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rysligparasites) wrote2019-02-11 11:00 pm
rysligparasites) wrote2019-02-11 11:00 pm
Entry tags:
WELCOME TO THE HIVE
It's a long journey to Kulen and you’re paralyzed for all of it. The parasites aren't very delicate about carrying you there and you may get prodded with the odd pincer, but they diligently protect you from any external threats so you arrive relatively unharmed.
They carry you into a series of tunnels and into the belly of the hive where they lay you down on the ground. You lie there, unable to move or speak as more of the parasites converge on you, chittering excitedly and smelling you with their antennae. As the paralysis starts to wear off, they roughly and enthusiastically help you up and guide you through the tunnels, excitedly showing you around.
Eventually, you'll meet a parasite with human features who will give you a stilted, but genuine welcome. Apparently you are a special guest who has been brought here to help celebrate their beloved queen's first ever ascension day! While you're here, they want to learn as much about YOU and your traditions as they can so they can make this the greatest party ever.
The parasites implore you to eat their human cooking which is mostly composed of various things (both edible and not) that they've deep fried. They worked very hard and they will be very offended if you don't finish it. They also invite you to contribute to their cave paintings which are entirely composed of parasites doing parasite things.
During your stay, you'll likely run into other monsters who've been replaced by doppelgangers. Maybe some of them have been here for a while. Maybe others have just turned up.
Your quarters are dark and maybe a little cramped given that you're sharing them with a whole bunch of insectoid creatures and maybe one or two monsters. Other than that, they're relatively comfortable.
Settle in and make yourself at home. You'll be here for a while.
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(That is probably a little too blunt for this particular situation (and the age of the person she's talking to), but to Lucretia, the girl seems utterly delusional.) You know that's the only chance you have at life, right? You aren't coming back after they eat you. That's it. For you, and your family.
(The girl simply stares at her. Lucretia has no idea if she's shocked or if she choosing not to dignify this with any kind of response at all.) We could help you get out of here. All of you. You could come and live in the city, or...
("With the rest of you? With all of the monsters who might eat us anyway?"
Lucretia looks a little lost for words, at this.)
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Instead, it was the practical considerations he was thinking about now, like whether even with every monster at their disposal, they'd be able to get all the humans to safety. Especially if they didn't all want to go. ]
Is there anythin' we can do for ya, then?
[ The girl shrugged, and it was difficult to tell whether out of frustration, general teenage insolence, or some combination. In the end, he dug a small box of gummi bears out of his suit pocket, and held it out to her. She snatched it up, then turned and ran back into the caverns. ]
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Well... that didn't work out the way that I thought it would.
(It would have been nice if the girl had wanted to leave. It would have given Lucretia something to strive toward, to help with. She feels so aimless being stuck down here, especially if they're not in any kind of danger.)
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Can't really blame her.
[ Because the thing was that monsters did eat people -- they were monsters. And as much as Majima insisted on thinking of himself as human, normal humans also didn't sprout fangs and claws come nightfall. ]
But I can't say I agree, either. I'd rather take my chances bein' hunted down.
[ Not that he'd know anything about that, HAHAHAHA ]
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... Geez, except for the whole no magic thing. She has to stop forgetting about that, or she's going to get into really big trouble one of these days.)
It would at least be something to do. I can't react satisfyingly to anything happening down here, I keep... offending the bugs.
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[ Thus far, Majima had been a... mostly decent guest, once he'd realized the bugs weren't going to follow up the paralytics with laying horrible embryos in his throat or anything. ]
I wanna see the damn outdoors again. It smells like dirt and old grease. [ And captive humans, apparently. ]
Did they take your laptop, too?
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But I know what you mean, I... don't like not being able to see the sky. (Even more so now that she is winged. It just feels bad, in a way she can't quite explain.) They took my laptop, and my journal. More or less everything I had on me at the time.
We'll be able to get them back... right?
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Your journal, though... might wanna ask about that one. What'd they want with it, anyway?
[ Surely they weren't going to try and... deep fry it? ]
And while we're at it, what would they want with my wallet? They'd better not be tryin' to eat the leather.
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I don't know, I– assumed they were just curious. There's nothing of great importance in there, it's mostly observational.
(She smiles slightly then, the corner of her mouth twitching.) Well, they want us to like their things, so maybe... they want to try and like our things?
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[ He put his fingers to his temple. ]
Wanna find one of 'em and ask about the journal?
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It's not– I mean, I've lost journals before, it's not the end of the world if they've... done something to it. But I would very much like it back if I can get it.
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[ It was more difficult, however, to reproduce one's thoughts. He flagged down a purplish parasite. ]
Pardon me, but we're lookin' for some of our personal effects.
[ The parasite wriggled its antennae at them. "Special effects?" ]
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(She's still not used to talking to the parasites. Lucretia hesitates for a moment, then presses on, trying not to talk directly to its wiggling antennae.)
A book, specifically. (And then, when the parasite continues to look at her,) like– about yea big? Square. Uh, hard on the outside but lots of pages on the inside.
(How do you explain a book to somebody who doesn't have them. Lucretia stops miming the shape of a book with her hands but it doesn't matter, because the parasite is nodding enthusiastically, and scampering away from the both of them in the direction of the tunnel. It pauses, and glances back over at the both of them.
"Come on!")
Um. Okay, (Lucretia says stupidly, making a wild 'this may as well happen' face at Majima, and following after it as it starts to disappear down the hall. She does have to walk, though. She doesn't have enough energy to hover right now.)
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Some of the parasites were battering bits of random things that were not necessarily food, such as:
wooden toys
a patch of felt
orange peels (close. so close) ]
...I don't know what I expected, but here we are.
[ One of the parasites was reading through a square book with several of its friends, alternately nodding or giggling (parasite giggling sounded like overenthusiastic maracas). ]
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Anyway. She notices the little cluster of parasites pouring through a book dangerously close to where the cauldrons are set up, and hurriedly elbows her way over.)
Excuse me– please, that's mine. (Only one of the parasites looks up at her as she approaches, its antennae twitching curiously. "Yours?" it says, and turns the page so its fellows can keep... reading? Looking? Oh god, hopefully they aren't reading. Lucretia's ears feel hot.)
Yes, uh... it's my journal, it's what I write all of my observations in. It would taste very bad if you fried it, so I'd like to ask for it back. (One of the other parasites glances over at the cauldron, then back at her, then at the journal. Lucretia blinks, then very pointedly raises her hand and puts a little barrier of holy energy firmly over the top of the cauldron, like a lid.)
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"JUICY INFO!" chittered another, who evidently had been reading. "THE 411!" ]
Yeah, no. Here's the deal. See, uh... monsters just don't read each other's journals. They're personal, and --
[ "Give journal if win!" said another parasite. Suddenly, the other parasites all seemed to lean in, interested. "Contest!" ]
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(If Lucretia sounds exasperated, it's because she's running out of reasons as to why she shouldn't just snatch it out of their little... hands. Hands? Whatever. The parasite shakes its head almost coyly, and holds the book away from her.
Lucretia pinches the bridge of her nose, and counts to ten.)
Okay, okay. Fine. What kind of contest?
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...that's cheese.
[ Said Majima, in the manner of someone who was hoping that a simple statement of truth might somehow make bugs see sense. ]
But what's it got to do with anythin'?
[ "Move the cheese! Lift the cheese!" ]
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I know I'm only a wizard, (she says, baffled,) but I can still lift a wheel of cheese, it's... uh, it's only cheese.
("Prove it!" One of the bugs starts this chant, which slowly swells in volume until Lucretia feels a little flustered, stepping forward toward the wheel. Okay, up close it looks a lot heftier than she originally considered. If only Magnus were here. If only her strength modifier weren't negative one.)
Do we both get to try lifting it?
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"Tag team!" another one insisted, waving its antennae. Then they turned back to Lucretia. "Lift the cheese longest, then get the diary! Lift the cheese longer -- than Hercule!"
A chittering cheer went up as a parasite with huge limbs and beefy carapace came up, holding together two segmented limbs and shaking them in a gesture of confidence. A second wheel of cheese was produced, and the parasite moved toward it. "Hercule! Hercule!" cheered the parasites. ]
...I don't know what I was expectin', but here we are. Here we are.