Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

I explore the other floors for anything of noteworthy significance.

 

"She's learning the extent of her abilities. Worst case scenario, she's in a deadlock fight with her shadow."


It takes a small piece (if allowed), then melts it before swallowing.

________________________________

How thoroughly? Each floor seems as vast as most continents, moreso according to the holomap.

 

Oh.
Not very throughly, merely looking for rooms of interest.

 

You see a couple of named rooms nearby per floor - the lab you were in on 3F, a meeting room of sorts, and a large block of the map labelled "Distributed Gravity Module A13"... and a teleporter room along with a mess hall.

 

I briefly explore the mess hall before going over and checking out whatever “Distributed Gravity Module A13” is.

 

"She has a shadow now? Can't Aj stop her?" Katie asks, worried.


"How very odd. Perhaps they've evolved to eat meat after all..." Stephanie says.

"Shows what you know about phoenixs." Abigail says, smirking as she cooks the bacon with a fireball on her free hand.

 

“Unlikely. Her shadow is Iris.”


It spits another tiny piece of incense at Abigail, though it seems more playful than annoyed.

It takes a few floors to find the entry, but it seems to be one huge machine with a few dozen operators - most of them zakretian.

You see Thirteen’s nameplate sitting on a desk with an “On Break” sign.

 

"Oh...right." Katie says, turning red in embarrassment.


Abigail takes a chunk of the now-cooked bacon off, putting it in front of the phoenix before eating the rest of the bacon.

 

I look around to see if it’s possible to explore despite the absence of Thirteen.

 

"I'm just suggesting things. I don't know for sure, cause I can't speak of experience."

 

“Shadows from our realm will rarely follow their commands, more likely simply laugh at them. Mavis is one of the few exceptions to that.”


It takes the phoenix a minute to finish the food, before it sits down next to the incense.

“Perhaps I should ask a few spirits if they know what happens.”

There’s three separate entries to the room, none of which seem to be locked.

 

I decide not to approach, heading back to my room to relax.

 

"Well, Aj says only the lesser Shadows can really be commanded. The stronger ones are sentient and don't follow commands that much." Katie explains.


Abigail and Stephanie watch the phoenix, Stephanie making notes before Abigail opens up a cupboard and gets a bread roll out. Abigail opens a drawer of cutlery and cuts it in half before cursing, a bit of blood dripping from her palm where she carelessly cut into it.

 

"Maybe? You miss all the shots you don't make, so you might as well try."

He looks at the other spirit.
"So... who's the other spirit?"

 

“I... I’m not sure.”
“I can leave.” They say, backing up.

“The guards here would appear to be an exception.”


The phoenix shifts around a bit, seeming to try and fall asleep.

As you enter, the dog seems to have been waiting for you, tail wagging as you enter.

 

"Who are you? If you don't mind me asking?"

 

"Well, the guards work here. It's their job to protect the palace, they're not forced to do it though." Katie says happily.


"Try making it a nest, Abigail." Stephanie suggests.

"Why don't you do it?" Abigail asks, looking for bandages for her cut hand.

"I'm not here right now." Stephanie says flatly.

Abigail sighs, grabbing a few (fire resistant) towels and putting them in the sink with the phoenix.

 

“Fair enough. Speaking of, I hope he’s... aware of the insults Shadow Stephanie threw at the shadows of my reality. A good lot of them are... unhappy... about what names they were called.”


The phoenix moves towards the towel, though gets somewhat caught in the drain.

“Diana. My apologies to intrude on your reunion.”

 

"What did she say?" Katie asks, curious.


Abigail rolls her eyes, freeing the phoenix with her non-cut hand and putting the plug in the sink. Stephanie makes a few more notes.

 

“She called them weak, worthless, essentially that their existence is a disgrace to shadows. She’s... made several enemies.”


The phoenix scrambles into the towel, rolling up against it.