Show up alone and casual. Be mysterious and flirty and deflect any to probing questions.

Act like Pillet who is trying to figure out what is going on and is not sure who she can trust.

>>1098104

Wouldn't meeting them like this not only risk your cover, but also need an explanation of HOW you're no longer "Ellie"?

Also, what impact might this have on Paporron meeting with Varther? If Pesh and Tesh truly are subdimension agents, might he not be shadowing them?

Either way, maybe a light jacket and some warmer pants, even if they won't be totally necessary with all that fluff.

>>1098107
>If they're not actually working with the phenocosm
*subdimension

I fail to see what good going alone, looking completely different will acomplish...

Wait... what if...

We find Gel, give him a cursory explanation of who we are and then... copy some of our memories into his mind. That way he can go talk to Pesh, Tesh AND Paporron without raising any suspicion.
We can later erase all memories of those events from his head.

It's a plan so crazy... that it just might work!

(Or we can send a team to ambush the magenta mice and convince them to let us erase their memory of us, those nosy bastards)

>>1098246
The problem is Paporron is a soul seer. Gel has a completely different soul than even Aelsaw's suspiciously not-Pillet-shaped soul, so Paporron would be able to tell Gel is an impostor, and we're trying to avoid that.

>>1098253
True, but we have already stablished he's naive and desperate enough to not look too closely, since Aelsaw was able to fool him the first time a couple months back.

>>1098279
If he even bothers to check that would mean he's suspicious and would not disregard a complete change in soul shape like that. Plus, Aelsaw needs to infiltrate the place again so her soul would appear to change AGAIN which is ridiculous!

A heavy winter coat might actually give an advantage in hiding away your new larger body. Explain you've had to put together a disguise and dyed your fur. If they comment further, you could always say you've got some other costume props to help make you seem bulkier. Hopefully buy at least some of that.

Now for the why and how to exchange information with them. Just asking questions about Paporron or the other subdimension people is going to raise red flags. You're going to need a good cover story and be vague with descriptions. You could refer to Paporron as strange hooded figure, based on the memory we saw from the cab.

Your cover story could start out simple and vague and be built upon as you go. People are after you per say, so maybe you've got something very rare and desirable they're after. A book with some unpublished and/or very desirable information. Video footage of something the public wasn't meant to see. How and why you came into possession of such a thing could be decided on later. See how far they buy into it first if you feel like rolling with it.

1/6 Aelsaw 2024/10/07(Mon)16:56 No. 1098345 ID: 04e6e3
File 172834536790.png - (49.35KB , 1200x1200 , 764.png )

I have some doubts about meeting the twins being a good idea in my current form, but I decide the high risk is worth it. We need information, and accessing the twin's memories may be a crucial step. Reneil's cover is no longer that important anyway, not with my cancelled vacation.

"Okay, we can do that."
>"Right. Just a second."

Riffit makes her own phone call. She explains what's going on then lowers her phone, turning to me.

>"Agent Tegge would like to know how you'll be explaining your appearance."
"I'll purchase some heavy coats to look like it's my clothing that's bulky. Klivania is also able to change bodies to some degree, and fur dyes exist."
>"That's kinda stretching it. That'll raise more questions about why."
"I know. They're very inquisitive, yet I never got the idea they were overly investigative or were trying to draw conclusions. I think they just like to know things. I do believe it will be fine.
>"She thinks it'll be fine." Riffit says into the phone. There is an air of uncertainty from her and, somehow, the phone.

The remainder of the conversation consists of Riffit saying 'mhm' and 'understood'.

>"We'll be sending in one person in advance and try to get some surveillance on the area. You shouldn't walk in right after our agent, so Tegge is saying you should show up to the cafe no earlier than 5:30. It should take 15 minutes to get there, so you should get that coat. It's a good idea even if you looked the same, 'cause the weather could turn bad later today anyway. Just a minute."

She goes into the back and gets me an earpiece.

>"This gives us two way audio. We can hear you and you can speak to us, but we'll try to keep our chatter to a minimum. We'll test it, then I'll show you out the back. Take a left and head straight. A clothing store called the Silk Pile will be open and on your left after two blocks."
"You won't be accompanying me?"
>"Yeah no. The space marshals know my face, so you shouldn't be seen around me."

2/6 Aelsaw 2024/10/07(Mon)16:56 No. 1098346 ID: 04e6e3
File 172834536983.png - (77.31KB , 1200x1200 , 765.png )

I enter Silk Pile and find that there are no clothing printing services here. If I am to have clothes that fit, I must find the exact version of clothes that match my dimensions. Oreset sizes seem to be much more tuned to Pillet's body type, and so my current body has few valid options.

Thankfully, heavy coats fit a wide range of bodies. I also manage to find some light jackets that are either hard to close or so baggy that they look silly, so I get the smaller one. I also get a pair of baggy pants that are oversized but serviceable. These two articles will allow me to remove my heavy coat and still look unremarkable in case I get too hot.

I find a full set of light clothes in the casual section. I would pass these by, as these do not look like normal clothes, exactly. However, they match my sizes perfectly, I have seen similar things worn in the capital city, and it would be ludicrous for a store to sell clothing that is inappropriate to wear. These are light enough that it will help prevent me from overheating and requiring I take off the heavy coat anyway. With that in mind, I purchase the set and change into everything I got.

3/6 Aelsaw 2024/10/07(Mon)16:56 No. 1098347 ID: 04e6e3
File 172834537163.png - (223.50KB , 1200x1200 , 766.png )

Riffit has a someone pass me some rental skis on the sidewalk. I hand them my old clothes for safekeeping, and then head to the slopes.

Only the most eager skiers, earliest risers, and myself are on the lifts this early. I manage to get my own ski lift, and it's rather surreal going through deep fog with nothing else around me. It feels familiar. I believe it's indistinguishable from the deep parts of the subdimension, though I feel I only remember the echoes of it since my memories regarding that were removed.

The mostly lost memory fades as I'm lifted above the fog.

>"Testing. This is Riffit. Does this still work?
"Hi, Riffit. I'm on a ski lift heading towards the cafe."
>"Okay. We have a spy drone that can see Pesh and Tesh, and our advance agent just walked in. Pesh and Tesh noticed him approach, so any more backup is going to be a couple minutes away. Try to be careful."
"Okay. Is there any news about Paporron?"
>"We got confirmation that Paporron has landed and on his way to Varther's. Tegge's still busy panicking about that. Also, your report said that cab driver had some cameras in the back of the cab, so we're going to try and fetch them. They could've seen what Pesh was doing on her phone."
"Okay."

I believe Tegge is trying to straddle a thin, ill defined line. He is acting like a regular klivanian law enforcement group that has no reason to simply travel to Varther's estate and pull Gel out. If he forcibly pulled Gel out right before Paporron was going to inspect Gel's soul, it would make the subdimension highly suspicious. It would be better than Paporron informing the subdimension that Gel is a fake, but I believe Tegge is trying his best to find a better alternative.

There is comfort knowing the subdimension will not seal themselves off while Paporron is above ground. It is a small comfort - he must have a way to return to the subdimension, but I currently have no way to contact Hart or any other means to return.

4/6 Aelsaw 2024/10/07(Mon)16:56 No. 1098348 ID: 04e6e3
File 172834537341.png - (170.22KB , 1200x1200 , 767.png )

Once I'm dropped off, I ski down slowly and carefully . As Pesh mentioned, there's a sign that's pointed off into the woods. This would be a very suspicious area to go in if not for the orange glowstones tied to signs and trees that light my way.

The path opens up into a clearing has one building with the faded letters of Katzi's Little Cafe, and a couple sheds and broken down smaller buildings nearby. A little plaque on a post tells onlookers that this used to be right alongside a slope, but it was shut down 20 years ago due to 'a number of accidents, incidents, and unfortunate coincidences'.

5/6 Aelsaw 2024/10/07(Mon)16:56 No. 1098349 ID: 04e6e3
File 172834537591.png - (135.92KB , 1200x1200 , 768.png )

My opening the door causes a bell to sound and warm air to rush by me. There's a voice from the back.
>"Have a seat, I'll take your order in just a second. Make sure the door's fully shut!"
"Okay!" I call back.

I see what must be the agent sent in advance. They are silently crying. This would be disconcerting, but his body language is not distressed, so I turn my attention over to Pesh and Tesh.

They have already turned to see me enter and almost turn back towards each other again, then do a doubletake back at me with a more scrutinizing eye. I approach with an outwardly casual demeanor.

6/6 Aelsaw 2024/10/07(Mon)16:56 No. 1098350 ID: 04e6e3
File 172834537766.png - (93.51KB , 1200x1200 , 769.png )

"Hey, it's me, Ellie."
>"Reeeally?" Pesh looks me over again. They don't look like they handle sleep deprivation well.
>"Kekch?" I think that's Tesh's word for 'huh?'
>"Hmm." Pesh puts her hands together and points both of her fingers at me. "Before we have you sit with us, answer me - how did the ski instructor treat you yesterday?"
"Hm? There was no ski instructor, I asked you two to show me how to ski."
>"Oh yeah. How'd we respond when you said you didn't have an instructor?" Ah, I see, Pesh is trying to find out if I'm a different person.
"Let's see... you said that last you saw, all class signups... I assume were filled, but you were cut off by Tesh and Vix following us into the bathroom."

They ask me a couple more highly specific questions that I feel a non-artificer would have difficulty remembering. So much so that I pretend to have difficulty recalling some details, but I don't let the shortcomings of my answers detach themselves from the facts or make me sound like I'm making anything up. They seem satisfied.

>"Okay okay, sit down." Pesh taps the open chair with her tail. "I promised I wouldn't pry too much, but you have got to tell me about your new look."

I have some preliminary thoughts to mention having to put together a disguise to make me look bulkier along with dyeing my fur, and to have a vague cover story as to why I'm staying away from law enforcement.

>>1098350
Gotta dress up nice for a date, you know.

"A lot of odd things are going on today so I figured it would be time for a change in style you know?"

Keep it vague and look for a menu.

>>1098349
Dang, the food must be really good here.

>>1098350
Tell them you found out about your doppleganger and so you're assuming something potentially dangerous is going on so you got some body mods to make yourself look different.
Ask them how they'd feel about kidnapping your shady clone, to find out what's going on. (if we attack the place Gel is, then there will be a legitimate reason for Gel to be moved, which gives us the opening to swap)

Say you're married to an eunuch.
It's true.

"Girls, don't you know? Iiiiit's spooky month! I'm was planning to check around some costume party events in the following weeks, see the sights. The whole police and random people getting all nosy on me gave me even more of an excuse. Um, no offense."

Well, apparently everyone is looking for someone who looks like you so you figured it be best if you didn’t look like you. Really though it’s just puffy clothes and fur dye and a slight cold. Apologise again for not seeing their messages and lament your ruined vacation.

>>1098350
Yeah if someone is looking for someone looking like me just need to look a bit diffrent also heh its working right? Not even you two could recognized me, got my fur modded, teeth extensions and just packing on the pounds, i heard guys like a girl who is Thicc and soft

>>1098350

They caught you during a bit of an awkward time, since you're supposed to look like someone else right now, but it's amazing what friends can do with some time and a good hose.

1/4 Aelsaw 2024/10/08(Tue)15:51 No. 1098383 ID: 04e6e3
File 172842787892.png - (51.25KB , 1200x1200 , 770.png )

"I found out about my doppelganger, so I got body modifications. Really just my teeth, clothes, and then dyed my fur. It seemed to have worked, you two didn't really recognize me."
>"You still felt familiar! Also your neck grew."
"Oh, I'm just not scrunching it."

I scrunch my neck down to resemble the original length more. It's another trick of Pillet's strange neck.

>"Whoa, cool. You must be self conscious about it if you were scrunching it the whole time. Why's it so thick now?"
"I had a fur conditioner that makes it fluff up."
>"You did all that in 6 hours? Impressive, but why?"
"Hm?"
>"Most people would just talk to the cops to try and set the record straight, since - ack."

Tesh elbows Pesh.

>"Right, right, no prying." She takes a sip of her drink and gulps it down like she's trying to swallow the urge to turn this into an interrogation. "But you look good! Where'd you get that coat at?"
"The Silk Pile."
>"Oh, damn, we're having breakfast with miss moneybags." Pesh and Tesh grin, and I think the latter notices my confused face.
>"Silk Pile is infamous for being overpriced around here." Tesh's phone says.
>"And they have funny clothes, haha!" Pesh adds.
"Funny clothes?"
>"Yeah! The stuff near the back is suspiciously skimpy for a chain retailer at a ski resort. Either the people who keep stocking it are a bunch of hopeful men, or there's a wild costume scene in town I don't know about."
"Like costume parties? Maybe I should try to find some, that would be a good excuse to disguise myself more."
>"Why, are you wearing one of those outfits under that coat?"
"I, uh, no. I think what I got is perfectly acceptable."
>"I'll be the judge of that, lemme see!"

... I may have made an error.

"I don't think... I have a jacket on underneath, so... ah!"

2/4 Aelsaw 2024/10/08(Tue)15:51 No. 1098384 ID: 04e6e3
File 172842787961.png - (52.04KB , 1200x1200 , 771.png )

A man comes out and approaches our table with great timing.

>"Hey there, can I get you something to drink?"
"I'll have the same as what these two are having."
>"Easy. And for food?"
"Oh, I don't see a menu."
>"No menu. If you can name it, I can make it. How much I make depends on how much you pay. 10 chips minimum, 50 for all you can eat."

Tesh brings out a notebook and writes down pancakes in big letters, with 15 chips.

>"Eggs and waffles, 25 chips." Pesh says once she glances at the waffles the crying agent is having.
"Donuts - oh, and I'll try pancakes and waffles too." How much can this body eat? The additional muscle and fat need more. "50 chips. Oh, and you're Katzi, right?" I ask him, though out of the corner of my eye I see Pesh mouthing 'moneybags' at me.
>"Nah, Katzi's the name of my mom. This place was made by her." He points to a photo of a woman who appears in many of the other many photos lining the walls. "I'm just a son who grew up in this cafe and can't let it go." He turns, noticing the agent. "Hey, buddy, you doing alright over there?"
>"You make waffles just like my own maw used to make." He still has fresh tears.
>"Yeah? Learned from my own, too, obviously. I'd love to find out if our moms had a common tutor, but I've gotta make a whole lot of food for these ladies."

3/4 Aelsaw 2024/10/08(Tue)15:51 No. 1098385 ID: 04e6e3
File 172842788152.png - (96.27KB , 1200x1200 , 772.png )

He quickly comes back briefly to deliver that drink and some utensils. It's a hot chocolate drink with white puffs at the top. It's also very high in sugar.

>"I know a nice tailor in town, but that's no use now." Pesh continues where we left off. "You're missing that cute hat though!"
"I am, I guess I should've grabbed a hat to complete dressing up nice for a date."

I feel my heart leap into my copy of Pillet's anomalous neck by making a joke like that. However, if I don't do anything to pry information out of them, then this meeting will fail its practical purpose. I think using jokes as a veil to ask about outrageous things and probe for information is poor decorum, but it may work well with these two.

>"Heheh, you might be joking, but breakfast in a starlit mountainside is way more like a date than anything my old boyfriends did. So you're already doing better, good job!" I laugh lightly in response. I'm glad my remark did not backfire. "But about your coat. You're overdressed for a date!"
"But I'm married to a eunuch, you know."
>"Whoa, really?"
>"Where is he?" Tesh leans forward, losing her place as the twin who showed restraint in asking many questions.
"Away on a job. He's helped me by having someone here make me look like someone else. That's how I got my fur dyed and everything so quick." I consider including a throwaway remark about what can be done by friends with time and a good hose, but I stop. Pesh would not let a remark like that go, and I don't know how I'd follow it up.
>"He sounds influential. Why doesn't he just get you out of here?"
"There's... reasons." I run out of vague allusions to the truth. "But I heard my lookalike was seen at Spokesperson Varther's home. Maybe you two could go kidnap her and prove that I have nothing to do with this person." It is a poor joke, but they seem to enjoy it.
>"You want little old us to trespass on a spokesperson's home and grab a high profile target out from under both the space marshals and PICK? Wow, you really think highly of us, Ellie!"

Her long, strange gaze at me prevents my response, and she continues.

>"The situation is way more complex than a simple kidnapping could solve, but let's say we did that. We'd be wanted women across the whole planet. You'd have to guarantee us protection! And we don't like to stay hidden for that long, so unless you're an alien willing to take us off this planet, we'll have to decline."

4/4 Aelsaw 2024/10/08(Tue)15:51 No. 1098386 ID: 04e6e3
File 172842788360.png - (42.08KB , 1200x1200 , 773.png )

Pesh suddenly stands up and gets uncomfortably close to my face and starts whispering.

>"And you aren't an alien, right? That'd be too good to hope for, because Tesh and I would do anything to get off this cage of a planet."

>>1098386
That's the kind of question to answer back at my own place.

>>1098386
...anything? Tell them before you can make any promises, you need information. You also have to be absolutely sure you can trust them.
Maybe it's time to look through their memories. They're probably strong enough to resist, so insist that they do not.

>The situation is way more complex than a simple kidnapping could solve
I'm curious as to what they know about the situation...

>>1098386
Of course you're not an alien, because I don't think the phenocosm would appreciate you saying you are. Figuring out what they know about the situation is important as well.

We really should stall and figure out as much as we can about them before we answer that.
Quickly, swing the conversation into extremely awkward territory before they can push the topic! “You guys aren’t just hanging out with me because you think I might be an alien, right?”

You could offer them a ride on your ship?

"Anything you say? Hmmm if I were a bit more unprincipled I might lure you back to my flying saucer for some fun." Give them a wink.

"Hmm you are right though. It would be wrong of me to ruin our new friendship by asking something so big of you out of the blue."

Hmm that does bring up a disturbing question. If the sub dimension closes and grows even a bit won't everyone on this planet die as it expands? Something to ponder if the crew inside the sub dimension tries to pretend they are the noble ones.

I suppose if things go wrong your husband will bring in the fleet to quickly evacuate. These two could very well get their wish if the worst happens.

>>1098386

Your husband might be able to make arrangements, if everything works out. He is "influential" after all.

(Seriously, two willing Klivanian agents with good energy-sensing powers working for us on the inside? That's a huge boon!)

A cage? There isn't anything outside this cage, is there? Just rocks and emptiness. (Certainly not the phenocosm!) What are they looking for up there? You thought Kilvania was all there was.

1/2 Aelsaw 2024/10/09(Wed)15:40 No. 1098405 ID: 04e6e3
File 172851362960.png - (78.35KB , 1200x1200 , 774.png )

"You aren't just hanging out with me because I'm an alien, right?"
>"Nope, don't dodge the question!"
"I can't answer that, because that's the kind of question I'd have to answer back at my place."
>"Is that an invitation?"
"Mm, not yet." I give a wider smile as I prepare more half-jokes. "You know about aliens, about all the tales of what's doing to klivanians who get abducted? It would be very unprincipled for me to lure you back to my flying saucer and find out what anything means."
>"You're making me think this is a date, Ellie!" Oh, I might have gone too far with that one.
"You know I'm joking - but what are you looking for up there? Isn't it just rocks and empty space?"
>"Answers. If it really is just rocks and space, at least we'll know."

The phenocosm might not normally approve of me saying I'm an alien, and while I'm not committing to it yet, I do believe the phenocosm would be interested in a couple of klivanians that could sense Zanthe.

As for the rest of the klivanians... I don't know how phenocosm policy applies to them. They do have fewer rights; a civilization that hides from the phenocosm also hides from the rights given by the phenocosm. For example, phenocosm citizens must be told up front they are having their memories read. The lie detector trick can only be done because these are klivanians.

If the subdimension grows enough to destroy the planet, then I'm unsure what the phenocosm will do to prevent the loss of life. However, it is by design that we do not gatekeep the afterlife. Though they do not experience the same rights in life, all klivanians that die go to the same afterlife.

"Before I keep answering your questions, I'd like you to answer mine. I want to know about this situation I find myself in and what you know. Actually, if I were an alien who could read memories, would you let me read yours?"
>"We're all just full of weird questions, aren't we?"
>"I'm not." Tesh says.
>"The two of us who are asking questions at all, I mean."

2/2 Aelsaw 2024/10/09(Wed)15:40 No. 1098406 ID: 04e6e3
File 172851363290.png - (100.12KB , 1200x1200 , 775.png )

>"If you really can read memories, I don't need to explain anything myself, right?" Pesh asks.
"That's right, as long as you let me. I can't do it by force."
>"Hmmm. It's not like I believe you that easily, but I sort of want to see where this is going even if it's a lie. Tesh?"

Tesh nods.

>"Before anything like that, you have to stop lying or dancing around the truth with us."
"Have I been lying?"
>"Ellie..." Pesh inhales with a little more annoyance than I've seen her with before. "I'm too tired to keep up the game of dancing around the bullshit. Ellie, or Pillet? Whoever you are, yes we were hired to tail you, no we didn't report you calling us now, because we also want to know what's going on and you're our best bet for that. If we reported you to our boss, we'd be told 'good job' and sent back into the dark."

She turns to the man finishing his waffles.

>"We know that waffle lover over there is a PICK agent, and there's four more energy levels appropriate to agents up loitering at the top of the slope this cafe is on, and 6 more scattered in the woods around us. Also, we know you're working with them."
"Why do you think - "

Pesh leans forward and grabs my ear. She tugs it forward and whispers loudly into my earpiece.

>"Hi Tegge, if you're listening in, long time no see." She releases my ear, then freezes for a split second seeing me rub it. "I'm sorry, that was rougher than I needed to be. But if you want to read our memories and all the juicy tidbits we know, first you have to promise us you'll be equally open with us."

>>1098406
Big ask, lots more context, but okay, for starters, yes, you're an alien. Anything else involves enough other people to go back to your place.

Given their planet risks destruction if your quarry gets their way, I think it's pretty safe to share with the two... Just make sure they're not bugged first.

Tell them yeah you're an alien, and there's a LOT more than rocks out there. There's a massive civilization with technology far beyond what they have here. You can't promise them anything right now because you're not a big player in the grand scheme of things, but once you have some info you can report back with then you can make a deal. In exchange for their continued support.

Memory reading is next.

"Yeah I promise if you are on the level you will get more answers than you might like."

Check their mousey minds.

Okay, stop reading their minds. Just say that you want to keep a lot of people safe from something that multiple scientists have analyzed and concluded is really @#$%ing dangerous, and that requires secrecy. If they can't accept that then you can end your relationship on friendly terms here.

>>1098406

So they maybe ARE working for Paporron, however indirectly! But also willing to work against the sub-dimension?

Time to make a decision of the sort that High Admiral Shuzenza sent us here for: do we run the risk of this kind of exposure, knowing they're fully aware of PICK (if not our actual backing), or do we leave things as they are?

Right now, letting them in on things might be our best -- and only -- chance and finding out more about the sub-dimension.

Aelsaw 2024/10/10(Thu)11:25 No. 1098438 ID: 04e6e3
File 172858470380.png - (112.60KB , 1200x1200 , 776.png )

"Okay. First of all, make sure neither of you two are bugged."
>"Hm, okay. Tesh? Rycell, we're using the bathroom!" Pesh calls out.
>"Go ahead, the food's nearly ready!"

They leave for a few minutes. The food is delivered by the time they sit back down.

>"All clean, our phones are in cages, and we're ready to eat."
"Thank you. I am an alien from a civilization that's certainly well beyond what you have here. I can't promise anything right now since I lack a lot of authority, but once I make contact with my group then I can make a more informed decision. So... Anything more than this will at least have to wait until we take it back to my place. I also can't guarantee you'll like what you find, but I hope you do."
>"Oh we will. Even if they're unpleasant, too. But! If you're going to hold so much back from us, then you only get memories from one of us. It's kind of silly since most of our memories are going to look the same, but I want to dangle something in front of you until we get more. So who do you want to read from first?"

Hmmm. Pesh is the talkative one and would reveal her thought process while speaking with others, but Tesh is always on her phone and may deal with a lot of the secret stuff.

>>1098438
Tesh first, just to dangle it in front of Pesh. Ask Tesh how prepared she feels for the intimacy of you reading her memories.

Tesh, of course. She hears everything Pesh says.

Hmmm skinny girl first. No particular reason.

Tesh first, she's the one who speaks the least.

Tesh, get those secrets

Hmm... tell them to put their hands on the table for the duration of the procedure, just so everyone knows they're not going to try anything.

Go for Pesh's memories. We might learn more secrets from Tesh's phone conversations, but that's also more screen we're going to be going through versus what's going on around them with Pesh's memory.