Zigzag blinks furiously as she pulls away from you and your mental intrusion. Her eyes flicker from their human facade to snake-slit pupils and back again before settling on one of each. Her fangs are out and for a brief moment she cannot speak as her forked tongue is too long and thin for human words. She’s not a complete incompetent at shapeshifting however and so that last part quickly changes.
“What? What’s going on?”

What IS going on? Ellie is curled up by the bed, almost completely drained. You’ve stolen her powers and you can’t help but feel a little serpent-like yourself. Isn’t that good? You love this and you just want to take more and more. To eat as much as you can. You’re only half-certain if these desires are truly yours and you’re finding it hard to care either way.

You just tried to test your new powers on Zigzag by coiling around her soul and doing what you wished with it, maybe make her into a proper member of society for once, but it didn’t work and for some reason Zigzag looks horrified at the very notion.
You can’t eat another snake like you just yet. The only snake that can do that is Hiss. Maybe you can eat her Art when she arrives…

Zigzag looks at Ellie with her mismatched eyes and hisses.
“What have you done to her? To you? Go away!”

You’re not afraid of her. Your wish completely defanged her in every aspect. You could probably force her to drink a Magetheft.

>Convince her that nothing is wrong.

>Give her a Magetheft.

>”I was just trying to eat you.”

>Convince her that Ellie is fine.

>Call Aashenpreet in.

>Find some humans. You want to test out your new powers.

>Use a Potion (Specify)

>Make a wish (Specify)

>Other

>>45261009
HYPE

>>45261025
>Make a wish (Specify)
Wish for her to drink a shapeshifting brew and make herself human so we can alter her mind

>>45261025

>”I was just trying to eat you.”
Oh boy, this is going to end really bad

>>45261025
>Just curious about something Zigzag, it's fine. Just a we bit of megalomania on my end. Eliie is fine, I was just testing a potion to make sure it works. She's just going to be tired until I undo it.

>Test our shapeshifting and scales and all then drink an anti-dote.

>>45261112
This. Don't eat any of her soul though, we probably wouldn't be able to stop.

In addition, to make up for the hiatus I'm going to be doing some Interludes about what Hiss is up to while you've been doing all of this. There will be four of them throughout this thread.

Interlude One
Atherford is a sleepy little town nestled away within the Duchy of Melire. It does good trade with the surrounding regions and hinterlands, devouring their raw produce and churning out goods and services. They do their jobs, pay their taxes and the burgeoning merchant class sends their sons to Melire to learn in what were once noble-exclusive boarding schools. The sun rises and the sun sets and the small craft-town simply continues to exist.
The affairs of the long-absent Duke and the faraway High King in Taldenral matter little to such towns and the people within, one ruler is much like another. Which is a fantastic attitude to have considering that Atherford is just one of the many towns finding themselves in the newly declared territory of the Serpent Queen.

Hiss slams her boots up on the mayor’s desk and makes sure that he’s watching as she scrapes off the dirt and muck all over it. Taking Atherford had been child’s play and the town had been riddled with her spies and subverted humans before she even arrived. More and more of the land once governed by Melire became hers with each passing day.
“Don’t worry,” she addresses the cowering man currently clutched within the grasp of two of her living corpses. “I’m not interested in subverting your position, you’re still going to be mayor. But from this day forward you and your town owe allegiance to me.”

Her servants let him go and he falls to his knees. Hiss has already done this several times, She know that this is the point where he capitulates.
“Never,”he spits. “You’ll have to kill me first, witch!”

That prompts a raised eyebrow at the very least. Hiss hadn’t been expecting defiance from this dumpy little man who looked as soft as the dough his family kneads.
1/2

>>45261201
“Excuse me?”
One of her corpses kicks him in the stomach and drops him prone. She hadn’t even told them to do that! They were getting rather impressive in predicting their Queen’s desires.

“You know what I said. Do you think I hadn’t heard? Everyone knows you’re a witch!”

Witch. As far as Hiss is aware actual witches don’t exist. It’s a folktale that probably draws its origins in communities finding ways to slander unwanted magical humans, particularly female ones. The concept predates the ‘Witchlands’ of Quedesh but it was quickly affixed by distant rumours and misunderstandings about Quedeshi traditions and its ruling class. Hiss permits herself a smile.
“And if I was a witch, pray tell, what would your defiance accomplish? I could just curse you into a toad. Would you like to be a toad?”


That seems to shake him just a little but his defiance remains.
“Better than bending the knee.”

Hiss can’t help herself at this point, she just has to laugh.
“I-I’m sorry,” she splutters. “Just what do you think you are? You’re a fucking baker! Do you think I’m playing around? That this is finally your moment to stand up and be some big fairytale hero? Nobody else cares.”

She stands up and steps past the desk before he can say anything else and pins his throat beneath her foot. He doesn’t sound quite as impressive when he’s reduced to just a gurgle. She sits down on top of his chest and locks his eyes with hers.
“The best thing about being a ‘witch’ is that people like you don’t actually matter.”
She traps his soul with a glance and coils around it with her fangs ready. This wasn’t an Art that she herself possessed but she was of the Royal Blood and so it didn’t matter. She embodied all Snake Arts and made sure to surround herself with enough capable companions of her kind that she could use that Blood to call upon nearly any Snake Art possible.
2/3

>>45261188
Why do it at all then? She can't hurt us as a serpent anyways, as a human she could try.

>>45261228
With the help of her borrowed Serpent’s Temptation, she ate the defiance right out of his mind.

The next day the mayor returned his post and helped welcome Hiss to the town. The townsfolk had been uneasy about what they had heard of her but after every figure of authority and trusted friend started singing her praises they couldn’t help but join in of their own free will. And those that retained their capacity to be suspicious did nothing for her arrival actually helped them. In truth the majority of Hiss’ subversions had little to do with mind control and everything to do with promising to open up a new trade route to Melire itself.
Humans, Hiss decided, were a herd animal and while ruling them with fear was possible you could get better results by making them think it was their idea all along.

>>45261232
We can modify her soul when she's a human and the changes will stay when she becomes a snake again

>>45261263
We do that by eating her soul anon, do you really think Cennen on a megalomaniacal bent will not just eat her?

>>45261291
Nah, she's a useful tool

>>45261297
Has ANY snake ever not devoured their first soul? Even Aash who tried to stop couldn't. We have none of her reservations and all of the hunger and megalomania anon.

I'm just hoping nobody walks in on this insanity. We gotta drink that antidote soon. The problem is that we also need to undo Oster's brainwashing with Ellie's snake art. I think we should return her powers to her.

>>45261025
>”I was just trying to eat you.” I think I'm starting to see why you like it so much. Don't worry, you can't hurt me because of the wishbond so it's safe.

We're more snake than even Zigzag is.

>>45261346
I agree, plus, I say this potion should be put along the hissbrew under the category of super dangerous shit we should never, ever, use (unless it's necesary)

>>45261346
Obviously we should return her powers hahahahahaha fuck no. We're honestly a terrible fucking person at this point, so I say that instead we become an amazing snake-person and surpass everyone.

If we want to stand beside Hiss as an equal, we have to seek our own power and not just alchemy. Gotta get some intrinsic stuff changed as well that can't be dispelled. Like our plant nature.

>>45261448
Having these snake powers fucks our alchemy up though. And we can't keep this persistence brew going forever without side effects.

>>45261448
a few points
>>45261467
this


Also Hiss would murder us unless we could stop her, which right now we can't. Going full maniacal mad scientist inevitably ends up like that asshole who we killed in the basement.

>Wish for Zigzag to drink the shapeshifting brew.

Zigzag's mewling is starting to grow annoying as is the idea of prey that you can't catch. Fortunately you have an idea to remedy both. You pull a bottle of shapeshifting brew from your pack as you back Zigzag into a corner.
"I was just trying to eat you Ziggy, don't take it so personally."

"That's not what humans do!"

"Are you suddenly an authority on humans now?"
You roll the bottle over to her. It bounces off her feet and she doesn't pick it up.
"Well, you're about to be. I wish that you would drink that and turn into a human."

This third and final wish breaks the wishbond between the two of you, freeing Zigzag from her other wishes. But not until she does what you command. She wordlessly bends over and picks up the bottle, uncorking it and drinking it.
She then doubles over and nearly wretches, her mismatched eyes and fangs vanishing as she becomes what she was pretending to be. She sinks to the floor as a genuine human without any sort of Art whatsoever.
She stares up at you in terrified confusion.
"I don't understand. You healed my mouth before. Why?"
She spits at you but it's just saliva now.

>Pull her into trance.

>Eat her.

>Forcefeed her more potions (Specify)

>Wait, what are you doing?

>Other

>>45261556
>Pull her into trance.

File: thisisu.gif (495 KB, 450x279)

495 KB GIF

>>45261448
Dude, we don't want to end up as a copy of Hiss, and despite all the terrible shit we've done, we're still not too far gone to forsake everything we believe in

>>45261556
>Wait, what are you doing?
Guys, come on

>>45261556
Shit, I can't decide. It would be really nice to make her loyal and less murderous but changing her soul is a little extreme. Unfortunately we released her from her wishbond too so she's gonna be really dangerous and pissed off when she becomes a snake again.

>>45261556
>>Pull her into trance.
Then let her go, make her feel the terror of every human she's ever eaten. Then spit her back out and nobble her again while she's reeling.

>>45261556
>Pull her into trance.
make her loyal to us, get rid of her addiction, and get rid of her obsession with eating souls/humans. also don't eat her soul cennen you little shit.

>>45261686
>>45261737
This role reversal stuff ought to have some interesting results, provided we don't go overboard and turn her into a vegetable

>>45261556
>Wait, what are you doing?
Yo Ouro's back! Also guys pls I just wanna brew and go shopping for alchemy stuff with Aash

>>45261849
They are mutually exclusive though.

>>45261849
The weird part is that snake powers seem to make the user a bit more evil, the role reversal should give us some insight too.

>>45261916
I don't think evil is the appropiate term. It's more of a predator-prey sort of thing with snakes and humans

>>45261916
Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Aash did tell us of the standard snake mindset, to glut themselves on whatever they like, whenever they like, without care to anything else.

>>45261912
eh, we're still a human and therefore have no craving for souls.

>Pull her into trance.

This has been a long time coming. She's eaten a lot of people and for no reason beyond that she could. Why not return the favour?
You're not actually going to eat her of course. Just get into her soul and make her a better person.

She presses up against the wall as you advance.
"Stop that," she says at first. And then "Change me back." "Go away" was next and then no words at all as she batters at you ineffectually with hands and feet she barely knows how to use. A brief shriek follows as you ignore her attacks and slam her against the wall, your eyes meeting hers.
"I don't want to be eaten," she slurs almost comically as you pull her to the ground with you and sit atop her chest.

Zigzag almost seems to look to Elle for help before she finally acquiesces but the lovestruck serpent just nods and smiles with adoration.

You wrap around Zigzag's soul and you're already salivating. She's absolutely delicious.

>Eat her.

>Withdraw now that she knows what its like.

>Eat away her addiction.

>Make her loyal to you.

>Make devouring humans unpalatable to her.

>Rename her.

>Remove her memories of this incident.

>Give her a compulsion to be captured by humans.

>Degrade her intellect.

>Implant a subconscious command (Specify)

>Make a different change (Specify)

>Other

>>45261991
Neither did Aash until she tasted one

>>45261991
>You wrap around Zigzag's soul and you're already salivating. She's absolutely delicious

uh no?

>>45262016
>Withdraw now that she knows what its like.

once we start we can't stop most likely.

>>45261556
>Other

Why? That's a good question. Why not? What would you do in my place? Is this wrong?

Then
>Wait, what are you doing?

>>45262016
>Eat away her addiction.
>Make her loyal to you.
>Make devouring humans unpalatable to her.
The trance knocks her out and makes the shapeshifting brew wear off so she's gonna be a very angry snek if we do nothing

>>45262079
You do realize Cennen won't be able to stop much like Aash couldn't yes? Also we could nobble her really quickly.

>>45262016

>Withdraw now that she knows what its like.

We Don't want to get addicted.

>>45262016
>Make her loyal to you.
>Make devouring humans unpalatable to her.

>>45262016
> withdraw

>>45262016
>Make her loyal to you.
This one doesn't seem to involve any eating so it should be fine.

>>45262016
>Withdraw now that she knows what its like.
Man are those options tempting

She's going to fucking kill us if we don't prevent it here guys. She's free of any wishbond and is gonna have all her snake arts again.

>>45262196
She won't wake up immediately you fucking idiot. We can nobble her easily. Also we have scale of our own, not to mention bigger and stronger.

>>45262196
We also have a bunch of snake arts, and can re-bobble her while she's coming out of the trance.

>>45262237
If we touch her she'll shred our hands with scales.

>>45262016
>Make her loyal to you.

>>45262016
We should make her stay as a human permanently for a while I think.

>>45262256
Shapeshifting brews wear off whenever the drinker loses consciousness. She's already a snake again.

>>45262247
Not if she's still out of it from the trance, and not in human form. And our own scales should help with that.

>>45262196
She's still a human, what's the worse she could do?
What if now that we're a snake we can be nobbled?

>>45262247
We have scales to counter her scales dipshit. Scales are immune to slashing damage which is what her counter does, not to mention we an life her by her hair like hiss and beat her.

>>45262277
We're not a snake, we're just drunk on power and Snake art.

>>45262277
Nah we're still technically a human. We're just stealing some snake magic. There's nothing snakelike about our soul or body.

>>45262273
I'm okay with us getting a little shredded.

Or using a bag or something. Or one of our many other snake arts that we stole and we're able to knock her out last time.

>tfw anons kill off cennen right when ouro finally returns

>>45262273
We're sitting on her chest anon, so apparently the Trance doesn't count as a loss of consciousness. Did nobody read that part?

>>45262314
>tfw anons are alarmist idiots looking for an excuse to abuse their powers just because they can

>>45262314
> Good end

>>45262325
We're sitting on her chest because that's how snakes always fuck with souls after a trance. She's knocked out, that's literally all trances do.

Rolled 6 (1d6)

Looks like a tie between withdrawing after having taught a lesson and getting up in there. Evens the latter, odds the former.

>>45262016
>>Withdraw now that she knows what its like.

>>45262333
how do you picture her reaction after she wakes up?

>>45262314
>tfw Zigzag is the new mc and must impersonate Cennen

>>45262379
>That vote right after the tiebreaker announcement.
Aw heck, I'll let it count.

>>45262381
Pissed, but we have scales to negate her offense, are bigger AND stronger than her. We could wrestle her into submission.

>>45262333
You mean like almost every other vote in this quest, resulting in our severely compromised moral position now where we are the baddy no matter how much we want to whine we didn't mean it like a bitch?

Just pointing out, the one thing we haven't failed in is not fucking over our companions. This is pretty much the last line we have to cross here if we ear zigzag.

>>45262416
She's gonna knock us out with her venom breath immediately and that's game over anon

>>45262408
Well, I'm happy with the result either way.

>>45262418
>we always accidentally fuck over our allies
>because we're short sighted fools and alarmists
>So let's cross the last bastion of morals we have, piss on the character and intentionally kill her

>>45262451
She'll be disoriented, all we'd have to do is point her head away from us.

>>45262451
She still isn't a snake, since snakes don't have chests, so it looks like the trance is an altered state of consciousness not a lack of it.

>>45262486
She's a snake in human form. This isn't complicated anon.

>>45262477
I was saying we should NOT cross that line. Otherwise our entire chain of self justification collapses and we might as well embrace being an evil person and start building up to conquer everything, including Hiss.

>>45262502
She's a human because of the shapeshifting potion until she gets knocked out, at which point she reverts back.

>>45262553
And she did get knocked out. You'll see in this next update. She was a normal human until we knocked her out. When she lost consciousness she became a snake again but kept the human form.

>Withdraw now that she knows what its like.

You make a brief contact with her soul as you brush over her, just enough to know that she's scared out of her mind. Good. Now she knows what it must have been like for all of her victims.
You pull yourself away both physically and spiritually, getting up and breaking eye contact. It almost hurts you to do so and you know that if you had tried to just take a taste it would have been excruciatingly difficult to stop.

Zigzag writhes on the floor at you feet, drowsy and disoriented. As you get up from her, the door slams open! Aashenpreet bursts in with the broken doorknob still in her hand. She stares at you.
"I thought I heard a scream. What's going on?"

Zigzag seems to wake properly now and scales up immediately. Her brief encounter with humanity has come to an end.

>Subdue Zigzag.

>Tell her the truth.

>Lie to her about Zigzag attacking you.

>Get her to drink a Magetheft.

>Nobble.

>Flee

>Use Potion (Specify)

>Make a wish (Specify)

>Other

>>45262712
>>Subdue Zigzag.
>Tell her the truth.
I think I understand why snakes are the way they are, eugh.

>>45262712
>Use snake dispel
>Nobble

>>45262833
This, tell Aash to shut the door and get outside first though. We'll all lose our snake arts and she'll be none the wiser.

>>45262712
>Tell her the truth.
>"Zigzag and I just saw what it's like to be in each other's shoes"

>>45262712
>Tell her the truth.
I went a bit mad with power and showed Zigzag what it's like to be a human. I'll return everything to normal shortly.

>>45262712
>Use snake dispel
>Nobble

>>45262712
>Subdue Zigzag.
>Nobble.
>Tell her the truth.
If we can do it without snake dispel that would be preferable but otherwise we should use it.

>>45262888
That really does work out perfectly. We'll snap out of our powertrip and it would explain Elle's powerlessness. The problem is that she would stay in a human form while it usually reverts them to a snake form.

>>45263244
uh... what?

>>45263299
Sorry wrong thread

>>45263244
>tfw naruto fans also participate in quests I care about

>Tell her the truth.

"I'm just showing Zigzag what it's like to walk a mile in someone else's shoes, that's all."

That doesn't seem to mean anything to Aashenpreet.
"How? Start from the beginning."

"Well, first I stole Ellie's Arts-"

"What?"

"No it's okay, she's a traitor. And I figured why not teach Ziggy some manners while I have them? Nothing to be concerned about."

This does not seem to allay Aashenpreet's fears.
"You took her Art? You can do that?"

"Yeah, check it out!"
You let your stolen scales ripple across your skin for just a moment.
"Cool, isn't it?"
You should probably subdue Zigzag before she fully recovers so you get ready to do that only to be interrupted by Aashenpreet once more.

"Cennen...step away from her."
She tries to sound calm but her voice is trembling.

"It's Zigzag, Aash. You know she's dangerous."

"Please be quiet. There's something wrong with you. You're just a human Cennen, you're not supposed to have those!"

"Late-"

Your scales immediately flash into defence as the broken doorknob slams into your chest with enough force to wind you.
Aashenpreet grabs your outstretched arm and pulls you off Zigzag and towards her. Your scales are active but their defence is of little use against this.
She wraps both of her arms around you and pulls you into a hug strong enough to squeeze every ounce of air from your lungs. Sparks fly before your vision. You can't move, you can't speak, you can barely even think.
Aashenpreet is going to kill you.

And then just before you black out, Aashenpreet slams you up head-first into the ceiling. The wood splinters and breaks and the force of it leaves you stunned and reeling with pain as she drops you to the floor.
Ellie goes absolutely nuts and seizes Aashenpreet from behind, trying to strangle her. Aash cries out but then just breaks Ellie's grip like it was nothing before picking up the broken door and dropping the weakened serpent with a single strike.
1/2

>>45263381
you guys could've listened to me and used the snake dispel

>>45263444
I think they forgot about Aash's strict snake supremacist beliefs.

>>45263469
>tfw my favorite character hates us now

>>45263381
You try to move but can only accomplish flopping about like a beached fish as Aashenpreet kneels down beside you.
Above her you can still the smashed-in dent in the ceiling where your skull was briefly used as a battering ram.
"Cennen..."

Zigzag scrambles to her feet.
"I'm going to eat him!"

Aashenpreet catches Zigzag's charge, gasping in pain as her sharp scales lacerates her palm before picking the smaller snake up by the scruff of her neck and throwing her out the window. You hear a distant thud outside.

She settles back down beside you, her hands bleeding and her eyes watery. Is she crying?
"Cennen, I have had a really bad day today. I need you to stop."

You gurgle.

"This isn't you. Just, for once in your life, just stop doing things like ...THIS!"

Her last word is shouted as Ellie gets back up and Aashenpreet throws the bed at her.

>Promise Aash to set things back to how they were.

>Attack Aash now that her guard is down.

>Promise but lie.

>Other

>>45263578
>Promise Aash to set things back to how they were.

>>45263578
>Promise but lie.

>>45263578
>Promise Aash to set things back to how they were.
Hug her and apologize as sincerely as possible. We really need to go get Zigzag though.

>>45263578
>Promise Aash to set things back to how they were.
>"Sorry"
>Ask for a heal all

>>45263578
>Promise Aash to set things back to how they were.

>>45263578
>Promise Aash to set things back to how they were.
I was planning too anyways, Aash, but first we need to grab Zigzag, unless you WANT her on a rampage to blow our cover and fuck all this over. I had no intention of actually holding onto any of this. It'd fuck up my alchemy too much. Elle let her go.

>>45263578
>Promise Aash to set things back to how they were.
Drink persistence antidote

Brb for a few minutes, eating.

Geez, poor Aash. She's really had the worst day imaginable. We need to cheer her up somehow and pay her back for always being our moral compass. We owe her a lot.

>>45263879
At least she didn't go flying trough the window.
We're probably not on the ground floor, either

>>45264143
Zigzag's dragon scales make her impervious to any fall damage

>Promise to Aash to set things back to how they were.

You cough and Aashenpreet starts searching through your pack.
"I'm sorry," she says. "You might be out of heal-alls."

"It's fine, it's fine."
You're still wheezing quite a lot but you manage to sit up.
"I'm sorry Aashenpreet, you were right. I wasn't myself. I let that affect me."

"Screw you!"
Aashenpreet's sudden outburst is accompanied by her shaking you savagely.
"What about me? Do you have any idea how awful this day has been to me? Well from now on I'm not just sitting by and letting this always happen. We are doing things my way for once and that starts with you undoing whatever this is!"

"I promise," you say as you drink the Persistence Antidote. You feel even weaker now, fully human once more. Well, human and plant.

"Now," Aashenpreet says with a false veneer of happiness stretched out over a stressed and crumbling tone, "I am going to grab Zigzag and I am going to sit us all down and we are all going to have fun and not kill anyone or hurt anything or do anything bad. Just once. We are going to be friendly and comfortable and we are going to have a good time."

She storms out. It seems that she's finally had enough and you're not sure you like the result. It's just you and Ellie now and she seems to be out cold.

>Make sure Ellie is alright.

>Start brewing.

>Re-establish your stolen Arts now that Aash is gone.

>Prepare yourself for when she comes back.

>Use Potion (Specify)

>Make wish (Specify)

>Other

>>45264265
>Make sure Ellie is alright.
Give her a persistence antidote too. And heal-alls if necessary.

>>45264265
>Make sure Ellie is alright.
>Start brewing.
Some Gunk for Zigzag, and lots of heal alls.

>>45263578

>Promise but lie.

And then later on we can call her out on being a snake nazi.

After all, what happens to her world views if suddenly she isn't special just for being a snake? An albino shit snake at that.

>>45264265
>Make sure Ellie is alright.

>>45264327
Nah man we're trying to break her addiction.

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51 KB JPG

>>45264329

>>45264265
>Make sure Ellie is alright.
Give her the persistence antidote. The love potion keeping her harmless won't be affected and we need someone with her snake arts to fix what she did to Oster.

>>45264351
It's the only thing keeping her from ganking us, It's less giving it to her immediately and more just in case.

>>45264265
>Make sure Ellie is alright.
> Start brewing heal-all

We should also make zig-zag spend some time as a human at some point so she can understand our point of view now that she isn't under wish bond.

Because otherwise she'll probably kill us.

And someone should remind Aash that she's a snake, so why is it so important for her to spend time with friends like a human would when they've had a bad day?

>>45264429
Snakes can have friends too. Quit trying to start shit with best girl.

>>45264314
I sort of want to do this, release her from the love potion as well. Once Hiss arrives she's done for. We should let her live her last hours with at least a modicum of dignity

>>45264467
Snakes aren't people

>>45264265

>Make sure Ellie is alright.

>Start brewing.

>Re-establish your stolen Arts now that Aash is gone.

>Prepare yourself for when she comes back.

Aash needs to calm the fuck down and tell us about her bad day, but she also needs to listen to ours. No way are we giving up the traitors arts.

And if she refuses then we'll incapacitate her and turn her into a human as well so she can think things over and reconsider her position.

>>45264487
I just want her to fix oster. She made him loyal to her with her snake arts and that will be a problem unless she fixes it.

>>45264467
She nearly killed us and is picking up Hiss tendencies, it's warranted.

>>45264487
You think that dignity is going to mean shit once Hiss gets her?

>>45264501
So much this. Soooooo fucking much. Hiss is the best one out of them all and she is fucking horrible.

Aash is upset we have snake arts, she doesn't really give a shit about us.

>>45264265
>Make sure Ellie is alright.
>Re-establish your stolen Arts now that Aash is gone.

Specifically Artskin. I don't really care about the others but that one removes alot of the negatives from persistence brews.

>>45264265

>Start brewing.

>Re-establish your stolen Arts now that Aash is gone.

If the traitor is dead that's just one less thing to deal with.

>>45264265
>Make sure Ellie is alright.

Calling it for tending to Ellie.

>>45264519
>>45264590
>>45264610
Wtf guys? Having snake arts isn't worth it.

>>45264327
No gunk. We should make her human for a while so she can kick the habit and maybe learn to be livable so we don't have to kill her.

Seriously guys what the fuck is wrong with you and Zigzag. You're kind to her in the cruelest way possible. It's fucked up.

>>45264265
Even if we don't take her arts we at least need to throw our persistence+strength+regen back on

>>45264661
Can we also re-establish snake arts please? Many votes for that.

>>45264695
lol no

>>45264695
Only 3 which isn't even half.

>>45264666
All I want is the one that lets us use permanency brews with out letting wizards permanently fuck our shit up with magic.

>>45264729
Meh. We already have brews that do the same thing.

>>45264711
>>45264721
Well in that case I think we should look into a potion that makes snakes human.

Also reminder that Hom is still conscious and trapped in a sensory deprived state and we should mercy kill him and make a new one for Eva to be sisters with.

Because we're a shitty parent indeed.

>>45264847
Our shapeshifting brew can already do that. You might be right about Hom though.

>>45264847
We should also let godhiss know of our progress

>Make sure Ellie is alright.

You crawl over to where Ellie is lying beneath the upended bed-frame. She's unconscious and more than a little bruised but she seems to be in good health otherwise.
You get your equipment ready and with faltering hands prepare three Heal-Alls. You set one aside for Aashenpreet and one for Elle when she wakes up and drink the third to revitalize yourself.
You're feeling much better now.

Aashenpreet re-enters the room a few minutes later with Zigzag clutched by the back of her collar, carefully keeping her hands away from Zigzag's bare skin.
Zigzag scrambles away from you when Aashenpreet drops her.
"He tried to eat me!"

"And how does that make you feel?," Aashenpreet says wearily.
That shuts Zigzag up as Aashenpreet sits down beside you. She stares at Elle glumly.
"What are we going to do about her?"

>"Give her to Hiss, I guess."

>"Are you alright?"

>"Do you want to go out for another tour?"

>"We'll decide when Oster and the others get back."

>"What would they do in Quedesh?"

>"We need to do something about Zigzag."

>Nobble Zigzag.

>Nobble Aash.

>Use Potion (Specify)

>Other

>>45264986
>"Are you alright?"
We need her to fix what she did to Oster at least.
Out of curiosity
>"What would they do in Quedesh?"
seems like a good place to start with what not to do.

Also Zigzag, if I wanted to eat you, you'd be eaten, that was an object lesson, so you'd know how the other side feels.

>>45264986
>"Give her to Hiss, I guess."
However, we should plead with Hiss for her to listen to what Elle has to say, since some of her points were valid, and a ruler should listen to her subjects.

>>45264986
>"We'll decide when Oster and the others get back."
>"Are you alright?
Thank her for always being our moral compass and promise to do better. Ask how we can make it up to her.

>>45264986
>"What would they do in Quedesh?"
>"Are you alright?"
>"We need to do something about Zigzag."

>>45265080
This. We need to find a more secluded place to do alchemy/ make homunculi at so we can make her pseudochildren for her.

>>45264986
>"Give her to Hiss, I guess."
>"Are you alright?"
>Start brainstorming with her on what her homunculi should be like.

So what's the plan with Zigzag? Just gonna trust her now or what?

>>45264986
>"We'll decide when Oster and the others get back."
>"We need to do something about Zigzag."

>>45265228
I dunno, our little impromptu lesson seemed somewhat effective. She totally hates us now though. Probably smarter to just wishbond her but maybe she could earn our trust.

>>45264986
>"We'll decide when Oster and the others get back."
> Zigzag, we have to figure out how we're going to deal with each other without a wish bond.
> After that, do you want to tell me why your day is so bad Aash?

>>45264986
>"We'll decide when Oster and the others get back."
>"Give her to Hiss, I guess."
>"Are you alright?"

>>45265336
You really don't know why her day has been so bad?

>>45265228
I'd like to speak with her before deciding on what to do about her

>>45265317
Scared. She's scared of us.I don't think anything has tried to eat her before, or gotten so close to it.

And she might be dealing with confusing feelings of empathy due to the whole spending time in human shape and having us kiss her soul.

>>45264761
Shields us one time before it goes poof. I mean this boat has apparently sailed so I won't bemoan anons decision, other than taking ALL THE ART last thread so whatever.

>>45265362
Does Cennan?

Interlude Two
Hiss strode out of the smithy having just negotiated for every helmet they had in stock. It was probably for the best that her loyal corpses cover up just a little after all. The streets in Atherford were relatively crowded but they parted for her as she walked among her subjects. She was alone save for Orange and one of her corpses, what need would SHE of all people have for a bodyguard? Everybody got out of her way.
Everybody save one.

A small boy-child was left standing in the middle of the street after everyone else receded, standing directly in her way. His clothes were quite fine and weren’t unkempt so he wasn’t poor or an orphan. Probably just a little brat who has been temporarily misplaced by whoever was supposed to be keeping an eye on them.
“Out of the way kid.”
She kicked him aside though she did so not ungently for she was aware that was being watched and that humans ascribed a ridiculous amount of value on their young.

“Excuse me?”
The child attempted to grab her hand. Orange hisses.
“My mum says you’re a witch.”

The crowd goes silent. Orange placed himself between Hiss and the boy.
“Don’t bother the Queen you little brat! Now away with you!”

“No. It’s fine. And just where’s your mother now, hmm?”

“You don’t look like a witch.”

Aware of the eyes of the crowd, Hiss bent down to stare the child in the eye.
“What exactly is wrong with you?”

“My ball got stuck in the mill pond over there. Can you magic it out?”

“No she will not,” Orange said. “How dare you make such demands?”
His words faded out when Hiss turned away from them all without speaking and strode towards the distant lake. As they all watched she simply keep walking until the waters closed over her head and she vanished from view. She was gone for several minutes, longer than anyone could survive and people began to openly question just what happened.
1/2

>>45265425
nigga reread the last few threads

>>45265428
And then her head cleared the filthy water again and she strode out, completely dry. In her hand was a sodden ball which she then presented to the child as the crowds whispered and murmured amongst themselves. She really was a witch! And beyond that, she was benevolent and kind!

And then the little boy said ‘No, mine was a different color.”

Hiss threw him into the pond.

>>45265456
kek at least you tried hiss

>>45265456
At least she tried. Hopefully she realizes she gets more flies with sugar than vinegar.

>>45265474
Brat had it comming

>>45265440
Pfft she's just pouty.

>>45265456
Actually, I think this would just make people empathize with her even more. Take the damn ball kid.

>>45265621
She could have killed him, going through all that and only tossing him into the lake was tame for Hiss.

>"We'll decide when Oster and the others get back."
>"Are you alright?"

"I guess we'll decide when Oster and the others get back. Probably give her to Hiss."

Aashenpreet frowns.
"That doesn't sound pleasant."

"I doubt it will be but it might be what she deserves. I certainly can't keep her like this."

"I suppose it has to be done."

"Are you alright?"

"Do I look alright? Of course I'm not, Cennen. This day has been awful and it doesn't stop getting worse? Why can't we just go back to touring the city and having a good time? All of this, that damn love potion, that thing in the basement...and Hiss is coming on top of that? What else am I supposed to do?"

"Well, you nearly killed me."

She looks a little bashful.
"Sorry about that, I was just venting. But I'm fine now. Really."

The two of you sit in silence for a few minutes more, Zigzag staring awkwardly at both of you the entire time.
And then you choose to break the silence.
"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

And that's when Aashenpreet breaks down and confesses what transpired between her and Tatterdemalion. The infant she had discovered and then had deliberately left to die.
"He would have wanted it to live but I'm sorry! I knew it had to end there! I couldn't let the baby live and I can't stop thinking about it."

>Comfort her.

>Tell her that the baby didn't deserve to die.

>"I'm sure Aashimid will forgive."

>You have no idea what to say or do here.

>Other

>>45265771
>Comfort her.
>"I'm sure Aashimid will forgive."
Hug, zigzag too if she won't flip out

>>45265771
>Comfort her.
You did the right thing. Give her the most platonic hug possible.

>>45265771
>Comfort her.
Hug her and after a bit start discussing the homunculi we promised to make for her

>>45265771
>Comfort her.
Maybe just offer a hug? She might be a bit wary of too much physical contact after the love potion fiasco

>>45265771
>You have no idea what to say or do here.

>>45265771
>Comfort her.
also apologize for getting her into these messes. ask how to make it up to her

>>45265869
>speaking of infant abominations, whatchu want yours to be like?

>>45265869
On the subject of homunculi, we really need to make a shapeshifting brew that allows the user to shift between their original form and the shapeshifted form at will. It would be really nice to use for homunculi so they could have a human form and their original soulshaped form too.

>>45266065
Yeah I think it'd be cool to make a bunch of brews that improve our homunculi. Especially since we can't exactly go birthing any homunculi in these inns we keep staying in.

>>45265771
>>"I'm sure Aashimid will forgive."
certainly more than the rest of us anyway

Interlude 3

Hiss was starting to get a little tired of the townsfolk adoring her. The story of what she had done with the child had spread like wildfire and it had people laughing and siding with her. She had failed but had apparently done so in an endearing way and her punishment of the boy was seen as both just and hilarious. She had actually intended to throw him in there so she could drown him but had thought better at the last moment and it was good that she had! Now everyone loved her.

Which was fantastic! Except now everybody wanted their new Witch Queen to solve all of their various petty issues. At first she decided to play nice and do her best to address them. The problem was that everyone seemed to have a very vague idea of just what her ‘witchcraft’ could accomplish and thus presented her with problems she couldn’t solve? Still she did her best at apprehending wrongdoers, fixing ills and hypnotizing people into reviving failing marriages and friendships. And when it came to problems she couldn’t solve she just started pruning people’s minds until they believed that she had.
At first she thought that if she did all of this people would be happy and leave her alone. But all it did was make more and more people come begging at her door! She’d finally had enough and instead of fixing the next poor sap’s problems she instead hypnotized him so that he’d smear his face in a pile of cow dung every day.

Being good and benevolent was fucking exhausting and unrewarding, she decided. She needed a break. So she stormed out of town alone for several hours to clear her mind and to get away from everything. But while she was contemplating how best to rule (and throwing rocks at birds) she was beset by a small gang of rough men with even rougher tools.

1/2

>>45266303
She’d been looking for more test subjects for her Soul Kingdom so after a few minutes their souls had been given new homes in a small rock, a stump, a puddle of water, a mosquito and Hiss’ left boot. This cheered Hiss up immensely and so she made her way back to Atherford.

Only to find that those men had been notorious troublemakers and brigands in the local area for quite some time. She was a hero now!
Hiss was more or less forced into a feast held in her honor, during which she contemplated both murder and suicide several hundred times.

>>45266324
These are hilarious. And it's nice to see that Hiss is taking our advice seriously.

>Comfort her.

You sweep her up in a hug once more and while she doesn't reciprocate, she seems to appreciate it.
"I don't know what I would have done there, Aash. I hope I'll never find out. I think you did the right thing."

"You think so?"

"I just said so, didn't I?"
The moment between the two of you is sort of ruined by Zigzag attempting to sneak out the broken door.

>Nobble her.

>Grab her.

>Offer her oil.

>Ask her to stay.

>"Have you learned nothing?"

>Other

>>45266417
Inb4 she snaps in the fourth interlude and burns down the fucking town

>>45266459
>Ask her to stay.

>>45266459
>Ask her to stay.

>>45266459
>Ask her to stay.
>"Have you learned nothing?"

>>45266459
>Ask her to stay.
We make a good team. I promise I won't scare or wishbond you anymore.

>>45266459
>>Ask her to stay.
there is really no good way out of this

>>45266459
>Ask her to stay.
Now we've both nearly eaten each other. It's kinda weird but I consider you my friend somehow.

>>45266459
>Ask her to stay.
Apologize and tell her we'll heal her whenever she needs it. Also that we don't want to wishbond her anymore.

Here's hoping that our above average charisma stat pulls through for us

>Ask her to stay.

"Come on Ziggy, can't you just stay with us? You wanted to come."

"No I didn't!"

Oh right, you brought her along with you because she was both wish-bonded and addicted.
"I promise I won't scare or wishbond you anymore."

Zigzag doesn't look convinced.
"I thought you were nice when you fixed my mouth. But then you kept giving me the gunk and drained all of my blood and kept me locked up in the hut for days. And then you stole my words and took away my power. And enslaved me. And tried to eat me."

"You tried to eat me too."

"That's different."

"Is it?"

"Yes."
She doesn't look convinced by her own argument.
"I'll stay but I want to eat humans and have hot baths every day."

>Agree.

>Agree but only to the bath bit.

>Offer her some Snake Oil instead.

>"Is there something else besides eating people I can give you?"

>Turn her back into a human until she gets over her obsession with eating them.

>Nobble her.

>Ask Aashenpreet if she's willing to supervise Zigzag all the time.

>Other

>>45266770
>Agree but only to the bath bit.
>"Is there something else besides eating people I can give you?"
>Ask Aashenpreet if she's willing to supervise Zigzag all the time

>>45266770
>Agree but only to the bath bit.
>"Is there something else besides eating people I can give you?"
There may be the occasional human that's okay to eat though.

>>45266770
>Agree but only to the bath bit.
>We'll see about you eating humans

>>45266770
>Agree but only to the bath bit.
>"Is there something else besides eating people I can give you?"
Let's think of a brew you want that I can design just for you.
>Ask Aashenpreet if she's willing to help supervise Zigzag.

>>45266770
>>Agree but only to the bath bit.

>>45266870
This.
It's a bit off topic but what are we gonna do with our wizard soul? We've had it for way too long already. Any ideas?

>>45266770
>"Is there something else besides eating people I can give you?"
Brainstorming a brew just for her would be nice. Although she likely only wants brews that help her get souls or something related.

>>45266919
I think he's good as a keychain for the moment, maybe we can use it for our homunculus research in the future

>>45266919
Well we planned to give it to Hiss a while ago. Maybe we could use it as a model to make a wizard homunculus or something though.

>>45266989
I think we're gonna be stuck in Melire for a while. We need to find a suitable lab room for homunculus alchemy. Though we should definitely make that modified shapeshifting brew proposed earlier before we make any new homunculi.

>>45266919
We should examine it to determine how fast souls decay without a proper body. I have no idea how long it's been since we killed Bart though. Maybe a week and a half?

>>45267097
But this isn't a normal soul

>>45266919
We could actually revive Bart completely if we stuck it in a soulshape brew with some organic material

>>45267169
All souls decay. Bart was worried about it himself.

>>45267181
Cool, let's never do that
>>45267201
Yeah, but his soul may decay at a different rate and in different ways than a normal human soul

>Agree but only to the bath bit.
>"Is there something else besides eating people I can give you?"

She's still stuck on eating humans, huh? And now she's actually capable of doing so again.
"The baths are fine, agreed on that. But you can't just eat people Zigzag. How many times have we been over this?"

"You fed me that guard when we first met!"

"Yes and I regret it every day. Is there anything else you want besides eating people?"

She pauses to think.
"A supply of those potions you have that make things small."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're just going to use them to eat people again!"

"What about potions that can make me really big?"

"No because that's just another way to eat people! Stop asking for that stuff."

She spends a few minutes thinking.
"Then change me back into a human again and change yourself into a snake so I can wishbond YOU. Do what you did to me."

"No."

"Then I'm leaving."
She turns as if to go out the door but she keeps her eyes trained on the two of you the entire time.

>Give her the shrinking brew.

>Promise to make her a growing brew.

>Promise to give her a growing brew but give her something else instead.

>Agree to be nobbled. As long as you're willing the wish-bond won't work anyway.

>Nobble her.

>Propose a different payment (Specify)

>"Fine then, leave." She'll be back.

>Use Potion (Specify)

>Other

>>45267237
It's still worth looking at. Better than doing nothing at all with his soul. I kinda wanna make an improved soulsight geared more towards up close examination of a single soul in greater detail too.

>>45267310
>>Propose a different payment (Specify)
A potion that would be warm when she shook it, so she'd never be cold. Like a warmth sunbrew. Or we could teach her basic alchemy so she could make thing s herself.

>>45267310
>Agree to be nobbled. As long as you're willing the wish-bond won't work anyway.
We can always break the wishbond with a brew if she tries to make us do something awful.

>>45267310
You guys are stupid. Either we maintain a position of power and control the snakes, or they stay in charge and do as they like. There's no reasoning with them like a person.

Hell, even Ash doesn't care much about our life in comparison to hers or another snakes. And thats WITH our "friendship".

>>45267310
>Propose a different payment (Specify)
Make her a gun like ours

>>45267310
>Propose a different payment (Specify)
I don't mind if you eat souls of people who want to harm us.

>>45267310
>"Fine then, leave." She'll be back.
>Remind her Hiss will be mad if her cover is blown before shie arrives

>>45267310
>>Promise to make her a growing brew.

>>45267310
>Agree to be nobbled. As long as you're willing the wish-bond won't work anyway.

>>45267438
i call bullshit on aash not valuing cennan equivalent to other snakes, she clearly does value human life as worth saving even if her opinion comes from a patronizing attitude.

obviously she's an outlier but treating the snakes like shit and expecting positive results is counterproductive.

>>45267415
>>45267487
Both of these are fine, wishbond is a bad idea though.

>>45267548
Really? We took the powers of a traitor snake and she literally almost killed us. That is FAR beyond a patronizing attitude.

Ultimately, it's fine that that she feels that way and that other snakes look down on humans, they are a predator of humans. But it's ridiculous to keep giving up opportunities for power because snakes don't like it.

>>45267599
the powers fuck up our alchemy, If we wanted to have snake power we could use shapechange brew to turn into a full blooded snake emperor, without the pissy ness.

>>45267648
They do indeed. That doesn't mean we shouldn't ever use it, which we agreed to do because Aash got all pissy because it upsets her snakes>>>>>>humans paradigm.

>>45267415
This is worth a shot, I guess. I can't think of anything else.

>>45267599
what we did was creepy as hell, and if you saw somebody about to kill someone whose life you valued you'd definitely not be criticized for putting them in a bearhug.

she also had enough restraint not hurt cennan and protect him.

>>45267685
oh we'll do worse if the situation calls for it, We'll go full snake dragon if need be.

>>45267736
And? We're long past that being a problem.
>somebody about to kill someone whose life you valued
>she also had enough restraint not hurt cennan and protect him.
We weren't about to kill anyone, and she did hurt us.

>>45267737
I can't wait. We really need some way of enhancing our base form even more.

>>45267838
We're already super strong. We should make more defensive brews though. And we can improve our regen brew by mixing it with heal-all in the correct amounts.

>>45267838
Make long duration Potence and regen potions, Make long duration multi-use magic block potions, make long duration anti-venom. Make a potion derived from snake stuff for natural armor.

>>45267838
We've kind of neglected our self-enhancement brews a bit. They're a much better option than stealing snake arts though.

>Propose a different payment (Specify)

"Hold on Ziggy, I might have something else I can make you."
You describe your idea to her, a potion that would always supply a heady amount of intoxicating warmth.

Zigzag shakes her head at first but eventually relents, clearly attracted to the idea.
"It's not going to be like the gunk is it?"

"I promise you it won't."

Zigzag sits back down, the empty doorway at her back.

"You know," you say. "Shouldn't the innkeeper have come up or have done something after all the racket we've made in here?"

Aashenpreet suddenly looks embarrassed.
"I may have... encountered him when I was chasing after Zigzag. I didn't touch him or hurt him, don't worry. But I was carrying the door with me and I feel I might have intimidated him somewhat."

"I'll pay him extra later I guess as long as he doesn't call the guards on us."

>Create Zigzag's new brew now.

>Get some different brewing done.

>Play a game with Zigzag and Aashenpreet.

>Go downstairs and settle matters with the innkeeper.

>Just wait for Oster to return.

>Other

>>45268067
>>Create Zigzag's new brew now.
then
>Play a game with Zigzag and Aashenpreet.
riddles

>>45268067
>>Play a game with Zigzag and Aashenpreet.
tash would be nice and relaxing, we can discuss this brew with zig

>>45268067
>Go downstairs and settle matters with the innkeeper.

>>45268067
>Create Zigzag's new brew now.
>Send Aash to the innkeper

>>45268067
>Create Zigzag's new brew now.
can't believe we almost agreed to the wishbond

>>45266770
>Agree but only to the bath bit.
>Offer to turn her into a human for a bit so she doesn't want the gunk anymore.
> If she refuses, offer her gunk if she agrees to turn into a human.

>>45268067
>Create Zigzag's new brew now.
>Give Aash some gold to pay for the window and door and send her off to apologize

>>45268208
I love you, Consistently One Update Behind Anon.

>>45268193
>>45268244
These. A game would be nice afterwards but I really want to make that modified shapeshifting brew.

>>45268248
We've been growing mushrooms, and are testing them out right now and it is super hard to remember to refresh.

Captcha is really easy though.

>>45268128
Cennen hates that game though

>>45268196
I think it would have been funny. I mean really, what could she do to us that wouldn't get Hiss to fuck her up.

Now we have to gain her trust some other way.

>>45268067

We should remind Zigzag that we could have eaten her, but we stopped, and ask her to think on reasons why she wouldn't eat people and why we might have stopped. And then apologize for having tried to do so.

>>45268196
I can't believe Zigzag was so easily haggled down to a hot brew

>>45268067

>Create Zigzag's new brew now.
>Ask if zigzag wants to play a game with you and Aash after you're done brewing.

Damn it this vote I'm getting in on time.

>>45268244
Our excuse could be we were testing out brews and they had side effects of making the drinker kind of erratic/excitable

>>45268067
Fuck you Ouro. We WILL waifu autistic murder snake by confusing her onto our boner.

>>45268464
Hell no. Point out that we were experience how snakes think. And judging from Aash and Zigzag's reaction it's not very nice.

>>45268506
But we already did that, like 50 threads ago

>>45268540
I'm making an excuse for the innkeeper about why he saw Aash running down the stairs with a door and coming back holding a tiny woman by her collar.

>>45268573
kek good one anon

Interlude 4
During the feast a man had the gall to sit next to Hiss and engage in conversation. He was an older man but scarcely affected by such and was a travelling trader stopping by in Atherford. Hiss permitted his foolishness because she had not been with Cennen for a long time and was thus unwilling to turn down the company of a charming man. Not that she would actually do anything with him of course but was it a sin to let your eyes enjoy themselves every now and then? If it was then she had already made a mistake in keeping Orange as her personal attendant because it sure as hell hadn’t been his sterling personality that had qualified him for the job.
She didn’t really pay attention to the trader’s small talk but she learned his name was Aelthred.

Hiss deliberately chose not to drink too much wine as she had proven to have a poor stomach for it in the past but found her head getting quite blurry regardless. Was she really that bad at all of this? She excused herself and staggered off to her quarters, immediately sinking into a deep and dreamless sleep.

When she awoke, she found that she had been moved and was now trapped in a small steel cage! Furthermore she could feel the grip of a wish-bond around her soul! The cage she was sitting in was inside a moving wagon that quickly came to a stop as her captor revealed himself.
Hiss was somehow not surprised to learn that it was Aelthred.
“Just what do you think you’re doing? You have five seconds to let me out of this before you’re getting hexed!”

“I know you’re not a witch,” he said, scuppering her hopes. “You’re an animal, a legless beast! When the townsfolk told me about your feats I thought they sounded familiar and well…”
He has a very old book and across its pages is emblazoned the picture of something vaguely like a snake.
“To think I actually caught one! I didn’t know you things were real!”
1/2

>>45268894
Hiss sighed. She was very possibly one of the most powerful beings in the world and yet her record against moron hicks who looked at a book with a snake in it once was abysmal.
“You’re dabbling in powers you don’t understand. Again, I’m giving you once chance to let me go. Do this now and you will be spared.”

“Nonsense! I know how this works, you are bound to me! Now for my first wish-”

Hiss made eye contact with him for just a split second. It was from a distance and she was nowhere near the correct position to put him into trance but such was the force of her Art that he stepped back as if slapped by a physical force, his chain of thought broken and his mind semi-dazed.
While he spent a second staggering about she ripped her way out of the steel cage and strode over to him, taking him by the neck with one hand and forcing him to the floor.

“You can’t hurt me,” he spluttered.

Hiss just made a rude gesture and entranced him, drawing out his soul entirely. The wish-bond burned her as she held so she quickly let it go where it would be safe. Inside of the mule pulling the wagon.
From there it was only a matter of minutes to find out where she stashed her belongings and drink a bottle of Serpentbane. She couldn’t return in this state of course so she spent the next hour or so searching through the wagon and torturing the mule.

When the mule was finally dead and her wits returned to her, she carried the wagon back to the town where both the townsfolk and her servants were worrying about her absence. She gave all the trade-goods inside the wagon to the townsfolk as charity and accidentally endeared herself further.
Perhaps in the future it would be best to keep bodyguards around, even if she is the strongest thing alive. She also noted that her track record with handsome men was quite bad but that was fine because she would be seeing Cennen soon and he was fairly ugly.
Such things balance themselves out.

>>45268918
>be seeing Cennen soon and he was fairly ugly.

>>45268918
yikes, that's harsh. at least she's not.. shallow?

>>45268918
> fairly ugly.
Well, at least he's not a manlet

>Create Zigzag's new brew now.

You suppose that it would be best to create that new brew for Zigzag sooner rather than later so that she remembers her end of the bargain. But that news about the innkeeper is rather troubling.
"Hey Aash, can you take this and make sure that the innkeeper's okay with us?"
You toss her the purse of gold.

Aashenpreet was happy to do so and that just left you and Zigzag to enjoy the awkward silence of a quality that may only be possible when both parties have attempted to eat the other.
"You know, I'm surprised that you actually took this option. Not that I'm ungrateful of course. Thanks."

Zigzag shrugs.
"I might only be able to get this from you. I can get humans later."

You stop brewing and stare at her.

"That was a joke. That human thing you told me about."

"It's not funny."

"I won't eat anyone, I promise. Probably. Not until after you die anyway."

You're not sure how to feel about that. Is she still dangerous?

>Take her word for it.

>Slip something into the potion you're making.

>Nobble her.

>Tell her that if you catch her eating anyone innocent she'll wish she was getting eaten again.

>Other

>>45269129
>Take her word for it.
Tell her we don't really mind if she eats the souls of humans who attack us and there will likely be plenty if past trends continue

>>45269129
>Take her word for it.
>"Sorry for trying to eat you"

>>45269129
>Take her word for it.
Ask her if she feels any different about it after seeing what it's like from our point of view

>>45269129
>>Take her word for it.
>I hope you think about what you felt long and hard about what happened and why I let you go. Also I can do much worse if I have too, I just don't like too.

>>45268974
>>45269077
Cennen is the kind of guy who would be described as 'striking' if one wanted to be charitable. He's not fugly ugly and he doesn't look half bad for a peasant but he's certainly not the Creator's gift to the ladies. And his mullet has grown back so that's a problem too.

>>45269246
We've established that threats don't work on her repeatedly anon

>>45269129
>Take her word for it.
Ask if she ever liked to eat anything other than humans before we met her

>>45269129
>Nobble her.
Trust sounds nice and all but I don't see it going well here.

>>45269129
>Take her word for it.
Our need for control has made us do some awful things lately. Bit of a grey area though considering human lives hang in the balance. Oh well.

>>45269129
Talk to Zigzag about how we felt when we tried to eat her, and why we stopped. Then ask her if that's what it's like for her and why she doesn't stop.

>>45269129
>>45269463
Is supposed to have

>Take her word for it.

As well.

>>45269261
A haircut can truly make or break a man's attractiveness.

>Take her word for it.

You'll take her word for it for now but that doesn't mean you won't be keeping an eye on her just in case.
"If it makes you feel any better, I don't mind if you eat humans who try to kill us. There should be plenty of those."

"Sounds good to me."

You keep on brewing, taking your time to make sure that you develop this new brew correctly. As time passes however you can't help but raise the question.
"So how did it feel like when I was eating you?"

Zigzag stares at you as if you'd just asked something idiotic.
"It felt horrible."

"Of course it did. What do you think it's like for the people you eat?"

"That's different! They're just humans."

"And back then so were you."

She looks troubled and you drop the subject. Maybe give her some time to think it over.

You've nearly finished brewing when Aashenpreet returns, Oster and Reggie in her tow.
When Oster sees Elle he swears an oath and draws his sword only to find that Aashenpreet has her hand firmly around the scabbard. She strips him of his weaponry and pushes him up against the wall so he can't move.
"Oi!," Oster exclaims. "What's going on?"

"Elle is a traitor, she wants to use us against Hiss."

"What? I don't believe it!"

"Because she's eaten into your brain," Aashenpreet says. "Just stay still until we can fix you."

"I say, is this all true?"
Reggie steps into the room, his eyes flitting about. According to Elle he isn't a traitor so you suppose you can trust him.
"Are we supposed to take this simply on your word, Cennen?"

"And my word," Aashenpreet says.

"And mine."
You stare at Zigzag, surprised that she would speak up to back you up.

"What are you looking at? She spat in my mouth?"

"Fair enough."

Reggie shakes his head.
"I never would have known. Well, shall we kill her now or hand her to the Queen?"

"Firstly," you say. "We should get her to wake up so that she can fix Oster."

1/2

>>45269705
Reggie frowns.
"And we can trust her to be permitted into his head again? What if she just makes it worse?"

Aashenpreet sighs.
"She can be 'trusted'. You'll see."

>Wake Elle up.

>Wait for Reggie to leave before waking Elle up.

>Ask Reggie about how he and Oster's job went.

>Wait for Elle to wake up when she naturally will, Aashenpreet can keep Oster confined until then.

>Other

>>45269765
>Wake Elle up.
>Ask Reggie about how he and Oster's job went.

>>45269765
>Ask Reggie about how he and Oster's job went.
>Wake Elle up.

>>45269765
>Wake Elle up.
Whisper to her that she should keep our forbidden love secret or something if no one can hear

>>45269765
>>Ask Reggie about how he and Oster's job went.
>Wake Elle up.
>Reggie, never piss of a Master alchemist. Many entities have learned that it's a bad idea.

>>45269827
Yeah it's worth a shot. I would say it's her forbidden love instead of our forbidden love though

>>45269765
>Wake Elle up.
we still need to give her that persistence brew antidote. give it to her and pretend it's a brew to wake her up or something.

>>45269849
I would say "our" since it might cause problems if she thinks we hate her or something

>>45269765
>Wait for Reggie to leave before waking Elle up.

>>45269765
>>Ask Reggie about how he and Oster's job went.

>>45269827
that might help but they'll still see her following our orders which might not sit right with reggie

>Ask Reggie about how he and Oster's job went.
>Wake Elle up.
>Try to keep stuff secret.

You leave the pot bubbling and kneel down beside Elle, readying your Persistence Antidote as you do so. You're going to need her to have her Arts back so you might as well disguise it as something you're using to wake it up.
"So how did the job go?"

"Fine," Reggie says distractedly. "The payment have been set up and should be on our way. Her Majesty will have to prune some of the board when she arrives but after that we can safely assume Jefford & Sons will become yet another arm for the Queen."

You force the Antidote between non-compliant lips.
"Only some? What about the others?"

"Oster said that we should be able to leave a surprising amount of them with unaltered free will. Her Majesty will reward them with additional trade deals and with becoming the new State Bank when she assumes control. This should be enough for most of them to forsake their species willingly."

"Seems hard to believe."

"Why? That's what you did."

Ouch. But you can't argue that you guess. At least you can say you did it for love instead of just money. But does that make you more or less of a fool?
"Anything else interesting?"

You say this to distract him as you lean down and whisper in the waking Elle's ear, "You must keep our forbidden love secret."

"We did hear something interesting, in fact. A rumour chasing in from the outlying towns and villages of a witch. Oster believes this witch to be Hiss."

You snort.
"I doubt Hiss would be happy with being called that."

"Actually it seems that she may have embraced the label as an additional means of power. Oster was rather unhappy with this."

"I can imagine," you grunt as Elle leaps to her feet. You interrupt her before she can say anything.
"Remove everything you placed within Oster."

She smiles and moves to do so. With that settled you sit back down and get on with finishing Zigzag's brew.
1/2

>>45270258
Reggie nods.
"I see, I see. You've placed her under wish-bond haven't you?"

>"Yes."

>"Yes but a bit more than that..."

>"A good alchemist never reveals his secrets."

>Change the subject with small talk, ask him how he's liking his time in Melire.

>Other

>>45270286
>Change the subject with small talk, ask him how he's liking his time in Melire.

>>45270286
>"Yes."
>Change the subject with small talk, ask him how he's liking his time in Melire.

>>45270286
>>Change the subject with small talk, ask him how he's liking his time in Melire.
>Something like that

>>45270286
>"Yes."
It's a shame, she seemed nice enough before the whole traitor thing

>>45270286
>"Yes."

>>45270286
>"A good alchemist never reveals his secrets."
>Change the subject with small talk, ask him how he's liking his time in Melire.

>>45270286
>>Change the subject with small talk, ask him how he's liking his time in Melire.

>>45270286
>"Yes."

>"Yes."

He wrinkles his nose but doesn't actually sound all that repulsed.
"Makes sense. Indeed, having a human in the team should be quite useful while we are still dealing with potential traitors."

"It's what the Queen keeps me around for!"

"A shame it had to be Elle however. I felt like we had established a sense of camaraderie in our travels. Become, how would you humans put it? Bosom buddies. Having these sort of relationships is a very important part of adventuring or so I've read. A true shame."
He might be hiding his expression but you can't actually detect any feeling of remorse or sorrow from him. At least not any to do with Elle herself.

"Right."

Reggie seems to take this is an invitation and squats down beside you as you continue to work on the brew.
"So, how does all this wish-bond business work anyway? Oh, I know how it works. But how is it from the other end?"

"From mine? Uh, not much I guess? You have three wishes."

He frowns.
"There's no...deep connection? Any sort of an emotional bond?"

"No? That's not at all how it works for either end."

"Oh, I know that. I know that."
He looks somewhat wistful.

"What's up with you?"

He gets a funny look, as if he doesn't want to say anything but has also been dying for someone to ask him about it.
"Only if you promise not to laugh."

"Sure."

He makes sure Oster, Aashenpreet or Elle aren't close enough to hear.
"I've often entertained fancies of being ...captured."

"You mean like-"

"Yes. To be caught within the arms of some fair and comely young maiden. I would be initially antagonistic but we would grow closer, my power and wisdom allowing me to help her in many ways like the father she never had. We would build a bond of mutual respect and friendship as I protect her from the dangers of the human world and- can you stop that?"
He's talking to Zigzag who is just staring at him wordlessly. She doesn't say anything in response to him either. Just keeps staring.
1/2

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>>45270763

>>45270763
"This is why I can't talk about this. I know it's a fantasy but it doesn't hurt dreaming, does it?"

"Hrm," you say, trying to sound as non-committal as possible. "You've thought about this a lot, aye?"

"Perhaps. I do enjoy partaking in the various tomes of human lore that I have found. Many of them quite ...compelling. So yes, I think about it a lot. Particularly the human girl."

Oh no.

>Laugh.

>"That's nice." Politely ask him to leave.

>Tell him about you and Hiss.

>"This is bad and you should feel bad."

>Ask him about the girl.

> Other

>>45270847
>Ask him about the girl.
Have you found a girl you like?

>>45270847
>Ask him about the girl.
>I once bit a Snake catcher in half as a Dragon, stranger things have happened.

>>45270847
>Ask him about the girl.

>>45270847
>Ask him about the girl.
Tell me about you're waifu and I'll explain why she a shit

>>45270847
>>Ask him about the girl.
hopefully not too girlish, that would be worrisome.

>>45270847
>Ask him about the girl.
I'd like to talk about Hiss but that might make Elle act strangely

>>45270847
>"That's nice." Politely ask him to leave.
I want to brew or go to the potions college already

Sorry guys, lost track of time and forgot I had work early today. I'm pretty peeved with myself since I really wanted to end this thread on Hiss' return but OH WELL.
If someone else could archive this that would be fantastic.

Thank you all for still showing up after the hiatus and follow my twitter for news of the next thread!

>>45271234
archived. glad you're back ouro.

>>45271234
Thanks for running Ouro!

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>>45271234
Thanks for running Ouro

>>45271234
gud thred ouro, thanks for running