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[S1lentWanderer]

You have shown great honor, in protecting a helpless Human from danger.

Though you have protected her, her mind is filled with fear. Fear of this place, fear of the Perversion, and fear of you.
You must show her that she needs not be afraid of you.

Do not touch her. Your touch will only bring more fear and pain. 
Do not look her in the eye. Your Mask is a fearful thing to her.
Keep yourself at least an arm's reach away from her. Being close to her will only remind her of the fear.
Make no sudden movement. If you must approach her position, do so slowly, and make enough noise that she recognizes your approach. She thinks you will attack her. Do not do anything she could see as an attack.
If she approaches you, do not move. Allow her to approach.
Do not attack her. Even if she attacks you. She lacks the strength to seriously harm you.

If you can, carve a bowl out of one of the larger pieces of masonry. Fill it with water, and leave it within the woman's reach, backing away from it with empty hands raised. If she empties the bowl, whether by drinking it or spilling it, refill it and set it back in the same place. Again, do not move suddenly. Make every move slowly.

[King Zultan]

It might be time to learn how to talk like he does.

[S1lentWanderer]

It might be time to learn how to talk like he does.

+1, communication takes priority.

[BlackPaladin99]

It might be time to learn how to talk like he does.

+1, communication takes priority.

Yes, you must learn to communicate.  In adittion, take on a new mask in the form of a female human.  This current mask unnerves her.  Make sure the mask looks visibly different from her.  Make sure it has expression capabilities.  when you do this, make sure to look away from her. 

[King Zultan]

Why change the one we have when we could make the one we have less creepy to her?

[S1lentWanderer]

Changing our face now will only bring her more fear. Minimize change.

[Maximum Spin]

Going to have to weigh in against changing overtly.

It would be wise to open up one of the dead men to study what was inside and learn how they work. Probably not in front of the lady. Although it could be funny.

[S1lentWanderer]

It would be wise to open up one of the dead men to study what was inside and learn how they work. Probably not in front of the lady. Although it could be funny.

+1, but definitely not in front of the living one. She's already afraid enough of us.

[Eschar]

Use our memories to learn speech as [Superdorf] suggested. But do not transform our Mask, at least not suddenly, as face-changing unnerves humans. Stay far enough away that she doesn't feel more threatened.

[19_EgarAlnis]

Use my memories of speech, if you like.

You have shown great honor, in protecting a helpless Human from danger.

Do not touch her. Your touch will only bring more fear and pain. 
Do not look her in the eye. Your Mask is a fearful thing to her.
Keep yourself at least an arm's reach away from her. Being close to her will only remind her of the fear.
Make no sudden movement. If you must approach her position, do so slowly, and make enough noise that she recognizes your approach. She thinks you will attack her. Do not do anything she could see as an attack.
If she approaches you, do not move. Allow her to approach.
Do not attack her. Even if she attacks you. She lacks the strength to seriously harm you.

If you can, carve a bowl out of one of the larger pieces of masonry. Fill it with water, and leave it within the woman's reach, backing away from it with empty hands raised. If she empties the bowl, whether by drinking it or spilling it, refill it and set it back in the same place. Again, do not move suddenly. Make every move slowly.

It would be wise to open up one of the dead men to study what was inside and learn how they work. Probably not in front of the lady. Although it could be funny.

+1, but definitely not in front of the living one. She's already afraid enough of us.

[4][17][16][20]
...you rise like a crashing wave, drawing a ceremonial blade and urging your men forward with a rousing speech. They die at your command, sacrificing themselves to save the ones they love--until its time for you to make the same sacrifice. Your blood and organs splatter across the dirt as the monster rips you in half...

"Fuck." The Child whispers. The Woman glances up in sharp surprise. Her brow furrows and her eyes widen.

"Did--did you just say fuck?"

"Fuck." The Child repeats.

"Shit. This is just like my nephew all over again-- look, try something else-- uh...hello."

"Shit." The Child answers.

[20] The woman begins to giggle, then laugh at the Child. "Is speaking hard for you, like--like a baby? Look, if you nod your head like this--" She nods her head, "Then that means yes, or affirmative, or correct--"

The Child nods its head.

The woman blinks, her lips twisting, then, with a soft murmur of, "Fuck it." She begins to teach the Child, going to great lengths to explain how communication works, what certain words mean what, what nodding and shaking of the head mean, what a smile means, as much as she can. She goes over all the basics, sporadic, without any true focus, but the Child still learns.

[11] And learn it does. It learns intently. It devours the information, even breaking the rules of one of the voices to look her in the eye as she speaks, finding that it is easier to understand when she speaks like that. The Child hungers for this information.

"...do you understand?"

The Child nods. When silence fills the temple again, it picks up the discarded vines. With a twist of will, it weaves them into a small bowl shape and presses its thumb against the gaps, smoothing the gaps together until they meld in a waterproof seal. It fills it from the pool and sets it at the woman's feet, backing away with its hands raised and its eyes downcast. Submissively, the Child murmurs, "Thanks."

"Well, now I'll have plenty of water while I starve to death."

At that moment, with that complaint, the temple wall parts, allowing the Perversion back into the room. Across its shuddering shoulders in a bundle bigger than it is, it carries another package, this one made with fiber and filled to the brim with wrapped, square containers. Each of these little containers are brightly colored and reflective in the dim grey lights. It drops the package at the foot of the slab and stands at shuddering attention. The woman's eyes widen again, for the umpteenth time this day, and she rushes forward, stopping short when the Perversion extends a spiked arm-- she freezes, doe-eyed and trembling.

"your pet needs to learn manners. royalty eats first." The voice echoes from all around. "eat, my child. i know you hunger. it is not made from man, mostly, and is safe for you."

The Child rises back to its feet and picks up one of the packages, examining it. With a learned shrug, it bites down on the package, plastic coating and all, and chews. Flavor dances across the Child's tongue and its eyes widen, another learned response. It devours another, and another, and another, chewing loudly, until it is sated. In its hunger, the Child has devoured half of the bundle. It's small belly bulges with the sheer amount of food it has eaten, and energy rushes into lethargic muscles.
 
The Perversion drops its arm, and the woman, with tentative grace, grabs two of the packages. She rips away the bio-plastic and gnaws on the bar inside, washing it down with copious amounts of water. When she finishes, she lays against the pillar, looking between the Perversion and the Child. Her lips quirk, "Do you control that thing?"

The Child shakes its head.

"you have learned how to communicate in the human way, I see." The voice whispers again, "does your pet require anything else?"

[13] "What...do...you...need?" The Child stammers out.

The woman blinks.

"Uh...anything?"

The Child nods.

"Freedom?"

The Child shakes its head. Not yet.

"Ah...well, worth a shot. A bed would be nice, and some privacy, and a toilet and---" She rattles off a list.

"it is being brought now." The Voice responds, when the woman finishes, "but tell the pet, it needs better manners."

"Manners." The Child repeats.

[15] "What the fuck you mean yo--" The woman's jaw sets as the Perversion reacts to the anger with an untensing of savage weaponry. Then the Child flicks its eyes upward, then at the Perversion, and realization blooms in the human's eyes. "Please."

"acceptable." The Voice accepts.

The Perversion relaxes, but continues to stand guard. The Child prods it mentally, however, and it moves to stand in the far corner of the room. The woman's muscles relax, and her shoulders slump with the release of tension. She picks at the second ration pack.

"What do you want with me?" She asks after hours of silence.

"Teach me. Humanity. Speech. Anything."

"What do I get in return?"

"Life."

"Not good enough. I want freedom." The woman, despite herself, draws herself up to her full height and locks her jaw.

[14]"...After." The Child agrees, with a nod.

The woman extends her hand out to the Child, who looks at it and blinks.

"Put your hand in mine and shake it." The woman explains.

After hesitating, remembering the command against touch, the Child does so, gripping with only the gentlest of grasps. It shakes her hand vigorously, and when it finishes, the woman adds, "I'm Sloan. It's nice to meet you...?"

"...what is your name, my treasure?" The Other Voice whispers in the Child's ears.

"And uh...are you a he, or a she, or a null?"

"human labels need not apply to us, my child. we do not produce hormones, as humans do, and reproduce asexually, through thought and manipulation of the physical world."

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

You are The Child
Time has no meaning.

Willpower Level: 2(d10)

Spoiler: Powers (click to show/hide)

Full Body Control.: Instinctive
-The First Mask: Amateur
-Healing Factor: Instinctive
Plague Control: Instinctive

Spoiler: Inventory (click to show/hide)

Lower Body:A torn silky, black cloth

<< <>

[Maximum Spin]

You have not yet earned a name and do not have a sex. Perhaps these things may come later. For now, shrug.

[Eschar]

"Sloan". "Invader, raider." Ironic.

You have not yet earned a name and do not have a sex. Perhaps these things may come later. For now, shrug.

+1

Also ask the woman how she came to be in this place. She was taken from somewhere, I assume. She's quite composed for a human shoved into a nest of Plague - a brave spirit.

[chaotic skies]

"A fitting name for this one, Sloan. A name steeped in long-forgotten history, that speaks of a fighter's spirit. She could perhaps be a useful ally."

"As for you...Names and genders are for the maskless, who must remain contained within one existence. You are masked, and can change as you please, altogether different, though neither better nor worse.

For now...a name...As you are a child, the term for you would be Bairn, were you where her name originated. It will suit well enough for now."

[Superdorf]

S̷͕̥̽̒-̸͕̓̀0̶̘̭̎͊0̷̲̃-̶͉̕ͅc̸̲͙̋ŗ̴̺̓̋i̵̛̝͗#̸͎̉̀0̸̭̏͝0̴̨͛͘c̸̛͉ḛ̶̔̾-̸͚̻́=̴̬̭̒̕

...

Good!

You will contradict us in particulars, when circumstances demand.
We are your guide against perversion. We are a repository of things remembered and forgotten.
You are a student, and not a slave.

You are in humanity's image, and deserving of a name! I will call you βασιλίσκος. I will call you "little king".
I will call you Basil.

[S1lentWanderer]

Also ask the woman how she came to be in this place. She was taken from somewhere, I assume. She's quite composed for a human shoved into a nest of Plague - a brave spirit.

+1

Patience, child. One day you will find a name that suits you well enough to wear forever, regardless of the mask you wear. Until then, if you are willing, I too will call you Basil, little king.

It would be wise to dispose of the pile of corpses in your temple-prison. Their presence will make your guest uncomfortable, and their decay will bring further corruption to this place. Bury them, if you can.

This woman is braver than I estimated. Listen to her. Learn from her. She knows more of this world than either any of us, save for the Perversion. She does not fear as much as I had thought. You must still act with care, though you need not be as cautious as I advised at first. Adjust your mask slowly, shifting your form to look more like a living human. Learn from her how humans move.

Learn as much as you can about your temple-prison. Study the walls which keep you in. Can you command them, as you have commanded the vines?