they have high morals, or not? are their morals self imposed, or do they base their morals on religion/family/influence of others? Mae’s a pretty good moral compass for the group as a whole, very a much “be kind but take no shit” personality to balance out Raiqah’s blind trust in people/fear of violence and Ed’s tendency to seek retribution/revenge against villains. I guess her morality could fall into “self-imposed”, but Mae doesn’t really “choose” morality, it’s just who she is as a person. There’s probably a bit of influence from her dad in Mae’s ability to offer an open hand before her fist. That said, most of the group is fairly highly moral (superheroes, ya know?), though Nobby and Angie deviate significantly.

track & field: which (if any) of your OCs are athletic? what sports to they play? which of your OCs would go HARD in P.E.? Daniel, with an added edge from his powers (the strength of a bear, athleticism of a wolf, ect.). Originally his aunt encouraged him to try out for various teams in middle school, hoping he’d make friends and put all his excess energy to use. Took about three months for Daniel to get banned from all team sports. That said, he always went hard as hell in P.E., though his aunt had to coach him in toning it back so that people didn’t pick up on his powers. Mae is also quite athletic; besides the general physical skill it takes to run a farm, she has ten years of boxing and kickboxing experience (and a four-year state championship title) and jogs daily. Also hardcore about P.E. Sasha is the most overtly athletic; 12 years of gymnastics, numerous county and state titles to her name (and one runner up for the national levels), and she loves to show of her moves and flexibility, both in and outside of battle. P.E. is one of her favorite courses. Nobby’s no slouch herself, though less from classes or sports and more fighting for her life on the streets.

parachute: who does your OC(s) trust the most? who makes them feel safe? who would they do absolutely anything for? Mae trusts the whole team (Ed, Marcos, Sasha, Raiqah, and Daniel) and Angie, feels safe around Daniel and Angie. She would to absolutely anything for the group/to keep anyone safe. Everyone (minus Nobby for the most part) basically feels safe and trusts Mae and would do what she says because they trust her judgement. It’s why they made her the leader.

conspiracy theory: what are your OC’s beliefs? are they skeptics or do they believe easily? who acts on blind faith? who needs to see to believe? Marcos, Mae (Catholics), and Raiqah (Muslim) are the most traditionally religious of the group. Mae’s a bit skeptical, but Marcos and especially Raiqah are very devote.

Acts on blind faith: Raiqah, Sasha, Daniel, Marcos, Mae

See to believe: Ed, Angie, Nobby Marcos is also a conspiracy theory nut. Honestly, in a world of people with laser vision and zombie cyborgs, why isn’t everybody?

zodiac: what’s their sign? does it influence their personality? do they care about astrology? The quickest answer is no, their sign doesn’t influence their personality any more than me deliberately giving them birthdays/signs to purposely fit their personalities would. Sasha and Marcos care about astrology, Sasha because it’s fun to figure out who loves who/gets along/etc. based on their signs and Marcos because his mom does too and raised him right (if slightly superstitious).

spellbook: are any of your OC(s) supernatural? if so, what are they/what are their abilities? Angie, the symbol of the forgotten deity Palivāńkum burned into her flesh marking her as their only (reluctant) follower and granted the honor of being The Vessel for what remains of Palivāńkum’s presence. Palivāńkum graciously bestows The Vessel with the ability to possess people via touch. An all-consuming possession in which Angie’s soul leaves her body and takes over the victim, gaining full access to the person’s memories and abilities. That full access also allows Angie (and by extension, Palivāńkum) to alter a person’s mind as she/they wish; erasing memories, implanting impossibly real ones, or maybe just good old-fashioned psychic feedback for all eternity. Even though her main abilities really are limited by touch, Palivāńkum usually tries to maintain a psychic probe at all times, which gives Angie a bit of low-level telepathy that keys in on nearby peoples’ emotions. Less a security measure and more a means for Palivāńkum to locate new victims with rotten souls… This isn’t even getting into what Angie would be capable of is she allowed Palivāńkum to fully manifest which includes flaming wings, four arms, full on telepathy, manifesting her soul as a variety of weapons, and ripping souls out of bodies while shattering their minds so that all that remains is a withered husk.

contact: how does your OC(s) feel about touch/physical contact? are they affectionate? if so, how do they display affection to others? Cuddle bugs (hugging, intertwine fingers, hair mussing): Sasha, Daniel, Angie Hugs are good in moderation (brief hand squeezes and one arm hugs): Mae, Raiqah, Marcos Oh god get off me (touch at your own risk): Nobby, Ed

interiors: describe your OC(s) bedroom/home/or a place they consider “theirs”. what’s in it? do certain items have a special significance to your OC? The team end up forming a home base of sorts at an abandoned convenience store. It’s not much, but Marcos and Raiqah are able to connect them to the local power grid, mooch off some wi-fi, and get one of the coolers working again so they have snacks for late night patrols. Mae provided more boring necessities like first aid supplies and training equipment, and Sasha went to town outfitting the place with cheerful curtains and bean bag chairs because every secret hideout needs bean bag chairs, duh. Over time it really just becomes a place where they can hang out and be themselves without judgement. Marcos has a corner devoted to his mess (aka whatever hardware he’s currently tinkering with), Raiqah brings in obscure novels and a hotpot for tea, Ed suggles in some sheet music and an acoustic guitar.

hobby: what do they love? what captivates them? what are their passions? Mae: photography, her family and heritage, her friends and the great capacity for people to do good, being a superhero and protecting those who need help and teaching them how to keep helping themselves Daniel: His brothers and sisters, nature, his pack. Raiqah: Science and history, facts and innovation, music, STEM research, Allah. Marcos: His family, genre fiction, video games, computer science, living up to his dad’s memory Sasha: Her family and friends, being a superhero, gymnastics, all things cute and bright Ed: Hard rock and music, playing the guitar and singing Angie: Her family, punk rock, heavy metal, makeup/jewelry/clothes, documentary film Nobby: Revenge, weapons, fighting, her parents

psyche: what’s their head space like? do they have any mental illnesses? how do they process difficult or emotional situations? what are their coping mechanisms? Daniel’s head is a bit full, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Generally easy going, it takes a lot to rile him up but his go to method to cope is just to turn into a wolf. Wolves process emotions much better than humans. Ed and Nobby definitely have some issues, most likely PTSD from their time being kidnapped and experimented on. While Ed copes by closing himself off and keeping his emotions locked away inside and loathing himself, Nobby lashes out at others so that they hurt just as much, if not more so, than she does as a means for her to exert control over them so that she doesn’t feel powerless again. Angie is also going through some heavy shit with her new maybe-deity roommate that’s lend to depressed and suicidal thoughts. She’s able to cope through conversations with Mae and Daniel, opening a dialogue with Palivāńkum, and by practicing mindfulness techniques that help her process and compartmentalize her feelings.

chess board: who is the most logical? or the schemer/planner? Raiqah, Mae, and Angie are fairly logical, but not to the degree of being separated from empathy. Marcos and Nobby are schemers, Marcos to pull pranks while Nobby’s definitely plotting how to take people out. Raiqah and Mae are the planners who have a checklist for every contingency.

shooting star: if your OC(s) could have one wish what would it be? Mae: For everyone to work together to make the world a healthier and happier place. Marcos: A billion dollars so he can treat his family right and go to whatever college he likes. Raiqah: World peace. Sasha: Three more wishes! Daniel: For all humans to have his powers and love his brothers and sisters as much as he does. Angie: Get rid of Palivāńkum forever and always. Nobby: Dr. Rajinder in front of her, bond and helpless.

wild card: talk about any OC! anything you want! Speed Round Battle Royale Who Beats Who! Daniel would be defeated by Raiqah containing him in a force field (nonviolent, which Raiqah would prefer, and assuming there are no animals nearby Daniel could get to gang up on her) or by Mae having the earth swallow him up and restraining him (again, preferably with his head exposed for a non-violent solution). Potentially Ed could just punch Daniel out with his superior super strength, bit harder to judge his Daniel the more skilled technical fighter. Mae could be defeated by Angie possessing her (would require a bit of sneaking on Angie’s part, but not impossible) or having Sasha blast her from a distance with obscene amounts of cosmic radiation that with enough force cut through rock. Sasha could be defeated by Angie possessing her, physically being overpowered by Ed or Mae (both are better at close quarters combat than her), or being contained in a force field by Raiqah till Sasha used up all her energy. Marcos could be defeated by Angie possessing him (there’s a pattern here…) or getting blinded by Sasha releasing a solar flare so he couldn’t see where to teleport and than bashing him on the head. Ed could be possessed by Angie (surprise), or physically restrained by Daniel, Raiqah, or Mae. Raiqah could be punched out by anyone, why would you though??? Angie could be physically subdued by Daniel (the only one her powers don’t work on), contained via Raiqah’s force field or Mae wrapping her in earth so she couldn’t touch anyone, or blasted from a distance by Sasha. Nobby could be possessed by Angie (honestly the worst plan but it’d work) or physically restrained by Mae or Raiqah again so she couldn’t fight back.

#ask game #oc asks #oc squad #b listers #everyone has super powers and angst #Mae #Daniel #sasha #ed #marcos #raiqah #nobody #angie

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rpchive · 6 years ago

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122nd Encounter-- Slow Ride

nice and smooth

The next morning, a squadron of golems earnestly move about between the kitchen and dining room. The table has been stretched out and set up to accommodate a much larger crowd than usual, and specialized containers designed to keep the food inside fresh and hot sit at various spots of the table. Barbell sits in his normal spot at the head of the table, idly working his way through a sausage link as he studies a couple of papers in front of him, occasionally scribbling here and there. Jay absentmindedly toys around with the scrambled eggs on his plate as he debates grabbing hash browns. Demo, on the other hand, has been eating next to nothing but pancakes and fruit. After a few more moments of writing, Barbell finally finishes his bite and then looks back up. "Alright, I think that's as far as I'll get on my own! Sorry about bringing work to the table, but I find it easier to make notes if I write out an outline first. Oh, how's breakfast, by the way? Feel free to ask one of the golems for anything you need." Demo: It's workin' out. Barbell: Good! Now, I don't suppose you'd mind humoring me about some questions I had regarding kleivenn, would you? You're the first I've ever even heard of, and given what I saw yesterday, you're also capable of some truly incredible feats. alienrabitt: Uhh, sure! If I can't answer, Karumet probably knows. Barbell: Works for me! So, someone mentioned yesterday that a "saa" was created by a wish, and bound to the maker of the wish. Does the nature of a saa depend on the specific wish or its maker, or are saas mostly just variations of the same concept? alienrabitt: What a saa becomes is kinda based on what the wish was, and who made it. If the wish was made with bad intentions, I guess the saa would be bad no matter what; but if a questionable wish was made by a good person, the saa would probably try to act in their best interest, if that makes sense? Barbell: I think so, yes...

He makes quick notes as Jay answers, glancing between him and his paper. "And what about their abilities? Is that also dependent on the wish?" alienrabitt: Well, yes and no? A saa has a couple of different "sets" of abilities; one from the wish that made them, and one from the wish that drives them. Barbell tilts his head to the side, somewhat confused. "So hold on, there are two wishes? What do you mean by the wish that 'drives' them?" alienrabitt: It's whatever they're holding in their oracle; something they can be told to do by anyone, and something that can change in an instant Barbell: Hmm... and what is an oracle, exactly? alienrabitt: That's something any saa-based kleivenn can have; it's what their soul's bound to. Most kleivenn that are only saas have hearts for oracles, but it could be an object too. Usually it has to stay on their person, but Demo seems to be an exception. Barbell: Interesting, and I assume you'd have to actually handle the oracle somehow to change it. So I take it Demo's not a saa, then. Are you one of those "maryen" or however you pronounce it? Demo: Maryein; but no, I'm...one of a kind. There's nothing like me anywhere else; period. Barbell: Heh, your group's just full of "one-of-a-kind" folks, isn't it? I assume that has something to do with that Xentrilis fellow you mentioned yesterday. Does that have any effect other than not needing your oracle on your person? Demo: It lets me summon as many anubis as I need. I can manipulate their sands, too, assuming they're not in their weird bird forms... Barbell: ... Anubis? Demo: ...Do you want an example? Barbell: Assuming it doesn't make a mess of the dining room, I'm not opposed. With an indifferent shrug, Demo summons one of her anubis a fair distance away from the table, so that none of the sand from the process gets blown into anyone's food.

"See? Just a big, fancy bird..."

Barbell looks over eagerly at the creature and then shortly afterward drops his pen, and the mood in the air changes as he goes silent for a moment. "... That. Is not a bird." Demo: Well, it's also a dragon, but I think it looks more like a bird... Barbell: It's not anything like an animal. Will you please get rid of it? Demo gives Echo a frustrated look of confusion, only for Echo to be gratuitously nodding back. Even more confused, Demo dismisses the anubis. "Umm...sorry?"

Demo doesn’t know what anubis actually look like all the time, but Echo does

Barbell gives a heavy sigh of relief as the anubis vanishes, putting his elbows on the table and then burying his face in his hands, causing the goggles to slide up his face for a moment. He takes a few more seconds to collect himself before he finally pulls the goggles back down and unhides his face with a very practiced movement that prevents the others from seeing his eyes. He leans over and picks up his pen from the floor and gently places it next to his notes, then clears his throat before he turns to Demo and finally speaks again.

Barbell: I don't mean to be rude, but that was horrific. Demo: I mean, I know most kleivenn look pretty scary in their true forms, but I didn't think it was that bad... Barbell: You really don't know what that is you're summoning, do you? Echo: Considering the god it came from, she ought to know better, but I don't think she bothered looking past what we do to them to keep everyone else from seeing...

Demo: I...didn't realize I was the one doing that, honestly. I just thought they all decided to quit looking creepy when I freaked out the first time...

Echo: No; they just got better at hiding it. Barbell: So wait, you have seen it? How it has all of those... faces... Echo: Well, yeah; but that's not really something you talk about... Barbell: I suppose not. Forgive me, I... wasn't expecting to see some of those again.

He stacks his notes and clips them together with the back of his pen. "I think that answers everything I had for now. I'll need to write all of this down in a proper form later. I'll leave you to breakfast for now, then. Send a golem for me if you need me. They always know where to find me."

He pushes himself up out of his chair and steps out of the dining room, unable to completely hide the discomfort in his expression. Echo: Way to ruin breakfast, Can Tab.

Demo: Don't...call me that. Collin: I don't think she was trying to. Still, I've never seen him so... shaken. That really must've been a nasty sight to see. Demo: ...It's...not something that's easy to look at. Collin: I'll take your word for it on that one.

I mean I could show you but something tells me you don’t wanna know

Karumet: Uhh, well...what did you want to do today? Collin: I'm not entirely sure. It's nice not to have any pressing issues for a change, but after doing that for so long, it feels... weird to have a break like this. Demo: What, do you want something to do? Collin: I mean, I sure as hell don't want to fight another devil if that's what you're implying. Maya: Well, what do you want? Collin: I... I just feel like we could do something with the time. Like... I don't know, maybe finally get around to teaching me something about Chariot? Maybe we could get Barbell in on that too, assuming you don't need freaky magic creatures to do that too. Karumet: Definitely not, unless I count... Daedalus: He said freaky, not fishy. Karumet: ...Regardless, I can teach you. Collin: I'm not opposed. Though we should probably wait until Barbell's had some time to calm down... Karumet: Can't blame you there. What should we do while we wait, then? Demo: Why don't you check on the kid? She strikes me as the type that's always up to something interesting. Collin: That might work, assuming she doesn't want to work on whatever in peace. Demo: Worst case you go back on the IT and play a game or something. Collin: True. Anyway, I guess I'll go see if she wants company. Anyone else coming? alienrabitt: I'll come.

Paprika: Oh, I'll go too! I'm interested to see what's going on here. Collin: Works for me. Let's see what she's up to, then.

The trio leave the dining hall and head up the stairs in the foyer to Relana's room, which has been helpfully marked as such by a handmade sign with letters that pulse with a faint light. Collin knocks on the door a couple of times, to which a distant voice replies "Just a minute!". Soon enough, Relana answers her door, although she seems slightly surprised at the people on the other side.

Relana: Oh! Uh, hi! Sorry, I'm not used to anyone that isn't Barbell or one of the golems knocking. Collin, Jay, and... Paprika, right?

Paprika: That's right! Relana: Nice! I was torn on either that or Pepper. Anyway, did you need something?

nah, Pepper’s actually one of my mutual’s OCs

alienrabitt: Well, we just wanted to see what you were up to is all. Relana: Oh, uh, sure?

Somewhere between confused, surprised, and pleased, she steps to the side allowing the others into the room. Inside is a rather strange blend of a girl's bedroom and the back area of a workshop. Drawings of animals and places are pinned up on the wall alongside schematics for various unidentifiable gadgets. A stuffed mouse with magnetic hands holds a screwdriver next to a dismantled electrical appliance. The strange snowglobe from yesterday sits on a counter with a to-do list on a pink sticky note stuck to its base. A larger workbench sits opposite of the bed with what looks like a broom with a strange engine attached to the brush end resting on top of it.

"Sorry if it's a little, uh, cluttered. In my defense, Barbell's room isn't any better." Paprika: You certainly seem to be a busy person...but that just means you have a lot of ideas, huh? Relana scratches the back of her head, unsure of how to react to the remark. "Ahaha, I guess? I mean, it's not like it's rare to think up cool stuff, right? I'm just lucky enough to have the right tools to do it. And, uh, the right people to go to when stuff doesn't work right or starts turning into a tornado." Paprika: It's interesting; I haven't actually seen any sort of weather besides snow before. Relana: ... Wait, really? Did you live in some kind of arctic area before now? Paprika: Well, no; there was a...monster, I guess, that was so cold, she made the climate in her room change. Relana: Woah, you had to babysit a monster like that? Paprika: Babysit? No, we just...observed it. Sometimes we had to fight it, but only when, well...I'm getting sidetracked; um, I haven't really been...outdoors.

oh, that one’s...The Snow Queen! she’s got some nice EGO stuff

Relana: Oh, geez, that's... sad. You should come with Iris and I sometime! We've found all sorts of cool places to go around here! Paprika: I'd love to! I've never been able to really explore anywhere, and we usually only go to dangerous places, so I haven't been able to see much... Relana: Yesss! I'll have to let her know later! I've actually been working on a broom for her, but I haven't been able to get the engine to play nice with it yet. I guess making two different magic things work together isn't as easy as just strapping them together, go figure. Paprika: I haven't dealt with a lot of magical things before. I've seen plenty... Relana: It's not as hard as you might think, but it does take some getting used to. Stuff doesn't always act the way you think it will, for better or for worse. In this case I just can't get the broom to fly again once I put the engine on. Maybe it's just too heavy..? alienrabitt: The broom, or the engine? Relana: The engine. The broom can fly just fine on its own, but trying to make it go faster's just made it grumpy so far. alienrabitt: Well, if the broom can carry a person, it could probably carry a little more weight; but not by much... Relana: Hmm... I think you're right, actually! It could carry both of us with a little struggle, so it can't just be the weight! Something about the vis in the engine must be throwing the broom off! Maybe it's the fuel source? I think it's using Potentia right now, but maybe if I swapped that out for Volatus- Oh, sorry, I probably shouldn't start working when I have company. Hang on a sec.

She hurriedly scribbles something down on another sticky note and slaps it onto the engine. "I'll get back to that later, sorry." Paprika: It's alright! You're pretty quick with this stuff, huh? Relana turns slightly red. "W-Well, I... try my best? I just want to... um..."

She seems to catch herself before she says something, unsure of whether to actually finish the thought out loud or not. Paprika: Y'know, I think you're gonna do something pretty incredible. People like you could help a lot of people. Relana sputters for a few seconds, looking at everything in the room aside from Paprika to find some kind of response. She finally looks back at her, trying desperately not too look too proud of the compliment but not quite succeeding. "Th-Thank you..." Paprika: Of course! Um, well; now that we've had a look around, should we check on Barbell? He didn't look too good...

all this flattery is probably just Paprika doing her job as an ex-sephirah and less her genuinely caring, but I don’t think she’d admit that

Relana: Wait, really? Did he get sick or something? Paprika: Oh, no! He was just a little upset, I think... Relana: I don't think I've ever seen him upset... Should I come with you, or is this one of those "adult" things? Paprika: I think he just saw something...sad, or maybe scary...? I didn't really understand. Collin: I don't think he was scared. Sad is probably the better bet, honestly. Relana: Well, if that's the case, do you mind if I come with you? Paprika: I don't see why not! If you're old enough to be building things like that, I think you're old enough for just about anything else. Relana nods seriously, and the group head out of Relana's room as Relana takes point and leads the others to Barbell's door. She reaches up and knocks on the upper section of the door, then waits patiently. A few moments later, the door clicks and Barbell opens the door from the inside.

Barbell: Oh, I see we have a whole group here. Is everything alright?

Relana: They told me something happened that made you upset. Are you okay?

Barbell chuckles slightly and pats Relana on the head, rustling her hair slightly. "Ah, I think I'll live, don't you worry about me. I just had to take a little time for myself. I just had an unexpected trip down memory lane, that's all." Paprika: Those are always the worst. Barbell: Sometimes. Other times they're just... bittersweet. Ah, but don't worry about me. What're you kids up to now? Paprika: Karumet wanted to teach Collin how to understand Chariot! We figured you'd be interested. Barbell: Oh? Is that a sort of language or something to that effect? alienrabitt: It's the kleivenn language! Written and spoken. Barbell: Ah, let me get some paper and I'll be right there! A little while later, a small group has assembled in the same room where Barbell was giving his presentation on the gods of magic so long ago. The same chalkboard has been wiped clean, and a set of chairs has been set up for the audience as well as a podium or two for the presenters. Karumet: This is...a chalkboard...

alienrabitt: Well, yeah...

Karumet: I haven't used one... Barbell: You haven't? What are you used to, then? Karumet: Paper.

alienrabitt: Well, think of it as big paper, but with a different type of stick to write with, and you can erase the words with just about anything.

Karumet: I...think I understand. Is there anything either of you wanted to know immediately? Barbell: Is there an alphabet of some form? That should be a decent starting point, in my opinion. Karumet: Words are drawn with a structure; each word is drawn out with branches and points, like drawing leaves on a tree branch. A safe start is to draw a line, then draw diamonds branching off of it, or interrupting it on the way down. There can also be "clusters" of diamonds in places, three diamonds shaped to look like one larger diamond. The location of these along each individual line determines the phonetic of the word itself. Each phrase is written like a string; each word connected by the line that runs throughout all of them. A sentence would be ended with a circle at the end of the line; however, there are no breaks between words or paragraphs, and there is no other punctuation, often making things look like one large line... Barbell: So the line is a sentence, ended by the circle, and the diamonds and clusters are the actual letters and words within the sentence? Karumet: Yes, exactly! And it's read horizontally, from left to right, then curving if it reaches an edge to be read from right to left, effectively zig-zagging all the way down whatever it's written on. It's very important that the line is never broken by anything other than a circle; all words are connected. Collin: So, how do you know what the diamonds actually say? Karumet: Based on their location, whether they're clusters, or whether they're inside the line or branching off of it. A noun will almost never begin with a cluster; and a verb will always end with a branching diamond or cluster. Barbell: So is it more like memorizing words, not letters? Karumet: A bit. Let's take a look phonetically at the words you know for sure. Saa; maryein; shalvenn; kleivenn; Kujaar...a lot of our words have repeating letters. Clusters signify that a letter will repeat in the word; the location of the cluster indicates where the letter repeats. The start of the branch indicates that the first letter is repeated; the middle means that the letter after it is repeated; and the end means the letter before it was repeated. In a way, clusters are punctuations; however how many diamonds are in the cluster, with a maximum of three, as well as the location of it, indicates the sound the cluster itself makes. Standalone words can be read a number of ways, but the location of specific lines will always narrow the word down to just one. Collin: That... kinda makes sense? This is gonna be weirder to learn than I thought, though. Karumet: Ultimately, Chariot is written with one thing in mind: context. Words written in a broken way can be hard to understand; breaking down the possible meanings of those words helps make sense of it. "Pigs make moon sand bouncy square plates" doesn't make much sense; "humans crossed the desert rapidly at night," however, does!

Collin: Where do pigs and plates fit into that second one? Karumet: Pigs describe the living thing; plates just sounds similar to the word for traveling. Ka-sha-re; ka-ma-re.

alienrabitt: Seems a little harsh to call them pigs, don't you think?

Karumet: W-well, it was a different time when we were writing that...! But it's written with the phonetics; "life, animal, adverse" and human is written "adverse, animal--" well...! Hm. I guess it's written differently now. Let's see; "adverse, animal..." what did they call Lou...modakorra? Mallokama? Horrashaba? What was it...?

alienrabitt: Maddossaba; "adverse, human, kindness." Barbell: What did those other words mean? Karumet: Helpful; unique; ambitious. Collin: Uh-huh... So I guess you just have to learn to recognize certain shapes and patterns, and then where they are on the line is what actually chooses what they mean?

chariot’s a mess

Karumet: Pretty much.

Collin: Yeesh, so there's not even an alphabet or anything... Are there a lot of these diamond-cluster things? Karumet: There's a few different ones. Anywhere from two to four diamonds can be in a cluster. Collin: So I guess you just have to memorize those and then where you can place them. This definitely isn't a "one class" kind of lesson, is it? Karumet: Absolutely not. It's a language, after all. It'll take some time to learn it...this is why most kleivenn came with the capability of understanding any languages the person they belonged to could; so there would be no language barriers. Collin: I get that, I'd just like to be able to know Chariot too so that I could understand it if I needed to. I wonder if they have an English to Chariot dictionary back in Kujaar.

Barbell: Chin up now, this isn't even all of it. They haven't even touched on how to speak it!

Collin: That's... not really encouraging. Karumet: Speaking it is easier than writing it, honestly. Once you learn a word, all you have to do is combine it into a bigger word; say enough words and people will understand you. Barbell: That seems a little too easy. Can you give an example? Karumet: Well, let's take a look at 'kleivenn' and 'shalvenn.' Kleivenn means star forged; so we know -venn means one of those two words. Barbell: "Forged", most likely. Am I right? Karumet: Exactly! See, you can learn it! Barbell: Ha, well it was an educated fifty-fifty guess, to be fair. Not to mention I'm a certified bookworm at this point. Karumet: It's easy enough to speak Chariot; it's a much easier language to speak than to read. A few humans could speak it, but I don't think a single one ever learned to read it all. Collin: Man, the odds are never in my favor, huh? Karumet: Well, you have a handful of people that /do/ know it, and you have a lot of people that know how to build incredible technology. Wouldn't it be easier to just build some sort of...visual translator? Collin: ... Maaaybe? It's worth asking about, at least. Maybe Fawkes or XL could pull something off. Fawkes knows a bunch of languages already, so maybe he could figure it out. Karumet: It'd probably be both easier and faster than trying to teach the language to anyone. I'm sure there's books in Kujaar he could use. Barbell: Ooh, if they do rentals, get a couple for me. It'd be fascinating to look into, I'm sure. Karumet: Ehh, well, is there anything else anyone wanted to know...? Barbell: I think that'll do, for now. If you do find any resources on the language in that Kujaar place, I truly would appreciate if you could bring a copy to me. I understand if it's not possible though. Who knows, maybe I can find something of it here? Kleivenn seem to be able to show up anywhere, by the sound of it. Karumet: We'll keep some eyes out I guess. I'm sure there's something somewhere... Barbell: One can hope. Anyway, you can run along and do something else now. I won't make you play professor anymore, even if it is a refreshing change of pace! [The next day...]

The IT crew shares another breakfast with Barbell and Relana the next morning, but afterwards decide that it's time to move on before they overstay their welcome, despite Barbell's assurances otherwise. The group spend some time gathering their things and meet up back in the foyer closer to the afternoon. Barbell and Relana are waiting to see them off, along with the four thaumium golems.

Barbell: Well, guess it's that time then. It really was good to see all of you, including you newcomers. You'd better visit or at least write to me more often, or else next time I might just have to find a way to you! XL: We have the technological equivalent of phones that can connect across time and space; isn't that a bit better than a letter? Barbell: I... Erm... I guess I'm just old fashioned, what can I say? I don't even really have anything like a phone here, come to think of it...

Relana: Can you put one here? That sounds so cool! XL: Well, it's not really big, so you can just carry it around! It opens up like, uhh...a clam, or something; so don't try to twist it, but...

She sifts through the contents of her jacket before producing one of their communicators.

"Knowing you, I probably don't even need to tell you how to turn it off or on. Dialing the IT, or any of our communicators, is as easy as typing 33. Just...don't try to take it apart; even I have a hard time getting it back together." Relana eagerly snags the communicator and immediately starts inspecting it and toying around with the buttons onscreen. Barbell arches an eyebrow as he looks at XL with a sly grin.

Barbell: You do know who you're talking to, right? But I'll try my best to make sure she doesn't void your warranty. XL: Even if she manages to break it, there's dozens more on the IT itself that we still need to hand out to...several groups of people. Each of us already has one, so you could reach us individually too. There's a whole screen dedicated to private lines, after all. Barbell: Sounds useful! You're gonna have to show me how to fly that thing once you're done tinkering there, y'know.

Relana: I'll try my best, but I don't think this comes with a quill or an inkwell.

LMAO ROAST HIM

Barbell: Oho, you better watch yourself, kid!

He tousles Relana's hair playfully for a second before she spins away with a devious giggle, turning her attention back to the communicator. "Alright, well, anything we can do for you before you head out?" Demo: I think we're alright for now... Barbell: Okay, just let us know if you ever need anything. You've got a new handy way to get a hold of us, after all! Safe travels, kids! The group returns to the IT, where Nydins, Rio, and Paprika softly debate their next destination in the console room. Fawkes: Already have some plans, you three? Nydins: Well, not yet; but I'm sure we can figure something out. Unless you wanted to go somewhere? Fawkes: Oh no, I'm fine for now. I actually had some time to draft up a project design during our time with Barbell, so I'm probably going to work on that soon. I'll leave the course charting to the rest of you this time. Rio: Oh, you're working on something too now? Fawkes: Indeed! Weapon designing left a bad taste in my metaphorical mouth, so I wanted to work on something a little more... gentle? I can't seem to find the word for it at the moment. Paprika: Oh! Well, let us know if we can help. Fawkes: Will do, although truthfully I want to keep this a surprise. You'll see in a day or two, hopefully.

please don’t give Daedalus another flower crown

Collin: Sounds neat! So uh, where should we go now? It's not like any of us have urgent stuff to deal with, I don't think. Nydins: Didn't Azreldeh want to do something with you? Alternatively, we could go to Kujaar and look for books. Collin: Oh right, I'd almost forgotten about that with, well, everything else recently. Uhh, did you ever come up with something? He gives an uncertain look in Azreldeh's direction. Azreldeh: I didn't need to "come up" with anything, things just got a little...hectic. Collin: Oh, fair enough. Do you... want to do that then? Azreldeh: Are you...okay with that right now? You and your boyfriend just went through...a lot. Collin: I mean, we've had some time to just be together for once, and we talked some things out before that too. Assuming you don't have anything crazy in mind, I think I'll be alright. Are you still okay with all this, Jay? alienrabitt: As long as you don't get into trouble, yeah. Collin: I'll do my best. I think it's the other side of the coin you'll have to worry about. Azreldeh: I'm not gonna do anything weird, jeez! Not after everything else that just happened... Collin: Oh I know, I'm just messing with you. But yeah, we can do that whenever you want to, then. Azreldeh: Well, whenever you're ready, I am, I guess. Collin: Will a little bit later today work, then? Azreldeh: Sure. Collin: Alrighty, I'll knock on your door in an hour or two.

Everyone goes their separate ways for a little while to kill time. A couple of hours later, Collin approaches Azreldeh's door and takes one deep breath before knocking on it.

I can’t remember why we decided not to make this its own log

Azreldeh answers the door, her room still in its previous state. "Oh, you're ready already?" Collin: I... guess? I've never really been on an actual date before, so I wasn't really sure what to do, sorry. Do you need a little more time? Azreldeh: No, no, I'm always ready. Already got 'em to move the IT and everything. Collin: Oh, cool! So uh, where are we going anyway? Azreldeh: One of my favorite old hangout spots. I usually took people there when I wanted them to be honest with me; figured they'd open up more in private. Collin: I guess that's fair? I guess I'm just curious about what a demon princess would use as a hangout spot. Do demons build tree houses? Azreldeh: I mean, I guess we could? I haven't seen any, though. Built by us, anyway... Collin: I'm just joking, don't worry. Shall we, then? Shrugging, Azreldeh leads Collin out of the IT, which seems to be parked a little ways away from a hill with a perfect nighttime view of a distant city of some sort. "Not much out here aside from us."

Collin: Wow, no kidding. Where is this? Azreldeh: Some little town Chitola and I used to do our thing in back in the day. Looks like it's expanded a lot since. We'd bring kids that were being bullied and stuff up here; ask em what was going on at home, or school, or whatever; then we'd just...pick who to punish from there. Doing good with bad gifts just felt right, even if it was still dirty work at the end of the day... Collin: Wait, you know Chitola? Azreldeh: Uhh, yeah? I thought I mentioned that...well, whatever. Do you? Collin: Yeah, actually! Back when Nydins... died, Firefly told us about her and what she could do. We wound up taking a trip to the mirror world to find her at this bar that she ran, and she brought Nydins back for us. Azreldeh: I'm sure that came with its fair share of blessings and curses. Collin: Yeeaaah, Nydins came back with some pretty big changes after that, and she messed with Jay a bit as payment, but honestly who hasn't messed with Jay at some point?

He shakes his head slightly, changing his tone to a joke at the end. Azreldeh: That's...fair, I guess. Honestly, I'm kinda impressed you've never done anything weird to him. Collin: Huh? What do you mean? Azreldeh: Oh, c'mon; you're human; you've got a shapeshifting companion with wish-based powers that'll do anything you ask 'em to; how have you not wanted to take advantage of that? Collin: I... I guess I just... never really thought to? It's a really long story, but... I guess in the early days of us being together, a lot of our goal was to just help each other be free of our past and live our own lives. Now that we're at that point, making him do things just feels... odd? I mean, I've thought about trying some things with his oracle occasionally, but I don't want to make him think I want to take advantage of him, y'know? Azreldeh: You're just such a genuine and good guy; I really don't get it. I've seen thousands of humans, but I've never really met one quite like you. Collin: W-What? Come on, I can't be that different from most humans, right? I mean yeah I shoot lightning and stuff, but aside from that... Azreldeh: Don't be ridiculous; every single human in the world has one thing in the deepest, darkest part of their heart that could tempt them into doing something really immoral. Some people would hurt others; or kill things; or do some other questionable stuff; and it doesn't matter who you are, everybody has that turning point. I just...haven't seen yours. I can't figure out what it is yet, and it's...embarrassing. There's no way you're flawless; nobody is. Collin: Well, I'd hope something like that is hard to find! I don't really like hurting people at all, honestly, but sometimes it's just necessary, especially when you deal with the types of people that we do. But... why is that embarrassing to you? Azreldeh: You really don't realize how close the 7th district was to Bandit's son, do you? Besides, I wasn't any demon, I was a princess; I had some serious expectations put on me... Collin: I guess you would have, yeah. But what does any of that have to do with my... tipping point, or whatever you want to call it? Azreldeh: Well, not yours specifically; I just...I don't know, this stuff should be as obvious to me as the color of your hair... Collin: Oh, I think I get it now. Is that sort of stuff easier for other demons to figure out or something? Azreldeh: Well, y'know, demons only interact with humans either out of necessity or out of antagonism usually, so when we meet a human, we need to know how to instantly turn the tables. A weaker demon wouldn't be able to find something like that out easily; that's why most people have middle names that are kept "secret," but someone like me doesn't need to know your name or anything; I should be able to see right into the depths of you as a whole... Collin: Huh... So, is it just me that's giving you trouble, or is it other people too? Azreldeh: It's probably just something leftover from you being tied to all those gods. I can't get a read on Demo or Firefly either... Collin: I guess that'd make sense. Demo and Firefly also had some connections with divinity in one way or another, so maybe that's why you can't figure them out... Although if you can figure out Jay, that might not be the only reason. Azreldeh: I can get a read on...half of him, I guess? The kid that's stuck in his body.

guess I took this as an opportunity to get more of my demon lore out there

Collin: Ohh, that makes sense. So maybe it is just with people who have direct connections with gods in some way, which would make sense given that you're, y'know, a demon. Plus that can't be a super common thing outside of our little group, so it can't be that big of a hassle for you, right? Azreldeh: I guess... Collin: Sorry, guess I got us on a tangent. Is that not really the issue? Azreldeh: You're just so different; I don't understand you at all. Collin: In what way? Aside from the magic stuff, that is. Azreldeh: Well, for a human, you just don't have a lot of the similar qualities...and on top of that, I mean, the crowd you hang around is so overwhelming, and you can blend in so easy... Collin: I guess Aperture's to blame there, at least a little bit. I didn't really have any social contact until a few years ago, and I had to learn to roll with the punches both in and out of that place. Azreldeh: ...At least that place is behind you now. ...For the most part. Collin: Yeah, aside from this thing in my chest. I really need to figure out what to do about that in the long run, but at least it works for now. But uh, I don't know, I guess I just never realized I was any different from other humans. Then again, I don't really hang out with too many of those, do I? Azreldeh: Maybe not... Collin: So... was this the only spot you hung out at around here? Azreldeh: Pretty much. Didn't have a reason to try and make friends or anything... Collin: So you didn't have any friends in the court? Or the mirror world in general? Azreldeh: Nobody in the 7th district saw me as anything other than a princess. Chitola was the only one to ever just...honestly enjoy my company. Collin: I'm... sorry to hear that. Everyone else doesn't really know what they're missing in that case. Sucks to be them, huh? Azreldeh: Seriously... Collin: ... Is everything alright? I'm not sure I've ever seen you so... tense. Azreldeh: ...Coming back here; talking about all this...it's just a lot to think about. I don't usually think before I speak, but I guess that's not a surprise. Collin: Heh, I guess not, but it's really not that bad. It's kinda funny how quick you are on the draw when it comes to hitting on people, even if it usually catches me off guard. Azreldeh: That's the point. Collin: Heh, I guess that's true. But really, you don't have to worry so much about what you say. It's nice getting to hear more about what you were up to before we met. Azreldeh: I guess I just don't really know what a real date's like, y'know? I only got with people to kill them for doing terrible things to innocent kids; so it's kinda weird addressing anything...casually. Collin: I don't really know either. Jay and I didn't really date; we just had enough time and near death experiences to pull us closer together. I guess the point is just to... go to neat places and learn more about each other? Azreldeh: Well, you won't find a better view of the moon around here when the sun sets all the way, so I guess all that's left is to talk until it does? Collin: I think we can manage that. Is there some place to sit down, or is it just sorta... open seating?

He gestures out vaguely to the field around them. Azreldeh: People usually drove up here, but we don't exactly have the hood of a car to sit on... Collin: Yeah, the IT does a lot of things, but a car it ain't.

look I don’t wanna magic school bus my way through space/time

Shrugging, Collin takes a few steps away and then sits down on the grass, looking toward the city. He thinks for a second and then pats the ground next to him, looking over at Azreldeh. Taking a seat beside Collin, Azreldeh looks out at the town. "...What do you wanna know first?" Collin: Uh, I'm not sure... Hm, did you ever really get to do much of anything when you were in the court? I mean, you are a princess there, but it sounds like you don't have a lot of fond memories of the place. Azreldeh: ...Well, I mean...we were so close to the 9th district, that's where Bandit's son was, so naturally everything we did had to be really serious. The heads of the districts were the people personally responsible for taking up the mantle to...deal with Six personally, after all; any demon worth their weight in brimstone'd want a chance at turning that bastard bad. Making him truly evil would've allowed one of us to become a devil too, after all, so a lot of demons were aiming to do terrible things as a result. Same with the shadows... Collin: That all sounds... kinda miserable, honestly, although I guess we are talking about the business of devils and demons, huh? Azreldeh: The closest you can get to hell, honestly. I haven't even been. I mean, I know my mom's there, but I don't see her much. Collin: Your mom's in actual hell? Azreldeh: Well, yeah; she's too...much to be around anything short of greater demons and things that humans would define as eldritch. Collin: I'm... not sure how to feel about that. She's really that bad? Azreldeh: She's...just a lot to take in. I'm not sure any human could look at her without going a little crazy. Collin: If she's really that, uh, intense, then why do you look so normal? I mean yeah you've got horns and whatnot, but you're not like an actual monster. Azreldeh: Well, I have a few different forms; I guess you could say I have paternal; maternal; and bestial forms. My paternal's a lot easier on the eyes, so I like to keep myself lookin' like a pizza, y'know? Collin: ... A pizza? Azreldeh: Yeah, a hot 'n ready pizza ass!

Collin: Oh my God. He buries his face in his hands, incapable of looking in her direction. "Why did you set me up for that?" Azreldeh: Because I knew you'd fall for it!

you married this

Collin uncovers his face, shaking his head and smiling slightly. "How dare you take advantage of my trust and naivety. Did you just come up with that, or did you spend like an hour cooking up lines like that just for this purpose?" Azreldeh: Nah, I'm just naturally good. Collin: Naturally good at being inappropriate, maybe. I'm just relieved you didn't crack a line like that out at Barbell's place. I was afraid we were gonna have to tape your mouth closed or something whenever Relana was around. Azreldeh: Wow, I can't believe you'd do that in front of a kid. Collin: What do you- Ugh, you're terrible. I'd make a joke about locking you up, but that'd just make this even worse. Azreldeh: I can't believe you're being so forward on our first date; wow...!

👀👀

Collin sighs and leans forward, holding his head up with one hand. "I don't know what I expected. Okay, let's try getting out of this innuendo whirlpool. Did you want to ask me anything?" Azreldeh: Um...well, I don't think there's a whole lot I haven't heard about already. Do you, uhh...? Well, I guess that's probably a big no...alright, um...well, nobody we know really had good parents or anything, huh? Did any of y'all ever, like...make peace with that or something, I guess? Collin: Well, I can't really speak for the others, but personally it actually hasn't bothered me too much? I guess that's partially because when I first woke up, I was immediately dumped into a long series of death traps which didn't really lend itself toward introspection too often. Plus since my memory got screwed up, it doesn't really feel like I'm missing all that much. From my perspective, I just kinda... popped into being and went from there. That probably sounds really weird, but I'm not sure how else to explain it. Azreldeh: But don't you hate that? Not knowing where you came from, having nothing to go back to...it's weird, right? I mean, humans have that whole pack bond thing where their families mean more to them than anything in the world; don't you want to be a part of something like that? Collin: Aren't I already? There's nothing for me back at Aperture aside from bad memories. Almost everyone I care about is right there in that vending machine. Azreldeh: ...So you consider them family? Collin: Or at the very least friends, depending on the person. I've known some of them for a long time now. Almost as long, maybe even longer than the time I spent in Aperture, which was like... my entire life for a while. I don't know, maybe it's weird or unusual, but I can't help it. Azreldeh: Well, it's...different, but I don't think anything in that box counts as any definition of "normal," honestly. Collin: A bunch of people living in a flying soda machine turn out to be kinda weird, huh? Who'd of thought? Azreldeh: Well, there's more layers to it than that...hmm...are you worried about what Jay's powers could be like now? Collin: I wouldn't say worried, but I am kinda curious about how different they might be. We can still sync, apparently, so that's a good sign that things aren't super different, but I guess we'll have to find out. More than anything, I just hope he's actually happy now. God knows we've gone through enough getting him to this point. Azreldeh: Well, I don't think he wound up the way he did because he was unhappy; I think he just made a lot of bad choices and got really scared a bunch. Collin: Yeah, but he was unhappy because of all that. It feels like a big chunk of our relationship has just been trying to get him to a more stable point. But hey, he's light years ahead of where he was when we first met, so I'd call that a success. Azreldeh: Hey, I'm just glad things are working out between you two. I know how much you matter to each other. Collin: I'm glad too. Uh, sorry, probably shouldn't be talking too much about my boyfriend on a date, should I? Azreldeh: Well, at this point we're talking about everybody a little bit... Collin: S-Sorry. Guess it's kinda obvious I'm new to this stuff. I'm guessing you've had a lot more experience with this than I have. Azreldeh: Yeah, but usually it ended with me slipping my hands up someone's shirt or down some pants, followed up by a "how 'bout we head back to your place?" and then I had to kill people; so uhh...this one's a first for me too. Collin: Uh... Y-Yeah, I'd prefer this date didn't end with you killing me. That'd suck for a lot of reasons. Azreldeh: Trust me, that's not the type of suck I'm looking for in a relationship.

Collin: God. I am not gonna do anything crazy on a first date, no matter how many jokes you make. Azreldeh: Hey, at least I can still crack jokes. Collin: I mean, I can't stop you. Besides, it's... kinda funny once you get used to it. No one else on the IT says anything half as wild as you do. Azreldeh: That's a good thing! I've never met anyone half as fun as me, anyway. Collin: Well I can't make any promises, but I'll try my best to keep up at least. Azreldeh: Looks like the sun'll set soon. You're not afraid of the dark, right? Collin: Pff, the dark is the least of my problems. Plus I can make my own light if I need to. Azreldeh: Worried about somethin' else, then? Collin: Right now I'm just focusing on not messing this up, honestly. Azreldeh: Look, unless you fling yourself off the edge of that cliff, you're fine. Collin: No freediving, got it. I hope the sky's still as pretty as you said it was. I've always really liked looking at the stars. Azreldeh: We're just far enough from the city that you can see the stars, but since you can see the city from here, it's kinda like there's a blanket of stars on the ground too. The moon looks bigger here too, I think. Not absurdly big, but it's noticeable. Collin: Sounds nice. Do we need to be somewhere else, or...? Azreldeh: No; here's fine.

Glancing back down at the town for a minute, Azreldeh waits patiently as the sun hides behind the other hills, eventually falling out of sight, leaving the pair in a darkness interrupted only by the natural light of the moon and stars; the harsh lights of the city only glitter in the distance in comparison. The moon, like Azreldeh said, is large enough to seem slightly unusual in comparison to Earth's normal moon; a deep, yellow-orange color against the black sky. Collin: You weren't kidding... It's almost like the city's a reflection of the sky, except nothing down there really compares to that moon. I haven't seen it that color in a long time. Azreldeh: It's nice. Like a harvest moon, but all the time. Collin: It's like that every night here? Azreldeh: It is! Or, well, it is every time I've been here. I don't know if it's different when I'm gone.

Collin: Who knows, maybe things are just nicer when you're around? Azreldeh: Honestly, between the doll thing and Bandit, I have to disagree. My...sister or whatever almost speared your brother through the chest; people just go crazy around me. Damn shame, they're not even participating in the main attraction. Collin: Bandit wasn't really your fault. We all decided to try and stop him when we saw how bad things were getting in the mirror world, that wasn't you twisting our arm or anything like that. Same goes for your sister, really. It's not like you were cheering her on and eating popcorn at the time. The doll thing was kind of a mess, but I think all of us have caused trouble at some point or another, so you're just part of the club on that one. Azreldeh: I guess I get that, but...I don't know. I just don't wanna feel like I'm hurting you guys somehow... Collin: Well, not getting us turned into stuff or stabbed by family members is a good starting point, I think. If the worst you do on a regular basis is make sex jokes, I think we'll survive. Azreldeh: Looks like I'm in the green, then. Collin: Oh, kinda off-topic, but I do have another question for you. I've seen you do a lot of different things with your magic since you've been here; is your only limit how much magic you have on hand, or are there certain things that you can't do? Azreldeh: Well, I'm only a demon, so my magic's only as strong or as much as what I've got in my horns; but I can do just about anything with the right amount of magic. Hypothetically, I can do things without the proper amount of magic too, but that can have...consequences. Collin: Like having to go back to your shadow form? Azreldeh: Well, yeah, but it can also do things to people around me too. Collin: Like what, dare I ask? Azreldeh: There's plenty of chaotic consequences to choose from! Nothing deadly; well, usually; but for the most part it's just weird stuff. Collin: Like turning people into dolls weird? Azreldeh: Well, it could be that, it could be anything. 'Cause sometimes it wants to draw power from the nearest source; and, well, most things don't have a source of magic, and if they do, it's not something they can tap into on their own; so a demon lacking magic will try to draw in magic from any source that's surrounding them. This'll kill plants, maybe animals, maybe people; sometimes it makes people sick; sometimes they go comatose; sometimes they turn into other things...disrupting a person's natural flow of magic and spiritual energy can do seriously weird things. Collin: Not too surprising to hear. So is this coming from personal experience, or...? Azreldeh: I may or may not have accidentally trapped a guy's soul in a streetlamp for grabbing my ass once.

I can’t believe it’s not jojo

Collin: Ouch... I guess that was an illuminating experience? Azreldeh: He definitely ass-trally projected. Collin: Good grief, and I thought my pun was bad. So did you just leave him like that? Azreldeh: Well, no; he wasn't my target, he was just a jerk, so Chitola put him back and dumped him off near a bar somewhere. He woke up, figured he got really drunk or something, and went home. Collin: Hopefully he learned something at least, assuming he even remembered anything. Still, I'm sorry to hear that happened to you. Azreldeh: Eh, I've had worse. ...Aaaanyway, did you have anything else you wanted to know? Collin: Mm, nothing's coming to mind really. It's just nice being out here. Azreldeh: Yeah. Nothing but the sound of crickets and birds. Collin: Mmhmm. I'm not sure what made you want to ask me out, but I'm glad you did. It's nice just being able to talk. Azreldeh: I dunno: you just seemed...right. You're something I haven't tried before, so I figured I'd get to know you better. Collin: And how's that working out for you? Azreldeh: I think it is. Maybe a little, anyway. I'm sure there's more for me to learn. Collin: Likewise. I just wanted to make a good first impression, ahaha... Azreldeh: You made your first impression with me ages ago. Collin: Well... first date impressions, then? Azreldeh: Heheh, okay, I'll give you a pass there. Collin: So, did you have anything else you wanted to know? Azreldeh: Mmm, not yet. I think I kinda just wanna enjoy the view. Collin: Don't blame you there. I can work with that. The two spend some time admiring the night sky from their spot out on the grass. As the moon starts to rise higher into the sky, Collin eventually suggests they should head back before one of them falls asleep. He helps Azreldeh up onto her feet and opens the IT door for her, then follows her back inside.

I guess things are gonna keep this kinda slow pace for now? idk if I introduced someone kinda new before or after this

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