The smell of food begins to draw out the other Karnors, and even Vasha. Sharon seems less inclined to make breakfast for everyone though after fixing one for Tasha, so Sasha takes over the kitchen. Gabriel, Katie and Hakeber are wearing bathrobes, while Sasha and Vasha are naked, save for Sasha's "Pet the Cook" apron.
"I don't know why Sasha won't let me in the kitchen while he cooks," Hakeber sighs while drinking her coffee.
"You shed too much!" Vasha claims.
"He can't cook what you've already eaten," Tasha points out as she eats her sausage. Her whole plate has been scooted closer to herself, and is now also shielded by her wings. "Thanks again for making this, Sharon." And so Sharon gets beamed a smile.
Sharon smiles right back, and sips her coffee looking like that cat that caught the canary.
"What do those dragons eat?" Gabriel wonders out loud. "Their little caravan didn't seem to include oxen or sheep. When you were in dragon-land, did you notice if there were dragon food markets?"
Tasha momentarily wonders if Sharon is up to something, because when she smiles like that she's up to something, or rather, already achieved what she was up to. She considers, briefly, what that 'something' might be, suspecting either she's eaten something she shouldn't have or Sharon is just very proud of getting her approval. Whatever the case is, Tasha's in it now, so she just keeps eating. She stirred from this line of thinking by Gabriel's question. "No? The markets are usually for humanoids, half-dragons, and the other non-large, non-full dragon sorts. Dragon's eat whatever they want to eat, sometimes that means people. I think Gwyndrael eats her kobolds some times, unless she was teasing me about that."
"Mmmm, we should really set a policy about not eating things that talk or use tools," Gabriel suggests. "These forests are supposedly full of 'game' monsters though. Hopefully that will be enough."
"When they change shape and size.. what happens to the food already in their stomachs?" Katie wonders. "Going from small to big isn't an issue, but going from bit to small.. seems like it would be messy."
"Need to make sure they don't eat the Phins," Vasha adds. "They look tasty. Or Sharon. Don't have to pluck or skin her hardly."
"Hopefully they prefer chicken," Sharon says, narrowing her eyes a bit at Vasha.
"Vasha did catch that bandersnatch," Tasha agrees, then she gives Vasha a thumbs up and considers offerings her some sausage as a reward but she suspects Sharon will secretly resent it so she doesn't. As for big to small, Tasha admits, "I actually don't know. Maybe they convert it to energy, as I can consume whatever's in contact with me and I am aware of to via Red? It's probably less addictive than when I do it, however." As for eating the Phins and-or Sharon, Tasha notes, "Well Gwyndrael and the others are what you might call good dragons. They worship Justice. I think eating our sentient members would go against that. They're probably being extra careful and feeling out their limits here, which is probably why they've been flying all over the place. They're also thousands of years old, so they probably know how to handle these problems already."
"Maybe they only need to eat once a year," Hakeber suggests. "Would it be considered rude to ask them about any of this?"
Sasha emerges carrying a platter covered in steak and sausages.. with some pancakes on the side. "I'd say 'dig in' but I doubt it's necessary," Sasha says as he sets it down. "Just try to minimize the bloodshed."
"Hardly, dragons are very hard to embarrass. So long as they don't think you're challenging them or trying to offend them, they don't care. Because, and this is very important to understanding dragons, everything moves around them, not the other way around. Of course every dragon is different and some are more malevolent or more kind and gentle; these three are altruistic. For a dragon, everything should adjust for them, not the other way around, whether they're aware they think like that or not. It's just some are more mindful of others." Tasha pops in another sausage and grins, swallows, and then adds, "If you want to meet and greet in more depth I can try and call them over."
"That won't be necessary," a voice calls down from the air, and then Tia lands near the table, still in her dragon form (which is very petite compared to the others). "They want to examine the Tasha-kin and Hakeber."
"Not taste-test I assume?" Gabriel asks.
Tia tilts her head from side to side a few times. "I didn't think to ask that," she admits.
"Well there you go. Hi, Dragon-Tia!" Tasha would get up and try and pet dragon-Tia, but she'd have to abandon her food or risk it's capture in transit, and dragon-Tia would only frown at her for the hug. "I see you're getting a lot of millage out of your dragon-form."
"It's not entirely real," Tia admits. "It comes with odd urges too. Can have a sausage wrapped in a pancake?"
"That sounds dangerous," Katie warns. "Hakeber will want everything wrapped in pancakes now."
"You should probably do it," Tasha warns Sasha, "If Tia isn't used to dragon-urges it's best to comply on small matters. As for Hakeber, she's a lot easier to wrestle to the ground than dragon-Tia."
So Sasha finds a sausage small enough to work, rolls it in syrup to make it sticky, then wraps a pancake around it before placing it in Tia's open mouth.
"Not everything!" Hakeber claims. "But what if after wrapping, you deep fried it?"
"Fank you Fasha," Tia says as she chews.
"You're welcome," replies Tasha. She knows Tia probably means Sasha but she did urge Sasha to do it. Then to Hakeber she says, "You're going to be round. You're not as active as I am but you eat more than me! Also, I can literally burn off fat! You better get some heavier books."
"I get plenty of exercise in other ways," Hakeber claims.
"Sex and tail-wagging, maybe," Vasha snickers.
"When you're all available, come to the lakeshore near the pier," Tia says. "Don't wear any jewelry or clothing."
"That does sound like they're going to eat us though," Sharon argues.
Tasha looks dubious, but she keeps eating and teases no more -- at least not about that. "So when did the dragons say they were coming by?" She assumes the dragons just stated they were coming by. There are, after all, three dragons and she expects dragons to influence each other to dragon behavior the same way Karnors influence her to more Karnor behavior.
"They're probably not going to eat anyone," Tia says. "They just want to examine your souls and such."
"They won't eat eat you, they know you're associated with me. I'd be more worried about the Phins. They're probably interested in your magical makeup. Dragons do more than just eat and absorb the room, they also have interests. Some have interests so strong they can become mini-gods," Tasha agrees with Tia.
"Although I did tell them how you were created," Tia admits. "So if they did want to eat you, they'd probably ask Kai to make another one to eat instead."
"I told them too, and I would consider eating shards of me an direct attack on my person. I don't consider Vasha, Sasha, nor Sharon expendable. Or edible." Tasha waves a fork menacingly. "That would be crossing a line."
"Yeah," Sharon seconds nervously.
"Well.. don't rub steak over yourselves or anything," Tia advises. "I don't know why they have a no jewelry policy, but I suspect it has to do with how metals can interact with draconic magic."
"Then why the no-clothes rule?" Katie asks. "No metal in bathrobes."
"You hear that Vasha? It's like a free excuse to wear more shinies," Tasha notes, grinning. Then she stops grinning. "Wait if I eat a dragon heart will that apply to me, too?"
"Maybe just to see if you'd do it?" Tia answers Katie, then turns to Tasha and says, "I don't know. Maybe? I don't have any data on the effects of eating a dragon's heart. Bathing in their blood can imbue invulnerable skin in some legends though. Those were from before there were snorkels, so the hero always had one spot that wasn't invulnerable. But since dragon skin isn't invulnerable it probably isn't true."
"That does seem like a stretch. They probably just got scales or something, and because back then they might have just had, I don't know, sticks and knives, a dragon's hide probably seemed very invincible to the people writing things down on a stone. Or, maybe the hero turned in to a dragon and then got embarrassed due to terminal irony and ran off to hide, so they were never defeated because they never showed up again," Tasha suggests. As for the heart, "I guess I'll find out what it does."
"I think that's part of why they want to examine you all together," Tia says. "And Hakeber."
"Must be my radiant charm," Hakeber says, and elbows Katie, who does not respond.
"Well, eat up! We have a dragon date later. Best not to keep them waiting too long or they'll come and find us." Tasha leads by example and digs in, but not before sneaking in trying to feed Tia a (half-sized) sausage-pancake.
It's hard to sneak things to a dragon, since she couldn't fit under the table. But as long as it's from Tasha's own plate nobody seems to care. Everyone eats like wolves, except for Vasha who sticks to sausages. It's almost disturbing how fast the food is devoured, considering they all had a feast just the night before.
Disturbing to some, but not to Tasha, who has been wolfing things down since she was a wolf, which if half her whole life minus two days as a Human. Plate cleared she slides it to the center of the table and leans back to stretch. "I might as well go naked, too. I can take a bath in the lake. Reeka hid my clothes anyway, and finding them would only slow things down."
"Is that what happened to our clothes?" Sasha asks.
"That's what happened to our clothes," Tasha confirms. "She's been lost in the forest for a while now. I found her when I was taking a walk. Anyway, all set?"
"I'm ready for a walk!" Hakeber says, standing up and shedding her robe.
Sasha sets aside his apron and is ready to go. Sharon says, "I can take off the robe when we get there."
"Careful, you might end up more dog than Sasha," Tasha teases; she does not tease Sharon about her robe, knowing how fragile Human skin is. "Maybe grab some slippers or shoes? Anyway, we can go now if everyone's ready."
"I'm already wearing slippers," Sharon announces. Vasha cracks her back, and everyone begins walking towards the beach.
"Off we go then, time to really meet some dragons! Or, well, you will, I already know Gwyndrael intimately. And see, dragons don't even care if you say that! Why should they be embarrassed." And so Tasha heads off beachward leading the small troup of mixed, and fed, company.
Once they arrive at the beach, the three dragons descend. They're a lot bigger close up, and Gwyndrael is the smallest. Wormwood is covered in bony plates instead of scales, and Thermoriax is red with scales that look more like shields and an elaborate crown of horns. "Which is the odd one out?" the priestess asks.
Tasha pauses. Normally, that's her. In this group it could be almost anyone. She turns to look between everyone, hands palms up in a 'do you know which one she means' kind of way.
"I think that's probably me?" Hakeber says, raising her hand. The auras of the dragons make everything feel heavier. "I'm not made of Tasha."
This makes more sense. "But you could be Hake," Tasha declares. "Just think of the benefits!"
"Not being able to sleep with any of you does not seem to be a benefit," Hakeber fires back.
"For now, just.. stand next to Tia, please," Thermoriax requests of Hakeber. Who does scoot over.
The dragon's eye falls on Sharon next, who freezes for a moment before taking off her robe.
"That's an assumed downside," Tasha retorts, "And not proven. And you can't sleep with most of me as is!" She dances out of range of being elbowed or swatted as Hakeber departs, then she walks over to sit next to Gwyndrael, but not before head butting her side and giving her a friendly good-morning bite.
Gwyndrael pets Tasha's head with her bronze paw, and then Thermoriax brings his head in close to sniff Tasha. "I need to borrow her," she tells Gwyndrael.
Tasha's tail is wagging up until she needs to be borrowed. "What for," she inquires, head tilting and batting her eyelashes. "Do you two need to fight over it?"
"I need to examine you," Thermoriax says. "And it's better if there's some distance between you and any others, in case you explode."
"Can't you wait to explode me until I can self-resurrect or something," Tasha complains, but she does get up and moves closer to the water, just so she's less likely to create a forest fire. "A very old and very put upon entity will be disgruntled if I explode. Probably more than one!"
"That was just a one time prank, Thermie," Wormwood rumbles. "Tasha is not going to explode."
"Yeah, Thermie," goes Tasha who arrives closer to the sand and turns around, arms out. "Well, here I am. The rest of me, too. There's a lot of me here before you."
Thermoriax glances at Wormwood. "So you claim," she says, and turns back to Tasha. "Show me your flame, please."
Tasha is, if she hadn't already been and lets be honest always is, glad she ate. She clicks her nails together in the now familiar move, which is followed by a fireball-like flame that erupts and settles in to her palm. "There we are." She holds it up so the dragon can see it without having to lean in uncomfortably.
The dragon still leans in. "Please keep still," she says. "I'm just going to put your head in my mouth," she warns.. just before she does it. Tasha can feel her tongue! And then.. another tongue that seems to pass right through her skull to wiggle around in her brain, which causes a lot of weird sensations.
"Ugggghthhh-uck!" goes Tasha, which isn't so much a word as a series of emotions, all of them uncomfortable. The rest of her isn't any better; she'd consider all of this if her brain wasn't being licked and disturbed.
It takes some time too. That tongue is really focusing on specific bits in there. Lick-lick-lick! And then it's over and Tasha is released.. and a bit soggy from saliva. Maybe that's why they all had to be naked.
"Hmmm," the priestess rumbles.. and licks her lips. "Interesting."
Tasha falls on her butt and rubs her head, stickiness or not. "Gah," she goes, then she shakes herself out in true canine style, and then does it again. "That was weird. Did you lick me with your soul?"
"Don't be silly," Thermoriax says. "I licked you with my tongue."
"What just happened?" Sharon asks nervously.
"You have a phantom-tongue?" Tasha then shakes out a third time before turning to the lake to go wash off. "It felt like another one was there!" She lets the fire melt back in to herself, feeling that letting it be extinguished by water would be more draining than self-extinguishing it.
"Tasha has foreign bodies in her soul," Thermoriax explains. "I needed to examine them. One is black and bitter, the other red and spicy. You haven't kindled your red spark yet, and you eldritch intrusion is dormant."
"I had not thought of trying it that way," Tia says to Thermoriax.
"You need to have a trained spiritual palette," Thermoriax notes.
Tia still seems put-out for some reason.
"I could have told you that," goes Tasha who is now wading in to the lake. "We've been working out how do kindle the Red for a bit now, and the daemon-map is held at bay until I need it." She dunks her head, then the rest of herself, then just lays back and floats on on languid waves. She decides not to involve herself in dragon advice, especially advice that puts Tia out, as they could both turn on her and she needs a moment.
"You, the big bird," the cleric says to Vasha. "You're next. Try to summon up a ball of fire."
"Eh? I no do magic," Vasha claims, her feathers puffing out a bit. But she does click her claws, even if just for show. There aren't any sparks. The rest of her feathers really poof out when the dragon bites down on her head and licks her brain. Her arms and wings both flap!
"It's really weird isn't it!" Tasha calls out. She's apparently discovered she can extend her wings in the water and thus use the ansible to propel herself around in a slow circle like some sort of girl-shaped watercraft. "Also, Vasha inherited my old Vartan fear of magic!"
Vasha is released, and looks angry. Thermoriax blows a few feathers out from between her teeth. "This is certainly a first," the dragon claims. "While there are differences mentally, it is still the same soul."
"A fear of magic, or an aversion?" Gwyn asks Tasha.
"Magic is bad," Vasha squawks. "It disturb the spirits of things!"
"Vartans on Tasha's home world are animistic in their religious beliefs," Hakeber explains.
Tasha holds a hand out towards Vasha in a 'she's got it' sort of way. "There's probably a deeper species wide aversion due to a possible original anti-eldritch purpose. Horus, the Vartan creator, told me he refused to exploit the fact and so released his children from their original duties. It's the same way with the Titanians, they ahve a species-wide aversion to old mega-powered junk and a desire to make things. The Cill might be the same way." She continues to move about in a circle.
"Also just because it's an animistic belief system doesn't mean there aren't spirits of things," Tasha adds.
"Interesting that those traits exist in that mind but not in yours," Thermoriax notes.
"I have had a looot of exposure to magic, magic people, magic conversations, magic religions, magic magic, and now I think I'm magic, too. It's like some sort of corruption," the floating woman admits.
Sasha steps up next, unbidden, and tries to summon up sparks. Really tries, from the look of focus he has. He gives up eventually though, and closes his eyes when his head goes into the dragon's mouth. His tail twitches throughout the process, and fur is a lot more matted when he's released. "Same result, but.. a much more focused mind."
"He's my engineering and building focused side, probably also my community builder and socially-inclined side," Tasha explains, holding up a hand expressively as she now cruises around the waterfront. "Where as Vasha is my Vartan side, my martial side, my old spiritual side, and probably my more aggressive self-focused side."
Sasha goes to wash his head in the lake, along Vasha. Which leaves Sharon all by herself and looking paler than usual. She also tries the fire trick, snapping her fingers since she doesn't have claws.. and there's a brief flash that is almost a spark. "Hey, did you see.." she starts to say, too distracted when the dragon mouth closes over her. And not just her head, but nearly all the way to her waist! And it looks like she's being sloshed from side to side in there as well.
"Sharon must be extra-interesting," Tasha observes, cruising over to join the rest of her. "And did you see that, Vasha? I think she almost pulled it off. That must mean she's the most magically-inclined side. We'll have to get her a witch hat!"
Eventually the girl is released, and falls to her knees. She's panting and has a horrified expression, looking like she's about to burst into tears. Thermoriax licks her a lips a bit more as well. "Mmmmm, less focused, less.. certain, which may be why there is bleed over from Tasha," the dragon says. "And she is the only one who bathed recently."
"So, they really are sharing a single soul?" Wormwood asks. "Apparently!" Thermoriax replies. "Despite their other differences."
"Huh," goes Tasha, who stops moving about at the news, "I had been wondering about that. So does that make me some sort of hive-mind? Am I a Tasha-Bee?" She shifts her gaze then to Sharon, sending Tia a quick, "Please go over and comfort Sharon Tia," while trying to hide the outward fact she sent it by continuing to talk. "And we all seem so different, too!"
Sharon is soon wrapped up in Tia's feathered wings, and the sort-of-dragon does something like cooing but also like purring.
"They were originally created for the purpose of being a hive-mind, which is something Persephone gave Tasha the ability for," Tia explains. "But they have been kept separated instead."
"So why did it seem like you took long with Sharon? I would have assumed I'd be the longest," Tasha inquires. She pauses to listen to Tia's explanation, goes "huh" again, then admits, "She didn't directly tell me I could form a hive mind, only that my daughters would all be like me, and my sons like their father, and that I'm apparently omnifertile in the sense I can probably have children with anyone."
"She was the tastiest," Thermoriax answers bluntly. "And it has been a long time since tasted a human virgin."
"Thermie is partial to blondes, too," Wormwood notes.
"You should probably ask before you start licking up my other selves. Sharon doesn't appreciate being taken advantage of, I think that might disturb her for a while." Tasha pulls herself to shore, straightens up, shakes off, then plants a finger on her hip and points at Thermoriax. "You'll make it up to her, I'm sure, as a follower of Justice."
"I suppose I could offer her a religious experience," Thermoriax rumbles.
Wormwood snorts. "Maybe I should handle compensation," he suggests.
"How about an apology," Tasha insists, standing her ground. "We do share the same soul and I look out for them. I'm giving you a bit of a pass because you're Gwyndrael's friends and you're helping us, but you still went too far and I'm addressing that now."
Attacked from two sides, Thermoriax relents and looks to Tia, who parts her wings enough that Sharon can see out of them. "Please forgive me, young woman," Thermoriax says. "Even one as devout as myself can be unprepared when base urges rear themselves. You may ask me to do anything within reason to balance out my transgression."
There's a sniffle from within the feathers, and Sharon says, "Apology.. accepted, I guess. I'll try not to be so tempting from now on."
"That actually looked like fun to me!" Hakeber says, presenting herself with her arms stretched out and tail wagging.
Tasha, to those who know her well enough and are close enough to see, visibly relaxes. For a moment she thought she might have to challenge the dragon, and that would have created more than just immediate problems. She can see the possible results in her mind, the conflict with the others, having to talk to Gwyndrael, and everyone being more on edge and more fearful. She would have tried to call the dragon slaying sword to her, and that would have caused problems, not to mention if it really came down to it she might have had to manifest darker powers and more potent energies. She's glad things worked out the way they did and, despite Thermoriax's transgression,sees the apology as a good sign. They all have urges they fight with, and more than a few of them lose control. A loss of control is, after all, why the dragons are ultimately here.
Feeling she, too, needs to say something to step down form her own position, Tasha says, "Well, I for one in glad we worked that out reasonably." There is the faintest hint of a suggestion of "instead of other ways".
A chastened Thermoriax looks at Hakeber next. "Do you have any magical abilities to display first?" she asks.
"Uh, not any voluntary ones that I know of," Hakeber replies. "I can apparently insult an Ogdru-Hem to the point that it leaves."
Tasha sits down on a nearby rock and waves Vasha and Sasha to come join her. She could use the support. It also occurs to her in full what had only come to her in a brief and tactically-minded summary an old saying: "Faith is my shield." She thinks she heard it from the Silent Ones, or maybe Temple goers. It seems to be a common saying, in a great many variation. And yet Tasha realize, now that she has a moment, that it is no shield from her. Thermoriax does not know -- and apparently could not sense -- the true horror of her powers. Again she is glad for a peaceful resolution, and she is further glad she didn't just get bitten in half as Thermoriax realized the other powers she conceals.
"Hake-bear has some sort of loaner library of eldritch information she can't access normally and which kicks in when it feels it needs to be used. It is similar to my map, but less vocal and less self-initiated. We suspect it's also detrimental to her health and sanity. Resolving the issue is part of our next operation," Tasha explains.
"Let's see what we can see then," Thermoriax says, and closes her mouth over Hakeber's head. It only seems to a few seconds before she spits Hakeber out, and starts swinging her head from side to side with her tongue hanging out and staggering a bit until Wormwood gives her something to lean on. Eventually there's a burst of flame up into the air to clear the taste away.
Hakeber lays on her back, and holds her palm to her muzzle so she can smell her breath.
Gwyndrael is on her feet in alarm, but Thermoriax seems to be settling down now.
Tasha sits up, expecting she may have to do something but not entirely sure what. When she sees things might be okay, she hesitates, but decides to stand up fully and wait just in case. "I.. I take it that didn't go as well as hoped? Did it attack you?"
"Ptah! Yesss, that thing inside of her has a reactive defense," Thermoriax says. "It lacerated my spirit tongue."
"That's.. good to know," Hakeber says. "Huh, maybe that's why Kai and Tia never looked into it.."
"Yeeeah we've noticed it's a bit finicky. That's why we haven't tried to remove it through more aggressive means. We learned early on how destructively aggressive it is, even if it isn't sentient. It has a very specific task it wants Hakeber to do, or help in." Tasha nods over to Hakeber. "And why I haven't either. I don't think I ever knew for sure, but I felt it in my bones and instinctively stayed away. The spirit of things. And we all remember what it did originally."
"I may be able to manage a less direct examination," Wormwood says.
"Less direct sounds alright," Hakeber agrees.
For this, Wormwood changes back to his bipedal form. There's no shrinking effect.. one moment he's a large dragon, and the next one he isn't. He offers Hakeber a hand up, and the Karnor takes it.
"Take deep, slow breaths, and close your eyes," the dragon-mage instructs, and Hakeber complies, but does open one eye a bit to peek.
"He really has that shape-shifting trick down pat," Tasha remarks to Vasha and Sasha. "I couldn't perceive any shift."
Wormwood makes odd gestures and chants an incantation that conjure up glowing geometric patterns and symbols. An orb of bright light appears in his right hand, and an orb of bright.. anti-light.. appears in his left. It isn't dark or black, it's just something that registers as bright but that the eye refuses to see, a bit like looking out into hyperspace.
"Augh," Sasha complains and looks away. Vasha also turns away after a few seconds.
"Ooo, that's neat. It's been a while since I've openly seen a hypercolor." Tasha tries to look at it using her third eye, curious if that can perceive what her organic eyes cannot. She also tugs Sasha's tail in the mena time. "Hey, guess what, looks like you're a prototype."
Tasha's third eye reveals something, but it's still hard to see. At least until Wormwood places his hands around Hakeber's head, moving them so that the two sources overlap and interfere. It makes sections of the Karnor's head transparent, and illuminates odd shapes. Sometimes it looks like Hakeber has a Horrib in her brain, other times a Terran scorpion, and various other unrecognizable forms that all have some sort of stinger component to them. And inside of those is still a hint of something pulsating as well.
"Oh, I see something. I think it's a self-realized symbolic-representative object! Probably a psionic symbolic manifestation, since it's referential to my own experience. Past the shifting defense symbol there's something alive, but I don't see any symbolism for it. It's just there, pulsing." Tasha leans forward and squints, not that it helps her other sight. "But it's clearly within the defensive structure."
Wormwood pulls his hands away, and the lights and other effects fade away. "Yes, that is the good news," he says.
"What's the bad news?" Hakeber asks, opening her eyes.
"Also the Ogdru-hem are partially psionic entities, with this one having a connection to dreaming, so a psionic component is natural." Tasha stops squining, but her head tilts and her ears lay back. "The bad news?" She echoes.
"It is akin to a parasite that needs to pass from one host to another to complete its lifecycle," Wormwood explains. "In order to do that, it will cause the current host to seek out the next one. Toxoplasmosis is one such parasite, which gestates in rats, but can only reproduce within the digestive tract of cats. So it migrates to the rat's brain and induces reckless behavior to ensure the rat is caught and eaten by a cat. This is more of a psionic parasite, but the principle is similar. The good news is that it contains its own sacrificial energy, rather than drawing that from the host."
"So it's going to make me seek out Sadu-hem?" Hakeber asks.
"If that is the target, then yes," Wormwood says. "The more you resist or the longer you stay away from the target, the more damage it may cause your psyche. You have a psychic immune system of sorts, and it will cause inflammation."
"And it needs to reach its target to.. To enter in to its next life cycle? What happens when that happens? And will Hakeber be okay?" Tasha frowns at the mention of damage, quiet for a moment, then she notes, "Once we finish up preparation and settling matters here, when we're ready, we should go. We may need to skip extra preparation unless you think it's required, Gabriel?" She looks tot he man in question.
"We're still waiting on some intel," Gabriel says, crossing his arms. "We can still do our exercise, but the timetable needs to be moved up a bit, I think. We'll have Yue monitor Hakeber more closely in the meantime, like she was after the Urgo-hem incident. When this thing 'flexes' is when it seems to have the biggest effect on her."
"I've been feeling more normal lately," Hakeber claims. "Well.. more normal now after the drinking contest, actually."
"That makes sense. I've seen 'similar' bursts from my own visitors, when they flex their power they also exert it over you." Tasha then nods to Hakeber. "It seems like normalcy, rest, camaraderie and peace help us resist psionic burdens. I've felt much more at ease from being here and establishing a home. I suspect doing things normal and enjoyable, especially ones that are old and comforting, further help resist psionic strain."
"Inebriation or other altered mental states may provide a buffer against the parasite," Wormwood says. "Although it may be hard to tell. The influence is subtle."
"So I should be more debaucherous!" Hakeber claims, throwing her arms up in a victory pose.
"Or meditative," Tia suggests.
"Losing control still means a loss of control, so be careful of that. It may be easier to grab you if you don't have any control at the time. If it's not interested in controlling you at the time, then it may feel more restive." Tasha blinks at her explanation but then shrugs; it's good enough. "Meditation is a good idea, it will help during the times when partying and other people aren't available and times are difficult."
"My therapy bunny isn't available anymore," Hakeber laments. "Sasha! You'll cuddle with me at night, won't you?"
"Mmmmm," Sasha goes, noncommittally.
"Don't cuddle-bully Sasha," Tasha chastises. "You need to find a source of support that's more reliable and even. Sasha has his own problems right now."
Hakeber sighs. "Reliable? That may be asking a lot.." she laments.
Sasha instead focuses on.. collecting Sharon's bathrobe and carrying it over the wing-cocoon she's hiding in.
A pale hand emerges to take the garment along with a muffled thank you.
"Kai might be able to help Hakeber," Tia suggests. "I'm not sure that the parasite would even recognize Kai as existing."
"Well I mean like Yue, or talking to Gabriel, maybe learning music from Katie. I'd normally suggest myself but my plate is very full right now. There's also Wormwood for however long he'll be staying, I'm sure he's full of interesting esoteric knowledge and history. So is Gwyndrael and Thermoriax. And why not hang out with Vasha? You both like to party," Tasha suggests. She nods to Tia. "And there's Kai. And Kai also likes to party."
"Where is Kai, anyway?" Sasha asks. "She's wasn't at the feast."
"She's been furnishing the living spaces for the dragons and their retainers," Tia explains. "Creating piles of gold coins to sleep on is taxing. Denser metals are trickier, apparently."
"Why don't I have gold coins to sleep on," Tasha mock-complains. She then pauses. "Wait, will I need that if I eat a dragon heart?"
"Depending on the heart, maybe," Wormwood says. "Some dragons draw energy from gold or other precious metals."
"Hmm, well, something to look forward to, Gabriel?" Tasha wags her tail hopefully. "I'll try to avoid dragons fond of arsenic, mercury, obsidian, rotten fruit, bills, angry Humans, and other such things."
"Try to avoid spicy-food craving ones too," Gabriel suggests.
"No spicy Hu-" Tasha aborts quickly, not wanting to upset Sharon further. "I mean I'll keep that in mind! Well, I think we covered everything and we all have a lot to do, so why don't we split off now and we can meet up again if anyone has a matter for the group. And some of us can find clothes. And shower." She walks over to join Sasha at Sharon, then offers a hand to help the girl up. "Alright you, lets get you back to the Towers, then we can talk a bit."