[2259] Birthday Bash

Fritz:

I was taken off guard by Crystal's kiss, after all we we're 'fleeing' from the mad women and all. 

If we burn up right now I wouldn't complain...

I smirk at her stupidly overwhelmed with a little bit of the air sucked out of me.

Before she can answer my last question Desmond..has a reaction.

I was still so confused what he was and what was wrong. Usually they dont let.. vampires walk around.. but the King was acting just as weird as Meridieth and everyone else now.. 

It was like that real curse talk again, happening before our eyes with PROOF the only thing missing was snow. Isnt that supposed to be over now?

"...Des?" I step closer but his reaction was so intense, I hesitate not wanting to get bitten or hurt by his new found strength.

He gets out of our sight.

"Should we go..after?" I wince.

'The Imposter':

I was quite impressed by being able to maintain a proper temperature thorough Merdeith's twisted game..even in the dark. 

I think it's safe to say Bash is properly flowing in the energy field now with everyone else, his many attempts at damaging the body just desensitized me too it. 

My ears ring a little as I do not notice the other patients just the sound of blood dripping and the taste of it in my mouth and ears.

She offers an apology with a kiss which I recuperate weakly back needing the HEALING.

Meredith:

He kisses me back and I proceed with healing him, no longer drawing away from his heat but towards it, forgetting all about Bash in that moment and focussing my thoughts completely and entirally on him.

*Continues ignoring small children in the background.*

Crystal:

I gaze off wondering.

On one hand, this might be our opportunity to see what exactly he is if he's medically checked out. On the other, he might go crazy on us. But... I can hold my own no matter his upgrades... Right?..

....

"Uh... Yeah..."

I look at him and give a weak teasing smile. "Get to the bottom of this mystery maybe?"

I shrug.

"After all, what else are we going to do today?"

Actually PLAN a gift for the King? We square danced like bosses and I took great pictures today. Surely that was enough to not make ourselves targets for his lover and her potentially crazy conclusions.

Suddenly there's movement and wind rushes past as Des flies off whining towards a sound of a splash.

I tense, wide-eyed wondering if my brother just took a dive into the pool room.

I grab Fritz hand and teleport us the the far corner of the room in a panic.

I look around shaking slightly, but see Desmond isn't in it. He's outside frantically petting at his chest and rocking back and forth, while gazing into the pool at Beo.


(Des): "Beeeooooo!" He whines. "Beo do something!" He grimaces, freaking out, and starts looking around crazily like he's expecting something or someone to suddenly appear. "Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop!"

Desmond:

I feel myself rock back and forth on one leg trying to soothe myself.

I wince when I catch his movement out of the pool and make a whined noise in the back of my throat at his growl and keep an eye out for any blades coming out at me as I stim with my bracelet.

I then grind my teeth when a new sensation comes over my body.

....

I turn away from him and go over to the opposing wall and lay down, facing away from him, and curl up into a ball.

Beolan:

Desmond goes quiet but he broke me out of my meditative state so I return the favor.

"See how much your song worked? What we're you trying to prove. Now shes getting punished.. "

I pace around the pool trying to take my mind off it. THEY already humiliated me forcing me to go along with that terrible show. But I felt bad enough....

"What was the POINT!"

I rip a rock from the décor and skip it over the water.

Fritz:

I watch wide eyed Desmond and then Beolan, acting so strange.

I look back at Crystal.

((What is different about Beo?))

I wasnt sure, he still had wings and ears... there was alot of living plant life and people we're wearing them now too so I wasnt sure if the mushrooms were a ..latest style or not.

((He doesn't seem as ..upgraded as Des.))

Desmond goes quiet.

"Des do you need help?" I speak out worried and then listen to Beo ranting a little, something about  punishment over the song.

It was disturbing to see them like this. What could have possibly happened so terribly wrong since we've been gone?

Desmond:

I sigh hearing Fritz, disappointed because it would be great if he could but I doubted it.

"I wish."

I fiddle anxiously with my bracelet.

"But I wouldn't hold you to it. Not unless you can break a soul bond fire thing and I don't even have the 'soul fire'."

Beo goes off on me and I turn over to face Beo and shake getting pissed off.

Yeah. The song was pointless in the end. But he doesn't have the right to judge me on it. He left right after. Clearly, HE wasn't inspired to do anything either.

"You didn't even stay Beo! You don't know what you're talking about!"

I roll my eyes and look away.

"Which should surprise no one at this point. You always leave."

I look back at him.

"It had nothing to do with the song. Everything was mostly fine until Mer snapped about YOUR mushrooms being served to her and she flipped out screaming at everyone. Maybe if you stayed instead of running away to pout she wouldn't have been worrying about your pathetic ass. Also, I doubt SHE'S the one being 'punished'."

Mer was acting like such a crazy dominating boss to him.

I touch my chest and shiver thinking about what she did to me.

"She carved up my chest just like that too in the past."

Twitches.

Doesn't know she was told to do that since that was mental communication between Mer and him. Just knows he watched and didn't do anything about it.

Now they're clearly screwing. They're both just kinky and inconsiderate of us because they're in love.

Crystal:

I ponder that.

(("Well... He's not a vampire or killing everyone?... As far as we're aware at least?"))

I shrug.

(("Behaviour tweaking then? He sure doesn't seem to be going hard for Mer if she's with the king and having his babies and all?"))

Des says something about a.. Soul stuff?

A broken heart drove them all nuts?...

No...

He also mentioned Soul fire?...

I frown and look to Fritz.

(("Maybe the upgrade uses magic?"))

Cause how else does that work? I ponder.

(("Unless it's some sort of hyper advanced telepathy / empathy mind thing?"))

Des says Beo always leaves.

(("Oo. Burn."))

My face falls as Des continues on.

He had his chest carved up??!

Beolan:

Desmond gets after me about leaving. As if I left - left like he did. I just didn't choose to be half naked up there like he did. Nor did I agree to do it in the first place, I was ordered. 

He goes on to tell me Meridieth only snapped because mushrooms were served. I have a glimmer of hope she sill CARES.

I pace around with a smile loosing my previous anger at him, barely remembering he was in the room now.

I stop in place at his talk of Meridith being the punisher and his experience.

"Its not her fault she went mad, she isn't really like that.. how can you think that side of her is the Meri we know?."

I stare at him finely tunning in we had visitors in the chamber that weren't Klaus and Jem.

Casting a glance I wonder if Crystal and Fritz were ..something else to be brought here.

Fritz:

I look alarmed at what Desmond says and what it could mean.

Soul bond!?

((Sounds like magic..))  I agree with Crystal's first guess. 

S e x magic...

Beolan defends Meridieth's behavior with madness. It seemed logical. She never seemed as into autopsies as we we're after all.  I dont think she cut people up before. Screamed at people.. yes. But that was quite a decline.

"Something happened to all of you, its quite strange.."

I remember being trapped in the castle when the King was attacked. The worms.. he was dead...dead too... 

Now he is completely different. 

"I dont think things have been normal since the Xern attacked...Bash was dead. Maybe a demon went into him. Maybe you'll all demon possed or ..worm possed."

Like theres a difference.

"Maybe its all the Xerns doings, mind games..crazy..crazy kink... sounds like all the cautionary tales I've heard about what those vampires do..they treat the living like toys and lord over their lives.."

Desmond:

Beo acts like only the past matters, which is really all he ever HAD WITH HER so no wonder that's all he cares about.

As if 'present' Mer and her actions don't 'matter' and don't mean the same or as much as old Mer. That she shouldn't be judged for how she is now, just because it isn't 'her fault' she's off at times and kinky.

As if Beo wasn't enough, Fritz goes off about Xerns and Vampires and demons and whatnot.

Ugh.

It reminded me too much of my old naive self with all my old worries of turning evil and whatnot once I learned I was undead. But clearly, that never became the case. I've had to rise above such phobias and come to my own revelations with my own experiences.

Ignores him and focuses on Beo.

"And what does only thinking of the past "Mer" accomplish Beo? Should we all just not accept who Mer is 'now'? How any of us are now given the circumstances and what? What do we 'do' after that? Play pretend when someone snaps and rips into your flesh? Or just go up in the rafters and mope for innocence lost that we'll never get back?? What is your point??"

Crystal:

I listen to Fritz' observations about things being off since whatever happened to Bash and the Xern attack.

I nod at first then think about it myself as Des questions Beo's question.

"Maybe even before that. Klaus and his weird blue energy attack on the King, and right after that was Des' arrest and that was before the Xern attack. And now we're surrounded in blue walls and I haven't seen Klaus since we got back..."

Coincidence? I think not!

I look to Fritz.

"Maybe he was possessed by a demon and passed it onto Bash in the chest blast!"

Fritz:

Crystal reminds me of the high strangeness before the vampire killed Bash.

"Yeah and the vampire came out of nowhere too..like portal-ed in.... and Tamsin and the Peacekeepers went right after. No one saw what killed them.... just pieces.."

Was it all a set up..

"Where is Klaus..? He was in charge when Bash was down..." I look around concerned but Beolan was too distracted in his latest existial crisis to defend Klaus's innocence  

"Everything is so different now." 

It was like walking into a horror movie really..

Something dark about all the' beauty'.
I think of the flora.

"I havent seen Blythe either..."

Crystal:

Fritz also points out poor Tamsin and the Peacekeeper's fates and I nod in agreement about their tragedy and the weird portal thing.

"Yeah." I saw in agreement to his everything different comment.

"The Overlord?"

He was a thing then too. But now he's the one doing the brainwashing? According to Beo at least.

(Desmond): "Yeah I did see her 'free' and you know what else I saw? Years. Before this. It's not mind control. Those two love each other."

He looks away from Beo and looks at us.

(Desmond): "Klaus was also the one who kidnapped Mer by the way and he was the one who set me up and sent me to the reconditioning center. He also attempted to kidnap Blythe during that time but I stopped him then." He pauses.

Gapes and looks to Fritz.

"The plot thickens!"

(Desmond): "I haven't seen him since his escape attempt... Last I saw Blythe was her birthday."

Beolan:

Desmond insists Mer loves Bash. I make a face of disgust.

"Eeh.."

 But she doesnt love BOREN.

I frown as Desmond reminds me all of what Klaus did. I shutter almost forgetting the tainted trydien vampire he bled out over me. 

Could he be right? Or just trying to get out of everything..

I close my eyes, Bash had a dark side but he wouldnt have.. . 

I think of all the times alone with him, what he did. He hates me.. its the resentment only Boren could have for what me and Mer did. 

It cant be him.

I cant bare to say it outloud, as much as I felt it was true it also felt.. desperate. Grasping for reason when there might not be any.

(Fritz): "Klaus really is that bad? Wow.. all that repressed sexual longing.. if he just came out like we all knew he was anyway maybe it wouldn't have happened."

I look at him like ..wtf are ya saying man.

Crystal:

I gaze at Fritz at his revelation. He's as brilliant as ever.

It really was true at times. The repressed lashing out at others for it or just a mirror of self-hated and the lack of being able to accept what one is. Who knows? People and emotions are such complicated things.

"Such wise words. It really is a tragedy that could have all been avoided."

(Desmond): ".... Is that-?.... What you both got out of that?..."

I nod.

"He felt like he had to go to the point of kidnapping girls to make it look like he was straight.. Such a shame."

(Desmond): "...."

Beolan:

I match Desmond's look  staring at Crystal and Fritz.

Then the solders come to 'collect me on a mission' I freeze up almost as if it was programed in my head and let them put a viser on me as I am prodded forward.

(Solider 1): "Eh is this one going too?"

He bops Desmond forward as well with a stick.

(Solider 2): "hes not chained on the wall??"

*Before they had reverence for the 'Big Three' but since seeing them as transformed monsters now they lost their faith and HOPE.

(Fritz): "Where are they going?" He asks looking at Crystal startled, wondering if its a lead to 'evil masterman Klaus'.

Crystal:

Des hisses and glares at the poking. Looking pissed.

(("Chained on the wall hmm? Klaus the Kink Lord."))

"Guess we should find out?"

I move closer to the conflict and put Des' costume mask back in place like a muzzle while I ignore his eyes sliding to me.

"He's off the wall because we were preparing him for the mission. Though we don't know the details.. Just came back from the Morgue mission and all. Such a busy birthday for the King. Is there anything we should know?"

Leviathan:

People had went off in different directions and levels and had vacated the place. I don't even know where Fritz and Crystal went. I look around unbothered though. It isn't like I needed to be handheld and told what to do and where to go now. I don't believe being somewhere specific was mentioned for our group after all. Surely if there was I would have known about it. So I take that to mean free time and they'll figure out a way to find us if needed. Probably over mental communication or a sound system, I assume.

In the now cleared-out place, I get a view of a park with foliage a plenty as well as water. There was also a fountain-well thing.

I take a seemingly unused cup that presumably would have been a part of that burned birthday snack set up for the King and head over to the fountain to use it to help clean off my jacket.

The lighting in here was really accentuating the water. It was sparkling so brilliantly.

I wet and rub the cloth a bit and wipe at it then drink some.

My pupils dilate as I'm exposed to the special water. (That double pollution chemical weakness.)

"Mmm!"

I can't tell if it's the shock that this is fountain water that doesn't taste terrible and that is making it taste better than it actually would be or if I just must have been thirstier than I realized. Both options really wouldn't be surprising given what I was. Either way, this water is so good.

I drink some more then tilt my head curious as I sense something.. off...

Hmm...

I close my eyes, raise the cup to my face and just sense it.

Yes... There it was... There was... Something more to it... Something... Familiar but... Not...

Either way, it was refreshing. Downs the rest of my cup feeling energized.

It's a shame the pregnant lady's mood swings stopped the party... She was even gone now herself, so what was the point in ruining everyone else's fun? Hormones. It's just another reminder of how crazy and miraculous other species manage to have enough women that survive that crazy process before, during, and after. Having enough of the population life past breeding like that and all that damage to their own bodies.

I gaze around at the stage stuff just left behind.

Maud Red Squid:

I tumble on the floor chasing Violet and Gideon down the halls pulsating blue once we leave the darker chamber where Master and Mistress were. My eyes focus to the colors excitedly and blend as I toss my arms around to go fast and walk on the ceiling and walls rapidly.


"AROOWWWOO!" I howl swinging along till I see blue hair and drop down confusing it for Master. 

*senses energy in water* I reach a tentacle and poke it.

(Violet): "Help! Please! our friend just tur-" She pads the air blindly too panicked to use her mind to see through someone else.

Her face contorts in horror as Giden starts to fall down and contort in the water mutating with arms shooting out.

Ethan:

I leave the cup at the well's edge, and rush towards the koi pond at the yell for help. Some guy was falling and mutating and apparently, this wasn't normal for him?

I reach out a hand as I head towards them and focus on manipulating the pond water around him to surge up and crash him onto the park grounds beside the pond in a wave.

I go down to my knees beside him and look him over.

"We should get them to a lab." I tell the girl. They'd have stuff to contain biohazards, I think to myself. Also to get out of sight in case other people came with her call of help. I didn't want that if I was going to use my Ziro genetic abilities here...

I look around and see a big DNA matrix that branches off for the different floors.

I also see her other squid friend poking water.

"Hey! Come on. Don't touch it like that. There's a cup right there you can use right there." I calmly scold lightly.

Now it probably just contaminated that thing with whatever mutation germs are going on. I'm going to have to make a sign for that before this thing spreads.

Fritz:

I smirk at Crystal's new nick name for Klaus. It was awful really, he did this to everyone and all but... somewhat gratifying to finely be RIGHT about him.  

At first I was a little ...jealous concerned at Crystal's interest in Klaus.. like she had liked him or something to be stalking but it all made sense now. 

Just like the tower falling from the sky on the village, Crystal was so spiritualty sensitive, she was like a seer or knower or something. She could sniff out the next crisis!

Next time maybe we can even stop it. I have to trust her more and try to see the signs...

Crystal gets the soldiers to tell us more about this new mission Beolan is going on, I watch him as the visor was over his head. Some sort of brainwashing?  Sleeper solider stuff...

(Teagin): "We're going home, to take on Vestel once and for all. The King says they took over my planet since I've been away! They are aligned with Chaos and her matrix hybrid, we have to destroy ever piece of MOONROCK there is. They are planning a big attack with it."

A few of them whisper to one another, the king was told in a vison about the rock. From a mysterious source.  
Was the King talking to Dane himself?? One whispers, another thinks he was consulting with dark forces and witches based on his behavior. Another thinks he might be a Vestal himself with all the BLUE between him and Mer.

Crystal:

The soldiers' responses were so... out there and unexpected. Though I wasn't really expecting anything specific to begin with.

"Oh wow. Sorry about that. How terrible."

(("Hm... The blue... Interesting... The blue connects it all..."))

But what does it mean? What does it represent?

(("Could Vestial 'demons' have blue energy?.. But if so, why attack themselves?.. Unless it's... A cover for something else? A distraction?... Hmm. I'm not sure. What do you think, bae?"))

He's so good at connecting things. Maybe he sees something I don't.

Violet:

All I see is BLUE light. BLUE LIGHT. I try to slow down my breathing, Maud was... a monster chasing us and Gideon he sounded in pain was she eating him?? - Gideon is mutating and loosing his mouth as it becomes squid like appendages sprouting forth. 

The man I hear, I think he knows what to do. I hide behind him gripping his leg.

"Wh..at...s wrong?? Wh..y? Did this happen..we we're blind but.. "

its not worth THIS! I squeeze his leg afraid. 

"Noooo!" 

*Maud doesn't listen and jumps in playfully wagging her tentacle arm at him to come in after her if he DARES*

Ethan:

The red squid doesn't listen. Sighs.

My dilated eyes gaze back to the mutating boy and I watch fascinated for a moment but the girls fear manages to pull me out of my morbid curiosity gazing for the poor kid's sake, plus any future victims, including myself.
 
I hesitate to directly touch the mutating-in-progress one, even though one girl is already clinging onto me.

"We'll figure this out, yeah? So you were blind?" I repeat with energized confidence, trying to help distract her from the poor horror she was witnessing, and also so that I can have any info that I could.

With the severity of the situation, I decide to just use my powers and it any of my class sees I'll blame it on wild alien plants...

I splay out a hand and feel out the plants around me. I manipulate vines to comes towards us, and I do it as stealthily as I can. I wince as they snap from their main plants as I do so.

They slither through the grass to Gideon and weave in and out of eachother making a net. I bend it under the boy and use it to scoop him up into and carry.

"It's okay. We're all just going to go into a safe environment to do this! Do you know what they were before this? And what you are? Since you aren't changing?" I also add in giving off positivity as I glance at the girl on my leg and try to start moving towards the well with the red squid, while drag bending the vine net behind us.

I pause to consider using a wave to try to push the squid girl into the net but she might smoosh the other one on impact...

Violet:

I try to remember details so the man can help us!

"W..we we're getting our eyes fixed the.k..k..king said we would be..b..better.."

Maybe that meant..become squids but he didn't EXPLAIN that's how we'd see.. Squid DNA??

I think I saw a women with a tentacle arm now that I think of it... SWEET KING OF ENGLAND.

I touch my hands together making sure I have fingers. Yes

"T..hey we're humans.. I thought.. I'm umm half something else Sa..sa...guinemss and.."

I duno..

The blue light finely starts fading, I can see a little more. He does some fancy tricks to move the others!

I look down horrified by how ...they dont look like Gideon and Maud at all.

"We..we're at a lab... with..pizza.bbut the King is... he ...we shouldnt go back there.. maybe another doctor-y place??""

Fritz:

I listen feeling overwhelmed, so many troublesome blue aliens...

I think about that short time I was blue...

I didn't even do anything fascinating when I was blue..

I sigh cant even imagine myself being as powerful as Meridieth seems to be now... 

"We're in." I tell the soldiers and follow behind. Crystal wants to do a theory. 

I had alot of them but they felt.. dumb and silly.  I didn't know enough. We missed alot being gone so long.

((Well the Vestel are.. moon squatters right? Merdith and Bash charge by solar rays.. like Boren so they cant be the same thing.. maybe they have... moon opposite power that could fight the Starkers sun powers??)) 

It had to be important enough to send out all these soldiers and Beo and Des. It must be a real danger to him.

(Teegan): "Those blue basterds are going down.. and wait till you meet Bayly. Hes the only good one. my BEST friend ..we shared a crib him and I ..and then a bed.. I know his brea-.."

He goes on and on and on about Bayly. I think hes the new man in the closet...

Ethan:

I listen to the girl.

A... pizza lab?... For blindness treatment?..

"Yes.. A different lab sounds like it would be best. That lab sounds like an accident waiting to happen-" I glance away. "and did happen."

Did a pizza squid topping accidentally contaminate their treatment?

I plant bend the net ahead of us, then pause at the fountain and plant bend to twist the net to keep the boy enclosed just in case and hold the end with one hand. I use my free hand to do my best to open up my school bag, take out lined notebook paper, and write out notes for the fountain.

Writes: "Possible contamination. Under testing." On four pieces and puts them around the fountain, but I don't know how good that'll work as a sign on the big thing, but the attempt was made.

I peer at the red squid and glance back to the humanoid girl.

"At least your one friend seems to have taken to it?" I tell the girl as a silver lining to it all.

I think of how the boy had been wet mutating...  Could this be an extreme aquatic transformation?... But the other was dry before this wasn't she?

I peer back down into the water. "Sorry. As tempting as it is to join you in there," I tilt my head to the side in a swaying motion conversationally, "you're going to have to come out for a bit so we can get you checked out."

"Stand back," I warn the girl. In case it is water activated. Best she doesn't get too wet.

I untwist the net but keep one hand where the vines had met, hold out my free hand and repeat a cupping motion as I get a feel for the water and feel the warmth of my blood through my palm then raise my hand up and wave my hand across towards the vine net, creating a water current to propel the red squid up and over to the edge of the fountain. The water crashes down soaking the ground around it. I quickly focus on bending the net open and using the vines to grasp and ensnare her in.

"Hello there." I smile at the squid girl, then take the discarded cup and scoop up a sample.

While plant bending the net ahead of us, heading towards the branching DNA architectured insignia, I ask, 

"So, did your fountain friend start mutating after getting wet or was she dry?"

Maud: (squid girl)

I shake a tentacle at the blue haired aquatic for capturing me. I WANTA SWIM.

*Blows bubbles back at him like I've seen our little blonde friend do many times*

Giddeon's mouth full of tendrils and hisses/spits distracts me. Violet was unchanged. 

Who knew sight was so complex you change species?

Lizzie wouldn't recognize us now.. I wonder what Echo would think??

(Violet): "Umm dry I think. She looked..dead.."

She glances around nervously. 

I see some older kids laying around the small grassy patch of what is a ..mall maybe? The light as I looked up at the glass ceiling was more blinding blue so I stick to looking at the walls and signs and logos all around as if every building was more inportent then a store.

(Cersei): "Is Ethan bringing sushi?"

(Kid): "Yeah we didnt even get a lunch at the birthday party?.. a king should have a proper brunch.." 

(Cersei): "Agreed, it makes him look poor."

Gideon makes a high pitch squeal and smelt HUNGRY his tentacle mouth reaching out trying to get them.

They continue to lounge not even looking our way.

Ethan:

"Well then water transformation theory 'killed'."

I tilt my head observing them curious.

"Neat trick." I say to the bubble blowing after the bubbles come at me. Hopefully I'm not infected now. I already have plenty of tentacles. I didn't need to loose my face for more.

Then tense where I hear my classmates nearby. They don't look tho... Thankfully... Even with the other one's hungry racket.

Okay, possibly undead and hungry maybe I should take this as more of a problem.

We get to the DNA branch and I try to figure out which floor we needed to go.

"Hmm. Maybe there's a lab here?"

It sure seemed like it.

I glance into rooms sensing around.

Crystal:

I nod along to Fritz at his thought process.

Follows the soldiers.

(("Mmm... Celestial fight."))

I ponder the sun and moon and while the soldier yammers on I catch a glimpse of Des' bracelet as my brother stims with it.

(("Interesting.. Meredith was the Sun when it came to the big three's bracelets. Now she has Sun powers... And they're sending the Star and the Moon to the Moon aliens... I know it's probably just a coincidence, but it is there huh?"))

Des just wonders what they expect him to do against rocks. Do they expect him to keep Beo safe while he obliterates everything, or is he supposed to teleport rocks to him?

Fritz:

I listen to Crystal talk about how each celestial sign from the 'friendship' bracelet seemed to come true. Even Desmond had a more moon like white form. Beo of course was already a Star... but maybe there's more to it. 

((We need to watch your brother close, this is the moon mission.. something might have to do with him)) I agree with her observation of how 'weird' it all was.

((Who.. made the friendship bracelet anyway?)) I ask her, only having heard about it by other fans talking and sometimes using emojis for the big three.

Whoever did may need to be looked up, they had some foresight into all this..

I bored the ship with the gang and felt so weird about leaving again so soon but who can miss a chance?

Plus my classmates... could get hurt!

We certainly aren't staying on the bus.

Crystal:

I nod to his point.

Even if it turns out not the case maybe we could at least see more of how different he is now...? Though he sure showed new stuff already during the show so maybe that was all there was...

But we are going to a moon on a special mission... Who knows?

(("Ettie."))

I wonder if he'll know who that is or if I'll have to be more specific. I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. She is rather quiet, isn't she?... Or maybe I just don't know her well enough myself.

(Desmond to Beo): (("Aren't you glad? We're finally leaving Beo. We're leaving.")) *Doesn't realize the programing.* (("I'm surprized you aren't screaming at Mer to join us. Or is it cause you know in your heart she'll bring Bash with her?... Because they love eachother."))

Ettimay:

*crying embarrassed about being on stage, SO traumatized by MERI making me go up there*

I go through a path way as vines hang down, I cant even tell where I'm going anymore with the walls all overed up in overgrowth and pebble stones. So MUCH vervain. At first I felt safe by it all but now I felt smothered by the purple. I squeeze my eyes shut and it hurts from the hot tears.

Poetikim was getting yelled at but I was to embarrassed to defend him as I go through more flower bushes. 

I hear the soldiers and see Beolan in the helmet. I freeze up seeing Desmond with him too. 

Wh...ere are they taking them?

(Fritz): "The little nurse.. Ettie?" He nods outload to greet me but I feel like his words went more - the private conversation with Crystal. 

"ell..o." I nod at him, having been a long time since we we're all a nurse troop. I hardly see.. the others too. They are so busy with Blythe and he went.. away. 

I look at Crystal wondering what it was like out here now with the ... 
what was out there if the Overlord was here.

"Whe..re?" I just blurt out to ask where they were going.

Desmond:

I hear Ettie's name and look over.

I get prodded to keep moving but I can't help but keep looking over at her captivated.

I perk up and wag my tail, but then realize she's been crying, and my ears and tail droop.

I lick my bottom lip in my mask, wanting to lick her tears.

I want to ask her what's wrong but she's busy with the others and I'm shoved harder after Beo and nearly fall over.

(Crystal): "Uh." She glances at Fritz then looks back to Ettie. "We're going where the moon rocks are. I'm sure this soldier can tell you all about it on the way."

If his Bayly had a history with moon rocks that is...

(Crystal): "You should come with."

My ears perk up again hearing Crystal ask.

Crystal tilts her head and makes and come on gesture.

(Crystal): "The mission really should have some nurses. I mean-" She leans on Fritz. "Fritz is great, but the more people the better. It sounds like the Vestials went bad and all. So who knows how many injured there could be when we get there or of our own people, you know?"

Ethan:

I feel my heart jolt seeing Poe afraid I got caught looking alien. Skin scale camouflage unconsciously ripples an invisible wave over my body for a moment, and get a physical grasp on the vine net.

Did he notice? Did he see?

Maybe he was too busy dealing with the mad guy to pay attention..

I take a deep breath.

"No... And the angry yelling doesn't bode well..." I whisper back to her in agreement.

Doesn't recognize fancy-dressed plant-wreathed Morg.


"Um... Sorry... Your water well might be contaminated..." I say hoping to distract them. "You should get that checked out."

Sets cup I had down and backs out trying to leave.

Potemkin:

I look disturbed hearing the man's thoughts about my mother.

Sure Grandpa wasn't a saint but..what did SHE do?

He was way to powerful for me to try to see in his head. 

Then I SEE high strangeness from Ethan, and squid people.

....

Thats it. I need to GET BACK. HOME.

"I'll go! Check the water!"


(Carry): "We have a sample right here!" He grumbles limping over the cup to a microscope scanner. 
 
I almost crash into him to rush after Ethan.

Ethan:

There's running behind us and see Poe after us.

The human saw! He's gonna get usss!! 

"Ahhh!"

I take Violet's hand and book it.

See's a quiet a group of ALIEN soldiers. Safety!! The peacekeepers will enforce the peace!!... And protect us!

"Maybe they'll help and hide us from the angry people!" I pant and steer us into the thick of the visored people.

I collapse into a seat into the ship panting, with the squid net.

"Is anyone... *pants* "a doctor?... Got... Squid kids... Not supposed... to be squids..."

Ethan:

I tilt my head listening.

I give an idea after the seemingly trail off.

"Well... If... If there's too much now to take out-"

All 'immersed' and all.

"Would adding some transformation genes help you think? Or make it worse?.. Like Octoen or Siren?"

I mean I'm a bunch of things and I can look humanoid... So far... Though.. The Ziroyuki genetic manipulation stuff and camouflaging species might be doing the heavy lifting...

Ethan:

I nod to his general Octoen assumption.

There's some excitement from the other girl about it and a mention of a mermaid they know.

I smile. Even though that had been humans maybe they at least made some alien friends here in this kingdom of the free. Maybe child innocence played a part to it to.

Ugh the thought makes me seem a lot older than them, doesn't it?... When I shouldn't be. Though who really knows their ages all... squiddy like this.

I look to Fritz. "Sure."

If I can find it...

I look away with a frown remembering that other ship tour with Fritz and Crystal...

This wasn't the same. Now I was these kid's kidnapper in a sense, wasn't I?... Hmm... At least it's to help them.

I make sure the kids are entirely free of the net since they seemed docile enough despite their new instincts given all that cute staring and bubble blowing.

"Let's look around, huh?" I smile and glance around. "Now that you all can see."

Got sight just to see themselves turn into something unexpected. Yikes.

"I'm Ethan by the way." I introduce realizing it hadn't been gotten around to yet.

Violet:

I follow after Ethan excited to see mermaid Maud. I wasn't sure what Octo-whatever was but the little Mermaid was soo cute and someone could finely translate her muteness.\

HA wait till Echo finds out. I had so many COOL adventures while he's probably just locked up by his 'dads' in a bunker somewhere. 

"I'm Violet, Maud is the redhead or red head before....now shes just kinda red and Gideon is the bloke. We're from the school for the blind! We had a siren with us too but shes back at the walled village place."

I tell Ethan.

"Thanks for.helping us too."

I think realizing it was all really sudden. Ethans so nice!
 
UNLIKE that Meridith women

Leviathan:

I glance back at their introduction.

"Oh, that's cool!"

Braille or whatever the kingdom equivalent is was probably neat. I wonder how many things incorporate that? I also ponder how that would have affected their other senses. Are they super heightened? I consider asking but I don't know if that's weird to ask or not. Maybe later.

I smile. "Well, I hope I'm able to."

I look back ahead and keep looking for this lab. I probably should have asked Fritz where it was but really how big could a shuttle be? (If only Eth knew about the origami unfolding ones.)

"I'm from Ivy League school, back in the colonies."

I managed to finally glance in on a room that looked like a lab with cold storage and not like a rehabilitation or weapon locker storage.

"Hmm... Maybe this room?" I go over to the cold storage and see blood bags and blood vials. Must be for when they rescue people, I assume. Who knows how bloody and broken poor sirens and whatever else were enslaved are found?

I riffle through things and pull out one labeled siren and another labeled Octoen.

I hesitate at first, but they have already seen me use powers, so I push that aside and I hold them up to double-check with my own sight.

My eyes glow red as I peer at them.

"Yup. These are good."

I step away from the refrigeration unit after closing it realizing the written wording of other samples might not mean anything to them unless they do have braille on them. I look over the two I took out curious and peer at Maud and Gideon.

"What do you two think?"

I hold them out and motion as I explain trying to see how much sentience they had in their states and if they could make their own choices or not.

"This one is siren and this one is octoen. Do you both want to try siren? Or was it okay if you go octoen, Gideon? It should be both of your choices. Can you both point to the ones you like?"

I clamp my teeth down in a smile trying not to outwardly grimace at myself as I realize I may be sounding condescending. Ugh...

Lowers head awkwardly as I cringe to myself.