Seconds become minutes which drift by into hours as we build, craft, enchant, read, write, collate, interpret, extrapolate, and more. Soon we will have the barebones framework, and soon after, a minimalistic network of that which we desire. Soon after that, yet more will transpire in which we come closer to achieving our goals, long term and short. We work in unison, in concert, in perfect harmony within ourself. We are one after all. We accomplish far too little, to win a war outright, yet far more than the few of us might have believed we could. Three, going on four, and a dozen more, and these bear fruit as well. Alchemy, enchanting, building and crafting, clockwork and toil, steamwork and oil, all and more are what we explore and implore.
We find secrets hidden amongst ourselves, and chastise ourself for keeping them from ourselves. Though chagrined, we continue in unison, despite nearly suffocating under the weight of the shared knowledges. New advantages spring to mind, are brought to light, and come to life. The future dawns on us, and its prospects are tantalizing. In all too short a time though, it is beyond our grasp, as we must relent, and release ourselves. To retain ability to access this form, and its wonders, we must be certain to relinquish it as it demands, lest we lose it forever. We slowly become the me, the I, the am, the solo sporoid Reggie Shellcracker once more, and now this me becomes the Reggie Shellcracker known as the RS2.
Blinking, I blush at the shared thoughts that coalesce from the myconid hivemind. We’ve certainly accomplished quite a lot in the last few hours. A shop now in each warrens, bolted and protected tightly, deeply secured within the center of each warren. Also appropriate crafting stations in each warrens that can utilize the materials harvested therein, chutes to transport materials from the warrens to other craftsworks in case of need, including lumber and metals and ores to the forgeworks, far simplifying the job for the volunteers. There’s a massive networked array of scrying sensors in a variety of shapes, styles, and applications, most of which reside in a too-large-to-transport shelving unit full of soundproof display cases.
I do have a solution to that last bit. This might be the first time I’ve engaged this particular form. Thankfully, I won’t need it up very long, so I don’t need to pre-engage it for altogether too grand a length of time. My otter form, complete with platinum scarf, adamantite zipper, super strength, and interdimensional space manifests itself after not too long, and I’m curious to see exactly what happens to the sensors’ links when many of them are in an extradimensional space. Unfortunately, the answer is not much. Or perhaps fortunately.
The sensors temporarily wink-out when one half of a pair is elsewhere, becoming plain mirrors until they’re returned to the same dimensional plane of existence as each other once more. I acquire one entire shop stall that I place happily within my interdimensional insides, my space skill, my inventory capacity. I similarly snag quite a number of otherwise seemingly useless trinkets that won’t aid us directly in winning the war unless the worst should come to pass, in which case, it’s good that they’re safe elsewhere.
Experimenting, I *am* capable of using my space skill to duplicate objects into their umbral copies once more. This leads to some rather entertaining new lines of query within myself. It will have to wait however. I’m pressed for time, in order to set up the security center quickly, before this form wears off. I growl at time and its suffocating restraints that I feel entitled to being able to break free of. I wonder if we could once again create umbral copies of Lil that he could control telepathically.
The copies that were expelled from Lil’s inventory were inert upon Rayileklia so far. That may be because of a need to engage a magical mental passive subroutine for eight minutes and then keep it active for the entire duration of Lil’s life on Rayileklia. I doubt it’s something he’d thought to do before now. I wouldn’t want him to strain himself either, if it didn’t come naturally. Still, to have one or two more nearly indestructible Lils upon the battlefield would be an amazing boon. Or, if Lil should become injured, even having one replacement duplicate-Lil in place of him, while he rests up and controls it remotely, could keep the war rolling in our favor. We’ll burn those bridges when we come to them. Erm, whatever the appropriate phrase might be.
Focus Reggie, your mind has been split too many ways between too many people and too many forms so far today. You’re scattering. Scatterbrained is certainly an apt way to describe Reggie Shellcracker. Shush, focus. Right. Headsets, speakers, cables, desks, shelves, display units, soundproof cases with scrying sensors, we’ve even got it set up that part of the picture is more easily displayed through the RCA cable to the outgoing box that the incoming picture and audio are coming from, for when we bypass the intermediate space, directly connecting one sensor to another in the security center. Whoops, this form is already wavering. We didn’t spend long engaging it, perhaps half of an hour. It’s still a rather incredibly potent form, despite not being entirely suited to combat with dragons, so it eats into its own mana pool rather quickly.
Finally returned to the form I’ll be in for the rest of the eve, that of myself, RS2, I, perhaps a bit foolishly, flip and twirl my new adamantite goggle-frames playfully. I can see the picture spin wildly over at the security center, and I giggle, glad no one has to observe it at the moment. I’d certainly get dizzy or a bit sick if I’d been focused on that particular scrying sensor. Flipping it into the air one last time, I plant the goggles firmly into the wild mass of hair upon my head, tucking the frames behind my ears, and tying off a short elastic band between the arms of the frames. It feels *right*, it feels *good*, it feels natural to have goggles upon my head. I don’t mind being a gogglehead. I don’t even have to wear them properly, to provide the benefit I want them to provide, that of feedback to those that will monitor our afield-teams’ progresses from Solace.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Still, I’ll keep them on properly most of the time, so that those beloved to me can reach out to me, and so that I can see the security center, and the transmission of all those that I care about. I’m, erm, perhaps a little too excited at the prospect of getting a pair of goggles shipped out along Errissa’s scouts to her. I’ll just attribute that to the whammy, since the goggles should never be pointed at her own body anyway. Unless, erm, she spends a lot of time gazing down at herself. Koff. Uh, what was I—. Erm. Right, anyway.
Gulping and blushing, I hope I’m far enough away from—. Nope. I blush further heatedly, trying to pay no mind to the teasing thoughts sent my way across a myriad of mental wavelengths. Rattling my skull, and coughing to clear my throat from nothing in particular, I attempt to distract myself, and my teasers, from the previous lines of thought. Let’s just try to take stock though, shall we?
The massive amount of progress we’ve made today would be incalculable by Fakeworld seventeenth or eighteenth century standards. That’s the approximate era I think we should be near or around, comparatively. I sigh momentarily as I allow myself to make more comparisons to Fakeworld, and my broken buggy memories. Still, without them, I’d not understand how to utilize all of these things. I’d not have had the ideas to make a visual/auditory security center. I’d not have had nearly as many of the progressive ideas that I’ve had in order to create advantages for Solace and its residents.
Phooph, it’s pretty late in the evening now. I must have spent a lot of time spacing out between various forms’ preparations, and the time spent in each form. I know I promised Kinzul to make myself available for time awa—.
My wife interrupts my thoughts, “Indeed you did my love. I sincerely hope you aren’t planning to disappoint me on that front. I daresay we both deserve a private moment.”
Gulping and blushing, I glance around as I try to make sure the majority of my mental walls are up before responding, “Of course not Kinzul, my love. I was just trying to recall what still had to be wrapped up before checking in on you to see when you were, erm, ready for that, glp, private time.”
There’s the slightest hint of evil joy at my hesitation, anticipation, and embarrassment, from Kinzul’s emotional wavelength. Thankfully, Kinzul releases me from any of my emotional hangups as she helpfully answers, “You were only able to get approximately a dozen goggles enchanted, due to Curator’s time constraints, and your own excited leaping from project to project. There isn’t much more to be done about that at the moment, as you’ll simply need to finish your pairing enchantments on another day or other days. You’ve crafted, carpentered, and enchanted in vast quantities, while the rest of us have purchased, scoured, examined, explored, and acquainted ourselves with much of what you’ve provided.”
With pride, Kinzul continues, “Pawn, her siblings, and my dear old friend have busied themselves with preparing much of Solace for your security needs. You’ve expressed the desire for, erm, copper cabling conduits? The volunteers have acquiesced, and are beginning work to provide the required end-products, as you’ve provided the materials for what you call your electrification of Solace. Our Aegis, Dark, and Quick, have been dispatched to Mah’Ruke, for their journey into the ‘Neath, with a pair of pairs of goggles, one on Aegis, one on Dark. You’d been able to get frightfully few enchanted with the ability to change shape and size as necessary, due to the necessity for Curator’s participation, and execution.”
By the sounds of it, there isn’t much or anything else I should attend to tonight in Solace. Gulping, I gaze at my wife as she glides my way with a smirk on her face. I check my back, and Teuila is no longer lashed to it, so she must have disentangled herself at some point earlier in the eve. Though I’d like to ask, it seems like Kinzul isn’t quite ready to share where exactly we’re going, or what she’d like us to do in private. I return to gulping and can’t manage to blink as my eyes remain wide as we walk arm in arm towards the aerie of Solace.
Making a request that’s almost a plea, Kinzul asks, “My love, would you do me the honor of expending a fraction of your dragonforce, trying to fly under the power of your own Honoris Causa? Then perhaps—.”
She cuts herself off, leaving her words hanging tantalizingly in the air. I certainly can’t imagine refusing her request. Checking the lock on my Honoris Causa that Kinzul provided, I have to manifest it by engaging my titles, so I feel a bit silly as I announce my usual titling in front of Kinzul. She simply smiles however. As my Void Dragon Honoris Causa fully manifests, I extend my senses into the form that takes— form. Sighing, I roll my eyes at myself.
Regardless, I experimentally leap with the Honoris Causa’s limbs, and feel them as natively as my own. Flapping the wings of my Honoris Causa is as innate as breathing, and it’s exhilarating. It does however burn through my dragonforce at more than a minimalistic rate. Days are cut from the future of my life per second. Still, as Kinzul transforms and rushes up to meet me, I can hardly manage to care about the dragonforce expenditure as my Honoris Causa embraces her dragon form while we spiral and dance about the sky in a south-westerly direction.
We entwine tails, or necks, or gently butt horns, or even clasp limbs as one or the other of us carries the pair of us as we spiral, depending on whom is on top in the moment. It’s as intimate an experience as I’ve ever had. I’m nearly delirious with joy, for all too brief a time, as we come to rest on a mountaintop with which I am not familiar. Motioning me to rest with her, Kinzul returns to her human form, while I release the manifestation of my Honoris Causa.
Kinzul performs something of a ritualistic series of motions, and an incredibly tiny secret passageway opens up within the mountaintop. We journey within, and a nearly-suffocating scent of gore reaches my nostrils. When we’re far below any traces of light, in utter darkness, Kinzul rakes my neck with her teeth, gently, as we traverse deeper into the dark, and she does draw blood, in the barest amount. For some reason, I don’t fear it at all as the incredibly ancient being puts me in the most vulnerable of positions, and takes my life in her jaws quite literally. She could suffocate me, if she wanted. I simply smile her way, as tears run down both of our faces.