After returning to base (and getting dressed), Tasha seeks out Sharon. The girl is in her room, taking a long shower, but is willing to talk to Tasha while she washes. She seems to be soaping up very thoroughly.
"Did you see the flash of light when I snapped my fingers?" Sharon asks through the shower partition.
"I did, I'm sure Vasha and several others saw it, too. I'm not surprised you're the one to figure it out." Tasha considers asking if she can join Sharon, she could use a shower too after getting licked, but she feels it might lead to awkwardness, assumptions, and expectations (even if she has none, they're both her and they know how she can be), so she just sits outside to give Sharon some space. "How do you feel about that?"
"Curious, mostly," Sharon replies. "Maybe a little excited. It makes wearing that gaudy costume in Elesteria almost worth it."
"You feel the costume helped out somehow?" Tasha's not the best listener in the world, but she feels she's gotten better at it over time. She is very aware that she's essentially listening to a independently growing fragment of herself, but that doesn't make her think of Sharon as any less of a person. Instead it makes her aware of herself more, and their commonalities and differences. "Do you want to continue to develop that skill? The energy may draw from my essence, so that could be a problem, but maybe we can work around that."
"I'd like to know more about it," Sharon says. "And just how connected we really are, with that whole thing about sharing a soul."
"They said we share a soul and that your uncertainty somehow caused you to draw from me more than the others do. That may be why you can cause a flicker, or there could be another reason." Tasha yawns, cavernously, then leans back against the wall and stretches out. Her legs are really long, she notes once again. "Is it the mystery that interests you, the power, or something else?"
"I guess I'm looking for something to anchor my identity," Sharon says after a moment. Then the water stops and the partition slides open as the girl steps out on to the drying pad. Jets of hot air dry her skin.. and blow her hair around as well.
Tasha looks up and tilts her head. "That's always the trick, isn't it? After I died and came back, I wasn't entirely sure what I was good for, where to direct my effort, and how I fit in. I've been afraid I'll be relegated to baby-maker, or become so fragile everyone will try to protect me, which I think will just make me weaker. All the comforts are nice but they eat away at my independence and self-reliance. And with all the expectations, it can get a little oppressive." She looks past Sharon and asks, "Mind if I grab a shower? I still have dragon drool in places." As she says it, she watches Sharon for any reaction to the sentence. "I'd like to talk to you more too, if you don't mind waiting."
"I have to brush my hair still, so feel free," Sharon says, stepping off the drying pad. "I think everyone does try to protect me," she admits. "Except maybe Vasha."
"Vasha wants to challenge everyone. I'm surprised she hasn't challenged me yet. She did rub my face when I rubbed her's, though." Tasha gets up and begins undressing, not that she'd been wearing a whole lot given she doens't have anywhere to go today and the weather is fairly mild. She steps past in to the shower and activates the familiar controls. "You've inherited both my complexity and my worries; not all of them but a lot of them. And, I think, my vulnerability. Sometimes I use the vulnerability to entice people, but you seem to do that without that intent, which is made worse by the large amount of Karnors and other powerful Human-centric entities. And I know it must grate on you, as it does me, to be treated like that when you don't want to be. To be afraid of weakness and to be afraid of your fear of your own weakness. Like you'll slip and lose something important."
"Does my having all those worries mean the others don't have to?" Sharon wonders. "Vasha seems to have all of the aggression, but Sasha and I don't seem to have any. Unless he's hiding it behind a wagging tail and easy smile. Being Human means I want to pet him.. but not the other Karnors. I don't want him to think I see him as a dog though!"
"Sasha has my friendliness, supportive qualities, and my community building. He also likes to build in general. I think he wants to get along and wants others to like him, but I suspect he might become aggressive if he felt those things were endanger. Maybe not Vasha aggressive, or like me, but determinedly aggressive." Which now makes Tasha wonder if he picked up on what she did and may be moving to confront the dragon about it. It's as good a segway as any, and so Tasha then asks, "Did the dragon.. Did she do anything beyond what she said she was planning to do, to you?"
"That's.." Sharon starts, then stops for a few moments. "In the Night City, when we got turned into dragons.. I almost ate an elf," she says. "He was running away, and I just pounced and bit his arm. I was really going to bite it off, if I didn't come to my senses at the last moment. I've never dealt with having instinctual responses like that. So I'm not surprised by the extended tasting. But.. she didn't fondle me or anything with her tongue. The part that went inside me was just in my head."
Tasha breathes an inward sigh of relief. She wonders if it shows, pushing herself to keep washing as normal. She had greatly feared they may have had a real incident of exploitation of a group member by an ally, which she could see snowballing in to political, interpersonal, and even confrontational levels, to say nothing of the personal cost to Sharon whom she remembered being so proud of her cooking. Had the dragon stolen that from Sharon, confrontation would have been inevitable. She won't stand by and let her people be mistreated, especially the most vulnerable ones. "You seemed a lot more disturbed by it than the rest of us. Was it the memory of eating? The juxtaposition? The hunger and desire to eat a sentient being? All, more..? And I'm glad she didn't do that, it looked to me like that's what happened and that's not acceptable from an ally. Dragon or no, we're not toys."
"I think I also smelled like bacon and sausage from breakfast," Sharon says. "I was only a dragon for a short time, but the notion that everything is on the menu was pretty strong until I caught myself. And that meant I was shaken, yeah, because I knew that in that moment, I was on the menu and tasted good. I'm not going to start using soap that makes me taste like black licorice or something though." She goes back to brushing out her hair.
"Well I'm glad it was just that -- unpleasant as that was -- and not something more sinister. That's a big relief. Maybe I should extend an apology later, to the dragon. My impression of what happened was different, but I also failed to consider what their behavior might invoke in others. I'm used to being subject to dangerous things by new entities, I forget some times that's not the case for everyone." Tasha finishes up, then steps on to the blower. "As for Sasha, don't worry too much about him. If you're not sure, just ask him. The friendliness and openness isn't just an act."
"I don't want to just be the avatar of insecurity," Sharon says. "Yue and Jonas are very competent and carry themselves that way. Kai doesn't seem to be capable of feeling insecure, because I don't think she really cares enough about anything, and Tia is almost as bad as I am for reasons I can't fathom. I don't have anyone that's really like me, I guess."
"That's a normal Tasha experience these days. There's no one like me, either. I'm somewhere between the powerful magical and technological immortals group and the strong mortals group, but I don't quite fit in to either. And you're right about Kai, she doesn't have a soul and therefore doesn't have to care, so she's free to do as she pleases with the only consequence being how much she can push before Kainudy notices. And yes, Tia's like that. She detests exercising violence because she's both very powerful and afraid of consequences, afraid of Kainudy's mistakes. So she's chosen to get beaten up on instead, until she snaps." Tasha stretches her arms and wings and gets blown about; her hair and Sharon's is very similar. "But don't let the differences hold you back, look for commonalities. Points you connect on. Nurture and engage people. And remember Sasha, Vasha, and myself are all more like you than most people are ever like anyone else. You can rely on us, but I also suggest looking outward. You won't find growth looking for more of what you already are."
"And Humans are supposed to be good at making friends," Sharon says, and offers Tasha her hair brush. "When I was on Caltrop for our shopping trip, it was weird how the other Galactics treated me, and the Karnors and Pans too. Thank goodness Phins don't care about the whole Patron-Client thing."
"Supposed to and reality are different. I'm sure there are many Humans who are bad at it, or hate people, just as there are Vartans like Lacci, Shojo, and so on, who don't fit in to the Vartan stereotype. We are, as a group, a collection of lost souls and outsiders. My advice is to not look to normalcy to find a place to fit in, but instead look for those who don't. As a developed fragment of me, that may work well for you, as it has for me, unless you change so much it doens't." Tasha brushes her hair out, shakes once, then hands the comb back. "All done! And you know, you get an experience I can't: fitting in with a society. Maybe you'll like it? Or not."
"If we go to that fancy resort station I'll be getting a lot of attention," Sharon says, her expression mixed. "People will talk to me before talking to the Karnors. It's there with the dragons too. Those Kobolds are like their Clients, with the big ones being more important than the little ones. The little ones wouldn't even talk to me you know. Kept looking at their feet."
"Poor little guys. I feel for them, but I don't know enough to intercede. It's a consequence of my responsibilities that I can't take on every problem I see, or I'll never get anything done. I'm prone to 'mission creep' enough as it is, as Gabriel says." Tasha grabs her clothes and starts dressing; it's really just shorts, booties, underwear (which are white with pink puppies), a matching bra and a loose tank top. "Maybe that can be your focus? Talking. We can also work on magic. And pleasant community minded witch is a strong archetype which to model yourself. You also might like studying medicine; everyone treats doctors and healers with respect and authority, but they don't need to be powerful, aggressive, or forward."
"I'm sure something will click," Sharon says. "If nothing else I can learn more Terran history and how to act like a Patron species." She slips on her bathrobe and heads into the bedroom. "That city was nice, despite the.. stuff at that temple. I was just another person there."
"I felt the same way, no one really reacted to me except that one time when that woman yelled 'succubus'." Tasha follows Sharon out, but pauses near the bathroom door exit. "Do you want me to stay for a while more? If not I should go make the rounds, maybe intercept the dragon and straighten things out. We may have been too hard on her when she was actually mostly in control."
"She apologized," Sharon says, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I was more alarmed by her reaction to Hakeber." She doesn't seem in any rush for Tasha to leave her side.
And so Tasha comes over to join Sharon, sitting in one of the chairs. "I may have over-reacted, but for me the consequences of such an action were far reaching, and I have to take them all in to account. I hope Gwyndrael and the others aren't put off by it. It's hard keeping everyone's interest in mind and all the other points of problem that branch out." She slumps in to the chair, then removes her boots, pulls her legs in, and curls in a comfortable looking chair-ball. "And Hake's a real problem. I feel bad that we have all these delays, but we can't exactly rush in to the station, either. It can be easy to forget mundane mortals can be just as dangerous as anything, especially old-money, high technology, who-knows-what-else mortals. And I can't exactly rampage my way out of a million-person population space station. Well. I could, hypothetically, but it would devastating."
"Well, maybe Tia and Kai can help Hake.." Sharon starts to say, but is interrupted by the door chime. She stop and stares at the door for a moment. "I should probably answer that, right?" she asks Tasha.
"It is your room. I can if you want, but I don't want to if you don't want me to," Tasha replies. She also looks very comfortable, so clearly even less inclined.
So Sharon gets up and opens the door. There's a man outside. A Human one, that Tasha has never seen before. He has dark curly hair and a beard, but is wearing the robes of Wormwood. "Forgive me, are you indisposed right now?" he asks.
"N-no?" Sharon replies and looks to Tasha questioningly.
"We were just talking. Is there something wrong?" Tasha perks her ears, head up. She assumes the man is Wormwood, and can gues why he's here, but she doesn't know for certain.
"I came to offer recompense for my colleague's action earlier," the man says.
"Come in then, I suppose?" Sharon says, stepping back. There's just one other chair at the small table next to Tasha, and Sharon gestures to it. "Um, please have a seat.."
The wizard steps inside and takes the offered seat. "Greetings, Tasha," he says to Tasha.
"Hi, Wormwood." Tasha untangles a hand to offer a little wave. "We were just discussing what happened; we came to the conclusion Sharon's reaction was based on complex prior experiences as well as your colleague's brief lack of control, but that the reaction wasn't solely based on that lack of control. I was just saying that I was going to go talk to her later and explain things."
"Thermoriax is already embarrassed about the lapse," Wormwood says. "It is also why I chose to come in Human form, to put Sharon at ease."
For her part, Sharon is being extra-careful with her bathrobe and blushing a bit. "Um.. thank you," she says.
Tasha nods to that. "I sometimes forget large and powerful beings can be unsettling, myself, so thank you for your consideration." She glances at Sharon,then has to glance away or risk tittering, which would not help the situation. Instead she looks at the table, as if in deep thought. "Most of us deal with instincts we manage, so we do understand. And, part of the problem which we just worked out is not the case, is that I had been worried some form of sexual exploitation happened. I was very proud of Sharon for her cooking and worried such a action undermined her hard work and pride, which, well, would have resulted in a more direct confrontation between myself and Thermoriax. And I don't need to tell you how disastrous that would have been for our alliance."
"Thermoriax is celibate, so you know," Wormwood says. "But it is an understandable fear, as dragons can be quite sensual, especially with their mouths, and they contain the softest and most sensitive parts."
"Ahh, I noticed that," Tasha admits, and now it's her turn to blush and be embarrassed, which makes her eternally glad that she's red. "And that's part of why I made the assumption. It hadn't occurred to me that Sharon might have been afraid of being eaten, especially as she briefly experienced dragon-hood herself and quite nearly ate an elf. I am much more used to being confronted with mortal danger and powerful beings, and Thermoriax was much less a threat to me, too, so it's partially my fault for the consumption. That's also partly why I'm here, to find out the real story before going off and being angry."
"Admittedly, we all noticed how she smelled," Wormwood notes. "I was just so used to Thermoriax's ascetic nature that I did not think she would react as she did."
"The bacon and pancakes smell? Sharon's taken up cooking, so that's why she smelled more strongly than others. And I'll keep her ascetic nature in mind." Tasha scratches her nose, admitting, "And it's not like I've never slipped so it would be hypocrisy for me to be too hard on her."
"I'm used to being an object of one kind of lust or another," Sharon says. Then blushes again after admitting that.
"If it wasn't Sharon saying that I'd really wonder about ego," Tasha says with a laugh. She sits up a bit and admits, "Despite the apparently endless assumptions I'm a succubus, I don't get nearly as much attention."
"I thought that I might help Sharon discover if she has the potential for magic," Wormwood says. "And if so, what kind of magic." The man then gives Tasha a long look. "So you aren't a succubus?"
"She doesn't have the little horns," Sharon points out, holding her hands to the sides of her head with the index fingers pointed up.
Tasha sticks her tongue out. "Yes I am, I used my power to seduce Gwyndrael and now you're all in my sinister trap of interpersonal dramas, politics, and bad planning. There is no escape." Then she waggles her fingers in what could charitably be called a menacing way.
"Hmm, yes, I'm noticing the lack of horns now," Wormwood says as he watches Tasha's antics. "Gwyndrael has been ripe for seduction for some time now."
"I guess it happens in cycles? Does it happen often?" Tasha touches the top of her head, then frowns. "And I suppose if I do eat a dragon heart I might end up having horns, that could be a problem."
"Every dragon is different," Wormwood says. "And Gwyndrael's admirers are few. She is a lawyer, after all."
"That's too bad, she has a lot of charming qualities. I think she can be very cute." And so Tasha beams. "When I was sick in a tent she came by, and, not knowing why I called on her, asked in I was going to ask to marry her. That's when I knew it was more than just a fly-by-night fling." She then blinks. "I should also explain. By my own rule, I do not sleep with any other man, only with Gabriel. I do sleep with other women, which sort of happened as a consequence of meeting Hakeber and, especially, Katherine, who seduced me."
"Are you easily seduced, or are they just that impressive?" Wormwood asks, bluntly.
"The latter. Katherine Vesuvius is the painfully attractive Karnor -- wolf -- woman who was with us. She's a trained spy and a lesbian, and when I came to her world, she decided she wanted me and worked with a team of highly trained experts to seduce me who was, at the time, an up-jumped bumpkin piloting a very large machine. I had just begun my adventures and my works, rather a bit different than now. I was also in my original body," Tasha explains. She then glances at Sharon and raises her brows. "Don't let me take the conversation if you want to talk?"
Sharon blinks, and furrows her brows for a moment. "Huh," she says. "I just realized that I don't know my own orientation. I should be bisexual like Tasha and the others. It just hasn't.. come up."
"Such things can play a role in the wielding of magic," Wormwood claims. "It can be another form of arousal, just not sexual in nature, but it can arise from such. Sex-magic can be powerful, but a bit involved."
"That would probably be something Hakeber would be more likely to manage," Sharon notes with embarrassment.
"I think Kai tried to teach me sex magic once. And demon summoning. At the same time. I have been making an effort to avoid the more sinister magics, lately. I have had too much.. ah.. "Now it's Tasha's turn to falter a moment. "Experience with demons to trust in their power and want to rely on it. As for sex magic, I try not to rely on that either, for power. As you've seen, a already get pigeonholed in to that stereotype. While I like sex I think it would annoy me if it became my identity."
"There can be power in chastity as well," the wizard says. "But Thermoriax would be the one to talk to about that."
"Well, none of us offshoots have had sex since we were created," Sharon says. "I know Vasha has been working on it, but I don't know if it's because she wants it or just part of her competitiveness."
"I suspect it's both, but even Vasha seems to be a little afraid of it, which is something that surprises me. I'm not sure if it's due to my rule about men or my own fears, but I didn't see it coming." Tasha finally sits up, laying back. "As for chastity, I am definitely no help there."
"I'm curious about your other dragon," Wormwood says. "I could not tell what sort of magic Tia uses."
"Tia is not a true dragon, and maybe not a dragon at all. She is something different and I won't share more than that as it's really her story to tell. I'm also not that sure how to explain what I do know, which is a lot but I feel I'm missing pieces." Tasha shakes her head. "But I can say she has connections to dragon-like beings. I do, too. It's a bit of a common connection with us. How much did Gwyndrael explain, as to why she had come here?"
"She told us she felt the call to adventure once more, so we came with her," Wormwood says. "And that it may be a new Crusade, against fell entities."
"Well that is true. We are absolutely fighting against fell entities, beings known as the Ogdoad and their servitors, the Ogdru-hem. You've seen some of their handywork in Hakeber, and also, in the ship if you've seen that. Samael is somewhat like them, but also a different sort of demon. The Ogdoad are order-aligned and consuming. They are not alive and 'they' is an assumption; they exist beyond reality and are formless, timeless, and not alive. They have destroyed universes and would have destroyed this on already if their children, the Sifra, had no imprisoned them here in our -- that is the people form my home universe's -- universe. We are working to undermine them sufficiently so an attack on the prison can be executed. That, or to find some other way to banish them, and we have a few of those as well." Tasha wiggles a bit to get more comfortable, then waggles a hand. "That's the Crusade part. The other part is that we're connected to Kainudy, currently the Queen of Demise, and are working to both save her and bring her home. You could say I am her apprentice; I am also part of why she is like she is, but not the origin of it."
"So Genocide is the Queen of Demise," Wormwood says. "She vanished a thousand years ago, and there were unpleasant rumors after the Battle of Vorhoun. I fought in that war as well, but was stationed on a different world where a trap was waiting to be sprung."
"Yes. I encountered her relatively recently at the direction of her children, in the hopes she could teach me where the child could not. She taught me a great deal until a lesson went.. " Tasha bites her lip a moment, frowns, takes in a deep breath and says, "Awry. I went berserk, I attacked her and everything else, and the power I contain is exceptionally dire, especially to certain individuals. Luckily for us all she is not one of those individuals, and she survived, if barely, and Tia -- after recovering and partly steadying me -- dragged me to save her, which we did.. I think? Or maybe we were saved. It was bad. I needed more help, too, because I was bad. That's why there is a hole in my soul and why a very dire looking wolf spirit follows me around, it all came from that. Kainudy also received help but, like me, collapsed shortly after the first assistance. Now more is required."
"And she is actually battling the Crawling Chaos?" the wizard asks. "If so.. it is hard to believe she will survive. And Tia is one of her strange children then?"
"She is. We're working on how to deal with that. The Crawling Chaos attacked shortly after our defense of her realm ended, almost directly after her children did their repair, and after the elves retreated due to losses inflicted on them by myself and others, and due to the intersession of Danu. Many of us, Tia and myself included, were then forced to leave due to being deemed unfit to face the Avatar's psionic assaults. Several of our members are still there in fact, and while we know they are okay, we have no idea how long they will remain so, nor how to extract them. We also don't know what role they play other than observer. The matter is even more complicated due to Nyarlathotep having provided assistance to us and Samael, the demon, also being one of his servants. I know some of the hands, but I don't know what will happen when the next cards are dealt, nor how everyone will call their hands. That said, we are not defenseless and boast numerous powerful allies, and Nyarlathotep is not my only demonic sponsor, so we may not be obliterated if he turns on us immediately.. But there are risks in both the ship and Samael, as well as the avatar," Tasha explains. Then she has to take a breath, as that was a lot.
"I don't think you can be expected to take any blame in a conflict between eldritch beings, even if you have ties to both of them," Wormwood says. "The same is true with dragons. When we fight, we don't drag mutual relations into it. Otherwise feuds would engulf entire bloodlines until none were left to recall the initial insult. I hadn't realized you had a demonic servitor here. I haven't met this Samael yet."
"He's around, and he's been very quiet ever since I returned from Kainudy's lesson on.. On what demons do. To souls. Hands on. The lesson was hands on. My soul cannot be eaten, right? But it can be.. " Tasha realizes she's been digging her nails in to the chair, and so she looks down and mindfully pushes herself to release. Avian talons are strong, and so she grimaces at the marks she left. "Uh. Well. Where was I? Kainudy tried to show me the dangers of astral projection and.. What happened. Happens. It went very badly for everyone. Sam's stayed away ever since. But I don't blame him; I'm not even mad at him. I just can't deal with him, for a while? And his allegiance raises difficult questions."
"Would you like to meet him?" Tasha then asks, suddenly.
"Yes, if he is amenable," Wormwood says. "I've summoned demons in the past, which Thermoriax brings up quite often when she is upset with me. Do you seek a way to contain him, should the need arise?"
"I'd rather know if the need would arise at all. I asked him about his allegiance and he said he is proud to be part of something larger. He also suggested joining his side means I'd get eaten last. Yet, he's also helped us and made effort to be a part of things, and has not shown any hostility. If he were mortal I'd treat him like a placed agent from a antagonistic and potentially hostile power -- friendly to a point but ultimately serving his power. But he's a demon, and he is old, and not mortal. I know the problems of assuming with such beings or pushing my beliefs on them. So, yes, maybe you can give me an opinion. He's likely at the castle, if he hasn't been quietly observing." Tasha stands up, then turns to Sharon. "Do you want to join us? Wormwood or I can carry you. Oh," she glances back to the dragon, "And he looks like me, but male. Not like Sasha either: exactly like me."
"Carry me?" Sharon asks, apparently having forgotten that Wormwood is a dragon most of the time. "Maybe I can sit this one out," she says and fidgets. "Sam is creepy, and the castle also sounds weird."
Tasha smiles at that. "Probably for the best. Well, unless you have anything to say to Wormwood, he and I will head off. Oh, and maybe, because I think it will help both of you, consider asking Thermoriax to repay what she owes you by helping you with finding a way forward. She is old, powerful, and boasts an asthetic's experience and spiritualism. I think it would put her mind at ease to help you put yours at ease, and maybe you two will find something that works for you." She stands up and holds her arms out for a hug.
Sharon hugs Tasha, but looks embarrassed to be doing it in front of Wormwood. "I also want to see if I have some talent for magic," she notes.
Tasha eyes Sharon, tail wagging. "Why are you embarrassed to hug me? I had that body for a while. It's not like I'm going to suddenly make out with you or spank your butt." That she knows will embarrass Sharon, which is part of why she did it -- the other part being to help Sharon see how silly she's being. "And you should do that. I'm sure all three dragons can help, so don't hesitate to ask them."
"Do we need to seek permission from the lady of the land to visit the castle?" Wormwood asks.
"Iiii don't know," Tasha admits, frowning. "Probably not, since I've entered it many times in the past and I've not heard that it's off limits or otherwise restricted. Speaking of Whisper, however, I do now she's been talking to Samael a great deal. That he was the one that granted her, and helped her understand, the spirit and inner workings of beings. She detected my End Wolf, which no one else has been able to do."
"Then perhaps it is best that we seek her out," Wormwood suggests.
"I'm not exactly sure how.. Unless.. " Tasha looks around a moment for some reason, then says, "Princess Whisper, are you available?"
There's no reply, so the girl may not have omnipresence in her domain. But then, these buildings weren't made by her, but by Kai, so she may simply not have any connection to them.
"Welllll why don't we start walking. If we can't reach her before the lake we'll just head over and apologize later if we made a mistake," Tasha suggests.
Along the way, Wormwood asks about the various spaceships, noting that he feels something from both Astraea and Dark Horse. "I had not expected magic when you have no mage among your group," he notes.
"Our magic is very piecemeal and, dare I say, exotic. Some of it is very dark, demon-stuff and related psionics, while others are from all over the place. The Dark Horse is as much a technological wonder as it is a demon-powered ship, and it is also a blade." Tasha walks along, relating information as best she can. Of all the dragons so far, Wormwood seems to her the most level headed and easiest to talk to -- even more so than Gwyndrael. His direct, no-nonsense approach reminds her very much of Vartans in general.
"Ah, you're mired in mechanics," Wormword says in realization. "That is to say, magical artifacts, which are not very versatile. Captive demons can be though, if you know how to control them properly." Soon they're at the beach and begin their journey around the lake. If Wormwood had been in one of his draconic forms, they both could have flown. Maybe it didn't occur to him, or maybe he did it deliberately.
Tasha suspects hundred years old dragons lean more towards deliberate than not, but she goes along with it and doens't question it. "Yes, mechanics is a good way to put it. Some of that power comes from elsewhere, or rather, other entities whose loan of power is in itself suspect. Suspect, and possibly a conflict of interest. As for myself, I tend to absorb elements as I go along, with the exception of my power over Red, which I sought from myself. Prior to recent events I mostly relied on my strength and aggression."
"Those two things work pretty well for 99% or so of all realities," Wormwood offers with a smirk. "Magic is good for those issues that lie in the edges and cracks. Or if you're one of the Sidhe, it's good for figuratively everything. Dragons mainly use it for dealing with strength and aggression though, which has its benefits."
"I'm a bit low on strength and my aggression, while still present, ended up a bit blunted after dying and having my soul chewed on in the space of a few months. At least now I feel my courage is less suicidal and desperation driven and more fundamental and purpose-driven. I've turned to magic to provide more options when force and bravery fail me, to bolster my defense, and to shore up my offense. I face a wide variety of enemies from across realities, so it seemed prudent to have a variety of tools. I also find my exploration in to Red and Gold to be spiritually fulfilling," Tasha explains. She enjoys the walk, which makes her think of Whisper. She may well tell Gabriel the Sidhe would be a good trial run, someone for him to father-figure and for her to get used to such things. She just needs to find the right moment for him and for her.
"You need significant levels of magic to deal with outer entities," Wormwood says in a more serious tone. "From what I've see so far, you don't have anything that could even hurt a dragon other than the one magic sword. Unless you have some medium-yield nuclear weapons I haven't sensed?"
"I hadn't realized dragons were so resilient, I knew dragons had a great deal of personal power and options, but not precisely what, and how resilient they are. Thankfully we don't relaly fight dragons as a matter of course. I am, if anything, generally a dragon preserver and ally. It does depend greatly on the dragon, of course." Tasha then twists her muzzle, considers, and adds, "I have access to to channeled demonic energies that are highly effective against most things with a soul. As for the sword, Kai just sort of left it lying around and then wandered off. I suspect she wants to see what happens."
"I'm surprised she didn't choose to keep it at her side," the wizard notes. "Her one big weapon is a form of draconic mind control, which doesn't work on other dragons. And dragons that survive to adulthood can usually only be killed by gods, other dragons, or enough magical power to overwhelm their defenses. This is why the Dragon War was so difficult."
"I didn't realize you all were so resilient. I assumed you were magical and tough, but not quite that tough. Most of the dragons I know are not actually true dragons, so maybe that's why. I know Tia has been surprised at the differences." Tasha then tilts her head. "Yes, I wonder why. I had assumed she'd keep it, although I did make a joke about 'needing a new sword' and maybe her master has nudged her to give it to me -- or to someone else. I'm not against using it, but I feel a little greedy hording the artifacts to myself. I don't even know what eating a dragon heart will do in relation to wielding a dragon-sword."
"Tia is also vulnerable to magic," Wormwood cautions. "The sword would get past her defenses, but I don't know that it could actually hurt her if it did. Magic is best used against magical beings, or ones that don't conform to the local reality." The castle-like hunting lodge is now in view. "Have you guessed yet why I chose to walk?"
"Well, most of my enemies are, in fact, magical or non-conformal, or both." Tasha then considers, seeing her assumption is correct. "To evaluate me, our organization, and how much attention Whisper is paying to us?"
"Those are side benefits, certainly," Wormwood says. "But it is for politeness. The inhabitants of castles have never reacted well to the sight of a full grown dragon flying at them, for some reason. And Sidhe can defeat dragons, as they are effectively at that god-level of magic."
"The castle is mostly empty, but maybe Whisper is still attached to it. It was, after all, where she was 'born'." Tasha once again feels at a not-high-level of power, once again making her wonder how she became the nexus of things, except she does know and it's that she has the power of action and resolution, of place and belonging, which are much rarer powers, she thinks. "I didn't think much of flying to it, but I suppose I still think of it as 'just a castle'."
"Castles are made to keep out armies," Wormwood points out, then tsks at the state of the castle. "The original lord of this place seems to have suffered from that great Sidhe flaw: lack of imagination. Probably came from some Human painting or story." The gates still hang open, and nothing has been done about the garden. The fountain still doesn't flow, the paths are overgrown, and the entire structure feels more like the corpse of a castle than a living one."
"It is a rather sad state of a castle, isn't it? More distant decor than a livable structure. I should introduce Whisper to painting, so she can avoid this sort of thing. I too can create worlds with a magic wand." She runs a hand along the walls, then frowns at the dust and dirt. "I assumed it'd get replaced in time."
They finally reach the Grand Hall, where the mounted heads of monsters seem to have weathered the ages better than anything else. The throne is at the far end, and Whisper isn't quite sitting and isn't quite lying across it. At her feet is a dark, furry-scaly-feathered fanged and beaked thing with multiple eyes and lots of clawed tentacles.
"Have you come to carrying me off or eat me?" Whisper asks in her soft voice, without any of the emotion such a statement should require.
"You're too small to make much of a meal out of and I already carried you off from here so there's no use worrying about that." Tasha lift a hand and waves. "Hi, Whisper. Who is your friend, if it isn't Samael?"
"It is Samael, but I don't know if he's my friend, since he ate most of me," she says, and snaps her teeth in big biting motions. "And hello to you, Mr. Wizard," she says to Wormwood, tilting her head until it rests on her shoulder. "You look handsome, but.. I liked you more when you were big and scary!"
"Thank you, Lady Whisper," the not-really-a-Human man replies, and gives a bow of his head.
"Samael's hard to figure. I feel the same way about him, but for different reasons." Tasha does not bow, but instead finds some rubble and sits herself down. "Has Sam been a bother to you?"
Whisper nudges the abomination with her foot, which gets no response. "He's still digesting me, I think," she says. "He hasn't moved, no matter what I poke him with. But he's easy to be around, and not trying to teach me things that make my head hurt."
"He does look a bit less together than usual. I can only wonder what this all will have an effect on him." Tasha frowns at the pile, but decides not to poke Samael. "Does it bother you to know he did that? Did you figure it out yourself, or did someone tell you?"
"Well.. I was there when it happened," Whisper says. "Except that's all I can remember, because he gobbled all my memories too. Then Kai made.. me.. and put what wasn't memories into me. And Tia keeps trying to teach me about rocks and trees and she just puts it in my head and I don't care about any of that!" She sits up more properly, and her dangling heels knock as she swings her legs in and out. "I know I'm here because I need to control this place," she says, and looks around the faded hall. "I just don't need to do it right now."
"You are not what I was expecting," Wormwood says, and steps forward until he can reach the girl's face and wipe a dirty smudge off with this thumb.
Whispers one and only garment also looks like it could use a wash, along with the rest of her. Has she actually been rolling around in things like a dog?
"You're angry at us," Tasha repeats, nodding slowly. "And we ask a lot after what happened. But you're not just a tool for us to use, nor are you unwelcome. I won't lie to you and say you're being taught for our needs, but those needs may help you, too. And the alternative to this was a lot worse. In this way you can be part of something rather than well, worst fates." She watches Wormwood wipe off the dirt, feeling she should have probably been the one to do that, but she recognizes she's till a leery of Whisper. The party had reduced that, but this exchange has brought some of it back. And she's not the best with kids, or may no longer be. Like Whisper she has forgotten things in destruction.
"Uuuuunnnnngggg," the girl moans dramatically and throws her head back. "I want to have fun!" she claims. "Why am I the only one like me?"
"I hadn't noticed," Wormwood admits, looking to Tasha. "You don't have any other children here?"
"We have an unfortunate burden of a lot of problems Whisper, so very few of us--" Tasha blinks, turning to Wormwood and then shaking her head. "No, we're essentially a paramilitary camp. I've been under some pressure to have childen, but I still have a lot of concerns about that and I don't want to be burdened by yet another life-or-death matter. Sometimes I think on the Vril, or the others, the civilizations that had children and how that went, and it makes me hesitate. On the other hand, supposedly I'm a hive mind, so maybe my children would be easier."
"Easier depends on whether or not you feel you could rebel against yourself," Wormwood suggests. To Whisper he asks, "Would you like to play with some of the Kobolds?"
"Well on that front I only have Vasha to worry about, and we seem to have ironed that out," Tasha admits.
"They look sorta fun," Whisper admits. "They're even shorter than I am."
"I will ask them to meet with you then," Wormwood says, as if scheduling a board meeting.
"I've not spent a lot of time around them myself," Tasha admits. She plants her head on a hand, elbow on her knee, and studies Whisper. She had fun with her during the dance, but she finds she's still leery of the girl, and more so now knowing that she knows how she came to be. Could Whisper discover her origin, and want revenge? Samael spoke to Whisper at some point despite being a lump now, and she wonders what they talked about. And Tasha has slain a lot of elves, which naturally makes her uneasy around them. Doesn't she have anything she likes about Whisper? The girl's charming, if a bit ominous. She thinks hard. Is there anything else? A thought glint in her mind, something Whisper said. Something recent.
learning! Whisper hates book learning, and being crammed full of boring knowledge. She craves direct experience and fun, which is something they share.
"So you find having information blurted out and crammed in to your brain boring? It's more fun to learn directly, by experience, right? To have adventure rather than to study one?" Tasha's ears perk.
"Yeah!" Whisper says, actually raising her voice a little. She also sits up straighter. "I need to want to do things, I think. It's all supposed to be magical, not boring."
"I know that feeling. Not so long ago I was stuck in classes and an academy and it was just talk, talk, talk. I will say that having boring information stuffed in your brain means you don't have to endure long lectures and bland studying, so there is a benefit." Tasha sits up and spreads her hands. "I also prefer experience. Do you know what I do? I know we talk about fighting Shadows and war-things, but I am originally an explorer, I wanted and still want to travel and see new things. I've learned to paint them, too: To use colors to recreate the places I've been."
Whisper looks around at the moldering decorations in the Great Hall. "And that's just for fun, right?" she asks Tasha. She may not know about photographs yet.
"Sometimes to review, sometimes for fun, other times for practice. It depends what mood I'm in, what I want to do, and how much time I have." Tasha fishes around and pulls out a datapad, flipping through settings until she brings up her art, and she holds it up. "This is one I did of Atum, a being of living energy from another universe other than this one and where I was born. And this one," she flips to something she did relatively recently, a empty void with all manner of strange floating objects can be seen, "This is the alien fleet we met deep in flat space, where I fought a demigod."
Whisper stares at the scene, but looks confused. "How does it not scrape off the paint when you move it like that?" she asks.
"This is a datapad, it uses technology to display images and other things. The surface responds to my touch and enters commands -- directives and orders -- to the device. You'll find universes can have rules and things that are very different from the rules of the universe you come from," the red woman explains.
"Tia didn't cover technology in her lessons," Whisper notes, entranced by the device. "Or even magic really. Can I use one of these things?"
"I don't see why not. I can have a few interesting devices issued to you, we have quite a few spares because someone keeps breaking hers," Tasha says with a grin. She punchs in more commands, making a note to Sasha to fetch a few items from storage. "There. You should get them in a few hours. the first is one of these. Don't worry, it will teach you how to use it. The second is some smart-sand, which is a technological material that can be whatever you tell it to be, once you learn how. It's kind of a toy. The third isn't a thing, but access: Your datapad will have access to information form our universe (with some restrictions Tasha does not mention), so you can peer in to a whole other universe and all its interesting things."
"All on this one page?" Whisper asks. "And you're sure it isn't magic?"
"Magical, if not magic itself," Wormwood offers, since magical is more important to Whisper right now.
Tasha laughs at that. "That's what I thought, too, when I first got one. I came from a world that has magic and technology, but I didn't know very much about either. Finding new things is very magical. The more I travel, the more I see, and the more I am surprised."
"Let's go then!" the girl declares, and hops to her feet (just clearing Samael's form). "I'm also hungry," she admits.
"Do you know about cooking? It's not just making meals, you can create new ones, too. Sharon is learning how to cook. You should join her." Tasha punches in a warning to Sasha that they're going to arrive early. She then eyes Samael. "Has Sam really not reacted? Didn't you say he spoke to you about seeing souls truly?"
"If I poke him enough he talks, but it's like he's very sleepy," Whisper says, looking back at the demon. "Maybe he has soul food poisoning," she suggests with a giggle.
Tasha snorts at that. She stands up and walks over to hunch beside Samael, then proceeds to poke him a few times. "How are you feeling down there?"
"With my belly," Samael eventually replies.
"How's that working for you?" Tasha inquires, poking a few more times.
"Perfectly," is the next reply. "Can't you tell?"
"Sometimes I too want to be a lump on the floor and do nothing after eating," Tasha admits, "So you'll have to elaborate."
"I'm experiencing a euphoric state of being for which being a lump is the best shape to be," the demon states. "Did you need my sage advice on anything?"
"If you need counseling for your addiction, you can always talk to our doctor." Tasha pokes one more time, seemingly without reason to other than amuse herself. "And no, I'm more worried about our relationship. I'm sure you're aware of the current conflicts. And thanks for Sasha, by the way. That was insightful."
"You're welcome," Samael says. "And we do not have a contract, so there is no conflict of interest."
"You won't be put out if we conflict with the avatar, or cunningly use you against it? You won't sabotage our efforts?" Tasha tilts her head. "Are you Whisper's friend?"
"I am everybody's friend," Samael claims. "And an entire realm has been embroiled in chaos, so I'm sure it was worth it."
"Glad to know you're both having fun." Tasha reaches down and pats the demon, though what part she's patting she couldn't say. "Enjoy your meal."
"I am," Samael claims, and his various eyes and eye-like things on stalks close again.
"See, he's boring," Whisper claims.
"He is what he is," Tasha offers rather neutrally, then she turns to Whisper and Wormwood. "You know Wormwood here is a wizard and a dragon? Want to ask him wizard and dragon stuff? We can go take a walk to it's less boring."
"Yes, walk towards food!" Whisper says, raising a fist into the air as she marches towards the entrance. "I'm not going to let her ride me," Wormwood notes to Tasha before he follows the hungry child.
"I can carry her. Speaking of dragon and magic things, do you think I should use the sword? Am I suited to it? And what do you think of my magical ability?" Tasha follows after whisper, talking as she goes.
"You have potential, but it needs to be unlocked," Wormwood says. "As for the sword, that is more Gwyndrael's area of expertise. The method of creating such things is unknown to me, and likely perished with the Dragon Arch Magus Peladon."
"Ahh, Kainudy's friend. I heard a little about him during my time with her. He seemed to be up to quite a few interesting things. I'll ask her when I can." Tasha looks around, thinks, then asks, "There seems to be a few ways to unlock the potential: A phoenix or dragon's heart, for one. I know a little about both being, but more about dragons. Do you think I'm suited to either one?"
"Suited?" Wormwood asks as they exit the keep. "I'm not sure what you meant by that. You are not a vegetarian, and have eaten monster flesh before, so I do not foresee an issue with eating a heart. It would raw of course, so perhaps that is where you may find it challenging?"
"I mean the essence of such things. Some form of essence is drawn from the consumption, and I wonder at which I'm more suited to. Or perhaps I simply expand, as I have with Sharon, Sasha, and Vasha." Tasha waggles a hand. "And there are many types of dragons, so there's even more variation." She had, of course, assumption the heart would be eaten raw. it seemed a bit flippant to kill an immortal beast and then ask for salt.
"Eating the heart will transfer some of the creature's soul to you," Wormwood claims. "So if you are prone to self-immolation, go for the phoenix. If you prefer to be the one burning others, go for the dragon."
"I do tend to do a bit of both," Tasha admits, rubbing her chin. "Are there varieties of phoenix like their are dragon, or is there just the one?"
"Just the one," Wormwood says. "It is constantly being hunted, so is hard to find."
"I'd feel a bit bad if I killed the one and only phoenix, especially if it wasn't malicious, nor any sort of enemy. Preying upon something for the power in eating it, without any other context, isn't a correct path." Tasha nods, and then smiles. "See, not all evil. Don't listen to Gabriel."
"The Phoenix is always reborn," Wormwood claims. "There has to be one."
"Has anyone eaten one before?" The red woman asks. "And why does there have to be one, are they like a pillar of reality, representing some constant?"
"I suppose it's something like that, yes," Wormwood says. "It is written into the lore of so many civilizations that may represent a constant. And yes, others have eaten it, and been burned to ash along with it."
"And they then took over?" Tasha tilts her head. "And became the phoenix for a while? Or, am I somehow unique in that ability?"
"No, you just have to eat very quickly and be prepared," Wormwood claims. "Even if the Phoenix were completely disintegrated, it would still arise reborn from the spot where it died. It may very well be the concept of the cycle of death and rebirth."
"Hmm, so if I ate quickly, it would work. But the Phoenix has to exist, so I guess it would exist again after I ate it, and I'd just inherit some of its power? Not replace it?" Tasha has a thought to consider she's touring the eating of various legendary magical beasts for their power and their soul. This has unsettling similarities to other creatures she knows, which is why she's so careful.
"I don't know that the Phoenix's personality has been noted as undergoing radical shifts between rebirths to support the notion of the eater becoming the new Phoenix," Wormwood says. "I think that only works with Death."
"If you eat Death you become the new Death?" Tasha blinks at that, leaning back. "And I presume you die?"
"Well, you have to kill Death," Wormwood claims. "Which implies that you have to be alive to be Death, but I'm of the school that thinks there are lots of Deaths."
"That sounds complicated. And grim. I feel like being Death would be a bit depressing. Also, people say I'm full of life, except when I'm dead, so that might be contradictory for em to do it." Tasha rubs her nose. "What about dragons? There seems to be a lot of dragons. Can you think of any targets, and the kind of dragon they are?"
"Dragons are a spectrum," Wormwood says. "But I imagine for this purpose you need a dragon that know magic, so an intelligent one. I'm sure Gwyndrael has a list of criminal dragons as long as her tail, but that doesn't mean it has to be a big monster. Dragons that learn magic almost always know how to shape-shift into smaller, clothes-wearing sorts for convenience."
Tasha scratches her head at that. "So I could be fighitng a guy," she muses, picturing a half-dragon, or maybe an Elf of Human with a superiority complex and a penchant for burning things. "And if I ate their heart, I'd gain this power? Would I also turn in to a big dragon, if they originally were one?"
"I don't know about turning into a dragon, or even getting their power," Wormwood says. "It would unlock what you have. And they would likely be living as a mage or wizard. This form of mine is one I've had for many centuries now. It's a bit tougher than a normal human, but still essentially human."
"Are you as fragile as a real Human? So, as an example, if you were hit really hard would you die like a Human, or explode in to dragon form?" Tasha swivels her ears forward, curious. "And it'd unlock what I have.. I wonder if that isn't scarier than turning in to a dragon."
"I have magical safeguards that would revert me to one of my dragon forms if I'm incapacitated, but not all take such precautions," Wormwood says. "Sometimes a dragon just wants to have a bit of fun in the village brothel, or get drunk at the tavern. Tia and Kai are dragon adjacent creatures, and each have their own different forms of defense and vulnerabilities. Humans wear armor, for instance, to overcome having easily penetrated skin."
"I know how it is, both in the armor department and wanting to enjoy things," the woman admits, tail wagging. "Sasha wouldn't let me drag hium to a brothel, so maybe I'm getting more boring, but at least Vasha would do it. For myself, I've intentionally or otherwise absorbed a variety of creatures abilities."
"You are a variety of creatures, aren't you?" Wormwood asks. "A chimera?"
"That's the old me, thank you very much. I am now a bunch of creatures smoothly combined in to one. I incorporates avian, canine, Human, Shadow, and a bit of weird additional technology," Tasha insists, chin lifting a bit hautily.
"So closer to Kai and Tia then," Wormwood says. They have to divert from following the beach to take the road to the base, with Whisper spinning and dancing ahead of them, showing a lot of energy for a hungry person.
"Yeah, I have connections with their extended family. It was one of those family members who put me back together, and it was Tia and Kai who gave me some of my abilities. I guess it's not surprising I'm becoming more like them," Tasha admits. She watches Whisper's antics and finds them charming, some of her reservations about the girl fading away. She's still anxious about Whisper but she suspects it's more due to her anxiousness about children in general than the girl herself.
Soon they're on the tarmac, and Wormwood is less inclined to discuss Tasha's immediate ancestry where members of that extended 'family' might overhear, assuming they haven't been listening in anyway. "Where is the food made?" Whisper asks, taking a moment to look down the barrel of a particle cannon on the dropships nose turret.
Tasha laughs at Whisper's peering, knowing she has no idea what she just stuck her nose in, nor would she if Tasha told her. It's strange for her to see someone else do things like that. "The galley usually. I can call Sharon down to cook for us, if you like. You can watch her cook." She sends out the request mentally, but with a sense Sharon can decline if she doesn't feel up to it.
Instead, she gets the odd reply, "Will Wormwood be there?"
"Yes he will be," Tasha answers, but doesn't ask why, to see how Sharon reacts.
Sharon doesn't reply a for a long moment, then, "Our kitchen or the base kitchen? Does the base one have actual ingredients?"
"We can head for our kitchen if you like? I think the base one had its supplies moved in, but I don't think they've been unpacked." meanwhile Tasha mostly watches Whisper examine the shuttle, looking a bit distant from the communication.
"Yes, our kitchen please!" Sharon replies. Which means another detour to the residential park.
"This way, this way," Tasha announces suddenly, ushering the two towards the towers instead. "Change of plans. Sharon wants to use our cooking utilities in our tower."
"Tasha!" Whisper suddenly exclaims in excitement. "What do you feed these flying things?"
"It depends on the flying thing! That one," she points at the troop transport, "uses reaction mass and I think it has a reactor, which is a complicated piece of technology that turns heat in to power. Electrical power. Lightning power. That one," she points at the Astrea, " ... I actually have no idea what you feed it. Oh. Some ships are alive, and some ships are not. The Tadpole and the Astrea are alive, but the troop transport is not."
"Well of course Tadpole is alive, she can talk and eats fish like the Phins do," Whisper notes. She then glances at the alien looking Astraea. "That one hasn't talked to me the one time I was inside."
Tasha did not know the Tadpole ate fish. She learns something all the time. "The Astrea, like its owner, is a bit shy for very complicated reasons. It's best not to bother the ship or try to enter it without permission."
"I wouldn't want someone entering me without permission either," Whisper agrees innocently. Then she tries to do a cartwheel. It's the sort of thing you can't really do with wings or a tail or the right sort of feet and hands.
Tasha can't even kneel without leg pain. She may be maneuverable and agile in some ways, but Human tricks are reserved for Sharon, Humans, and Elves alone. She watches the girl try as they go. "So what do you think about Sharon?"
"I'll need to give her a more thorough testing to see if she has talent, or if it is spillover," Wormwood says. "Human magic is very different from dragon or fey magic."
"You said you think she's drawing off me, how does that work?" Tasha opens the door and heads inside, moving towards the elevator. "Almost there Sharon."
"Her origins are complicated, and may factor into it," Wormwood says. The three wanderers are soon in the ground floor of the tower, and Sharon is wearing an apron.. over her weird sorceress costume. The Human is rushing about as gathers her supplies, and stand in one corner in contrast is Tia, who also has several bowls full of ingredients prepared, and a countertop cooking device that Tasha has never seen before. "Feed me!" Whisper pleads, coming right up to the counter.
Tasha does nothing to help any of this, instead she walks over to the couch and flops down like a discarded duffel bag. "Wow, looking busy! And what's that device, Tia? Some far-flung food technology?"
"I was going to teach Whisper how to make something from base ingredients," Tia says. "This is a waffle iron. For making waffles. I like waffles, so I figured that Whisper might like them too. They are related to donuts, but you put syrup on them."
"I am intrigued by this 'waffle iron'." Tasha makes it sound like some strange, enticing new secret. "Well, I'll stay over here. Shojo glares at me when I enter the kitchen so I've learned to stay away."
"You just have to wear a hair and fur net," Tia claims. "Waffles are also one of Kainudy's holy trinity of foods. And.." she brings up a hand mixer, and shows it to Whisper, "You get to use this spinning blade device to mix the ingredients." She turns the cranks and silver mixes spin with a rattling sound.
"I want to mix the greedy ants!" Whisper declares.
"I like how violent it looks," Tasha notes, tail wagging, apparently having decided to join Whisper in silliness. "And now I have a better idea how I can apologize, too!"
"I'm only good with eggs and.. pancakes and breakfast meats," Sharon tells Wormwood and Tasha. "Do you want.. anything like that?" she asks, focusing more on Wormwood than Tasha and Whisper.
"There are meats specific to morning meals?" Wormwood asks.
Sharon seems put on the spot by that question. "Bacon," she says. "I don't think it's usually part of other meals." Meanwhile Tia is explaining each ingredient to Whisper and what its for. "I'll explain measurements later, so for now you just need to mix it all together in this bigger bowl until you get a batter that is smooth." Whisper manages to not just dump it all in at once.
"I would like some bacon then," Wormwood says.
Tasha suppresses a laugh, suddenly seeming very interested in a nearby lamp. "You know me. Because you know me," she answers Sharon, leaving it to her to work out and thus exiting herself from the exchange so Sharon can focus.
"I'm going to try something new then," Sharon proclaims. "Well, new for me. I've been watching videos though.." She goes about preparing a pan and taking the rasher of bacon from the cooler, and start cutting thick slices from it while the pan heats up. Meanwhile Whisper has a go at the hand mixer.
Sensing danger from many battles, Tasha picks up a pillow in case she must deflect flying batter. "I appreciate how much effort you've put in, Sharon."
It takes courage to wear a cape and a metal bikini around frying fat. But while the bacon cooks, Sharon starts the flat-griddle, and gets out slices of bread. She butters them before placing them on the griddle and sort of sliding them around to toast one side with a look of intense concentration.
It isn't long before Sharon then presents two bacon-lettuce-and-tomato sandwiches to Tasha and Wormwood, while Whisper pours syrup over her very first waffle (and Tia works on using up the rest of the batter to make more for later).
Tasha has to wonder if Sharon really is a part of her, is this what she would have become if she had rejected her parts and chosen to live as Human? She doesn't know, but she does strongly suspect this Sharon and her Human form are different in several ways she finds hard to articulate, and that Sharon represents a much more complex side of her than either of the other two.
"What an amazing array of textures," Wormwood says after his first bite. "And flavors. All with so few elements.."
"That's good," Sharon beams and looks to Tasha next.
Tasha also has a bite, makes a show of considering as she chews, and nods approvingly. "I like it. Normally, I'm not about the vegetables, but I think I've grown to tolerate them and they're very tolerable indeed when they enhance the flavor of bacon. Like bacon's sinister ally. Lettuce is the Samael of foods." She then gives Sharon a thumbs up and wags her tail. "Good job, Sharon!"