Inside

[TeChameleon]

[Security Room]

Eddie ignored the man with the briefcase in turn- if he pulled out a gun or something, he would be dealt with, but for the moment, the clerk could handle him.

Instead, he tapped the moogle on the shoulder, standing just out of easy grab range- the moogle would have to put himself off-balance to grab or strike at Eddie- and said "Please stop doing that."

[Spacy Invaders]

X-1 stared at Asami for a long moment, casually hanging upside down out of the bottom of his impossible mothership. Then the alien's "voice" was heard once again, although there was an odd sensation that he hadn't actually meant to broadcast these thoughts.

"Wait, AAC-1164's horrifying perversion of dimensional physics isn't recognized here? I'm a long way from home."

A beat.

"Wait, AAC-1164's horrifying perversion of dimensional physics isn't recognized here! I've dropped completely out of my native multiverse beyond any hope of getting back!"

Strangely, the grey sounded pleased and excited about that fact. It re-focused on Asami.

"Thank you, small human. This is some of the best news you could have given me."

Another slightly out-of-synch blink as a transparent display popped up in front of X-1's face. The grey's mental voice went from pleased to the point of near-gloating to slightly confused concern. "Were you aware that you appear to have stellar fusion happening in your pants?"

[Keeper]

A Local Shrine
"I didn't intend to change clothes!" Jade protests, "I didn't even try to use magic! It just happened! It makes no sense!" She would stomp her foot in frustration, but being incorporeal, it just clips through the ground when she tries. "It doesn't matter if it's a part of me or not, if it won't behave rationally and I can't control it, it might as well be a foreign entity."
She frowns.
"I need it to be returning me to my body so I can find where my phone went in this getup, assuming it didn't get magicked out of existence, and if it's just going to mess around changing my clothes and appearance, it's not much use to me." Maybe don't tell her, but when she mentioned it changing her appearance, her hair and fur shimmered and turned an inky black. No doubt learning that will frustrate her even more.

A Local Shrine

Ryu crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow.
"Petulance doesn't suit someone of your stature. Have you considered that your magic acts as a foreign entity specifically because you refuse to accept it as a part of yourself? That it acts out because you expect it to do so?" he asks her.

[quillpleasant]

► SHOW SPOILER

Draco Street Bakery

Interesting.

With that learned, she pulls back into her human body and after a few more seconds she opens her eyes and lets go of Simon's hand.
"That was educational." She remarks, pausing as to give them some breathing room before she started sharing what she had seen.

"I saw past your body as if it was a projection, an physical illusion basically. Created by magic originating from something... technological, if you excuse my vagueness. Inside you I saw a portal, the magic kind that transports people directly from one place to another. It seemed like your human body seemed to be jaunted through it, presumably when you turn human. Making your projected dragon body disappear at the same time. I couldn't tell where it lead however, we would need to activate it first. Finally, both your soul and a dragons are both present within you but the dragons is dormant right now."

Ambrosia then folds her hands together and looks between Rowan and Simon. "Needless to say, it was one of the strangest arrangements I've ever seen. Do either of you have any clue what it could mean?"

Cursed?

The black tongue suddenly changes direction and starts to taste the air in Harley's direction as he speaks up.
"Tests needed for our people, not humans." A pause. "Though... considering your unique nature I would be willing to subject you to them as well if you're curious. Since I happen to be curious as well."

Raheeda's eyes widen as she hears this and she quickly leans over to Harley. "They're just... measurement and sample taking. Really boring." She tries to assure him, her discomfort with the situation getting more and more apparent.

"I can assure you they're not dangerous or harmful. Nor will the results have any major impact. It will simply decide reproduction rights."

Raheeda closes her eyes as she hears those words, it seems to be the source.
But those words were intended to provoke not just a reaction in her but in Harley since the presence wanted his thoughts and feelings on the matter.

Draco Street Bakery

Simon listens to the story with keen interest, and a fair bit of confusion. When Ambrosia has finished, he scratches his scaly chin with a puzzled expression.

"Yeah that's weird as hell. Super uncool that my human body is still out there. What's it doing when I'm in dragon form, just laying around like a vegetable? Oh god, what if I starve?" There's a brief moment of panic before he shakes his head. "No, it's been months. Something must be keeping it alive somehow."

His tail lashes from side to side as he thinks. "It kind of sounds almost like a video game. Like, this projection is a game avatar being piloted from afar. But usually the person in control can't physically enter the game if they get stressed out. That would make a lot of games really suck." He shrugs, glancing at Rowan. "What do you think sweet cheeks, any ideas?"

---

Cursed?

Harley is more than a little nonplussed at the thought of getting tested himself. He had assumed that these tests, whatever they were, were strictly for Yuan Ti. This whole thing is increasingly strange, and he glances to Raheeda in confusion.

But then the voice elaborates on what the tests are for, and Harley's confusion gives way to a glimmer of understanding, and then a slow, bubbling anger. "Are you kidding me? No major impact? Reproductive rights aren't something you earn. You just get them. Or you should, in any just and enlightened society." That might come off as an insult- it's meant as one. "What Raheeda decides to do or not do in that regard is up to her, full stop."

He knows that's not how it works in Yuan Ti culture, but frankly Harley doesn't care. This whole situation is clearly causing Raheeda great distress, and he's not going to just sit around and do nothing about it. The mental probing will find both an intense disgust at the very idea of such things being chosen for someone against their wishes, as well as a strong desire to protect Raheeda from such a fate.

This is exactly the kind of thing I was afraid of. The thing that worries me the most is that Raheeda might believe that she has no choice but to go through with it. I don't know how bad the repercussions are for refusal, or how culturally significant it is. Maybe I've already pushed too far already. But this is crazy, I have to.

He considers whispering to Raheeda, but it's not like the being behind the curtain couldn't just read his mind and know what he was saying anyway. "Raheeda, how do you feel about this? If you're unwilling, you can say no. You really can." And he fully intends to make sure that her decision is honored, even if it means fighting their way out of there.

[Shadowcaller]

Cursed?

The being behind the curtain meets Harley's outburst with silence while Raheeda now suddenly looks at Harley with enmity. Since as much as she hated the tests this wasn't gonna make it easier. "I was just gonna fail it. It was gonna be easy." She hisses to him as he had pretty much ruined her entire plan.

The fact that she never actually told him her plan escapes her at the moment.

But her anger is all dowsed in a cold shower as she hears the voice addressing her once more.
"Raheeda Al-Sshara. Your human told you to speak your mind so why don't you entertain him?" Now it sounds more like a stern parent talking down to a disobedient child.

She blinks, something she rarely did, and her attention snaps back to the curtain.
"Oh, uh, um..." Raheeda stiffly scratches the back of her head.
"I mean, I was just gonna f-fail it anyway, right? It's not like anything have changed about me since the last one." She let's out a nervous chuckle that almost immediately dies in her throat.

"You might not have but frankly that's a good thing since this test is different. I changed it since the old ones were outdated as they were excluding someone with as great potential as you. Denying us all of your offspring-" Once again the voice comes off as parental but now in a more loving way. It sounds like the speaker actually cares about her, at least in its own way.

But in response Raheeda just shakes her head and mutters something not even Harley can hear. She certainly doesn't seem to feel the fondness the creature behind the curtain is trying to convey.

"-since isn't it true that you've bested yul's greatest necromancer in combat? Not to mention not one but several ancient fey and giants? Your achievements are not unknown to me."

She continues shaking her head and digging her fingers into the cushion she's sitting on.

"So in a way I agree with your human. You deserve better, you deserve to have offspring."

"No. don' wanna." Harley can just make out her saying while still shaking her head feverishly.

There's a drawn out pause.

"That's alright, don't worry." The voice replies after several awkward seconds, sounding more dismissive than understanding despite the wording. "But as you know I no control over that. It's a matter for your tribe to decide. But the test itself is my duty and it's still crucial." A beat.
"Do you perhaps want to educate your human, Harley, why that is?" The sudden mentioning of his name seems to imply that he might have touched a nerve after all.

Raheeda remains silent, looking down at the floor, looking cowed.

Then Harley can feel the voice turning its attention to him in his mind. The purple curtains moving ever so slightly. "But I'm sorry, I didn't even ask. Do you actually want to know?"

[Keeper]

Draco Street Bakery

"Well, none of that made any sense to me." Rowan shrugs.
"But if she wants to observe you switching, I have gotten pretty good at making you do it." Rowan grins.
Though less so since they've been a couple for a little bit now.

[quillpleasant]

Cursed

Harley winces at Raheeda's rebuke. He hadn't know that was the plan! But then again, she didn't exactly get a chance to tell him. "I'm sorry," he whispers. It sounds like it wouldn't have worked anyway, but it could have been worth a shot.

But her being mad at him is a lot better than this... helpless resignation that she seems to be feeling. Seeing her like this makes his heart ache, and in Harley that swiftly turns to almost murderous rage towards the source of her fear.

But he has to keep calm. He takes a deep breath, willing himself to not say anything else to make this situation worse.

And then the curtain voice says something that really, really pisses him off.

"We do not agree on this, and that is not what I was saying," he growls, "Raheeda deserves to make that decision for herself. If she doesn't want offspring, then trying to force that on her is monstrous." In a way that even when he was at his worst, Harley would have balked at. "You're not being denied anything, you're not accepting Raheeda for who she is."

Of course, he highly doubts that he'll be able to convince this being of any of this. He's really doing it to convince Raheeda. The only reason they're entertaining this insanity at all is because she's too scared and unwilling to push back hard. And while he certainly doesn't hold that against her, he's going to do everything he can to help her break out of those societal chains.

"I want to know what Raheeda is willing to tell me. Nothing more, nothing less." Because he actually cares about her- unlike her people, who only seem to care about what she can give them.

[Shadowcaller]

Draco Street Bakery

"Well, none of that made any sense to me." Rowan shrugs.
"But if she wants to observe you switching, I have gotten pretty good at making you do it." Rowan grins.
Though less so since they've been a couple for a little bit now.

Draco Street Bakery

Ambrosia's eyebrows raises.
She had expected more of a reaction from the two. But of course, they hadn't actually experienced what she had and she doubted anything she said could properly convey it.
Also, their nicknames for one another was throwing her for a loop but she was just going to ignore that for now.

"Well, give me a minute and I'll go back to scanning. Then you can try to trigger the switch if it's alright with Simon." Then they could start to properly brainstorm what all this meant.

Had some third party done this to him and the dragon that ate him? But why in that case? An experiment? A cruel joke? A 'game' as Simon himself had suggested? She had to get more information.

Cursed

Raheeda looks up at him hesitantly but before she can come to any kind of decision the voice speaks up again.

"Let me make you an offer then, human. Since your kind enjoy the illusion of choice so much then what about a trade? I will let Raheeda decide if she wants to take the tests or not but in exchange you let yourself be subjected a few tests. I'm just planning to take samples and measurements, perhaps a few sketches. Then you can leave."

A pause.

"Or you could leave right now. But only in one of those scenarios would Raheeda be welcomed home to her tribe again."

She freezes as she hears that choice being laid out before her. She didn't want Harley to do that for her, since she was still pretty annoyed with him, but the alternative...
"Uh..."

[bc56]

A Local Shrine
"You can't be serious," Jade replies skeptically, "How am I supposed to just 'accept' it? I never asked for it. It was forced on me. It's not something I can just accept like that."
Being told "you need to change" rarely provokes change in anyone, especially not someone as stubborn as Jade.

Cry Havoc
The dying Angelephant will likely find it's final charge cut short as Kothar kicks the dead rodentipede away, ducks down, and slams his shoulder into the larger monster's ankle.
This should trip it and send it crashing headfirst into the ground, unless those wings aren't just for show.

[quillpleasant]

Cry Havoc

What are the chances of two randomly flying enemies in a combat colliding? Probably about a million to one. Which means it's guaranteed.

The mutant elf, upon realizing that Raheeda isn't immediately trying to attack her, soars up further, allowing her foe to cling on. She needs a break from fighting Wenomir for her wounds to heal. In a war of attrition, regeneration is the strongest weapon. After a few seconds, they've risen up to the level of the city skyline, and the combatants are small dots below.

Her wounds glowing orange as they rapidly repair themselves, the elf grins unpleasantly at Raheeda. "I'd advise you to hold off on attacking. A drop would hurt you a lot more than me."

Back on the ground, the angelephant's rampage is interrupted by Kothar's counter charge. Already shambling off balance, the lizard warrior's impact sends it stumbling forward, its wings flailing to keep it upright. It teeters for a moment- then Wenomir descends, the poleaxe smashing down and through the base of its skull, impaling it. Even with this horrible injury, the creature lets out a final trumpet before slowly slumping, its maddened eyes rolling back in its head as its wings droop and slowly begin to lose their glow.

Victory is at hand! Almost.

"I can smell death," comes a quiet voice. From the broken sewer hole emerges the small elven man Raheeda saw below, his short white hair and pale eyes giving him a ghostly look. He stands up, tilting his head to one side as he listens.

"You killed the angel, didn't you? What about Aranin? Where is he?" he calls out hesitantly, unsure as to where to direct his voice.

---

Draco Street Bakery

"Yeah yeah, you just give me a head's up when you're ready," says Simon, throwing a salute. Considering the length of his neck and the shortness of his limbs, this actually takes some effort.

He's actually trying to act a good bit more calm that he feels. Faced with understanding his condition, Simon's a little conflicted about it. Obviously it's important to know about, since it could be potentially dangerous, and he has no idea how long this situation will last. But what if the solution makes things worse? What if he's forced back into his old body, or is sucked into some nefarious scheme? The more he thinks about it, the more overwhelming it is.

And then his body flickers, like an old television broadcast being interrupted. Simon draws in a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"You know, I might not even need your help transforming. Figuring this stuff out is nerve wracking enough that I can probably just let it happen on its own."

---

Cursed

Harley glances between the curtain and Raheeda. There's clearly some catch here, and despite the constant reassurances of how easy these tests are, he doesn't trust that for a minute. But if the voice is telling the truth, then... well, there's not even a choice.

"Sorry. Hate me later," whispers Harley to Raheeda. Then he turns to address the door before she has a chance to interject. "Yes, I'll make that deal. Give me the tests, and then Raheeda can choose to do them herself or leave. But if she chooses to leave, then you let her walk away and don't bother her again."

And if you aren't being honest and you force her to take part anyway, then I'll gladly throw away all my progress to get revenge on you.

[Shadowcaller]

Cry Havoc

Raheeda looks down and her eyes feels as if they are about to pop out of her sockets.
How did they get up so far so fast?!

Looking back at the elf she tries to put on her best smile. "Uh... truce?" She's clinging on really tightly right now.

Cursed

"I'm not letting you get yourself killed you dumbass!" Raheeda shouts before Harley can barely finish what he's saying.
Since in a matter of seconds she has gotten up and will now attempt to grab Harley by the ear.
If that's successful she will turn with an accusing finger of pointiness at the curtains.
"And- and I'm not letting you kill him either, so I'ma gonna go with him. But no tests, n-not this time!"

"So you'll spectate? That's acceptable, since as you already know Raheeda, these tests are harmless."

The curtains part ever so slightly, revealing only darkness beyond them. But the gesture is clear, it is an invitation to enter.
Raheeda turns to look at Harley with a frown and then pulls him in real close while looking him right in the eyes. "They get too close. Touch parts you don't want touched. Make bad comments. Stick you with needles. Do you understand?"

[Keeper]

A Local Shrine

"You think I liked it any more when it happened to me? I was here first, you know. I died and they took me for a spirit. But they didn't know what kind of spirit I was, so they asked what I'd want them to give me, and I told them money and food was fine, so I got labeled a dragon of luck and fortune. Neither of these faces are the one I had when I was alive, and I've been stuck with them for five thousand years." huffs the dragon, starting to get indignant.
"You still have a life to get back to. Me and Stela don't. So forgive me if I don't really feel bad that you're 'cursed' with the terrible fate of being able to shoot fire and change your appearance on the fly." Also his friend died ten minutes ago so he's not exactly in the best mood.

Draco Street Bakery

Rowan puts an arm around Simon. But when Ambrosia gives them the go ahead, he turns, bends down, and kisses Simon hard on the mouth without warning.
So far that hasn't really failed to get the appropriate response.

[Morty]

[Cry Havoc]

Wenomir yanks his poleaxe out of the angelphant's head and hops off the body. That went a lot better, but the real threat is in the air and she hasn't been seriously harmed so far. He takes a look around himself.

"Kothar. Good to have you here. Do you know who this is?" he motions to the elf. "This is quite the mess that just erupted here."

[quillpleasant]

Cursed

Harley is surprised by Raheeda's outburst, and won't resist being grabbed. Presumably the ear being grabbed is one of his metal mask ears, which do make great handles. He glances down at the floor for a moment- she's right that he's being reckless with his own life. But he's been doing that since he first arrived here, and unfortunately he doesn't know how to stop.

As Raheeda pulls him in he meets her gaze steadily, his pink eyes sad. It's exactly what he suspected, and that makes it impossible to back down. He reaches out to gently grab her shoulders, slowly nodding.

"I do understand. And that's exactly why I need to do this. I can't let that happen to you. I just... I can't. Do you understand?" He blinks, then smiles faintly. "I know you don't need me to keep you safe. But if I didn't try, I wouldn't be much of a hero. I'll be okay, I promise. They can't do anything that hasn't already been done to me."

[Shadowcaller]

Draco Street Bakery

Ambrosia will sadly not get a chance to see the kiss as she's already closed her eyes to go back into her meditative state.
After all, she needed to be in it as the change happened or she would miss out on seeing the portal in action.

Still, there's a chance she would be able able to see it with her dragon eyes depending on when Rowan kisses Simon.

Cursed

Raheeda was instinctively looking for a human ear to grab but the ear on Harley's mask would have to do.

"They won't or I will start stabbing. In fact, I might start doing that anyway if they're mean." She throws a glare at the curtains and suddenly lets go of Harley and pulls out her spear from seemingly nowhere.

Then she uses it to pull them up and ducks underneath them, but keeps holding it up for him.
By now Harley can make out a large door on the other side from which light faintly escapes.
There's no sign of the being they talked to, the tongue pulled back as they were whispering to one another. Had it gone through the door?

Only one way to find out if Harley doesn't suddenly back out.

[bc56]

Cry Havoc
"I know not," Kothar shrugs. "He asks for Arannin. I know no such person." His speech is unusual, but Wenomir's heard it before. "You are unharmed?" Kothar doesn't expect the commander to be seriously injured. He's too competent.

A Local Shrine
"I'm 'cursed' with a power I don't understand and can't control. Shooting fire is a good way to accidentally incinerate family and friends, you know. Not to mention being stuck without a body and a whole bunch of new responsibilities foisted on me, and I've had all of ten minutes to adjust, so forgive me if I don't measure up to your thousands of years worth of high standards," Jade snarks back. Pushing her probably isn't a good idea; she's already in a bad mood.

[quillpleasant]

Cry Havoc

"Truce it is," replies the elf, but her eyes are anything but friendly. She puts her arms around Raheeda to make it easier for her to hold on.

"Listen, you're a good warrior. I saw how easily you handled the little chimera- it's good work, and we have no quarrel. I'm having some trouble taking on that swordsman down there. What do you say to helping me kill him?" She sighs. "He killed my brother, so I kind of need to do it, and considering that you helped destroy my pets, it's the least you can do." She grimaces as the wound on her face finishes closing up, the orange glow starting to fade. "The name's Cea Xilo, by the way. Charmed."

Down on the street, the white haired elf perks up at the sound of Wenomir's and Kothar's voices, pinpointing their location. "Oh, there you are. Two of you," he mutters. He begins to walk shakily across the street, hands spread out in front of him. He hasn't gone very far when his foot knocks against the still smoldering corpse of the helmeted elf.

Kneeling down, he feels around, locating the helmet. "Oh Aranin. Not again. What would you do without me, brother?" Putting his hands on the corpse's chest with no regard for the heat, he releases a surge of twisting black energy from his arms, resembling nothing so much as a flood of shadowy eels. The energy disappears into the corpse in an instant.

And then the dead elf shudders, and cracks, and gets to its feet, the still burning flesh giving it an almost skeletal appearance as it cranes its neck to snarl at the two warriors.

---

Draco Street Bakery

Already feeling a lot of emotions from the examination, the kiss is more than enough to push Simon over the edge. To a normal observer, his body flickers, and then suddenly he's no longer the huge sinuous black dragon, but one about kobold sized with orange scales.

However, to Ambrosia's dragon sight, it's another thing entirely. She'll see the portal opening, and the two bodies fading into one another, with the smaller body effortlessly taking the place of the larger one. This also means that she can see through the portal. It's a dark room dotted with multicolored lights that wink like stars, and the body on the other side is floating in a tank of clear liquid. As the larger draconic body manifests in the tank, the liquid rises due to the additional mass being added.

Then the portal closes- even with her vision, it's only open for a very brief window. Throughout this, the extra draconic soul that shares Simon's current body doesn't do anything too unusual, although there is a brief flicker of activity as the switch takes place.

"You're really a martyr for the scientific cause, you know that?" says Simon, grinning up at Rowan.

---

Cursed

Unfortunately, if Harley even has human ears, they'd be underneath his mask.

He breathes in relief as Raheeda agrees to go along with the plan. Yes, just running would work too- but he's worried that would just cause more problems down the line. Better he endure whatever these horrible tests are now and get a shot at avoiding such things in the future.

"Don't worry. I can handle it," he says reassuringly, following her to the curtain. Funnily enough, he's really not feeling any trepidation about this. Regardless of how uncomfortable or torturous the tests are, all that matters is that Raheeda not have to take them.

Without hesitation, he opens the door, ready to step into whatever lies beyond.

[Morty]

[Cry Havoc]

"I'm fine. What-" Wenomir sharply turns towards the elf as he brings down the enemy he killed. He points his poleaxe towards both of them. "Your brother was hunting down innocent people. If you're part of this attack, we'll bring you to justice as well. Surrender."

[Shadowcaller]

Cry Havoc

Raheeda didn't blink often. Something people rarely take notice of.
But this was one of those times.

If she wasn't clinging onto the lady so tightly she would be rubbing the back of her head right now.

"Erm... Lady, miss, I am Raheeda and your pets were hurting people. In my tribe you had kill your own pet if it hurt someone. So to train a pet-"

A beat.

"I mean, your wing-o-phant nearly killed your guy in the sewers." She gestures downwards without letting go of the elf. "He'd be cooked if it wasn't for me." Another beat.
“Also, did you know that I’m an elf too?”

Cursed

Inside is a brightly lit room, a lab of sort with what someone might have called a dentist-like chair in the middle. The surfaces are all metal, including the many drawer units that are the only furniture besides the chairs, and remarkably clean.
There is some sort of machine next to the 'dentist chair' that includes several magnifying lenses.

Two figures in black robes that cover everything but their eyes stand side by side before them. Their eyes are similar to Raheeda's but a pale green instead of a bright blue. Though while they also seem to be humanoid too that's where their similarities end. Since Harley get the sense that they must be extremely thin underneath those robes. Almost skeletal judging by their how sunken their eyes seem.

Then raising far above them is what seems to be a enormous two-headed serpent with arms that's tinkering with the device next to the chair. Of one the heads turn towards them, sending out its long black tongue and stares unblinkingly at the pair.

"Have a seat, Harley." The serpent speaks despite the fact its lips, or rather the lack of, aren't moving. Was it some sort of mental projection? The creatures black scales make it contrast sharply with the white tinge of the metal it surrounds itself with.

It gestures at the chair with one of its arms, which is when Harley will notice it didn't just have one pair, it had two. So twice as many arms and heads but no legs.
"Have a seat and tell us about yourself. You are male, yes?"
The second head leans in closer, never taking its eyes off him while the other is still only focusing on the machine.

[Keeper]

Draco Street Bakery

Rowan hugs Simon tight. Gods he’s cute in this form.
”I do what I can.” he grins toothily.

A Local Shrine

”It’s not about standards, dear. He’s saying both of us have been there. I think Val was the only one of us who was never human.” chimes in the koi from her pond.
”Besides, you have a body. You just need to figure out how to focus enough to pull yourself out of the shrine. And even if you choose to keep both feet in the spirit realm, you can still help. Look.”
A person has wandered into the shrine. A tired looking girl who shuffles towards the shrine. She smiles a weak smile that doesn’t quite get to her eyes, tossing some crumbs to the fish. Wrapped around her neck is a neon blue snake with too many eyes.
None of it’s worth it anyway. Nothing has been accomplished. Nothing. it whispers in a voice that is too high and too low.

”See? That phantom is feeding on that person’s insecurities. Making them worse. You are strong enough to banish it in our realm or from theirs.” Ryu points at the creature.
”But if you’re afraid of missing, use me.” The dragon’s idol shines and then there is a beautiful staff leaning against the shrine. A metal ring crowns the head with smaller rings hooked onto it, so they would jingle as it moves.

[quillpleasant]

Cursed

Harley has no real concept of dentistry. As a god he didn't need such a thing, and since coming here his mouth has been entirely inaccessible until recently. So this set up is doubly alien to him, and he doesn't like the look of it. Still, that isn't going to stop him, not at all.

He walks boldly over to the chair, taking the time to observe the room's inhabitants. The robed figures are probably some kind of priest- from all he's gleaned, religion is extremely important in this culture. And their emaciated appearance does call to mind religious fasting- or the undead.

However, it's the many limbed source of the voice that occupies most of his attention. Is this one of the "great ones" Raheeda has mentioned? Harley vaguely remembers something about yuan ti being considered better the more snakelike they are. This certainly fits the bill.

But he has killed giant snakes before, or at least helped to do so, so he's not particularly intimidated by this one.

Sitting down in the chair, he glances back at Raheeda, giving her a thumbs up before answering. "Yeah, male. Last I checked." What else should he volunteer? "Human. Well, mostly- I don't need to eat, so there's that. Before coming here, I was a god, and before that, I was a... rabbit." His hesitation comes from the sudden thought that, well, snakes do eat rabbits. He doesn't want to give them any ideas.

[Earl of Purple]

A Real Arcade

Agate gasps as Asami just jumps off the edge, apparently, and rushes to the edge herself to look down. If Asami's OK, she's going to jump as well, since it's not like this is real reality. If Asami's plummeted into a spiked pit or has lost some more health, however, she's going to actually use the provided road.

[Shadowcaller]

Draco Street Bakery

Already feeling a lot of emotions from the examination, the kiss is more than enough to push Simon over the edge. To a normal observer, his body flickers, and then suddenly he's no longer the huge sinuous black dragon, but one about kobold sized with orange scales.

However, to Ambrosia's dragon sight, it's another thing entirely. She'll see the portal opening, and the two bodies fading into one another, with the smaller body effortlessly taking the place of the larger one. This also means that she can see through the portal. It's a dark room dotted with multicolored lights that wink like stars, and the body on the other side is floating in a tank of clear liquid. As the larger draconic body manifests in the tank, the liquid rises due to the additional mass being added.

Then the portal closes- even with her vision, it's only open for a very brief window. Throughout this, the extra draconic soul that shares Simon's current body doesn't do anything too unusual, although there is a brief flicker of activity as the switch takes place.

"You're really a martyr for the scientific cause, you know that?" says Simon, grinning up at Rowan.

Draco Street Bakery

Rowan hugs Simon tight. Gods he’s cute in this form.
”I do what I can.” he grins toothily.

Draco Street Bakery

Ambrosia can't comment on the cuteness of Rowan's hug as she's too busy focusing on the portal.

But she would have.

However the room beyond the portal, like it consumed Simon's dragon body, consumes up all her attention.

She understood the blinking lights inside as machine-related given what she could tell about the magic that created this process but that's not what her focus is.
It's on Simon's position within this room. A trapped body without any means of autonomy, completely dependent on the machines and by extension their creator. Something treated as an experiment, a tool to achieve something, rather than a person.

Then the room is gone and the portal goes black again. But in her mind she had seen enough to make a conclusion now.

However, just to make sure she won't have to enter this trance a third time she will give the kobolt body (she thought he would be human, but apparently that was presumptions) a scan as well to see if it had any special make up like his dragon body had.

Cursed

Harley can make a few observations on his way to the chair.
From the thin line of exposed skin that allowed them to see he could tell that they had scaly skin like Raheeda's, but theirs were a dull brown in contrast to her bright coloration. Furthermore, there does seem to be a practical element to their clothes.

The sleeves of their robes are close-fitting, making their long, almost skeletal arms, all the more obvious. Their gloves too follow this trend. These are not fashionable gloves with a lot of embroidery nor are they thick work gloves, these are gloves for people that need tactile sensitivity.

Furthermore, here are hooks in the veils they wear over their mouths which suggests they're removable. So Harley might get the impression that whatever function they have here they need to use their hands a lot. While they didn't necessarily needed to run given the length of the robes they at least needed to move without their clothing getting stuck in things.

In contrast the serpent-creature wore little to no clothes at all. Gloves, two sets of formal headdresses and a tight fitting poncho-styled robe without any dangling parts. It also seemed like the second head was wearing a set of strange glasses that had a series of optional lenses, seemingly for the purpose of magnification.

As for the room itself, the metal everything was made of is not the silvery or aluminium coated kind of metal that one often see represented, this looked like bronze or at least had the same coloration as it. Giving the whole room a brownish tinge.

The exception to this metal dominance are the other chairs and the two doors which are made of wood, since there does seem to be an additional room in the back which presumably connected to the back door of the carriage since he can't see any signs of it in here.

There were no windows in here and instead the room is illuminated by four lanterns, one near each corner of the room. But there's a fifth source of light in the machine itself since it in addition to a magnifying glass it also seemed to function as a powerful flashlight. Though thankfully the light and the lenses seemed disconnected to one another in case Harley were familiar with how such tools could be used to start forest fires.

Something which becomes clear as he takes a seat. This was at the very least not a torture or even sample taking device by the looks of it unless it has some more obscure magical functions he couldn't see with his naked eye.

"Could you remove your clothes, please?" The speaking head inquires, the silent one still tinkering with the device and as far as Harley could tell hadn't said anything. Unless of course their voices were interchangeable.

But as soon as the question is asked, Raheeda protests. "Only your up-clothes, Harley. Don't think they need any samples from below." She holds up her spear which looked remarkably out of place here, yet the 'great one' or the two attendants don't visibly react to this not-so-subtle implication of a threat.

But they don't contest it either.
Instead the 'great one' takes up one of the tools that has been placed on the small wooden table next to the chair Harley is now sitting in. It's a set of outside calipers.
"You may call us Basiil by the way." The head replies in a casual sort of way as they test the tool out.

[bc56]

A Local Shrine
Jade is about to protest, but then the girl and the parasite enter the room.
"...
Yeah, I can do that,"
She grabs the golden staff and swings. Instinctively, she aims for the snake's head, trying to avoid hitting the girl, whether or not it matters in her incorporeal state. "Get off her!"

Cry Havoc
"Necromancy!"
Kothar lunges at the reanimated elf, his axe blazing white with holy fire. If nothing stops him, he will immediately cut his target down and whirl on the blind elf who just reanimated him.

[quillpleasant]

Cry Havoc

Up in the air, Cea rolls her eyes at Raheeda. "I didn't train them, I was just using them to help me and my brothers escape. And the freak angel certainly isn't under my control." But her gaze softens for a moment. "If you did actually save Vyzan from it, then... I guess I owe you."

She looks Raheeda up and down, appraising her. "You're an elf too? Another of 12's little experiments? We need to stick together, you know. Once we kill the swordsman, you're welcome to join me and my brothers. We're looking for-" her voice trails off as she looks down at what's happening below, a look of concern passing over her face.

On the street, the blind elf gets to his feet, turning to listen to Wenomir's voice. "Innocent? I think there's been some-" But he doesn't get to finish as Kothar runs over, axe swinging.

The reanimated elf is fast, and it dodges back as the holy warrior swings, bringing up its arms to defend itself. This results only in both limbs being chopped off, the wounds virtually bloodless due to its undead nature. But it's not going down that easy. Vanishing in a cloud of darkness, it reappears behind Kothar, dropping down towards his shoulders. If it lands, it'll use its severed arm bones like spears, stabbing at the warrior's shoulders repeatedly.

The necromancer, for his part, shrinks back, holding his hands in front of him, a look of fear on his face.

---

Draco Street Bakery

Ambrosia's scan will reveal that Simon's current body does have a transmutation effect on it- originally it was human, but it was changed by Rowan's magic. Due to the origin of this enchantment, it has a much different feel than anything she's felt so far. This is fey magic, not the cold arcane energy of the portal. It's also notably not a projection made solid like the other, but a genuine flesh and blood body.

Simon hugs Rowan back, already feeling a little of his earlier anxiousness slip away. He grins at Ambrosia, oblivious to the rather disturbing evidence she's found. "So, what's the verdict? Am I in the Matrix or what?"

---

Cursed

Harley takes in the room's details silently, trying to glean as much as he can. Whatever these tests are, at least they don't seem to involve slicing him up. The robed yuan ti are worrying. They're clearly going to do something... but what? Considering how accessible their hands are, the implication is that they might be the ones to do any required poking. Hopefully they're gentle.

Considering how big this room is, these tests and the machine must be the primary function of this whole entourage, and Harley finds himself wondering just how often they test people, and how many yuan ti there are to test. Presumably there must be quite a community in the Nexus if this carriage is here at all. He'll have to ask Raheeda later so he can stay far away from them.

"No problem Basiil, I thought you'd never ask," he quips, shrugging off his coat and unbuttoning his shirt. Raheeda's protest is curious, simply because he had thought that was exactly the kind of samples they'd be taking. But unless instructed otherwise, he won't question it. Soon he's bare from the waist up, revealing a well muscled torso covered in countless scars, his back especially a crisscross of white lines whipped in long ago.

"I can't take the mask off, but you can reach my mouth and eyes through it if you need," he provides helpfully.

[Shadowcaller]

Cry Havoc

Raheeda's eyes widens in shock.

Oh no.

She believed her.

That had never happened to her before!
"Oh, um , yes but-" Okay, she had to remember what she usually said after this. It had been so long though. But it was clear that had to seize on this misconception and gain her trust! All she needed was an idea.
"See, the thing is-"

...

"I don't want to kill people! I'ma hunter, I just kill animals and monsters! Just please don't kill me! Waaah!" Then the yuan-ti starts sobbing while hugging the elf even tighter.

Cursed

"The mask will be a problem." Basiil remarks as they hold the calipers. "Since usually I start by measuring the skull." They make a one shouldered shrug. "Oh well, I prefer starting with the parts that differ the Old from the Pure anyway."
And with that he sets the tool down and takes up a measuring tape instead.

But despite how ordinary and benign it looks in comparison with the calipers this is the tool that makes Raheeda flinch.
"Not to mention an actual former god." The great one let's out a cackle. "See, you possess a body which hasn't been produced by a womb, correct?" He pauses but it might not be long enough for Harley to actually answer. "My theory is that means you are actually free from the defects that plague ordinary human specimen. Making you unique. Isn't that fascinating?" Then without waiting for an answer they bring the measurement tape around Harley's arm to measure it and soon moves on to his other arm.

At this point Basiil's second head turns to look at Harley.
It's but a brief glance though as they soon turns back to the machine, carefully adjusting its lenses without making any comments.

"Not all children born of those with the Old blood have arms actually. Usually those are deemed mutants like Raheeda but a few have the psionic gift to compensate for this flaw and are preserved within our canon. Since wouldn't it be... what's the word again?" Basiil asks out loud.

"Inhuman?" The other head suggests without looking away from what they're doing, their voice coming off as a low hiss with a feminine twinge to it.

"Ah, yes, inhuman to let a creature that barely is capable of feeding itself to reproduce? But anyway, can you raise your arms, please?" Basiil gestures for Harley to do so.

Draco Street Bakery

Ambrosia doesn't seem to recognize this reference judging by her puzzled look and she shakes her head. "I can't make any conclusions just yet but I saw a room, a laboratory filled with blinking lights produced by what I suspect was machines. Your body was suspended in a tank of transparent liquid. Your draconic body replaced the body you have right now in the vat."

The quill accompanying her floating tome is feverishly writing notes as they talk.

[quillpleasant]

Cursed

"I mean, if you can get the mask off, feel free. You'd be doing me a favor," chuckles Harley. He has no idea what the Old and the Pure are, but that latter word never works out well in his experience.

He notes Raheeda's reaction, narrowing his eyes. It's unlikely that the ruler causes any physical pain, but the results of its measurement are probably very important for the outcome of the test. At least that's his best guess for why it would bother her so much.

"The 'defects that plague ordinary humans?' Oh... if you mean belly buttons, then yeah I don't actually have one." Which is true, but that's probably not what Basiil is talking about. He's not actually sure what else would be different about being created without being born- there's plenty of clones with a similar sort of situation and they don't have any huge obvious improvements over normal humans.

"I think the only thing inhuman would be to choose for another sapient being whether or not they can reproduce. We all need help in different ways, and that shouldn't stop anyone from living a full life in the way they want to," Harley says mildly. Sure, he's not going to get through to this great one... great ones? Two heads makes the plurals a little tricky. But, he's also not going to keep silent while they babble on about eugenics.

He dutifully raises his arms above his head. "What exactly are you looking for with these tests?" he wonders aloud. Doesn't hurt to ask.

[Shadowcaller]

Cursed

"Satisfying my curiosity." Basiil replies to Harley's question while staring at his lack of a belly button in fascination.
But he soon moves on, starting to wrap the tape around Harley's neck. Their scaly arms feel smooth and dry on his skin.

"See, you're not only free of the defects, you might actually have a seed of divinity within you. Just like we do. Since what humans see as 'reptilian' in us is actually the heritage of our gods. It can manifest in different ways depending on the individual." They gestures to the nurses with one of their hands, then to Raheeda and finally themselves.

"But always holding a certain pattern. It's our divine duty to take care of our seed, our gift, and make it flourish." Basiil nods and stops measuring for now. "However, our profane blood does not always take the divine gift well. It twists. mutates and sometimes even self-terminates in response to it." They shake their head.

"It's the story of our people. Blessed by the divine yet at the same time also cursed by it."
As this point Raheeda looks even more concerned than usual and she can't exactly have been said to be relaxed earlier.

"It's rare I get to tell this story as it's usually told to all of us once we're old enough to understand it. We're the caretakers of our gods great garden and as such it's our sacred duty to determine what's a weed and what isn't. Since, as unfortunate as it is, both space and resources are limited. We do try to take care of our weeds though, we really do. Isn't that right, Raheeda?" Their unblinking eyes turn to bore into her.

She shrugs weakly. "I dunno? But why are you telling him all this, isn't it supposed to be, like, secret knowledge?"

Basiil waves one of their hands nonchalantly. "You don't think the humans already know? Something that's know by so many can't remain a secret for very long. Indeed, some of our kind already live alongside them. Like you."

It looks as if she suppresses a gasp. "B-but I never told anyone about, uh, this. I swear!"

"But what other knowledge did you share, hmm?" Basiil tilts their head questioningly. "It's alright though, you haven't shared anything that haven't already been shared by someone else. Few are entrusted with the real secrets."

Basiil turns back to face Harley. "Now where was I again?"

"Weeds." Their second head remarks without looking over.

"Oh right. Yes, weeds. To find them we must study each subject separately. To evaluate and then reevaluate their features and capabilities to see whose seeds that will be allowed to spread and whose will not. It's a divine process, crucial for the survival as a people. Surely you must understand that? If people that can barely move, barely breath, would be allowed to spread humans and our other enemies would take advantage. Not to mention that their existence probably wouldn't be very dignified."

[Morty]

[Cry Havoc]

Wenomir steps forward and tries to hook his polearm around the elf to drag him off Kothar.

"I saw your brother chase after innocent civilians when the attack started. Tell your brother to stay put and explain, quickly. You hold off too, Kothar."

[Keeper]

Draco Street Bakery

That definitely seems to confuse Rowan.
"Did your homeworld have that kind of tech? I didn't think you made it sound like they had the ability to make portals and that kind of complex stuff."
Or maybe he was INTERCEPTED on his way to the Nexus by MAD SCIENTISTS!
Hey, Rowan's heard crazier.

A Local Shrine

The snake is whacked by the staff! The girl notably does not respond to the lady jumping around near her as she cannot see Spirit-Jade. She does however, stumble as the snake is knocked off of her. The snake bares all nine of its fangs and lunges at Jade!

[bc56]

A Local Shrine
"Woah!" Jade jumps (well, floats, but it's still a jumping motion because she hasn't entirely gotten her immunity to the laws of physics into her head) back out of the snake's reach.
"That's too many teeth!" she swings again.
"You wouldn't happen to be able to get rid of the jingles, would you?" she asks, "They just ensure it can hear when I attack." Sure, it can see that too, but if Jade tried to sneak up on something carrying a jingly staff, it would fail miserably.

Cry Havoc
Kothar whirls around as the elf disappears and raises his shield, blocking the stabs.
He frowns at Wenomir's command to stand down, continuing to fight unless his opponent stands down first, but he does switch to an even more defensive stance; focusing on blocking and dodging over striking back.