[Nexus] Random Places and Plots 5

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

Misha nods, a grateful and cheery look of contentment spreading across her face, "I know, I meant more like a going out thing. If we go places, I kind of... well, it'd be nice if people didn't stare at me a whole lot, and I kind of figure these draw a lot of looks." Misha has realized she has something of a problem with lechers, coming back to the pool and reliving the old moments when one person or another overstepped their bounds. If things like that happened every time she went out somewhere public with Riss...

It would probably be best if it didn't happen.

"I can't really hold a form other than this one for days on end anyway. It requires me to think about it, and that gets kinda tiring after a while. It was just a thought I had, while I was letting you rest." She lays a hand over Riss' stomach and lets the few remaining streams of water return to her.

"Of course, there was one other idea I had..." She bites her bottom lip, not sure if she should go on. She doesn't know if Riss would be amused, intrigued, or disgusted by her bringing it up, so she's hesitating.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

"I'm fairly certain you'd draw looks regardless of your appearance at the time." the muse replied, lightly sprinkling complements over Misha. "I'd personally let them look but I think I might be biased as I have a certain someone that everyone will be jealous of. Or would that be the other way around? You know what I meant."

Though both fugue and aches were slowing her down, Riss still had a certain gleam in her eyes as she pulled in close to try and begin nibbling at Misha's collarbone. She wasn't one to voice such things but the 'wasted' week had been surprisingly bothersome for her as well. It's like I'm wanting to binge at every meal after starving for so long. And I have to say I don't mind that at all if this is the stomach ache I wind up with. "Though, I'm surprised that you say you can even get tired. It seems like I'm the one consistently passing out in your arms." she said with a coy grin although it would be impossible to see due to her position. "And what would this other idea be, hmm?" the muse asked, making to reach farther around with the hand that had been resting on the nereid's hip and leave a quick pinch.

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

Well, if the stares made Riss happy, she'd just have to endure them, she thought. So long as they didn't go any further than staring, she'd be fine.

Now, how to approach this...

"Well, there was one personal change I thought I could make for you, if you were interested. Just something temporary, but it's better if I show, rather than tell." With that, Misha's form flows and twists under Riss' fingers, although she does not become entirely liquid. The hips Riss seemed so fond of pinching skirted away from her touch, as the mass redistributed elsewhere. A flat washboard stomach, well defined pectorals, and a chiseled jaw soon follow, the changes rippling upwards in an attempt to draw Riss' eyes away from where the most obvious change is taking place. Oddly enough, the hair retains its rather impressive length, and the scales are now stretched over a very impressive musculature, lean and smooth, rather than bulky.

Her voice, when it comes out of this new body, is only slightly deeper than before, without the husky, breathy edge that usually accompanies her words, "Tell me what you think, honestly." She seems a bit embarrassed, perhaps? Or unsure of herself, at the very least.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

The change was met with a rapid series of blinks. Although Riss had been expecting the eventuality of something similar to this, expectations did not dull the surprise entirely. "Um.. Well.." she began to say but quickly stopped as she began to carefully appraise Misha's new form. It was evident that it was certainly interesting for the time being although that could pass into something else once Riss passed her verdict.

Despite what Misha might have initially thought, the majority of the muse's attention was spent running fingers over her new face. Eyes, jaw, neck, each were placed under scrutiny before she moved on to the rest of the alterations with an almost clinical air. "Mmm.. Well.. It's certainly different." she said once she finally returned her attention to Misha's eyes. At the very least, nothing about the new look put her out too much. "I guess.. I woudn't entirely mind maybe trying this out for a bit... Though I'd personally rather you keep your voice as it was if it isn't too much trouble. Sure, it might be 'weird' given the gender differences but it's just a preference." she said finally. Misha wasn't the only one who felt rather unsure about the change as was evident in the muse's tone. "And.. Um.. Well.. If we, um.. Both like it, then we could start, um.. Start trying that mix and match thing you mentioned?" she suggested, visibly paling from embarrassment.

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

Misha blinks, then coughs, her tone raising an octave and going back to normal, "Sorry, I just changed everything at once, without thinking much about the vocal cords." She's rather glad Riss likes her normal voice better, even if it was one of those things she won off the gloaming. It made her pride swell just a tiny bit.

"Of course we can mix and match... but first, I need to figure out how to work this. It's been... ages and ages since I last turned into a guy, and then it was just for a bit. I have no idea where to even start." She knows what might be pleasing for this form, and what to pinch, slap and tickle on Riss, but the actual motions are entirely foreign, on top of the balance and proportions. Riss may have to accept a clumsy, inept lover if she's willing to try this, until Misha catches up.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

"How about we start small and simple in that case?" Riss suggested as she made to wrap her arms around Misha in a gentle caress. Though it was certainly both simple and small, it would also be something easy to start with. Something familiar even though it might otherwise be strange for the both of them. At the very least, Riss was willing to be patient with the nereid given that she had been the awkward one not terribly long ago. That wasn't to say she was particularly enlightened on how to handle this new situation but she at least had a good amount of basic understanding by now. Of course, if anything, Misha still had the advantage here given that Riss in unfamiliar territory in comparison to the nereid's knowledge.

"And I think it would be pretty difficult for you to mess up a kiss." the muse said, taking the initiative. And unless Misha stopped her, Riss would soon take the lead as the nereid became acquainted with her new shape; eventually pulling the curtains closed as she was both willing and perhaps a bit eager to help Misha 'relearn' everything. Even if it took a while. Mmm.. Especially if it takes a while.

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

"You'd be surprised what I can mess up..." She teases lightly, still accepting and going through with the kiss. It, at least, wasn't so different from as a girl, even if Riss' much talked about boniness was more apparent when Misha has no cushioning of her own.

And as for everything after the kiss, that was most definitely a new set of experiences. Not better, not worse, just new. Novel. She let Riss take the lead though, matching her pace and trying to draws cues from her to keep consistent.

By the end, she's transformed back to normal to better bask in the afterglow without any aches, and so she doesn't have to keep up any constant concentration while she sighs in genuine happiness.

"That was certainly something." She has no idea how Riss might have enjoyed the tentative, guided curtain, but Misha definitely got something out of it.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

Riss had taken to using Misha as a pillow, not quite dozing but definitely resting. Though she had started with the intention of remaining gentle so as to not exacerbate her existing aches, it hadn't lasted long. I'm beginning to think I have poor impulse control where you're concerned... "Mmm.. It was. And I'm not complaining about it so much as I'm just envious that you can get rid of muscle aches so easily. Right now, I'm not quite sure if it was a good idea or a bad idea as, I enjoyed it but ooow... And... Does it feel a bit warmer than usual to you?" Misha might notice that Riss wasn't quite as pale as she had been on the trip to her pool. Then again, the muse had spent quite a bit of time in the sun recently. Especially for a person who's previous exposure to ultraviolet light might very well be measured in a duration of perhaps a few hours over her entire lifetime until now. Really, if it hadn't been for the near constant pumping of endorphins through her brain, the muse might have remarked about it sooner.

"In all honesty, I think a bit more practice would probably be best but... Ahahah.. Not now. I'm not quite sure I can even stand at the moment." Riss said, possibly adding in a touch of hyperbole as she weakly reached out to just hold on to her nereid. It probably hadn't been the smartest idea to get all worked up again after just passing out from the same activities but her serotonin soaked brain felt that it was an acceptable trade.

[orb_of_blood]

[Beren's Hold]

Shut up! Akoraun holds his head. Alright. What should we do now? Do you know a way out?

Ophelia hisses at him when he uses that tone.

"Oh, I know a way out. Straight through the front door, and as fast as we can move. Best stick together, less of a chance he can take us by surprise. C'mon."

So... she's just gonna leave her brother behind?

Apparently.

She bounds out of the cage and up the corridor, pausing before it twists to look back and make sure Akoraun is with her.

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

Misha looks over at Riss curiously when she mentions being warm. It was no warmer than all the other times she was out in the sun- oh wait, that might be it.

"Maybe you're getting a tan? I had one, in my old skin. It happens when you get a bunch of sunlight on you. Feels pretty good, actually, if it didn't come with losing a whole bunch of water." Misha much prefers the dark of the cave, or inside her pool, to being under the blazing sun. It made her very uncomfortable to think that it was burning away her mass every second she stood under it.

She does lean over to inspect the skin more closely, not just with her eyes, but running her fingers, and even her tongue for a moment, over Riss' navel.

"Maybe you'll even get freckles! That'd be pretty cute, I think." Misha loves girls with freckles. The ones she can recall were so giggly and innocent, she talked with them for hours without getting bored. They were always called away by worried mothers eventually, but almost always snuck back.

She does give a somewhat wistful smile, "More practice might be interesting. I never thought it'd be quite like that for a guy, really. Let's just... lie here, though? Until you feel up to moving." That sounds really, really appealing to Misha right now. Lying down next to Riss without anywhere to go, anything to do, or anyone to answer to. She could do that for days, really.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Beren's Hold

Akoraun bounds out, not giving a second thought to the kid.

What?


Come on, he's only nine years old!

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

"Is this what that feels like? I guess it makes sense for tanning booths to exist then if that's the case." Riss replied as she rolled onto her back and reached for Misha's hand. Sure, it was fun to be wrapped up in a tangle of arms and legs but sometimes it was simply better to just hold on for a while and have some breathing room. Of course, she didn't seem to particularly mind Misha's 'inspection' and tried to imply an offer of letting the nereid use her stomach as a pillow for once with a bit of gentle pressure.

"Though, considering that electric lights don't do much for the melanin content in one's skin, that I'm actually quite acquainted with spending weeks on end in rather dimly lit holes, and that I'm fairly certain my genetics comes from a line of having generally low melanin content, you might be in luck. Mostly because of that last part, though." the muse said, lifting her head up a bit to move her hair so it wouldn't be all bunched up.

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

Well, melanin is something entirely new to Misha, but if Riss says that a lack of it will give her freckles, she'll take Riss at her word.

"So what was it like, living down there? I've never really known how anyone else lives until just recently. The cave is nice though, cool." Misha assumes she's talking about that cave, or one like it, when she mentions dimly lit holes, but she really has no idea how Riss lived before they met. The scars are obvious, mentally, but she doesn't know what caused them, or how long they'll take to heal.

This is her attempt to ease into that topic.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

"I'd like to say the cave I'm living in now is a recent development but really.. I think I'm just there because it's something I'm used to. Much cleaner, though. And much more room.. And really, generally better over all." the muse said, her lightly strained voice becoming a little distant. Misha might soon find her hand being clasped over Riss' heart as the muse made to pull it into position. She was aware that it was likely one of the more strange things that she tended to do but, to her, it was like an assurance that her nereid was there. I don't know why I'd need assurance when she's right by me but I've never claimed to be an expert on psychology either.

"If it's something you want to hear then.. Well, expect a disjointed recollection. Though, it'll make sense why I was in that tank I was talking about earlier if I manage to stay on topic long enough." she said with an odd sort of grin as she tried to play off her sudden change in mood with humor.

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

The change in mood gives her pause, but her recklessness pushes past it after a few moments of just staring at Riss, concerned, "You never have to tell me anything you don't want to. But... I would like to understand." She strokes a finger along the back of Riss' hand. Understanding was far more important than knowledge. It was one of the few things she never lost while she hibernated, and so when it came to her, she cherished it.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

"No it's.. You deserve to hear some of it by now. Might help us deal with a few of my issues if we're lucky." she said, still making a weak attempt at lightheartedness. Despite her words, Riss was silent for several minutes as she lay in the heat of the sun. "Before I met you... Before I came here, did you know that I almost never cried? I've probably been making up for lost time or something but, back there, I never did." she began, her tone again becoming slightly distant.

"I was considered an 'Ore Recovery Specialist' but you'd probably know that better as just being a miner. Where I come from, although there is a very high level of automation, there are occasions where the cost of sending a potentially expensive machine to do a task is less cost effective than to simply send a person to do the same task assuming the person in question was an indentured servant. And untrained for that matter." Riss began. "See, here it seems different but there, a price for a life is easily set. Basically, it's dependent on what skills a person has in combination with their net worth. There are a few other factors but those are the main ones. Basically, a person with no skills and no worth is just about free in those cases. The only requirements are basic room and board as well as a minimum stipend in those cases. And if you purchase a person before they are able to amass any skills or worth, then it is quite easy to gather a surprisingly inexpensive workforce. Easily bought and easily replaceable. Course, after a while, one gains a few skills in pertinence to their vocation if they survive long enough but the stipend only changes once the initial contract runs out and is renewed." Here the muse paused for a moment before breaking the silence with "Um, is there anything you need me to explain so far?"

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

Misha shakes her head, indicating Riss should continue. Mining she could understand, and what basically meant slavery, even though the rules were different. Although, she didn't understand why machines were more valued than people. People took, like, forever to make into something big enough and smart enough to do anything, and they were the ones who could think enough to make the machines in the first place. Unless it took years and years of effort just to make one machine, she doesn't see how it makes all that much sense.

But when she thinks about it more... if stuff to build them from was scarce, maybe that would affect it? There was always stuff to make more people, you just added people together, and there were more. It took a long time, but it was pretty much free, when the machines meant you needed stuff from the ground and trees and such.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

"What I always thought was a bit funny is that if it weren't for the population control issues, this wouldn't be an economically viable tactic. Basic prices for would be more and all due to there being less of a surplus of product. Unfortunately, at the time immigration was a concern which created an artificially inflated pool of certain resources." Here Riss paused for a moment longer before adding: "Which.. Really was kind of disheartening when your net worth was less than the two cubic meter cell you lived in. Course, I suppose part of that was because I was otherwise unemployable due to my age. Lot of us there were. Not a majority though. Thirty percent at the most, maybe?. And it was something you just got used to. That was the way life was. Either accept things as they were and focus on survival or, well, don't."

Taking a breath, the muse continued with her tale. "I alluded to being young at the time. Now, that doesn't mean you can just walk up and pick a child up off the street and purchase them like that. I mean, if they happen to be an orphan or something, and there are always plenty of those for various reasons. Death of guardians and Forfeits are the most common reasons. Occasionally a clerical error will result in an extra fetus coming to term and if the guardians don't have it terminated then it is usually sent off with the rest. They're relatively rare, though. For these types, if they survive long enough then they wind up better off as they'll have work experience and familiarity with a certain tool set. Sure, they may be forced to remain in a similar vocation until they are able to gather other skills but it's easier to move into less hazardous positions at that point. 'Course, most of those require interpersonal skills so you can guess my luck on that part.

"Ah, right. Need to actually get to what I did. You already have the title and all but my actual task was to locate and mark ore veins. Now, the part that probably differs from what you might be familiar with is that, at a certain point under the crust, zero gravity occurs. The planet was hollow so this is one of those strange things where it seems like physics isn't working right when, in fact, it predicts this sort of thing. Basically, you are being pulled on by all the rest of the planet at the same time when you are inside it and you wind up weightless because of it. On the outside, the same thing happens but it isn't in all directions so you aren't flying off in that case. But enough of the science lesson, there. Rather than here, where the underground is quite solid, it was more.. Porous. Cavernous you could say in some cases. Metals could often be found in these huge crystal formations inside an alcove and the whole place would light up when you used a flashlight. But, basically, I was to search out these formations by going through the naturally forming tunnels or blasting my way through with explosives at times. Not till I was older would I be the one handling the explosives. Basically it was a two person team because of things like that. Also helped keeping people sane down there as.. Well, time was strange down there. Anyway, we'd mark them and then others would come in with the actual digging machinery some time later." Here, the muse stopped as this was as far as she could go with her explanation and remain impersonal about it. She wouldn't mind if Misha had a question or two although she half hoped and half dreaded that the nereid would ask about how she in particular got into the situation. She had notably avoided speaking about that earlier but perhaps being prompted might make it easier to talk about. Maybe..

[orb_of_blood]

Beren's Hold

So. I guess her brother will just... stay there then, ignored by both other children. Yep.

Ophelia waits for Akoraun to catch up and then continues bounding off, down the dark corridor, passing cell after cell filled with creatures who just smile at them and wave as they run by. She does not stop to free any of them, only giving thought to herself and her uncle.

Oddly enough, though Beren obviously knows they've escaped, no guards appear. The mindflayer still hopes he can walk them both back willingly into the cell. For his presence lingers around them, not quite poking into their minds, but definitely there. Perhaps if he waits he can find a time to strike when the drow is distracted by something.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Beren's Hold

Akoraun is trying his hardest to focus, running after his niece-cousin thing.

Panting, he trips once or twice, but has surprising stamina for a kid of his age.

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

Unfortunately, Misha is far too good at picking out what makes Riss uncomfortable by now to ask the really heavy questions. One thing was eating at her mind though, so she decided to start with that.

"So who was your partner, while you were down there ore marking? Were they nice?" A simple sounding question, but it was the start of another conversation. Misha knows there's always the possibility Riss had had many partners with how dangerous the work she described sounded, especially with the implication that it was too dangerous to waste expensive things on.

There was a lot more Misha wanted to say, but while she had Riss this open to answering things, she wanted to make the most of it. Her own feelings could wait until afterwards to be expressed. Who knows, the things she learned might make them easier to flesh out and verbalize.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

"We were in rotation. Standard procedure went with us leaving with supplies for two to five days and either going farther along an already fruitful branch or trying to find a new one. There were a total of seventy-one sites that we cycled through. Basically a seeker team would be sent in first to find a deposit down a branch and then they would be sent off to another site while the actual diggers came in to retrieve the material. We had some help finding out where to look with scanning equipment but given the highly porous nature of the rock it was not as accurate as one would want. Really, the tech we had to work with was nearly ancient itself but, again, expenses. So, generally, we tried to map out a pathway to possible loads and make a large circuit going from location to location. Sometimes something was there, sometimes not. Sometimes we got lucky and found hidden deposits.

"But, right, rotation. Two people in isolation do tend to keep each other more sane but at the same time forced prolonged association can have it's own negative effects. To keep that from happening, we were basically cycled through whenever we went to another site. There weren't all that many of us seekers as the main workforce was in the actual retrieval of ore so we all eventually got to know each other... Well, mostly. Some just wanted to do the job and get out but most of them were social enough. Getting along, though, that was the problem. The task was stressful enough and sometimes a team would come out completely on edge for the next few days. 'Friends' could become quite bitter after a while and so on while others would just seek whatever arms would hold them. I remember there were at least five long term relationships of which two actually wound up successful." Riss thought for a moment before adding: "Well.. Technically one. I'm not sure if a relationship is considered successful if the team happens to die in a cloud of poison gas, thus preventing a breakup.

"I... Well, I was even worse at communicating than when I met you. Partly because..Ahm.. Well, for one, I didn't have any software installed to help me with interaction at least. I was.. Less than popular because of this fact given that communication equaled safety. I was never all that good at it but I did get some help from my first partner. Her name was Terbeth Yise but she had picked up the moniker 'Sabot' somewhere along the line before I had gotten there. Nicknames were common and they were usually easier or faster to say than a person's given name. And, well, after a while, your nickname becomes your 'real' name in your mind as that's what everyone you know calls you. Besides. It's rather hard to say 'Clarissa' quickly.

"Anyway, Sabot was kind of like our peacekeeper. She wasn't necessarily nice but she was fair, at least. She was one of the better paid of all of us as she had been there for some time and she was the one who helped me pay for my first enhancement." Riss said, tapping at her forehead to indicate the augmentation in question. "That was after about half a year in when that happened. She eventually got out in the middle of my first contract and became a site manager for a while. She managed to improve our conditions a bit and got us environmental suits so that we wouldn't have any more problems with bad air or just a lack of it in general. Had to carry along a bit more weight but it was still a nice improvement.

"Lurch was another of the ones I liked. He was called that because he moved slow and others were usually on him about it but he was patient. He and Saf were one of the couples I was talking about. The one that lived, I mean. Saf was... Tolerable when he was getting his way. Kind of a whiner otherwise. Never found out where he got his name. Dunno what they did when they left, though. Most tend not to keep up for some reason or another.

"Carmine was one of the 'strange ones' like I was. She was probably the closest person I had to a friend then and I didn't mind when she asked to pair up with me on occasion. We could sometimes do that, ask to have a certain partner. Not all the time but it helped moral. She liked to talk, though. It was pretty annoying, really, but she wasn't stern or anything and was actively helpful. I think she just needed someone to listen to her even though all she talked about was gossip or drama or things like that. Well, not all the time. Sometimes she would get rather morbid. She'd also occasionally etch haiku into the walls of wherever we stopped to sleep. Usually about something painful or about death. She liked to call me 'Shadow' on occasion and had personal nicknames for everyone. None of them stuck but it didn't stop her. She... Well.. For all her talk about death, she..." Riss began to choke on her words as she tried to continue; staring blankly ahead as a rather grisly memory surfaced in her mind.

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

A wince escapes the nereid before she can rein herself in and reach out a hand to cup Riss' face. The motion was hesitant, but she followed through with it.

"I... I'm glad that you had people who cared about you, and made sure you were safe. Even though I probably won't meet any of them, they delivered you to me, so I'll keep a little space in my heart for every one of them." She tries to smile, but it comes out somewhat watery.

"Even the ones you didn't like quite so much." It sounds like a bad joke to her ears, but she doesn't know what else to say. She afraid to learn more, at the cost of making Riss dredge up unpleasant memories, so the questions have stopped until she can be convinced it's a good idea to go on.

"Are you feeling any less sore?" Maybe it's time to move on to safer topics. Despite the self inflicted nature of the "injuries" Misha can't help but worry that she should have been less eager with Riss.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

Unfortunately, the memories had already been accessed. Rather than answer right away, Riss hesitated for a moment before continuing on. "I.. I'll.. I just.. I need to get this out. I've just... Every time that I thought about this I just did my best to ignore it but I don't think I ever really let myself actually think about it in the first place. I just watched it happen and then simply went about the proper procedure when something like that happens. Stayed in my room more than usual for about a week after that but that was it. Bet it was kinda hard to tell, though."

Testing her taxed muscles, Riss found that she was still notably sore but at least able to muster up the willpower to work through that. "Mmm.. I'm.. Better I guess. Probably will be walking funny for a week, though." she said, managing to inject a little bit of humor scrounged from somewhere. While it was clear the memory was weighing heavily on her, it wasn't so pressing that it needed to be spoken of immediately. "...You know, more than just the people, if not for the life I've had, you wouldn't be able to get even a tenth of the fun out of me as you have. Any normal, unagumented girl certainly isn't built for this sort of thing and definitely not on a regular basis." the muse said with a small smile as she pushed herself into a sitting position with a bit of a wince. "Ah.. Yeah, definitely glad that I heal quick."

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

There's a few more moments of hesitation as Misha considers staying on this new track. Some light banter might convince Riss to leave it be for her own temporary peace of mind, but the temporary part was what snagged the nereid. If she kept letting it go, and even now realized she had to talk to someone about it...

"What happened to Carmine?" She asks in what isn't quite a whisper.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

Strangely, the muse's small smile didn't falter once the question was broached. "Well. I mentioned before that some blasting took place to clear routes and such? It isn't necessarily large explosions that send rocks everywhere but sometimes larger masses can be dislodged than one first expects or unexpected things can happen. Anyway, I had set the explosives and the countdown had started but the surface I had my line attached to was weaker than I had anticipated. I ended up pulling a chunk of rock up to me instead of going back to my position. To be more clear, in zero gravity, it's nearly impossible to move aside from pushing off of a surface so if you need to stop midway, somewhere, then you need a line to keep you from moving any farther and for a way to get back.

"Anyway, Carmine saw this and she pushed off toward me. When a person is stuck like I was, their partner can provide them a surface from which both can push off from. It's another reason why we had partners and all in that environment. Anyway, with how her line was positioned from where mine had been, she didn't have the length needed to reach me and she probably thought it would take too long to mess with the equipment to get more room or something. Anyway, she unhooked herself and tried again. I was smaller than her, though, and I was panicking a bit by now because I knew how long we had till the thing went off so when we actually were able to push off each other, the force each of us gave was really uneven. I ended up flying off into a wall but she just sorta drifted for the next ten seconds. About half that time we spent just staring at each other, I think. The rest she tried to reorient herself so that she would be able to shield herself as much as possible from being so close to the blast. But as I said, sometimes weaknesses in the surrounding area dislodged more rock than expected. There was a surprising lack of debris but I think that's because I drilled in farther than I needed to when setting this charge. Even with the depth it was at, this thing normally wouldn't have happened. Or at least I've convinced myself of that by now. Anyway, what happened next was probably pretty quick but it didn't seem that way..."

Riss' smile had grown just slightly odd as she spoke. It wasn't the joyful or happy sort of smile at all but, despite that, she didn't seem to be overly distressed. "Misha, have you ever seen a person being crushed? Carmine was unlucky as she was all curled up but I suppose it was better for her in that she didn't last more than a few moments. It's... Almost funny in a way. Her nickname, I mean. Ironically fitting with the smear she left behind. Oh not all of her was flattened. Part of her legs were still there and twitching a bit but the rest? Just a mess of crushed meat and bone and fabric. Almost all the tools were useless at that point too so I couldn't return any of them either.

"I just.. Sat there for an hour or so. The boulder had broken up a bit on impact with the wall it had smashed her against so there was some dodging the pieces when needed but other than that, I didn't do much for a while. After that, I just went to the last site, slept, and then went home. I think I was in shock at that point but I just did what I could to keep it out of my mind." the muse said. Yet, despite her tale, her smile was now less deranged and more just tired. With a long sigh, she turned to Misha and simply looked for a while. "Thought I would be sad." she said. "But I don't feel sad. Just.. Tired. But better. Lighter if you'd excuse the saying. That wasn't the only person I've seen.. go.. But it was the first. Guess that's why it left such an impact."

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

"I... not that I know of, no. I'm pretty sure I'd remember that... but it's hard to tell what I forget after so many cycles. I've only ever... you know, drowned people before." And she's a lot more embarrassed to say that out loud now that Riss is someone she values the opinion of. Casual murder really isn't something most people take favorably to, she knew that. There was a lump in her throat, but she worked past it.

"I guess I'm glad talking about it helped... but if all your stories are this sad, I may need a bit in between to recover. It doesn't do me any good to think of you unhappy." She tries to tease, lifting up a hand to run down the center of Riss' chest, if she's amenable to the contact. Truthfully, seeing Riss in any form of distress gets her hackles raised. Defending what is important to her is part of her nature, and she always defended best by finding what was responsible for the assault and taking it out of the picture.

So... in a way, talking about Riss' problems was sort of like attacking them. She could deal with it, if she thought about it that way.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

"Misha, if I were the same person as I was when this happened, I'd have wanted nothing to do with you once I learned that. Now? Well.. Call it some form of insanity but I can probably sympathize with you from how you've described it. Or callousness." Riss said, nearly babbling. At Misha's touch, she pushed her chest out just a bit more so the nereid wouldn't have to reach so much. She had more or less earned the right to put her hands on the muse whenever she wanted by now anyway. And wherever she wanted if I'm wanting to be accurate.

"Still.. They aren't all sad but.. Yeah, I think that's enough for now. It's kinda tiring in its own way just talking about all of this." she said, her smile having finally transformed into something quite genuine. With a bit of a laugh she switched topics somewhat. "Though, while I'm thinking about home, wanna here something kinda funny? And not the ironically morbid sort I mean."

[Slii Arhem]

Misha's Pool

"Sure thing. I could use a laugh right now." This has been a surprisingly draining span of time, emotionally. Going through the tension with Dani, all the awkwardness with the new experimentation, and now some sad story swapping, it really turned into an emotional roller coaster, made mostly of downhill sections.

Using and abusing her privileged position, Misha will trace a figure eight around Riss' navel, slowly alternating which loop traced around the belly button in a vague pattern.

[Terumitsu]

[Misha's Pool]

"Well, it's a bit of a lesson I guess but you probably won't notice it. But because of one of the most common enhancements that people got, things like tattoos were really rare in comparison to here. Basically, it would have to be re-done every few months as the ink used would be seen as a foreign substance and be gotten rid of. Piercings would be healed up rather quickly as well, too." Riss began, closing her eyes and leaning back as she let Misha continue.

"So, because of this, the most common body modification is genetic. Now, to spur this along, there are usually minor surgeries or grafts so that the change is more or less instantaneous and then the person in question just 'grows into' the change in question. Now usually people get minor cosmetic stuff like forked tongues or scales or stuff like that but there are some that go a bit farther and grab extra limbs. Now, it's pretty expensive to get an extra pair of hands, preserving symmetry of course, because the modification also requires some alteration to a brain's motor centers to enable usage. Not to mention finding the extra hands from somewhere. So, the most popular of those kinds of modifications is a tail. Less costly in terms of necessary data and material." the muse said with a smile. "Though for the funny bit? I kinda wanted to get one because I thought it just looked cool. Not that it wouldn't be useful as I could definitely use a third appendage to hold onto things for me when I'm working on something but mostly because it's something that sounded like fun." The muse turned a little pale as it was a bit embarrassing revealing something silly like that although it did serve to highlight the small discolorations that were starting to spread across the muse' face.