001 ➛ audio

[squanderlust]

If this magic works the way it was described, somebody should be able to hear me right now. [though the voice of the young lady that's coming through sounds incredibly skeptical about this entire endeavor.] If you can, and you can actually understand me, I want you to tell me whether 8,000 "creds" is a lot of money around here, and what I can do to get it. I can't believe your merchants don't take something as simple as gold for war supplies.

[there's ambient noise for a while, and some confused sounds from somebody who has obviously never seen, much less used, an omni-tool before. eventually she groans in exasperation.]

My sword's been stolen from me and you expect me to do repairs to survive. This is entirely unacceptable.

Comments

[squanderlust]

[dang, Rachel has her there. fun as it would be to keep up the charade, she just decides to ask.]

How do you fight? Try me.

[shutupmarco]

Oh, I don't know. You might have to see it to believe it.

[ She hesitates, just a moment. Ideally, she shouldn't just fling this information around just anywhere, but the cat's kind of out of the bag, and...well, okay. She wants to be smug. ]

I can turn into animals. Any animal.

[squanderlust]

Is that all?

[okay, yes, being able to turn into any animal is slightly different than what she's used to, but the unbearable smugness is just too great to let go.]

Do you really think I've never heard of a taguel before?

[shutupmarco]

[ what nO SEVERA STOP IT YOU'RE RUINING RACHEL'S PERFECT SMUGNESS ]

Uh, well, I haven't, for starters.

[squanderlust]

You wouldn't have. [victory: Severa.] There's only two left where I come from. Your great-great-whatever grandparent is probably one of them.

[shutupmarco]

[ UNACCEPTABLE ]

Uh, whatever they are, I'm not one of them. I'm human. I mean, I wasn't born with the morphing power.

[squanderlust]

Oh, then you just got your hands on a beaststone? I didn't think they worked on humans. [she smirks in a ridiculously cocky fashion.] But what do I know? I'm just a soldier.

[shutupmarco]

Whatever a beaststone is, I don't need that either. All I have to do is touch something -- or someone -- and I can morph them.

[ RACHEL REFUSES TO LOSE THE UPPER SMUGHAND IN THIS CONVERSATION ]

[squanderlust]

Oh, it's magic. Gods, I don't know why you had to be so cagey about it.

[HEAVEN OR HELL LET'S SMUG]

[shutupmarco]

It's not magic. It's science. Alien technology.

[squanderlust]

Everything here is alien technology. If you're trying to impress me, you aren't doing a very good job.

[shutupmarco]

[ all right that's a fair point URGH HOW DARE U SEVERA

RACHEL IS RUNNING OUT OF THINGS TO BE SMUG ABOUT ]

What if I said I could turn into you?

[ desperate times call for desperate measures, right

rachel u need some new priorities ]

[squanderlust]

[okay, really, it's incredibly weird to imagine someone being able to turn into her, however Rachel can do it. Severa's quiet, but her front comes back full force in a few seconds.]

Puh-lease, do you think I got here yesterday? I'd have to let you touch me first, and that's definitely not going to happen.

[shutupmarco]

[ UPPER SMUGHAND REGAINED. Rachel actually laughs. It's not a comforting laugh. ]

Come on, what are you afraid of? It doesn't even hurt.

[squanderlust]

[yeah, Severa knows that laugh. she's pretty sure she's fought against people with that laugh.]

What would you even do with my body that you can't do with yours?

[shutupmarco]

Nothing, probably. I was just trying to prove a point. But it looks like you're way too chicken.

[ you bet your booty that smirk is audible as FUCK ]

[squanderlust]

I'm not chicken!

[okay, she's kind of a lot scared of it. what if Rachel gets her body and her mind with it? or what if Rachel is better at being her than she herself is? but also it's really, really weird to think about.]

It's just... [gods, here comes a terrible lie of an excuse.] Magic and I have never really gotten along!

[shutupmarco]

I told you, it's not magic. It's science. And nothing would even happen to you! If anything, I'm the one taking a risk here. I mean, what if I'm allergic to you? Eugh, not doing the whole DNA-burping gig again, or whatever Ax called it.

[squanderlust]

Then maybe you shouldn't do it at all! Proper ladies don't burp anyway, warriors or not.

[shutupmarco]

Uh...yeah, it's not exactly the kind of burping you're thinking of. And please. What good do you think being a proper lady is going to do you here? I mean, look around. This isn't exactly high society.

[squanderlust]

Which is exactly why proper ladies are so necessary! People like me are the last stronghold of class and refinement in places like this. But I wouldn't expect you to understand that.

[shutupmarco]

Ha! You've got a lot of guts, Severa. I like that. I mean, I think you're totally wrong, but hey, gotta respect your conviction.

[squanderlust]

[she gives a fake sigh.] At least that's two things we agree on. Me having a lot of guts, and you being totally wrong.

[shutupmarco]

[ She laughs, maybe a little too genuinely. ] Yeah, we'll see about that. I'll see you around, Severa. Good luck with your propriety.