Thousands of pixites are seated on cushions and electron-blankets before a holoprojection that is many picometers tall, greater in scale to a pixite than a movie screen is to a human.
Millie’s harem flit about, serving nano-nectar and sweet-spotted fungi to the crowd—mostly mothers accompanying nymphs of all ages!
Princess Femtite stands before the screen with Conway at her side, proudly crediting her fiancée’s “ingenious cartoon depiction of our people in a way that Earth children will find relatable, adorable and humorous!” Her speech ends with a curtsy, a thank-you to Conway and also to her audience—not only the pixites before her, but her fans as well: “Thank you for coming! Thank you for tuning in!
“Now, ladies and gentlemen, Earthlings and Pixites blue and gold, children and nymphs of all ages! Please relax and enjoy the premiere episode of—” She enunciates the toon’s title gleefully, then takes Conway by the hand and flies with her to their seats on a palace balcony adjacent to the one shared by Queen Millie and Mel…
Conway is awakened with a kiss. Just a peck on the lips. It doesn’t hurt, for why would it? She is fire.
Of course Queen Millie’s entourage gives a round of applause. And of course Queen Millie encourages them to consummate their rela—
“Mother, no!” Seeing the stern expression on Mother’s face, Femtite quickly adds in a considerably-softened tone, “Not on the first date, Mother. I was hoping to show Conway around…”
Their first date spans several locations, as the Pixite Princess teaches the newly-pixited Conway to fly! After she calls herself Rouge Leader, Femtite giggles, “You might not want to use that call sign when I introduce you to the real Rouge Leader!”
Not that that’s happening today. Rouge Leader and her wife, Sapphire 2, are preparing the Honey Hive for its cloaked flight to South Korea with the Nanometeor in tow.
“I did promise the animator I’d meet her in-person. But of course, we can’t speak of moving the planet to her country.”
Whippoorwill would be the only one to know. And all she would be told is that the Nanometeor would leave Halcyon City. Valence and Dr. Sang would eventually realize the Pixite Planet left town, but the Human Planet has a surface area of 197 million square miles. They’d never find their target.
“Sometimes, a Pixite just doesn’t want to be found,” Femtite says to Bug-Eye. The date was live-streamed so Conway’s ‘Real Family’ would know their fan club president was fully embracing The Pixite Way.
But Femtite’s hoping Conway will fully embrace The Pixite Princess. Bug-Eye telepathically takes the hint and takes off.
Femtite snuggles close to Conway as golden particles from Halcyon’s setting sun dance about the nanoscopic skyline, pinkening the tangy-striped wildflora that encircles Femtite’s Purpure Paradise home.
She turns to Conway, placing both hands on her cheeks. She leans in, ablaze with passion as she parts her lips and—
Femtite puts a hand over her mouth. She hadn’t considered Conway had a family situation like that. On the upside, if he consider the fans his real family, xenophobia won’t be an issue.
“My mothers are amicably separated. I’m sorry about your situation.” She stops herself from joking that her own mother has a harem too… seeing how neither Mother nor her harem neglected her.
“The people judging you as ‘uncool’ are middle-aged males who either failed to start families in their prime or failed to maintain them. You have gathered together many likeminded peers, a vast majority of whom are female. Even when you have a body temperature that exceeds the melting point of a spoon, you will be the coolest guy ever under that roof.” She points to his house.
When Conway asks his question, he gets an immediate “Yes.”
And Femtite considers…
“Conway, would you like me to take you there now? Even if you’re human, you can see my world from the outside.”
Femtite places both hands on Conway’s cheeks, and—she actually wishes she could kiss him without burning his face off, but she can’t. She throws herself at him, embracing him in the street!
Her aura is pink and her body is very warm.
If she could become Maeve right now, she wonders if she would. But Maeve is gone. Deleting her runes was the surest way to rid herself of Duke Zepar, a very real threat to an all-female race. (Or so the cocky infernal being thought before he was outwitted and thwarted by just one pixite!)
She holds him close. She’s tearing up herself, filled with joy, giggling lightly at Conway’s ‘buh’ and ‘guh.’
“When we meet your parents, I think you should say ‘boyfriend.’”
She pulls back from the embrace so Conway can see her reassuring smile (though of course he also sees the thin molten gold streaks on her cheeks).
“I don’t mean we have to meet them right now, but I’d love to meet them when you’re ready. Unless you’re already ready… umm…
Femtite releases Conway’s left hand so she can caress his cheek with her right. Her warm, gentle touch guides the boy to look at her.
“Duke Zepar didn’t choose you. I did.”
She gives Conway’s other hand a gentle squeeze.
“If you have feelings for me, it’s best to be honest about it. A pixite body is a way for us to… you know, really be an Us.
“The outfits, the fan club, you being there when movie night got weird. You’re too wonderful to me, Conway. It’s why I could bring myself to point that bottle at you. I believed you had feelings for me, and if I was forced to…” She can’t bring herself to say ‘be straight.’ “…but of course you did the right thing for me.
“I’m hoping that having a Pixite form prepared is the right thing for you. But I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding. The Pixite form is so we can date, with the possibility of a beautiful future together.”
Femtite hopes Conway sees the value of being completely honest up-fro—“—as immortals. Did you already know pixites are immortal? Some humans prefer to say Unaging.” Persuade with Best Interests:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 6) + 3 = 10 • She’s trying to get Conway to be honest about his feelings. It’s in his best interest because the Queen Mother will (probably) only prep a Pixite bod to accommodate a star-crossed romance.
Femtite smiles back. “There is a way.” And without going into detail: “Tested. Proven.”
She looks back at Conway’s house, then at him. “But compression can’t make a molecular structure smaller than an atom. The only way you could is…”
Femtite becomes nervous. Hesitant. She recalls how it went with Connie, and Chastity avoided the topic entirely. And I stayed in both relationships when the writing was already on the wall.
“…complicated.”
She stops hovering and stands before Conway. She takes both his hands.
“You’re a boy. Pixites are girls. Understand? You’d have to be a pixite. That’s…” She stammers, “…that’s just part of it. But if becoming a pixite is unacceptable, then the other part doesn’t matter—and I wouldn’t think any less of you if you didn’t want that.”
Femtite combines her powers of Heliokinesis and Goddesslike Beauty to form a rainbow. It’s not so much to get a reaction as it is to warn Conway that he is near. He sounded quite busy. It would be mean to startle him.
Using her Goddesslike Beauty to be beautiful… well, that’s fair game.
She appears before him at her full height, but still clad in the poodle skirt ensemble similar to the one he designed long ago.
“The Pixite Way,” she muses. “Of all the Earthlings I’ve been close to, you’re probably the only one to use that phrase. Maybe a lot of fans say it, too. But if they see The Pixite Way as an inspirational phrase, it’s through you.
“Do you know the fan that made me that fairy-sized outfit? PixelKnight777? They asked about the possibility of going to the Nanometeor.” She crosses on leg over the other, hovering demurely in the air. “I got sucked into a nerdy dimension before I could respond, but… well, what would you think about that? A human going to the Nanometeor?”
After the debriefing, Femtite does not go to the Unity Station. She is no longer a member of First Class. This was the last job.
Conway’s neighborhood, sometime during the day…
Femtite is not far from Conway’s house. She’s perched on the limb of a tree. It’s the width of a child’s finger, but enormous to her. The tiny budding branches behind her will surely appear to be strange trees sprouting trees to Conway, once he picks up her video call.
Of course, Conway might pay more attention to her magical-girled-on poodle skirt ensemble than the background.
“I’m free, Conway,” she starts. “Free of the team, free of Halcyon Prep, free of Duke Zepar’s influence.” She pauses a moment. “Free on Valentine’s Day.
“Are you free? I mean… at this moment? I’m in the neighborhood. Maybe I could come over, or we could take a walk, or teleport somewhere.”
Femtite rockets straight at Stormfront, her own body wreathed in fire and divine armor!
DE:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 5) + 3 = 13 • Resist Blows
• Surprise/frighten/impress (hoping the words will frighten him into leaving)
“IDIOT!” Femtite shouts at Stormfront. “I live-streamed this entire battle! Your attempted murder is on camera, witnessed by my ever-growing fan-base. Cortex will definitely know to check my ’gram and he’ll see you just tried to kill his daughter. Flee you fool! Far far away, and pray no one ever figures out where to look!”
Connie has the building under control. Femtite has her orders. She soars toward the bank as fast as she can!
She has her Beamer. She can teleport the people on the craft to safety, but that won’t stop the spiraling vehicle! With Caio and Percy already there, they might already have things under control before she gets there!
I think Caio and Percy have time to act before Femtite can do anything.
Femtite says to the others, “Since all the bad guys ran away, we don’t need the Beamer for ourselves. So I could use it to teleport people to safety if the platform falls… but do you think we can prevent that from happening?”
Between might, magic, ice and fire, Femtite’s sure there must be a way… but are there chains or something else practical? She doesn’t want the platform to fall down later. She scans the area.
Assess:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 4) + 3 = 9 • What here can I use to anchor the platform?
Conway:
While she works, she sends a quick thought-to-text to Conway:
☀️: This had to be my best performance in months! Not a bad final mission for First Class. Are you available to meet after?
Femtite no longer needs to distract Asphalt if Horizon’s still in the fight. She focuses on the tower.
At Connie’s request, she uses her divine armor to hold the hot asphalt in place. Hopefully, the pixite ‘band-aid’ does enough so Doctor Connie can apply her more permanent solution!
Team from Femtite!
Femtite gasps in horror as Horizon is almost torn limb from torso! Siphon is down but definitely not out if she took the strongman’s power!
“Horizon! Double doors—” She blurts out how many floors down. “—craft inside! Sky’s best hope.” She assumes the whole team will help Rain rescue his girlfriend. “I’ll buy time!”
Knowing her firefly size makes her an impossible target, she wields her power with grace and precision—not striking Asphalt, but shrinking out of sight while her fire trail continues to orbit him! Watching the pixite’s fire is surely like staring into the sun, only this itty-bitty ‘sun’ is whizzing all about and won’t get out of Asphalt’s face!
Wield Powers, Assess:2d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1, 5) + 3 + 1 = 10 • neutralize an opponent (Asphalt) or threat (him smashing), at least for now
• create something useful (hot asphalt for roof repair) from your environment (it slid off Indy’s scales)
While her powers hopefully annoy Asphalt, Femtite is hidden in the broken rooftop, heating the asphalt goop that slipped off of Percy and using it to seal cracks in the concrete! She’s not sure it’ll be enough! Hopefully Siphon will swoop in and finish draining Asphalt. (In other words, Femtite concentrates on keeping Asphalt distracted until Siphon is in position to take him out.)
To Her Viewers:
Femtite uses thought-to-text to add a caption to her livestream: If you have any love for anyone at or near Lovelace Plaza, tell them to evacuate the building and the area. I want to prevent the destruction, but I’m not even sure if I can delay it!
Femtite misses much of what is said as she shrinks to confound Asphalt. But when the big guy gets back to picking on someone his own size, Femtite overhears Stormfront’s taunt!
Right! This is a delay tactic and we’re falling for it. Maybe if I get a flying machine, it’s not too late to save Skyler!
Seeing how she can’t seem to hurt anyone, Femtite thinks it best to expedite the rescue effort. She takes advantage of her tininess to slip away from the fight unnoticed, and through the double doors she noticed earlier.
Femtite misses much of what is said as she shrinks to confound Asphalt. But as he sticks to his opponent of choice, Femtite catches Stormfront’s words!
Right! This is a delay tactic and we’re falling for it. Maybe if I get a hopefully-very-fast flying machine for the team, it’s not too late to save Skyler!
Seeing how she can’t seem to hurt anyone, Femtite thinks it best to expedite the rescue effort. She size-shifts to slip away from the fight while the bad guys are busy, then through the double doors she noticed earlier!
Unleash Radical Shapeshifting, Assess’d:2d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1, 5) + 3 + 1 = 10 • Overcome an Obstacle (ideally, getting beyond the double-doors swiftly and unseen)
My mother-in-law, who’s lived with me for the past twelve years and has battled cancer for the last three, passed away on Sunday. I’m still good to play my games, since I’m not “over-committed,” I often post when I’m in a parent pick-up line or dance/music school parking lot, and none of my games are moving too fast for me. But I want others to be aware that my family is going through a difficult time right now.
(I’m using a spoiler tag so this isn’t something you have to read every time you look at the OoC/Discussion thread.)
The fire is nothing to the pixite princess. She just takes the blast full on, her body glowing quasar-bright!
“Pixites are fire.”
But she isn’t going to make the same mistake of fighting the fireproof with fire. According to her assessment, tininess is her advantage against Asphalt. And asphalt cannot take heat like Propane can!
Oh, there’s a weird code in my roll. Well, since the MoT is going in a different direction, please disregard. I’ll describe Fem’s escape plan.
When Percy breaks free, Femtite can move freely! “Thanks, Per—Ind…Letter i!” She lets him have Valence. She seeks a different target, but her fan did say to punch a bad guy.
—and once outside, she jets over to the male villain whose name is unknown and with the battlecry, “This is for Skippity Commode!” she punches him in the face!
It’s a weird battlecry, but hopefully in addition to pleasing a fan, drawing attention will give Connie a chance to free herself of her bindings or toe-type a spell that does that.
Femtite wants to make a move—which she’s pretty sure she’s capable of—but seeing Siphon approach Horizon gives her pause. She can’t hear what they are saying, but maybe she didn’t really betray him after all…?
Femtite wonders if, with Valerie on Our Side, it would be possible to take the fight directly to wherever Lovelace is broadcasting from. She does, after all, have a teleporter—
GM & Horizon’s Player:
(Since it’s an MoT, ultimately this is up to Horizon’s player. But this is what my character would recommend doing with her Alien Tech device… if Horizon hadn’t thought of that already, since he did ask for that specific capability. I will simply roll a PtM to see if Val is willing. No worries if you have a different direction in mind.)
—but only Siphon could take the team directly to Lovelace, and Femtite is not sure whether she can be trusted. She tries to get a read on the girl before attempting anything less-than-subtle…
Femtite watches Valli go on with the little show. Her translator picks up Scythe’s response, which is interesting. It also means two of the fan questions are moot. Either Sky’s powers are freeing the ‘target’s’ will… or if Valli can force me to fall in love with vegetables, no point asking. Not that she was going to make Sky’s power the conversation. Siphon might be a villain, but Sky is innocent.
So Femtite faces Lovelace. She would love to lay into her about the kidnapping—both Scythe and Skyler—and the treachery—against Horizon and Heartache or Heartbreak or whoever… but then her fan’s “question” will get lost in the noise. So she asks it verbatim: "If supergroups like the Alliance already save people for free, why do you need superpowered mercenaries to do good?"
"You had to know this was a trap! You really thought I got away from her to pass along a secret message?!?"
“Of course he did. He trusted you. Even now, he wants to rescue you.
“Is it really worth it, Valli?”
Cold and Cruel:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 6) + 3 = 15 Taking influence over Siphon as Fem dares to use that name.
“Why don’t you just admit this isn’t about money? Because money doesn’t do any good if you’re miserable and in constant fear of the price of disobedience.”
Femtite’s eyes widen when Skyler is brought out. Her own father—? What—why would—?! She keeps her reactions silent though she wants to scream!
Bug-Eye, please watch for reactions from Rain and Horizon. Even without focusing on Rain’s torment—and perhaps Horizon’s realization that Siphon’s pretense is for Lovelace’s benefit, not his(???)—there is nothing ‘good’ about the means to the end of Scythe’s trauma.
Audience:
Femtite thinks captions for her viewers.
Dear Fans, you just saw Lovelace’s definition of ‘good.’ I don’t need to tell you what to think. You can post comments into the feed!
Those of you who think there’s more than meets the eye here—I could use your help! How can you help? Simple. Post A POINTED QUESTION into the feed! One that you hope Lovelace, or one of her peeps, might answer in a way that reveals how far they’re really willing to go! And if your question might actually get someone to say something incriminating, you certainly deserve a prize!
Bug-Eye will put what she thinks are the best questions on a teleprompter that only I can see with my mind’s eye—and I’ll ask!
Be sure your post includes:
❏ the question
❏ who to ask (Lovelace, Siphon, Valence, etc.)
❏ the prize for your question’s awesomeness
I realize the audience’s demand needs to be met, so Femtite is saying Bug-Eye would choose questions likely to elicit a potentially-incriminating “stated intent.” The prize (audience demand) is won because the audience question is chosen, regardless of how useful the villains answer is.
Femtite winces at the ‘meh,’ as understanding dawns. It’s my fault she’s so confident. I really overdid it on the water-self’s responses. Not that she would say anything close to meh, even in retrospect, despite her secret regret.
Bug-Eye:
Femtite is in-part wincing from confusion at Bug-Eye’s reply. :: Wait—are you live-streaming this? ::
When Bug-Eye says yes, Femtite immediately thinks of that meeting with the D.A. Stated intent.
She now sees the need to draw attention to herself. Or rather, herself and whoever responds. She trusts Bug-Eye knows where to point her lens.
“So you’re selling out your own ally as an act of good faith before we betray the Alliance. Mutual trust through mutual treachery. But suppose there’s one or more among us who considers betrayal The Unthinkable. Betray your team, betray your Mother, betray trusted adults… hard pass.” She gives Caio a side-eye, then Percy, using the damaged relationship to her advantage and theirs, she hopes. “Some of us can’t even agree of the color of orange juice, so even if principles are negotiable, no way you’ll get all of us.”
Femtite doesn’t bother to speak to her captors… nor does she bother to tell Percy a sock in the mouth is a lot worse than a box big enough to dance in, or whatever he’s doing.
Yelling to draw attention isn’t as subtle as Shin’s open defiance, which might actually be a tactic. He knows she has the Beamer, and Femtite thinks maybe she has enough control over her ability to save one of the two teammates most likely to get everyone else out. Block the lamp or burn the rope?
Bug-Eye:
:: Bug-Eye… I’m not completely powerless. But I only get one chance to act. Maybe two.
:: With Rain, I can cover the heat lamp with divine armor. But I can do nothing to cool the space, so he wouldn’t have time to form water. Would he?
:: What about Connie’s bindings? Is my Heliokinesis still strong enough to burn through rope? I don’t want to hurt her, but I suspect her paranoia against Mother means she has fire-resistant wards.
:: And I believe I can activate my Beamer. But we’re spread out. How many of us could I move out of here? And I am fairly certain I can’t get more than one of us out without also beaming the glass boxes. But if I focused on just one person, could I beam her out of the box? ::
Superior:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 1) + 3 = 10
Femtite is able to navigate the lasers easily, given her ability to size-shift and effortlessly defy gravity. It’s also helpful that pixite eyes can handle extremely bright lights, so Femtite isn’t blinded by the trap.
Once in, she gives Connie an encouraging look. You’ve got this…
Femtite records a ten-second clip via Bug-Eye. She sinks back into the ceiling and rises from the floor.
“Good call, P… I mean, I.” She has Bug-Eye project the top-down view image of Val, Scythe, Valence, Girl, Boy and Woman, so everyone can see exactly what she just saw.
“What’s the play, H?”
It’s not that Femtite can’t think of a play or two herself. But this is Shin’s show, and even a Star knows when to play the Supporting Cast.
She becomes a spark, whose firefly-glow fades to nothing the moment she touches the floor.
Femtite would know from molecular density and activity when she’s passed through a solid and whether there’s a flow of air. She can use her comm when subatomic, so if she finds a space below, she’ll check in with the team and ask if they want her to take a peek. She would grow to a millimeter first, to not be easily spotted.
Femtite returns looking visibly nervous. She tells them what’s beyond the doors.
(You know everything the GM posted.)
“Is that room beyond the glass our destination, H?” In her head, the team is FIRCH Class, so she doesn’t forget to address her ’mates on a first-letter-basis. “C, did you bring a glow-stick?” She asks because “I doubt I can tamper with the cameras without tripping an alarm.”
Femtite slips inside—but she’s so nervous about botching things she almost does exactly that!
Stop worrying about their judgement! • Percy loses influence over Femtite.
Femtite zips down to the first elevator. She shrinks herself to get inside its control panel—and from within—she sends the elevator to an upper floor. She then choose a lower floor. This will keep the elevator from moving too much, but without doing obvious tampering such as activating every button or setting fire to the controls.
She does shut down the cameras on the 13th floor so she can push an ash bin into the doorway so it remains open as if someone was holding the door, then forgot and left the bin there.
Once Rain replies to Shin, Femtite shuts cameras down on his floor. With help of Bug-Eye’s AI, she has those cameras display the video of cameras in the same position on a floor 10 stories away. The hallways are identical enough that security should believe all cameras are active.
Femtite had been contemplating the elevator shaft even before she had entered the building. But given that the real entry was not nearly as easy as the simulation, she does as Percy does: runs an idea by her teammates before running with it.
“I can fly down the shaft and slip through doors without opening them. If you would like, I can move through the underground at fly-size or flea-size, taking my perch in the corner where wall meets ceiling, letting Bug-Eye’s zoom lens be our eye.”
I believe Shin had asked Femtite to slip in ahead of the team, keep her eye out for threats, and also have her Alien Tech ready to beam the team outta here.
_
But I IC’ly want to be sure she’s supposed to go now, in Shin’s/First Class’ opinion. Also, GM question: is Femtite able to size-shift and still use the psi-shield?
"Invisibility at the least, though I would count on Pallor also being trained in other skills. I have some tactical reflective chaff that can be used to circumvent that if needed," Shin says.
“Not that I’m counting on this kind of luck, but there’s a possibility—albeit a slim one—I can see him. I see ultraviolet normally, and my Heliokinesis should be helpful as long as he gives off body heat.
“Glitter confetti would work too. That stuff never comes off unless you either become subatomic or turn your entire body to fire and vaporize the glitter so it won’t stick to you again when you grow back.”
Femtite considers how Caio has an advantage in reaching Scythe, but I’m disadvantaged against Valence. So we need to pick our opponents wisely. Of the opponents, there’s only one whose power is completely unknown. Unless…
“I do have a question as well., Horizon What do you know of Pallor’s abilities?”
“I think Valerie ‘siphoned’ Valence to help me escape him when we were on that island, and he was in pretty good shape when he chased us later. Though… maybe I only held my own against him because he was weakened by Val. I think depowering him would be a good thing… and harmless to him, probably, if he isn’t flying?”
Femtite confirms that her device is ready to star-trek-beam the team to safety. When asked of concerns, she replies, “Valence is a concern. I don’t think he is a threat to any of you, but his powers can trap me. Dr. Sang engineered the boy’s ability so he can wipe out my entire race… not kill us, but put us in stasis—like how my sister’s world was.”
She quietly interjects to Connie, “Things are good with her and I, by the way. If you want, we can talk about that privately, after the mission.”
Another concern is the Psi-shield, but I’ll raise it as an OoC question to the GM. Could the psi-shield’s tech be “uploaded” to Bug-Eye, and shield her mind via the telepathic connection between Bug-Eye and Femtite?
_
It’s been established up-front that Femtite can’t take an earthly device and shrink while carrying it. (Only Alien Tech’d devices are quantum locked.) So Femtite can wear it at human size, but she can’t use her size-shifting powers to sneak in while the device is on her.
THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS
With Chastity out of Femtite’s life, there is no reason to go to school and exactly one reason to be Maeve: the ritual to confine Zepar’s power to Femtite’s human body.
(Truly, it would be the perfect trap for an infernal being if Maeve were possessed by Zepar himself as Chastity was. Deleting the code to become Maeve again would obliterate the being from existence!)
For the ritual itself, Imagerie’s presence is necessary. Femtite is no longer using a vehicle to store a fully clothed human body as code. Her body changes… so Imagerie is needed to make her appear clothed for Feya’s comfort.
Faetite is permitted to attend.
“I know you like us both passing as human, Sister. I’m sorry I… I can’t take any chances. Chastity was under Zepar’s influence for too long, and… he changed her. The best I can do at this point is respect her feeling, and learn from her…”
…
During the ritual, Femtite changes to Maeve, to Femtite, to Maeve, whenever Feya commands her to. Whatever discomfort. Whatever lustful feelings. Whatever fear of losing control… Femtite focuses on Feya’s command and Imagerie’s soothing encouragement.
“So I’m free to choose my dance partner, or any partner who would choose me,” she assures Conway before she finally asks him to the Sadie Hawkins Dance!
TODAY
Femtite has been training regularly, and well above the required hours—the advantage of being a high school dropout!
While everyone is at school, Femtite does a few more runs through Clocktower. The simulation includes the single use of a short range teleporter, and bots play the roles of teammates having succeeded at their pieces of the puzzle.
Given her telepathic connection to Bug-Eye, Femtite can safely text and fly!
☀️: I actually have clothing for my human form on me.
The body she wants to permanently delete.
☀️: I mean, if you don’t mind me changing to human form.
☀️: I don’t care about the secret identity stuff anymore.
☀️: But there are advantages to having a body temperature that doesn’t melt silverware.
After a half hour of solitude, miles above the earth, she texts Conway.
☀️: I’m free. Are you?
☀️: I won’t be weird.
☀️: Well… just my usual weird. You already told me the lovey-doveyness isn’t me.
☀️: I think the way the spell works is I won’t feel a strong compulsion to do things that I know will hurt you or push you away.
☀️: Anyway… I want to talk, but only if you don’t already have plans.
☀️: Like, if you and your family are about to go out to eat, I don’t want to just show up. That would be awkward!
After seeing Conway safely home, Femtite gathers tech from her dorm. The Beamer was a success! She’ll make another for the mission.
But first, a Memory Crystal. She records two memories, one of which is meant for the team…
• • • • •
Upon meeting Feya, Femtite greets her with a curtsy. “Thank you for meeting with me. You were correct that this infernal Zepar is quite serious. I believe I have single-handedly rescued my friends… but I’m not so sure of my current state.
“I recorded the memory so you may witness what I had experienced through my then-human eyes. Please, see for yourself before I say too much.”
Femtite has Bug-Eye project the recorded memory of the Spin the Bottle ‘game’ so the heroine will know exactly what transpired.
"Why would you not simply ask for Imagerie to join us? Pulling images from memories is her forte," Feya inquires when she begins to use the device.
Femtite stops playback. Her reply is almost a whimper. “I wanted to…” Her eyes are on the floor for a moment.
She makes the effort to look Feya in the eye. “I got hit by Zepar’s spell—and I like the feeling it gives me. The only reason I even agreed to look into reversing it is because Conway wants me to let Connie fix me.
“So I said I’d do it her way, and since she’s in the hospital, I asked her if should I see you or Imagerie in the meantime. And she said…” Femtite looks really frustrated. “Well, it was rude. Not to me though. But… it was rude and unnecessary, but she said to see you anyway.”
Feya's lips press together into a tight line. "Conflux being rude. Color me surprised. Well, let me have a look at you." She gently holds Femtite's chin and turns her head left and right.
"Hmm. Excluding Imagerie makes even less sense, given her empathic talents," she muses as her other hand produces a glowing red crystal and waves it a few times over Femtite.
She steps back. "Definite ensorcelment. Taking the spell willingly was reckless of you, but I believe the selfless nature of the act was enough to dispel the rest of Zepar's power. He derives much of his power from the selfish desires of those who call upon him. They covet what they cannot come by naturally, generating sinful energies that he exploits."
She holds the crystal out in the flat of her palm to show Femtite. It crumbles to dust and blows away.
Feya frowns. "Have you heard of sin eaters?"
Regarding Imagerie, Femtite says, “We can invite her, or I can go to her after if you want…”
She doesn’t force the issue however, trusting Feya will know after she finishes her work whether or not it’s necessary.
“A sin eater?” Femtite shakes her head. She imagines a creature that latches onto a human face and feeds off of sin until its teeth burst out from where the heart once was. Nervously, she asks, “Is it… alive?”
Feya looks briefly confused, then shakes her head. "No, they're people. An old tradition, of one person symbolically taking upon the sins of another by eating a morsel of food-- on second thought, ignore that analogy. Suffice it to say, you exhibited no selfishness in your encounter. And quite the opposite, you made a sacrifice, willingly taking upon his spell. By doing so, and choosing the object of your infatuation, you 'ate' the sins that fueled Zepar. I suppose I still relied on that metaphor. "
She dusts off her hands. "But, all the power from the earlier spells are now in you. Were Imagerie here, I've no doubt she would be saying something similar. Getting you freed from it will be no simple task."
Femtite is surprised by the explanation… pleasantly so. “I’m a sin-eater,” it dawns on her. “Well, in my mental image, I saw the sin-eater as an Alien.”
Her mind is racing. She may have stumbled onto the secret to Zepar’s defeat by accident—reckless perhaps? I was so certain I would lose the battle, so I chose my poison. Only …how selfless was I?
“Feya… I have a thought I wish to run by you. If selflessness defeated Zepar, why am I still affected by his spell? I wonder if it is because my selfless act is not entirely pure.
“Chastity has no recollection of breaking up with me because Zepar was in control. And Conway understands the implications of pixites being an all female race.
“I think I need to have an honest conversation with both of them… even if the risk is that both will be no more than platonic friends.” She considers what Feya already told her, and is pretty sure that this is the right thing to do for Chas and Conway, even if it won’t necessarily lift the curse.
“Connie told me not to do anything that would make me hate myself. But if I do nothing—leaving Chastity not knowing she broke up and possibly wanted to? Conway tortured by my pining for him?” She recalls Conway’s dejected look, and also, how he seemed to have stopped short of confessing his contemplation of suicide. “If I leave my friends hanging, waiting, while clinging to my own covetous feelings… then I deserve to be cursed.”
Realizing she sounds maybe a little too sure, she humbly asks, “Does that make sense to you, Feya?”
The pyromancer nods, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. "I still regret using that analogy. Kindly refrain from utilizing it when discussing this matter with others, especially Conflux who will no doubt excoriate me for it." She offers a wry grin.
"Your ability to examine your motives with honesty is commendable. I've little insight into Pixite psychology, but considering you were human at the time, consider this: all humans have selfish drives. Biologically, we have instincts. The simplest is pain avoidance. Frequently, the desire to reproduce but even more commonly the need for connection.
"A heroic act like saving someone from a burning building may seem inherently altruistic. But there may be selfish drives even within the good act of saving someone. The desire to be seen as a hero. The expectation of a reward, perhaps. Even the elation one feels could be viewed as a selfish drive. In theological terms, that is called 'original sin.'"
Feya pauses to sit down as an idea seems to occur to her. "Zepar is a being deriving his power from theological concepts such as sin. Human concepts. It might be possible to confine Zepar's power to just your human persona. At least, while as Femtite you could be clear of his influence."
Femtite sheepishly admits, “I… completely get Pain Avoidance. It just never works when I try it… plus I feel like I’m in love with Conway but not out of love with Chastity, so I’m compelled to put their needs ahead of mine.
“Not in a compulsion-spelly way. That’s best chalked up as Pixite psychology. I think.” Femtite wonders if her sister is starting to show this trait, and is so much happier as a result.
But Feya’s idea piques her interest. So now I’m not really affected by Dreamy Conway…?
After pausing to imagine how she can prove to Conway he is her choice and they can live happily ever after by…
…
After she thinks about Chastity’s cats, melted spoon, and dancing with a giant robot, Femtite replies to Feya, “I’m still affected now, as a pixite. Do you… need me to be human in order to confine the power to human me?” She blushes as she asks this.
Feya frowns as she considers following through with her idea. "Likely, it will require you transitioning several times. I would need time to work out the specifics of the ritual. Percival could possibly brute force it, but not without greater risk to you."
Feya notices Femtite's reaction. "I dislike the brute force method as well, but I did not know if you wished to involve your teammate. I can make the necessary preparations, which will involve some research into the duke to make sure my hypothesis is solid. In the meantime, do what you can to not get carried away with your feelings for this boy."
• • • • •
After a brief stop at her dorm to text the team and pack a handbag, Femtite soars across Halcyon City! Her locator app leads her to where Chastity’s phone is—in a suburban neighborhood!
She soars past the home, and into a forest pathway just the right width for a riding lawn mower. She lands among frozen mounds of rotted grass.
There, she creates a dome of solar energy. She places her bag on the ground and transforms to her human self!
Femtite sends a text to the team, with Feya Firestorm, Whippoorwill and Imagerie included.
Waxing Crescent Emoji: Dear Teammates, I was forced to confront Duke Zepar, who was using Chastity Robertson as a vessel. Feya Firestorm examined me and confirmed that I am ensorcelled. However, by willfully sacrificing myself to Zepar’s power, I freed Chastity and Raquel of his influence and destroyed the artifact that bore his sigil. If you wish to see concrete evidence of Duke Zepar’s presence, I have recorded my memory of the encounter.
Video: “Spin the Bottle, a Memory Seen Through MG’s Eyes”:
Scene: a finished basement with sofas arranged in a circle for a post-movie chat, with chips and homemade Vietnamese snack foods at the center!
Teen seen socializing through Mae’s eyes include:
* Chastity Robertson (Maeve’s GF)
* Ngon Vo (homeowners’ son)
* Gina (Ngon’s GF)
* Raquel (Chastity’s aro BFF)
* Gabe (Chastity’s cousin)
* Ethan (Gabe’s friend)
* Conway Juszczyk (Femtite’s BMF)
The socialization continues for a little while longer. Before it starts getting late, Gina turns to Ngon. "Do you have any party games?"
He shakes his head. "Nah, we're more of a video game family."
Raquel leans over and puts an arm around Chastity. "We brought something we could play. Chastity's mom even introduced it to us last week."
"It's, ah, spin the bottle," Chastity says, rising to her feet. She goes over to her coat and pulls out an old Coke bottle and a small plate.
"Your Mom?" Ngon and Gina both remark.
Chastity comes back to the circle. "It's more wholesome than you'd think. Just a little consensual kissing. She's not that much of a prude."
Maeve shudders as the girls mention some kind of party game… spin the—
“WHAT?!”
Maeve rises from her seat, eyes wide, face red.. “Kissing isn’t a game! It’s… it’s… it’s intimacy. It’s… it’s…”
Maeve slumps back onto the sofa, sinking into the cushions.
“…it’s wrong. It’s sick. I think I’m gonna be sick.”
She wants to storm out of the room. Become fire. Cry. But she can’t even pull herself off the sofa.
Conway takes a seat on the couch next to Maeve, but with plenty of space between them. "Why don't you go ahead. We can just watch." He gasps and his cheeks turn crimson again. "Not like that!"
Gabe belly laughs. "Oh, you like to watch, huh?" Ethan joins in, as Raquel and Gina also giggle.
"I-- I didn't mean... It wasn't--" Conway stammers.
"Chill, dude," Ethan says, still chuckling. "You walked right into that one."
Gabe catches his breath from his bout of laughter. "It's all good, man. Just f@~@ing with you."
Conway recovers, and even joins in the tail end of the laughs. "I still think Maeve's not into it, so I'll sit out too."
"No presh, dude." Ethan helps Gabe move the table out of the way as Chastity sets down the plate on the floor and puts the bottle on it.
"You know, there are European countries where kissing is just a sign of friendship," Chastity says pointedly. "And you don't have to kiss if the bottle lands on you. Like, Gabe's my cousin, so, obviously that's not happening."
“Exactly my point!” Mae says. “Because Europeans kiss both relatives and friends alike when it’s that kind of kiss. But this isn’t that kind of kiss.
“It’s intimate. It’s taboo. And if you’re in a relationship, it’s cheating!” She turns to Gina, “Or are you cool with me passionately kissing your boyfriend right in front of you? Or maybe I should ask Ngon if he’s cool with me kissing you…”
She turns to Gabe. “Because I would only kiss a girl. Because. I’m. A lesbian.“ She turns to Chastity. “And I’m done hiding who I am. That bottle spins once, I’ll reveal another truth.”
Chastity sneers cruelly. "Is that a threat?!?" She tosses the bottle casually and catches it. "Go on, what secret were you going to share? That we were girlfriends?"
The lights seem to dim everywhere in the room except for Chastity. Her cruel smile grows more severe as she stands over Maeve. "Our little dalliance is at an end. You came on too strong, 'Maeve.' Becoming human for me, showing up in every class, clinging to me everywhere I went... I couldn't get away! The three days you were gone was bliss! I wished you'd stayed gone."
The others in the room are like statues, unmoving as she rants at Maeve. The lights dim further, with Chastity revealed in a reddish glow. She tosses the bottle once again, but Maeve catches etchings on the plate in her other hand. The symbol of Duke Zepar!
She waves the symbol in front of Maeve's horrified face. "You recognize this, huh? It's Mother's gift to me. To set things right. We're not going to let you mold me into the person you want! Besides, it's better this way. Just ask Raquel! She loves being straight! In fact, why don't you give it a try?"
Maeve is frozen in place, but the word ‘end’ is like the bandaid being pulled off. It hurts like crazy, but then everything else is just an itch. And itches get scratched.
Mae narrows her eyes. “The truth is that I already figured out what the plate is.“
Mae grabs it! Fearing the Duke’s power will overtake her, she attempts to resist his power—
Maeve grabs the plate, but it seems like Chastity was expecting the move and it was part of her plan all along! Maeve feels a presence pushing at her from the tablet in her hands, crawling up and around her. She fights it off, but just barely!
That means, unfortunately, that the spirit of the infernal duke is still influencing Chastity! She stands, head cocked at an unnatural angle, watching Maeve wrestle with power of the sigil. "What next, 'Maeve'? Beg Chastity to return to her tortured existence hiding in the closet? Or go subatomic and see what Lord Zepar's influence can do to an entire race of females? I still have the bottle. Let's give it a spin."
Chastity twirls the ancient bottle on the tip of her finger, spinning it far faster than it ordinarily could on such a perch. "Who would you like to fall in love with? Gabe? Ngon? The new boy, Ethan? Would you try to smother them, just like you did with Chastity? Wear them down, pining for their masculine touch?" She laughs cruelly.
Mae groans, “Yeah, you got me… I can’t resist a perverted patriarch forever. But I can choose my guy!”
She grabs the bottle—deliberately pointing it at Conway!
Maeve struggles briefly with Chastity, knocking her off her feet. The bottle hits the floor and skids across the hardwood, but the heroic alter ego grabs it just as it's pointed at Conway.
A feeling of pins and needles runs through Maeve, then moves to her stomach as dancing butterflies. Her eyes lock on the paralyzed form of Conway and the spell of Duke Zepar discharges!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maeve suddenly finds herself sitting in a circle in Ngon's basement around a few bits of glass and pieces of broken pottery.
"Well, that was a bust. How old was that bottle, anyway?" Gabe asks.
"I-- I don't know," Chastity says, sounding like she was just waking up. "I honestly don't know why I suggested this stupid game in the first place."
"Or why I even agreed to sit down with you all," Raquel says as she rises to her feet. "I'm friggin' aro."
Ethan stands as well, checking his phone. "Looks like it's time to go anyway. Great movie, Ngon. Thanks for hosting. Tell your parents the food was great."
"Yeah, no prob. Thanks for coming. Nice meeting you," he says.
Chastity rubs her eyes. "That movie's going to give me nightmares. Thanks for that."
Gabe grabs her coat and hands it to her as everyone gathers their things to leave.
"That felt... weird, there. At the end. You okay?" Conway asks as he hands Maeve her coat.
===========
Connie & Feya only:
Waxing Crescent Emoji: Connie, Feya is preparing a ritual to remove the curse. But what she has in mind will confine Zepar’s power to my human form.
Waxing Crescent Emoji: Also, Connie… sorry I was so resistant to accepting help. The effect of the love spell feels GREAT! Fortunately, I trusted Conway would do the right thing—which was apparently to tell me to let you fix me!
Waxing Crescent Emoji: ♥️Ain’t he a dreamboat?♥️
Waxing Crescent Emoji: Wow, they really should give you more than three seconds for the Unsend command.
