Ow mind ow.
This is almost as painful, what happened, what is going on to Old-me
Temporary Condition: Overwhelmed This condition is caused when exposed to powerful effects meant to target higher sapient or intelligent creatures
Effect: Halves Mind and Social scores
End: When Ego or Id increases for any reason, or when resting at Home for one week
Oh that explains it, Naming must have caused it. That is a nasty condition, it must have ended when I got into the [Hat] maybe that is why it hurt so much.
Woah! I wasn't paying attention, but Old-me is in the middle of dodging... That is [Liosa o'Caecs Aodaich] the Namer. It's got a small stone [Container] just like my [Cocoon Backpack] But she is swinging it and trying to get me inside. Old-me... well, our mind may be hurt, but our agility sure isn't. I'm watching me dodge and run across the surface covered in [Textiles]. Good job [Old-me] your doing good. The Namer is crying out with frustration, that is good, we just need too...
Curse, the Namer just swept away the textiles, scattering them across the floor. Now it's coming in for another swing. Old-me starts climbing, good, Swatter can't climb, but watch out they do have rea...
Wow, that was a jump, right off the wall to the floor, Oooff well it didn't hurt, but knocked the air from my folds I was expecting it to hurt more... [General Knowledge 1] is telling me that small creatures can survive bigger falls. I hear the Namer raise it's voice. It's calling for other Swatters, and Old-me Skitters into cover while the Namer is distracted. Good job, keep going Old-me, the big hole is just over up that wall. Woah, agility rocks, I just watched Old-me leap from textile to textile as the Namer starts searching them with it's upper legs. So ungainly, I don't know how it balances on two... they must fall over a ton. We get closer to the wall and the opening above, phew, well I am here, so I shouldn't be worried, but still, I am shaking from the sudden action.
Oh, we just got to the wall as two larger Swatters arrived and they make sounds with Namer Liosa. I hear [Arachnid] and [Artisan] in their strange sound. The larger swatters are agitated, and start looking around furiously. Old-me is already climbing, we just need to escape their notice long enough that we can slip out the hole. We are so [Tiny] that I watch through four eyes as the three looks right at me. Once then twice, moving to look through the abandoned [Textiles] in between glances around the nest. We can do this, we are almost...
I hear one call out [Kysa] Oh no, that is my name. I feel Old-me's confusion and shiver, she doesn't understand what it is, but she must recognize it. It carries weight.
"Njoo hapa [Kysa], ambaye ni msichana mzuri"
Wow, Old-me just started freaking out, I feel the words settle on me. Even I feel like I want to descend, to obey. But despite this my legs keep moving, entirely ignoring Old-me's attempts to obey.
This has to be a Social attack, my Id and other scores are still low, especially with [Overwhelmed] in play. I'm terrified, but Old-me is devoted, desperately trying to stop our legs from climbing.
What's worst is the second command, I know what it is, and this is but a memory, but I feel myself bend. In that moment I fear even I would have obeyed. But it must be [Mindless Body] that is working right now. The Namer had scared me, and no attempts at social control will stop my instincts from retreating back home... It would have been nice to get caught.
No, Stop that. you don't know what they would have done. My Id's instincts are right, they wanted us to stay, so we flee.
Good we are here, the edge of the hole. I see the moment they see us, both the tall Swatters moving towards the hole. It is not large enough, and we slip through, despite their sounds of wretched loss. The moment they pass from sight I feel the compulsion depart me, both old and new. I shiver in sync with Old-me. The distraction hits Old-me greatly, and for a moment we would have stopped. We are [Overwhelmed] and reeling, but safe for the moment. Our [Mindless Body] ignores us in it's panicked flight. It's darting closer to the other wall, and it leaps off the edge with no hesitation.
I shudder, we are so high up, in the world of birds and flying bugs. It is un-natural. Still it was the right decision, as we fall to the distant floor we hear a rumble, as the tallest swatter comes around the corner. So fast, I am startled, I haven't even reached the grass below me. I'm almost caught out by the sheer speed... and then I am caught out when I hit the ground hard enough my chitin creaks in protest. I reach it first, I will be safe in the grass.
Ow, God that hurts, I can't stop, I have to move.
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Twump
The Swatter jumped, and in a moment was lying down, his legs around me. It was so fast, I fear this Swatters agility. It's not over, I feel Old-me fear for a moment, before desperation works... a moment and I feel my Pedipalps grasp the [Silk-wrapped Long-stinger] and draw it. Old-me moves desperately, barely able to use the Stinger with any capability. Stabbing out again and again. I get a good look at the upper legs of the swatter, each of them has five pedipalps on the end of them, larger than my entire body.
The carapace is soft... incredibly soft. Old-me's thrusts are chaotic and random, but each plunges deep into the carapace of the swatters pedipalps. The armour should have taken that, in no way would even the deepest wound I could inflict harm such a large creature... but it recoils, making agitated sounds and throwing itself back as if grievously wounded.
I am stunned by the frailty, but Old-me is helped by a good dose of instincts and is barely phased. My eight legs whirl as without hesitation we are launched forwards deeper into the grass, to the clear and audible agitation of the swatters. It's Old-me's hope that we won't be ended, so much of the area ahead is wondrous concealment.
"[Kysa]! Acha kuwa Msichana Mbaya! Toka nje na kuomba msamaha."
My brain almost freezes up, and Old-me certainly does. A shudder runs through our body, but our [Mindless] legs keep running. I am not a bad girl, I'm not, I can't stop. My legs won't let me stop, why won't they let me stop. Please let me stop, I need to be good. I hear the thudding of the Swatters legs, they must have spotted me... my [Mindless Body] had not kept to the concealing grass.
Good, they can catch me, and I can be a good girl. The leg and pedipalps come down to scoop me up, and I feel relief.
Then I stab so deep that red water coats my leg. Stop, I need to be good, I don't want to be bad. Bad gets punished. My legs keep running, I need to stop, stop...
AHH, they did it again, but the large swatter just obscured the medium swatter for a moment and I felt the compulsion break. I don't have time, and I am ever so thankful my legs haven't stopped for even a moment. They are behind me, the larger Swatter is being helped to it's lower legs. I have time, I am so close. The cliff is just up ahead. Old-me puts on a last burst of speed, we can make it... we did make it.
I feel Old-me's hesitation... Where did the small Namer go.
We let that go, we just need to jump over the side and begin out climb down. Swatters can't climb...
JUMP...
Chink "Nimeelewa!"
NO! OW!, I impacted the stone, I am inside the container. No, how, I got to the [Purple Hat] I know I did. I don't know... How...
My [Mindless Body] is acting on instincts, stabbing the stone, yet nothing works. I feel Old-me panic, and I am ashamed I might be as well. I don't even see a scratch on the stone or dirt, just a happy hum of the Namers sound.
The other Swatters are speaking, I hear the Namer speak [Kysa] and for once, well since I was named, it's voice is soft.
Old-me is worrying about it's end, [Mindless Body] knows nothing but a frantic escape attempts, but I listen.
The two Swatters, are speaking loud, to the Namer, I listen, something is off. The Swatters sound loud, aggressive, but contrast sharply to the Namers sound.
I don't understand, but I doubt I will ever understand Social like these creatures.
Then the Container lifts up, just a crack, but more then enough. Old-me would have moved our body, but [Mindless Body] is already out, and without hesitation leaping off the cliff.
Oh gosh, we are so high up, in the realm of birds and flying bugs... AHHH! I could fall anywhere, we need to stay close to the [Hat]. We are moving so fast, the wind catches us immediately and sends us hurtling away from the Namer... no Liosa. I hear my name as I hurtle away from them.
"Risasi, nilimwona tu [Kysa] akiruka juu ya mwamba, nadhani alitoka nje."
I need to stop, and Old-me is flailing, no, our legs are reaching for our spinneret... Old-me is making a ball of web... as sticky as we are capable. It's a good plan, we need to stop, and perhaps our Silk can help. We draw out more and more, until we have a good sized ball and a very long thread. Out out leg stretches, I feel Old-me's exertion as we throw as hard as we can.
It's so close to missing, as we whizz past and outcropping... just a little slower and it would have certainly passed by. But luck is with Old-me as the ball of my web catches one edge of the stone and spreads out. I feel the relief from my dumber self moments before the line tightens. I agree, we are still under the branches of the Willow, a miss and we could have been blown far far away.
Owww, that hurt, my spinneret most of all, it felt for a moment like I was going to lose them. But it worked, we aren't being blown away, instead swinging on an arc towards... the cliff...Too fast, way to fast, Hurry Old-me, we need to stop before we...
Crack