D

C, A, D, preferably in that order. B is silly to ask. Real is relative. Though, asking where this is is actually a good question thinking about it.

>>1103469
This. But also D

D: Sinse you have somehow managed it, you might as well ask the inevitability of life how the Taxes gets done
But Also A: what even was that glitch creature

...Is this why the BONE FACTION has grueling taxes? The name already implicates a connection to Death so it makes sense their relative is here too

D

No one would know better.

MIDNASTER 2025/02/09(Sun)02:42 No. 1103526 ID: 4591f8
File 173909772988.png - (9.25KB , 532x520 , 44.png )

TAXES: YOU HAVE DIED, MISSUS EAST. I WILL BE HANDLING YOUR CHECKPOINT TO THE AFTERLIFE. ACCORDING TO YOUR DEATH CERTIFICATE, YOU WERE "CRUSHED BY [YOUR] OWN BOOKCASE." USUAL ENOUGH. HOWEVER, YOUR LOCATION IS LISTED AS "POPPY." ISN'T THAT STRANGE?

That already answers one question you had. It's hard to find your name being your location of death as funny as it should be given the circumstance. You straighten your back as you engage in conversation with Taxes itself.

> "Taxes, may I ask a few questions first?"
TAXES: ?

MIDNASTER 2025/02/09(Sun)02:42 No. 1103527 ID: 4591f8
File 173909773412.png - (12.14KB , 532x520 , 45.png )

1. Field number 17

> "What was field 17 on the tax return form? It was blank when I had it."
TAXES: DOES THIS MATTER? YOU ARE DEAD.
> "Well, I'd like to know, now that I'm here."
TAXES: IT SEEMS ABSURD OF ME TO LEAVE A FORMAL CRITEREON DEVOID OF DIRECTION.
Taxes manifests the tax form and scans it eyelessly. It cocks its head.
TAXES: THIS DOES SEEM TO BE THE CASE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE THE ONTOLOGICAL TAMPERING OF SOME EXTERNAL FORCE. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW. I WILL HAVE THIS RECTIFIED.
> "Thank you. Rectified? How?"
TAXES: BY SUNRISE I WILL UPDATE THE FORM.
> "Would this effect the form I already have filled?"
TAXES: NAY. THAT WOULD BE TAINTED BY YOUR HAND, WERE IT NOT ALREADY LOST. THE UNTOUCHED PAGES WOULD BE ALTERED UNANIMOUSLY.

If the god of Taxes didn't know, there is no way in Bone Hell that you would find out on your own. Even though it did not tell you, you feel as though you just made immense progress on the matter.

MIDNASTER 2025/02/09(Sun)02:42 No. 1103528 ID: 4591f8
File 173909773730.png - (9.55KB , 532x520 , 46.png )

2. What was that thing?

> "When I-- hold on, can we get chairs, please?"

Two pillars of stone rise from the ground.

> "Thank you. When I opened my Inventory dimension, there was a strange creature. It was made of simple rigid geometric shapes. It resisted all of my identification magic as if I wasn't doing a thing."
TAXES: I PRESUME IT IS THE NATURAL DISLOYALTY OF THE MORTAL SENSES.
> "You're saying I made it up?"
TAXES: I SAY TELL YOUR PITEOUS HEART THERE'S NO HARM DONE.

You can tell that it's withholding information. You could press harder but you want to get your other questions in. You have priorities. Most importantly...

MIDNASTER 2025/02/09(Sun)02:42 No. 1103529 ID: 4591f8
File 173909774265.png - (10.63KB , 532x520 , 47.png )

3. Move my corpse, please.

> "Could you move my corpse out of my Inventory so that I could be resurrected? I have the Curian, Mutian and Magnan necromantic pacts. Please."
TAXES: I DO HATE TO SEE SUCH A PATHETIC DEATH UPON A TALENTED WITCH IN HER PRIME. I HOPE YOU'LL AGREE. I'M FAMILIAR WITH THESE PACTS; THIS IS MY DUTY. WITH THESE PACTS, IN YOUR STATE, I MAY BRING YOU BACK WHERE THE THRESHOLD STOOD. AS TAXES, I CAN ALSO RETURN YOUR DOCUMENTS TO YOU IN THE PARTIAL STATE THAT YOU LEFT THEM. I WILL WARN YOU, HOWEVER, THAT, ALTHOUGH YOU WILL BE SOUND AND USUAL OF LOGICAL MIND AND BODY, YOU WILL LACK A FEELING SOUL. THERE WILL BE NO PLEASURE. NO PAIN. NO HATE. NO LOVE. YOUR PRECIOUS WIFE WILL AWAKEN TO A DIFFERENT PERSON THAN THE LIVELY ONE SHE LOVED.

That's not life. That's a special hell. That's a special terrible hell to make you as miserable as possible. That last sentence--it digs into your heart like a thousand nails. You don't want this! You don't want any of this!

MIDNASTER 2025/02/09(Sun)02:42 No. 1103530 ID: 4591f8
File 173909774593.png - (16.99KB , 532x520 , 48.png )

TAXES: MAY I ADD--YOU HAD SHOWN ME AN ERROR IN MY CREATION, AND I DOUBT YOUR UNIQUENESS IN YOUR PLIGHT. I AM WILLING TO RETURN THE FAVOR, MOVE THESE OLD BONES AND PULL SOME STRINGS FOR YOU.

You lean forward.

TAXES: I COULD... EXPAND THE DEFINITION OF LINE 2 TO ENCOMPASS YOUR EMOTIONAL SOUL, AND, THEREBY, TRANSFER YOUR VEIAN LIFEFORCE ALONGSIDE YOUR TAX FORMS, RESTORING YOU TO EMOTIONAL WHOLENESS. UNDERSTAND I CANNOT GIVE THIS GRACE TO EVERYBODY. SINCE THIS PACT IS BOUND TO YOUR TAX STATUS, THE TERMS OF THIS PACT ARE SIMPLE: YOU MUST TURN IN YOUR TAXES ON TIME.

Taxes' words fill you with waves of intermingling relief and stress. On one hand, you have been given the divine grace of Taxes to continue your life. On the other hand, its condition will make tomorrow the most important day of your entire life.

You can handle it.

You may choose multiple and their order, or suggest your own action:
A) Press for information on the Thing. (What do you ask?)
B) Press for information on "ontological tampering" (What do you ask?)
C) Thank profusely.
D) Plead for an extension.

>>1103530
A. Say that it wasn't a hallucination because you had a premonition of your own death after talking to it. It's like it was trying to warn you, but you couldn't hear it directly? Also, you didn't mishandle your bookcase, which means something pushed it onto you. That means something is trying to stop you from doing your taxes, something related to the thing you saw. So, ask... who could have killed you?

Hmm, I wonder if Poppy will hear this:
Its name was ▒▎▋▒▓█▂▄. That means "Solstice".

C) but also, it sounds like we still need to fill in 17 even though it isn't supposed to be there? Can he tell us what it is, or is this task impossible from the start?

I don’t think Taxes know what The Thing was either. If it was supposed to be there, he would have said “IT IS BEYOND YOUR COMPREHENSION” or something like that. “YOU IMAGINED IT” implies that this could be a serious problem.

That.. sounds like you are missing a pact entirely: if you have a pact for everything but your "Veian" lifeforce... but that's assuming it was ever possible
A/B: I don't think your getting any direct information on these... but you can ask: Why, why was The Thing there? At you? Why the Tampering? was it anything you did?
Will there be other things trying to stop you doing the taxes?
And C, thank him deeply, he had no need to do this. For the god of taxes to be bending the rules, even if in response to other rules being bent by- someone else, can't be emotionally easy, even if it literally is as the god of taxes.

B

I think that if there's some supernatural entity messing with our tax forms, and our continued existence as ourself depends on filing our tax forms properly, we should know what we're up against. If the Thing is an agent of this force, then we should learn about it, in turn.

(Also C, this is a terrific boon for the spirit of Taxes to grant personally. Many of His terrestrial representatives would not be so kind.)

MIDNASTER 2025/02/21(Fri)01:27 No. 1104080 ID: 4591f8
File 174013007004.png - (7.32KB , 532x520 , 49.png )

> "Thank you. That is terrific. Sounds like I missed a pact entirely. Is it alright if I ask for a couple more clarifications?"
TAXES: PERHAPS.
> "You mentioned something tampering with the taxes? What's that all about? How would that not get caught? ...Was it something I did? Why was that thing in my inventory? Also, if it wasn't the thingy, then what could have killed me?"
TAXES: THUS, ALL IT SAYS ON YOUR CERTIFICATE: A BOOKSHELF HAD TOPPLED UPON YOU AND YOUR CARAPACE CRUMPLED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF DOZENS OF TOMES.
> "I figured- but what could have knocked the shelf over?"
TAXES: IT MUST HAVE BEEN WEIGHED DOWN BY THE UNCOUNTABLE PAGES YOU OWN.
> "It was pretty stable. I doubt it."
TAXES: OTHERWISE, IT WAS AN INSTANCE OF CHAOTIC MAGIC, THEN. THOUGH, THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE, BECAUSE THAT IS PROHIBITED.
> "If... uh... hypothetically, I DID own chaotic magic stuff... I would scan everything for chaotic magic, then put it somewhere else, away from my sensitive information. I would never store anything in there if I don't know exactly what it does and how."
TAXES: PERHAPS YOU COULD TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK?
> "It might have been one of those 'thingies' that knocked it over."
TAXES: I PROMISE THAT YOU DESCRIBED THAT WHICH NEVER EXISTED. I REFUSE TO ENTERTAIN THAT WHICH DOES NOT EXIST.
> "Okay, then. If hypothetically, such a thing DID exist, what would I be up against?"
TAXES: ALAS, THIS IS SOMETHING I MAY DIVULGE NOT TO MORTALS. IF YOU WANT FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE MATTER, I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE A COLLEAGUE OF A DEMONIC SPIRITUAL NATURE.

You keep a mental note of this. You're suspecting a serious problem and definitely going to bring this up in the mortal world.

> "Are there any other developments or obstacles I should know about?"
TAXES: I AM LESS INTIMATE WITH THE TRIBULATIONS OF THE MORTAL PLANE THAN MY OWN.
(All you hear is "figure it out yourself")
> "...Is that an obstacle I should know about?"
TAXES: BONE HELL IF I KNOW.

MIDNASTER 2025/02/21(Fri)01:27 No. 1104081 ID: 4591f8
File 174013007339.png - (12.58KB , 532x520 , 50.png )

> "If the empty line 17 is deprecated on my version of the form, how am I supposed to complete it?"
TAXES: LINE 17--YES. YOU CAN RETRIEVE A REVISED LEAFLET AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY. SIGN OUR PACT HERE. SEE YOU SOON.
Taxes extends its bony hands to you, presenting the contract.
> "Thank you so much. I'll do my best."

MIDNASTER 2025/02/21(Fri)01:27 No. 1104082 ID: 4591f8
File 174013007701.png - (4.43KB , 496x489 , 51.png )

[MEANWHILE, A LITTLE BIT AGO]

YOU ARE NOW LUNE.

You are in a transient point of consciousness, between the waking world and the dream.

Dream of where?:
A) Academy
B) Clouds
C) Home
D) Trail

Trail. It's about the journey, not the destination.

B

It's always nice to dream of flying.

B) the puffyest. Perfect for taking a nap on

C: Where else is more worth dreaming of, but Home?

A, school dreams are interesting! I wanna know what academy is like.

A, school dreams are interesting! I wanna know what academy is like.

A. let's see what that's about

Clouds, who knows what you can see in them.

B, be the clouds!

MIDNASTER 2025/02/23(Sun)01:47 No. 1104140 ID: 4591f8
File 174030403453.png - (9.18KB , 503x487 , 52.png )

Flying above the clouds.

Blue-purple sky.

MIDNASTER 2025/02/23(Sun)01:47 No. 1104141 ID: 4591f8
File 174030403786.png - (8.88KB , 503x487 , 53.png )

Eclipse. A plume of smoke rises, like a flower.

The flower wilts.

MIDNASTER 2025/02/23(Sun)01:47 No. 1104142 ID: 4591f8
File 174030404252.png - (10.48KB , 503x487 , 54.png )

Falling.

Poppy catches you.

MIDNASTER 2025/02/23(Sun)01:47 No. 1104143 ID: 4591f8
File 174030404656.png - (9.81KB , 503x487 , 55.png )

Extra fuzzy, like a fuzzy pillow.

MIDNASTER 2025/02/23(Sun)01:47 No. 1104144 ID: 4591f8
File 174030405088.png - (46.32KB , 503x487 , 56.png )

Jackson appears.

Jackson: Hey, Lune. Nice dream you got here. Very creative.
> "Oh, hey Jackson."

MIDNASTER 2025/02/23(Sun)01:47 No. 1104145 ID: 4591f8
File 174030405371.png - (16.30KB , 503x487 , 57.png )

Jackson: Alright, serious talk. So I was jacking it, Jackson-style, you know? And then I hear a noise from the box where I keep the voodoo dolls of you guys. Remember those?
> "No? Oh, wait. Yeah."
Jackson: Anyways, I look inside to see that Poppy's voodoo doll had scrunched itself.
> "Scrunched?"
Jackson: Yeah. By, like, rows and rows of flat teeth, it looks like.
> "OH FUCK."
Jackson: Or a really heavy ladder, or something. You should wake up and check on Poppy. Please.
> "W-what do I do to wake up?"

MIDNASTER 2025/02/23(Sun)01:47 No. 1104146 ID: 4591f8
File 174030405706.png - (15.43KB , 503x487 , 58.png )

Jackson: Hmmm...

MIDNASTER 2025/02/23(Sun)01:47 No. 1104147 ID: 4591f8
File 174030406154.png - (31.50KB , 503x487 , 59.png )

BANG.

MIDNASTER 2025/02/23(Sun)01:47 No. 1104148 ID: 4591f8
File 174030406616.png - (14.68KB , 503x487 , 60.png )

You are Lune the Chicken. You have just received a premonition, or some kind of vision, from your ambivalently friend-with-benefits Jackson the Goat, and now you are awake against your preference. As you muster yourself to reality, you begin to process the dire degree of the situation.

Poppy isn't where you last saw her. The financial documents she were occupied with last now litter the floor. Phones are down.

> "Poppyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!"

You pace anxiously. "Rows and rows of teeth," you remember. Fuck, why did he have to say it like that? You feel like retching. You knew that dealing with magic was risky, but dammit... Everything was perfect, and suddenly, to nobody's fault, it's all gone? It can't be... It's not fair.

MIDNASTER 2025/02/23(Sun)01:47 No. 1104149 ID: 4591f8
File 174030407278.png - (6.85KB , 503x487 , 61.png )

> "...H-hello?"
There's also this thing.

You have a few options:
A) Poke n prod n analyze (How?)
- You have not touched it yet. You don't remember keeping anything like this near the house, but you could have forgotten.
B) Ignore it (Then what?)
- You still don't know if Jackson's doll just Did That, and Poppy's fine. She could be outside.
C) Establish communication (How?)
- It's not responding to speech. You don't know if it even understands you.
D) Contain/restrain it (How?)
- Its "feet" are clicking and clacking around but it's not fast.

B. Ignore it, go find Poppy.

Contain it with a wastebasket, weighed down by chairs. You abstract bastard you, you shan't get away this time.

>>1104149
D: Grab its spiky head thing and drag it around behind you.

Hold it up by its top spine until you're eye to eye and demand it explain itself. It must know where Poppy is.

D) Poppy got killed by something in your territory. This strange thing has appeared in your territory. The proper course of action is to restrain the prime suspect until you can give them a fair trial and sentencing.
(Your 'fair' trial, of course)

Poke it, what's it made of anyways? Glass? Ivory? Deallocated signifiers?

Woah, woah, poke it with a pen first! What if it’s made of something that disintegrates matter?

A

Just tap it on the side near the top. That round part looks kind of like a face. Is it making any sounds?

C: Ink and Paper! you definitly have paper, but if you don't have a ink-well you will need to break things with ink in them...
Or you could be sane and give it a keyboard and computer to type something
IF not this... then A: Analyse, you have some tech laying around to see if it messes with it, and a fair bit of necromancy, which to be fair would also let you poke around for Poppy's soul so you should use it ANYWAY, but also throw some at This/That, at LEAST see if it HAS a soul or is like, some sorta dungeon creature

ah wait Luna and Kay are different people, Poppy being DEAD is a good reason to cantact Kay at approximetly ASS O CLOCK

C. Smile and wave hello! See what it does in response.