tippler 2021/02/25(Thu)17:25 No. 989141 ID: eedbeb
File 161430274597.png - (135.96KB , 1000x900 , p2.png )

You wake up with an aching head, back on the pavement and the sun in your eyes. You’re in the alleyway behind the café where you work, with a still lit cigarette singeing your fuzzy cheek.

That’s right, you’d just come out for a smoke break before the evening rush. The calming taste of ash is still on your teeth.

tippler 2021/02/25(Thu)17:26 No. 989142 ID: eedbeb
File 161430280504.png - (180.55KB , 1000x900 , p3.png )

You lift yourself into a sitting position with a grimace and notice the cat lying next to you. They don’t look particularly conscious or fresh. A thin white thread connects their wrist to yours. The magic crowd isn’t one you mix with, and as a somewhat respectable young lady you try to avoid monsters on principal.

What is your name?

>>989141
You seem a bit naked there, dude.

>>989142
Name: Yvonne Yemelyanova

Lois Tuberky.
Fun fact: Erwin Schrödinger died of tuberculosis.

Reginald Grave

Siberius "Sibbie" Elison

>>989142
Evlyn Shade.

Evelynn "princess" turducken. The name has been a source of wanton bullying throughout your childhood and occasionally through adulthood.

You're nicknamed as Chompers

>>989149

I like Evelyn Shade

The kitty is DEAD?!

Nona. Nona Salter.

Julius "Farty" Tavros

tippler 2021/02/25(Thu)20:00 No. 989155 ID: eedbeb
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Your name is Evelyn Shade and while you could wear clothes, your thick coat renders it unnecessary. You consider your fallen cig, mostly intact, and wonder if you can still make it to your shift.

There’s the small problem of the zombie tied to you with a glowing string. What should you do?

He's either dead or unconscious, better slap him in the face as hard as possible to really be certain if it's the former.

Looks a bit like you. Is it?

Gently bat the string with your paw.

Investigate stitches.
Consider removing zombie head.
Regret your life choices.

I mean, the thread is thin, should be able to just tear it, or at least burn it with a cig lighter, right?

>>989155
Try to wake up the zombie and ask what the string is before you try to free yourself from it.

Attempt to cut, burn or untie the string and head back to your job. If that fails, wake the zombie by making a fist and rubbing your knuckles against his solar plexus, it’s a relatively safe way to wake someone, even if they’re really out of it.

Attempt to remove string

tippler 2021/02/26(Fri)06:50 No. 989196 ID: eedbeb
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The sway of the string distracts you for a few seconds before you reach into pocket space and pull out your lighter.

Unsurprisingly, the magical string doesn’t burn. It doesn’t even seem to heat up despite several moments directly in the flame.

tippler 2021/02/26(Fri)06:51 No. 989198 ID: eedbeb
File 161435109091.png - (142.18KB , 1000x900 , p6.png )

The zombie might have a solution, or at least some answers. You read somewhere that rubbing your knuckles on someone’s solar plexus can safely wake them, so you kneel next to the zombie and start kneading their chest.

After a minute, they open their eyes blearily and suck a string of saliva back into their wide mouth.

“Oh hi.” they say. “Whatcha doin’ there?”

"Waking you up. (point string) Know anything about this stuff and how to get rid of it?"

"Waking you up. I don't suppose you can explain what happened between me running out for a smoke and waking up tied to you?"

Wait... Check your own pulse.

check the zombie's pulse too

tippler 2021/02/26(Fri)12:27 No. 989232 ID: eedbeb
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“Waking you up.” you say. “What’s this string?”

They bite their lip. “Well, I use it to stich myself up when I run errands for Jadis. It um, connects the soul to the physical form and it’s useful for keeping all my parts together and working. This is going to sound really sketchy but I was wandering through this alley and I saw a white flash and I think your soul might have left your body so I connected you to mine…”

While the zombie is rambling, you take your pulse to make sure you’re still alive. Yup, beating a little faster than normal, but fine. You find the zombie’s thick wrist and feel a sluggish throb.

"If you pull that off, will I die?"

"My heart is still beating fine, Mr.... I didn't catch your name."

You might have had some kind of heart attack. You recovered from it obviously but you should go get it checked out since your heart is still in an abnormal state.
Consider the string your life support. Ask him to bring you to a doctor.

Also thank him for saving your life. You remember floating into the sky, completely numb, so... you were probably dead or in the process of dying.

tippler 2021/02/26(Fri)14:19 No. 989241 ID: eedbeb
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“I assume I can’t take this off then, Mr. whatever your name is.”

“I’m a girl.” The zombie gets to her mismatched feet. “Name’s Body, Jadis said it’s a song she likes by a horse but I think she’s just saying that to make me feel better about being a body called Body. And it wouldn’t be too bad, you’d just go back to being unconscious until you ran out of water and died.”

“Like a coma.” you say. “I’m Evelyn, by the way. Is there anything that can help me?”

“Well, I dunno, you probably need a replacement soul. I have to go back home right now, but Jadis might be able to help cause she’s a witch. I live with her and some other cats.”

>>989241
God. Fine. Gotta go tell your boss though.

Would there be any way of getting your original soul back? It sounds like a replacement might have some complications.

Uh, isn't it like "you are a spirit, you have a body"?

How can I get a replacement soul if I am the soul?

This seems like an issue a hospital isn't equipped to remedy anyway; guess we'll follow the flesh ragdoll.

How did we lose our soul to begin with?

tippler 2021/02/26(Fri)18:42 No. 989255 ID: eedbeb
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“Is there a way to get my original soul back? How am I still me if I’m using your soul, and why would my soul just spontaneously leave my body in the first place?”

Body shrugs and sticks out her tongue. “No idea. Sorry.”

You sigh and call your boss to let him know you have a medical emergency and can’t work. You send a picture of Body to back up your story and get cleared to go on leave.

You now have an immortaliry string.

Victory dab! Victory dab, now!

Well, you think you're you. Therefore you're you. No reason to get all weird about it.
Time to head back to Body's place and talk to the witch.

Offer Body a cig from your pocket space.

Offer Body a cig while you walk to the witch’s place

tippler 2021/02/26(Fri)20:56 No. 989284 ID: eedbeb
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Body leads you out of the alley, stopping frequently to make sure she’s not tugging on the string. Once you’re on the broad sidewalk, it’s easier to walk abreast.

You take a drag then offer Body the cigarette with your free hand. It takes a while for her to notice.

“Do you smoke?” you ask.

Her eyes widen. “No, but it looks cool. What do I do?”

“Just um, inhale with your mouth. Start shallow. If you think it’s gross at first, that’s normal.”

Body takes the cigarette and with a comical inhale, sucks the entire thing down her throat.

"As much as I'd like to know whether that went into your trachea or esophagus, what can you tell me about this Jadis person?"

...won't that damage her body?

Bro, you were supposed to inhale the smoke and then spit it out, not eat the whole cigarrette.

tippler 2021/02/27(Sat)10:11 No. 989324 ID: eedbeb
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“Bro, you were supposed to inhale the smoke and then spit it out, not eat it.” you say.

Body responds by coughing into her paw. “My bad.”

“Are you okay?”

She pats her chest cautiously. “I think so.”

The two of you walk in silence for a few blocks. No one seems to notice that you’re connected with a magic string.

“What can you tell me about Jadis?” you finally ask.

“She’s very cool!” Body beams. “She made me for her senior project at witch college and I got a prize. That was a couple years ago and she’s been trying to grow her business.”

"So, you are made of diffent bodies? Does that get annoying sometimes?"

>>989324
What's life like, being a zombie? Any complications, like not being able to do certain things? You should probably find out since you're a zombie now.

tippler 2021/02/27(Sat)18:07 No. 989381 ID: eedbeb
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Body’s words make you feel very old at the ripe age of 31. "So you’re made of different bodies? Does that get annoying sometimes?"

The zombie’s smile fades. “It is what it is. Kind of personal, don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Ah, sorry.”

You sink back into an awkward silence, made worse by the fact that your arms keep brushing against each other.

tippler 2021/02/27(Sat)18:08 No. 989382 ID: eedbeb
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You’ve relaxed enough to let your guard down when a bat swoops in front of you from the roof on your left.

“Hey Body,” he says angrily. “I ordered an anti-transformation potion from Jadis a month ago. If she’s not going to make it, I want my money back.”

This really isn't our problem.

Tell him both of you are headed back there right now so maybe it'll be more productive if he brings his complaints to the witch?

"That's probably something you should talk to the witch about directly? We're on our way there right now."

"I have a medical condition and if Jadis can't fix it like Body promised I'm planning to punch her in the face. Come along and we'll get her debts settled."

Shouldn’t you talk to the witch about it and not Body?

tippler 2021/02/27(Sat)20:18 No. 989400 ID: eedbeb
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"That's probably something you should talk to the witch about directly. We're on our way there right now." you say. “Come along and we’ll get things settled.”

Body steps on your foot rather firmly.

tippler 2021/02/27(Sat)20:18 No. 989401 ID: eedbeb
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“Shuuttt upppppp Evelyn.” she hisses before turning to the bat. “Sorry Vlad, we don’t do potions anymore. I’ll carry some cash for the next time I see you.”

Vlad puffs up with mostly righteous indignation. “I want my money back now. I hate going out during the day and that’s when you’re always doing deliveries and I’m pretty sure Jadis blocked my number.”

"How much did you spend for that potion?"

The implication here is that Body doesn't have any cash so the only person that could pay him is you. This feels like it could be a con; absolutely do not give up any of your own money to make him go away. Tell him he came out during the day today to find Body, he can do it again. Wear some sunglasses or something.

Oh, she hit you in the foot. That does it!

"Hey, Vlad, Body here finds being made of different people a touchy subject. She'd rather do ANYTHING than having to talk about it, if you get my drift."

>>989406
the fuck? why would we do this? the dude brought us back from the dead and, so far, has at worst been a bit weird

stop it

You're used to belligerent customers from the café. Just stand there and be taller than him.

Ya, this sounds like a big sack of "not my business." Do nothing and let Body handle this. That Jadis is obviously screwing this guy is kinda sus, though, we should make a note to bring that up later.

Do not, under any circumstance, pay off Vlad, assuming you even have money. Don't check if you have money until after he's gone.

Sheesh, okay Michelangelo.
You should step to the side and garrote this guy with your soul string when he gets violent.

>>989413 Alack and alas, she has hit our footy.
The footy must be avenged.
There is no other way.

tippler 2021/02/28(Sun)14:01 No. 989481 ID: eedbeb
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“I don’t have that many bones on me right now.” Body says, flustered. She looks at you with a pleading face.

There’s no way in hell that you’re going to pay for the potion, but you do want to get re-souled as quickly as possible and get back to normal life. You pull yourself up to your full, impressive height that can scare the most aggressive of customers.

“She doesn’t have the money, dude. Back off.”

Vlad looks defeated for a moment and then directs his frustration towards you.

“You don’t understand, lady, witches are always scalping people for werewolf potions. I-I’m unstable without it. I could transform right now!”

tippler 2021/02/28(Sun)14:02 No. 989482 ID: eedbeb
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“I don’t like transforming, but I will, I’ll show you what happens!”

Vlad seems to be experiencing some worrying changes.

Why? Aren't you trying to avoid transformation? It's not pleasant for me or for you.

Ok, do it. Whatcha gonna do, kill us? We're already dead.
You cannot kill me in any way that matters.

"Look, I don't know if this is some elaborate scam or you're just both being punk-asses, but I'm looking to get off life support as soon as possible and you're wasting my time with this nonsense. Cool your jets."

Actually maybe you should punch him out before he fully transforms?

"Dude, have you considered recording yourself turning into werewolf and doing werewolf things with a crystal ball and making an OnlyClairevoyants account?
Friend of mine told me some people pay top money to see werewolves in action."

>>989488
Holy shit this please

"If that's a threat, then this is a mugging. I'm pretty sure you don't want that kind of attention, dude."

tippler 2021/02/28(Sun)19:20 No. 989532 ID: eedbeb
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Your helpful words about calming the fuck down and going into sex work to make money die in your throat as Vlad lunges forward and bites your hand.

>>989532
Kick him inna nuts.

We might be well within the bounds of self-defense by now, but that doesn't mean we can't give him one last chance to quit it before we resort to physical persuasion.

Hit him right in the snoot.

"Rude. I was stating a fact, man."

"Good job, dumbass. Now we both need werewolf potions."

Boop his snoot.
With your knuckles.
Aggressively.

tippler 2021/03/01(Mon)07:37 No. 989574 ID: eedbeb
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The sharp canine teeth draw blood as you wrench your fist free. You’ve probably been infected, but you care more about beating the snot out of this guy than worrying about dealing with a chronic illness.

You are a STRONG woman with less than average lung capacity. You knee Vlad under the chin and hear the satisfying clack of teeth, followed up with a magnificent punch to his snout. The werewolf yelps and scampers away. Hopefully he can recover before he bites anyone else.

If you've gotten infected, Body (and Jadis) owes you BIG TIME. Being a werewolf will only make you a badder bitch.

Hell, even if you got lucky, Body wasn't handling that guy. And getting roped into conning someone doesn't exactly feel good, especially if you have to rely on the person conning people to fix you up.

After all of this, they'd better deliver.

Let Body know it's no longer an option to not get us that replacement soul now. Get really close to her face too, she might not hear us clearly.

>>989581
stop it. Motherfucker brought us back from the dead. We owe them, not vis-versa, even with the werewolf shenanigans.

>>989587
She's also proven to be an irresponsible douchebag, and is currently setting a speedrun world record for burning through goodwill. We still can't be certain this wasn't a terribly executed setup either.

Probably wasnt a set up, but we still got screwed for Jadis and Body ripping off that werewolf vampire.
Let's hurry up to meeting the witch before more werepyres show up.

>>989588
Getting hissy with her also isn't productive, though. We don't actually have much choice in the grand scheme of things; we can only affect the things that pop up along the way, like we did here.

I'd be more worried about the poor guy coming back and seeing us as his alpha or some bullshit like that.

"A'ight, back to our regularly scheduled program..."

>>989574
Tell Body she owes you. That should be enough.

tippler 2021/03/01(Mon)13:46 No. 989609 ID: eedbeb
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Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, you can feel the full pain of the bite. Your hand doesn’t look particularly different, but then again you’re not familiar with how lycanthropy works.

You’re feeling less than charitable towards Body, who’s stopped huddling on the sidewalk and is trying to get a look at your hand.

tippler 2021/03/01(Mon)13:47 No. 989610 ID: eedbeb
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“Aw man, you were really cool just now.” she says. “Sorry about Vlad, I really am going to pay him back. I can stitch your hand while we walk, if you want.”

“You owe me for that. I hope you don’t have any other angry customers waiting to ambush us.” you retort.

“Eh…Well better keep moving just in case.”

tippler 2021/03/01(Mon)13:47 No. 989611 ID: eedbeb
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The sun is falling fast as you arrive at a five-story apartment building. The front is unlocked, and you follow Body to the middle of the fourth floor.

Body knocks on a door in dire need of a new paint job. “I don’t have a key.” she tells you apologetically. “I could lose it or something.”

The door cracks open and another cat peeks out at you.

“Who’s that with you, Body? Spare parts?” whispers the cat.

"No thanks, my life has been threatened enough today already."

"A new friend, apparently, Body says she saw me dead in an alleyway and she tied her magic string to me to keep in this world. Also, we ran into Vlad, the werewolf. He demanded a refund right then and there and bit me in the hand when we didn't give it to him."

As funny as 'Spare Parts' would be for a nickname, no.
We're just some person Body found in an alley.

If they ask for our name we can just tell them.

Whisper back: My name's Evelyn, not spare parts.

>>989611
RED FLAG RED FLAG
Make sure Body can't take off your string. If that happens you will probably become spare parts. Explain the situation.

tippler 2021/03/01(Mon)16:01 No. 989639 ID: eedbeb
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“I’m Evelyn.” you say evenly. “Body saved my life and I punched a werewolf for her. I need a new soul.”

“Jadis doesn’t like customers knowing where we live.” the cat tells Body.

“She’s a pal, Kibble. Let us in.”

The cat undoes the chain lock and opens the door. They’re skeletal, missing an arm. Not Jadis, probably, despite the creepy words.

Suggestion 2021/03/01(Mon)16:12 No. 989643 ID: b6f20b

Joke to ease the mood."Hey, Kibble, nice bod, are you in the supermodel bussiness?"
Then go see the witch.

Examine the interior of the room, you’ve never seen where a witch lives, it’s probably kinda cool.

>>989639
Ask them if they're okay. They look thin.

Cracking wise at Kibble won't engender goodwill with these people.

"It's not every day your witch gets to see a girl whose soul spontaneously left its body for an as-of-yet unknown reason, never to return."

>>989651
This seems like a good approach.

tippler 2021/03/01(Mon)19:20 No. 989653 ID: eedbeb
File 161465522175.png - (164.57KB , 1000x900 , p22.png )

When you enter the apartment, you get a better look at Kibble. They have a fresh scar that curves around their hunched torso and you wisely decide not to comment on their physical situation.

Body squeezes past where you’re hesitating on the entryway rug and takes an appreciative sniff. The smell of spaghetti is strong enough to reach your nicotine dampened stomach. Losing your soul doesn’t seem to have impacted your appetite.

tippler 2021/03/01(Mon)19:20 No. 989654 ID: eedbeb
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You take a few steps to keep up with Body, who’s tugging gently on the string, and look around curiously. To your left is the source of the delicious smells. A cat with an enormous eyeball in their forehead looks up from their cutting board to squint at you.

The walls of the hallway are shabby in a similar way to the front door, and two loud voices are coming from the living room ahead.

What's cooking good looking?
Except y'know, we shouldn't actually say that out loud. They probably wouldn't like the pun, let alone get it. Unless they do...

>>989654
This witch must like cats.
She's probably going to try to get you to work for her in some way.

...makes me wonder if Body was sent out to find a cat and kill them then drag them back so the witch can use the payment of a soul to persuade them to stay.

Anyway, tell the chef that it smells good.

Compliment the chefs cooking, maybe when yer done with the witch you can see about getting some sphaghett

Give a friendly wave, then go see what that racket in the living room is about.

tippler 2021/03/02(Tue)09:58 No. 989698 ID: eedbeb
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“That smells really good.” you say, loud enough that the chef can hear you.

“Cookie’s the best, he’s trying to get Jadis to teach him potions even though I keep telling him that Jadis thinks potions are boring.” Body explains.

Cookie grumbles through his teeth. He’s blushing, and you think it’s kind of cute.

Make a mental note to chat it up with Cookie after having met Jadis.

>>989698
this. give him a wave as you go

>>989698
...have you tried the internet?

tippler 2021/03/02(Tue)12:18 No. 989711 ID: eedbeb
File 161471630584.png - (226.43KB , 1000x900 , p25.png )

You give Cookie a wave and a wink goodbye before following Body towards the racket in the living room.

Two cats are playing video games on the couch, the one on the right practically frothing while the other laughs. Body clears her throat to try and get their attention, but they ignore her.

“How many people live here?” you mutter to Body. You’re genuinely curious, the apartment can’t be larger than a thousand square feet.

“These are the last two. Me an’ Kibble sleep on the floor, so it works out.”

"Hey, guys. Guys! I'm here to see Jadis! I need a soul reparation spell. Guys!"

>>989711
Hey kids where's the boss lady?

Look at what game they’re playing, maybe you’ve played it before, then ask where the boss lady is

tippler 2021/03/02(Tue)17:46 No. 989736 ID: eedbeb
File 161473599751.png - (161.80KB , 1000x900 , p26.png )

"Hey, guys. I'm here to see Jadis. I probably need a new soul, do you know where she is?”

Your assertive voice finally gets the cats’ attention, and they turn to snicker at you.

“Sorry, Jadis is just sooooo busy. Can’t be bothered with boring stuff like that.” the one with a bow says.

The teasing tone pisses you off. It doesn’t help that Body is stepping on your foot rather insistently.

"Sigh. Jadis is the one with the bow, isn't it, Body?"

...finds potions boring, these are the "last two"... yeah. Jadis is the girl.

"Something tells me Jadis isn't as busy as I'm led to believe, but if I say anything else then my soul is probably not going to be the only thing I need a replacement for."

Ask Body who these guys are. If they, or he responds, and they seem important: let it lie and let him do the talking.

Body is a girl, she said.

tippler 2021/03/02(Tue)20:19 No. 989746 ID: eedbeb
File 161474516004.png - (137.57KB , 1000x900 , p27.png )

“I feel like I’m missing something.” you whisper to Body.

“You are. It’s embarrassing.” Body says back, very audibly.

“So Jadis is that girl with the bow?”

“No, that’s Margot. She does computer stuff. Jadis is the one with the t-shirt.”

Jadis and Margot are still snickering in the background. It’s with a dawning sensation of horror that you realize you’re the most mature person in the room.

Be like "ohhh noo I sure hope Jadis finishes whatever she's doing so I can take this annoying white thread off..."

"Thank you for introducing them to me by name, it would've been embarrassing if I assumed neither of them were Jadis."

Join them in playing the game.

Oh, and tell them "I got bitten by Vlad the vampire werewolf, he wants a refund on that anti-transformation potion."

>>989746
DEEP INHALE
"Okay. Jadis? I am having a Bad Day™. I woke up on my back in a filthy alley with a headache and tied to Body here after just trying to enjoy a cigarette on my break. Imagine my surprise when I learned that I apparently lost my soul, and that the only person who can help me is you. Now imagine how strongly I began to doubt that after a guy by the name of Vlad - who happens to be a customer of yours - not only mentioned that you may not be the most helpful person around, but also took a bite out of my hand. So, now that I'm here, how about we skip all the bullshit? You help me, and we can all go our separate ways and never bother each other ever again."

>>989752
why do you persist in trying to take the unproductive bitch shit approach?

hard no, customer service face.
An immature dweeb like this isn't going to respond at all well to that nonsense.

"...Right. Hello, my name is Evelyn. By the way, you might wanna watch out, some psychotic named Vlad bit me over some potion you apparently owe them.

I'm assuming from that encounter you won't get me a new soul without something in return, so tell me what needs doing to get you working on that."

>>989756
Why? explaining our disagreement with other suggestions is like half of what we do here. I don't like yours because it is a monologue, meaning it'll never get out in a conversation like this, but I feel eb1fcc's point too.

>>989736
Play it cool. "It's chill I guess, I can wait. Apparently I'm stuck with Body here till it gets sorted. So what are we playing?"

>>989756
I retain and will continue to flex the right to say your suggestions are shit

>>989736
one other thing occurs to me, we should probably mention body ate a cigarette. I dunno how the zombie stuff works but I can't imagine a cancer stick in the tum-tum's good for anyone

Pick Jadis up. Don't stop until she comes up with a plan.

I think customer service mode is the right move here too. What's the actual age gap like? Are these kids, teens? Is there a mom somewhere we can threaten to talk to?
We need not only an anti-werewolf potion, but an anti-vamp potion and a new soul because of Jadis's fucking around. It's honestly kind of impressive how quickly they managed to shaft us in three different ways.

tippler 2021/03/03(Wed)08:40 No. 989786 ID: eedbeb
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You remember Body mentioning that Jadis was a bit older than college age, despite the witch looking like a teenager. When you were young, your height has always made people think you were older, though you’re in your early 30s now.

You quietly thank Body and turn towards Jadis.

“I’m Evelyn, and like I said, I need a new soul and a werewolf potion. Body can vouch for me, but if you’re not interested I can find a different witch.” you say in your best customer service voice.

“I am, Margot’s just giving me a hard time.” Jadis stands up and gives a luxurious stretch. She’s short and wiry. “Let me take a look.”

tippler 2021/03/03(Wed)08:40 No. 989787 ID: eedbeb
File 161478964867.png - (144.39KB , 1000x900 , p29.png )

Jadis’ eyes split open vertically as she approaches. You manage not to flinch as she leans forward and examines your bitten hand.

“Got that from Vlad, customer of yours.” you say.

Jadis prods the still raw puncture marks and doesn’t respond. She turns to your wrist with the string, and squints at the connection.

“That’s neat.” she says. “Wouldn’t have guessed it would work like that. Body must have been fast.”

Her wide, toothy smile grows while she fiddles with the string.

Fast? Alright, I think it's time we asked Body for more info on how she found us.

>Wide toothy grin grows
Fuggeddabout that. What's going on with her eyes?

"If you're gonna tear that off to see what happens, please do-"

Wake up again as a frankensteinian monstrosity on a slab.

"-n't resurrect me as a monster or something. Dammit."

If that does not, in fact, happen, just secretly be a bit disappointed that you now still have to deal with the soul loss and werewolf bite before you end up losing your job over either.

More relevant questions:

"So what did Body actually do?"

"What can cause sudden soul loss?"

"What's it cost to get a witch's aid these days? I'm not rich, but I did protect Body with my body against one of your irate customers, so I hope that'll count for something."

>>989771
quit being a weenie.

>>989787
Huh. Neat trick with the eyes.

So uh, should I be worried about mad wizardry here? I'm not gonna wake up with spare eyes or an extra head or something, yeah?

Because if I get to pick, I want extra arms so I can punch four people at the same time

Have you lost a finger?

>>989787
Yeah, sure, okay.
Look, can she help or not? This whole situation is awkward, inconvenient and uncomfortable.

Sorry, eb1fcc, we'll try to make the story more wholesome.

Let Jadis examine you further.

tippler 2021/03/03(Wed)12:09 No. 989802 ID: eedbeb
File 161480217911.png - (144.09KB , 1000x900 , p30.png )

“Er, fast?” you ask.

“Well yeah, there’s a small window where the body can adapt to a new soul, without magical intervention, of course.” Jadis uses her claws to undo the sloppy knot on the string. You hold your breath, but all she does is tie a better one. “The vessel has to be ready to go before you add the spark, took me ages to put Body’s nervous system together, and that was the easy part…”

“You got her started, it’s all over.” Margot sighs fondly from the sofa.

“Necromancy. Best subject. The real stuff, not just animating a skeleton and waving it around. All three aspects of life have to be functional and self-sustaining. Much harder to debug than code—”

“Do you know why I lost my soul?” you interrupt.

“No clue!” Jadis looks giddy.

“So can you help me or not?”

Jadis takes both of your hands in hers. “I’m the best bet you’ve got, for sure. It’ll take me a while to figure it out, but I’ll start working right away. Oh yeah, and lycanthropy affects the soul but the pieces I used for Body were already infected so that’s no problem.”

That opens up a lot of questions, but we should ask one we had before we learned that tidbit about souls. Body said she saw a white flash when our soul left our body, does that have to do with the reason why or is a white flash just what usually happens during the process?

Well, that's... information.
So, do I just hang out or what?

"So, the werewolf bite won't affect me, or it will once I get a new soul?"

>>989802
Well looks like you won't get a lycanthropy cure. That's is going to be annoying but it could also be useful, to augment your strength even further.
Also I think it's very clear that Jadis made an age-reversal potion or something and overshot her intended age. She was probably aiming for 18 and got 15 or something.

Hmm, she's interested in you, maybe you can leverage that. Get her to teach Cookie potions and he'll get that part of the business working again, which would help you in case you don't like being a werewolf.

tippler 2021/03/03(Wed)16:45 No. 989838 ID: eedbeb
File 161481871105.png - (138.24KB , 1000x900 , p31.png )

This is all new information, and you feel like you’re missing the basics.

“Explain to me how souls work.” you say.

Jadis bounces on her feet. “So souls are a weird cosmic checkbox for consciousness and magic and stuff. If you don’t have one, you’re a breathing corpse. It’s weird that yours left because usually they’re super hard to extract, only leaving once the body and brain are beyond repair.”

The witch takes a deep breath.

“Magic comes from the soul and magic can also alter it, which is how vampires and werewolves change new people. No soul, no chance of infection, so you’re fine. Also, according to science, you and Body are technically the same person right now.”

tippler 2021/03/03(Wed)16:45 No. 989839 ID: eedbeb
File 161481873274.png - (140.23KB , 1000x900 , p32.png )

You consider Jadis’ words. You’re totally out of your depth, but the witch seems genuine, if a bit eccentric.

“Okay, a few things before I agree to this.” You lean over Jadis, trying to look as intimidating as possible.

“One, get your shit together. I don’t know how your business works, but it sounds like you don’t take it seriously. Teach Cookie how to make potions and he’ll help.

Two, I want you to tell me what you’re planning before you try any weird experiments. I’m relying on you, but I’m also ready to take Body and walk out of here.”

“Oh hell yeah.” says Body. “I wanna hang out with Evelyn.”

Margot chimes in. “Evelyn does seem pretty cool.”

Jadis chews her lip. “Yes, um, we should definitely talk more. Wanna stay for dinner?”

>>989838
>only leaving once the body and brain are beyond repair
TO DO: get a medical examination.
>same person
Uh... does this mean you only feel like you're you because you have different memories? That's so weird.

>>989839
...sure.
She didn't agree to your terms yet though.

Don’t back down, get a firm confirmation, for all we know witches can’t lie and you might be able to intimidate an oath out of them to make sure they actually help.

Yes, I'd like to stay for dinner, thanks for inviting me.

Dinner would be a good way for us to get to know Cookie, and everybody else or something. Or this is one of those houses where a few people don't show up for dinner.

>>989839
I would like that very much, yes. What are we having?

"Abso-fucking-lutely, but seriously, get yourself together and no weird stuff without asking first."

Thank Body for letting you borrow his soul to run your 'me' software/hardware, that's pretty cool of him in retrospect.

Turn it down from an 8 to a 7. They seem... well intentioned? Which tbh is probably as good as it gets for a 20something Witch.
Stay for dinner, chill out a little, but we're gonna need to fish for a definite response to those terms we just set after or while we eat.

Or at least get confirmation on #2, first, then #1 later, like at the end of dinner, when you know a little more about the people here. Committing somebody to "shape up" and/or teach somebody else an unknown amount of material is likely a pretty hard sell.

Spaghetti time. Hold Body’s hand the whole time you’re eating as if you get off on PDA, but really it’s just because it’d be a mess any other way. Broach the subject of just how the hell Jadis intends to re-Soul you, and push the point that teaching Cookie to brew potions could improve her business.

tippler 2021/03/04(Thu)08:10 No. 989902 ID: eedbeb
File 161487421669.png - (117.24KB , 1000x900 , p33.png )

“I’ll stay, but no surprises.” you say sternly.

Jadis’ eyes go back to normal and she darts around you to the hallway. “Yep, for sure, just gonna help Cookie set up.”

The witch leaves you with Body and Margot, who offers you a game controller.

>>989902
sick, lets pop in some titanfall 2

They were playing a very obviously 2-player game when we arrived. Army of Two?

>Controller, prospects of getting your ass beat

Accept it begrudgingly.

"Eeeh, gimme a handicap. 's fair, my hand's just been bit. Bet you could still beat me one-handed from the looks of it, too."

Look to Body.

"Actually, you wanting a go, buddy?"

>>989904
Definitely some kind of versus game.

>>989902
>Margot offers you a game controller.
Oh, shit! Vidya!
What are we playing?

tippler 2021/03/04(Thu)11:20 No. 989924 ID: eedbeb
File 161488562046.png - (115.35KB , 1000x900 , p34.png )

Body drags you to the couch and sits, leaving a space for you in the middle.

“What are we playing?” you ask, taking the controller.

“Super Mash Brothers! It’s a fun fighting game with characters from a bunch of big IPs.” grins Margot. “I can teach you if you’ve never played, and if you stick around here you might get pretty good.”

Body gets a controller as well, and Margot puts the two of you on a team against her. After a brief description of the moves, you start fumbling with around the stage.

“Appreciate you talking some sense into Jadis.” Margot says, absolutely whaling on Body’s character with an anime swordsman.

>>989924
>Mash Bros

Crush them.

Crush them with Kirboy, for insult to injury.

"You are welcome. So, why does Jadis open her eyes like that, magical enhancements or such?"

There's a fine line between helpful, constructive critique and scathing, hurtful rebuke. I like to think I walk that line every day.
Now try not to suck too hard at Mash.

>Talking sense
Shrug. You'll see if it takes.

Now lose at Mash with all the grace, humility and repressed fury you can muster.

tippler 2021/03/04(Thu)14:27 No. 989936 ID: eedbeb
File 161489685906.png - (210.30KB , 1000x900 , p35.png )

Margot told you to play as a small pink ball that floats in the air and you still manage to fall off the edge until you run out of lives.

“That was a good first try.” Margot says encouragingly.

You snort. “I’ll keep practicing, not used to seeing all these things moving around on the screen at once.”

That reminds you that you still have a lot of questions about Jadis. You wait for Margot slash Body into the side of the screen before you ask.

“Why did Jadis’ eyes do that when she was examining me?”

“Vision is how most witches activate their magic. I don’t really get it, but it’s all about seeing the structure of things, and then rearranging the parts in your mind.”

>>989936
Ask if Jadis is a child prodigy or if she made herself younger somehow.

I'd like to say we all truly love tippler's quality and prolificness in both this story and un Don't be Late. This is really cool!

Continue to play. You can do it!
"So, are you Jadis' roommate?"

I'd like to say we all truly love tippler's quality and prolificness in both this story and un Don't be Late. This is really cool!

Continue to play. You can do it!
"So, are you Jadis' roommate?"

>>989936
play as the soldier with the nice ass next

tippler 2021/03/04(Thu)18:15 No. 989949 ID: eedbeb
File 161491053228.png - (115.66KB , 1000x900 , p36.png )

Jadis shouts something incomprehensible from the kitchen.

“WHAT?” Margot shouts back.

“IT’S LIKE PAINTING A PICTURE WHERE YOU CAN ONLY SEE THE PAINT WHEN YOUR EYES ARE OPEN.”

“Yeah, what she said. Hot tip if a witch is trying to spell you, punch them in the face. It’s faster.” Margot yawns and flings one foot over the armrest.

“I’ll remember that. Are you and Jadis close? You guys look kind of young.” You manage to land a hit on Body, and perk up in your seat.

“Ah, just the ole baby face and short combo. Jadis is cool and I have a stable income, so we’re pals.”

“I LOVE YOU FOR MORE THAN YOUR MONEY, MARGOT.”

"Wait, if my soul left my body and I'm still kicking, does that mean that me, the real me, has left this world and I am basically her flesh and bone duplicate?

If my soul is gone, is it, like, gone-gone? If some other guy's soul gets stuffed into me, does it do a hostile takeover?

Cool beans.
I'll be perfectly honest, I've never played this game before and I'm only passingly familiar with these characters, and that's mostly due to cultural osmosis.

"So... If my soul is gone, what is a soul and what am I, or people actually operating on? Last I checked I was lead to believe the soul's supposed to be kind of the whole personality, memories, etcetera and here I am playing a video game..."

One way of phrasing the "soul" questions might be, like, "So, if my body thinks it's me, does my soul also think it's me?" "Also, Jadis mentioned 'three aspects of life' - is there a third thing that maybe thinks it's me?"

Also - I don't think you've yet thanked Body for apparently saving your life. Now, while there's nothing else specific being discussed, might be a good time to express appreciation.

tippler 2021/03/05(Fri)09:43 No. 989999 ID: eedbeb
File 161496618461.png - (112.59KB , 1000x900 , p37.png )

“Anyway, magic isn’t really my thing. I can tell you how to build a website and win in neutral, but not how all that stuff works.” Margot continues.

You’re having trouble focusing on the game, too busy thinking about what Jadis said about the three parts of life.

“Hey Body, can I ask you a few questions about souls?” you ask, voice lowered so Jadis won’t hear from the kitchen. Margot raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.

“What?” the zombie seems wary.

“Are souls sentient?”

The zombie gives you a surprisingly angry look. “If they are, then witches have a lot to answer for.”

“So no, then. I’m just worried that I’m not me without my soul, you know.”

“Consciousness is in the brain, souls are what let you be conscious. I don’t like talking about this.” Body mutters.

Margot goes back to halfheartedly kicking your characters around the screen while you stew.

“I don’t think I ever said thanks for saving me.” you finally say. “Thank you, I like being alive.”

“No problem.”

Tell Margot and Body about yourself, and also ask what Cookie and Kibble are, because they don't seem to be zombies.

tippler 2021/03/05(Fri)16:52 No. 990014 ID: eedbeb
File 161499196426.png - (162.65KB , 1000x900 , p37b.png )

>Tell Margot and Body about yourself and also ask what Cookie and Kibble are.

While the smell of spaghetti sauce spreads through the cramped apartment, you chat more with Margot and Body. You don’t have much to say about yourself, you live alone and work as a barista, got half a degree in business before you realized you didn’t want to work in an office. A few drinks with some gal pals every week is all the excitement you’re used to. A quiet life for someone living in a city with so much magical activity.

tippler 2021/03/05(Fri)16:54 No. 990015 ID: eedbeb
File 161499204249.png - (158.31KB , 1000x900 , p38.png )

Body explains that Kibble is a former witch, one of the many turned monstrous by a wayward spell. Unlike common monsters, such as vampires and werewolves, her infection isn’t contagious and she takes occasional jobs hunting her fellow beasts.

tippler 2021/03/05(Fri)16:54 No. 990016 ID: eedbeb
File 161499206195.png - (113.59KB , 1000x900 , p39.png )

Turns out Cookie is Margot’s baby brother. He doesn’t live in the apartment, but likes to come and try to butter Jadis up to get magic lessons. Cookie didn’t get accepted to witch school and apparently it’s ill-advised to learn magic on your own, so bothering Jadis is his best chance to fulfill a lifelong dream.

Baby brother? How does he look older than Margot? This is getting weird.

>>990016
He didn't get the short genetics, then?

>>990017
Oh, Margot did say she and Jadis are short and baby-faced and that's why they look so young.

Did he get his extra eye from making his own spells? Can he open his regular eyes?

huh. You'd think there'd be tutoring services for something like that.

tippler 2021/03/06(Sat)08:36 No. 990036 ID: eedbeb
File 161504861121.png - (159.21KB , 1000x900 , p40.png )

Before you can ask more about Cookie, Jadis calls everyone to the kitchen for dinner. There’s a small circular table weighed down with carbs and red sauce behind the stove counter, and you grab one of the shitty plastic chairs as Cookie serves breadsticks.

You tuck in your elbows and focus on eating while the other five cats bicker and laugh. Kibble nibbles at her food, while Jadis and Margot slurp spaghetti and talk with their mouths full.

Tell jokes.
Ask Kibble if something's wrong with her food.

Politely eat your food, you're technically a guest after all. Make sure to give your compliments to the chef. Other than that, try and see if you can do some self reflection, maybe if you try hard enough you can see the hole where your soul should be.

Let's eat our food in relative peace, and maybe excessively compliment Cookie.

tippler 2021/03/06(Sat)16:49 No. 990060 ID: eedbeb
File 161507816638.png - (95.63KB , 1000x900 , p41.png )

You politely eat your food, making sure to compliment Cookie, who seems to be in a good mood.

Jadis finally leans back in her chair with a contented sigh. “Alright, I’m going to start Cookie on some exercises while he does the dishes. What’s everyone else doing tonight?”

Kibble nudges a meatball with her fork. “Got a job. Be back late.”

“Nothing much for me. Might play some League of Lols if you’re too busy to Mash.” Margot says.

“What do you guys want to do?” Jadis asks, looking at you and Body with a broad smile.

Do you:
-Go home for the night (with Body)
-Hangout with Jadis and Cookie
-Hangout with Margot
-Go with Kibble (dangerous)

"Is it safe to assume I'm not getting that soul just yet? Body's alright, but I don't wanna be handcuffed to him forever. That'd probably get inconvenient for everyone involved."

If they need time, don't pressure them; souls probably aren't the easiest thing to come by. Just head home with Body in that case.

KIBBLE KIBBLE KIBBLE

>>990060
Hangout with Cookie. And Jadis I guess.

Oh, man. I'm torn between staying or going with Kibble.

I... suppose we can keep chatting with Jadis and Cookie, but not before telling Kibble she can go to our house after she finishes her job so that she doesn't have to sleep on the floor anymore.

Jadis and Cookie

Ask Kibble if you two coming along would cramp her style, and see if Body is up for it. Otherwise, stay and hang with Cookie and Jadis.

tippler 2021/03/06(Sat)19:26 No. 990089 ID: eedbeb
File 161508760420.png - (140.19KB , 1000x900 , p42.png )

While going with Kibble to fight monsters sounds absolutely kick-ass, you think it would be best to stick around Jadis until you get some questions answered.

“I’ll help wash dishes. Good luck and stay safe.” you tell Kibble with a smile. The lean cat swishes her tail and gives a tiny nod.

tippler 2021/03/06(Sat)19:27 No. 990090 ID: eedbeb
File 161508762003.png - (142.79KB , 1000x900 , p43.png )

Cookie packs up the dirty plates after Margot and Kibble excuse themselves. You notice that Jadis has activated her magic and instinctively prepare to punch her in face.

The witch lunges for Cookie instead, who freezes with surprise.

“First lesson Cookie! We’re gonna open those beautiful peepers.”

...Is that gonna hurt him? We should stay ready for face-punching.

Let him put the dishes down before opening them peepers!

Heck yeah let's see more of them beautiful eyes.
Take the dishes for him.

Rescue the dishes and leave them to it.

rescue dishes and stare intensely at the magic happening.

tippler 2021/03/07(Sun)07:50 No. 990160 ID: eedbeb
File 161513221597.png - (164.92KB , 1000x900 , p44.png )

You dive for the plates as Cookie gasps. The fur on the back of your neck stands up and Body grumbles in her throat about giving people time to prepare when altering their perception of reality.

The massive eye on Cookie’s forehead closes, and his normal, Margot-like eyes open.

Jadis clucks her tongue with approval. “Alright, I know it’s been a while for you, but tell me what you see.”

Cookie promptly collapses into fetal position on the floor.

Well, that's not good. I take it he isn't seeing anything he likes.
Jadis, maybe you should warn people before you work your hoodoo on them.

So what's the usual recovery procedure for someone suffering from sudden perspective shift?

You can pat 'em on the back and tell 'em it'll all be alright and learning potions will totes be worth it, but you wonder whether that might not cut it.

Hold his hand and tell him to focus you.
Tell him he is still here in the dinner room with his friends.
Tell him the pain will pass.

"Dude, you might wanna warn him next time before you go flipping a switch on his eyes." Put the dishes down and get down on the floor with him. "Hey. Buddy. Your ears still work like normal, right? Just listen to the sound of my voice and take a few deep breaths. Nothing's going to hurt you here, no matter how strange everything must look right now."

tippler 2021/03/07(Sun)12:40 No. 990192 ID: eedbeb
File 161514965274.png - (203.90KB , 1000x900 , p45.png )

Jadis crouches next to Cookie. “Come on, focus on me. What do you see?”

“Bright.” says Cookie.

“Great, you can sense soul. Body will be a bit dimmer, can you make her out?”

Cookie nods, gloved paws covering his eyes.

“Hard mode is Evelyn, she’s just barely glowing.”

Cookie shakes his head. You want to comfort the poor guy but your hands are full of dishes. You stealthily put them on the counter.

“Last one, you see Tim chilling above you?” Jadis asks. “It’s the big guy looming over everything in soul space. Kind of weird looking. You can call it whatever you want but I like using Tim.”

tippler 2021/03/07(Sun)12:41 No. 990193 ID: eedbeb
File 161514968411.png - (128.99KB , 1000x900 , p46.png )

Your vision flickers and suddenly you’re seeing what Cookie must be seeing. An endless dark expanse in all directions, including under your feet. Points of light marking the souls of every person for miles, and a shadowy giant staring down at you.

“Whoa, slow down there, buddy. I’m ending the spell.” Jadis says. The world returns to normal.

Cookie is sniffling on the tile floor, and you lower yourself down to his side. You reach out your hand and he squeezes it.

“Focus on my voice. We’re still here, nothing is going to hurt you.” You say reassuringly.

“Well actually, Tim will try to eat you if—“

You shoot Jadis the most threatening stare you can muster and she falls silent.

Suggestion 2021/03/07(Sun)13:16 No. 990201 ID: ed661a

"Let's try this again but much, much slower. Gently this time."

Reprimand Jadis, knowledge is danger, if you look upon higher beings they will look back, safety should be taught first, the magical realm is not something where you get thrown into the deep end, especially because the deep end is INFINITELY deep.

"So, I assume that brief glimpse I caught was either Cookie or "Tim's" doing?"

"Cookie, if you had a bad experience, that's... fine. It's up to you whether you want to talk about it. I like to think I'm super calm, and even I was a little startled there."

"And you, Jadis... Honestly, I think you need to work on easing your student in - make sure he's sat down and ready for the lesson - instead of dropping him into the deep end. It was just too sudden, that's all."

>>990193
Cookie should probably be warned about Tim once he calms down.

Uhhh... So is Tim some sort of otherworldly guardian? Is it God? ...Does it work for God?

>>990193
Stop. Rub two brain cells together.

DO NOT say “...Did Tim eat my soul?” but definitely add him to your list of suspects.

Continue the comfortening. Ask Jadis what the next step’s gonna be.

tippler 2021/03/07(Sun)18:35 No. 990260 ID: eedbeb
File 161517092012.png - (138.65KB , 1000x900 , p47.png )

Jadis taps her foot on the floor impatiently while you help Cookie sit up. You’re shaken too, but you don’t show it. Seriously, what the fuck was all that.

“Ease him into it next time.” you say.

Jadis snorts. “That was easing him into it. I was with him and I stopped things before anything dangerous could happen. It’s not his first rodeo.”

Body is still standing, and you have to carefully maneuver so you don’t tug on the string.

“I’m okay.” Cookie mumbles. His eyes are closed again.

“See? He’s fine. So Tim hates it when you mess with time and the thing’s not a fan of space warping either, but it’s just so goddam useful that most witches do it anyway. Ready to jump back in? Think you can do it yourself this time?”

To your surprise, Cookie nods and lets go of your hand. You’re not sure what to do with yourself as Jadis chatters about painting metaphors and shaping magic.

There were dishes in need of clean.

Ask if witch sight is hereditary or if it requires effort, and whether it can just happen naturally.

>>990260
I wonder what witches do to avoid being eaten while doing stuff that Tim doesn't like? Seems difficult!

But yeah, do dishes, let Cookie be independent.

Tell Cookies that you and Body are here to help, and to not hesitate in giving you a holler if he needs help again.

>>990260
We're going to do the dishes, but are available if anyone needs or wants anything.

tippler 2021/03/08(Mon)08:56 No. 990340 ID: eedbeb
File 161522257948.png - (158.09KB , 1000x900 , p48.png )

>Wash the dishes

Scraping melted cheese and bits of tomato off of the dinner plates helps you mull over everything that’s happened today. It doesn’t seem like Jadis is going to get you a soul tonight, but at least Body doesn’t mind being stuck with you.

“Can anyone be a witch?” you ask as you give Body silverware to rinse.

“S’long as you have a normal soul, so not me or you at the moment.”

You lapse back into peaceful repetition and admire your completed stack of clean plates. Is there anything you want to do before you leave?

I'd thank everybody for helping you out/being cool.

You might also want to ask Jadis if you were supposed to also be able to see all the Tim/soul/crazy stuff or if she's even aware that you could when Cookie was seeing it.

Give Body a hug with one arm and rub your fist on her head. Gal pal duo.

tippler 2021/03/08(Mon)15:15 No. 990368 ID: eedbeb
File 161524531526.png - (134.97KB , 1000x900 , p49.png )

“Ready to go?” you ask Body. The zombie nods enthusiastically.

“Come back sometime tomorrow for an update.” Jadis calls out as you head for the door. “There’ll be someone here, and if I’ve stepped out I’ll be back within an hour.”

“Okay.” you yell back.

tippler 2021/03/08(Mon)15:15 No. 990369 ID: eedbeb
File 161524533652.png - (85.15KB , 1000x900 , p50.png )

After a hurried walk through the dark city streets, you arrive at your own apartment, which is considerably better taken care of than Margot’s. Body seems impressed, and you give her a quick tour before getting ready for bed.

You construct a bed for Body out of an old sleeping bag, pillows, and all of your extra blankets. The zombie lies down obediently and you let your hand hang over the side as you try to relax your aching head.

tippler 2021/03/08(Mon)15:15 No. 990370 ID: eedbeb
File 161524535286.png - (110.21KB , 1000x900 , p51.png )

Wait a second.

Hello? Testing 1, 2, 3. Is this thing on?

>>990370
Have you, in fact, been eaten by Tim?

Now's not the time for fear, that comes later.

Finally realized your mistake? You didn't die dude, must have been some slip up. Either way you need to get back to your body before something bad happens to it and you can't get back in.

So your soul wakes up when your body goes to sleep? Whack.

Do you remember why you were flying upward?

Actually, it doesn't really matter; even if that is how you're supposed to pass on, I doubt your death was at-all natural, even outside the legal sense.

Considering how high up you were when you woke up in the alley, our first task will be to see if we can go down. If we can, try surveying the city to locate our apartment complex and then (if we can remember) Jadis's. Ideally, we want to get to Jadis's apartment because she's our best bet for helping our soul stay put until we return, as she's the only one capable of perceiving us.

We must get our bearings immedeately.

>>990370
Do you remember what happened in the alley?

tippler 2021/03/08(Mon)18:22 No. 990387 ID: eedbeb
File 161525657836.png - (77.23KB , 1000x900 , p52.png )

>Be your soul

You’re in the sky, sinking slowly through a cloud while stars shine overhead. It takes a moment to get used to not having legs, or hands, really. If you gently focus on a direction, you start moving towards it in space.

Floating in the air brings some memories back. In the alley, you had heard someone calling for help and you had gone toward the sound. That’s right, you’d flown towards the moon.

You’re not sure how that’s possible. The moon is pretty far away and you were almost there before you woke up. Maybe you’re mistaken, and things seem hazier the more you try to remember.

tippler 2021/03/08(Mon)18:23 No. 990388 ID: eedbeb
File 161525659114.png - (122.37KB , 1000x900 , p53.png )

You dip below the clouds, and see the city in a strange hybrid view. Street lights and souls illuminate the streets, while Tim sits midair and overlooks it all. It doesn’t seem to notice you.

You don’t know how much time you have until you wake up. Should you:

-Go back to your body
-Go to Jadis
-Other

>>990388
lets go to jadis, but like, try not to get spotted by the big boy

Move to Jadis and throw yourself into one of her soul traps for pickup

Probably can't just swan dive back into our own body again, so time to pay Jadis a visit.

Did you help the person on the moon? Well, it's been a whole day so if they waited this long it's probably fine to wait longer.

Go to Jadis, but we need to figure out some way to signal that you're still sapient. I think what happens is that normally when a soul exits the body they lose all memory of their former selves and stop thinking. You're special.
Can you make hand signals? Morph your body into letters?

tippler 2021/03/08(Mon)18:57 No. 990393 ID: eedbeb
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Navigation is easy from above. It helps that you’ve lived in this city for more than a decade, and you quickly find the route you took a few hours ago.

You pass through the roof and arrive at the apartment. A portly man is arguing with Jadis in the doorway. Neither seems to have their eyes activated.

“—said you would be coming home, what’s gotten into you that you want to stay in this dump any longer.” blusters the man. “You’d rather waste your talents away then join the coven and do something useful.”

“I found a job to work on and you wouldn’t let Body come with me.” Jadis grits out.

“Yes, where is the abomination? I rather think you should have put it out of its misery ages ago.” the man says, peering into the apartment.

Tap Jadis on the shoulder to try and get her attention. If this somehow ends up causing you to possess her or something (and I do not suggest that you actually try), try not to space out too much and have a retort ready:

"Hey - she walks, she talks, she has a soul, and she isn't a danger to society. Far as I can tell, that makes Body a person, and you don't 'put down' people. And besides, putting someone out of their misery kinda requires them to be miserable first, and no, 'embodying a miserable existence' does not count. Only Body gets to decide if she's suffering or not."

>>990393
Do not try to get their attention until the second man leaves. He is not nice.
See if you can move things. Specifically, pen and paper.

See if you can physically manipulate anything, if not, try poking Jadis, if that doesent work, move on I guess?

So your consciousness is able to shunt itself back to your soul when your body is asleep...

I wonder if you just developed a broken form of astral projection.

stay out of sight of the man and eavesdrop

tippler 2021/03/09(Tue)08:19 No. 990457 ID: eedbeb
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You try to get Jadis’ attention by waving from behind the man’s shoulder. When that fails, you find a pencil and paper in the next door apartment, but your wispy fingers can’t seem to grip the objects.

After some experimentation with the sleeping neighbor, you discover the only things you can interact with are other souls. You debate whether to give Jadis a tap on the shoulder, before deciding to wait until the man leaves.

“—not going to let you bully me. I’m an adult and I’m figuring things out. Mom understands that fine, but you just have to keep nagging me.”

“It’s not good for a witch to be so isolated. What if you need help and no one else is around to stop a spell or get you to safety?”

Jadis blinks. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Goodnight.”

She shuts the door and the man sighs before turning away. You pass through the door and bump into Jadis on the other side. She immediately puffs up with alarm and activates her magic.

>>990457
just kinda float there and wave

Jadis can probably put two and two together, but we should gesture at ourselves and spin our finger around our wrist just so she's sure.

>>990459
This seems good. Also, prepare to book it if she looks like she's gonna chuck a spirit bomb at you.

See if you can shape yourself into letters to communicate.

Use your wisp-hands to form an 'O', the universal sign for 'Oujia board'.

>>990464 "Can U burn a Luigi board?" https://youtu.be/15nNY7uofNw

tippler 2021/03/09(Tue)12:13 No. 990468 ID: eedbeb
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A bubble closes in on you from all sides, leaving enough space for you to twist around. You mime a string on your wrist and wave.

Jadis gapes at you. “Evelyn?”

You nod. The witch looks more alarmed than excited. The bubble shrinks and you feel the surface of it repel you like a magnet.

“This is kind of unprecedented.” she says slowly. “You’re not going to explode or something?”

You shrug. You’d hoped Jadis would know what to do. At least she can keep your soul in this bubble for safekeeping until you get back to the apartment.

tippler 2021/03/09(Tue)12:14 No. 990470 ID: eedbeb
File 161532086280.png - (170.62KB , 1000x900 , p57.png )

You feel like an ornamental fish, drifting midair while Jadis thinks.

A few minutes pass in silence before you hear the call again. It echoes through your head, desperate and loud. Without thinking, you throw yourself at the bubble, struggling to break the surface while Jadis grunts with effort.

“The souls I’m used to aren’t this frisky.” she puffs. “What are you doing? I can’t keep this up much longer.”

Don't go toward the light/moon! Don't go toward the light/moon!

Try to mime that you're sleeping so you can at least give her some useful info before you inevitably depart.

Focus. The desire isn't yours. Someone might really need your help, but it'd be wiser to get more info down here while you can.

If you're able to stay down here, make a moon shape with an "SOS" on it and point up. Maybe make like you're being pulled by the collar.

Get a hold of yourself, something that makes you want to go to the moon so badly as to make you separate your soul from your body might as well be a trap.

>>990470
this is some elder god horror movie shit

we didn't sign up for elder god horror movie shit, get a grip

>>990470
Point up. AND KEEP GOING

Try to get a hold of yourself. Fail and keep moving to the moon.

tippler 2021/03/09(Tue)14:21 No. 990480 ID: eedbeb
File 161532847149.png - (138.31KB , 1000x900 , p58.png )

The binding spell wavers and you shoot through the apartment into the sky. Nothing has ever felt more good, more natural, than obeying the call. Some part of you is panicking, trying to reign in these instincts and turn back, but you keep flying and the moon swells in your vision.

You jolt upright as Body pats your shoulder.

“Sorry to wake you up, I gotta pee.” the zombie says. “Should’ve asked Jadis for a longer string before we left, this is gonna be awkward.”

Your heart is pounding in your ears and your blanket is tangled in your tense grip. Somewhere in the sky, your soul has begun a gentle free fall.

Uh, okay. Our biggest concern right now has to do with the moon holding our soul hostage or something, but we won't look.

It's only awkward if you make it awkward.

>>990480
Tell Body you need to get to Jadis. The moon is calling your soul. It's fine for right now though.
Also ask how long you were asleep. Make a note of that; you should not sleep longer than that.

Let Body deal with their bodily needs, then head over to Jadis' place.

... actually, can you call her? Like, on the phone?

tippler 2021/03/09(Tue)17:13 No. 990490 ID: eedbeb
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You stumble to your feet, fingers itching for a cigarette that would only make your tight chest feel worse. Your phone says it’s four in the morning. At least you weren’t your soul for the whole time you were asleep.

“I need to call Jadis.” you say.

Body graciously hands you her phone, an old clamshell model. Jadis doesn’t pick up, and you blindly call the second contact instead.

“Body?” Margot answers, voice hoarse.

"Sort of? She's... busy right now, it's Evelyn. Jadis didn't pick up and I need to talk to her. Urgently."

>>990490
No, it’s Evelyn, girl from last evening, bound to Body? Can Margot go check on Jadis? Cuz she’s not picking up her phone. Soul fuckery happened, as in in your soul, and it might’ve rebounded on her or fuck, you don’t know. She cast a spell to contain your soul, but it broke free of it due to some manner of mind - well, soul — control thing.

Body's face! XD

"Margot, please pass the phone to Jadis, I found something about my soul problem."

tippler 2021/03/09(Tue)19:58 No. 990504 ID: eedbeb
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“It’s me, Evelyn.” you say. You explain the situation, praying that Margot has enough osmotic knowledge of magic to not be confused.

Margot yawns and you hear her roll off her bed. “I’ll go check if she’s around.”

You fiddle with the loose part of the string and jump when Body flushes the toilet.

tippler 2021/03/09(Tue)20:01 No. 990506 ID: eedbeb
File 161534888624.png - (184.40KB , 1000x900 , p61.png )

“Sorry, she’s not here.” Margot says. “Uh, if it’s really urgent I can give you her dad’s number, otherwise I have a meeting early tomorrow and kind of need to sleep.”

You bite your lip. You have an early shift tomorrow too. Maybe the soul dream won’t happen again if you go back to bed.

Uh, I guess we'll just see if we can get a hold of her tomorrow. And hope this doesn't get worse.

Do not call her dad. This is the scoop of a lifetime, Jadis will be pissed if her family steals it from her.
Jadis must've left to come find you, or to retrieve your soul. Either stay up, or sleep and hope you don't get eaten by the moon.

That's okay, Margot. Thanks.

Let's wait a bit to see if Jadis appears. I'm nervous about sleeping again for fear of what might happen.

Go back to sleep, if nothing else you can try to meditate.

>Maybe soul-dream won't happen again
Maybe.

Also, did someone just open the do-
>>990506
what

It's close enough to the morning that you don't need to go back to sleep. Head out to Jadis's apartment - it's the most assured place to wait for Jadis, and there might be something for you to help with in the meantime.

Go back to sleep and hope for another soul dream!

tippler 2021/03/10(Wed)11:26 No. 990579 ID: eedbeb
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You try to sleep and spend the hours listening to Body snore instead. When the sunlight starts to ooze through your crappy blinds, you get up and drag Body along as you go through your morning routine of cereal and fur brushing.

The café needs to be opened and you’re not sure how you’ll manage it with effectively one hand. You leave your apartment and head towards work.

What do you do while you walk?
-Check the news on your phone
-Call Jadis
-Talk to Body

Talk to Body. Explain what you're gonna have to do today and all. Plus kinda rude to be playin' with your phone when you're with somebody in real life, isn't is?

Talk with body, maybe explain the job a little bit, sounds like work is gonna be hard today.

My other suggestion would be to call Jadis and ask for a longer rope between the two of you so you can do your job easier.

Okay, so we're starting this day with more info than we had when last night began.

We know that something on the moon (you think) caused your soul to fly out of your body.

If we ask ourselves, "what makes you special," the Occam's Razor answer would be, "you aren't." I suggest checking the local news to see if other people had been dropping dead last night. If they have, we can confirm that allowing our soul to go to the moon won't necessarily resolve everything.

Talk to Body about work, in the meantime... assuming you can't call a sick-day today, that is.

>>990579
Do all these things.