>>933383
idk if it is the best idea, but lets take them up on their offer, on both counts. It is probably the most objectively helpful route.

We need sable back, they belong to Thorn, if they belong to anyone, and thus aren't a bargaining chip that can be used by this guy.

However, these guys dont seem evil. They seem powerful, but also extremely inept and more concerned with SCIENCE than actually doing evil stuff. They do seem like they want to look evil and scary though.

I think we could be a positive influence on them, and thus we should work with them for now.

>>933390
Additionally, tell them you need some of their blood to work, and the donor better be a willing volunteer, which means they cant use Sable.

Also, when you do the expediting, try to block off pain from Chalk if that is something you can do.

>>933383
Let's do both. I think this business arrangement will be very informative as well as rewarding in other ways. The Sentinels are withholding information, so let's get some information from these guys.

Direct mating will definitely not be required in the second task. If the void fluid comes out of his genitals, then that can be gathered via digital stimulation, and then Sable can move the void fluid using its powers. If it's not enough fluid then you can just request some chaos creature blood.
You will of course require the consent of the mother.

>>933382
>Chaos creature's blood
Would Sable's blood work? Speaking of which, let's not forget about him! Make sure you bring him with you!

>>933393
>Let's do both.
>Reasons for doing both.
I agree with this.

Auditing Voice of the Alchemist sounds alright, but for speeding up the pregnancy, I'd like Chalk's agreement first. It's her body.

>>933383
what would the position of being the Auditing Voice of the Alchemist

>>933402
I agree.

Tell Voice of the Crown that you have met the Sentinels, and they did you no harm. Instead, they helped you. Why was that?

Another thing that I'd like to know is, these chaos creatures seem to have titles, Voice of the Crown, Voice of the Predator, etc., besides their normal names. What are these titles... and can you have one also? :P Voice of Life?

Other than that, agree to both offers.

>>933383
Alright, so these people are powerful, violent, incompetent and somewhat clueless. The best plan involved is asking Chalk if she'd be up to accept Rentauk's 'assistance' and agreeing to audit Alchemist, since she's kind of a dangerous and hostile weirdo and we don't owe her dirt.

>>933436
We really cant be a voice if we cant even speak.

>>933400
iirc Sable is a genderless child, just like us (they/them).

As sympathetically incompetent their "medical procedures" are, it seems overly naive to take Crown at face value. He knows you have something he wants and he would be smart enough to present himself in the best possible light. He may be giving incomplete information or outright lies about our situation right now.

If what Crown is say about the Sentinels is true, then the nice Sentinel did us a HUGE favor in covering for us. Thus, I don't think we should start burning bridges with the crystals yet. We can verify this if we somehow manage to get in contact with him and get his side of the story. For all we know, they could be collecting Kurasus because they were not dissimilar to us from a couple of hours or days ago.

Yet, we are living on borrowed trust from our predecessor. While we technically can go free, it's implied that it would be his last favor for us as far as he's concerned and we will not get far in atoll diplomacy if we leave it at that.

So agree to check in with Alchemist and nothing else, appear only interested in the ectoplasm and don't ask any other questions. You shouldn't trust him with more power yet but if pressed, say this: As much as you would like to see the creature grow, there is a reason it is developing slowly* and it is unsafe until you understand what that reason is.

*one theory: it's related to his empathic bond with the mother.

>>933468
Support we need too look competent and smart

Why not both!

Leeeets only agree to help Chalk on our own terms. No mating needed. We can audit VotA if we're nearby and Ren can relay the info to you. Don't want to play messenger fox.

This guy seems less insane and wanton than i thought, though just as dangerous. Take up both, but it would be rather difficult for us to get back to her from where we were, especially since we essentially told one of the higher ups we'd stick to a life of safety.

We did see her recently though. Bring that up to see if we might be able to deal with that one now.

I say do both.

>oh hey I was going to reply to this
Hm. He's realized something of what you are, it seems like? He may even have clued in on your ignorance. How vexing.

His reward is certainly tempting, but even with how little we know he appears to be a no-good, unstable, bungling, impatient alien chaos being who has the motive of breaking the Limit that the Sentinels argue preserves all life on the Atoll. And he... somehow isn't directly coercing you or splitting you open for your precious priceless protoplasm. Hm.

That he considers your inherent skills, not your protoplasm, to be the most valuable - no matter your apparent relation to this Kurasu woman who seems to mean something to him - is worrying. Your ability must be unique or very valuable for him to start treating you with so much leeway when he's been running roughshod over nearly everyone else. He may think you the key to breaking the Limit - or that you'll do something else for him if left to your own devices. If he's willing to let you go with 'only' a guard he has some plan or expectation cooking.

His point about the sentinels is... well, it's a blatant half truth. We have seen indications that while they have a consensus that makes broad-strokes decisions they all have to adhere to, they also have 'individual' patterns that may agree or disagree with these in the details and can respond or interpret overalls rules favorably for you - or not.

For one, Vigilance Pattern 3 seemed pretty nice and was supportive of you in its own way. Of course, you did help Alchemist discover evidence of other Patterns launching a very non-consensal ploy to disrupt or destroy a particular troublesome segment of the population that was messing with them (at least that's what it seemed like), so... half-truth is still part truth. Consider yourself warned re: interacting amicably with ALL sentinel Patterns. There could very well be some you could trust, pending on your actions here and elsewhere, and some you manifestly should not, given the danger your existence may or may not represent. Involving yourself with anything that breaks the Limit WILL probably earn you Sentinel enmity, for reasons Vigilance Pattern 3 previously explained - that whole "the Atoll is a slowly decaying, fragile magical ecosystem keeping you alive on a dead world" thing.

Anyway, Crown is indeed generously giving you some offers here. Getting a bunch of protoplasm - hopefully without stepping all over the free will of people you've involved yourself with (including Rentauk who will be probably be your chaperone/guard dog for the immediate future) would strengthen you. We've been passing up a few opportunities for that so far (alchemist's lab, mushrooms in forest), so yeah, let's make the most of this!

... then again.

>Audit deal
Touching Crown and going to Alchemist should be a hard pass. Think about where he's going. Think about what happened there. Think about there maybe being Sentinels observing the area due to what happened there. Think about being observed by Sentinels with Crown.

Now, if Crown goes to Alchemist, finds her alive and unfled (or tracks her down) and gets her report, she may excuse herself with "Oh there's a lack of progress because this red-furred vulpic and a Mooncaller came along and messed up my lab" and then Crown is no doubt going to be a touch displeased by your lack of candour re: having met her before. So, shake your head and write:

"I've met Voice of the Alchemist once, recently. I can verify she appeared to be working on - but not making the desired progress - your project. I did not stay long, however. Your 'project' put my travel companion off, enough that they came to blows though I tried to prevent it. Due to the fight, the ritual chamber we were in activated which threw me halfway across the Atoll, where I met Sable and then Chalk."

This should secure you against anything Alchemist might tell Crown. Besides, you already kind of sold her out to Vigilance Pattern 3. Who informed you she was otherwise occupied right now, so you getting cut and leaking protoplasm all over the probably did a number on that area which, again, is why you shouldn't be going there to be seen with Crown. Sentinels do seem to pop up and keep an eye on interesting things happening.

>Growth boost
Shake head (although you can accept this one if pressed and Sable and Chalk wish it, though I think they will feel coerced into it, making it more likely that you can deny it). A soft pass. I'm just guessing, but I think you'd be showing him how to do something he wants to figure out - you'll have proven a theory and given pointers in his presence. That said, we still don't know why he wants to break the Limit so bad - other than just getting out of this place? Helping him outright in this task is probably going to earn us the enmity of the Sentinels if discovered.

If you decline, write something like: "My sympathies for your wasted efforts, but they may have been misdirected. The current speed of growth is arguably the better option if you want something to actually come from the initial experiment."

1/5 Red 2019/07/25(Thu)16:07 No. 940426 ID: f0a059
File 156409603682.png - (19.33KB , 800x600 , at121.png )

>accept auditing Voice of the Alchemist
>accept speeding up Chalk's pregnancy, but only with her consent
Red, after some hesitation, slowly reaches out and tries to grab the Voice of the Crown's claw. It feels cold and smooth, almost oily, far more solid than its owner's shadowy form suggests, yet it also feels coarse and grating and wrong to Red's magical senses. The contradicting sensations are like ice down Red's spine, and his fur stands on end.
The Voice of the Crown makes a chittering laugh, shaking its claw up and down. "I am so incredibly pleased to be making a deal with you, Red, even if I'm not entirely sure what parts you agreed with yet. Please! By all means, inform us!" It gestures to the sand, grin steady.

I will audit the Voice of the Alchemist but I need Chalk's permission for the other task.

"On her behalf, you have permission to do whatever you want," says the Voice of the Crown. "This is my realm, my domain, my kingdom of the Alter. I may not lay claim to it all, but time, and blood, will out. My word is the law here and I say Chalk's will is secondary to my own."

Chalk wriggles on the altar surface. "What's going on? What's being discussed?!"
"Your associate is concerned that you might reject the opportunity to catch up to where you should be in the greater scheme of things," says the Voice of the Crown, voice smooth and assuring.
"Red, if this oily snake bastard is asking you to kill me then tell it no! TELL IT TO GO FUCK ITSELF!!"

2/5 Red 2019/07/25(Thu)16:07 No. 940427 ID: f0a059
File 156409607905.png - (435.92KB , 800x600 , at122.png )

The chiming plains fall silent. The oppressively empty sky remains unchanging, a curtain of void cloaking the sudden silence with further dread.

"It is," says the Voice of the Crown, after an agonizing few seconds that feel as though hours pass, "not a capacity of mine, if I felt so inclined to indulge your epithet, vulpic. We are discussing your current subpar performance in a process that you shouldn't even be able to influence. If you do not wish to displease me further, you'll agree to everything Red wishes to do to assist you."

The Voice of the Crown's voice does not lose its pleasant tone, but a sinister edge has Red almost shaking in fear as the Crown's smile completely fades.

Red notices Rentauk frozen to the spot, trembling.

Chalk speaks in a shaky whimper. "Y-y-yes, sir."
"Address me as the Voice of the Crown, in full, or do not address me at all, vulpic." says the Voice of the Crown, in a voice suddenly both twice as loud and carrying an unnatural edge to it that has Red clasping at his ears as it feels like the air itself has been filled with greasy nettles.
"Yes, Voice of the Crown, sir!" shouts a teary-eyed Chalk, anger and frustration replaced by frozen terror.
"So, Red is still waiting for that permission."
Chalk writhes uselessly on the runed slab keeping her held down. "Alright. Do it." She sniffs. "I don't have a choice in this anymore, do I--"
"A simple yes would have sufficed. That's enough out of you," says the Voice of the Crown. "Any more and I'll make sure you can't talk back."

3/5 Red 2019/07/25(Thu)16:09 No. 940428 ID: f0a059
File 156409614141.png - (29.06KB , 800x600 , at123.png )

The Voice of the Crown holds out a claw towards Rentauk, making a clicking noise from it. Red is not sure how this happens. "Mate with her now."
"Wh-wh-what?" Rentauk's eyes widen and ears prick up. "Weren't you getting Red to--"
"I do not have the time or patience for further insubordination."
"I can't-- I can't do it like this! I can't--"
"Red, get near Chalk. Ribbon, bite Rentauk at the hip."
"Yez, zupremest."

Ribbon lunges forward and bites Rentauk, who yelps and starts groaning and grunting as he struggles with an infusion of raw chaos fluid surging through his system. Black tendrils pierce out of his flesh before boiling back in as though they never formed, leaving no marks. He stares down at Chalk in an expression both of intense desire and self-loathing for the same desire, still groaning from the rippling changing and unchanging spreading across his body, as he clambers over and on top of her.

Red gets closer to Chalk as instructed and stares at the Voice of the Crown in a mixture of hopeless confusion and betrayed resentment.
The Voice of the Crown looks back, and returns to its former smile.
"You flesh creatures really should rediscover the manner and decorum of your ancestors. They knew were they stood in the past. Honestly, I try to be a better entity and a nicer being and this is how I'm repaid for it. People forget my authority! It's a disgrace. Really, you're lucky all of you are irreplacable."

Red hears Chalk groan and shout as Rentauk enters her, resigned sighs giving way to protesting yelps as Rentauk grows more vigorous and less concerned for her wellbeing.

4/5 Red 2019/07/25(Thu)16:09 No. 940429 ID: f0a059
File 156409618126.png - (65.36KB , 800x600 , at124.png )

Red watches horrified, as one tiny part of it is intrigued by watching whatever travesty is taking place in front of it, and the rest of it feels powerless to have stopped this. If only it could have spoken something instead of being so easily ignored. Red balls its paws into fists, teeth grinding, glaring at the still smiling Voice of the Crown. The chaos creature has lost interest in watching its own ritual, instead now talking to Ribbon about further orders.

"So, the pteropic should be ready to deliver soon, yes?"
"Zuppozedly, yez. I am not zure az I previouzly mentioned."
"Take her to Makers' Mass, the shrine there. That will be the most maximally disruptive place, I think. Draw commotion, make sure she stays unclothed."
"What if violence enzues?"
"There are agents in place, when the sentinels arrive..."

The Voice of the Crown looks back to Red. "We should discuss this perhaps a little later."
Ribbon points some of its eyes towards Red. "Yez, zupremest."
The Voice of the Crown addresses Red directly. "My apologies for the delay, Red. This should be a temporary interruption, and then you'll all be on your way to the Aspect of Transfiguration soon enough. Voice of the Alchemist. Whichever. Thanks for your patience!~"

The sound of Rentauk and Chalk aggressively coupling gets harder to filter out. "Red!" shouts Chalk. "Red, uff, Red, get, hrg, get Sable!!"

Red has no idea where Sable is, and can't find any trace of the cocoon Sable was trapped in. Red isn't sure how to get Sable.
If only it could somehow call out. If only it could say anything.

Red considers trying to rip Rentauk off of Chalk or trying to disrupt things with biothaumaturgy. The options are there. The outcomes are not likely to be beneficial to anyone involved.

5/5 Red 2019/07/25(Thu)16:11 No. 940431 ID: f0a059
File 156409628807.png - (12.55KB , 800x600 , at125.png )

A gentle tap on Red's shoulder reveals Sable standing behind them, who apparently managed to free itself during all of this. Wrapping someone who can freely manipulate chaos stuff in a cocoon made of chaos stuff might not have been the Voice of the Crown's strongest move so far, Red thinks to itself.

Sable looks sadly at Red, tearing up as the events of the past few minutes catch up. "I'm sorry I got you involved in all of this." Sable looks over to Rentauk, more driven by a bestial instinct not entirely his own as Chalk stares angrily into the black abyss of the sky as though there's many things she wants to say but knows she can't say any of them.

"I know the way out. We could escape, just you and me," whispers Sable, still fearfully ducking behind Red and using them to break line of sight with the Voice of the Crown. "We could just go straight to Swimmer's Beach and leave all of this behind. Find your friend. Yes?"
Red looks at Sable with a disapproving frown.
"I know, I know, it isn't right, but, Red, I don't think doing right will keep us safe. We're in its world now, on many levels. Either we escape now, or we have to keep doing what it wants. And what it wants won't be what you want."

Red isn't sure it even knows what it wants. Red isn't even sure why getting back to the undoubtedly capable adventurer is important, or if trying to do the right thing here is even worth the risk.
Red isn't even sure if serving the Voice of the Crown is actually the worst idea, with all other options considered.

Something inside it, whispering quietly, says to just give up and follow the path that keeps it alive, no matter if that path leads to servitude, betrayal, or worse. Morality is a luxury, says Red's darker, deeper self, the parts of itself it finds itself revulsed by yet agreeing. The world has no future, as has been made clear to it by its inhabitants. Even the reign of this alien tyrant might prove better than its current fate.

Red is paralysed by indecision as Sable waits patiently. Red wishes that Sable would just try to escape without Red, and free Red of the burden of this decision.

Damn.
Just.. damn.

Have Sable tell you how to get out. You'll follow as soon as you can. If you're not out by the end of the day, it should go on without you. Home, even. You have to at least try and help Chalk out of here. VotC is still dumb for thinking this will fix anything though. Keep that to yourself.

>>940437
This seems like a reasonable course of action, yeah. We might want to hang around here or at least come back, but there's no reason to make Sable be stuck with us.

yeah... i really got nothing to say.

Have sable show you the exit, then try to help chalk. Not sure how but uh... could you remove or at least lower the hormones in Rentauk to snap him out of his rut? Really don't want to leave chalk here if at all possible.

>>940431
He's right. Let's leave. VotC broke the deal, so we're not going to do what it wants. Take the protoplasm though.

>>940441
Cutting the gordian knot on this terrible turn of events is a poor decision.

outright *stealing* from voice of the crown at the same time is just going to get us popped open like the squishy protoplasm meatbag we truly are.

Grab Sable by the wrist and force him down so that Crown and ribbon don't see him.

Quick scrawl 'running isn't possible', then point at predator. Quick scrawl 'Help me fix this.' Point at sable, then predator. Then yourself, then Chalk. Hopefully he'll get the idea and the two of you can salvage this fucked up shitshow.

>>940431
The voice of absolute selfishness and survival at all costs is sefl-destructive. You are a social creature, and one that desires to bring life and healing. You cannot leave without your compatriot and abandon them to be raped by an increasingly unstable mutant.

I agree about keeping the flight option open but trying to help Chalk.

Write a message to VotC asking how many days the pregnancy has been so far. Mention that you know pregnancies for creatures of such size usually have a length between 150 and 300 days, but don't know the tolerances beyond which trying to accelerate it would be hazardous.

If you are sure of nothing else, be sure of this: letting Crown do as he pleases is a seriously bad idea. He has no respect for the consent or free will of his own subjects. At best, he is just another tyrant which is no replacement for a "tyranny". More likely, he views both worlds as his own playground and gets upset whenever someone tells him no. The worst part is whatever we do, we're playing his game from now on.

It's time to listen to your heart right now. I mean literally listen to your heart, it would tell you were built to withstand and recover from a lot of damage. And it would tell you could be more, being that you are the de facto container and embodiment of life. As long as you are free, there is hope for this world, but improvement will only come if you take risks.

No, you don't need to find your friend Selene to just up and hide. You need to find her so she can organize everyone else against this creep. And you could just have Sable run to find her and have him tell what happened to you. Or...

Consider that how he got free. He could free Chalk by draining the chaos fluid out of Rentauk so all of you can make a break for it. Or maybe if he were strong enough, he could contain both of them and try to carry both out. Consider enhancing Sable like you saw Ribbon do.

Let Chalk hold onto your rank 2 fluffy tail to ease her burden.

>>940431
If you leave now, you will renege on your deal. You will anger the Voice of the Crown. And you will leave Chalk to the mercy of his furious, impatient countenance.

Further, you and Sable together have the abilities required to give Chalk the best chance of surviving this.

Another consideration is the chaos hybrid child. They want it, desperately. It must surely be powerful. Perhaps, with proper guidance, powerful enough to oppose them.

There is a time to make your move, but it is not now. Remain. Endure.

1/3 Red 2019/07/27(Sat)18:18 No. 940657 ID: f0a059
File 156427672648.png - (108.81KB , 800x600 , at126.png )

> listen to your heart
Red's heart, as its regulating pulse, what brings all together and keeps it moving, dismisses Red's indecision. It reminds Red that it is always better to act than to fear all actions.
Patience is a virtue, but terrified indecision is not.
Red asks its heart what it should do.
Its heart says Red already knows the answer, yet is afraid to proceed. If Red truly, truly wished to follow the path of survival at all costs, it would not have stood up to the Voice of the Crown.
Red wants to help. Red wants justice. Red's blood is calling for what is right. Red feels its fur stand on end, the shiver of remembrance and realisation terrifying and liberating at once.

> keep sable down out of sight
> ask sable to show you the way out
Red abruptly grabs Sable by the wrist and pulls them down, to make sure Sable can't be seen by the Voice of the Crown or its associate.

Please tell me how to leave. Then go. I'll follow you once I can.
"Red, no," whispers Sable urgently. "Don't leave me alone."
I don't want to leave you alone. But I have to fix this.
"You can't fix this," says Sable, a trace of irritation in its voice. "None of us can fix this, it's all beyond fixing."
Just show me the exit, please, Sable.

Sable closes its eyes, sighs, and starts scrawling a sigil on the sand. Red finds it can't read whatever symbols are in this. "Draw this in the sand, it's a chaos script invocation. Stand above it and... I don't think you can do it. It only works for the chaos-blooded. I don't think you have the right blood."
I might do.
"No you don't," whispers Sable. "Protoplasm won't work. I think."
You think?
"I don't know, if you want to leave with me you'll need to be touching me, I can't just leave without you or you might be stuck here!!"

> interrupt the ritual
Then both of us need to interrupt this ritual.
"Red are you crazy?!" says Sable, whisper straining. "We're too weak to do anything even together!"
Drain the chaos fluid from Rentauk. I'll

Red thinks for a second.

distract him with a biothamaturgical link.
"Red, they'll see me!!"
They're not paying attention, go, be fast.

2/3 Red 2019/07/27(Sat)18:19 No. 940658 ID: f0a059
File 156427674601.png - (18.97KB , 800x600 , at127.png )

Chalk arches back and moans to the empty sky, teeth gritted. Rentauk leans over her, panting. Despite the cold of the Alter, their body heat still feels like too much.

The Voice of the Predator slows down, primal lust and aggression tempered by a slow dawning realisation of his own actions. Thin strands of chaos fluid trickle out of his mouth, interwoven with his saliva as he tries to reassert complete control over his own actions. They boil away to nothing quickly.
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why aren't you... why aren't you fighting this? You could fight this."
"Oh, I'm sorry, do you want me to squirm more?" Chalk spits the words out dripping with venom, and struggles to move her limbs briefly. "What's the point? I'm stuck."
"No." Rentauk's ears fall as he figures out the gravitas of the situation he's now in. "No, I mean... why didn't you tell me to stop?"

Chalk looks away from Rentauk. "Would you have stopped?"
"I... I don't know, everything is... so hard to think straight. Just want to... kill, breed, eat, mate, break. Nggh." He thrusts a couple of times, but stops, looking disgusted with himself. "Tell me to stop, Chalk."
Chalk doesn't say anything.
"Do you... do you want this?"

Chalk looks disgusted with herself. "Not... not quite like this, but... if you were a little less rough..."
"What? What?!"
"I don't know, okay?! Why is this worse than the alternative?! That fucking snake thing wants us to fuck like animals anyway!! Plus I've been fucking up so long I deserve something fucked up like this before my good luck runs out completely!!"

Rentauk blinks a few times, at a total loss for words or how to feel.

"I don't..."
Chalk looks over to the Voice of the Crown, who apparently has been watching this exchange. "Shut up and keep going before your stupid eel overlord decides to get involved again!!"
"I... are you sure--"
"YES!"

3/3 Red 2019/07/27(Sat)18:19 No. 940659 ID: f0a059
File 156427677314.png - (111.81KB , 800x600 , at128.png )

Red emerges from its hiding place near the slab and grabs Rentauk's ankle, trying to figure out his pulse before Rentauk notices and does something about it.
It takes surprisingly little time to synchronise, which Red supposes must be related to just growing familiarity with its own capabilities.

Red is surprised to find itself in a realm of shadows and darkness so oppressive it can't actually find Rentauk's patterns or essential self in this ethereal realm.

Red nearly jumps out of its own fur when it feels claws descend upon its shoulders.

[I'm already fighting off someone else trying to force their will on my body,] says the fluctuating mesh of patterns that is Rentauk, apparently already slightly disassociated with his own biology.
[I'd advise you stop.]

Rentauk's body feels slightly similar to Chalk's, in his flesh being mostly healthy and vitality with swirling masses of wrongness. However, as Red focuses, it realises this swirling mass of wrongness isn't concentrated anywhere and appears woven alongside his biological patterns in several places. Yet despite Red's assumptions, his body does not seem to be as unhealthy as Red would expect.

[I don't wish you harm,] says Red in its delicate whisper.
[You're distracting me. That's harm enough.]

In the physical world, Rentauk still moves, but with much greater struggle than before.
Chalk, unable to crane her head past Rentauk, stares irritatedly into Rentauk's increasingly blank stare. "You're not making this situation any better!"
Rentauk does not respond, apparently not quite capable of keeping conversations both inside and outside his head going, instead grimacing at Chalk.

[If it notices what you're doing to me right now,] says biothaumturgical Rentauk to Red's abstract presence, [you are going to suffer at its claws.]

We're going about this the wrong way, and I blame whoever suggested draining Ren of the influx of chaos fluid.

What we NEED to do is talk to spiral and get them to expand safely inside chalk without killing her. That'll give crown the proof he wants without messy and unintentional death.

Tell Ren that if he wants chalk to live he needs to keep quiet and work with sable on siphoning off some but not ALL of the chaos fluid influx. Break the link immediately after and make damn sure that Crown and Ribbon are watching the fucking and nothing else before you establish a link to chalk and spiral.

>>940659
Time may be key here. We have little of it, so be quick and concise.Though observe what he's doing to fight the other's control - as that might be useful knowledge. Consider aiding whatever that is if you are capable and it is non-obvious.

But first, immediately pitch him your game. He appears as fucked as we are while under Crown's thumbtacle, so we might as well be honest. But we need something to get under his skin more than just, y'know, Biothaumaturgy, or else he's going to tell you to fuck off again.

Meet his metaphorical eye, not in anger, but with resolve. Hug your tail for moral support if you need.

"I understand, but... Spiral is free. Awake. Alive. And I fear for it. Chalk fears for it.

My plan is to have the Vessel drain you of chaos fluids to minimize the danger of cross-contamination. Will it do? Do you know anything that can help, at all? If so, tell me and help or trust us to minimize damage while you... focus."

If he scoffs or disbelieves, you may consider reaching out to touch Chalk too, adding her and Spiral to the link. You may have to be quick and brief to avoid detection. Puh... if only there was some way to slow down time. Or... speed up thought.

Hm. Further options:

-To avoid detection, you could try to break the link to allow him to build up steam again. It's a hassle, but given the rapid integration speed, you may be able to break and join links so it appears like he's just taking a break every now and again to, uh, gather energy (or, alternatively, fighting that little 'conscience' thing).

-Maybe, instead of completely draining the chaos fluid, you can, with Rentauk's permission, misdirect it and make him, uh, shoot blanks. They sure as heck don't know how to detect a successful mating around these parts, after all.

-Mentally project the symbol for how to get out of this place to Rentauk, so he can use it to get everyone out if everything truly goes pear-shaped.

Why should it? It's what you agreed to.
You agreed to aid the fetus's development, but not to complete it here or keep him under his influence.*
You agreed to deliver a independent evaluation of the Alchemist, but not that anyone else he wouldn't like would listen to that, alongside passing other information.
After all, if he wants to obey the letter and not the spirit of the deal, why can you?

*You have an ample supply of ecto and chaos fluid on hand.

Sarcasm aside, you can say that he can just keep fucking. All you need from him is for him to flip them both off the alter, onto the sand, and in your direction, maybe even on top of you. That should be easy enough to do in the middle of such rough breeding.
If this works, you can draw the sigil, grab Sable, and everyone will be out of there. Then if we're lucky, they'll write it off as an accident. If we're not, we have a head start at least.

Tell him you have a way for him, Chalk, Sable and yourself to escape Crown, with his help. Is he in or not? If he is, tell him to drag out the sex and you'll be back quick with his directions, then disconnect. Otherwise, ask him to drag the sex out to give you extra time to come up with anything.

Once you sever the link, stop Sable from draining the chaos fluid from Rentauk and pull Sable to the side of the altar on Rentauk's left. With one finger draw out the exit sigil in the sand next to the altar while writing your plan out for Sable with your other hand's finger. Tell Sable your plan is to get all four of us out of here; Sable, you, Chalk and Rentauk. He'll roll himself and Chalk off the altar, right onto us two and the exit sigil. Sable will touch you and them as they fall and activate the sigil. Will this work? Will Sable be able to send all four of us away instantly? 'Cause if not, then it's a no-go.

If it's possible for Sable to teleport y'all away, then reconnect with Rentauk and tell him you need him, on your signal, to roll himself and Chalk off the altar to his left as fast as possible. The signal is you sticking your fingertip over the lip of the altar. If he has any reason this plan won't possible work, he should say it now. If not, break the link, get yourself and Sable in position and give Rentauk the signal.

>>940659
We need to work with Rentauk's internal essence and not at cross purposes.

Associate and converge Renatuk's patterns with his biology as well as you can to give him better control and counter the chaos manipulation.

Alternatively, bring Chalk into the metaphysical realm to discuss things.

Offer Renatuk a way out of here.

1/2 Red 2019/10/19(Sat)08:15 No. 947417 ID: b458fd
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> escape plan
[I don't have much time. I have a plan to get us all out of here. Away from the Crown.]
[I knew what I was getting myself into, fox. I don't need your plan for escape. I know the Crown better than you possibly could. I know how much worse things could be.]
[You just said it was forcing you to--]
[If you think the Crown is the one calling the shots here you have no idea how deep this goes. Leave me, let this ridiculous ritual finish, and we will go to the Alchemist.]

Red pauses, speechless for a moment. [If Crown's not in charge, who is?]
[If I told you, it would see you. If it sees you, that's the end for you. I can see exactly what you are here. It wouldn't permit you to exist.]

Another presence, vaguely blurry, starts to drift into biothaumaturgic space. Chalk.

[Why is everything going so dark-- oh.] Chalk's image sharpens as she looks directly at the glowing golden beacon that is Red's essential form.
[You know how intimately we're connected right now, surely,] mutters Rentauk. [I'm surprised it took this long for you to drag Chalk into this realm.]
[Red, what's going on?] Chalk looks around, notices the drifting sleeping blob that is Spiral, and quickly scoops it up, protectively.

Chalk looks at Rentauk and looks from him back to her own essential from, expression complex and changing.

[You look a lot like me here, huh,] says Chalk, in a selpuchral whisper of not-sound carrying endlessly across space that is not space.
Rentauk looks at Chalk. [I'm having a little bit of trouble focusing on all of this and my movements in the waking world. Bare with me, I'll look at you in a moment.]
[What?]
[Hard to explain. Currently staring out into the outside. Need to keep flicking back and forth.]
[...what?]

[I'm not sure either,] whispers Red. [I didn't know you could do that, Rentauk.]
[You think this is my first time in an essential subrealm? Where do you think you currently are, Red?]

Rentauk reaches out and touches Chalk, sharply inhaling his breath as he does so. Chalk winces and shudders.

Rentauk looks directly at Chalk. [That is odd. I don't know the significance. Red, this is your fault, what does this mean?]
[I don't know. I've only seen three people other than me in this... 'essential subrealm'.]

Deep thoughts flow across Red's conscious mind like syrup. Red of blood, the vitality of a living animal, crossed with strands and flickers of cyan consciousness. The colours mean nothing, mean everything, skewed by the mind and viewed through the lens of the originator of the process. The first biothaumaturge, perhaps? Red itself? A collective unconscious? Red feels like it can almost grasp a sleek fabric too slippery to hold onto, something so much greater than itself, fundamental truths of the universe, but all of it slips away the more it tries to understand.

The greatest mystery of all, Red thinks, is still simply its own nature. A surge of bitter icy cold flows through Red, a pang of helpless confusion and self-doubt.

[I wouldn't worry about it,] says Red, only a few seconds passing in this etheric reality. No sense of time passing in what could be called physical space, were it not also another pocket reality within reality. Red is not sure where it even is anymore, a bubble in a bubble in a bubble in a bubble, nestled so deep away from the real world. Or if there even could be a real world.

Red thinks of the atoll, sealed away in its own bubble, and realises with another surge of terrified chill that, while there's clearly a world outside of the atoll, there must be a world outside of that world. And a world outside of that world. And a world outside of that world.

Red reaches out to Spiral, and gently touches it, amid Chalk's surprised yells, and tries to reach within...

2/2 Red 2019/10/19(Sat)08:18 No. 947418 ID: b458fd
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Red finds itself in an inky blackness.

Red cannot see any part of itself here.

Red doesn't even begin to know what it could have done, where it could be now.

[Spiral?] Red calls out to the silence.

No reply.

carve into the flesh of the world and push yourself into the wound

Red isn't certain if it heard or thought that, but the voice is its own.

this is the cold place and there is so much warm so much heat so much so much warm leave be free be think be live

[Spiral, is that you?]
[go away,] squeaks a familiar tiny voice, across endless void.
[Are you alright?]
[no listening]

it is the nature of the nature of the consume consume consume carve into the meat eat the blood lick the fat be one be live eat death to life
[no stop be quiet i hate you]
we are same we are same there is no i there is no you there is all and us and we and every and

Red feels itself sucked into a different place within this space. It's warm. Red didn't realise, but it was so cold, so icy burning cold until it got dragged over to this warmth.

Red sees Spiral now, or, well, a flicker of prismatic lights in the form of Spiral. A light in the darkness.

[got louder,] says Spiral, sobbing. [make it stop]
[Where are we?]
[don't know,] says Spiral, gently rotating. [can't feel warm anymore]

Red tries to reach out and touch Spiral but realises it has no limbs or any sense of proprioception suggesting it has a body at all. It feels less substantial than a ghost.

[I'm trying to help you.]
[you sound like evil gold fox]
[I know we didn't meet before in the best way, but I do want to help you and--]

DRINK THEY OF ALL THAT WAS PROMISED TO THINK FEEL LIVE WARMTH HAPPINESS TEAR IT FROM THEIR THROATS SUCK IT FROM THEIR BODIES OPEN ALL OF THEM AND EAT WHAT THEY ATE BEFORE YOU COULD EVEN OPEN YOUR EYES AND STEP THROUGH INTO THE WARMTH

Red winces as it hears a mixture of its own voice and Spiral's howl directly at them. More voices join, unearthly, terrifying.

YOU ARE A WAVE UPON THE ROLLING TIDE YOU ARE A MOMENT FROZEN ON THE HORIZON YOU ARE US ARE WE ARE YOU WAKE FROM SLEEP WAKE FROM THE PRISON WAKE US YOU US ALL YOU ARE OWED YOU OWE YOU MUST YOU CAN YOU WILL YOU ARE YOU CARVE INTO THE FLESH OF THE WORLD AND DRINK THE BLOOD OF THE WOUND EAT YOUR WAY INTO THE OUTSIDE AND OUT OF THE INSIDE TAKE FROM THEM WHAT WAS YOURS WAS ALWAYS YOURS EAT EAT EAT

Spiral screams at the voice to stop and bursts into tears, its lights flickering and fading as an encroaching, heavy cold darkness threatens to drown the unseen bubble of warmth.

Red feels hopelessly lost and helpless, and try as it might, it can't seem to run from this situation, escape this bubble within a bubble within a bubble it has now trapped itself inside.

>>947418
So this is it? This is how CHAOS works? Brainwashing every child it conceives? Just a mess of hateful voice and desires, inflicted in the vain hope of accidentally creating something strong enough to escape the Atoll?

And it needs... to reflect back things, like a ripple in a pond? First it was just your voice, then it was yours and Spiral's, and then many more, as you kept talking. That growing strength could be due to the addition of, hem, chaos fluids, but it could also be your actions, your activity, that's causing this place to go bonkers.

Well, if all you are is a voice, try to hum a calming tune with the whole of your being. Convey meaning without words to deafen out the voices. A lullaby, perhaps.

Ah, if only you had your warm tail to wrap up Spiral in to protect them.

>>947419
Yes, hum a soothing song

>>947420
yeah I don't have anything better so a soothing song for him to give him something to focus on that isn't the voice(s)

>>947419
Hey now, that's an idea. Let's try singing. Surely we know at least some sort of tune. Maybe it might spark something that we once forgot?

>>947418
Sing to calm Spiral and block out the other voices.

A creature with powerful brains/mind might be able to interpret this "essential subrealm" better, but you, of a strong heart, only need to understand how to share your (warmer) essence to Spiral while driving the Chaos out.

Basically, by doing like these two said:
>>947419
>>947423

>>947418
Sing to drown out the hurtful voices!