The Theatre

[quillpleasant]

To See the Wizards

Getting eaten does kill people. It's a statement of fact. "You guys know that they're not actually going to eat anyone, right? I'm pretty sure the Wizards don't even need to eat at all." That part of the conversation is getting away from Darko a little bit. "Well, Father Burrower might. But only bad people."

At Asami's confirmation on the roommate system, he nods glumly. It's going to be quite an adjustment to go from having his own space (although admittedly a pretty awful space) to living with someone. Of course, his invisible companion means that he's never really alone, but it's different to be around a real person, especially a stranger.

Darko thinks for a moment, then something occurs to him. "Wait, have you been assigned someone yet Asami? You wouldn't want to be roommates, would you?" It would certainly be a way to keep an eye on his magic acting up.

[Keeper]

To See the Wizards

Rowan decides to move on because he frankly doubts he's going to move the needle on that particular issue.
"I mean, most schools have single rooms. You're not guaranteed to get one but you can ask for it." He doesn't go to the school but that seems like a reasonable guess.

[[brackets lover]]

[To See The Wizards]

At the prospect of moving in with Darko, Asami's eyes widen in surprise. She tilts her head down and shyly responds, "Eh? Oh, right. I mean, I do have a roommate, but we don't quite get along. Y-yeah, I think I'd prefer rooming with you."

She pauses for a second, blushing. "But, um, I think things would be more confortable if we were the same gender. Is it easy to change that?"

[quillpleasant]

To See the Wizards

Darko thinks for a second. After living in close proximity to unearthly monsters for so long, it hadn't even occurred to him that it would be strange to room with someone of a different gender, but she has a point. "Well... it's not something I can change anymore. Or at least, I'd be really unhappy if I did. So... maybe that wouldn't work?"

Rowan also has a point. "I'll ask, yeah. I don't know, maybe I can convince them to let my friend count as a roommate. But then he'd probably need to enroll too, which would be a stretch." He glances thoughtfully at nothing. There is, perhaps unsurprisingly, no reply.

[Keeper]

To See the Wizards

Rowan does not know who Darko is referring to.
"Your friend...?" he asks quietly.

[[brackets lover]]

Asami crosses her arms and smirks at Darko. "No one said anything about you," he snaps, "You really need to listen better, little bro."

[quillpleasant]

To See the Wizards

"Yeah, my... my friend," says Darko vaguely, gesturing at thin air. "He's not a Wizard, he's been around since before I met them. No one but me can see him, but he's there."

It's unclear if there is actually something there, or if he's completely imagining it. The 'friend' makes no comment either way.

Darko pauses in confusion at Asami's comment until his brain catches up. "Oh... that's really cool! But that doesn't make you older." He's about to say that if anyone's a little bro, it's you but the last time he mentioned Asami's height it resulted in tears. So he simply won't do that. "So I guess that does actually work!" And it saves him the mortifying ordeal of trying to explain, well, everything to someone he doesn't know.

"Well then I guess... I should probably finish packing," he says, glancing around, "What little there is, anyway. Thanks again for coming here, guys. I'll still be around here all the time so if you ever wanna meet the nicer Wizards, we can do that sometime." Although he has a suspicion that Rowan, at least, may never want to set foot in this building again.

[Keeper]

To See the Wizards

Rowan feels like there's some explanation that Asami needs about these things but he is NOT qualified to unpack any of it so he's just not going to touch that one.
"I guess I never asked if you two were in the same grade." They're both so tiny to him he can't even tell. But he would guess Asami was younger...
"Well I hope it works out for you two. And I'm happy to help, Darko. Come back if you need a birthday cake or something."

[[brackets lover]]

[To See the Wizards]

Asami smiles serenely at Darko, nodding along to what he says.

At Rowan's wondering, Asami feeblishly replies, "Ya know, Nexus time is weird. PREP is weird. Who knows what grade we're really in?" His voice was appropriately more boyish now.

Asami puffs out his cheeks a little, looking about the theatre nervously. "Eto... Thank you, Rowan-san," he says politely before bowing apologetically, "Sorry 'bout insulting you and all earlier."

Finally, Asami looks back the way they came with an occupied look on her voice. "I suddenly feel like eating an entire box of Cheez-its and a single brownie," he says casually and Naruto-runs out.

[quillpleasant]

To See the Wizards

"We're both first years, Asami just started early," says Darko, semi confidently. He's not actually sure how she worked that out, but it's no weirder than demons or squirrels going to school. "And I sure will!" He'll probably stop by the bakery again sometime to chat- without Asami this time.

He waves to Asami as she runs out, a little amused. That whole situation was unexpected, but it's nice to not be the odd one out in regards to gender sometimes.

"Bye guys! I'm gonna stick around and say hi to the new guy." He glances with a little trepidation at the violent crystal onstage, then shrugs. It probably won't change much of anything.

[quillpleasant]

[Creepy Doll Tree]

The tradiguard lacks eyes (why would it need them?) and thus it utterly fails to notice Darko's farewell. But that's fine. The creature exudes an aura of chill.

Not like...

Freezing things.

Bismuth can do that though she typically suppresses it because draining the heat from her surroundings usually makes people uncomfortable. She IS doing it now, though. Which is making the already cold day even COLDER, causing some pockets of slushy snow nearby to freeze into ice. The white slime dragon is trying to keep warm and this is her best bet to do it. Darko probably won't notice unless he's quite observant since he's wearing Bismuth's fancy coat, though. It'll insulate him from Bismuth's supernatural chill.

Incidentally.

Turning her heat absorption on ALSO makes her glow more. Soft, cold white light with a hint of prismatic shimmer to it.

"Great! Let's get going before I freeze solid," she jokes, reaching out to wrap one of her tentacles around Darko's arm and follow him to the Theater. Not because this is a date or anything. The coat is just warm and a little bit of extra warmth will help!

Not a Date

Darko is not the most observant lad, and he does not notice the cold aura that Bismuth is creating. But he'd have to be blind not to notice her increased glow. He's going to remark on it, but... would that be rude? He doesn't know why she's glowing. On the other hand, Asami glows sometimes, and they are kind of connected, so it's probably something similar. Nothing to worry about.

And for some reason he doesn't mind the tentacle on his arm, even though he's not usually a fan of physical contact. Maybe it's different coming from a glowing slime dragon.

Regardless, true to Darko's word, it's not a very long walk. In fact, after only about five minutes they turn a corner and there it is, standing wedged between a convenience store and a dentist office. A squat brick building with a ticket booth in front, and a faded marquee just above. The letters are falling off, making the message hard to read.

S RR WVIL E EATR
NOW S OWING: "VI L T MID I HT OCE N"

"Oh, it's even closer than I thought," says Darko cheerfully, "Well, welcome to the Theatre!" He steps up to the front door of the building and knocks. After a moment, the door swings inward of its own accord.

"After you! Oh and, here's your coat back. Thanks for letting me wear it," says Darko a little sheepishly, shrugging it off. Hopefully she didn't get too cold, but at least he's mostly dried off by now.

[Rebonack]

[Not a Date]

Missing the glow WOULD be kind of difficult, yes. And in truth she DOES glow at least in part because of Asami. She's a white slime dragon instead of a green slime dragon thanks to Juibi metabolizing all that divinely power light. She wouldn't mind the question, either. Learning is fun! It's just a normal part of getting to know students at PREP. How come you can turn into a Magical Girl? How come you're a glowing slime dragon? How come you can pull monsters out of cards? How come random magical things happen around you?

All sorts of questions!

Anyway, Bismuth keeps pace pretty easily and the walk isn't that long. The temperature is just south of freezing, which definitely isn't great but thankfully for Bismuth her freezing temperature is a bit below that of water. The negative thermal gradient REALLY doesn't help her heat pump effect, though. It's actually burning energy to maintain it so she's going to be pretty hungry today.

"Wow this place is spooky! It's fantastic!" Bismuth laughs, accepting her coat back and draping it over herself, stepping her front legs through the sleeves and her tentacles through the OTHER sleeves.

It didn't have four sleeves when Darko was wearing it.

Once the coat is back and and Bismuth is stepping inside her glow begins dying down. Darko might notice the slight chill exuding from her now that he doesn't have the coat on anymore, but it won't last for long. She doesn't need to have her heat pump going if she has her fluffy coat!

"So this is where those wizards live? Do you know why they picked a run down theater?" Bismuth asks, turning her head this way and that as she focuses her vision to get a better, but still blurry, view of the interior.

[quillpleasant]

Not a Date

"So, out of curiosity... what makes you glow? Like, are there things that make you glow more, like the environment or emotions or something?" It was only a matter of time before he caved and asked. Darko may overthink things a lot, but in the end the desire to know more always wins out.

The magic sleeve changing coat is cool, but not entirely unexpected. Magic clothes often change to fit their wearer, only usually the changes are a little less extreme. Darko may not know a lot about magic, but he knows a little about magic items- mainly because people keep gifting them to him.

"I don't know how they picked this place, or if they picked it, really," he admits, following Bismuth inside, "I know it's really old, even older than it looks. But I'm not sure if the Wizards chose it because it's a magic place, or if they made it a magic place." It's a bit of a chicken and the egg type situation, really.

The interior is just as shabby as the outside. Moth eaten carpets cover the floors, and tarnished stanchions line the path, some still upright, most fallen over. A gaudy crystal chandelier hangs over a ticket counter, the wood paneling peeling and cracked; its flickering yellow light casts dramatic shadows across the room. To the right, a short hallway leads to doors that judging by the yellowing signage are bathrooms; while up past the ticket booth is a concession stand, with empty snack cases and a rusting popcorn machine. Two hallways lead further in, presumably towards the stage.

"When I first came here, there was actually food in those cases," remarks Darko, "But it was all... weird. It looked good, but it didn't have any taste at all. Still ate it, though." Beggars can't be choosers. It seems that the cases have not been restocked since.

Stepping up to the ticket booth, Darko dings a little bell on the counter. "Can I get two tickets to see, ehhh..." He pauses, trying to think of something. "I don't know, do you have any favorite plays? Or movies? I've heard of those but never seen one."

[Rebonack]

[Not a Date]

"Oh that's just my bright, luminous personality coming through!" Bismuth replies, sounding completely earnest in that explanation. She waits a good four seconds or so to give Darko time to look skeptical before ACTUALLY answering the question. "White slimes pull in heat from their surroundings to make energy, or to warm themselves up if it's too cold. The more they're pulling in, the more they glow! I was keeping myself warm on our walk so I was glowing."

There, see?

Simple explanation.

Bismuth paces in a little circle, taking in all the sights and smells. "I would guess it was magical, so they picked it. When wizards make towers they like picking a magical place! That way they don't have to make it magical themselves. Something about leylines? I wonder if they food didn't taste like anything because they Wizards made it and they don't know what taste is."

That seems like a pretty solid guess to Bismuth, but it would be tricky to prove. After all, they would have to ask the Wizards and the Wizards might not feel like cooperating.

As Bismuth paces, she reaches out with one of her tentacles and sets a fallen post upright. And since she can taste the things she picks up that provides some really useful information! "These don't taste like anything, either. Usually metals have a kind of sour taste but this doesn't. I wonder if the Theater is just one big stage and everything in here are just props."

More mysteries!

Bismuth likes a good mystery.

Speaking of!

"Clue! Clue's a great movie I bet you would like it," Bismuth suggests.

[quillpleasant]

Not a Date

Darko doesn't actually look skeptical- partly because magic is often tied to emotions, and partially because Bismuth's personality is pretty luminous. But the explanation does make a bit more sense. "Oh cool! Man, that kind of power would have come in useful while I was living here- this place can get pretty drafty sometimes."

Right now it's just chilly enough to be slightly uncomfortable, but not enough for frost to start forming. Even a regular jacket would be sufficient, much less a magic one.

"Yeah, it would make sense if the Wizards picked it. Or if it was picked for them? Sometimes I wonder if they even chose to come here, since they can't leave." In a way, it's almost like a prison. "And you might be right about the food- except that the Wizards also brought me green apples, and those had flavor. Basically all I ate for a few years. But I don't know if they made them, or conjured them from somewhere."

He can picture a random orchard somewhere plagued by suddenly disappearing apples. Well, if it was spread out they'd probably never notice.

Bismuth is correct that the post has no taste. And although there is a smell of dusty and rot, it's somehow artificial- the difference between tasting a real banana, and a banana flavored lollypop.

Darko nods slowly at the concept of the whole place being a stage. That makes a lot of sense, even if he's never though of it like that. She's only been here a minute and Bismuth already really seems to get this place, which makes him happy.

"Alright, two tickets for Clue!" he says, giving the bell another ding. "Or at least, that's what I'd say if this place actually played anything. The Silver Screen can do movies, but his stuff is always just... really weird." He begins to meander down the corridor towards the stage.

"Speaking of, if you want to meet one of the Wizards, you can pick which one! Their tokens are just up here," he calls over his shoulder.

[Rebonack]

[Not a Date]

"It's not as much help as you might think; it takes energy to keep warm. Humans stay warm like that, too, but I think the heat comes from inside you?" Bismuth says.

Sadly she doesn't know enough about mammal biology to be aware that thermal regulation is mostly powered by BROWN FAT around the kidneys. Maybe Darko is cold and soggy all the time because he's just too skinny.

As they chat about wizards and strangeness Bismuth continues setting the posts up, just because she can. This place looks like a dump but it can be at least a LITTLE nicer. Now she's wondering if they'll be knocked over again when they return to the lobby later.

"They can't leave?" Bismuth asks, considering the implications there. "Usually when mysterious beings can't leave somewhere it's either because they're guarding something or they're in spooky being jail."

If it's the second one then this might be an adventure! As a Cursed Hero Bismuth knows all about Sealed Evil in a Can. It's one of the required courses for Cursed Heroes.

"But at least they were nice enough to bring you real apples?"

That speaks to nice they must be! Maybe!

However! No movies. Sadly. Oh well. Bismuth will just have to plot to get Darko to a real movie some time. She trots along after him toward the stage, her 'horns' forward to try to get a better whiff of the place. The artificial smell definitely throws her off a little. Everything smells MORE OR LESS like regular things, but there's a subtly wrongness to it. At the very least she can still tell where everything is pretty easily.

"Their tokens?" Bismuth asks. Now she's imagining those fortune teller in a box machines that you put a coin into and then you get a made-up reading. Except wizards instead of prognosticators. But then again, wizards ARE prognosticators sometimes, aren't they?

[quillpleasant]

Not a Date

"Yeah, our like... stomach warms us up. Or maybe our brain does?" Darko also doesn't know that much about mammal biology. If he did, he'd probably be a little more careful about how much mold and dust he breathes in.

The lobby does indeed look a little nicer with the posts restored. Sure, it's a small change, but this place has clearly not had a good tidying in a very long time. Darko mainly focused on his own living quarters, since when you're a kid keeping your room clean is a big enough ask without worrying about an entire building.

"Yeah, most of them can't leave. I have seen some of them leave on a couple occasions, but very briefly and they couldn't manifest for weeks afterwards. It's like being outside just saps all their energy or something," elaborates Darko. "I've asked them why, but they have this way of being frustratingly vague about specifics. I've spent five years with them and I still feel like I barely know them sometimes." Wizards are known for being stingy with their secrets.

The hallway opens up on a path between rows of crumbling seats, leading up to the stage. The auditorium roof is too high and dark to make out, but spotlights illuminate the giant red curtains and cast dim lighting over the rest of the room. It's warmer in here, and the faint sound of dripping water echoes quietly in the background. There's some different scents as well- a very real, and very disgusting whiff of black mold; and a faint acrid hint of chlorine.

Arranged in front of the stage are eight wooden pedestals, each about four feet tall and bearing a strange object. "These are the tokens... or symbols, or whatever. The Wizards manifest on their own of course, but if I want to call on a specific one, this is how I do it."

Darko walks between the pedestals, pointing to each in turn. "Skull Taker," he indicates a small deer skull, "Tall Pig," a coil of green rope, "The Skinless King," a blue glass eye, "Father Burrower," a plastic Easter egg, "The Gamblers," a pair of wing tip shoes, "The Watcher," a porcupine quill, "Silver Screen," a pocket mirror, "And the Chrysalis," he gestures finally at a chunk of amethyst.

"Some of them are nicer than others. SK has been acting even weirder than usual lately, so I think he's definitely out." He grins excitedly, as if this is a collection of fun toys he's showing off. "I can tell you more about any of the others, or you can just pick one that strikes you."

[Rebonack]

[Not a Date]

But the question is, is this REAL mold and dust? Or just eldritch PROP mold and dust?

And if it is...

Is that better or worse?

"I think it's your stomach?" Bismuth says, not sure on this one herself.

So. On to wizard things. And gross black mold smell. Bismuth doesn't speak up on the question of manifesting, not right away at least. This sounds kind of like some of the more esoteric sorts of beings that are stuck in some kind of pocket reality. She considers it until they're standing before the collection of...

Creepy objects.

Associated with beings of creepy names.

Well, not all the objects look creepy anyway. But The Skinless King doesn't sound GREAT. Technically Bismuth doesn't really have skin, either. She's got a reinforced membrane! Which is different!

"This reminds me of big Uncle Juiblex, kind of. The one my parents named me after? He lives in the Slime Pit and I don't think he can actually leave. It's a place all its own like the Theater, but with more mold."

It's hard to imagine, really.

"But he can act and see through other slimes and oozes. Even me! If I ever grow a weird weeping eye all of sudden, then you'll know he's watching."

Fun!

Bismuth considers the collection of objects briefly before letting her whimsy direct her. "Father Burrower sounds fun! Is he a big rabbit like the Easter Bunny?"

That would be cute!

(He probably isn't cute)

[quillpleasant]

Not a Date

While Bismuth might be able to tell the difference between real mold and artificial, Darko's lungs certainly can't. Of course, it begs the question of what "real" even means, and if something created by an eldritch being is inherently different from something created by...

Whatever process creates everything else.

"Yeah, I was actually reading about Juiblex a little," says Darko with interest. In fact, after meeting the Juiblexes at lunch earlier he had immediately hit up the library to do a little research. "He's in another dimension, right? It sounds kind of cool, but a little scary."

Not like his Wizards. They're definitely not scary at all.

"And that does sound kind of familiar. The Wizards don't like, create eyes on me or anything but sometimes they just know stuff that I've done even if it's outside the Theatre. Makes it hard to keep anything secret from them." He shrugs. They are acting in a sort of guardian role, and privacy tends to be low on the list of priority for people in charge of children.

Darko smiles at Bismuth's question, glancing at the egg. "Oh haha, not so much. He's more like a big grub guy. Not the best conversationalist but he's a really good listener." He indicates the amethyst. "But the Chrysalis is actually a rabbit! She only showed up recently, so I don't know her as well as the others, but she seems cool."

[Rebonack]

[Not a Date]

That's definitely a question isn't it?

What even IS real, anyway?

"The Slime Pit is part of the Abyss, which is another dimension sure. But Juiblex isn't a demon; he's older than them. Older than mortals. He's called Abhoth, too, and in the stories under that name he's called the primordial slime that all life slithered out of in the dim ages of the past," Bismuth says, doing her best to sound mysterious. "I don't know if that's actually TRUE but it's a neat story, right?"

She sure thinks it sounds neat!

Also Bismuth has no weird elder eyes on her at the moment. Just slime the color of quartz crystal. Transparent and glassy with white 'frost' running through her.

"Maybe they just want to make sure you're staying safe?" Bismuth suggests. But then descriptions! "A big grub? Like a baby beetle? Or a worm? Those are diggy animals, too. Meeting a rabbit DOES sound like fun, though, so let's call Chrysalis! Then you'll get to know her too?"

A beat.

"So she's new? New wizards just come to the Theater sometimes?"

[quillpleasant]

Not a Date

Bismuth is succeeding in sounding mysterious- her story has Darko hooked. "Wait, really? So if that's true, then all life comes from Juiblex? Or Abhoth? Woah." He considers that for a second. "If he's your direct dad, that makes you kind of special by default then. Not that you weren't already. But like, in a cosmic sense."

Of course, those could just be stories. But then again, isn't everything?

"They're probably making sure everyone is safe from me," says Darko, only half joking. "But yeah, more like a big beetle baby with an ugly man face." It's an unpleasant description for an unpleasant entity. Bismuth probably made the right choice.

Darko walks over to the amethyst pedestal. "And no, new Wizards don't just appear, or didn't. This is the only new one to show up after I came, the others were all here before me. She says she was trapped somewhere, but I haven't gotten any details yet." He picks up the chunk of amethyst and then nimbly clambers up onto the stage.

"You can come up too, if you like. Or if you'd prefer to sit there's lots of chairs." And some of them are even intact!

Darko walks over to the huge red velvet curtain and gives the amethyst an underhanded toss against it. The gem sinks into the fabric, disappearing from view.

A few moments pass by. Darko smiles nervously.

Then the fabric rustles and a shape peers out from between the folds. It's a rabbit- specifically, a stuffed toy rabbit made out of lavender corduroy with black button eyes and white fabric stitching. It has long ears that stick up stiffly, and its paws are all rounded nubs without enough detail for digits.

It's also, counting the ears, about eighteen feet tall.

[Rebonack]

[Not a Date]

"Yeah! I know in some stories the gods make people for different reasons. In the stories about Juiblex he's just the source of all ooze and slime. But when the stories are about Abhoth he's the source of everything alive. Maybe none of those stories are historical but maybe they're all kind of right, too? Stories are funny like that!" Bismuth laughs. Then she bobs her head at the 'direct dad' comment. She hadn't said that, but Darko is sharp! "I found out on the trip to my old home town as part of my Terrible Revelation project. My parents did a ritual when my mom was still pregnant with me that made me a slime dragon egg just waiting to hatch. A spore from Juiblex himself. Which means I have three parents! Kind of! Usually slimes like Juiblex just make more copies of themselves; just like I do when I split. My parents thought I would be a copy of their god so that's why they named me Juiblex, too."

That definitely explains the name.

"But I'm not a copy of him!" Bismuth bounces. "I'm similar, but different; his daughter. Juiblex hasn't ever had a child before so this is pretty exciting! I can't wait to find out what the next part of my story's going to be."

She definitely sounds excited about it.

But now it's time for GRUB TALK.

"Why would people need to be safe from you? You seem pretty nice to me," Bismuth asks in all honestly. "And Father Burrower can still be nice even if he looks strange, right? After all, I look a little odd too."

It's true. Bismuth DOES look kind of strange. Like a cross between a sea slug and a dragon wearing a fuzzy coat.

When Darko fetches the token and climbs up on the stage Bismuth follows, bounding up without too much trouble. She is, after all, pretty bouncy. "Do you know if there are any others that are still stuck anywhere? Oh, they wouldn't tell you would they? Since they're mysterious."

And then!

Mysteriously!

A bunny appears!

A toy bunny?

A BIG toy bunny.

Bismuth cranes her neck to look waaaay up. "Wow! You're really big, haha, I wasn't expecting that! Hello Miss Chrysalis I'm Bismuth!"

[quillpleasant]

Not a Date

"Woah." Darko digests the story of Bismuth's history thoughtfully. "Having three parents is cool. So have you actually met Juiblex, or did you just learn about this from your other parents?" A beat. "And... how do you feel about the situation? If that's not too personal."

Because he can definitely see it making her feel awful, especially if it was a Terrible Revelation. But, with the right mindset, it could be pretty rad. A lot of it depends on the details of how her parents acted towards her after she was born.

And then she asks the question that is in Darko's mind quite frequently. Usually because he's obsessing over it.

"You know how my magic is wild? Well, it kind of has a mind of its own, and if I don't use it, then it gets angry and uses itself. Usually by lashing out at people around me. Which is a big part of why I'm trying to get rid of it." But that's a very depressing subject that could eat up the entire conversation.

"But anyway, you're right, all the Wizards look really weird but that doesn't mean they're bad. Like you- you're pretty, and nice, and also strange, and I think that's a good thing! I'm strange too." Darko blinks, rather surprised that he actually said that. Before he can get too embarrassed, he turns away to look at-

The Chrysalis!

Who bounces out from the curtain, almost soundless despite her huge size, and falls forward into a somersault, popping up and posing on one stubby leg.

"Ta da! Helloaloo to Bismuthjelly and the Dark Child!" Her voice is jolly but strangely distant, like an old cartoon playing on an analog television. She pirouettes around and then flops down on her back, giggling. Not the most dignified of eldritch beings.

"H- hello," says Darko, clearly a little taken aback by the enthusiastic display.

"There aren't any more of us! Unlessaless there is, because then there will have always been ones where there wasn't!" she says, co-opting Bismuth's last question from Darko.

[Rebonack]

[Not a Date]

"Well, kind of?" Bismuth replies after thinking about how best to explain this. "After the other adventurers and I traveled through the ruined city and into an offshoot of the Slime Pit where all the slime was growing out of we met my evil twin!"

That's a terrible revelation, right?

Just to make clear that's what it was, Bismuth adds a dramatic, "Duh DUN!"

"Who was actually Big J Juiblex. See, I split before I was born, right? One was just a copy of the Faceless God and the other was me. He was the source of the slime oozing out of the city and he wanted to turn ALL LIFE back into slime, which was terrible so we had to stop him. Mostly with a whole bunch of fire."

Fire solves lots of problems.

"And I guess I feel... okay about it! I got my Terrible Revelation AND I got to help save the day! I guess it isn't the worst Terrible Revelation, right? That I'm the princess of the Slime Pit? Or the prince, depending on which Me we're talking about," Bismuth laughs, shaping her hood to look a bit more like a crown. She's pretty upbeat about the whole thing.

Then at Darko's explanation Bismuth gives a little gasp! "Wow! You know you could probably enroll in the Cursed Hero program, too! That's exactly the kind of thing Cursed Heroes have to deal with! So the arcane grenades might be a really good way to use your magic without it going to wild! Which means I'm helping!"

She didn't even KNOW she was helping with something so important!

But now bunny.

Bismuth watches the display and has to practice a great degree of self restraint not to bound around, too! "Oh, neat, that makes sense. So a new Wizard isn't a new Wizard they're an old Wizard."

Nothing odd about that.

"Why are you called Wizards, anyway? Usually when I think of wizards as old men with pointy hats and beards."

That's a vicious stereotype, Bismuth.

[quillpleasant]

Not a Date

"Oh man." Darko considers the story for a moment. He would sure hate to have an evil twin. "Well, at least you managed to save the world! Wow, you really are a hero," he says admiringly.

"But still, having to fight your twin must have been really hard, even if you had to do it. Siblings are... they can make you feel a lot. I really miss mine." He goes silent for a minute, then shrugs. It's hard to remain morose around the upbeat slime.

At the mention of the Cursed Hero program, Darko's eyes widen. Hey! "That's... that's a really good point. I don't know why I've never thought of enrolling, because it totally fits! And yeah, of course you're helping. You've already helped a lot!" He gives her a goofy smile. The grenades are a help, certainly, but so is the Cursed Hero idea, and her company.

"I'm so gladalad that the Dark Child is making such nice friends!" chimes in the Chrysalis, wiggling her huge ears. She flops onto her side, leaning on one stubby arm as her button eyes regard the children.

"We never called ourselves wizardalards! The Dark Child started calling us that when he showed up."

Darko frowns at this. "Yeah, because you did magic and came from a stage. But wait, it wasn't you, you weren't there. Did the others tell you about it?"

"No, of course notalot! I just knew what happened, because if it hadn't, then it wouldn't, you see?" the bunny explains as if it's the most sensible thing in the world.

[Rebonack]

[Not a Date]

"It wasn't as hard as you might think! I didn't even KNOW I had a twin since my parents never told me. It felt more like... Discovering a villain was related to me before I had to stop his evil plot? He was just another bad guy. I'm mostly just sad that the BEST kind of heroism didn't work; turning enemies into friends," Bismuth sighs.

Then smiles at Darko.

A slime dragon smile sure is a thing.

"Sorry about your sibling. Did something happen to them, too?" Bismuth asks. Then quickly adds. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

As for the Cursed Hero program, Bismuth gives a firm nod! "They help you to learn how to deal with your curse! And how to progress through your Cursed Hero story arc without TOO much disaster happening. My curse tended to make oozes and slimes show up around me, which is a pretty big problem since oozes eat pretty much everything! Opening up your pantry and discovering that an ooze ate all your pasta is a bad surprise."

No one likes having their pasta eaten.

"It was all the excess magic leaking through me from the Slime Pit. Learning to expend that magic on my alchemy has really helped! I've only found a FEW oozes in the pantry since then!"

But rabbits!

"Well I aim to be the BEST friend!" Bismuth says, reaching out with a tentacle to wrap it around Darko's shoulders. "We have so much in common! We can help solve our problems and mysteries together! It'll be fun!"

That still leaves a very important question, though.

"Wait, so if you aren't wizards then who are you then?" Bismuth asks. It seems like a good question. Who IS this mysterious talking toy rabbit?

[quillpleasant]

Not a Date

Darko nods in understanding- or at least reassurance. He hasn't exactly stopped many villains, so he's not sure what dealing with bad guys is like in the first place. But he certainly agrees on the part about friendship.

He likes making friends. He'd be friends with everyone if he could, the weirder the better.

"I..." he hesitates, then returns the smile. "I don't mind answering. My sister went missing along with my parents five years ago. I... accidentally turned them all into animals, and I've been searching for them ever since. Maybe it's pointless, but I still feel like they're out there somewhere." Really, he should be looking harder now that his life is a little less focused on every day survival, but he's not sure where to even start after all this time.

The Chrysalis, despite having a pretty unchanging expression, somehow manages to look sad as Darko talks about his family. But she remains silent, just listening.

"Yeah, I'll definitely sign up for the Cursed Hero program. The more things helping me with my magic, the better. It's a little less predictable than your ooze thing, but... I guess occasionally the magic does good things too, and I can't imagine a random ooze being too helpful. Even if they are kind of cute." You gotta love the squishy little things.

As Bismuth puts a tentacle on Darko's shoulders he reddens a little, but doesn't protest. "Yeah exactly! We're already a great team, and it's only been a day!" He's not used to clicking with friends this quickly. Usually getting to know people is a little scary, but somehow not in this case.

Then the Chrysalis speaks up in answer to Bismuth's question. "We're not one thing, we're allalall unique! But we do come from the same place, it's..." She thoughtfully rests her chin on her paws. "There's no goodalood word for it. It's behind the places kids like you can go. It's not something that canalan really be explained."

"Yeah, I talked Tall Pig into showing me once, and I just... can't remember anything about it," chimes in Darko.

[Rebonack]

[Not a Date]

"With your magic? Oh no! Well, I hope you can find them. Do you know what kind of animals you turned them into?" Bismuth asks.

Hopefully not pigs like in Spirited Away.

Someone might have eaten them!

"I'm sure that the faculty will find good classes for you!" Bismuth insists. "And between you and me slimes are cuter than oozes. Oozes are just hungry goop puddles."

Summoning hungry goop puddles when you don't want to is definitely a problem.

Bismuth smiles and nods at the team up, yep! She's sure that they'll do great if they go on a delve together! She's also considering what Chrysalis said about where maybe not wizards come from.

"Behind? Oh! So you're from back stage! From behind the curtain! But the world's curtain instead of a theater's!" she suggests, very proud of her metaphor.

Understanding metaphors is definitely an important part of being a cursed hero.

[quillpleasant]

Not a Date

"Yeah, that was the first thing my magic ever did. Turned my parents into rats, and my sister into a big black dog. Wild rats only live a couple years, but... it might be different for people shapeshifted into rats." He hopes so, at least. Because the alternative would ramp his guilt up to unprecedented levels.

But then Bismuth is bringing up a very interesting point about something that Darko doesn't have much knowledge on. And he would like to! "What is the difference between slimes and oozes? You're a slime, right? Are they all smart like you?" He hadn't even known there was a difference!

At Bismuth's metaphor, the Chrysalis hops up into a handstand- then an earstand! She claps her paws together with a muffled sound.

"I couldn't have put it better myselfalelf! Dark Child, you keep this friend around. She has a good headalead on her shoulders!"

"I intend to," says Darko, hiding a smile.

"Speaking of heads, if you two want to practice working together, I have a jobalob that needs doing. No rushalush, you kids hang out here as long as you want," says the rabbit, falling out of the earstand and rolling up to a sitting position. Darko nods- he's very used to being sent on strange errands by the Wizards, although they've never asked anyone else before.

[Rebonack]

[Not a Date]

Oh getting turned into rats sounds pretty bad. Rats don't live very long and lots of things eat rats, too. Bismuth doesn't say that, though, since hope is important. Getting turned into a dog doesn't sound very good, either. But that's still probably better than being a rat. So instead she just nods hopefully.

It's a good thing they have a subject change, though! And on a subject Bismuth DOES know about! Her parents (the human ones) were kind of crazy about all things goopy and she was forced to learn all about the servants of the Faceless God.

"There's a big difference! Oozes are big hungry puddles; they don't really have any shape. They aren't very smart and they only make new oozes by splitting when they get too big," Bismuth begins. "Slimes DO have a shape, though. Because they have a cytoskeleton! See how it looks like I have that frosty colored wire-frame under my skin? That's my cytoskeleton and it helps me stay me-shaped!"

All very important Slime Facts!

"Slimes have a core, too, that's the sparkly ball inside my head. It does the same job a brain does in humans. Most slimes aren't people-smart. More like animals. But oozes aren't smart at all. No core, no smarts!"

And those are your Slime Facts for the day.

Bismuth finds herself laughing at Chrysalis' antics. The Wizards seem pretty silly. Or maybe it's just this one? It sounds like some of the other ones are creepier. "Thanks! What kind of job do you need done? Even if we don't do it right now it wouldn't hurt to know what it is."

She DOES have her mobile alchemy lab with her. If she knows what kind of job it is then she could prepare some potions while they chat!