Inside 59

[Rebonack]

[Leaving a Park]

Hopefully Kate doesn't feel bad about what Fortuna did. Fortuna would certainly feel bad if she did. She wants to use her gift to help people! And to inject a little fun and excitement into their lives. Not make them feel awful.

Regardless, she'll begin loping along with Nick, keeping her eyes peeled for a new victim sucker someone to have fun with.

By the time they reach the edge of the chaos effect gripping the park the pedestrian population will be picking up. Several kids have stripped of their shoes, soaked their feet, and are now sliding around on the soap-dirt and generally having fun. The sight of them sends a grin creeping across Fortuna's face. One of the children pauses to peer at the draconequus before running over. "Wow! You're really pretty!"

"Thank you!" Fortuna replies, giving a little bow. "I like to think I'm also a whole bunch of fun. Do you like what I did with the park?"

"I do! It's great! How did you do that? Home come you have a die on your butt?"

The draconequus giggles. "Chaos magic, of course! I've got plenty of it to spare. Want a little? Just give that die back there a spin and who knows what will happen!"

The girl squeals with delight. "Moooooom! Can I roll the dice on the dragon thing to get some chaos magic?"

"Whatever you like, dear," the girl's mother replies without looking up from her smart phone.

[Deathkeeper]

Leaving a Park

Nick gives Fortuna a pain expression.
"Kids? Don't you think that if what happened to say, Kate happened again it might be well, bad for someone young?" he asks in a whisper. Most people can cope with wacky things happening, but kids can get phobias and stuff from the weirdest little things. Seeing someone blow up 'just a little' would probably be more than a little.
Or maybe Nick's just being a very dizzy worrywart.

[Rebonack]

[A Park]

"The blowing up thing was caused by those other dice of wonder. If it had been me I could have made it something silly and harmless instead of something gruuhnnnngh~!" Fortuna begins, but gets interrupted when the little girl gives her dice a spin. The die jitters and bounces and tumbles and at last comes to rest on 822, which causes a pretty new merry-go-round about six feet across to pop up under the little girl's feet. The new piece of playground equipment is all done up in Fortuna's colors. Deep starry black with swirls of purple and golden ribbons wound about the bars.

Several children squeal with delight and pile onto the newest toy. Getting dizzy is fun!

That isn't all that happens, though!

No sir!

Fortuna's secret is revealed with a POOF! of garishly colored glitter that gets all over everything and leaves a rather bemused looking wizardly fellow sitting on the ground where the draconequus was previously.

"Well," he says as he tries futility to dust the glitter out of his beard. "That was an enlightening experience."

[Deathkeeper]

A Park

Nick blinks, thankfully in time to avoid getting glitter in his eyes.
That would be terrible.
"Aw hell, am I gonna have to find the real one and give that whole speech again? I was real proud of that, you know. And I think I'll still need to find that burger stand. Still dizzy." he says, his nice, almost romantic mood quashed.

[Rebonack]

[A Park ==> Bob's Burgers]

"Sorry about the confusion," the wizard says as he rises to his feet and tries to dust the glitter off his robes.

It's an utterly futile effort. Though interestingly enough he still has a human-sized PIPcolt on his left wrist. Or maybe it would just be a PIPboy now?

"My name's Tobias Boon. I'm a practitioner of the art of transmutation. That was probably one of the most thrilling metamorphosis spells I've ever experienced," he explains. "I met Fortuna a few hours ago and she enticed me to roll the dice, so to speak. The resulting spell transformed me into an exact replica of her. After a bit of comical hijinks we both decided to run some tests on natural portals in various parks around Inside. You know, cover more ground for my, eerr, for her bridge project."

He walks along side Nick, hurrying to keep up with the griffin's pace. "Please, allow me to buy the meal for you. I owe you that at least for the confusion caused. And, ah, there was something I would rather like to talk to you about. It's regarding the relationship between you and she, something I only realized once I became myself again."

Uh oh! Relationship talk!

[Deathkeeper]

Bob's Burgers

Nick is far more embarrassed about the whole thing than his dark feathers would show, and he he can't help himself but pointedly not slow down for the human.
"Oh, and what would that be?
And what kind of wizard uses those pip-thingies anyway? I don't see your kind mixing with tech all that often." he says, somewhat icily.

[Rebonack]

[Bob's Burgers]

Hey look!

One of those little burger stands with the booth and the seats out in front! It smells rather delicious.

"Ah, this?" Tobias replies, tapping at the machine. "It came with the metamorphosis for some reason. I would have expected it to vanish along with the effect when it ended. Certainly curious."

Then he takes a deep breath.

"She... believes you proposed to her. That you and she are betrothed, now. That's what she did on the Ferris wheel. I know this is... very personal. But you must speak with her and explain the cultural differences of what a kiss means."

[Deathkeeper]

Bob's Burgers

Dizzy as he is, had he been human he'd likely have reeled and fallen over. Luckily, his multitude of feet keeps him standing, even if his knees are feeling weak.
"Aw, ****. You sure? I should call her. Call her right now. I guess you need to drop off the data you got anyway, so there's that."
He barely even waits before fiddling with his helmet's headset for dialing Geneva's pipcolt. Hopefully the mage takes the hint and goes to get the food while Nick makes a personal call.

[Rebonack]

[Bob's Burgers]

The mage gives a nod and heads off to fetch the burgers for Nick.

Fortuna's PIPcolt rings twice before the draconequus' voice pops up through the helmet's speakers. "Hi Nick! I'm in the middle of doing some tests on the indirect effects of chaos magic on natural portals. I found out earlier today that using chaos magic directly on them is kind of a bad idea."

Since it lopped her tail off and stuff.

"I also baked some chocolate raspberry brownie things! They turned out pretty good even though I had to conjure some of the ingredients. And I've met some really interesting people who rolled me! You might say one I really learned a lot about myself from one of the encounters."

That's followed by more than a little giggling.

"But listening to me rambling like I'm just trying to get enough fluff for a post of arbitrarily large size. What did you want to talk about? If it has anything to do with the giant mustache that appeared on Vyrn's big statue that wasn't my fault."

[Deathkeeper]

Bob's Burgers

Nick sighs.
"Yeah, I met that clone of you downtown, had to talk her out of a bit of a nervous breakdown after she got a roll that showed some girl infinity and then turned a park into a children's book illustration. It's fine, but I'm magic-exhausted. You okay? Your copy seemed really upset about being cooped up in your other shape and being tweaked too much by foxes. Erm, anyway, the fellow changed back and he's got all the data he collected while he was you, and since I'm too dizzy to go very far I wanted to know if I could talk to you for a while about some things. That okay with you?" he says calmly.

[Shadowcaller]

[QUOTE=firedaemon33;18107191Clara follows the line to the warforged, then is led into the transfusion room, sits at the nurse's command, and bits her lip hard as the needle enters arms. It seems that yes, she is not a fan of needles.[/QUOTE]

Outside Chadwick's Temple

Arty should return within a few minutes, armed with a few bottles of holy water and a few other things he's put away in an extra bag.
"Back, sir. Anything happen?"

Outside Chadwick's Temple

It appears that Chadwick haven't moved from his spot but there are wisps flying all over the place. "I haven't seen Radu which worries me greatly. I have no idea what that demon is up to." He eyes the entrance worriedly.

[Devil's Charm Hospital]

"Going. To. Give. You. A. Sedation. First." The warpforge clarifies. "Fiendish. Blood. Hurts." If she doesn't protest she will get an injection and feel rather woozy. "You. Might. Feel. Intoxicated. For. The. Rest. Of. The. Day. I. Suggest. Staying. Indoors." The nurse adds before the transfusion will being. Wonder what this will lead to?

[Rebonack]

[Bob's Burgers]

"The lycanthropy thing is kind of jarring..." Fortuna admits. "I was talking to my room mates about that earlier today, actually. There's kind of a divide or something between hippogriff me and draconequus me. And I'm pretty sure it's getting bigger with time. I've been thinking about talking to the foxes about removing it but..."

She pauses, her tone hesitant.

"That would mean I'm in draongy shape. All the time. Forever. No more hippogriff. And I was worried how you would feel about that."

Seems like a pretty normal thing to be worried about.

"Oh, did you want to talk with me in person? Sure! Hang on a moment. I can't do the super-fast flight in Fortuna mode," there comes a sound like a cork popping out of a champagne bottle mixed with screeching tires and a yowling cat through the helmet's speaker. "Hoo... wow, that transition is getting rougher every time. I'll be there in a flash."

There comes a *beep!* and Geneva has hung up. This is shortly followed by burgers.

"I wasn't sure what you liked, so I got a few of their specialty chilli cheese burgers," the wizard says as he sets down a tray in front of Nick.

[Deathkeeper]

Outside Chadwick's Temple

Arty nods.
"Well, I've read that section of the book three times, and I think I can handle that part at least. Just point me to what I need to do, sir, and I'll get it done."

Bob's Burgers

Nick groans as he hangs up. He doesn't really say much more, he just tears into the burgers, caring not for what damage that much chili can do to his system. He's far beyond caring, and eating does help with stress. At least, it does this time.

[Septimus Faber]

[Crystal Gardens]

"So," says Dr. Yarr, "it looks like all of us that require food, quasi-unreal or otherwise, have got it. Whither shall we wander next?"

[Rebonack]

[Crystal Gardens]

"Well, we could check out the-" Maph begins, only to glance off... somewhere. "Oh bugger... Umm, sorry everyone, but I'm going to have to bail. I've got job things that I have to see to. Just a suggestion? Go check out the moving castle next, if you can track it down. Finding it is half the fun! Later!"

And with that a sphere of utter blackness expands around Maph before contracting again, utterly erasing him from view. ...that looked suspiciously like a sphere of annihilation.

[Bob's Burgers]

The wizard gives Nick a pat on the wings before taking his leave and mentioning something about wireless data transfer. The talk that's coming really doesn't need him around by any stretch of the imagination.

Geneva arrives about two minutes later, dropping down from the sky and reducing her speed from insane to reasonable for a landing fast enough that it would cause more than a little discomfort to a jet pilot if they tried to pull off the same stunt. The hippogriff lands on the other side of Nick's table, looking a little fidgety and nervous.

"Hi Nick! How are you feeling? Magical exhaustion is no joking matter."

[Deathkeeper]

Bob's Burgers

Nick smiles at her, a tired, but very much genuine smile.
"Afternoon, Geneva. I'm fine. Mr. Boon bought me some food to apologize for the mixup. I already feel better with something in my stomach.
I should ask the same of you, though. That change sure didn't sound very pleasant over the phone."

[Rebonack]

[Bob's Burgers]

"Oh, that? Yeah..." Geneva sighs. "Each time I swap out forms it seems to be getting harder. I don't think that whole lycanthropy thing is working for me the way that it was supposed to. Or maybe it is?"

Another huff.

"I don't know... it was a really foalish decision on my part. It probably would have been healthier to just accept the changes I was going through instead of partitioning myself like this," she explains. "But... we're very special friends now. And I didn't want to just throw away my hippogriff body if that would upset you. I might be able to figure out how to change shape on my own using chaos magic, but I don't know for sure if that'll work out or not. It's largely based on what rolls I happen to get and what I can learn from practicing."

She gives Nick a pleading look.

"What do you think I should do? Would you still be able to accept me even if I never look like this again?"

[Deathkeeper]

Bob's Burgers

Nick frowns at her, and walks around the table, going over to her and snuggling up very close to her.
"I can't answer that question. Not because I can't separate what I want to happen from what I believe will happen, but because this was never my decision. Not now, not ever.
I don't know what you see in me. I'm uptight and deadpan when you're whimsical, and I only barely understand one tiny kind of magic, and I can't really help you at all with things besides moral support. I guess you must see something, after all. But even with that, I'm still just a guy. You met me a month ago. Maybe two? It's not fair to yourself to be making any important life choices based on anything I or anyone else says. This is your life.

Your mind is being split into separate you's, Geneva. That's not a problem, that's flat-out ridiculous. My brain can't even wrap itself around how that must feel. If you're growing into someone else, Geneva, I have no right to stop you. You can't be two things. Maybe this solution would have worked if you stayed like this all the time, but you don't. You're switching back and forth when the curse is trying to keep your selves separated, and whether or not that's the problem something is going wrong. So you do what you want, but if you really want my input, I say to have it fixed, because if I can't accept it, you find someone who's as good as you deserve. I'm not necessary to you. If you get hurt because of what you did for me, then I'm responsible for that crime, and I won't ever let that happen." he says. Calmly, slowly, and resolutely.

[Rebonack]

[Bob's Burgers]

Geneva leans into Nick, resting her head on him. It probably looks kind of silly since she's a little bigger than he is, but she really doesn't care. She wraps one of her wings around her bloodfeather, taking comfort in his nearness. "I love you because that's who you are." And then she begins shifting.

One last time.

Stretching, popping, warping, into her draconequus shape. She doesn't move away from Nick as she changes, so. She coils about him all the closer.

"No more walls."

She raises one of her plaws, hovering it over her chest.

"No more divisions."

She plunges the limb into her chest, the scales rippling like a still pond disturbed by a stone.

"No more lycanthropy."

She pulls.

"No more Geneva vs Fortuna."

Fortuna the Golden Dice of Wonder yanks a fuzzy mass of magic out of herself that looks suspiciously like a fox and tosses it away, the embodiment of the curse fizzling out into nothing before it even touches the ground. Fortuna lets out a slow, stuttering breath, one of her ears twitching as a tiny smile pulls at the edge of her mouth. "Just me."

The draconequus wraps her wings about Nick, nuzzling her head against him. "And you. That's why you love me too, isn't it? Because I'm who I am?"

[Deathkeeper]

Bob's Burgers

Nick swears loudly. Not at her changing, but at her sticking a hand into her own chest, because that's a little bit freaky. He does calm down though, accepting her presence.
"Yeah. I guess it is. Do you still want me to call you Fortuna? Not sure since the clone was the one who told me to call her that. I'll miss your old name. I liked it, but your name's what it is."

He turns to look at her, his eyes wide with thought and a little bit of emotion. She looks so incredibly silly, and it makes him smile. That's all he could ask for, isn't it?
"I didn't mean to propose, you know. With humans kissing is just what people in a relationship do. I thought we were just a couple, not engaged. But...do you really want that? he says matter-of-factly, staring up at her as he asks his question.
Do you really think that in all your bubbly chaos you'd still want to be tied down with a tired old soldier? One you met a month ago? Because I'm not sure of all my feelings like you are. I'm sure that I made the right decision to be here, and to be with you but I'd be lying if I said it's not a little fast for me. But...I won't call it off if you don't. Not if that's what you really want. Just...maybe let it sit for a while? Just to be safe?" he asks quietly.
This is a pretty hardcore conversation to be having at a fast-food stand.

[Ionbound]

[Temple of Sad Priests]

The priest nods and says, "Thank you for your support. Charlotte, if you do go after her, be careful. She;s very good at fighting...And she can fly and fight at the same time. Just...Don't get hurt."

Charlotte nods and says, "Of course, Father. I'll be careful." Cleo might also have a hard time telling based on Char's inflection whether or not she's referring to him as a priestly father or Charlotte's biological father.

[Devil's Charm Hospital]

Clara does feel a bit woozy as the sedative kicks in, and then when the fiendish blood enters her system, she coughs and then groans suddenly as a blue tint spreads across her skin, leaving her a nice, light blue shade. A another groan, this one closer to a moan is elicited as cute little half-inch horns jut from her forehead, and tiny bat wings sprout from her back.

And, as suddenly as it started, the changes stop, and Clara looks at the back of her hand and flaps her little wings and says, "Ugh...Is that it?"

[Rebonack]

[Bob's Burgers]

This is an incredibly hard core conversation for a fast food stand.

"I still don't understand that part. The name change. It's just so, hehe," Fortuna giggles in spite of herself. "It's just so silly and contrived, don't you think? I mean... okay, sure. Fortuna is probably a better name for a draconequus. And it probably describes my destiny better, to use all my talents to lift spirits and bring fair winds of fortune and fun. But I didn't pick it. It's just the name on my character sheet that someone penciled in while I wasn't looking. Maybe the sheet for Fortuna the Golden Dice of Wonder is still be written and they just didn't get to that part yet?"

She falls quiet for a time, heaving a long, low sigh.

"But my old name was pretty. I liked it, too. But I'm a new PC now, even if I used some of the old one in the character gen process. And a new PC needs a new name or things just get confusing."

When Nick speaks up about the kiss Fortuna nuzzles him again. "I think I knew, deep down. I had seen all the signs in how humans acted. But I wanted to believe I had a very special friend of my own. It doesn't count if you didn't know what you were doing. And... I think I can live with us being special friends," she says, grinning a toothy grin at Nick. "At least until you're ready to take a very special step for realsies. And in the mean time, I'm going to try to master changing my shape on my own instead of looking for some outside force for a shortcut. That's what I should have done to begin with."

[Recaiden]

[Temple of Sad Priests]

The priest nods and says, "Thank you for your support. Charlotte, if you do go after her, be careful. She;s very good at fighting...And she can fly and fight at the same time. Just...Don't get hurt."

Charlotte nods and says, "Of course, Father. I'll be careful." Cleo might also have a hard time telling based on Char's inflection whether or not she's referring to him as a priestly father or Charlotte's biological father.

"You are set on going after this woman, then? What are you going to do if you find them?"
Concern is the main sound in her voice, although she's also a bit curious, and looks for any notable resemblance between the two werebats.

[Fenric]

[Crystal Gardens]

Kenji blinks as Maph'tey vanishes. Fortunately, he has never even heard of a Sphere of Annhilation, so he certainly couldn't possibly recognize anything as looking like one.

Well... that was kinda sudden.

He turns to look at Jace

Any suggestions for our next destination? I could deal with something a little less fantastic after this, anyway

[Ionbound]

"You are set on going after this woman, then? What are you going to do if you find them?"
Concern is the main sound in her voice, although she's also a bit curious, and looks for any notable resemblance between the two werebats.

Charlotte grins and says, "I'll try to figure out the limit of how much she can manipulate her form. With lasers."

There isn't much resemblance between the two werebats beyond normal morphic resonance.

[Recaiden]

[Temple of Bats]

Cleo frowns.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Meaningful glance over at the priest.

And she also makes sure none of that awful morphic resonance gets near her. Solid magic-based physics here, thank you.

"And she's clearly a jerk, but I'm not sure you should be shooting her over it."
"But if you're sure, let me come along and help."

[Deathkeeper]

Bob's Burgers

Nick nods. "Please, if there's anything I can do for you, please, please tell me. I can't understand anything of how your...you-ness works, but I can still try."

Crystal Gardens

Jace waves goodbye cheerily to Maph. He has too many weird friends to question is form of departure.
"I don't know, perhaps we should head home, Kenji. I'm not used to this shape and I think my wings could tire out any minute."

[Murkus]

[Red Zone - Trash]

Susurrus is slow to react when Aiden lunges off his perch. He had expected - something. Anything. The violet energy arcs through Aiden and scorches the ground where he was, the asphalt exploding into oily chunks.

Sus's head is a bony protrusion, the remnants of a large carnivorous animal's skull. A great many eyes are inlaid along it's sides and front, but Aiden punches one of the largest. It pops with a sickening wet sound, and his fist comes away soaked in stinking brown-yellow muck. Susurrus... doesn't roar, however. It's eyes flinch in pain, but it doesn't quite rear back in agony.

The beast's long tail arcs up and around, it's tip wrapped around Aiden's sword. In a motion so fast it blurs before the eye, Susurrus tries to skewer Aiden on the blade. If it proves a success, Susurrus will lift him away from his huge, bony face with a violent motion.

[The Place of Little Idols]

Tina has to keep herself from tittering at Mist's nervous nature. She gains her feet too, walking over and standing beside her date, a hand laid up between his shoulder blades.

The automaton watches Fettina a moment before directing it's attention at Mist's outstretched, fuzzy hand. "Not really," says Apol, in a voice stiff and dryly humorous. But his own hand is extended, and shaken. Cold bronze around Mist's fingers. All around them is still, and quiet, as the motion is made. Thunder roars again, and as though on it's breath, a gust of wind tosses Apol's cloak about. "You've brought another date, Fettina." His voice is rife with long-suffering exasperation.

Tina purses her lips together tight, then smiles, laughing a little awkwardly. "Weeell, the last two weren't really dates, Apol, um," Damned robot.

"Ah. Yes," Apol looks at Mist, then down at his clothes. "I suppose you are still--" A dainty brown hand gets thrown over Apol's mouth-port. He continues making muffled noise, as though she weren't there, and his head turns toward Tina.

"Sober! Conscious. I know. The last couple drank terribly before we came," Tina gives Mist a grin. She looks at Apol, who apparently doesn't mind her hand on his face. "Don't you have a schedule to keep?" Her eyes could bore holes in Apol's head. The neon-eyed girl's hand slowly withdraws.

"I am making good time today, actually. I am in no hurry," Apol says, with some humorously venomous cheer somewhere in his voice.

[Rebonack]

[Bob's Burgers]

Another giggle escapes from Fortuna.

A giggle and one simple request that is not, in fact, simple at all.

"Don't give up on me. I need friends. I need them bad. I need them now more than ever. Draconequus go crazy because they lose perspective on what actually matters. You're down to earth, Nick. You're well grounded. Be my anchor and keep my head out of the clouds."

[Deathkeeper]

The Place of Little Idols

Mist is somewhat confused by all of this. Did Tina always bring her dates here? Or was it just...casual...if she didn't call them dates?
He gives a somewhat awkward smile to the automaton, and in a desperate move tries to make conversation.
"So uh, what is your schedule? What is it that you do here?"
asks the nervous changeling.

Bob's Burgers

Nick leans up against her.
"Then it's the same promise I made to you as Geneva. I'll never let you go.
I will literally, of course. I need my hands for things, and you need to be near the clouds to fly, but metaphorically speaking I'll never let go of you, here on the ground." he says, teasing her with an avian chuckle.