moonstrualcycle | no running in the halls!

[there was just an indignant "hey!" from ninxel, way off in the distance, and then "I'm twenty-five, Axel," from Kai.]

...well. I guess you're lucky I don't have anything better to do.

[she likes to know what she's getting into before she gets into it, is all. if she wasn't like that before they decided to infiltrate a castle full of scientists just to figure out what happened to a guy they barely knew, she certainly is now.]

It's going to be like that most of the time now, at least until we go home.

[ Together, is what she wants to say, but apparently she still has time to catch up. It makes her wonder if she'll be like Riku was, with half-forgotten memories. ]

Not having anything better to do, I mean. C'mon, it's not far. There are a lot of these.

[...when, with Riku? ?_?]

I'd better not end up going back to the point where you left off, I don't want to experience all that again.

[ When she went back for the Mark of Mastery she forgot a lot of minor things, like how old she really was. ]

Prob'ly won't. Never heard of that happening before. You'll probably end up back home and one day I'll just be like 'so hey, remember that weird place where you committed fairy genocide?'

[ohhh right. well, it happens.]

That... would be weird, if I ended up back there. Like, for good. It wasn't bad there, but.

[but she's ducking her head so her hair hides her face, which means whatever was supposed to come after the "but" is mildly embarrassing.]

Why would it be weird? I'll be there. Don't tell me you've gotten used to this place already.

[ She genuinely can't figure out why it would be weird. Everything bad is over with, right? ]

[ughhh. Lea might notice that Isa's gone tense where their arms are linked, almost like she wants to pull away but isn't.]

...look, it's really nice here. There were a lot of people around back home.

[don't make her say it, it'll just call attention to how weird and possessive of their friendship she is.]

[ Nope. She tightens the grip she has with her arm, which simultaneously puts her closer, and she uses that to bump shoulders with Isa. She gets where this is going, but she'll be nice about it for now. Not like she knows who all is there... ]

You'll get used to them. But hey, if it's stressing you out don't think about it. You're stuck here for now anyway.

[pbbbbt, says Isa, mentally.]

Mostly it'd just be jarring to go from this back to that, I think.

[and then with the knowledge that there was the Lea here that she'd been torn away from, if she went home and stayed there. that would suck.]

[ But she'd catch up, probably not long after. Lea gets it, though, and talking about his all is kind of giving her low-key anxiety. So she nods and turns them down the corner, tapping her fingers against the food container. ]

It always is. What kind of potion are you after?

[these two are a trainwreck of emotions, it's great. is Lea going to be having a potion as well or is she going to eat food while Isa tries to figure out how to have animal parts without looking like an idiot?]

You mean I can choose besides just "animal parts"?

Not the animal, usually, but you can choose more potions than just animal parts.

[ Gosh, she'll have potions. That's half the fun? But what will Lea choose. There are so many options. She slows down and tugs Isa toward a door that looks like it's been splattered with multiple neon paints. ]

[Isa's really tempted right now to just let Lea pick, so they'll be even from that thing in the bathroom doorway.]

Dunno what else I'd try. I'm definitely not ready to see how it feels to be a guy. What else is there?

[ Lea would say that is not an even trade, and thinks she could get Isa to let her pick anyway. ]

All kinds of weird shit. I don't even know where to start. Sometimes they just change your colors around. Sometimes you switch bodies, get stuck with people... It's a mess.

That doesn't sound like something I want either, if it's not controllable and may not wear off when we leave. Why don't you find me one for animal parts and we'll go from there.

[bodyswapping in particular is a big dnw for Isa; it's too much like not being in control of her actions.]

Look, I'm gonna tell you now, basically nothing is controllable. This place likes to fuck with you, and it's not nice about it. Everything kinda goes away on it's own, too. One time I got stuck with paws for like two days.

[ And that was one of the less terrible effects. ]

Well.

[she sighs, looking deeply disgruntled, but that's kind of her default expression anyway, so who knows. maybe this will be good for her. it's still a weird-ass way to have fun, but as long as Lea's there it should be okay, right? right.]

I guess as long as one of us still has hands to prepare food with it'll be fine.

Might lose my legs, but I hope that doesn't happen. We only need one of those.

[ Anyway, time to push this door open and oh look it's a room that's kind of small and just full of shelves. All of the shelves are loaded down with potions, some labeled, some with pictures, and some completely blank. It's a mystery! ]

[one of... what, Lea's legs? why would they only need one, i'm confused and so is Isa. but of more importance is how small this room is, when wings might happen, or tails, or if someone turned into a centaur they might have a rough time, it seems like. Isa's still riding the high from murdering fairies, so she feels okayish now about this whole idea. time to move over to a shelf and peruse the options.]

At least I'll have no trouble carrying you out if you lose your legs. C'mere and help me pick one.

[ She's alluding to Nagaxel, knowing full well that Isa knows nothing about him. He freaks her out, but she'll still want to show Isa at some point. ]

There's plenty of different animal ones. Which one's got your eye?

[ She's picking up a potion that has a label all the way around it, with burning wheels and eyes drawn in a style that looks like it came from the dark ages. It is faintly glowing. ]

[she'll be fascinated, probably. also that looks toxic, Lea, why would you do that. Isa scans the shelf and then pulls a couple of bottles forward. one has a tiny but detailed watercolor of a forest on the label, in colors that are definitely wrong for a forest; the other has what looks like a child's drawing of a classic chimera.]

Both of these have me worried but also interested.

[ Relax, she put it back in favor of a different one. This one is a sparkling molten silver, as if champagne turned into metal. The label is hidden under her hand. ]

Sounds about right. You sure you want to try one after Halloween Town?

Yeah, it's fine. Now that I know bad stuff can happen, I can at least brace for it. Which one should I do?

[don't eat the mercury, Lea. :| ]

[ She's thinkin' about it. Show her the one that looks like straight lava and watch her drink that, I dare you. ]

Well, if you're sure... That one.

[ She points to the forest. ]

[that just made me think of Lea seeing that image of the hot dogs cooking over a lava floe and "i lava good barbecue" and laughing for like ten years. anyway, bottoms up-- actually wait, she conscientiously removes her jacket first, because she likes it a lot and doesn't want it to get ripped or something from animal parts suddenly appearing. this turns out to be a really good idea, since when Isa opens the forest one and slams it back like a shot, the first thing that happens is that a pair of large, brightly-colored wings bursts from her back. they're quickly followed by matching feathery antennae poking up out of her hair, and a long curled tail. everything she's wearing now has rips in it. 8| ]

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