Inside 61

[goto124]

Midnight Forest of the Spirits

Axanot can't help but laugh at Sharpe's reaction. 'Nah, it could be useful.' It is a bit too early to get mushroom hallucinations. Yet.

As soon as she's off the path the ethereal whispers that drift through the wood pick up noticeably.

'Hello, you sound like restless sould in need of help. Is there some evil witch I need to kill, I mean-' Axanot clears her throat- 'vanquish? Or an amulet to retrieve from the depths of the forest? We're more than happy to help!'

[Rebonack]

[Midnight Park]

The whispers are, sadly, of the incoherent sort. The kind of whispers where you can tell something is being said, but making out what's being said is a totally different matter. Suffice to say, they don't reply to the barbarian's inquiry. If she wants to talk to someone she's going to need to try talking to someone who can actually speak intelligibly.

But wait!

What's this?

It looks like a little mote of lantern light is bobbing down the trail!

One can't quite make out who's carrying the thing, but the light is certainly getting closer.

Do our heroes meet the person?

Do they hide?

Do they hurl mushrooms at them?

Stay tuned to find out!

[Cyber Punk]

[Midnight Park]

"Axanot! Look!" Sharpe points to the floating lantern. It obviously is being carried by someone else, but who? Sharpe does intend to find out and stands, ready to greet the person. Or being. Or monster.

[goto124]

[Midnight Lighty Park]

Axanot skips towards what she thinks is a wisp, as if she were a little girl.

'Ah, there's the quest-giver! What's the trouble?' Axanot considers getting out her earplugs, in anticipation of a long windy NPC exposition, but decides against it. She does have to listen anyway.

[Rebonack]

[Midnight Park]

What would be the point of listening to someone giving directions if you're wearing earplugs?

Anywho!

The person carrying the lantern passes under a rather massive log fallen over the trail, climbing under the obstruction and popping out into view of the visitors. So what kind of being are our heroes going to be dealing with? Well... An unusual one, that's for sure. The creature is a bit under four feet tall and sports a fine coat of pale yellow fur. Its a leggy critter with delicate cloven hooves trotting along with precise, graceful steps. Its tail is almost lion-like in shape with a fan of cheerful orange hair at the end matching its mane. And in the middle of its forehead is a long, fluted horn.

A unicorn.

What's a unicorn doing in a haunted forest?

The creature's horn is surrounded by a shimmering golden glow, an aura of matching color surrounding the lantern. As the creature draws closer our heroes will be able to see that its eyes appear to be inky black sockets with glowing orbs of light in place of any normal eyes. It has a sleek, almost predatory look to it, quite different from the gentle forest protector one might typically expect from unicorns.

Also?

It has a stylized picture of a lighthouse lamp on its haunches.

Upon spotting the pair the lights in the creature's eyes wink out for a moment before igniting again. A blink, maybe?

"Oh! Visitors! Hi there!" the creature calls out in a decidedly male voice as he picks up his pace, approaching the pair. "Welcome to Midnight Park! I'm Nightlight. How can I help you two today?"

[Cyber Punk]

[Midnight Park]

What IS a unicorn doing in a haunted forest. Sharpe quickly comes to the conclusion that this is no mere unicorn, especially since this one looks more.... what's the word... predatory. Probably faster and deadlier than your average unicorn. Let's not anger it. "Evening, Nightlight. Everyone calls me Sharpe." He says. "We both came seeking a lovely time, with a mix of adventure."

[goto124]

[Midnight Park]

'Ooo, hello! I'm Axanot!' She waves at Nightlight with the hand that isn't holding a mushroom, surprised at how friendly he sounded. And he has a tattoo! A tattoed pony, interesting.

[snip] We both came seeking a lovely time, with a mix of adventure."

'Not the other way round?' However, Axanot quickly realises that Sharpe's lost his color, and decides to straighten up. She turns back to Nightlight.

'I thought you might need help, actually. Because... adventurer.'

[Rebonack]

[Midnight Park]

A pony?

HAH!

This critter isn't shaped much like a pony aside from the very general sense of the word. His face is horse-like in about the same way that a human's face is ape-like. And he probably has a good reason to be here. Considering that he's carrying one of those lanterns that are scattered about, he's probably a care taker of some kind.

Anywho!

Questions!

"A lovely time and adventure?" the gloomicorn hums. "Well, our trails are pretty nice if I do say so myself! Very serene. If you wanted to try adventuring off the trail, you should probably take one of the extra lanterns with you. They'll protect you from the feral shadows that would try to devour you otherwise."

That sounds pretty awful.

"We've been having trouble with a grotto full of nightgaunts for a while now. Since they're nightshades like us getting rid of them isn't very easy. If you could destroy them all, I'm sure Mistress Sweet Spring would be quite pleased."

That sure sounds like a quest.

[Slii Arhem]

Cafe 124

Pat shrugs.
"Sure, go ahead. You can help me spot people who might be willing to try out a wish or two. I don't always have good luck with that." she offers.

Cafe 124

"Oh no, the whole point is to see your successes and failures on your own merits. I'll be staying quiet unless you really do require my assistance. And with that." He pulls out a wallet and pays for their meal, leaving an overgenerous tip on top of the bill, "I believe we're done. Just a moment." A slight flexing of power, and he's gone, leaving a deep blue jewel pendant on the table for her. It feels like him, so presumably this is how he intends to follow her. It also looks like real gold and jewels, so it's sufficiently nice to be seen wearing on a regular basis.

[Cyber Punk]

Midnight Park!!!

"Feral shadows. I should have known." Sharpe's eyes narrow. "Hrm. Rogue nightshades as well. Tell me the location and you can consider them dead." Sharpe says, deadpan. This should be the coldest Axanot has ever heard his voice.

Something occurs to Sharpe: Aren't vamps of any kind undead? "Something else: Do I have reason to fear the lanterns? They seem magical, and though sunlight doesn't harm me, these lights give me a prickly feeling."

[goto124]

[Midnight Park]

As Nightlight talks, Axanot puts the purple mushroom into her breast pocket, pulls out a brown notebook and yellow pencil, and starts scribbling.

(snip)"If you wanted to try adventuring off the trail, you should probably take one of the extra lanterns with you. They'll protect you from the feral shadows that would try to devour you otherwise."(snip)

"We've been having trouble with a grotto full of nightgaunts for a while now. Since they're nightshades like us getting rid of them isn't very easy. If you could destroy them all, I'm sure Mistress Sweet Spring would be quite pleased."(snip)

'Get a lantern... or else shadows damage you... Destroy the Nightgaunts in the grotto... Report to Mistress Sweet Spring afterwards.'

After Axanot finishes writing, she looks over her notes with a thoughtful look on her face. She doesn't speak until Sharpe finishes talking.

"Feral shadows. I should have known." Sharpe's eyes narrow. "Hrm. Rogue nightshades as well. Tell me the location and you can consider them dead." Sharpe says, deadpan. This should be the coldest Axanot has ever heard his voice.

Axanot peers quizzingly at Sharpe even as she scribbles in her notebook. Does he have something against shadows? She also would've asked where the nightgaunts were, but not in such a dramatic manner.

Something occurs to Sharpe: Aren't vamps of any kind undead? "Something else: Do I have reason to fear the lanterns? They seem magical, and though sunlight doesn't harm me, these lights give me a prickly feeling."

Huh... Axanot didn't get those wierd feelings. Maybe it's a vamp thing. Well, time for her to talk!

'I have a few questions. Firstly, where and how can we get lanterns, and can we get only 1 each? No extras?' It's easy to lose things, so she makes sure to take more than needed.

'Secondly, do you think it'll take more than stabbing to destroy them? You make it sound like it would. Any idea of a special weapon to use or something?' Many of the more special monsters she's faced just don't die unless she uses a specific item or technique against them. It differs from quest to quest.

Axanot continues to write in her notebook, which has the words 'tasks here' on its front cover.

Spoiler: tasks here

Show

Task 1: Get a lantern.
Otherwise, the shadows will damage you or harm you in other ways.

Spoiler: Nightlight's words 1

Show

Nightlight says, "If you wanted to try adventuring off the trail, you should probably take one of the extra lanterns with you. They'll protect you from the feral shadows that would try to devour you otherwise."

Task 2: Destroy the Nightgaunts in the grotto.

Spoiler: Nightlight's words 2

Show

Nightlight says, "We've been having trouble with a grotto full of nightgaunts for a while now. Since they're nightshades like us getting rid of them isn't very easy."

Task 3: Report to Mistress Sweet Spring when you succeed.

Spoiler: Nightlight's words 3

Show

Nightlight says, " If you could destroy them all, I'm sure Mistress Sweet Spring would be quite pleased."

[Lost_Deep]

[Weather Factory]

"What, no!" the space marine retorts. "We're taking resources from a bunch of useless savages. They obviously aren't doing anything with them."

...what.

This man is not firing on all cylinders. Caravan decides to try and see if she can kickstart his brain before just spelling it all out for him. "Sir, please think for a minute. What is the substance that your mech is currently standing on?"

[Rebonack]

[Midnight Park]

Probably worth noting that being near Nightlight and other unliving creatures of his ilk quiets the gnawing hunger of undeath and generally has a calming effect on undead creatures. Most intelligent undead can instantly notice the difference.

Nightlight flicks one of his ears. "I make the lanterns, actually! Or at least I was the first one to make them. I've taught a few other unicorns in Team Nightmære the spell. But it's mostly my job to keep the park well lit and safe for our living friends."

He sounds very proud of this fact. Though... puzzled over Sharpe's question.

"Undead that are harmed by natural sunlight can't abide the glow of my little night-lights," the gloomicorn replies. "But if you aren't normally hurt by sunlight, they shouldn't bother you." He offers a rather kind smile. "We understand that there are many different kinds of vampire here in the Nexus, and that not all of them are inherently wicked. So long as you prove yourself a friend to the living and a friend to us, you don't need to worry about my friends and I at all."

Team Nightmære is probably somewhat notorious among the vampires of Inside for being undead hunters. They've been cracking down on predatory undead pretty darn hard of late. Their ability to add the undead to their number as the undead usually do to the living has made them a force to be reckoned with. The fact that the adorable little critters are packed with potent magic doesn't hurt, either.

"Though, if you wanted to join Team Nightmære we would be happy to have you! You would have a huge family of friends waiting to meet you and our unliving status combines most of the best perks of both life and undeath," Nightlight explains as he begins trotting off down the path, gesturing for the pair to follow him. "No pressure, though. People shouldn't make major choices like this without thinking about it first."

He stops at a large box next to a rather big map with a 'YOU ARE HERE' arrow on it. From the box Nightlight pulls out several more magical lanterns and offers them to the adventurers. "There you go! The natural sunlight from the lamps should help any sort of weapon cut through the nightgaunt's spooky defenses. With that out of the way, conventional weapons will work just fine. Both of you go ahead and take two in case you lose one."

That sure is handy.

"See the stream there?" Nightlight asks, pointing at a dark stream of water flowing down a little canyon flanked with ghostly ferns. "That leads to the grotto. Just follow the stream and you'll be there in no time at all."

[Weather Factory]

"Ha! You're trying to trick me into looking down!" the mech pilot replies with a laugh. "I'm not falling for that. Now clear out, we don't want a bunch of civilians around in case things get messy."

Maybe this is some kind of perceptive filter?

There's no way that these guys actually believe that the weather factory is a bunch of huts built on top of a heap of magical space alloy.

[Terumitsu]

Huntside Imports Delicatessen

Isaac resists his reflex to scratch his head. This is...complex...to be hearing over lunch.
"Oh...kay. I think that I follow you?"
Isaac thinks he saw something like this in a game book somewhere.
"So uh, I'm not sure I follow that analogy. I can see how all of those words have a somewhat similar meaning, but I don't see how stacking so many words that would do roughly similar things would do...anything, from what you just described about instructions and inscriptions." he says, interested but confused.

"Well, again that's both advanced stuff as well as where where the analogy breaks down. No analogy is a perfect representation. All of them are flawed but some can be quite useful as the saying goes. I'm just trying to describe the theory using words from our shared vocabulary than saying you can transform a negatively charged, geomagnetically focused dragonline nexus to function as a lesser pyroclastic foci in a fourth-degree or higher array to prevent a runaway reaction in a Sol-dominant zone." he said simply. "Or, in layman's terms, how to not blow yourself up when a place is aligned with fire magics and you're casting fire spells. There's a lot of steps in between but if you want to run, you need to know how feet work and then figure out what's so great about this whole standing thing... If you'll forgive the metaphor and pun combo there." Hiram said, glad that he hadn't instead broached the topic of homonymic substitution..

"I'll admit, it may seem complex from the get-go but I'll tell you now that you could probably try to describe the functions of that illusion you were practicing to some passerby who doesn't share a similar vocation to ours and they'd think the same thing about that as to what you're thinking about this. More or less.." he said, hand wavering in the air in that 'so-so' manner one would use when eyeballing an estimation.

[Cyber Punk]

[Midnight Park]

Sharpe suddenly notices that his craving for blood and steel has been quieted. He correctly guesses that it has something to do with Nightlight.

"Don't worry, I'm a friend of both the living and the undead. One of my jobs back at my world was to hunt rogue vampire-kin. And my girlfriend here-" He gives Axanot a brief sidehug "- she's human, and I have no intention of turning her into a Bladepire without her explicit permission."

Sharpe follows Nightlight as he speaks. "A very generous offer, Nightlight, but I'd have to respectfully decline. I'll be sure to direct others who are looking to join to you!" Sharpe says with a light-hearted chuckle.

And then lanterns! Sharpe takes two for himself and passes two more to Axanot. He also spawns an ethreal knife. "Can you enchant this with your night light?" He asks the night mare.

As Sharpe observes the stream, he waits for Axanot to say what she might.

[goto124]

[Midnight Park]

And my girlfriend here-" He gives Axanot a brief sidehug "- she's human, and I have no intention of turning her into a Bladepire without her explicit permission."

Axanot smiles at Sharpe, remembering how he'd stood up for her against the racist and strangely delusional Carmen, who somehow thought that it was wrong for a human and vampire to be together. Considering Carmen's attitude, Axanot hopes that Carmens are rare in the Nexus. It seems that way so far.

And then lanterns! Sharpe takes two for himself and passes two more to Axanot. He also spawns an ethreal knife. "Can you enchant this with your night light?" He asks the night mare.

'Thank you. Sunlight-in-a-lamp, huh?' Axanot comments as a pair of lanterns float around her. Wait, are they the floating kind that are so common with lights in Axanot's world, or are they affected by gravity? I'll just assume they're the floaty kind for this post.

'Do we have to enchant our weapons? I thought we only need to wear the lanterns and they'll work fine.' It's how it worked back in her world, at least.

She looks towards the ferned stream, then turns back to the big map to sketch the important locations in her own notebook. Especially the stream and grotto.

After that, Axanot closes the notebook, and puts it back in her breast pocket with her pencil. She ponders a bit, then digs deep into the breast pocket, and with little difficulty, somehow manages to pull out a large, 1-meter tall axe. Sharpe and Nightlight might have to dodge to avoid getting accidentally hit!

Like her daggers, it is brightly-colored with reds and yellows. The axe is also surrounded by wisps of flame. 'Should've taken one of these babies out earlier,' Axanot says with a grin as she stuffs a lantern down the same breast pocket.

(Even funnier if you know what 'breast pocket' refers to.)

[Rebonack]

[Midnight Park]

"Well, you know where to find us if you ever change you mind! Haha!" Nightlight replies... well... brightly. Then the gloomicorn glances down at the knife. "Sorry, enchanting really isn't my talent. If you visit Shadowood Hold in the middle of the park I'm sure you would be able to find somepony who can help you out. Mistress Sweet Spring will probably want to reward you for getting rid of those nightgaunts, so remember to ask her about it."

Who doesn't like getting boons from powerful magical beings?

And for the record, the lanterns must be held. Or at least secured on something. The only reason why Nightlight's is floating is due to the fact that he's suspending it via TK. Telekinesis is pretty useful when you are a quadruped.

When the axe comes out Nightlight quickly ducks with a nervous chuckle. He wants to keep his head attached, thank you very much!

"Any sort of weapon will do just so long as the nightgaunts are being exposed to sunlight," he explains. "All nightshades lose their ability to resist harm in direct sunlight. Even us! I've just designed my lanterns not to react to us like they will to undead that are harmed by the sun."

To be fair, living things get harmed by the sun, too.

They just don't burst into flames quite as readily.

[Lost_Deep]

[Weather Factory]

"Ha! You're trying to trick me into looking down!" the mech pilot replies with a laugh. "I'm not falling for that. Now clear out, we don't want a bunch of civilians around in case things get messy."

Maybe this is some kind of perceptive filter?

There's no way that these guys actually believe that the weather factory is a bunch of huts built on top of a heap of magical space alloy.

Well, that's one of the best answers. Now Caravan will be able to belt this man across the face with a clean conscience. "No, I refuse. If you begin combat in this area, you will be needlessly endangering civilians, and if you attempt to forcibly remove me from the area, I will take it as aggression and will defend myself," she says, crossing her arms in front of her. If he refuses to acknowledge reality, then she will refuse to acknowledge his authority.

[Deathkeeper]

Spoiler

Show

Cafe 124

"Oh no, the whole point is to see your successes and failures on your own merits. I'll be staying quiet unless you really do require my assistance. And with that." He pulls out a wallet and pays for their meal, leaving an overgenerous tip on top of the bill, "I believe we're done. Just a moment." A slight flexing of power, and he's gone, leaving a deep blue jewel pendant on the table for her. It feels like him, so presumably this is how he intends to follow her. It also looks like real gold and jewels, so it's sufficiently nice to be seen wearing on a regular basis.

Cafe 124

Pat smiles and turns the pendant over with her fingers a bit before putting it on. "Well, if this thing does what I think it does you better have had some discretion, because if this is what you meant by trying on clothes for you, that's just creepy." she says, floating out of her seat and moving to leave for the streets of Inside since the meal was already paid for. She's excited at the opportunity she's been given, even if the man who made it happen was so hard to get a read on.

Spoiler

Show

"Well, again that's both advanced stuff as well as where where the analogy breaks down. No analogy is a perfect representation. All of them are flawed but some can be quite useful as the saying goes. I'm just trying to describe the theory using words from our shared vocabulary than saying you can transform a negatively charged, geomagnetically focused dragonline nexus to function as a lesser pyroclastic foci in a fourth-degree or higher array to prevent a runaway reaction in a Sol-dominant zone." he said simply. "Or, in layman's terms, how to not blow yourself up when a place is aligned with fire magics and you're casting fire spells. There's a lot of steps in between but if you want to run, you need to know how feet work and then figure out what's so great about this whole standing thing... If you'll forgive the metaphor and pun combo there." Hiram said, glad that he hadn't instead broached the topic of homonymic substitution..

"I'll admit, it may seem complex from the get-go but I'll tell you now that you could probably try to describe the functions of that illusion you were practicing to some passerby who doesn't share a similar vocation to ours and they'd think the same thing about that as to what you're thinking about this. More or less.." he said, hand wavering in the air in that 'so-so' manner one would use when eyeballing an estimation.

Huntside Imports Delicatessen

Isaac nods. "Yeah, I get what you mean. I'll be honest, there are times where I really can't explain how my magic works. I've taken magic theory, but most people who are at my level can't do what I can do. I think to some degree there's a level of natural...I guess talent really is the best word. Or maybe instinct. Just...something that makes it so that I know what to do even when I couldn't even begin to describe it. So uh, yeah. I do know what you mean about explanations being a royal pain sometimes." he says.

[Cyber Punk]

Sharpe opens his eyes wide as Axanot pulls a long axe from hammerspace. "What in the world... err Axxie, is your chest enchanted?" He has to hold in a chuckle, however, when he sees the color of the axe. "I should just paint you red and yellow as well." He sounds a bit incredulous as he shakes his head with a grin on his face.

Spoiler: Rebo quote

Show

[Midnight Park]

"Well, you know where to find us if you ever change you mind! Haha!" Nightlight replies... well... brightly. Then the gloomicorn glances down at the knife. "Sorry, enchanting really isn't my talent. If you visit Shadowood Hold in the middle of the park I'm sure you would be able to find somepony who can help you out. Mistress Sweet Spring will probably want to reward you for getting rid of those nightgaunts, so remember to ask her about it."

Who doesn't like getting boons from powerful magical beings?

And for the record, the lanterns must be held. Or at least secured on something. The only reason why Nightlight's is floating is due to the fact that he's suspending it via TK. Telekinesis is pretty useful when you are a quadruped.

When the axe comes out Nightlight quickly ducks with a nervous chuckle. He wants to keep his head attached, thank you very much!

"Any sort of weapon will do just so long as the nightgaunts are being exposed to sunlight," he explains. "All nightshades lose their ability to resist harm in direct sunlight. Even us! I've just designed my lanterns not to react to us like they will to undead that are harmed by the sun."

To be fair, living things get harmed by the sun, too.

They just don't burst into flames quite as readily.

"I will be sure to." Sharpe says as the knife dematerializes in his palm. "Gimmie a sec." Sharpe says as he sticks a knife into the ground, then disappears into it holding two lanterns, only to return with one lantern.

"Safe and sound. And would work as a makeshift enchantment." Sharpe then swallows the lamp-knife whole (without chewing, it's harder to spit them back out if you chew).

"Alright. Thank you for your help, Nightshade!" Sharpe grins widely, his pointed metallic teeth glinting in the moonlight. "Wish us luck!" He turns to Axanot. "Ready?"

[goto124]

[Midnight Park]

Axanot sighs as her lantern drops to the ground. She picks it up and just holds onto it with her left hand, still missing the convenience of floaty lights. Can't dual wield when holding onto a lamp!

Sharpe opens his eyes wide as Axanot pulls a long axe from hammerspace. "What in the world... err Axxie, is your chest enchanted?"

'Bet it is!' Axanot exclaims, returning the grin to Sharpe upon seeing his reaction. As far as she knows, she is at best metaphorically enchanted. Doesn't make it any less impressive.

(snip) He turns to Axanot. "Ready?"

'Yup! Down the Stream of Ghostly Ferns we go!' Axanot points to the dark canyon, and starts skipping there, swinging her axe and lantern about. 'I'll spend a little time wondering how your knife magic works.'

Spoiler: tasks here

Show

Task 1: Get a sun lantern, otherwise the shadows will harm you. (Complete)

Spoiler: Quotes

Show

Nightlight says,"If you wanted to try adventuring off the trail, you should probably take one of the extra lanterns with you. They'll protect you from the feral shadows that would try to devour you otherwise."

Task 2: Destroy the Nightgaunts in the grotto.
Hold a sun lantern when killing the Nightgaunts, or else they'll be immune.
The grotto can be reached by follwing the stream in the canyon with ghostly ferns.

Spoiler: Quotes

Show

Nightlight says,"We've been having trouble with a grotto full of nightgaunts for a while now. Since they're nightshades like us getting rid of them isn't very easy."

"See the stream there?" Nightlight asks, pointing at a dark stream of water flowing down a little canyon flanked with ghostly ferns. "That leads to the grotto. Just follow the stream and you'll be there in no time at all."

"Any sort of weapon will do just so long as the nightgaunts are being exposed to sunlight," Nightlight explains. "All nightshades lose their ability to resist harm in direct sunlight. Even us! I've just designed my lanterns not to react to us like they will to undead that are harmed by the sun."

Task 3: Report to Mistress Sweet Spring when you succeed.

Spoiler: Quotes

Show

Nightlight says," If you could destroy them all, I'm sure Mistress Sweet Spring would be quite pleased."

Quest Reward(s):
- Enchantment services may be provided at Shadowood Hold in the center of Midnight Park. Ask Mistress Sweet Spring.

Spoiler: Quotes

Show

Nightlight says,"If you visit Shadowood Hold in the middle of the park I'm sure you would be able to find somepony who can help you out. Mistress Sweet Spring will probably want to reward you for getting rid of those nightgaunts, so remember to ask her about it."

[Lost_Deep]

Many Sandwich Yes Cafe

Kate is here, at a so-called 'cafe', eating a nice sandwich. She thinks that this might but a sandwich shop styled after a cafe, but she's not sure on the exact definition of cafe. When does a a cafe stop being a cafe and start being a sandwich shop? Stuff like that is stuff that would keep her up a night if she ever thought about it.

With her, eating a much smaller sandwich, is her roommate Sophie. A six-inch tall person that would be described as a tauric tarantula, her human part is fit, toned, a little tan, and has a head of rich, brown, wavy hair.

"Seriously, how do people survive when it gets this cold out?" the grig asks again.

"More layers of clothing, seriously," Kate answers, "Sometimes as many as three or four, even before coats."

"Weird."

[Morty]

[Many Sandwich Yes Cafe]

Sophie stops by the very same cafe on her way back from Trick's house. As such, she's in a fairly upbeat mood. Then, however, she spots someone she thinks she recognized. Upon closer examination, she remembers that it's Kate, Julie's accident-prone friend and Scylla and Prism's other godmother. Well, sort of. Her alternate version, apparently. Sophie finds it all rather confusing. And she has a human-spider with her. Well, that's business as usual in the Nexus. She was a surrogate aunt for a girl with tentacles for legs.

"Hello, Kate," she says, approaching.

[Lost_Deep]

Many Sandwich Yes Cafe

Meeting Kate is almost like a mad libs game. It's fairly boring until you get to the line, 'Today Kate is/has (choose one) ______.' Today Kate has metal skin! That's a first.

Kate jumps a little when her name comes up. "Oh! Hi Sophie. How are you?"

"What?" the grig asks, turning to look at Sophie. "Sophie?"

Kate nods. "Yeah, the other Sophie, from GLoG. Sophie, this is... Sophie. My roommate."

[Morty]

[Many Sandwich Yes Cafe]

"...oh," the Hunter says. "I used to know several other Sophies, but none of them in the Nexus. It's good to meet you, Sophie. I'm fine... more than fine, really," she adds, smiling. "What about you? You... looked a bit different last I saw you."

[Lost_Deep]

Many Sandwich Yes Cafe

"Yeah... I'm hoping this is all the further this gets," Kate says with a sigh. Sophie the grig immediately throws her a look. "...that and the fact I'm a weretiger."

"If you know a cure, we might appreciate it," Sophie says.

"Apparently this version is supposed to be impossible to remove," Kate admits, "But I figure, it's the nexus, there's got to be a way."

[Terumitsu]

Huntside Imports Delicatessen

Isaac nods. "Yeah, I get what you mean. I'll be honest, there are times where I really can't explain how my magic works. I've taken magic theory, but most people who are at my level can't do what I can do. I think to some degree there's a level of natural...I guess talent really is the best word. Or maybe instinct. Just...something that makes it so that I know what to do even when I couldn't even begin to describe it. So uh, yeah. I do know what you mean about explanations being a royal pain sometimes." he says.

Huntside Imports Delicatessen

Hiram nodded but didn't speak as he seemed more interested in finishing his meal for the time being. It was probably for the best as any more talking would probably lead to food just getting cold. He made a mental note of having Isaac show him more places if this was anything like a standard, though.

Finally putting the penultimate bone down, the dwarvenly-inclined fellow wiped his hands clean once again before reaching into his jacket and pulling out a gold watch. It's large face would make it hard to hide although Isaac might wonder just what kind of time it was measuring, exactly, as, beyond the sun and moon on one dial, it didn't appear to be so much of a clock as some kind of wayward compass in some ways. Then again, it was probably more useful than just a normal watch given how odd the Nexus could be. "Hmm... A bit off topic from before, here, but what do you think of temporal magic?" he inquired all of a sudden; his tone gaining an air of gravitas that hadn't been present before. It was a fairly serious topic considering the mess that could be made with it but there had to be a good reason why he was asking, right?

[Rebonack]

[Weather Factory]

To be fair, he really doesn't have any authority to begin with. He's just some guy in a walking tank who is making a mess of someone's property. No reason to just stand around and let him do that, right?

Right!

"Alright, I'll just have to escort you out then!" the space marines replies, reaching down with his mech's free hand to (gently) grab Gilded.

Meanwhile!

It would appear as though Fortuna has transformed the other space marine's powered armor into a narwhal. The marine mammal seems about as confused as the human riding on it.

Probably going to need some help getting that narwhal to the sea...

They're awfully heavy after all!

[Midnight Park]

Nightlight waves to the pair of adventurers as they depart! Equestrians are weirdly flexible like that. There's no way a normal horse would be able to bend their legs enough to wave.

Anywho!

Down the gully toward the grotto!

As our heroes walk the incoherent, hungry whispers of the shadows grow increasingly forceful. Thankfully none of the awful creatures act on that hunger for fear of Nightlight's lanterns. Along the way one side of the gully has collapsed where a large bed of faintly luminescent purple moss is growing. It looks exceptionally soft and plush. And what's this? There's a fancy looking spear sitting in the moss! Who could have left it there?

[Lost_Deep]

Weather Factory

Caravan literally just said that she would defend herself if he tried to remove her forcibly. And she does; she attempts to leap forward, use the arm as a platform, and then jump-kick the soldier in the face. She may have a human-shaped body, but she has retained the speed, dexterity, and strength of an earth pony. And, unlike Fortuna, she doesn't have the option to play nice.

[Morty]

[Many Sandwich Yes Cafe]

"Yeah... I'm hoping this is all the further this gets," Kate says with a sigh. Sophie the grig immediately throws her a look. "...that and the fact I'm a weretiger."

"If you know a cure, we might appreciate it," Sophie says.

"Apparently this version is supposed to be impossible to remove," Kate admits, "But I figure, it's the nexus, there's got to be a way."

"A were... tiger?" Sophie asks. "I've met some lycantrophes, but I'm afraid I don't know anything about reversing it," she says.