022515MahtahSami

 -- callopygianCordiality [CC] began pestering arcaneArtisan2 [AA] at 23:06 --

 [11:07] CC: hello

 [11:07] CC: is.this.Miss.Heston?

 [11:07] AA: (( Oh, this is over pchum? ))

 [11:07] AA: (( I was assuming it was in-person ))

 [11:07] AA: (( Since we're both on the base ))

 [11:08] AA: Please, Miss Heston is my mother! At least....I think she must have been Miss Heston. I guess I've never met her so I don't know WHAT she's called.

 [11:08] AA: Either way, I'm Sami.

 [11:08] CC: ((Mahtah has retreated into the vents after AWKWARDATE '15))

 [11:09] CC: I.apologize.for.bothering.you.Miss.Sami

 [11:09] CC: this.is.Mahtah.Rytoil

 [11:09] AA: Rytoil? Oh, so you must be Seriad's little girl!

 [11:10] AA: Or....big girl, I don't know. You kids are all pretty much as old as we are.

 [11:10] AA: You must be Seriad's daughter, anyway.

 [11:10] CC: yes.that.is.a.correct

 [11:10] AA: Seriad and....I forget who your other parent was. I used to have a document with a list, but I misplaced it.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:10] CC: Mister.Revult

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:10] AA: Oh, wow. You're Nate's daughter?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:11] AA: Oh, no! So you must be Fate's sister then! Are you doing okay?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:11] AA: In case no one's told you yet, she's going to be okay. We've got dreamselves that work like extra lives.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:11] CC: yes.Mister.Niadis.told.me.about.the.dreamselves.contingency

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:12] CC: I.am.managing.though.I.do.admit.I.did.not.spend.as.much.time.with.Fate.as.I.would.have.liked

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:12] AA: Oh, Maenam's kid? So he IS a boy! Doir seemed to think he was a girl. I haven't met him yet, I'm afraid. It's interesting he's kept abreast of this stuff though.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:13] AA: And don't worry! You'll have plenty of time to get to know her still.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:13] CC: thank.you.Miss.Sami

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:13] AA: All of us veterans have lost our dreamselves at this point. Your dad managed to keep his alive for the whole session, but he's God Tier now so even he doesn't have a dreamself anymore.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:14] AA: I think the dreamself thing is supposed to prepare us for all the dualities in this game. There are a lot of them.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:15] CC: it.is.an.interesting.concept.though.I.am.mostly.unused.to.thinking.in.such.abstract.terms

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:15] AA: And the dreamself and the awake self combining to become the god tier when you're Fully Realized....I think maybe it's a message to us about learning to look for a third path.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:15] CC: my.line.of.work.tends.to.leave.little.room.for.ambiguity

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:16] AA: What line of work is that?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:16] CC: reconnaisance.and.tactical.infiltration

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:16] AA: I would think there would be a lot of ambiguities in something like that!

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:17] AA: All sorts of things where you only know half the story and have to make judgment calls and things.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:17] CC: not.for.me.maam

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:17] CC: I.prefer.to.gain.as.much.information.as.possible.before.reaching.a.conclusion

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:18] CC: but.I.am.led.to.believe.that.this.game.challenges.our.initial.ideals

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:19] CC: in.either.case.there.is.actually.something.I.would.like.to.ask.of.you.if.you.have.the.time.to.spare

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:20] CC: you.are.designated.as.a.Breath.player.correct?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:20] AA: Oh, sure. We beat our world....or rather, the kids went off and beat the world while our backs were turned....so I'm stuck here waiting till the third team finishes anyway.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:20] AA: Yeah, I'm the Witch of Breath.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:21] AA: Are you a Breath Player, too? Like Jackjack?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:21] CC: indeed

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:21] AA: I wondered if there would be two of you! It seems like aspects and classes can repeat as long as it's a different species.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:21] AA: But I don't know how mixed-species kids count for that.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:22] AA: And I only know of twelve classes and aspects, if you don't count the Master Classes, which don't show up normally anyway.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:22] CC: I.am.unsure.myself.but.in.either.case.I.was.given.the.designation.of.Mage.of.Breath

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:23] CC: though.I.am.unsure.of.how.to.utilize.this.talent

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:23] CC: I.was.wondering.if.it.would.be.possible.to.gain.some.training.under.your.tutiledge?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:23] AA: Oh, wow. Neat. I don't really know much about Mages. I think they're like Seers, but active. But the whole active/passive thing is a little confusing still.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:23] AA: But I can definitely tell you about Breath.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:24] CC: that.would.be.optimal

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:24] AA: Wow, but if you're like a Seer but more active, that's a pretty interesting role!

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:24] CC: in.fact.I.can.meet.in.person.if.you.would.give.me.a.moment

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:24] AA: Oh, sure, absolutely. Are you on the base?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:25] CC: yes.we.have.returned.to.the.base.after.the.events.with.Fate.on.LOBAB

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:25] CC: hold.on.just.one.moment

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> -- callopygianCordiality [CC] ceased pestering arcaneArtisan2 [AA] at 23:25 --

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> -- callopygianCordiality [CC] began pestering arcaneArtisan2 [AA] at 23:25 --

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:26] CC: Mahtah descends out of an air vent nearby, shaking dust out of her hair as she adjusts her shade. "I apologize for that, I have been sweeping the base for extraneous surveillance equipment."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:28] AA: "Oh, wow. Nice to meet you!" Sami holds out her hand.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:29] CC: Mahtah gives her hand a shake before folding her arms behind her, "It is an honor, Miss Sami."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:31] CC: "I am eager to learn more about how this aspect business works."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:31] AA: "Sure thing! What have you figured out so far?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:31] AA: "In my experience, people often understand their aspect almost intrinsically. Where even if they had to be told something the first time, it's almost more like you're being reminded of something than like you're really learning it for the first time."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:33] CC: She sighs, "To be honest, I do not really think I have figured out anything. I have attempted to tap into my alleged Breath powers before but have not succeeded."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:36] AA: Sami nods. "It can be tough when you're first starting out. It's like trying to jump when you've never used your legs before."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:37] AA: "Okay, well first of all, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Feel the good air going into your lungs, then feel the bad air going out."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:39] CC: "Alright..." she says, trying to adopt a looser stance. She takes in a deep breath before coughing out hard.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:39] CC: "S...sorry... vent dust."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:39] AA: "Haha. Don't worry about it. Actually, the first time I ever used my powers was because I was choking on smoke."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:40] AA: "It was sort of a panicky self-preservation thing."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:40] AA: "And really, instinct is kind of a good thing to rely on here because Breath is kind of about Instinct! Or at least Intuition, which is sort of the same thing."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:41] CC: She coughs, pounding her fist into her chest in an attempt to clear it. "Oh?" she says, finally regaining her breath, "Is it... a kind of fight or flight reflex?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:42] AA: "Heh. Yeah, that's kind of a good way to think of it! Because flight is one of the benefits of Breath!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:42] AA: "I mean everyone can fly once they God Tier, but we can fly right from the beginning, once we figure it out."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:42] AA: "Or at least I and Balish could. I'm going to try to teach Jackjack how to tomorrow. You're welcome to join us if you want to take flying lessons with me, too!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:44] CC: She flinches at Balish's name but adopts a slight smile, "I think that would be greatly appreciated actually."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:45] CC: She tries to center herself again, "I apologize again, this is all very new territory for me." She takes in another breath before exhaling.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:45] AA: Sami sees the flinch and looks sheepish. "Sorry. I know the Balish on this side is kind of an asshole. But he was a really good guy on our side! He was my friend, and sort of the de facto leader of the trolls. He was the Prince of Breath, before he died."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:46] CC: She breathes again, "Yes I understand that there is a verifiable difference between you and your fellow teammates and their counterparts in this universe."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:46] AA: Sami nods. "I'm still surprised at some of them. They told me this world's Kate tried to kill Lily, and that this world's Sami whupped her pretty bad."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:47] AA: "And they say the me on this side is some sort of crazy soldier lady who cuts off trolls' horns!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:47] AA: She shakes her head, looking ashamed. "I hope you guys know I would never do that to any of you. It's just cruel!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:48] CC: Mahtah holds her hand up, "No need to worry Miss Sami, I do not hold it against you. As I said I have witnessed firsthand how different you and your counterpart are."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:48] CC: "As well as Mister Revult and his counterpart."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:51] AA: Sami nods. "I haven't heard about the Nate of your world. But it wouldn't surprise me."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:53] CC: "He appears to have similar ideals of our universe's Mister Aggaro. That being said, he did save me from a critical mission failure, so I am not ungrateful to him."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:53] CC: *to not of

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:56] AA: Sami looks concerned. "I'm sorry to hear that Mahtah."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:58] CC: Mathah shakes her head, "It is fine. A good agent knows the risks of their mission. I do not have time to regret until the mission is finished."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:59] AA: "You've got to let it out sometimes, Mahtah. The 'mission' might last a long time, and there's a good chance you're going to have to shoulder a lot before it's all over. If you never let it out, you'll explode."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:59] AA: "I've found the best plan is to find someone you can trust yourself to let down all you defenses around, and just vent. And let them do the same for you."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:00] AA: "It doesn't have to be a 'matesprite' or whatever. Or even a moirail. A good friend is more than enough, as long as you trust each other."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:01] AA: "But you've got to let it out somehow. It comes back to that Breath thing! You can't just suck in the good air, you've also got to let out the bad air!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:05] CC: She exhales again, trying to focus on pushing some of the tension out of her chest, "Well... if you are willing to lend an ear for a moment. Perhaps I could share a concern I have been debating in my head?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:07] AA: "Oh! Sure, I'm great at listening when people need it. Only..." Sami frets a little.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:07] AA: "...I've gotten in trouble for this with trolls in the past, so I don't want you to think I'm paleflirting or anything. I love helping friends with problems, but it doesn't mean I'm interested in committing to a pale relationship or anything."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:07] AA: "So as long as you're fine with that, I'd love to listen to your concern!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:09] CC: Mahtah gives a small chuckle, "Do not worry Miss Sami, this is a discussion amongst peers. Strictly off the record."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:10] AA: Sami nods and motions to Mahtah to continue.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:10] CC: She takes in another breath, and exhales. "I have had growing concerns about our safety here on the base to be honest."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:11] AA: Sami looks around in concern. "What do you mean? Is this place trapped or something?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:13] CC: "No, my perimeter sweeps confirmed that there are no traps or safety concerns that could not be accounted for due to human/troll error."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:14] AA: "Then what is it that has you nervous?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:15] CC: "Actually it more has to do with human/troll elements to be honest."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:15] AA: "How so?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:19] CC: "I have had inklings of doubt behind one of our players actions recently. I will remain confidential until I know what that truely entails, but it is concerning nonetheless."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:20] AA: Sami nods. "I can think of a few contenders, yeah. Seams are starting to develop within the ranks."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:20] AA: "I'm trying like heck to hold us all together, but I suspect your dad is right, and we're not going to be able to stop factions from forming."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:22] CC: She nods, "and with the actions of a few during the events that recently occured with Mister Niadis and Miss Leyers' primer, I am even more concerned that this may be the case."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:23] AA: Sami looks concerned. "I heard something about that. I can't believe Jack filled her primer. Poor Acenia!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:23] AA: "And it sounds like the poor thing actually thinks she's safe with him as a 'partner!'"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:23] AA: "I guess no one's told her what happened to his previous partners."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:24] CC: She sighs, "Yes, and to make matters worse I do not know how to interpret the actions of his other subordinates during the event."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:24] CC: "I assume Mister Leyers was monitoring Miss Leyers safety."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:24] AA: "Wait....there were people helping him? I mean I guess I knew Lily did, but I think she got lead astray and realizes now what a bad idea it was."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:25] AA: "But I figured she was the only one. Are others actually siding with him?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:27] CC: "Yes. I believe Mister Ectrix and Mister Thiago Tezeti were present too."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:27] AA: Sami sighs. "That explains the Thiago situation." Sami sighs. "Thiago doesn't really have much of a choice though."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:27] CC: "I do not know them well enough to descern their motives but it is troubling nonetheless."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:28] CC: "How so if I may ask?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:28] AA: "Due to some bad decision making in the pre-scratch, Thiago's dad sort of sold him to Jack for a favor."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:28] AA: "It doesn't mean Thiago's bad, but I imagine he's not really going to be able to oppose Jack, when it comes down to it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:29] AA: "I'm not exactly sure how the contract works though."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:29] CC: She nods, "I see... I assume desperate times called for desperate measures?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:29] AA: "Kind of. There WERE lives on the line, but I still felt like we could've solved it without resorting to that."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:30] AA: "You've got to remember, most of us were a lot younger than you guys are now in the pre-scratch. We were a bunch of dumb kids, and we didn't always make good decisions."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:35] CC: "Understandable considering the drastic situations this game seems to create."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:35] AA: "I don't know about the Ectrix boy. I haven't talked to him yet. But....he's Null's son, right?" Sami looks sad. "Null was Jack's last partner, before Acenia. She and I were almost moirails."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:36] AA: Her eyes start watering a little bit. "He took her eyes, and she still loved him. And then she disappeared one day. And there's no doubt of who's responsible. Same thing he did to Libby when he was her Partner. Same thing he did to Scarlet."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:38] CC: Her eyebrows furrow a little at this, "That is... reprehensible." She places a hand on Sami's shoulder, "I am sorry Miss Sami, I did not mean to open old war wounds."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:38] AA: Sami blinks away the tears. "It's okay. I'm more or less past it. I've lost a lot of people."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:39] AA: "Pretty much all of them to Jack."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:40] CC: Mahtah nods solemnly, digging into her field kit and removing a tissue, which she offers to Sami. "I have a feeling it may be the same case for us."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:41] AA: Sami takes the tissue and dabs at her eyes, nodding sadly. "Yeah. I'm trying my best to make sure it doesn't happen. But with Jack back, and especially if Nate's right and the twinks manage to split us up....I don't know if even having eight gods on your side is going to be enough."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:42] AA: "Especially if we get split up, too."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:43] CC: "Indeed. I do not believe I am alone in saying that I do not trust their involvement in our mission."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:44] CC: "That is why I have been doubling my efforts to secure the compound."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:44] AA: Sami nods. "Libby's on our side, I think. Or at least, her goals coincide with ours. She has my trust, more or less. But I also understand why the rest of you might not feel the same way about her."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:46] AA: "Scarlet is dangerous as heck. Probably the smartest person in the session right now, and more than content to let everyone think that's not true if it gives her leverage. Really patient and really cunning, and really good at getting people to do what she wants. I don't think she's evil per se, but I also wouldn't want to be between her and what she wants."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:47] AA: "Jack is the biggest jerk who ever jerked. But he's not dumb, and he's not easy to trick. Your only real hope if you ever have to deal with him is that I think he's a real stickler for rules and exact words."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:49] AA: "As for the Herald....I don't know him that well, but I didn't like him when I met him. Biggest meathead ever, and the kind of guy who infantalizes girls and treats them like property, while putting them on a pedastal. Claims to be all about Justice at any cost, and that's the Start of Darkness for like every Bad Guy Who Wears White that's ever been in a story."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:51] AA: Sami sighs. "The shame of it is that I really want to like Scarlet. She's always been nice to me and she's fun to pal around with! But she once used me to engineer a friend's death just because she wanted some shenanicite or something, and I kind of lost a lot of trust for her when she did that. I mean he survived, since he's God Tier, but it still felt like a crummy way for her to treat him, and

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:51] AA: a crummy way to use our friendship."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:55] CC: Mahtah has been jotting notes down in her journal, "So Scarlet has a history of manipulating those she interacts with..." She places her pencil to her lips, "That... does remind me actually. She was present during the events with Mister Niadis I believe."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:59] CC: "She appeared to have taken the place of the 'denizen' on one of our deceased players' lands."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:59] AA: Sami looks very serious and excited for a moment.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:00] AA: "Scarlet? Really?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:00] AA: "Wait, she's just a Witch, isn't she?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:00] AA: "So far all the Denizens I've spoken to that I've confirmed were former players were Lords."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:04] CC: "I do not know what all it entails, but she appeared there."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:07] CC: "She asked Mister Niadis about his plans to face Jack. Which leads me to concerns about what she might be planning if your past interactions with her have been any indication."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:07] AA: "And she was still her? I've been toying around with the possibility that becoming a denizen changes you or something, since most of the denizens I've seen or heard about have been sort of monstrous, though many of them have moer personable forms."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:08] CC: "That is actually strange. The denizen we encountered on LOBAB actually claimed to be a former player. And he appeared humanoid, if not more meowbeastlike in appearance."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:09] AA: "Yeah. Including the one on LOBAB and now Scarlet, I have confirmed three denizens to be former players."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:09] AA: "And two of them to be Lords."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:09] AA: "I might have to talk to Scarlet about this, if she really has become a denizen."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:09] AA: "I had intended to talk to the one on LOCAS, but apparently the kids killed him before I ever got to see him."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:11] AA: "Two could've been coincidence. Three is definitely a pattern though. My theory is now that all of the denizens are former players."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:11] AA: "Which makes the idea of killing them even worse than it was when they were just innocent monsters."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:12] AA: "It means they were once just like us. A bunch of kids that had to watch their species go extinct and struggle for survival in a sadistic game that leaves even the survivors to go mad..."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:16] AA: "Heck. If they god tiered, they probably all died while they were still kids, too."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:17] CC: She nods, "It would appear that killing them may not be our inteded goal then. I do not like the idea of assaulting anyone without knowing that they are our inteded targets."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:17] AA: "Well, not all of them are nice. Mine tried to drown me."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:18] AA: "And succeeded, I think." Sami sighs.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:18] AA: "I tried to make friends with him, and it backfired."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:19] CC: "Perhaps it is different in our universe. I would not be surprised to learn that there are intrigal changes to how the game works in each iteration."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:20] CC: "If so though, that brings another concern to mind..."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:20] AA: "I don't know. There are little differences based on circumstances, but I've read up a lot about past sessions."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:20] AA: "The basic parameters tend to be the same. I suspect you'll find there are denizens that want to help you grow, and denizens that just want to flip up your crud."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:22] CC: z

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:22] CC: ((fucking keyboard))

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:22] AA: ((i didn't even know you were dating keyboard))

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:23] CC: ((its an open relationship))

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:25] CC: She rubs her forehead as she tries to comprehend everything told to her, "Hmmm... I wonder..." she says as she flips her journal to a past page. "Miss Sami, if I may ask you something, did the lands in your game ever give you a sort of message when you visited them?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:25] AA: "You mean like on our pesterchum windows? Or like....did the land ever 'speak' to us in more metaphorical terms?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:26] AA: "Like as Breath players, intuition is one of our big deals, so in a way the wind itself can speak to you, but I don't know if that's what you're talking about."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:27] CC: She ponders for a moment, "It...may be the 'intuition' speaking but... something struck me as odd in the brief moment I visited my land before we regrouped."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:27] AA: "I'll bet the wind can speak to you even more literally though, since you're a Mage! Witches are more about manipulating Breath, but a Mage is about understanding it, so I'll bet you could practically just open your ears and have the land speak to you directly."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:27] AA: "Oh, really? What's that?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:30] CC: "When I arrived, one of the things I saw out of the vent I was in was a fairly omonous poster on the wall." She produces a crude sketch from her notebook. It is a vaguely menacing shadowed figure with the words, "Do Not Let Them In." written beneath it.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:30] AA: Sami furrows her brows. "I don't know. I don't like it though."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:30] AA: "Do you know who 'They' are?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:31] CC: She shakes her head, "No... I was only there briefly before I was recalled to the base."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:32] AA: "This was before we got here?" Sami frets at her lower lip. "I hope it wasn't *us* they were talking about."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:32] AA: "It may be nothing though. Maybe it wasn't the Land. Maybe it was just graffiti tossed down by some of your consorts."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:33] AA: "But....maybe we should talk to the Seers about it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:34] CC: "I do not know." She sighs and takes her shades off, rubbing at the bags under her eyes with a fist, "it could simply be 'flavor' created by the game." She nods, "I think that would be an optimal choice."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:34] AA: "And maybe you could try listening to the wind, too? I know you're not very strong at Breath yet, but maybe if me and Jackjack backed you up, we could try to listen for more information."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:34] AA: "But if I'm right and a Mage is like a Seer but more active, then you might be able to understand better than anyone."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:36] AA: "Actually..." Sami thinks about it for a moment. "Maybe we could go to your land and try to do it there. If your land really is trying to tell you something, that'd be the best place to try to listen to it talk."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:36] AA: "This base connects all the lands together, right? So the three of us could probably just go to your room and have a seance or something."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:38] CC: She nods, "That seems like the best option. But for now, I think I may need to take a brief RnR break. I... don't think I can recall the last time I slept since we arrived."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:38] AA: "Yeah, you do that. And you're welcome to join me and Jackjack for flying lessons tomorrow!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:38] AA: "You're a Breath Player, after all!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:39] CC: She nods and smiles appreciatively, "Indeed. I will report in when you are both ready."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:39] AA: "If you guys had some grist I'd give you the codes for my piccolo. It always helped me concentrate on my Breath powers when I was starting out, though it's stopped mattering as much lately. I'd offer to just give it to you, except I think everything I own is cursed and liable to sprout tentacles at random if I give them to anyone else."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:40] AA: "Here, go ahead and write down the code anyway. Maybe you'll get some grist eventually and can make one of your own."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:40] CC: Mathah jots the code down in her notebook. "It is a..human instrument?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:41] AA: "Yeah. A woodwind. Appropriately enough."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:41] AA: "Balish had a set of pipes, too, but I don't know the code for his."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:42] AA: "You can alchemize them though, so if you get a troll instrument you're more comfortable with you might be able to make that into an instrument that'll work for you."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:42] AA: "I would guess that wind instruments are best though."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:43] CC: She nods, "I will take it into consideration, thank you." She opens up a vent on the wall and climbs into it. "Until tomorrow Miss Sami. I look forward to your lessons."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:44] AA: "See you then!" Sami gives Mahtah a warm smile.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:44] CC: She gives Sami a small salute before closing the vent behind her.