Game 2 - Rose

[crittersheep]

[A rose shaped crystal rises from the ground. You instinctively know to touch it for Death's Eye to receive your answer.

You are bound to your flock by a thin thread, making it impossible to separate, but you may still answer individually.]

Comments

[strateelgic]

[Oh. He remembers this feeling.

The first time he'd taken the potion to shift into human form and traded his merman lungs for human ones he'd thought he'd lost the ability to breathe altogether. Except it seems that this time he actually has.

The hand on his uninjured arm reaches for his throat as he strains for air to no avail.

No, no, that's no good. Instead he takes the dagger he'd been given earlier and slams the end of the handle into the ground several times to gain the attention of the others.]

[finalbows]

<sub>[ ah, fuck. the scan spell is out in a second, but even before it's done--

he happens to notice.
there's a haze kind of like a mirage around Floyd's neck, coiled to crush his windpipe.

angel devil is not a handsy person. maybe if he was he'd learn on touch that the hands are made of rushing air, and could maybe be brute forced away with his own wind magic.

instead he tries ol' reliable Dispel to try and get the hands to fuck off, a star of black light rimmed by blue and red blooming in a circle around Floyd's neck.


also this is all happening while angel devil's still compelled to be sobbing i just realized LMFAOO ]</sub>

[strateelgic]

[The good news - the spell removes the hands immediately.

The bad news - it also removes what little time is left on Floyd's transformation.

He gasps painfully as he tries to regain his breath mid-transformation. The bandages on his leg are basically worthless now, since they've merges back into a long tail. Rose now has a teenage merman on their hands.]

[finalbows]

_{[ uh ]}

Thh-- that w-wasn't-- that wasn't suh-supposed to...! _{[ goddammit he can barely hold himself together through the Mourning ]}

[pleasantmisery]

What did you do to Floyd Fiend!

[finalbows]

I was just trying to huh, help!

<sub>[ THIS IS HUMILIATING

CAN HE TAKE HIS EMOTIONS BACK TO THE STORE??? HE KEPT THE RECEIPT ]</sub>

[pleasantmisery]

Turn him back! What if he can't breathe?

[finalbows]

I don't know why he's-- it was a Dispel! Just a Dispel! It guh, gets rid of magic. I didn't want to. Waste time. Figuring it-- figuring out what it...

_{[ trying in vain to end the crying effects using his barn powers on himself by this point ]}

This is horrible, how do people handle this?

[strateelgic]

[This is such a pain.

It's also way too warm and way too dry out here, but at least these merman lungs still work out of water.]

Let's just... finish these questions.

[As he flops over and curls up.]

[catposting]

[ WEARY SIGH he is so tired. ]

Can you breathe all right like... this?

[strateelgic]

I can. It's just... dry.

[finalbows]

<sub>[ sniffling.

at least he can conjure a fuckin'. water orb, that he floats over to Floyd. it stays in one piece. idk hug it??? he's not able to really concentrate rn. ]</sub>

[strateelgic]

[Really, dude.]

[Fine, he's just gonna cup his webbed hands into it and splash some over himself. And also drink a little.

And he's taking the rest of these uncomfortable Rose clothes off because how do you even deal...]

[finalbows]

_{[ enjoy your supernaturally pure distilled water. tastes like absolutely no trace minerals and also slight fizzy magic zing. ]}

[catposting]

In that case, I agree.

How do you feel about answering the final question? We have a logical theory as to how to align our truth with Death's, but... out of all of us, you're the least likely to mess up the wording.

[ stares at Angel Devil and Shadow Fiend's penalties ]

[pleasantmisery]

Objection! My wording's totally fine! It's not my fault that Death's Eye is touchy and rude!

[finalbows]

Sh--she's the one we're trying to impress, though. _{[ sniffle ]} Not you.

[catposting]

Death's Eye doesn't care whose fault it is!

[ congrats Shadow Fiend you actually got him to snap at you. ]

[ deep breath. he's calm TOTALLY CALM ]

No tyrannical power grabs, remember?

[strateelgic]

Haa... That's a lot of pressure for your youngest teammate, isn't it?

[Yes he's going to shame you all for leaving this to the baby.]

[catposting]

[ that's fine, they have more important things to worry about. ]

You're the only one here that hasn't invoked pain on yourself or others with your answers.

[pleasantmisery]

You can talk! And you're not suffocating!

Ummm... Do you want me to help you get into the pond?

[strateelgic]

It can wait until the questions are done.

[pleasantmisery]

Okay! So... I've been talking with Angel Devil and Blood Fiend, and so far we've come up with this answer for the last question.

"Life is the Everything before the Nothing. Without an Everything, there can be no Nothing."

What do you think? Is it something that feels true to you?

[strateelgic]

I think it sounds falsely pretentious.

[pleasantmisery]

I think pretentious was the point. Like, trying to match the way Death talked. Real Death, not this shadow thing. How would you phrase it?