[quest] your hundred little legs (leila)

[Ashdown Whaler]

There was silence, then the steady sound of clicks before a response was given.

[Acceptance]. Come forward.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

Leila let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding -- telepathy could do that -- and stepped forward carefully.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

It happened immediately. As she stepped forward, the Multitude surged forward. They covered her, swarmed every bit of her until she was covered head to toe.

Her skin itched, as if it was thrumming with magic (or was that bites?), and they remained. Leila would not be able to move, whatever energy that was coursing through her, freezing her in place as the Multitude worked.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

For most people, this would be a horrifying experience, but Leila was an entomologist who specialized in corpse succession. Being swarmed in a close-to-traditional sense was still a shock, though, and she barely had time to snap her eyes and mouth firmly shut as the Multitude went to work. Accidentally eating one of them wasn't going to earn her any favors.

She also didn't want the gut bacteria required to digest wood. Hopefully that wasn't what they meant, because that would be weird and sort of pointless. As her skin tingled and the outside world became all but imperceptible, Leila realized that she was running late for the Conference. ******** hell.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

Thankfully the Multitude was not interested in giving her gut bacteria. Instead she would feel pressure upon her eyes. Even though they were closed, it would begin to feel like something was pressing inward. The sensation persisted, getting stronger and stronger.

When it felt like too much, her entire body thrumming in tune with the magic of the Multitude, it abruptly stopped. Slowly the Multitude receded, leaving her there with the still crumbling Treasure dirt ball.

It is done. Another burst of imagery followed, though most of it close ups of the Multitude as seen by the Multitude. You will serve as [eyes].

cibarium

The Eyes of the Multitude
Through a deeper connection with the Multitude, Leila has been blessed (or cursed) with new sight. Her eyes now function as compound eyes (and look similar to such), enabling her to have better macro focus, see color in the ultraviolet range, and grant her far improved motion detection.

(this change will occur over the next IC month.)

 

[cibarium]

She'd been holding her breath again, this time out of necessity. When the Multitude released her Leila ungracefully dropped to kneel, taking in a few desperate gulps of air before shakily pulling herself back up to sit on her knees. When she opened her eyes, though... nothing looked different even though her eyes still felt strange. What had they actually done?

"Um, thank you," she said, "I think."

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

You have greater purpose. We will see as you do. Something about the way they said see implied that they might see through her but there was no sign of that.

Not yet.

The dirt continued to crumble, the Treasure breaking open. Friend was beside the large clod of dirt, seemingly trying to remove pieces to help the process.

Eventually enough fell off that a familiar bit of feathers was visible and once that was, the rest of the dirt fell away as if it was brushed off by an invisible hand.

Biscuit was there, shaking and ruffling her feathers as if she had just woken up from dozing off. She did not look dirty and actually looked revitalized (unlike her bonded warg).

The Treasure, there was a flash of imagery that was Leila and her interactions with Biscuit, is returned. Safe. Protected.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

Biscuit wasted no time running happily up to Leila and jumping in her arms, like a god damn Pokemon. It was a blissful moment, but it came with a certain clarity that meant the reunion high was short-lived.

"You knew she was in there this whole time," she observed. "Would you explain?"

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

[Importance]. [Secure]. [Safe]. Each portion was not a word so much as a sense of feeling and a clip of imagery. That Biscuit was important, that she had to be kept secure, that this was a method of safety.

The Treasure is Leila. Leila is Treasure.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

The revelation there felt...

This was a test?

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

Test? The Multitude did not understand, that much was clear.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

Leila shook her head, and thought for a moment. She was still confused by the progression of events but didn't know how to ask.

< How did [Biscuit] go missing? Why was she with [other colony]? > Along with the words and ideas she passed along bits of memory from her quest, from Aleksy noting the damaged-looking connection to the somewhat harrowing retrieval. Hopefully the lack of understanding translated well enough.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

They stole Treasure. They knew it was [Treasure]. This was a different meaning, this was an implication of the ties that made Biscuit important.

Usurpers. Unknowns.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"Why didn't you tell me all this before?"

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

There was a flood of images. Devourer turned Treasure in them, a vague understanding that Biscuit was to be protected but also a source of fear.

Fear on many levels. It would be hard to pick up just what exactly, especially once there was a flash of the other colony and it's forces attacking and stealing the Treasure from them.

Protect. [Bond.] It was not just the bond between Leila and the Multitude but the bond between Leila and Biscuit.

cibarium