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[Lermfish]

"Uh...That's not good."

"It is more than 'not good'. Do not trifle. Nega will declare full scale war on the Positive Domain if she discovers your existence. How did you even get here?"

You explain that you fell asleep and woke up here. She looks as if she doesn't believe you before a spark appears in her eyes.

"You are an Asura! Have you Actualised yet?!"

"Actu-what?"

"Actualised. It means you've become ingrounded in Outrealm and have received your abilities."

No, you think. You don't recall being able to do anything cool when you 'woke up'. Granted, you've only been here for about...half an hour? "What abilities are you talking about?"

"That's part of the blessing I mentioned. Asura are given abilities when they first arrive in Outrealm. These abilities are merged with their very souls, and remain with them for the rest of their years."

"...Right. Well, no. I haven't 'Actualised' yet." You notice the flower lady sigh deeply. "What is it?"

"Nothing. I just...haven't known too many Asura. I've only known one, and he..."

You arch an eyebrow as she trails off. She's looking away from you with a look of disappointment and hurt. Do you ...

> ask her what the deal with this "Asura" is?
> change the subject? (specify)
> (Write In!)

[StrawBarrel]

> change the subject? (Introduce self and exchange names.)

[TheBiggerFish]

...

Attempt to comfort her?

"...Yeah, tactical understatement.

...I'm sorry about him.

I haven't introduced myself, have I?"

[Lermfish]

...

Attempt to comfort her?

"...Yeah, tactical understatement.

...I'm sorry about him.

I haven't introduced myself, have I?"

You soften your tone and change the subject in an attempt to keep her spirits high. "...Oh. Well, hey! We're still strangers, right? Let's fix that! The whole living-in-my-dream thing made my manners go -- shoop -- right out the window. I'm [Female First Name]. You would be?"

"I am River Song, of the Cobalt Clan."

"R-River Song?" Are her parents hippies or something?

"Yes. River Song. Something about my name troubles you?"

"Uh--no! No! Not at all! No troubles here. We are trouble-free." Besides, you have bigger issues to worry about. Like getting the F home! On reflection, her name is actually kind of cool. "River Song, huh? I like it. Pleased to meet you, River!" You shoot a hand out towards her, aimed at her stomach. She flinches before blinking twice at it, like it's something she's never seen before.

"What do you point at? Something on my body?"

You resist the urge to facepalm, instead opting to sigh and try to explain. "No. I'm attempting to give you a handshake. We humans do it all the time."

"Hand...shake. Why would you want to shake one's hand? Do they drop gifts? Is it how human mate? I thought humans mated by--"

"Whoa! NO! WHAT?!" Almost the entire lake and surrounding forest can hear you, idiot. Keep it down! "I mean, no. It's a greeting. We do it when we meet someone and want to be polite."

"Ah. That's not something I learned. A common greeting where I'm from is a soma link."

"...And which sci-fi novel is that from?"

"Sci-fi? Novel? Hm? When we meet someone for the first time, we open our third eye and allow one another into our minds. The outer edges, of course. We get a sense of their true essence, and then we donate positive energy when we exit."

Okay. "Um, I see. Let's skip the handshake, and that soma essence...whatever you said. So, now we gotta get me home. Any suggestions, River?"

"Have you tried waking up?"

"...Yes."

"Hm. I may know someone who can help, but that involves visiting Terminus."

Terminus. That was on the signpost you saw when you first got here. So it's..."some kind of city?"

"One of the largest in the Positive Domain."

"You're forgetting one thing, River. I'm human. I'm pretty sure you aren't the only...flower-thing that knows what a human looks like since there was, you know, a war involving us and stuff."

"Oh. Oh, dear. You're right. We can't take you to Terminus with your obviously Asura self. Let us take a few minutes to come up with some kind of plan."

You suggest . . .

> a disguise! (specify)
> some other option! (specify)
> F that. I'm out! (head back to the signpost)
> (Write In!)[/font]

[TheBiggerFish]

Wait is she seriously named River Song?  [Doctor fan squee.]

Er...

"Uh, do you have any ideas?"

[StrawBarrel]

Random Name Generator says our name is Lolicia. Interesting.

Ask River Song what she is. She probably isn't human.

[Lermfish]

Wait is she seriously named River Song?  [Doctor fan squee.]

Er...

"Uh, do you have any ideas?"

((Beg your pardon?))

Random Name Generator says our name is Lolicia. Interesting.

Ask River Song what she is. She probably isn't human.

"Do I have any ideas? Was I not asking you, Lolicia?"

You always did hate the proper way of saying your name. Lolicia. So...ritzy. You've always preferred Lola. Not exactly a shorthanded version, but all the letters are there so you ran with it. "You can just call me Lola. Yes, you were asking me, but I'm the tourist, remember? Will a disguise work? Make me one of...whatever you are. What are you anyway, River?"

"My people were once said to be a type of Mystic. We've come to call ourselves the Kirin. I doubt I can make you look like one. All Kirin have at least four arms. Also, you have no flower-like attributes. Ah! Wait!" River sticks one of her hands in the lake, pulling out a slug-like blob and presenting it to you with an open palm. "This will be your disguise. Part of it, anyway."

You arch an eyebrow. This makes no sense. "How can a...jello slug be a disguise?"

She doesn't answer. Instead, she snatches a pedal from a nearby flower and breaks it open. You notice a fluid with a brilliant blue colour pouring out of the broken pedal. "Hold still, Asura."

You're about to hit River with the hands before you remember you've never fought anyone a day in your life. So, you recoil from her instead. "River. Seriously. What the hell. Mutant jello and smurf's blood. That can't be a disguise."

"But it can, Lola. Watch." Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, you think. You let the living flower apply the mutant jello slug. She shapes it into a pair of antennae which are placed right on top of your head. You hardly notice it there as it doesn't feel as disgusting as you thought it would.

"...Okay", is all you manage to say before she continues. This time, rubbing the blue liquid around your eyes, then making a vertical line underneath each one.

"Are you done yet?" You're getting a bit impatient. What River does next shocks you. She tosses a small amount of the blue fluid inside of each eye! "What the--RIVER! Are you crazy?!" You miss a shove that was meant for her since you've closed your eyes.

"Calm down, Lola. Open your eyes."

You want to hit her. Hard. It's not as simple as opening your eyes when--oh...wait. You can see! "I can see!", you exclaim. "Wait. What did you do to me?"

River simply gestures towards the lake as if to say "see for yourself". You do so, and you almost don't recognise yourself. The first thing you notice isn't the substitute make-up, nor the antennae accessory, but your eyes. You still have the same brown hair and tanned skin, but your eyes are no longer honey brown. They're blue. Strikingly blue. Almost...cobalt? The blue 'mascara' she applied to your face makes you look unique. Like...you just look so . . .

"...pretty."

> "What am I supposed to be?"
> "You made me attractive, not alien!"
> (Write In!)[/font]

[TheBiggerFish]

((You DON'T KNOW WHO RIVER SONG IS?  *glare*  Go watch Doctor Who.  Then get back to me.))

Sort of a mashup of the existing options.

"I look...Pretty.  Not, uh, significantly different which I thought was the idea?  What am I supposed to be?"

[StrawBarrel]

Sort of a mashup of the existing options.

"I look...Pretty.  Not, uh, significantly different which I thought was the idea?  What am I supposed to be?"

This is coolio. Let's say this.

[Lermfish]

((You DON'T KNOW WHO RIVER SONG IS?  *glare*  Go watch Doctor Who.  Then get back to me.))

Sort of a mashup of the existing options.

"I look...Pretty.  Not, uh, significantly different which I thought was the idea?  What am I supposed to be?"

((Huh?))

"Um, River. You made me pretty, and I don't even look that non-human. Is the point of this disguise to be taken out on a date?"

"Be assured, Asura. Your disguise is not human in any way. You are a Losh'k -- a Guardian. They used to live in Outrealm eons before I was ever conceptualised."

"...Guardian?"

"Yes. Ancient travellers who devote themselves to knowledge, and the protection of all living things. I've heard they're able to appear as anything, but their chosen shape when they lived in Outrealm was that of what you see when you look at the water's surface. They favoured blue, and clan lore suggests that the ancestors of the Cobalt Clan were fraternal with the Guardians."

"Again, that's not blending in, River. I stand out. I don't look human, but you made me a hot alien badass."

"Bad...ass? I don't follow. I made you a disguise that covers up your true form. How is this a problem? You should take your current appearance as an honour, not a misfortune."

She doesn't seem to be getting it. You facepalm before thinking of your next move.

> Head to Terminus. River said she knows someone who can help you get home.
> Ditch this chick and head back to the signpost.
> (Write In!)

[TheBiggerFish]

((... Are you serious?  Have you seriously never heard of Doctor Who either?))

"The point of a disguise is normally to blend in, not to stand out.

Though refuge in audacity is a thing...

If you think it will work, I'll trust you."

A question: Is there some reason the submitted dialogue is changing?

[StrawBarrel]

A question: Is there some reason the submitted dialogue is changing?

Artistic Liberties? I think it captures the essence of the submitted dialogue.

"The point of a disguise is normally to blend in, not to stand out.

Though refuge in audacity is a thing...

If you think it will work, I'll trust you."

+
> Head to Terminus. River said she knows someone who can help you get home.

[Lermfish]

((... Are you serious?  Have you seriously never heard of Doctor Who either?))

"The point of a disguise is normally to blend in, not to stand out.

Though refuge in audacity is a thing...

If you think it will work, I'll trust you."

A question: Is there some reason the submitted dialogue is changing?

((...What?))

((Dialogue changing? If you mean the paraphrasing, it's because my SGs/games are also writing exercises, and I'm trying to be more creative than just "let's copy paste the suggestions 100%!". And because the dialogue I offer might fit better. Notice it hasn't always been this way in the SG. I think that's what you meant. If not, do clarify!))

[TheBiggerFish]

((Seriously, you have no idea what I'm talking about whatsoever?))

((It is.  But the point of SGs is to take the suggestions...

Like, you can write whatever in the scene, but...It just feels like a violation of the principle.))

[Lermfish]

((Seriously, you have no idea what I'm talking about whatsoever?))

((It is.  But the point of SGs is to take the suggestions...

Like, you can write whatever in the scene, but...It just feels like a violation of the principle.))

Spoiler: Response to Monsieur Fish (click to show/hide)

((What df?))

((And I have been. You didn't read the part where I said I paraphrase to exercise my writing. I want to deliver top service every time. That's why I tend to keep my running SGs low, because quality > quantity. When you click on a Hello World thread, you're in it for the experience of a well-written, quality executed story! Even if you don't "feel like you're there", if I make you give a [BEEP] about the world and the characters, I'm doing/have done my job.

In any case, I'll copypaste the suggestions since that is what the site culture is.))

"River, the point of a disguise is normally to blend in, not to stand out." Refuge in audacity might be a thing, you protest internally, but...maybe trusting River is for the best. After all, she's not trying to probe or eat me.

After thinking about it for a bit, you look at your reflection on the lake's surface, stand back up, and nod, trusting in River. "If you think it will work, I'll trust you."

"Excellent", she replies with a smile and clap of her first pair of hands. "Then we make for Terminus."

"Uh...sure. Let's go."

* * *

Almost 20 minutes have passed, with you and River by each other's side, heading for Terminus. You've travelled mainly in silence, with the random comment about a strange plant or animal you see. River tells you what it is, if it has any crazy abilities, and you chuckle somewhat nervously. On the horizon, you can see a bit of a skyline. It's a city, obviously. Terminus, you think.

"That, is Terminus. City of the Centre."

You grunt in affirmation, and as you both reach closer to the city, you take notice of the architecture. "Not how I thought it would look."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It's pretty Asur--human looking." Great, now River has you saying 'Asura'. You shake your head before continuing. "Giving an example, I'd say it's a mix of Sicilian and Byzantine architecture with post-modern and rammed earth things thrown in." River has no idea what you're talking about, given that she's never been to your 'realm'. You try to explain but she doesn't get all of it. You only manage to explain the concept of rammed earth homes effectively.

"So, in Deirealm, Asuras use the very ground they walk on to make homes? Interesting. Quite resourceful indeed."

You nod, with a slight smile painting itself on your face. Why? Pride. A smidgeon, mind you, but you just taught River something, which is the opposite of what the case has been since you got here. You don't have long to revel in the moment, however, because you're both within sight range of the city's walls. The gate is open, but you're a bit shook by the two guards clad in white armour, holding spears, who stand on either side of the entrance.

". . . Uh, River?"

"Karma Patrol". Her serious tone shakes you even more. She notices your concern and assures you that they aren't that big of a deal, but you have your doubts. And reasonably so. You stop so quick you almost lurch. Time to think!

> Ask River for more information on the Karma Patrol. (history lesson warning)
> Ask River how you'll both get into the city.
> (Write In!)