Riverside

[Ironsmith]

[Room with a Goat]

"I don't... think that's a thing?" Exstacy grimaces.

"It isn't. If your union is put together the way I expect it is, Melody won't manifest inside of you." Euphoria confirms.

Exstacy gives a little nod. "Okay, that's go-"

"Because she isn't 'inside' of you. She is partially integrated. You are more likely to manifest physically merged."

"...Ooookay that wouldn't be great, either." Exstacy winces. "How bad would it be?"

"As of right now, I would suppose the end result would be something comparable to conjoined twins. In that the two would be mostly separate, but not completely. Literally joined at the hip, as it were. I can't say for sure, though. Most cases like this are a bit more one-sided; one soul consuming the partial remains of another. Two joining together before being brought to the Abyss isn't something I've seen, even in the five hundred years I was down there." Euphoria makes a vague gesture toward Jaahlyn. "My theory is that the longer the process is allowed to go on, the more integrated you become with each other and the more indistinguishable from a singular being you become. Since you can still tell we're dealing with Melody and Jaahlyn, as opposed to a Melody-Jaahlyn hybrid, it should still be possible to pull the two of you apart without any lasting damage."

"...I guess that's better than her exploding or something." Exstacy winces. "But it doesn't sound like fun."

"It won't be."

[Shadowcaller]

[Amity Park]

Jaahlyn really didn't want to spell out what Dulcie was asking of her here. They barely knew one another and she wanted her to call up her girlfriend to... introduce herself? Why was she so convinced that she would do all this for her?
"I think she would prefer it to as opposed to suddenly introducing some goat-legged weirdo to her. Or is she used to having things like this sprung on her?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Room with a Goat]

"I don't... think that's a thing?" Exstacy grimaces.

"It isn't. If your union is put together the way I expect it is, Melody won't manifest inside of you." Euphoria confirms.

Exstacy gives a little nod. "Okay, that's go-"

"Because she isn't 'inside' of you. She is partially integrated. You are more likely to manifest physically merged."

"...Ooookay that wouldn't be great, either." Exstacy winces. "How bad would it be?"

"As of right now, I would suppose the end result would be something comparable to conjoined twins. In that the two would be mostly separate, but not completely. Literally joined at the hip, as it were. I can't say for sure, though. Most cases like this are a bit more one-sided; one soul consuming the partial remains of another. Two joining together before being brought to the Abyss isn't something I've seen, even in the five hundred years I was down there." Euphoria makes a vague gesture toward Jaahlyn. "My theory is that the longer the process is allowed to go on, the more integrated you become with each other and the more indistinguishable from a singular being you become. Since you can still tell we're dealing with Melody and Jaahlyn, as opposed to a Melody-Jaahlyn hybrid, it should still be possible to pull the two of you apart without any lasting damage."

"...I guess that's better than her exploding or something." Exstacy winces. "But it doesn't sound like fun."

"It won't be."

[Room with a Goat]

"And you're telling me this now? Seems like something you should have brought up right away. Since I could just let her go right now and guide her down there instead." She had been ready to go right there and then but Euphoria had waited with that crucial piece of information to the last minute?

[Ironsmith]

[Room with a Goat]

"Sorry, I was a bit distracted dealing with the fact that my..." Euphoria stops and takes a deep breath. "...with the fact that our drummer just confessed to murdering Melody and trying to justify it as being for her own good. So pardon me for not prioritizing explaining what I think could theoretically happen if the experienced psychopomp who should know this already decides to go down to the Peccatorium with Melody still in her stomach."

"Easy, girl." Exstacy grimaces, getting up on her toes and massaging the back of Euphoria's neck, looking over at Jaahlyn the whole time. "You're still doing us all a huge favor. If you can just let her go and guide her instead of taking her with you the, um, way you are now, please do."

"Just don't do it on the carpet. We just got it shampooed." Euphoria mumbles.

[Arkhosia]

[Amity Park]

Jaahlyn really didn't want to spell out what Dulcie was asking of her here. They barely knew one another and she wanted her to call up her girlfriend to... introduce herself? Why was she so convinced that she would do all this for her?
"I think she would prefer it to as opposed to suddenly introducing some goat-legged weirdo to her. Or is she used to having things like this sprung on her?"

[Amity Park]

The answer Jaahlyn's wondering about is terribly simple; Dulcie's simply used to people doing what she tells them to. Say things sweetly enough or with enough force and urgency, and they find themselves moving to do it before they've even really thought about it. And with the right leverage, so do the people too stubborn and hostile to move.

"Hm, I suppose you might be right. It would have been terribly out of the blue for her, far more than anything else I've ever surprised her with. I'm not sure you could really make 'hey meet this weird death lady I met' in the blue, though." The girl smiles.

[Shadowcaller]

[Room with a Goat]

Well, she was also stressed out! And it wasn't Euphoria that would have fused bodies with someone, or the one risking her life here. Going through all of this effort without any kind of compensation.
Of course she wasn't going to actually say this as this situation had gotten heated enough already.
So she takes a deep breath and just tries to answer the question. "...unless your souls radically different than the ones I'm used to there's no risk that the carpet will get harmed."

A pause as she stares down at her hoofs and what they were standing on until she suddenly steps away.

"-but just in case, I'm still going to step off it."

She then raises her hand in a gesture of farewell. "Wish me good luck, going to free Melody's soul on the way in-between just in case." Psychopomps were especially powerful in the in-between. Which also included crossroads. So it was probably for the best.

If the two don't have anything else to add the satyr will hold out her hands which causes a black scythe seemingly made from the stuff of shadows to form within her grip. She will then cut downwards, causing no harm to the floor yet opens up a black abyss underneath her.

And the next moment she's falling into it.

[Amity Park]

"I guess so. I haven't actually met any other psychopomp except for Ana in the nexus yet to be honest. Probably since most of us, including the ones from my world, don't go around in physical form like I do." She gives Dulcie a nod. "Just between you and me, they probably consider me a bit crazy." She'd compare herself to a butcher getting emotionally attached to the pigs they were about to butcher, but that didn't really do it justice and just sounded awful.

[Gullara]

[Amity Park]

Code: Select all

to: Kahu<3

Oh hey, met a psychopomp 
Her names Jaahlyn, she's bit weird and isn't a necromancer, but can animate dead things or smth??
Anyways, idk maybe she can help you out with stuff, her number's [Jaahlyn's number]

[Amity Park]

Code: Select all

to: Dulcie

huh that's cool
how'd you meet her? tell me about it later

[Arkhosia]

[Amity Park]

"I guess so. I haven't actually met any other psychopomp except for Ana in the nexus yet to be honest. Probably since most of us, including the ones from my world, don't go around in physical form like I do." She gives Dulcie a nod. "Just between you and me, they probably consider me a bit crazy." She'd compare herself to a butcher getting emotionally attached to the pigs they were about to butcher, but that didn't really do it justice and just sounded awful.

[Amity Park]

"Really? Well, if I see any more of them around, I promise I'll keep your secret safe." Dulcie winks, then moves to stand up. "Anyways, I should probably be going. It's getting late, and my parents might worry if I stay out any longer. Thank you so much for meeting with me, it's been a pleasure and you were very helpful."

[Shadowcaller]

[Amity Park]

"Eh-" Jaahlyn can't help but to chuckle a bit at that idea. "Don't tell Ana then I guess." Then she makes a bow which would have looked overly formal if she hadn't performed it so smoothly. "But I likewise wish you well then and hope that whatever vision that you were shown will come true in the best way possible, miss Dulcie."

[Morty]

[Project Icarus]

The bird is hit and doesn't seem to do much to avoid it. Lasers shear off parts of it, mist and smoke and feathers drifting in the air. But it doesn't seem to slow it down considerably. It's as if it's simply shedding unnecessary parts, sacrificing them to reach its goal. When it finally reaches Nahlrae, it's more of a contour than a bird, a black shape with a pair of glowing yellow eyes. The boy will immediately recognize his father having come to him.

[Ironsmith]

[Room with a Goat]

Well, she was also stressed out! And it wasn't Euphoria that would have fused bodies with someone, or the one risking her life here. Going through all of this effort without any kind of compensation.
Of course she wasn't going to actually say this as this situation had gotten heated enough already.
So she takes a deep breath and just tries to answer the question. "...unless your souls radically different than the ones I'm used to there's no risk that the carpet will get harmed."

A pause as she stares down at her hoofs and what they were standing on until she suddenly steps away.

"-but just in case, I'm still going to step off it."

She then raises her hand in a gesture of farewell. "Wish me good luck, going to free Melody's soul on the way in-between just in case." Psychopomps were especially powerful in the in-between. Which also included crossroads. So it was probably for the best.

If the two don't have anything else to add the satyr will hold out her hands which causes a black scythe seemingly made from the stuff of shadows to form within her grip. She will then cut downwards, causing no harm to the floor yet opens up a black abyss underneath her.

And the next moment she's falling into it.

[Room with a Goat]

Exstacy starts as Jaahlyn brings down her scythe, letting out a little yelp when the void appears... only to realize that, no, Jaahlyn had not opened a portal directly into the Abyss in their living room. The fact that it was still a comfortable temperature made that pretty clear.

"...Luck." She finally says, a bit belatedly, after Jaahlyn's already gone.

"...Indeed." Euphoria confirms. "...I'm going to go make an ashtray. Do you want to come with?"

"...I guess it's better than sitting and waiting. Not by much, though..."

[Shadowcaller]

[Room with a Goat==> The Tunnels Between

It's neither warm or hot within the tunnels between since temperature was something actual places had. This was a metaphorical place. A visual stand in that Jaahlyn still quite hadn't figured out. She recalled doing experiments at some point, bringing along various items with her which she had carved her name into and then dumped on the floor just to see where they went. Would they be there when she came back?

They weren't.

It would be lifetimes later (how many she wasn't sure) when another psychopomp she couldn't recall the name of claimed they had found the items carved with her name deep underneath the earth somewhere. As if they had just came to be there long ago. Which she guessed was where they ended up if they didn't go to the end of the tunnel.

Melody is perhaps not completely unintentionally fed with this memory to give her an idea how this unreal place worked.
Jaahlyn usually manifested it as a hole since it was easier to just jump down but in this case she had to do something on the way which she would rather not do while falling. So this time the name of the place made a bit more sense.

Since they are in some kind of tunnel. Though what kind depends on Melody's previous experiences with them since they're simply mimicking her memories. They could be massive and cave-like or tiny and claustrophobic. Clearly man-made with pillars and other reinforcements or natural with stalactites and all the other features Jaahlyn hadn't learned the names of.

What the tunnel always have though is a way forward. Or more accurately downwards as the tunnels only led down, never up. Had to hitchhike a dream to do that.

It is now Melody will suddenly realize that she was separate from Jaahlyn and somehow possessed a body of her own. Though it wasn't her body, it was her own memories of her body. Being formed much like the tunnels around her were and looking just as unreal.
The only thing that wasn't was Jaahlyn herself and her belongings, foremost that bauble tied to her tail which was shining brilliantly now.

"Let's get going, you will be able to tell when were there once you get your actual body back I'm guessing. It's sometimes hard to tell where these tunnels end and the underworld begins. But your underworld is probably a bit more distinct. I recall it being rather cold."
She starts walking and the next post, made in planeside, can be made in Melody's underworld.

[Gullara]

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

"Out of books?" Sticks raises his thin eyebrows, obviously impressed. "That must be no mean talent you possess, young lady."

"Well, this is somewhat irregular, but... fah," Sticks flexes the long, spidery brass fingers of one hand. "What can I assist you with, specifically? To what are you attempting to bind spirits?" The toymaker gets the feeling that the young lady doesn't want an actual tutor, and imagines that she must have a specific goal in mind for this milestone in her studies.

Of course, the tall man considers that he may be looking at a young necromancer himself. Sticks knows very well more than one method to bind an unwilling soul or a wayward spirit to an intact corse. Such things produce incredibly formidable constructs, in fact - the shape of the once-living material is an ideal vessel for the formless dead, and an ideal instrument for them to interact with the world.

A flash of old insight runs through him, making his prosthetic fingers twiddle and click without his noticing. Ideal vessels, but so fragile. It was what led him to work with wood, with steel. Bone modified by steel prosthetics. Like screwing a steel plate to man's skull. Better than flesh, than bone alone. Armor plating. Hydraulics enhanced with magical principles.

Oh yes. Very formidable constructs.

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

Reilana adopts a confident little smile at that bit of praise. No mean talent is right. She hasn't been working at this for five years for nothing.

Her smile falters a bit when he starts asking specific questions, though. This she needs to dance around. Thankfully she has a plan. "I've done some study already." Largely cramming in the last week. "What I want to create is a sort of familiar. I have some... materials to work with, and I think they should be fresh enough that I the spirit could be coaxed back to them." She explains.

[Reinholdt]

[Project Icarus]

The bird is hit and doesn't seem to do much to avoid it. Lasers shear off parts of it, mist and smoke and feathers drifting in the air. But it doesn't seem to slow it down considerably. It's as if it's simply shedding unnecessary parts, sacrificing them to reach its goal. When it finally reaches Nahlrae, it's more of a contour than a bird, a black shape with a pair of glowing yellow eyes. The boy will immediately recognize his father having come to him.

[Project Icarus]

Nahlrae recognizes the bird of course. Who wouldn't understand that the supernatural entity that just flew in was an ancient fey lord of fear and forgotten things. Not that any of this elicits a reaction from the perfectly still child, the unmoving toddler as cold to his father as he is to everyone else, waiting patiently for the bird to state its business.

[Morty]

[Project Icarus]

"My son," says the bird in a hoarse whisper. "You seek to help bring your mother back. It will be a journey of fear and terror. I can help you understand it as a predator does."

[Reinholdt]

[Project Icarus]

Nahlrae regards father bird, wondering if such a wounded sounding creature could truly provide any value. Not that it matters today.

"It is not the predator I seek to understand, it is the prey." This was a truly rare opportunity to not only experience fear, but to embrace and bask within its snarled hands. He's felt it in Mother's eyes, seen it in the ambulant quiver of the Tin Man's claws, heard it in the delay of the AI's responses. He knows the concept that grips them, but not its meaning, its purpose, its bite. He seeks not the understanding his father holds, but a deeper one that surpasses even his father's knowledge.

[Meowmai]

[Fight or Flight]

Thankfully Nadia wasn't there to hear that, because she wouldn't make that promise.

Eliseo rolls his eyes. "Yeah, sure, I guess." He says to appease her. This has been quite enough honestly.

[Fight or Flight]

Irena's eyes twitches at Eliseo's eyeroll. She had little patience for this teenage arrogance. "Or don't. Fuck it, I just wanted to hear how those assholes got their comeuppance but I guess I'm too old for that." She remarks as she throws her hands in the air.

[Fight or Flight]

The changeling's head tilted. This kind of talk was something she could never imagine hearing from her parents. Atsede initially had assumed Irena was just trying to find a way to coax them into admitting some kind of guilt, but this actually sorta seemed genuine? She decided to test the waters a bit. "Well look, if I get any photos of them with their asses in the dirt I'll send em your way, alright?"

[Murkus]

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

Reilana adopts a confident little smile at that bit of praise. No mean talent is right. She hasn't been working at this for five years for nothing.

Her smile falters a bit when he starts asking specific questions, though. This she needs to dance around. Thankfully she has a plan. "I've done some study already." Largely cramming in the last week. "What I want to create is a sort of familiar. I have some... materials to work with, and I think they should be fresh enough that I the spirit could be coaxed back to them." She explains.

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

"Do you intend to actually call up spirits, or do you have specific spirits in mind?" Sticks asks, a note of concern in his voice. Coaxing wayward spirit beings back into their fallen bodies was one thing. Calling up a spirit from their rest eternal was a great deal more risky, particularly for a novice. Any number of things could go catastrophically wrong, not the least of which was calling up the wrong thing. Necromancers who fumbled such a ritual tended not to live particularly long. "When you say a familiar, do you mean a... little bone cat, perhaps? A bird?"

[Morty]

[Project Icarus]

The bird's bright eyes peer intently at Nahlrae.

"I know the minds of prey. I have sown fear into them ever since I spoke myself into being. When the first humans huddled around fires, I was there, looking over their shoulders. I can help you understand what you see."

[Gullara]

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

"Well as far as I understand having the remains should make calling the spirit back much more simple, right? Since the spirit is thanergetically connected to its body." Reilana explains, clearly citing some learned knowledge. "Something like that. I... actually have the remains with me right now. Do you want to see?" There's a little smile and twinkle in her eyes as she gets to this part. Oh she's excited.

[Gullara]

[Fight or Flight]

Eliseo just shrugs. Atsede can do whatever she likes, he thinks. Not gonna bother him. No idea why Irena has to be so nosey, though. She's basically just an alternate version of mom in that way.

[Reinholdt]

[Project Icarus]

Nahlrae peers back, before finally breaking the tension by kicking his feet back and forth. "You just want in Mother's pants. Fine, you can come if you want. Tell me all about the good old days. I won't stop you." Father was dreadfully in need of a software update.

[Shadowcaller]

[Fight or Flight]

The changeling's head tilted. This kind of talk was something she could never imagine hearing from her parents. Atsede initially had assumed Irena was just trying to find a way to coax them into admitting some kind of guilt, but this actually sorta seemed genuine? She decided to test the waters a bit. "Well look, if I get any photos of them with their asses in the dirt I'll send em your way, alright?"

[Fight or Flight]

Eliseo just shrugs. Atsede can do whatever she likes, he thinks. Not gonna bother him. No idea why Irena has to be so nosey, though. She's basically just an alternate version of mom in that way.

[Fight or Flight]

Darn Kid, Nadia would punish him if he said what they were going to do in revenge.

Or at least so Irena assumes.

She takes a long look at Atsede (man, that kid was tall!) and then nods and gives her the thumbs up. "'kay. Thanks. There's foxa-cola in the fridge if you want any." Irena states with a dismissive gesture towards the front door. "Also-" She adds, now looking pointedly at Eliseo. "-if there's anything else be sure to tell me rather than Nadia, okay? She's under a lot of stress right now and I don't want all your teenage drama to be hanging over her on top of everything else." She was of course talking about the pregnancy.

[Morty]

[Project Icarus]

The King in Rags doesn't comment on whether Ilpholin's pants feature into his motivations. The bird simply flies over to Nahlrae and turns into shadow and dust, hiding behind the boy's own shadow. There it waits for Tauron to return and the procedure to begin.

[Murkus]

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

"Well as far as I understand having the remains should make calling the spirit back much more simple, right? Since the spirit is thanergetically connected to its body." Reilana explains, clearly citing some learned knowledge. "Something like that. I... actually have the remains with me right now. Do you want to see?" There's a little smile and twinkle in her eyes as she gets to this part. Oh she's excited.

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

"That's precisely right, but--" Sticks strokes his narrow chin. "This sort of magic tends to be somewhat dangerous unless you are meticulous with preparation for the calling. The correct being must be drawn forth, or else opportunistic forces seeking a doorway into this world may latch onto the spell as a form of gateway. I tend to avoid this sort of magic myself for just this reason. Not to mention that finding a being willing to return from Beyond for entirely wholesome reasons can be a challenge unto itself. Animals are simpler, but..."

Sticks takes careful note of Reilana's reaction when he mentions 'willing' spirits. The sort he tends to traffic in himself, in fact. Unwilling spirits were also relatively simple to call up, and could even be slotted into remains which did not belong to them. Creating... well. Unspeakable things. The classical reasons for which necromancers are looked upon with suspicion, in fact.

He pauses, with something resembling mild alarm. "You're-- carrying remains around? With you?" Necromancers. It seems even in their infancy, they're bound to be eccentric folk. But who was he to talk? "This-- Ah." He sighs and suggests, "This is a place for children. Perhaps... perhaps you ought to come back after I close. You can show me your project then."

[Gullara]

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

Reilana gives him a pretty level look throughout his explanation. Perhaps a pretty carefully level one, but it's hard to say. "It's a bit hard to say what 'willing' is with animals, but they can be coaxed, right? I only really work with animals, so I don't think I need to worry as much about that." She clarifies helpfully.

"Yeah I got them right here." She turns partially to reveal a black canvas bag hanging from her back. "Don't worry, though. They're totally cleaned up, Just bones now. I put extra effort into this one, even if I'm pretty meticulous normally. But, uh, if you still don't want to see right now that's fine." This guy's a pretty strange necromancer by her estimation, whatever label he prefers.

[Meowmai]

[Fight or Flight]

A thumbs up was certainly unexpected. This was not Mom Behaviour. Nadia was a lot more in line with what she expected from Moms. She didn't even know about the pregnancy, she just expected she was always like this. Thats just how Moms were, to her.

"Right, yeah. Cool." A foxa-cola didn't sound so bad right now. She'd leave the rest of the Mom stuff for Eliseo to deal with.

[Gullara]

[Fight or Flight]

"Alright alright. Like I said, don't worry about it." Eliseo dismisses. "It'll be fine." He reiterates.

[Murkus]

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

Reilana gives him a pretty level look throughout his explanation. Perhaps a pretty carefully level one, but it's hard to say. "It's a bit hard to say what 'willing' is with animals, but they can be coaxed, right? I only really work with animals, so I don't think I need to worry as much about that." She clarifies helpfully.

"Yeah I got them right here." She turns partially to reveal a black canvas bag hanging from her back. "Don't worry, though. They're totally cleaned up, Just bones now. I put extra effort into this one, even if I'm pretty meticulous normally. But, uh, if you still don't want to see right now that's fine." This guy's a pretty strange necromancer by her estimation, whatever label he prefers.

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

"...It isn't all that hard to tell, in my experience," says Sticks, eyeballing the little necromancer. After you've watched animals a while, and their little wayward spirits, it isn't terrible hard to tell when one of them doesn't want to do something. That's certainly not a great sign. Though of course, not everyone has the benefit of directly observing and interacting with such spirits as he does. The wizard has more to say on it, but then Reilana lifts her bag.

Sticks sighs. "How about you bring them in the back?" Sticks suggests. He puts up a little 'OUT TO LUNCH' placard and waves Reilana back toward a door in the rear of the shop.

It's a mess back here. Parts and half-finished projects piled high, brass skeletons hanging from hoists like museum exhibits dedicated to a clockwork culture. It smells richly of oil and metal. The wizard will clear some space on a large worktable for Reilana to roll out her project.

[Gullara]

[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

"Sure." She follow him back. Once inside she slings the bag of her back. Opening it, Reilana carefully retrieves its contents. She doesn't just have a loose bundle of bones, but a container. When opened it's filled with paper towel wrapped bundles. Slowly she extracts the small skeleton. She handles each meticulously cleaned bone with great care.

She arrays the entire skeleton out, not a bone missing, each one lovingly cared for. "It's a rabbit. I know it doesn't seem like much." The young woman keeps her eyes on the little array of bones. "But I think this spirit should be more amicable than most. She was... my pet. Before she died."