Episode 3, Act 3 - Shipper on Deck
=- June 7th, 2022 -=
=-⚜️-=
I could only huff and pant, holding onto my broken arm. I had wasted plenty of stamina dealing with Calico's latest creature while Mad Dog worked her madness inside them. Most notably, the tentacle that snapped my arm had been severed by my scissors. It writhed on the ground, useless with its string severed, as Clarisse choked and spasmed on the ground.
The meeting room was trashed. Sharp gouges were left in the wood and stone, made by her own wand as she cut through the bullshit that Calico had thrown at her. Clarisse's limbs and strings had been severed, leaving only charcoal stumps behind. Chii had acted quickly to cauterize the wounds with Red magic, preventing Clarisse from bleeding out. Despite that, Clarisse looked to be on death's doorstep.
It wasn't long until she stopped moving altogether.
"We didn't need to kill her, Malty!" Chii shouted in anger, genuine rage. She was having a conversation with another Neverlander; one I could not perceive, but knew to be slinking around the halls of Magimaid. I could only observe her indirectly. I'd seen a picture before; there was one in her [Record of Employment]. No time to look at that now. I let my wand fall to the ground and leaned against my Labyrinth walls.
I need to smoke. Maybe Mad Dog would be up for joining me.
...
Mad Dog?
(She just needs a moment.) Madeline extracted herself from her stupor, stumbling backwards and falling onto the ground. She examined the carnage...
Some of that was you. I don't know how you manage two perspectives at once, but you slapped plenty of her limbs down. I just don't understand how she died.
(Malty crawled into her mouth. Held firmly, crawled into her lungs every time she screamed.) Mad Dog shuddered.
"Christ. Horrifying." I'd shudder too, if I wasn't so emotionally dead right now.
(Before Calico got to her, she wanted to be a priestess.) Mad Dog looked at the corpse, a thoughtful expression plastered on her face. (Just not for Olivia)
"So she wouldn't have been a suitable candidate either way. Did you catch who she meant to serve?" I fished a pack of cigarettes from my pocket, offering one to Mad Dog. She declined. She doesn't like the mini-Tempering that comes with it.
(She probably wouldn't have been a suitable candidate. Not for anyone but this Riley girl.) Mad Dog frowned. (I want to look into it, Taylor.)
"Riley? You must mean Raleigh." I folded my arms, giving Madeline a critical look. "Their Cultbringer won't like it if we send our own Divinity there. She's been very protective of her people."
(Cultbringer?) Mad Dog cocks her head in confusion.
"Ah, so there are even things the great Madeline Crisp does not know." I gave her a smarmy grin. She always acts like she has everything in the palm of her hand. It's nice to have one up on her.
(That information was gleaned from a decade of dangerous fighting on the frontlines. People died for that information.)
"...point taken. Cultbringers are a complete mystery to us. Every time we've tried to establish a cultural exchange with Raleigh and find out, she tries to kill the diplomats, then delivers a warning." Here's my favorite part. 'Don't you mean the other way around?' I love when people say that.
(Naturally. The warning isn't for them. They've already crossed the line. The warning is for you.) Mad Dog liked the cut of her philosophy.
I crushed my cigarette between my fingers. "I'm not sure what I expected from you, uncultured brute. You would probably get along with Raleigh just fine."
(Set up a meeting.) Mad Dog looks serious about this.
"I'll do my best, but you're booked for the next few weeks. I can try and get something set up, late July to mid August." I felt gears turning. A training opportunity? "Olivia can come with. It'll be character building." As long as they return in one piece, which I trust Madeline will. "The hell are you so interested in finding out, anyways?"
(I need to know the extent of her involvement with the Council of Knots.)
"I'd be surprised if anybody could get close, even Calico," I grumbled. Looking down at the floor, I gently sidestep a pool of blood from the Council's latest victim as it inched a bit too close to my suit. "Right, her body's been lying there long enough. Let's call a janitor."
=-⚜️➡️🤫-=
When we came back from lunch, we were brought to a new meeting room. I couldn't help but notice that Sister Clarisse was gone. I'll have to check in with her at the dorms tonight. She'll be depressed about losing her opportunity to serve the Divines...
This Divine is really cute, too. She gives off the impression of a small mouse! You just want to lean in and pinch her cheeks. She's really interested in Magimaid, too. It's kind of like looking at a priestess who became a Divine.
I hope she likes me. I really hope she does. I don't know her yet, but I think we'll be good friends! But is it rude to ask her questions in the middle of a trivia game? I'm not sure. Aaagh. It's like waiting on pins and needles! I tried asking her some questions at lunch, but she was swarmed by the other priestesses.
I know I shouldn't be so harsh on myself but? I'm just not that perfect. Everyone else here is so prepared to do what needs to be done. I'm not even sure what I'm doing at any given moment. Even so, I really need this. A confidence booster, yeah.
...
I'm not even sure I can answer half of these questions. Sometimes, Olivia asks for something broad and general. Those are the questions that make me want to raise my hand, like this was a lecture at university. She asked about our favorite magical girl! There's so many good answers to that. Divine Mad Dog Maid is a bit too brutal for my tastes, even if she's an easy out. I feel like she's the most popular choice, but she's kind of weird?
I mean, just look at her, she's cringing right now. It's really creepy. Oh, I probably shouldn't say that, Divine Olivia and her are probably an item. Wait, no, I shouldn't ship them yet. I don't even know their dynamics! Like, little spoon and big spoon between them, is she the top or a secret bottom? Divine Olivia's a little timid, so you'd expect her to be a bottom, but maybe she's got a secret sadistic side...
...why is Divine Mad Dog on the ground, trembling?
(I should just ignore her...)
I should probably just ignore her antics. Let me think about this. Divine Iron Maiden was pretty good, but I wouldn't want to look like I'm sucking up to Sister Agnes. But there's something so neat about someone who invents things with their magical powers! There's all kinds of potential there! Oh! And there's Divine Masked Idol! I love watching her shows, she has such a pretty voice. Wait, she doesn't work for Magimaid. But that shouldn't be an obstacle, should it?
She just wants to genuinely know what we feel about magical girls. I know her kind of person! The kind of people that hang out in the forums and get into fights over the best magical warrior. I mean, it has to be Divine Iron Maiden, but that's besides the point. You can also find fanart, and shipping threads...
Oh gosh. What if Divine Olivia asks me about shipping threads? I can feel my face burning up. There's no way, right? Ah... but if she did, what am I supposed to say? There's so many good options out there! I'm practically squealing just thinking about it--
"Are you alright, Mikayla? You started squealing." Divine Olivia speaks, her silvery eyes reflecting my image. "If you're really stressed, we can try a different question?"
"Huh?" Oh no. I wasn't paying attention at all. A priestess must always pay attention! That's rule number one. I focus on Olivia. The words she just asked run back in my mind... back in my mind...
("What's your favorite kind of Divinity?" Worse than Divine Demokitty...)
"Oh! Regalia, of course. I mean, Directors are certainly flashy, but they're not exactly the best singers. Regalia are all about entertaining a crowd, right? And their ability to alter their physical shape means that you can ship them with anybody and they're perfectly gucci!" Oh. Oh no. I just talked about shipping.
"Really? I didn't think about it that way. I guess the ability to change your gender and physical sex means they really can be paired regardless of orientation. But that would make them a bottom, right? I feel like a top would stand firmly by their orientation and sexual identity." Oh no. Divine Olivia is joining me at my level. What have I done!?
I try to ignore the burning gaze that Divine Majesty is giving me and just have a conversation. I'll never get the opportunity to talk about shipping with a real Divinity a second time. I need to make this count. "Well, if you think about it, telling another person you could be exactly the shape they wanted is a real power play. I mean, you could pursue anyone you wanted with just a little bit of information on their preferences."
"Is that really being honest with them? I feel like you're potentially building the bedrock of the relationship on a lie if you start by changing your body for them. What if they see you change back to your original form?" Olivia-- Divine Olivia brings up a good point, but I have the feeling that she personally disagrees with the statement she's making. Maybe she's just feeling me out?
"That's an easy one. It doesn't matter what shape or size you are. What you are is you, and no alteration of your body will change that. All you're doing is molding the form of your shape to fit the desire of your partner; what is underneath, your core identity, who you are? That's never changed. You're you, and nobody can tell you otherwise." I feel confident in my answer. Everything I said conforms to what I feel. Wait. Does that mean I'm attracted to trans women? I guess the shape doesn't bother me as much as the personality... I can unpack that later.
"That's a good answer." Olivia's face is burning a little red, all the way out to her eartips. She clearly notes something down in her little notebook. "But what about a change in personality? What if they changed the core of who they were, but kept the same body?"
"Are they changing back to their original personality when not flirting with the person they're speaking to? I'm not sure that's a problem. You don't talk to your mom like you talk to your grocer, after all..." I think that's called code switching, but I'm not about to look it up on my phone mid-conversation.
"No, something like a complete personality replacement. When they don't see the person they're in love with, they act like a completely different person." Her eyes seemed a little serious. I guess she's not talking about code switching, then? Wait, I know this one!
"I'm not sure. Are we talking about something like a System? Where there's multiple personalities, basically different people?" I really had to puzzle this one out. "I mean, that would be awkward, but I don't think they'd be lying to their partner. They'd have to seriously discuss it with them, especially if their personalities didn't feel the same way about someone."
"You don't think it would be lying, sure. But what would the shape of those discussions look like?" Olivia tilted her head. "How would a System approach a relationship?"
"Well, I think they'd all have to be honest with each other and have a discussion. Determine which of them actually want to date the other person and work from there." I tried to put on my best troubled look. "It would be an issue if someone that one of them tried to pursue wasn't polyamorous. Or what if they were pursuing two different people, and neither of them were comfortable with polyamory? They'd have to write a large number of partners off, when it comes down to it. Not many of them would be comfortable with the special kind of arrangements they'd have to make."
"But how do you decide which personality gets to pursue someone, if they both like the same person? That seems like a difficult task." Olivia, Divine Olivia, kept pressing me for more answers. I wasn't sure what she wanted, but I wasn't about to waste this opportunity.
"Time sharing! They have to agree between each other to share time. Divinities age slowly, if they age at all, so they should be able to spend as much time as they want with their partner. It shouldn't be a problem to share them over an eternity!" Hmph! I've found a solution. I waited eagerly to see what Olivia asks next.
"Thank you for your candid answers. You've given me a lot to think about." Olivia just gave me a smile and moved on, like that. What? That's it? We were just getting to the juicy stuff!
(It's enough. I should relax. I'm more than qualified for this position.)
Hate to say it, but all I can do is wait. I should just relax.
I really hope I'm not fired?
=-⚜️➡️🤫-=
"Let's review our choices." I set down nine folders on the meeting room table, sitting across from Oliva. The priestess candidates had already been escorted away, and our decision is taking place in secret. Chii had started a cold war with a patch of nothingness to Olivia's right... she must be displeased about Malty's behavior. I reached out and patted her head, eliciting a grumpy but calmed reaction.
"I think, Olivia, we can write off everyone except Agnes, but I'd like to hear your opinion on the matter." I clasped my hands together and looked Olivia straight in the eye. She balked, sheepishly looking to the side and frowning at the patch of nothing.
"As Malty says, I should try to recruit more priestesses than I need. If one of them passes away, I wouldn't want to be lacking in faith." Olivia seems uncomfortable with the concept, but Magimaid's training helps numb some of those feelings. As Divinity, we need to keep a clear head, even in matters of life and death.
"I'll consider it, if Madeline has any suggestions. You're still new to the company; we should keep your staff lean until we understand your needs as a Divinity. Madeline only has a single priestess and a very slim support staff. We don't want to invest too many resources in your department until we know what you can do." The board of directors will have my head if I don't manage the bottom line.
Olivia bit her lower lip. She's not used to the world of business, I can tell. But my attention was more firmly fixed on Madeline, who has been silent for the last ten minutes.
"I think we should pick Mikayla." Madeline's voice was hoarse. I could hear her struggling to produce a sound more audible than Chii's growling.
"Mikayla?" Olivia's innocent eyes blinked, surprised as I was by her suggestion. "She was interesting to talk to, but I don't know. Taylor didn't like her much." She directs her silver eyes my way, begging to understand my reasoning.
"You're kidding. Mikayla?" I wasn't about to beat around the bush. "She's qualified, but she's entirely unprofessional. Superior marksmanship doesn't mean anything if she talks about weird lesbian shipping dynamics at work."
"You're lesbian, too." Madeline gave me a sly smile.
"That's besides the point." I gave her a sly scowl in return.
"I have a good reason. She's the only one who wanted to be Olivia's friend. Out of all the priestesses there, her bond will be the closest." Madeline continued to explain her decision.
"That means nothing! What we're looking for is qualifications, and Mikayla--" I felt myself interrupted by a tug on my sleeve. Chii was pointing at Olivia, who had been trying to speak for the better part of a moment.
"She's qualified to be my priestess. More than anyone else, actually." Olivia shook her head. "She understands me, and wants to be my friend. I am going to join Madeline's side on this; please make her mine."
I swallowed the counterargument brewing in my throat. She was going to ignore my advice? Fine. It wasn't my priestess, after all. "I will arrange it as such, Olivia. But I must remind you not to follow Mad Dog's beck and call. She is not a good example."
"Respectfully, Taylor, I did not ask." Olivia fixed her smile on me and held it there, long beyond the point it was comfortable.
The skills of a Royalty are those of a dungeon themselves. Here's a sampling of Taylor's Royalty skills, to understand how they operate. Many details, such as cost and range, have been omitted for now.
| Royal Dungeon | You are now an ART 5 [Dungeon Core], with all that entails. You may turn a building you own into a [Dungeon] and set your true body within it. You may designate those who enter your dungeon as [Pawns] or [Challengers]. You may purchase [Dungeon-Only] skills. |
| Royal Avatar | You may create an ART 5 [Dungeon Avatar] with any appearance you desire and the immutable chimeric [Lifelink: Dungeon Core]. For all intents and purposes, you are your [Dungeon Avatar] as well as your [Dungeon Core]. |
| Castle Labyrinth | Your [Dungeon] is now classified as a [Labyrinth] and occupies a [Realm] of its own. You may freely reshape a room of your [Dungeon] at cost, with the restriction that there must be a path to reach your [Dungeon Core]. This path may be obstructed by puzzles, traps, doors and stairwells, but may not be obstructed by any gap or barrier which is not endemic to the structure of the [Dungeon] itself. |
| Treasure Trove | You can produce [Treasure Chests] inside of your [Dungeon]. These chests may be looted by [Challengers]. When looted, one of your [Pawns] recieves a permanent chimeric or a chapter-long buff. You must pay the price to restock the chest at your earliest convenience. |
| Paper Spike | You may produce spikes and javelins in your [Dungeon] and [Treasure Chests]. When looted, a [Pawn] either gains the chimeric [Trail: Blood] or +1 WRA. |
| Binder Rings | You can produce manacles and metal rings in your [Dungeon] and [Treasure Chests]. When looted, a [Pawn] either gains the chimeric [Bound: Manacles] or +1 DIL. |
Taylor Mayde (Art by me!!!!)
Tabitha Barnes (Art by me also!!!)
I convinced one of my proofreaders, Orlon, to join Scribblehub! They're an amazing writer, and they're a big part of why this story flows as well as it does. Ode to Fallen Angels is great; there's queer themes, religion, characters struggling with gender identity and DEMIHUMANS!
If you like my work, check me out on Twitter! I'm only marginally more wild than the things I write! Interested in learning more about the Neverlands? You can visit me and ask all the questions you like at my Discord! You can also catch me on Twitch and Youtube.
