>>43241564
You’re asleep. Dreaming. You can tell because of the thing sitting in front of you, a gloved hand held forward while a masked face leers. You cower away from her and you hate yourself for it but what else can you do? She wasn’t supposed to be here anymore, not again. Please not again.
She leans in, able to torment you at any moment. You can’t do anything here. You don’t say anything but your human body lets out an involuntary whine, shaming you and making her laugh.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m just here to tell you to wake up.”

…

You wake, feeling extremely irritable. It takes you a moment to remember that night, Liss and the watery invader. You had been taken. You try to get up but there are chains linking your arms to the ground. You stop for a moment and compose yourself.
Your true name cannot be spoken by any human tongue nor can it be given proper form by any human alphabet. But for now, most people just call you Hiss. You’re used to it.

You are feeling very cold, the chill of the elemental hand still persisting. It makes you want to go back to sleep, to not do anything. Too cold for you.

You are lying down in a dark, cold room of which you can see little, your back against a floor made of roughly cut cold stone. These chains shouldn’t bother you. You could probably just pull them free with your strength Arts or even easier, just resume your true form and slip through them.
Should you do that now? There’s just one problem, you’re not alone. They’re barely making any noise but you can hear them and you can feel their warmth. It’s all you can do to stop yourself from leaning in towards them, seeking their precious heat. But you don’t know who or what they are.

Your teeth are chattering and you remember just in time to hide your fangs lest you have an accident.

1/2

>>43241578
> Too cold. Go back to sleep.

> Seek out warmth.

> Get out of your chains and try your best to escape right now.

> Try to talk to whoever it is.

> Make a fuss.

> Stay in your chains for now so you can use it to surprise someone.

> Change your form.

> Spit out a soul.

> Call for help.

> Other

>>43241597
> Seek out warmth.

>>43241578
> Seek out warmth.
> Try to talk to whoever it is.

>>43241597
> Seek out warmth.
> Try to talk to whoever it is.

>>43241597
> Try to talk to whoever it is.

> Seek out warmth.
> Try to talk to whoever it is.

It's too cold, much too cold. You're not sure how much of that is from the actual temperature and how much of the chill is just left from that thing that enveloped you but it's clear that it's way too much. You feel sluggish and slow, your mind taking time to process each thought. And in that case, you let blind need take over.
And what you need is their warmth.

You don't even care if they're friend or foe, you tense and pull your cuffs off before slithering towards them. This body is not very good at slithering but you don't feel like getting up.

You find the warmth, it's a person lying on their side across the room. They seem to be asleep. You can't see them very well, only their general shape. But that's enough for you. You latch onto them, wrapping your arms around their chest and pressing yourself against them as best you can. It's not much but it helps.

You share heat with them for nearly a minute before they wake up and you hear them gasp. You don't let them move, they can't escape your hold.

"H-hello? Help?"
You hear their voice, the tone quiet and scared. It sounds familiar but your mind is still sluggish. It's definitely female though you'd already confirmed that with your hold.
"Who are you?"

You have a half a mind to just keep holding onto them for warmth since they seem to be helpless but for some reason, you want to talk to them.

> 'Who I am isn't important.'

> Introduce yourself.

> Ask her for help escaping.

> Bite her.

> "Who are you?"

> Say nothing, you need warmth.

> Other

>>43241975
> "Who are you?"
then
> Introduce yourself.
using the name Cennen had us use back when we were in Taldendral again.

>>43241975
> Introduce yourself.
> "Who are you?"
This ought to be very confusing for her

>>43241975
> Introduce yourself.

> "Who are you?"
> Introduce yourself

You don't say anything for a few more moments, still trying to siphon as much warmth as possible. It's a very inefficient process. You can tell that she seems incredibly uncomfortable by what you are doing but luckily, you don't care about what she wants.
"Who are you?"

She squirms a little more but can't escape your grip.
"My name is Liss. What do you want from me? Why am I here?"

Ah shit, it's her. This is actually really awkward now! She has yet to recognize your voice at least and she seems to think that you might be her kidnapper. You wish.
"Um," she says. "Can you let go of my ti...chest?"

Obviously you need to introduce yourself. But for some reason, you have half a mind to use a fake name. She is extremely unlikely to be happy with you after all, which might make her uncooperative.
The question is, do you care?

> Tell her who you are.

> Give her a false name.

> Pretend to be her kidnapper.

> Bite her.

> Other

>>43241975
> 'Who I am isn't important.'
my name is nadim portant
> "Who are you?"

>>43242314
> Give her a false name.
nearly as stuck as you are.

Use the name Cennen made up when we were in Taldendral.

>>43242314
>> Give her a false name.

>>43242314
Certainly not
> Tell her who you are.
> Don't get any ideas, you're just the most accesible heat source right now

>>43242314
> Give her a false name.

>>43242314
>>43242362
this, for now
also maybe comply with her request. In orde to build good will?

> Give her a false name.

The two of you didn't part on the best of terms. You had some fun with her that she didn't particularly enjoy and knowing humans, she probably holds it against you. And you would rather have her compliant. As much as it pains you to think about, against what seems to be a magical enemy, you might need some help.
Well, that and because this situation is a little awkward.

You ignore her last request and focus on her first question.
"My name is Sera. I'm stuck here too."
You can modulate your voice quite well when you need to.

"You're another prisoner? Oh, okay. Can you let go of me then?"

"I'm cold."

"What? It's not that-"

You hear footsteps from outside the room. A corridor? The very faintest light slowly seeps in from underneath a crack in the door. Still not enough to see by but the sound is all you need to know that someone is out there. Liss goes silent.

> Stay exactly where you are until they come in.

> Call for help.

> Crawl over back to your chains.

> Change into your true form so you can hide and lay in wait.

> Use Liss as a human shield.

> Other

>>43242591
> Stay exactly where you are until they come in.
> Use Liss as a human shield.

>>43242591
>> Crawl over back to your chains.

>>43242591
> Change into your true form so you can hide and lay in wait.

>>43242591
> Crawl over back to your chains.
Are we still in Teln Hiss form?

>>43242688
Yes.

>>43242697
Should take another form if we're going to keep fooling Liss

> Crawl over back to your chains.

You let go of her immediately, doing your best to crawl over to where you remember your chains being. You want to take them by surprise here.

You slip your hands back into your cuffs or at least make them look like they're still in since the cuffs are broken. You turn away from Liss and lie there, keeping yourself perfectly still as the door swings open.
The room is still very dark, the light beyond in the corridor only a dim twilight itself. But it's enough to see the silhouette of a man, broad-shouldered and tall.

He doesn't say anything, instead just marching right in towards Liss. He pulls her up roughly, shaking her chains as if to test them.
"Hey! Let go of me!"
He throws her to the ground with no small amount of force, making her cry out. Does her back make it hurt more? You really hope you don't have to rely on a cripple.

But as he is checking her over, you're free to act.

> Attack him now.

> Take the time to alter your form (Specify)

> Run through the door while he's occupied with Liss.

> Just lie in wait.

> Other

>>43242877
>> Attack him now.

>>43242877
>> Attack him now.
No point in leaving her behind If Cennen finds her so useful we gotta keep using her.

>>43242877
> Attack him now.

>>43242877
> Attack him now.
Punch him in the nape!

>>43242925
Not even that, fucker attacked is, made us cold, and was too stupid too put is in a better room

> Attack him now.

You have half a mind to just escape now and leave that useless girl behind but...Cennen seems to like her. If he found out that you'd left her behind he'd start whining and you'd never hear the end of it. And besides, she isn't dangerous.
And as for this arsehole, you don't know if he was the same man behind the attack but you don't really care. Did he even know what he was holding? You doubt it or else he's very stupid. Terminally stupid, as it turns out.

You get to your feet, your chain clanking as you throw it off. He turns, the room still too dark to see his expression but it's enough to at least confirm that he's somebody you've never met before.

Thanks to the cold, you're not as fast as he is. When you make a wild swing at his head, he grabs your hand. And then he starts yelping as your hand keeps going, bending all his fingers back and breaking his hand before continuing on to put a sizeable dent in his skull. He collapses, life already leaving his body. It makes you realize how hungry you are. How long have you been here? When was the last time you ate?

> Start eating both body and soul.

> Focus on extracting his soul first and foremost.

> Break Liss' chains.

> Change forms.

> Leave

> Other

>>43243091
> Focus on extracting his soul first and foremost.
> Break Liss' chains.

>>43243091
> Focus on extracting his soul first and foremost.
No need to freak her out

> Break Liss' chains.

>>43243091
> Change forms.

>>43243091
> Change forms.
> Break Liss' chains.

>>43243091
>> Focus on extracting his soul first and foremost.
>> Break Liss' chains.

>>43243091
>> Focus on extracting his soul first and foremost.

> Focus on extracting his soul first and foremost.
> Break Liss' chains.

You need to grab that soul before it escapes. He must not be permitted the release of death. You squat over him, your back to Liss as your teeth begin to sharpen. You're hungry but you don't want to make a meal of him just yet. You'll only bite enough to free the soul and nothing more.

Still, you hear Liss gag behind you as you bite into his throat, warm blood spilling into your mouth and down your chin. It's delicious. You haven't gotten to eat like this in a while. And with the supping of his life's blood, his soul presents itself. You snatch it up and swallow it whole without leaving a shred behind, the totality of their being now absorbed within you. You begin to pry straight away, teasing his soul apart strand by strand.

He's not your true attacker nor does he know much. It would seem that Stivan here was just a thug, one hired off the street to keep you imprisoned for the night before their employer stopped by to pick you up. What an idiot.

You rip Liss' shackles off of her, the injured girl shying away from you. Is she scared? Good. And with the small amount of light, you could catch her in your gaze now if you wanted.

"Do I know you?"
She's squinting at you, peering over your silhouette in the dark.

> Change forms before you reply.

> "No."

> "Yeah, it's me."

> Catch her in your gaze. She doesn't need to remember any of this.

> Ignore her. It's time to leave.

> Interrogate your captive more thoroughly.

> Other

>>43243091
>> Focus on extracting his soul first and foremost.

I'm sure there's something better to eat then his smelly corpse. We've moved on to finer things since we lived in Snakehome. Also, we don't want to give ourselves away to Liss yet.

>>43243483
>> Change forms before you reply.
>> "No."
>> Catch her in your gaze. She doesn't need to remember any of this.

>>43243483
>> Catch her in your gaze. She doesn't need to remember any of this.
> Interrogate your captive more thoroughly.

Also, she needs to be more compliant.

>>43243483
> "Yeah, it's me."

>>43243512
Hiss can't change her personality. She only eats memories.

>>43243483
>> Change forms before you reply.
>> "No."

>>43243546
Yeah, though there is a different Art that helps in that regard. She doesn't have it.

>>43243483
> Change forms before you reply.
She'll probably think we're a vampire

>>43243483
> Change forms before you reply.
> "No."
> Interrogate your captive more thoroughly.

Let's not damage the girl, people. Hiss isn't exactly gentle when it comes to snacking on memories.

>>43243483
>>43243663
I forgot to mention, by captive I meant the soul. See if we can learn who Stivan's employer is.

> Change forms before you reply.
> "No."

You chew thoughtfully on what gore is still left in your mouth. Not bad, not bad at all. Granted, you're much happier when you're eating something you can swallow all in one go but human jaws aren't very good at that. The mouth is so small compared to the rest of the face! At least you've learned to take small bites while in public these days.
"No. We've never met."

You hear her draw in her breath behind you, struggling to get to her feet. You know she has trouble in that department.
"Vampire?"

You twitch, the term familiar. Vampire? Oh right, the term that the other useless girl near Melire had called you. A little piece of local Teln mythology. You had thought it only a local legend but you suppose that Liss was originally from a town close enough to Melire to have heard of them.
And really, is she wrong? As far as you can tell, stories of these 'vampires' are just warped tales of people who had witnessed your kind in human form.

You don't bother to answer her. You need to change forms before you go anywhere too bright.
"Stay here."

You fade back into the corner of the room, where you shouldn't be too visible in the dark. And there, you discard your human form. You fall to the ground, uncomfortably small once more. That thought itself gives you pause. Since when were you unsatisfied with your own body? Sure, the human body is bigger but...

You lie there for a few moments before collecting yourself. That concern is irrelevant. You need to make yourself a new body, one that looks similar to your old one but with very different features. You would have to stay beautiful of course but what's the best way to go about it?

You let a series of possible forms run themselves through your mind as Liss moves around behind you. What's she doing, anyway? Not that it matters, she's irrelevant.

You've almost selected on a form when hands suddenly grab you! You are hoisted into the air, tail whipping wildly in panic.
1/2

>>43243879
>You've almost selected on a form when hands suddenly grab you! You are hoisted into the air, tail whipping wildly in panic

CHOO CHOO! CHOO CHOO!

>>43243879
nobbled by Liss. Yes.

>>43243879
>nobbled by a cripple
RIP Hiss' self esteem

>>43243950
So, do we tell her about the wishes or keep our big (hey, we a snek) mouth shut and just pretend to save her goddamn life all the time because we like her?

I vote for option B, until we get back with Cennen who can make her run out her wishes. Goddamnit.

>>43243879
What?
You try to bite but the hands are behind your head and you don't have enough free neck left to move your head back. The rest of your body writhes with all the strength you can muster but you don't touch anything. And hanging here in the air, you have no ways to leverage your superior strength.

"Ugh."
You hear Liss' voice from above, the crippled girl now imposingly large.
"What the hell?"

You hiss at her but she doesn't understand you. And you can't retake human form like this, you need to molt and shed your skin! Even with the process refined to the point where it only takes seconds, you can't do it without movement.
You try to whip your tail high enough to coil around her arms, aiming for a point where you can at least break her arm and make her let go but it's too damn dark.
You think she's holding you at full arms-length and she isnt doing it out of fear, she knows nothing of how dangerous you are. She's doing it out of disgust.
"You look like that monster, don't you? Are you...Sera? What happened?"

Maybe if you fall limp she'll let you go before it can happen. You consider this for a moment and then disregard it. As if you'd do that! And then you get it, your tail finally whipping up and striking her arm. You do your best to coil around her arm, finally in a position to exert your strength.

Only you don't want to hurt her. The idea makes you feel bad. Feel wrong. Oh no. No. No. No.
The bond clicks into place.

> Calm down.

> Break her arm anyway.

> Other

>>43244005
Obviously we don't tell her and hope she doesn't find out

>>43243922
Eh? I suppose I can understand if you think that's railroading but this option can only happen if you revert to snake form.

>>43244017
> Calm down.

>>43244017
> Calm down.
Cennen is going get a talking too teaching his nobbling tricks to others.

>>43244017
Calm down

>>43244017
> Calm down.
Embrace humiliation

> Calm down.

Hurting her doesn't accomplish anything anymore. It's actually counterproductive since that will make her so much harder to protect. And you will protect her, you can feel the yearning already. You can't let her die, on pain of pain.
You'd say it was insulting that it was HER of all people but the truth is all humans are equally beneath you.

And you don't have to tell her about the wishes, right? Right? You're not so sure about that though. When Cennen had first kidnapped you, you'd felt compelled to tell him in the end.

You let yourself go limp, hoping that she'll set you down. Can you get eye-contact? It's sort of hard from this angle.

"You must be some kind of magical beast. And you can transform?"

You hiss wearily. This is it, this is your life now.

She tries to put you down but groans as something in her back pangs her as she does so, dropping you instead. It hurts a little. You slither back a little as you do so, seeking refuge in the darkness.
"Where did you go?"

> Just stay hidden.

> Slither back to her.

> Take on a modified human form.

> Take on your usual human form.

> Try to surprise her and prune her soul.

> Other

>>43244017
>> Other
Climb up towards her face, her instinctive fear will make her try to get away from us. Then we can transform.

We can tell her a lie about it being a side effect from a bad potion, and we're trying to find an alchemist to fix it. We revert to snake form in times of stress.

>>43244045
So, it was a trap option? I mean, we just didn't have a chance to avoid it at all you see.

I'm not going to bitch for a retcon or anything gay like that, it's just that it kind of feels like we're being punished for trying to sneak around Liss.

I mean, we do roll dice sometimes in this quest, yeah? That . . . that didn't seem like something we should roll dice to try and notice/avoid?

>>43244271
> Take on your usual human form.

>>43244271
> Take on your usual human form.
I don't think we can really keep this secret for long anyway

>>43244271
WHICH ONE IS THE TRAP OPTION?

I mean, obviously soul pruning is. Right? Because it harms her. So I guess a modified human form is best. Time to try and lie by omission (like Tanni did) I guess since we probably can't lie to her either.

Anyway, get out of snake form before we get caught by someone else.

>>43244271
> Take on a modified human form.
We can try to avoid talking about the bond until Cennen can break it. Until then, lets try to be friendly and maybe make her hate us a little less when we go back to normal.

>>43244271
>>43244349
This

>>43244271
> Take on your usual human form.

>>43244349
>>43244271
this

Looks like a tie between your usual form or not. Evens the former, odds the latter.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>43244516
whooooOOOps

Rolled 452 (1d666)

>>43244516

>>43244516
> Take on your usual human form.

Well, you guess there's no getting around this. Fantastic. Being caught repeatedly by Cennen just wasn't enough, was it? So why bother hiding anything? Your life is a farce.

You coil around yourself and take up your usual form, hearing Liss gasp in recognition as you step in front of the doorway and what little light it has.
"Hiss?"

"Yeah yeah," you say tiredly. "It was me all along, this is my thing. I don't appreciated being handled."
Not by you, anyway.

"Well I don't appreciate being kicked around! What the hell? What are you, even?'

Looks like she noticed you near the end there, back when you were both taken. That's just great. You shrug.
"I don't appreciate your tone. And does it really matter, we need to leave before anyone else comes! I can explain it all to you later!"

"You will?"

"Yes," you lie. "Now I know you don't like me and guess what, I don't give a fuck about you but come on, let's go."

"Why are you so much like that monster? It was you, wasn't it? It was here for you!"

"Shut up."
Hopefully if you just act dominant enough she'll buy it. She doesn't need to know the truth.
You're walking for the door when you hear her sigh.

"This is so messed up. I just wish-"

You stop, eyes widening. Oh shit. Why? Why does the universe hate you so much?

> Plug your ears before you can hear it even though that will give away that something's strange.

> Flee out into the corridor.

> Reach over and push her mouth closed. Claim you heard somebody coming.

> Why bother? Might as well just get it over with.

> Other

>>43244724
>> Reach over and push her mouth closed. Claim you heard somebody coming.

>>43244724
>> Why bother? Might as well just get it over with.
one less wish maybe

>>43244724
> Reach over and push her mouth closed. Claim you heard somebody coming.

>>43244724
> Reach over and push her mouth closed. Claim you heard somebody coming.

>>43244724
> "Yeah, wishing isn't much use here, just stick with me and keep quiet and you'll live!

> Reach over and push her mouth closed. Claim you heard somebody coming.

Oh hell no, you're not going to let her get away with that. You don't care if it'll mean you're one wish closer to freedom, you can just get Cennen to undo the bond with a potion later anyway! And knowing your luck, she's probably about to say something like 'I just wish you were nicer' or some other bullshit, weighing you down with a wish that is not only restrictive but unbearably humiliating. Nice isn't your thing, you don't do 'nice'.
So you react quickly, planting your hand over her mouth and gagging her. That might make her a little suspicious but at least you have an excuse.
"Ssh! I hear someone!"

Naturally, you hear nobody. Stivan's soul tells you that he was here alone since you're currently sitting in his basement. He was a rather unpleasant person and you had been far from the first women to find themselves locked up down here. The employer had known this somehow and had paid him a hefty sum to keep you here for a few hours until he could show up.

Speaking of which, you've really got to go. You don't know who this employer is and you don't particularly want to meet him right now. Naturally you'd love to kill him but right now you're stuck protecting a cripple. Hardly the best circumstances.
You suddenly realize that Liss can't breath while you're holding her like this and you let her go in a flash of panic.

She coughs softly.
"I don't hear anyone."

"You wouldn't. But I think they're gone now."

Liss narrows her eyes, your own eyes adjusting to the darkness quite well.
"So what was with that back there?"

"What?"

"You know, ...that."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"When you were holding onto my...me and pressing up so close. That was you?"

Oh no.
"Don't take it the wrong way. You were just warm."

> Tell her to shut up and make your way down the corridor.

> Keep talking to her.

> Tell her to stay here while you scout ahead.

> Tell her the truth (What? No!)

>>43245176
>> Tell her to shut up and make your way down the corridor.

>>43245176
> Tell her to shut up and make your way down the corridor.

Sorry about the delay on that one btw, was eating.

>>43245176
> Tell her to shut up and make your way down the corridor.

>>43245176
> Tell her to shut up and make your way down the corridor.

>>43245176
> Tell her to shut up and make your way down the corridor.
Shouldn't Stivan know at least a little bit about who hired him?

> Tell her to shut up and make your way down the corridor.

"Shut up, let's go."

You sidle out through the doorway, beckoning Liss as best you can to follow you. The corridor at dim at best, slanted wooden walls leaning in menacingly. This should lead right up into Stivan's house and once more you have to wonder at the idiocy involved. Who would hire him and him alone to keep you trapped here? Did he think the chains would be enough? Couldn't he have at least brought in several other thugs? That would have given you a workout at least.
Not that Stivan even knows much about his employer. He was a man used to people hiding their faces as his was an unsavory line of work. And the amount of money paid had been enough to stop him from asking any questions. He doesn't have any memories of your mysterious assailant either. Come to think of it, why couldn't that thing have watched over you instead?
You're halfway down the corridor before you hear a little cough.

Liss is still standing by the doorway, her hands clutching the walls. Her legs are trembling and she has no stick with which to walk. She glares at you, as if trying to force you to look away from her shame with force of will alone. She takes two more steps, her eyes screwed up.

> Walk back down and help her along.

> Pick her up and carry her.

> Find her a stick.

> Just keep walking.

> Sit by the end of the corridor and wait for her to catch up, watching the entire time.

> Laugh at her.

> Other

>>43245399
> Pick her up and carry her.
> Laugh at her.

>>43245399
> Pick her up and carry her
> Laugh at her.

>>43245399
> Sarcastically try to get her to waste a wish for you to help her.

>>43245399
> Pick her up and carry her.
tell her we'll protect her because cennen would want us to. its easier than explaining that the wishbond forces us to do so

>>43245399
I bet you wish I could just carry you out, hey?

>>43245399
>>43245412
Changing to
>>43245423
Keep the mocking

>>43245435
That won't work, she'll say no out of defiance

>>43245425
This.
>>43245423
>>43245435
That would be completely obvious. Don't be dumb.

>>43245399
> Pick her up and carry her.

>>43245399
> Pick her up and carry her.
> "Shut up" before he can protest

>>43245399
>> Pick her up and carry her.

>>43245457
Not if we pester her enough about it.

Even if she figures it out, she's wasted a wish.

>>43245708
We don't have to make her use any wishes though. Cennen can break the wishbond with a brew.

> Pick her up and carry her.

You sigh and walk back towards her, watching as she tries her best to ward you off. She doesn't want anyone seeing her like this, particularly you. And while to your eyes she had never been particularly powerful or effective, you understand how powerless she must feel every day now. It reminds you of...of a tiny black worm, scared and toothless, clutched in the tormenting hands of the uncaring impostor that lives every night in your dreams.
You cannot sympathize. You WILL NOT sympathize. But you can empathize.

"Here, I'll help you."

"No, I'm fine!"

You ignore and pick her up, hefting her over your shoulder while she squirms and protests.
"Let go of-"

"Shut up."
You carry her down the corridor and up the stairs past that. As you climb the stairs, Liss goes quiet. She knows just how painful that would have been for her.
"I'm sorry."

You stop, your foot on the highest step.
"Eh?"

"I'm sorry. I know you don't have to help me."
Oh if only you knew.
"Don't get me wrong, you're still a jerk. But there's clearly something else going on with you and maybe I was too quick to judge."

What is she talking about?
"I threw you to a monster!"

Liss groans.
"Yeah and my sister is still really angry about that. But for that you have to answer to her. I don't really care about it anymore. Sometimes, I have a hard time caring about anything anymore."

You don't say anything, letting her continue.
"I don't know what's wrong with you but clearly there's a-a lot I don't understand. So thanks for carrying me."

You don't understand.

> Just keep walking and ignore her.

> "I don't care."

> Thank her.

> Set her down and have her walk the last step.

> "Don't go getting the wrong idea here. You're useless and I loathe you."

> "There's something I need to tell you."

> Apologize.

> "I don't understand."

> Other

>>43245760
> Set her down and have her walk the last step.
> "I don't understand."

>>43245760
> Apologize.
> "I don't understand."
Character development!

>>43245760
What is the thing Hiss needs to tell her? Vague options are the worst

>>43245855
Talking to her about wishes and whatnot. It's not a great idea but Hiss is feeling vaguely compelled to tell her 'master' about them (see some previous options). It would also let her explain that she was only helping her because she had to.

>>43245760
>> Set her down and have her walk the last step.
> "I don't understand."
> "Okay, you might be a human, and a crippled one at that. But you aren't dead, and so you can always get stronger again. So why give up? God, that's so pathetic. I'd fight until I became strong enough to get over whatever stands in my way. And I will."

>>43245760
> Apologize.
> "I don't understand."
I can definitely picture Hiss feeling bad about reducing someone to this given her own experiences

>>43245934
Definitely seconding that write in

>>43246014
Well, I was trying to think of WHY Hiss wouldn't understand. I mean, giving up is just weakness.

So now Liss can defend herself and go on about how nothing but bad things happen to her, and Hiss can empathize a little and tell her that her and her sister are like each other's Cennens. None of them are like her because she's naturally glorious, but apparently some humans can be quite useful so they can help each other. And Liss shouldn't worry about what she can't do, because what she can do is the important thing. After all, despite being precious to you Cennen and Oster are still humans inferior to you in every way. But that doesn't mean there haven't been times when they've been useful, or even necessary as much as it would gall someone less wise and humble than yourself to admit. Flashback guiltily to yourself when you were just out of Snakehome and didn't realize that other people could be such a valuable resource.

>>43245760
>>43245934
this

>>43245934
>>43246014
>>43246104

Maybe toss in a little bit of bitterness about how she even has YOUR Cennen helping her to get better, so you don't see what the big deal is anyways.

And if it comes down to it, we can always get her to exchange her wishes for snake arts for her and her sister to get stronger. And we won't even kill them afterwards if those are their wishes or something like it.

>>43246241
We're definitely not gonna brand her.

>>43246269
No? Why not? After all, they can keep in touch with Eugene and we can communicate with them through Cennens potions. Then we have a Wizard AND a Noble in the human world as a resource we can get in touch with, keep an eye on and manipulate through the sisters.

And we'll need all the resources we can get when we take on snek daddy.

>>43246269
Damn straight. Instead, we're going to push her to the edge of suicide and then put not!Hiss into her body just like we promised.

And then kill her while she's disorientated/confused.

>>43246312
Branding them wouldn't help us manipulate them. Your reasoning is becoming ridiculous.

> Set her down and have her walk the last step.
> "I don't understand."

You shake your head before doing your best to set her feet back on the ground without hurting her overmuch. She can take this last step herself. It's what you would have wanted.
When she is down and standing next to you, you look down at her.
"I don't understand."

"Pardon?"

"You...are a human. And a crippled one at that, so I understand that your scope is pathetically small. But you're not dead and you can always get stronger again. So why forgive me? Why give up? You're pathetic."

She stares at you, more than a little surprised by your outburst.
"What else am I supposed to do?"

"Well if I were you and don't get your hopes up, that's not happening anytime soon, I'd fight. You can't ever stop moving, you have to keep slithering forward until you get past whatever stands in your way. That's what I'd do. That's what I'm going to do."

"Sometimes you just have to play the cards you're dealt."

"Card games suck and I hate them and I wish I never played them."
You grab her by the shoulders.
"I forgot what I was going to say but the point is that you should stop being such a pitiful pile of shit all the time just because you fell down and got a booboo."

"Fuck off! Do you even know how much I've had to put up with? Everything I've had to deal with a-"

"Cennen told me you were a whore."
She quiets down immediately.
"Honestly, I still don't entirely get the problem with that. I love sex, having it for money sounds pretty great."
That and because you can just eat them afterwards. Unfortunately you guess you'll never know because you don't want Cennen getting upset.

Liss looks at you weakly.
"You really aren't human, are you?"

"Was it the way I turned into a snake that told you? Great deduction!"

"Snake?"
Oh shit you shouldn't have said that.

"And it's not like you're being shat on alone, you have your sister taking care of you. Not to mention stealing away the attention of MY alchemist."

1/2

>>43246340
Healing them and giving them a strength to deal with their shit situation, which translates into security if they ever have to leave the employ of the nobles, while at the same time putting them on Eugene's radar as people of interest, wouldn't help us manipulate them?

I see you've never heard of gratitude. Or telling them that we can remove the branding after the wishes are gone so they better do what we say if they want to keep the benefits and not go back to being a cripple and a maid.

>>43246406
Branding them wouldn't help their situation at all.

>>43246356
>"Cennen told me you were a whore."
>She quiets down immediately.
>"Honestly, I still don't entirely get the problem with that. I love sex, having it for money sounds pretty great."

Oh boy. This was pretty funny. Way to cut out her chief complaint.

>>43246423
Not every brand is just poison, anon. Oster got his mask thing, we could probably give Liss a strength boost to fix her whole "crippled" status and her sister something or other that would be useful. Maybe camoflauge, or transforming scale skin or something.

>>43246406
>brand
>healing them
wot

>>43246446
shes crippled from nerve damage. it has nothing to do with weak muscles.

>>43246356
"Aina helps. But she doesn't understand."

"Uhuh. Then maybe you should tell her that."

"You're being really argumentative for no reason, I just wanted to say sorry."

"Maybe I should be apologizing to you now, I don't know."
Not that you will.
"You've got at least three people who actually care about you."
How many do you have? One? One and a half? You wish you had three. Maybe that's you fault. Maybe just being the princess alone isn't enough to make people care for you. Does Cennen care if you're the princess or not?
"So stop crying all the time and worrying about what you can't do anymore. Those little prayers you do every night aren't going to magically wish your bones into not being fucked up."

She pales.
"How did you know about those?"

"They were a real pain when I try to sleep, I'll tell you that. Now go on, walk for yourself."

She steps over the last stair and into the room beyond, her head held high. And then she winces.
"Sorry Hiss. I don't think any amount of confidence makes me better at this."

"Yeah, probably not. Come here."

> Pick her back up again.

> Find a stick for her.

> Catch her in a gaze.

> Other

>>43246477
Well, maybe we can get Rock to examine the branding process and alter it.

> Magical Intuition: Rock understands the basic building blocks of Art in a very fundamental sense, allowing her to catch hold of and even subvert magical links and rituals.

So, yeah. We brand her sister so Rock can observe it, and then we get Rock to subvert it when we brand Lissa so that it heals her.

You really gotta start getting the team to work together here, Anon.

>>43246534
> Pick her back up again.

>>43246534
> Find a stick for her

>>43246546
You're being very resolute about your mediocre idea.

>>43246534
> Pick her back up again.

> "See? Even I'm helping you, and I don't even like you. Gods, how someone can have all this and still think they have nothing is unbelievable."

> Try not to think about the fact that you only have One and a Half.

> Realize that Cennen has been way too insolent to care about whether or not you're the Princess. He doesn't even seem to care that you're a snake, at least he seems to forget that part a lot of the time.

>>43246534
> Pick her back up again.
> Find a stick for her.

Carry her until we find a stick? Try to keep moving

>>43246570
I want to get rid of the wishes. I want to get petted for making Cennens sad friends better. I want to get more minions. I want to exert my power and come to understand it more. Hell, even snek daddy has human servants, so it's just one more area where he's ahead of us right now.

Heck, maybe we can even inspire Liss to come with us after we fix her and she can wait on us. We ARE a princess still, we should have a handmaid.

That's killy.

I don't see why you oppose it so much. It's not like I'm saying we should give an art to the Bunyip.

>>43246534
> Pick her back up again.
I'm not sure if it matters but we told Lady Trebain our name was Sera so we should probably ask Liss to call us that.

>>43246534
> Pick her back up again.
> Find a stick for her

>>43246576
Oh, also about

>
> Realize that Cennen has been way too insolent to care about whether or not you're the Princess. He doesn't even seem to care that you're a snake, at least he seems to forget that part a lot of the time.

> Be unsure whether or not to be upset about that. You're a Princess, and a Snake, superior to him in every way! But . . . it's kind of nice to be treated like you're special just for being you.

I mean, he's come right out and said this to us a couple of times, most recently when we were becoming a goddess and losing ourselves.

>>43246617
spirit hiss would probably just hijack any other brands we make

>>43246534
>> Pick her back up again.
>> Find a stick for her.
she might need it later

Sorry about the delay on this one, had a phone call. Turns out my work shift's been cancelled for tonight.

> Pick her back up again.

You circle an arm around her waist as you try to find the best way to grab her without putting too much pressure on her spine.
"See? Even I'm helping you and I don't even like you that much. You have all this and think you have nothing? Ridiculous."
If this happened to you, how many people would even care? How many people would actually be happy?

Liss flushes as you pick her back up again.
"You don't have to do all this for me."

Little does she know...
"You'd be surprised. You should be happy that I'm doing this for you, I'm a very important person."

"Really?"
You can't see her face but her tone is thoughtful.
"Hiss, are you a spirit?"

You nearly drop her. Just the idea makes you angry.
"What?"

Liss sounds embarrassed, she didn't seem to mean to blurt that out.
"I mean, you can hear prayers and your shape changes and you have some sort of magic. I thought you might be a magical beast or a vampire but...you don't seem like them."

"What about my halo, moron? I don't have one."

"Oh."

> "Actually, I am a spirit. But I'm undercover so don't tell anyone."

> "You had it right the first time, I'm a vampire."

> "Don't ask about this again."

> Tell her that you're under a curse or a potion or something.

> Tell her the truth.

> Panic, claim to be a hallucination.

> "I'm not magic. I just do whatever I want and don't give a fuck about whether it's possible or not."

> Other

>>43246666
I guess it's more "Remember that Cennen didn't give a shit about the more powerful being and made her back down so that he could keep us" than it is "realizing" all this shit.

But still, be a little smug that we chose such a good consort who recognizes that regardless of titles or current powers, we're still awesome. We just happen to be awesome WITH excellent breeding and snake powers.

>>43246901
> I'm a princess
don't explain it

>>43246901
> "Don't ask about this again."
For your safety and mine.

>>43246901
> Tell her the truth.
Don't tell anyone.

>>43246901
>cancelled work
That said, I'm archiving early just in case I get called back in with no warning.

>>43246938
I really wish I had thought to include this as an option.

>>43246901
> "Actually, I am a spirit. But I'm undercover so don't tell anyone."

>>43246901
>> "Don't ask about this again."
>"It's better if you don't know"

>>43246949
>>43246976
You want her to die?

>>43247002
Fuck it, changing >>43246949
to this.

>>43247056
How would anybody know we told her?

>>43247056
Why would she die from this?

Also, technically for >>43246976, it's true that Hiss is a Princess. Just saying >>43247002

>>43247160
>>43247167
Hiss would kill her as soon as the wishbond wore off. That's why.

>>43247181
Nigga please. Hiss is slowly learning to be a better snake, and besides Cennen would be sad if she did that.

Her autism and callousness is not an excuse for you to be edgy as fuck.

>>43247251
>Not telling someone a potentially dangerous as hell and detrimental secret, that people have killed over.
>edgy

>>43247295
Yeah, it's funny how people treat individuals they know differently from random scrubs. Not to mention that Hiss seems to be going through some catharsis where she realises she's actually jealous of Liss, which is just sad.

>I'm a princess

You stop and hold yourself for a moment as if you were pondering.
"You really shouldn't ask this question again, for your safety as well as mine. But I shall be gracious. The reason I'm like this? It's because I'm a princess."

You try to leave it at that but Liss starts complaining.
"What? What does that even mean?"

"Don't you get what being a princess means? We're all magical."
You're teasing her but in a way it's very true. Being a princess is the promise of potential, a future of unparalleled social power. Your royal lineage and species is much the same, both offering you incredible amounts of magical and physical might respectively. From birth you had been given the promise that provided you simply lived long enough, you would be guaranteed to inevitably become the most powerful being in the world. A combination of magical, physical and social strength that nobody else would possess.
But potential isn't just a free ride, all of those are yours by right but you still have to earn them. And perhaps you hadn't been earning your princesshood as well as you had thought.
Still, at least you had displayed the skill at picking ONE good follower.
Cennen is yours and he always will be, even if you are so much more or so much less than what you are now. Even if you were as pathetic as Liss is now.

You carry her through the room and into the next. Thankfully Liss does not question why you know the grungy house's layout off by heart. But as you're standing by the front door, something catches your eye.

There's water underneath the floorboards. Not just a dampness but a puddle, streams of water flowing up through the floorboards. You don't even need to touch it to know that it's as cold as ice.

Stivan hadn't known about this, a second layer of defense to make sure that you didn't leave until the appropriate time.
You have mere seconds before you are attacked.

1/2

>>43247370

> Make a mad dash OVER the water towards the door.

> Get Liss out the door and tell her to run, you'll handle this.

> Set Liss down in another room.

> Throw Liss towards the water and run while it attacks her (No! I have a wishbond!)

> Figure out who's behind this.

> Try to make as much noise as possible in the hopes that someone else will come.

> Other

>>43247396
> DYNAMIC EXIT

So, uh, what are the walls made out of?

>>43247396
>> Figure out who's behind this.
Oh wait water magic, fuck that wizard didn't die when I killed him. Rude.
> Make a mad dash OVER the water towards the door.

>>43247396
> Set Liss down in another room.
Try to use our connection through the brand to give cennen our location

>>43247416
Wood.

>>43247396
>>43247433
this, if shit starts to look bad tell Liss to wish for us to save protect her using all our power.

>>43247396
This >>43247416 if possible, I mean we do have super snake strength, then get Liss to run (since we know they're after us "Who would bother kidnapping YOU when they have a magical princess right here?") and try to find the Wizard so we can eat him.

>>43247396
Kick down a section of the wall away from the puddle and GTFO and try to contact Cennen. I think that's possible through the brand now, according to a pastebin.

>>43247451
DYNAMIC EXIT 100% go then. Let's smash down a wall on the other side of the house

>>43247396
> Figure out who's behind this.
Mental note to put Cennen to work on a way to make these pricks stay dead the first time you kill them.

> Make a mad dash OVER the water towards the door.
Cover our back with scales, hold Liss tight and throw ourselves against the door

>>43247502
the water will still freeze us and slow us down even if we use our scales

>>43247416

Seconding. It shouldn't be too impossibly hard to go through a wooden wall.

>>43247502
Dude, wooden walls ain't shit to our new strength. Why do you want to go through magic bullshit when we can just run away?

Besides, that puts Liss at unnecessary risk, which the Wishbond will probably fuck us up while we try to do it.

>Make your own way out.

You stop as best you can, Liss crying out in pain from the jolt as you swerve to the side. The water keeps seeping upwards, forming into a nebulous figure at least seven feet tall. Five long appendages begin to unwind, the shape of some bizarre hand.

You duck to the side and kick your boot through the wall. You make another hole right after that and then, after making sure Liss will be fine, shoulder-barge your way through it in a spray of breaking wood and splinters. Your scales cover you as you do so, detritus bouncing off you harmlessly. You stagger as you land on the street outside, still moving from momentum alone.
And then a single tendril of water whips out from the hole in the wall behind you, aiming right for your back. Where Liss is.

> Drop to the ground. (Small chance of succeeding without hurting Liss in some way)

> Spin around so you're facing it (Guaranteed way to avoid it hitting her but it strikes you instead.)

> Just keep running (Liss will take minor damage but you will be able to leave it behind for good)

> Other

>>43247703
>> Spin around so you're facing it (Guaranteed way to avoid it hitting her but it strikes you instead.)
Scale up, hope Liss keeps you warm enough. We can't have the wishbond ping us now.

>>43247703
>> Spin around so you're facing it (Guaranteed way to avoid it hitting her but it strikes you instead.)
Time to be tough and make her think we're significantly more self-sacrificing than we actually are.

>>43247703
> Just keep running (Liss will take minor damage but you will be able to leave it behind for good)
she may not like it but this is probably the safest option for all involved.. Hopefully minor means it can be easily healed with a potion.

>>43247703
> Just keep running (Liss will take minor damage but you will be able to leave it behind for good)

>>43247703
Does that soul give us any idea of where we are in relation to the Trebain house?

>>43247703
> Scales: The scales of her true form are very tough and are almost impenetrable. Her human shapes are not scaled normally but she can raise her scales on any of her forms with but a thought.

> Shift Liss around to your front and take the hit on your scales while running away

>>43247703
> Spin around so you're facing it (Guaranteed way to avoid it hitting her but it strikes you instead.)

>>43247861
Yeah once you start running you should be able to pump it for geographical info. She also can have any of his physical skills, if she deems them valuable.

>>43247703
> Spin around so you're facing it (Guaranteed way to avoid it hitting her but it strikes you instead.)
Scales up, think happy thoughts, like bullying Aashenpreet

>>43247703
>> Just keep running (Liss will take minor damage but you will be able to leave it behind for good)

> Spin around so you're facing it (Guaranteed way to avoid it hitting her but it strikes you instead.)

Damn it, you can't risk her getting hurt. You still don't know what happens to you if your wishbinder dies before the bond is broken and you don't intend to find out. You sigh and spin around, keeping your scales raised.

Liss screams as the tendril of water strikes you right in the chest. It pushes through your jacket and your tunic but when it hits your scales, it is turned aside harmlessly. The pseudolimb dissipates, having stretched too far.

"Was that it? That didn't even huuuuuuuuuur-"
You find yourself stumbling to the ground, supporting yourself on one knee. Liss slides off of you, trying to help you.
You're cold. You turned away the force of the impact but it had been carrying something else with it. A chill touch that has dug into your chest. You stopped it before it could afflict you too much but against you even a small amount hurts.
You feel tired. Sluggish.

And yet, doesn't this all strike you as familiar? Didn't something like this hurt Cennen, back at the very beginning of your journey? And suddenly all the pieces fall into place.
"No," you mutter. "You dumb fucker. You're supposed to be dead."
Doesn't ANY wizard stay dead? This is the third time you've had to deal with Old Bart in particular, too.

The cold in you is nowhere near as strong as what Bart had thrust upon Cennen but it drags at you all the same. You're slow and though you can't see it, you know that the water inside the house is reforming. Preparing for a second attack.

"Are you alright?"
Liss holds out her hand. She's so warm.

> Tell her to get away. You're the one it wants.

> Revert to your true form.

> Ask her to make a wish.

> Hobble away as best you can.

> Other

>>43248106
>> Ask her to make a wish.
maybe if you wish I'm warm I'll be able to walk it off.. That sometimes works with princesses, for real.

>>43248106
>> Ask her to make a wish.
> Don't question it, just wish that I had full access to all of my power right now

This is the most expedient solution right now. Also fuck wizards.

I don't know how good of an idea this is but remember when Cennen turned into a Dragon?

>>43248106
> Ask her to make a wish.
> "Don't you wish I could take us both back to lady Trebain's house"

>>43248106
> Ask her to make a wish.
Maybe just wish that we could dispel any magic we want?

>>43248210
That would be nice. Then we could deal with the water construct too.

>>43248106
I'm saying this >>43248160

Because I think it will be hilarious. And also that we might get to level up our snake arts. It worked last time after all.

> Not getting Cennen to nobble us so he can make wishes to get rid of not!Hiss

>>43248210
Wishes have limits, anon. We can only do what we can do, not just rewrite reality.

>>43248160
>unleashing spirit hiss
are you an idiot

>>43248106
>> Ask her to make a wish.
Wish I was immune to the cold

>>43248160
Remember how her powers short circuited almost immediately after that wish?

>>43248106
> Ask her to make a wish.
none of these write ins are good. just write whatever liss would wish for in this situation. hiss doesnt have time to explain any complicated wishes.

>>43248330
This is probably best as we will just fight over our individual wishes otherwise.

I mean, Hiss is wishing to access her power not to let out not!Hiss.

I'm ignoring >>43248292 because I don't have a rebuttal. But I figure it's all good if we can get to Cennen in time/Kill the Wizard.

>Ask her to make a wish.

"Liss, I need you to make a wish."
Your voice is low, your words slurred.

"What?"

"Don't question it! I'm a princess, remember! I don't give a fuck and I can do anything but I need you to believe in me. You need to wish!"
That REALLY isn't how wishes work (or princesses, really) but to hell with letting her know that you're actually her slave.

"Wish for what?"

"Fuck! I don't know! Just that we can escape or that I can be immune to cold or whatever!"
You're tempted to ask for a wish for full power but you know from personal experience that your body can't handle that.

You can see the water beginning to flow out of the hole in the wall.

"I...I wish that you were immune to cold."

You rise to your feet almost immediately, the ice in your chest vanishing. You sweep Liss off her feet, prompting only a minor groan of pain and then away you run.
The wishbond eases further, prompting a flood of pleasure. You'd forgotten just how good it felt to actually get them away from danger.

You run and you run, relying on geographical knowledge gleaned from Stivan's soul. Liss doesn't say anything, she just clutches onto you.

And in due time, when you can run no more, you sink down at an unoccupied street corner and set Liss down beside you. It's still night, you can't have been gone for very long. They might not even have realized you were missing!

You pant, trying to get your breath back. You're both safe now, as far as you can tell. But only for now. That arsehole knew where you lived.

Liss hugs you, just a brief hold before she slumps back. You stare at her.
"What was that for?"

"You saved me. You took a blow for me."
She laughs, a tired sound that is more a release of stress than any genuine mirth.
"Why do you keep asking that? Are you dense or something?"
1/2

>>43248422
> "I am NOT dense!"

> "I didn't save you out of choice."

> "I owed you for what happened last time."

> "Convenience, nothing more."

> Hug her back.

> "You're surprisingly heavy. Maybe you should go on a diet, tubs."

> "Princesses can do anything if their subjects believe in them."

> Say nothing. This is the most comfortable option.

> Other

>>43248399
We'd have less than a minute and anything Hiss could do in that time frame would also kill Liss, thus not an option. Then we'd be paralyzed until the bond ended.

>>43248439
> Say nothing. This is the most comfortable option.
Hiss needs comfy.

>>43248422
>> "I am NOT dense!"
>> I'm a Princess, I'm . . . compact.
>> Besides, you're surprisingly heavy. Maybe you should go on a diet, tubs."

Yes, I want to phrase this like Hiss thinks she just called her fat. Intentionally taking it the wrong way, because being offended and lashing out is where her comfort zone is.

>>43248462
>wanting Hiss to be comfy with a whore

>>43248439
> "I am NOT dense!"

>>43248439
> "I owed you for what happened last time."
> Hug her back.
> "Princesses can do anything if their subjects believe in them."
wow. hiss became less evil and cennen didn't have anything to do with it.

>>43248498
>wanting Hiss stressed out and bitey
That never ends well and besides Liss is an ex-whore who lacks a certain body part Hiss desires.

>>43248498
Best whore

>>43248439
> "I owed you for what happened last time."
> "Princesses can do anything if their subjects believe in them."

>>43248439
> "I owed you for what happened last time."

>>43248522
I'm saying Liss is filthy and probably covered in STDs.

>>43248570
You should think about what STD stands for before you start worrying about them

>>43248570
Good thing Hiss isn't fucking her then. Idiot.

>>43248439
> "I owed you for what happened last time."
What I did to you before was not the way a princess should treat her subjects

>>43248590
>>43248581
>what are body fluids
>getting this upset over your waifu

>>43248653
>what is being a moron
>what is no fluids changing
>what is presupposing she's got anything with heal all in her system often.
>what is not talking being comfortable=\= sex

> "I owed you for what happened last time."

You squirm just a little, almost physically unable to say the following words.
"I owed you for what I did last time back with the monster. What I did back then was not how a princess should treat her subjects."

Liss smiles and then frowns.
"I'm not your subject, Hiss."

"Not yet," you say, perhaps a touch darkly.

You sit there silent for a moment to further catch your breath, watching your chest rise and fall. Liss seems to be watching it as well.

"I can't believe that worked," she says. "I made a wish and it actually came true! Is that really because you're a princess?"

"Yes."

"So if I just have to believe, I can wish for things with you? How exactly does it work, huh?"

"Don't get any ideas."
You poke her in the forehead just enough to hurt.
"They only come true if I want them to. And I am declaring a moratorium on wishes for tonight so they won't work."

Liss tries to shove you as revenge but you do not budge.
"You grew scales too. Is that part of being a princess?"

"It is where I come from."

While your scales might have little to do with it, you think you've learned a little more on just how a princess and a queen is supposed to act. It isn't just internal power but how you curry external power as well.

> Gain a level in Princess

> Gain a new Snake Art.

>>43248743
Oh and yes before anyone mentions it, I am aware of the irony of awarding an internal power upgrade due to this revelation.

>>43248743
> Gain a new Snake Art.

>>43248743
> Gain a level in Princess

>watching your chest rise and fall. Liss seems to be watching it as well.

>tfw yurishit in snakecatcher quest

>>43248743
what does the next rank of princess actually do? i forgot.

>>43248743
> Gain a new Snake Art.

>>43248851
Hiss becomes insufferable. Or at least, that's how it was last time.
It makes her likely to get respect from just about everyone she meets and anyone who identifies as her servant has to roll to resist a direct order.

>>43248828
tfw no face

>>43248743
> Gain a level in Princess

>>43248887
Whoops, that was me by the way. I've been fucking up my trip in a variety of ways lately.

>>43248743
> Gain a level in Princess

I mean, more snek is best snek, but Princess Power will make this quest like a million times better.

>>43248835
>>43248916
Then change to
> Gain a new Snake Art.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>43248916
I also misread tfw as mfw which is embarrassing. Looks like a tie between Snake and Princess. Evens the former, odds the latter.

>>43248961
Wew Wew! Lucky, since I was too late to vote.

>>43248961
obligatory lurk more

>>43248961
I'm worried about how often we choose not to learn snake arts.

>Expert Princess

You think you have a better idea of how the world works now. Naturally you are at the top as a princess of the grandest royal bloodline in existence but it's important to know about those upon whom you stand as well. But even your compassion towards them only reinforces your sense of superiority, making it nigh-impossible for others to deny.

>Expert Princess: People are forced to recognize and respect you, even if they don't want to. Those sworn into your service find it extremely difficult to disobey you.

Liss is staring at you, open-mouthed.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yes!"
She slowly gets to her feet as best she can before attempting an awful curtsy. She nearly falls over halfway through.

> Acknowledge her as your subject.

> Laugh at her.

> "I don't rule you yet, you know."

> Other

>>43249059
> Acknowledge her as your subject.

>>43249059
Acknowledge! Tell her you suppose you'll have to take better care of her now that she'syours.

>>43249059
> Acknowledge her as your subject.
I don't think dropping too many hints about our intended takeover of this country is a good idea

>>43249091
I'm not sure I agree with your phrasing there anon.

>>43249059
> Acknowledge her as your subject.
We really need to get rid of that bond

>>43249059
> Acknowledge her as your subject.
I'd really like to get back to Lady Trebain's house now. That water hand thing is still out there.

> Acknowledge her as your subject.

You tap her lightly on the shoulder, passing your hand over your head.
"Yes, you're my subject."

Liss is looking confused.
"Uh, I didn't mean to do that. I don't know why."

"Too late now, it lasts forever. But don't worry, now that I own you I have a proper reason to actually care about you. Isn't that great?"

"No, that sounds awful."
But she's flushed in spite of herself and you know that she likes it. Because you want her to like it.

> Time to finish heading back.

> Instruct her to make two useless wishes (Specify what they are)

> Instruct her to do something silly because you can.

> Other

>>43249146
> Time to finish heading back.
I hope Cennen has a dispel brew handy for that water construct

>>43249146
> Time to finish heading back.

>>43249146
> Time to finish heading back.
Wake up everyone when we arrive

>>43249146
> Time to finish heading back.
Are you gonna be running longer since you don't have to work?

>>43249165
Maybe Rock could take control of it and detect where the wizard actually is?

>>43249146
Is the princess skill magical in some way?

> Time to finish heading back.

"Well, that's enough rest. Time to head back."
You pick her up without even asking and start walking back to the Trebain House.

You get about halfway before you hear a voice calling your name. The streets aren't very populated this late at night, it doesn't take long to find them.
It's Cennen and Oster, with Aashenpreet and Aina trailing behind them. Walking in front of Cennen is the Bunyip in his dog form, his nose pressed to the ground.
Have they been tracking your scent?

You rush over to them setting Liss down so that you can grab Cennen and Aina can hug Liss. You and Cennen babble past each other for a moment before you shush him by jamming a finger into his mouth.
You tell them everything that happened and then some, auditing out the parts of the tale where you did something as undignified as feel JEALOUS over Liss of all people. You also cut out the part with all the dubious bonding. Nobody needs to see that.

Together, they take you both back home. Except, you ponder as you linger in the doorway, this is far from home. Your real home still awaits you and you are not ready for it. Could you ever be?

When you look back up, everyone has gone off to do their own thing and has abandoned you on the doorstep AGAIN. Even Cennen!
He's probably brewing.

> Call everyone back out and enforce some discipline.

> Visit Cennen.

> Visit Liss.

> Visit Oster.

> Visit Aashenpreet.

> Visit Rock.

> Visit Eugene.

> Visit Lady Trebain.

> Maybe you just need some time alone.

> Other

>>43249359
> Visit Cennen.
Order him to make a brew strong enough to heal Liss.

>>43249251
It's nonmagical in the same way that Tanni's schtick is nonmagical. Expert Princess isn't quite as infallible as it appears mind you, since it depends on people's perception of you. It still lets Hiss easy-mode most social interactions however.

>>43249195
Possibly. I am getting sort of fatigued naturally though.

>>43249359
> Visit Cennen.
I'm sure he'd be pleased to hear our recent epiphany about our subjects

>>43249359
> Visit Rock.

>>43249359
>> Call everyone back out and enforce some discipline.

Practice guilting everyone with our new Expert Princess skills. We fought a wizard, got a new subject, and now we need some pampering to reassure ourselves that we are more popular than our new subject.

We should also suck up all the sympathy for getting struck by the wizard, and pets and approval from Cennen for saving Liss, and rubbing it in Rocks stupid spider face.

They thought hostile Hiss was bad? Wait until they deal with passive-aggressive snek.

>>43249359

> Visit Cennen.
Though we should also tell Oster to go search the city for the wizard, maybe inquire about Stivan's employer to get a lead

From who's point of view will that be?

>>43249359
> Visit Cennen.
Wishbond breaking time. Hiss can function as a human without her souls right?

>>43249359
So, nobody wants to get ready to deal with the whole "Wizard is after us" deal?

>>43249359
> Visit Cennen.
Get that wishbond dispelled

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>43249359
Rolling to see if Liss makes a casual wish while we're occupied.

>>43249359
Visit Cennen and get Rock too. Maybe Rock can tell where the wizard is through the curse that is still active in us.

>>43249464
You're really lucky that wishes Hiss doesn't hear don't do anything.

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>43249482
What about during prayer? Rolling.

>>43249531
Uh oh

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>43249531
Wow, I wish these were for things.

I have no idea why anyone voted for the Princess skill. Last time we got it, it was so irritating to do anything that Cennen had to crush Hiss' self-esteem so hard that she lost it. It is literally a roll to see whether or not we can control the player character.

> Visit Cennen.

You find Cennen in his room with Rock floating around his head. Like you had predicted, he seems to be brewing furiously.

You let yourself in without knocking.
"And just what are you up to, huh?"

Cennen blinks, looking briefly enraptured with you.
"Just starting to make some dispel brews. Since Old Bart is back and all."

You nod, looking over him thoughtfully. Cennen has always been resistant to you. You wonder if you could make him do something really silly and dumb just by asking.
But he IS doing something constructive right now.

> Mess with him.

> Tell him to make some Serpentbane instead.

> Tell him to make some more Heal-alls instead.

> Tell him about what happened between you and Liss.

> Ask Rock to go look for the construct.

> Sit on his lap.

> Other

>>43249542
Well, that's the third and no crits. It came close though!

I'm a bad man. We probably shouldn't have dropped that we can hear Liss pray though. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

>>43249549
Hiss rarely orders Cennen around anyway. It makes all her social interactions go more smoothly.

>>43249551
>> Sit on his lap.
>> Tell him to make some wishbreaker "just in case" you get caught.
>> Use Princess to refuse to elaborate on why this makes you feel uncomfortable, divert into petting, stop and tell him that he has work to do and you can continue once he's finished.

So, yeah. A little bit of messing with him.

>>43249531
Hmph

>>43249551
> Sit on his lap.
> Tell him about what happened between you and Liss.
> Tell him to make some Serpentbane instead.
It is rather urgent

>>43249553
And yet the first vote after acquiring the skill is to see what she can force Cennen to do.

>>43249551
> Tell him to make some Serpentbane instead.
> Tell him about what happened between you and Liss.
> Ask Rock to go look for the construct.
Give Rock a soul too. Might need a power boost to take control of the construct.

>>43249563
I said rarely, not never.

>>43249560
That's okay, we'll crit-fail now when it comes time to fight the Whizzard.

>>43249551
>>43249556
Seconding

>>43249563
You've never wanted to play with a new toy, Anon?

But I don't think we should just overbear him. We should try cajoling him, or other softer ways of manipulation.

>>43249551
> Tell him to make some Serpentbane instead.
> Tell him about what happened between you and Liss.
It's probably smarter to keep Rock here to defend us if the construct comes back.

>>43249551
shouldn't cennen already have a serpentbane? we made one of everything on the ship.

>>43249617
Actually there is one in our inventory according to the pastebin.

>>43249551
> Tell him to make some more Heal-alls instead.
> Tell him about what happened between you and Liss.

>>43249551
So, I guess lap sitting & telling him what happened with Liss is the common thread, and I'm adding in for >>43249556

Because yeah, I think our Princess power should make us more manipulative not just having people bow before us easier.

Also, Wishbreaker seems like the best bet for dealing with the Liss situation.

I mean, I'd like everyone to think we were nice to Liss WITHOUT it being under the duress of the wishbond, but I guess other people don't like that.

Cennen is not prepared when you sit yourself down on his lap, causing him to nearly drop a flask.
"Hi, Hiss. I need to work right now."

"But I have needs too."
You sit back, leaning right into him. You know just how to squirm in exactly the right ways to get him stimulated.

"Nnnngh?"

"Yes. And right now...I need a Serpentbane."
In the background you can hear the light susurration of prayer. Is that Liss? She must be getting ready to sleep. You try to tune it out as best you can.

He blinks, still very much distracted.
"The wishbreaker brew? Why?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head over it. Hurry up and cook one for me, won'tcha? I want one to have around in future."

"Uh, I actually have one already."
He passes it to you without further questions. He seems to have forgotten all about brewing now, you can feel that he's ready. And unfortunately for the mood, you can STILL hear Liss praying in the next room. Why won't she cut it out?

-...and I just wish that she'd tell me everything, I don't underst-

You get up, leaving Cennen quite frustrated.
"Sorry, I have to go."
You walk out the door.

The bottle of Serpentbrew is still in your hand. You can still try to stop this.

> Try to drink the brew.

> Don't.

>>43249693
> Try to drink the brew.

>>43249693
> Try to drink the brew.
Damn you and your amazing roll anon

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>43249693
> Don't

I gotta stand by my rolls.

>>43249693
> Try to drink the brew.

>>43249723
See? We could have boats. /u/boats.

> Liss is staring at your heaving chest.

My friends actually do a 69 motorboat with each other to say hi. One girl will come up behind the other while she's sitting down and motorboat from the top while her boobs fall in the others face.

It's terribly unerotic and honestly kind of ruins the whole thing, but it IS pretty funny.

>>43249693
> Try to drink the brew.

>>43249693
> Don't.

>>43249693
> Don't

GUYS. THE WIZARD IS STILL OUT THERE.

Goshdarnit, this is not good.

>>43249756
We don't need our souls to fight a wizard. And we're only disconnected from them for an hour.

>>43249693
> Don't

I love we have this choice.

>>43249693
>>43249715
Changing to
>> Don't.

Remember, we only have to answer the questions she asks, and we don't have to fully answer them! It will be great Princess training.

>>43249782
Delete it so we know it's you!

>>43249796
Nope. We have to tell her everything. Plainly stated in the wish.

>>43249803
Anything she doesn't understand, we do not know what she understands so we have to ask.

>>43249822
"I don't understand" wasn't part of the wish.

>>43249803
That we're a magical princess from a kingdom ruled by an evil tyrant, and we are descended from spirits that are atoning for rebelling against the creator, hence our snake shape? That we are traveling with Cennen so that we might overthrow our Tyrant father and take his place as the proper ruler of Snakehome?

That a bond was created between us when we were caught, and that her safety is paramount to us as well as she can now make one wish that we will honour?

Doesn't sound so bad.

>>43249693
You have no idea how happy I am to have caused this problem.

Oh, god, Liss is going to COMFORT us when she finds out that we were jealous of how many people care about her. And that we won't lose, and will have more friends then her and that she will be one of them.

> Don't.

You raise the bottle with trembling hands. Wait. Why are your hands shaking so much. The potions is practically going to fly out of them! You're not disobeying the wish. You're not disobeying the wish. You're not disobeying the wish.

But wishes work by intent. Does it know? Your own body is resisting your attempts to drink. You're not disobeying the wish BUT you are doing this in a deliberate attempt to break the wish's hold before you can complete it.

Your head hurts. Your head hurts real bad. And then a feeling of calm overtakes you and you put the small bottle back into your pocket. You won't resist.

Wishes that are made accidentally don't affect you. Liss made this wish over prayer deliberately. The idea makes you laugh a little as you walk down the hallway.

You open the door and step into Liss' room. Aina isn't here. Liss looks up from where she's lying on the bed and her face lights up.
"It really does work! And if it worked, that means you must want it, right? That's what you said?"

You shake your head.
"First things first, let me tell you about snakes..."

You talk for nearly an hour. By the end of it your voice is raw and Liss is wide-eyed. You feel great though, the rush of completing a long wish.
And the wish ends and reality strikes back. Ah fuck. You told her everything.

"So I only have one wish left?"

"Yes."

"But if it has a time limit, it won't immediately break the bond?"

"Yes."
Until the bond breaks, you have to tell her.

Liss sits up, fiddling with her hands.
"One wish...one wish...And you won't mind?"

"I don't have much of a choice in the matter."

Something seems to occur to her and she goes bright red.
"I can't wish for that. Can I?"

"You can wish for anything I am capable of doing."
Oh shit, she's going to take your wishborn technically-correct answer as approval, isn't she? You need to put an end to this.
1/2

>>43249869

> Drink the Serpentbane before she says anything else.

> Gag her.

> Eat her memories of the past hour or so.

> Try to princess her into submission.

> Call for help.

> Don't do anything.

> Other

>>43249881
> Drink the Serpentbane before she says anything else.
no yuri pls

>>43249881
> Drink the Serpentbane before she says anything else.

>>43249897
Given her past experiences, I don't think Liss would want to coerce anyone into sex

>>43249881
>> Try to princess her into submission.

But once the wish is done, I won't be bound anymore, so think carefully on how I will feel about you afterwards.

I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HER WISH IS.