Home

[[brackets lover]]

[Skye's Apartment]

"Uh, um... There's this thing called 'gender' actually," Asami clarifies.

With the view presented to him, Asami can't help but look away entirely. However, Skye's question distracted Asami enough for his willpower to waver and cause him to glance out of the corner of her eye.

"Just a corona," he says.

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

"I'm familiar with the distinction, Asami. Gender is your internal expression, while sex is your body's structure. The mystic in my clan back home was both a man and woman internally - it was exceedingly frustrating to them that they could not be both in body as well. Also, the vast majority of people don't have a corona either," Skye says, straightening up to regard Asami curiously. She's got one eyebrow raised as she looks at the much shorter boy.

[[brackets lover]]

[Skye's Apartment]

"Ah, well... yeah," he agrees passively, "How many people have you met that don't have something out of the ordinary in some way?"

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

"Most I've met throughout my life. Even here in the Nexus, I mostly only meet unusual people at PREP. Further, what people are attracted to doesn't tend to shift, you were certainly not appreciating my body like this the last time we met," A wide smile spreads across Skye's face.

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment (elsewhen?)
Knock knock knock.
Standing outside the door is a familiar succubus in jeans and a T-shirt.
Skye will have seen Mary's new look, with feathered wings and tail, before.
"Hey, Skye, are you busy right now? I have something I could use your help with."

[[brackets lover]]

[Skye's Apartment]

Asami is taken aback by Skye's accusation, stammering with sheer embarassment, 「つみつみつみしむちめにめにめちむすゆすゆちりちゆにつゆつるぬるねゆぬゆぬゆしるつるねねねりつしゆにめぬゆねゆつるちゆにめゆつるてひねみつむしむちへにめちゆつむてみてててゆて !!!!!!」

He quickly covers his face with his shirt, turning away from Skye and going silent. His head tilts up when he hears the door knocked on but he doesn't respond to it any other way.

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

Soft, gorgeous laughter pours from Skye's lips at Asami's response. As she goes to step past him, she'll lean down and... plant a kiss right onto his head, lingering there for a moment before she goes to answer the door. As she hasn't changed yet, she's still wearing that too-small shirt and pants combo.

"Mary! Hello! Come on inside and make yourself at home. I was just helping Asami with something. What is it that you need?"

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
Mary looks back and forth between Skye and Asami (who's apparently a boy now?). It doesn't take a succubus' intuition to figure out that something's going on here. "It's kinda personal. I need help practicing some magic, and your special skills would be helpful." Unlike Asami, Mary does a good job keeping her eyes where they're supposed to be (although knowing Skye, the reverse may not be true). Mary shoots Asami a cautious glance. She's a little uncomfortable about having him there.

[[brackets lover]]

[Skye's Apartment]

As Skye kisses Asami, he shouts "Gyah!" and leans back in response, falling on his butt. He sits there dazed for a few seconds, suddenly getting to his feet as Mary speaks. "Yes, practicing magic! That's very important and you should do that right now immediately!" he squeals, his voice cracking.

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

Skye's smirk is telling. Her eyes do glance down to Mary's chest - she has her own preferences, after all! - but she nods and says, "Training is very important. I'd be happy to help; please, follow me. Asami and I were largely done with the meat storage anyways."

She intends to guide Mary towards her living room, intent on sitting on the floor in front of the space in front of the couch, which sits in front of a large bay window the sun is currently shining through, to give them an illuminated area from which to do this. The hard, determined eyes of the many-armed war god in the shrine occupying the corner of the room watch balefully as Skye seats herself, "Asami, you're welcome to take something from the kitchen. Mary, please, sit, and explain exactly what you wish to train."

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
Mary sits down across from Skye. She glances nervously at Asami. She'd rather keep this under wraps and she doesn't trust the star child to keep a secret. "I need to practice possessing people, and you're good at resisting mind stuff, so you would be able to throw me out if something went wrong."

[[brackets lover]]

[Skye's Apartment]

"Th-th-th-th-thank you," Asami stutters in part towards Skye and in part towards Mary.

He heads towards the kitchen, taking a quick look before starting to feel winded from his accelerated breathing. He places his hands on the nearest counter plants his forehead between his hands, gradually slowing his breathing.

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

Skye leans forward to whisper to Mary, "If it helps, Asami is attracted to women like this, and clearly doesn't know how to handle themself around large curves," she indicates with a nod of her head towards Mary's chest; they both have the kind of figure that flusters the absolute hell out of a boy like Asami is right now.

She figures giving Mary some kind of power over the situation will help.

Then she leans back and nods, "Yes, I'm quite capable of that. I'd be happy to help. Simply begin whenever you're ready."

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
"She's... Er, he's twelve, Skye," Mary points out. "That's a little creepy."
Is it a bad sign when the literal succubus thinks something doesn't pass the smell test?

"All right. I'm going to try possessing you. Don't resist at first please."
And then Mary collapses, seemingly unconscious. A moment later, Skye will feel an unknown force pressing into her mind, trying to take hold of her.

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

Skye blinks, for two reasons. First, she hadn't been aware Asami was only twelve; that's entirely new information to her. Given the way Asami spoke, she assumed Asami was just a short teen on par with the pair of them. The second... well, she doesn't really consider that too young to mess with. It's not like she was going to make out with Asami. He's old enough he's starting to explore sexual feelings; messing with him is natural in that regard. Yes, he's a child, but so are they.

That's entirely because of Skye's home culture, though. Living the life of nomadic monster-hunting mercenaries means that life is short and brutal, and that leads to some odd opinions about growing up.

Whatever the case, Skye will allow the press of Mary's mind into her own, letting the succubus touch upon her mind. Let's see what Mary can do...

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
The force settles in next to Skye's mind. It seems familiar. She can probably get a sense that it's a powerful entity with ties to fire and beauty. In other words, it's Mary.
"Did it work?" Skye's mouth moves on its own. "Wow, this feels weird." She attempts to stand up and wobbles forward, threatening to faceplant. "Woah!" Mary's not used to balancing without a tail and wings. Skye's center of balance is further forward as a result. She quickly sits back down. "Are you all right?" She should probably have asked if the friend she was possessing was okay before trying to use her borrowed body.

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

"I am fine," Skye answers, her own voice responding. Even when using the same vocal cords, it's clear who's speaking. Skye has a very deliberate intonation, a level method of speech, and focused discipline, "Let me show you how to balance."

And then... she stands up. While Skye's mind is an entirely human one, Mary will be able to feel the micro-adjustments of her Hearteater essence at work, balancing her body against the weight of her curves as she smoothly stands up and begins pacing in a small circle, "There's little to it. you merely need to account for the sway and the pull of gravity."

There's grace here. It's not inhuman grace, but it's right at the edge of peak human competence. The fact that she's able to move so easily like this is, when you know what's happening internally, kind of mesmerizing. The muscles buried hidden under her extremely pretty, clear skin are powerful. Whipcord tight and honed to human limits, they feel truly amazing in a way that you have to have exercised deeply - or, apparently, taken experience from someone who has - to really know. It feels like capability, potential. It feels like a wholeness of the self.

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
"I woulda figured it out," Mary replies. Succubi have much the same sort of grace, although it moves beyond "peak human ability" and into "supernatural." But this feels different. "Don't take this the wrong way, but the way your body moves feels... Really good. You do a lot of training, right?"

Mary turns Skye's eyes towards her own empty body. "I haven't seen myself from outside like this. I look kinda sad like that." Just laying there on the floor like a ragdoll.
She considers something. "I wonder if I could shuffle you into my body."

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

"I train every day. Before we experiment with a full body trade, If you're interested in my movement, let me show you something."

Skye reaches down to Mary's body. At first, it seems like she's going to go for a princess carry, but after a moment decides the wings would be in the way and instead hauls the succubus up onto her shoulders in a fireman carry, to deposit her empty form onto the couch. This is for the sake of respect, and to keep any aches from developing due to laying on the floor in an awkward position.

Then, Skye will take up a straight, thin stance in the center of the living room, relatively far away from any furniture. Her hands come up past her head, muscles tightening for a moment as she moves her arms. Her legs dip down slightly as she brings her hands back down, knuckles pressed against each other in a smooth transition to fists. Tightness, like a coiled spring, follows her position, though she's clearly adjusted this position someone for the size of her breasts. Then her fists move outwards in either direct, her face moving to aim to one side.

And then she strikes. Her leg shoots out for stability, her fist launching with enough force to break stone, the tightly coiled spring of her muscles shooting out for a moment before recoiling.

Another smooth series of motions follows, followed by a sudden uncoiling, a sudden strike to the air that one can literally hear in the whistling of the air itself. Every movement is an expression of control, grace, and sheer instinct ingrained within her being.

And as Mary feels it, she'll feel... something else. Something in the depths of Skye's soul and mind. This isn't her exalted power, but something altogether more fundamental - prayer. A guiding understanding of her body, and the true and honest belief that she follows the tenets of a deity who encourages this practice. It's an unshakeable knowledge that she, herself, is praying in a way far more physical than the idea of clasping your hands together at the bedside. This is her religion, her faith, in its most fundamental form.

And she's sharing it with Mary. This is perhaps a more intimate expression of friendship than the succubus was expecting.

The dour gaze of the many-armed god's shrine watches from the corner of the room, silently approving.

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
Mary's body temperature is warm, beyond a lethal fever for a human. She knew it academically, but feeling it through Skye's hands is weird.

But that only lasts a minute, and then it's time for martial arts. There are few expressions of friendship and trust closer than letting someone else drive your body, but this is definitely one of them.
"Woahhh. That was incredible!" Mary can't believe what she just experienced. "How many years did you have to practice that? Could you teach me how?" She's not a member of Skye's faith, but that's not a problem, right?

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

"I've been training this way since I was a child, barely tall enough to reach my father's hand. We would have to begin at the beginning, of course. I can't make a master of you in weeks; it'll be quite a bit of work. But yes, I can teach you," a broad smile is on Skye's lips, and Mary will feel the relaxation in her blood and muscles. For Skye, that was downright relaxing, almost a way to unburden herself of worries and cares, "I daresay I'd be a better teacher for you than most, given the similarities in our figures."

Ah, that little surge of lust inside Skye's mind and body as her brain remembers Mary's chest. Odd being on this side of it. But she passes over it quickly enough; one does not sully martial arts with mere physical attraction in Skye's mind.

"Right. Why don't we try your experiment now that we've indulged my own whims?"

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
"I'd like that, I think." They're both immortal, right? They have all the time in the world for Mary to master the techniques.

"Okay, here goes." Skye will feel Mary's mind grip hers and push. For a terrifying moment, she'll be completely disembodied, separated from any physical sensations. Then she snaps back to reality. She's lying on her couch, but the sensation of her weight pressing against her wings and of her tail hanging over the edge of the couch betrays the fact that it worked.
"How do you feel?" Skye's body asks, leaning over Skye with a concerned expression. It's probably weird to see someone else's body language on your own face.

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

And Skye stands up, sliding off the couch for a moment as she feels out Mary's body. The wings and tail in particular are quite twitchy; Skye hasn't ever experienced them before, and they feel... odd. To say the least.

"... Agitated," Skye says as she pulls herself up to a standing position. Reflexively, she falls into another kata, attempting to ignore the wings and tail. Between the graceful succubus powers of Mary's own body, and Skye's exaltation - which of course followed her, as it's a part of her soul rather than a part of her body - she's able to do the movements properly. But they all lack the fluidity of the original. Like someone attempting to do a sketch with their right hand, and then inexpertly tracing it with their left.

"As much as I appreciate the view whenever I look down, I don't believe I enjoy being in your body, Mary. It's wrong for me."

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
When Skye mentions the view, Mary looks down at Skye's chest. Wow, she's still growing?
"I don't really feel the same way. It's hard to explain, I guess, but a succubus' soul is like liquid. It reshapes to fit the body she's in."
She looks at Skye in her body. "It does look really weird to see you being me though. If you want, I can swap us back." At least now she knows it works.

[Gullara]

[Foxes and Felines]

"Annie, you know I'm not above giving candy to those who diligently finish their math homework. You'd better get to it if you want the sugar blasted caramel pop," Reinholdt says as he grabs two freshly warmed bottles of formula off the stove.

"And no Su-jin, you can't watch Ballerina Blade Monsters 5. I told you, you have to watch them in order for the context. Well it's not my fault they don't offer Ballerina Blade Monsters 1 on Netlu. Here." Reinholdt juggles the bottles into the mouths of the two kids strapped to his chest and back before grabbing the popcorn out of the microwave and dumping it into a bowl. The bowl gets delivered swiftly in front of the three kids as they bounce on the couch, Reinholdt stealing the remote for a moment. Just long enough to put on Muppet's Most Wanted. "It's a classic."

[Foxes and Felines]

"It's close enough to done!" Annie protests. "I can finish it in the morning when I'm waiting for the bus." She assures. There's no way to know how true this is.

The triplets' attention is immediately drawn by the popcorn. They jostle each other as they reach for the first handful, but they get their rhythm soon enough. "Ooh! I love the muppets!" Su-Jin approves, and so do the other two.

[Halae]

[Skye's Apartment]

"Get me back into my own body, but don't leave yet. We need to train your efficiency at handling expulsion attempts," Skye reminds Mary. She'll sit down on the couch, adjusting Mary's wings to be comfortable, so she's in a sitting position while transferring.

Seems she's very ready to be back within her own flesh.

[Arkhosia]

[Foxes and Felines]

► SHOW SPOILER

[Foxes and Felines]

"Annie, you know I'm not above giving candy to those who diligently finish their math homework. You'd better get to it if you want the sugar blasted caramel pop," Reinholdt says as he grabs two freshly warmed bottles of formula off the stove.

"And no Su-jin, you can't watch Ballerina Blade Monsters 5. I told you, you have to watch them in order for the context. Well it's not my fault they don't offer Ballerina Blade Monsters 1 on Netlu. Here." Reinholdt juggles the bottles into the mouths of the two kids strapped to his chest and back before grabbing the popcorn out of the microwave and dumping it into a bowl. The bowl gets delivered swiftly in front of the three kids as they bounce on the couch, Reinholdt stealing the remote for a moment. Just long enough to put on Muppet's Most Wanted. "It's a classic."

[Foxes and Felines]

"It's close enough to done!" Annie protests. "I can finish it in the morning when I'm waiting for the bus." She assures. There's no way to know how true this is.

The triplets' attention is immediately drawn by the popcorn. They jostle each other as they reach for the first handful, but they get their rhythm soon enough. "Ooh! I love the muppets!" Su-Jin approves, and so do the other two.

Annie and the triplets aren't the only fox-tailed individuals Rein's been tasked to keep an eye on tonight. Anastasia is here too, slouched against the arm of a loveseat and staring through the glass door to the balcony off to somewhere distant. An adventure novel dangles forgotten in a hand and three tails coil lazily across her legs. Normally she'd be more helpful keeping everyone in line, but after recent events the girl still isn't fully in the state for it.

[Flats and Cats]

► SHOW SPOILER

[Flats and Cats]

Elizabeth blinked. She wasn't here to harass her or something like that? Huh. She hadn't exactly gotten the time to know Blanche, but the hacker would never have thought of her as the sort to go take a walk to calm down. "... You picked a pretty terrible part of the city if you wanted nice scenery, then." She commented. "And yeah, hey, I'm fine. Just tired, is all." Elizabeth tries to brush Blanche off, perhaps just a little to hasty in her dismissal.

"Heh, yeah, no kidding." The catgirl smiles briefly, but notes Liz's evasion quickly. Something's bothering her, that's for sure. But Liz isn't going to just open up to her if she asks about it if she hasn't already, especially when the girl barely knows her. Hmm, how do you get someone to talk to you?

Blanche takes a quick glance around the neighborhood. "Well, uh. If you're tired, you wanna get a coffee or something? My treat." Sure, that's probably the best you could be expected to think of. Very subtle.

[Aftermaths and Futures]

► SHOW SPOILER

[Aftermaths and Futures]

Reilana gives a short laugh. "See, that's the trick. You're not being held prisoner. You can just leave like you were going to otherwise, and then I can meet you on the outside." Her expression settles into a more mild, irritated smirk. "I just need to set up a decoy to keep them off our trail for long enough."

"Devious, I like it. Suppose I really am rubbing off on you." Dulcinea grins, leaning in close once Reilana turns to focus on her new task. The sensation of proximity is much more tangible with the strange, chilly aura the girl now radiates. "I'll let you work," she coos, then plants a soft and skillful kiss on Reilana's cheek and pulls away.

[bc56]

Skye's Apartment
"Right, here we go..." Skye is once again yanked into bodilessness and then dropped back into flesh... This time her own. Mary is still there. "Phew, I... Didn't realize how much energy... Moving minds around needed." Mary doesn't sound out of breath (Skye's body isn't any more tired than usual) but she does sound exhausted. "I dunno if I have the strength to resist getting pushed out right now."

[Reinholdt]

[Foxes and Felines]

"Then the bus driver can give you a sugar blasted caramel pop, but I'm not giving you anything until I see that completed piece of paper in my hand," Reinholdt tells Annie. This bribe has an unspoken expiration date. When Rein leaves, so does the candy.

The movie starts up soon and Rein puts the remote down again after setting it to what he presumes is an appropriate volume. "Well that's cause the muppets are awesome. And their movies are their finest cultural achievement." Rein supposes. He mostly just watches heist movies and this was one of them that Harley allowed him to watch with Manja.

He tips the bottles again to make sure they don't fall away, attaching a safety cord real quick in case they do. "Hey," Reinholdt says, tapping May's shoulder gently to catch her attention. "Would you mind helping me with the dishes?" Reinholdt nods in the general direction of the kitchen. It's quieter in there, but still close enough Rein can peek his head out and make sure no one's being stuffy bullied.

More importantly, it desperately looks like May needs something mechanical to do. She isn't even reading Chat Blanc and the Temple of Boom. What could be more riveting than one of the Chat Blanc series? Rein glances out the glass door and spots... nothing. Well, he's all for a good stare into nothing session. The universe is grand after all. But he's more willing to bet it has something to do with that third tail of hers. Time to proceed with the most dangerous mission he's ever undertaken... asking a teenager a question about themselves.

[Earl of Purple]

Benedict's Manse

Despite his reputation of a wealthy scholar of magic, Benedict's home isn't quite as impressive as one might expect. It primarily consists of a seven-storey square tower with a flat, crenellated roof, all made from rough, black basalt. Built around it is a red brick two-storey cottage, with several large windows and fancy brickwork and arches. A flint stone barn standing off to one side has been refurbished into a coach house. The house is built on a cliff-edged headland overlooking the sea, and there's the greyish-white ribs of an immense leviathan set into the ground like immense posts marking the edge of the estate. Just inside the border is a small graveyard, with three worn marble headstones and a marble mausoleum bound with heavy bronze chains. Ten skeletons carrying spears and wearing black robes march about the estate on patrol, quickly approaching Jubilee's coach as it approaches, lowering their weapons to encourage it to stop.