Text @vanhelsing

[thepsyingnun]

Greetings.

For those I have not met, I am Sister Agatha Van Helsing. I have been mentally absent this past fortnight. Given this, I have questions for those gathered here. I have many, in fact, but will start with this:

Were you also mentally disturbed for any time this past month? If so, what do you recall? If not, what did you observe of those that were?

The gifts given appear to be the work of a child. Do any recall hearing the voice of a child before arriving here? What did it say to you?

Do any of those present have experience with the supernatural, unholy, witchcraft, or how ever else you wish to label it? I would like to arrange a meeting for us to compile and compare knowledge, if so.

Was anyone not native to this location killed during the events of the past month?

My thanks.

Comments

@rapunzel

[prodigalhairess]

I heard a girl too.
I thought it was just a dream, but... I guess not.

Also, I had a lot of experience with weird supernatural stuff back home! I used to have magical, indestructible hair, even!
What do you wanna know?

[thepsyingnun]

I had wondered if it were merely a wishful thought on my death. But many have reported the same. Then the child-like gifts for Christmas suggest it may be something more that wishful thinking.

You grew magical hair? In what way?

[prodigalhairess]

Do you think whoever that child is is.... okay? If those presents were from them, then they must know what's going on....

[It makes the back of her neck itch in an uncomfortable way - the idea of children imprisoned. Not surprising, consider what she and Cass have both been through.]

Oh, I didn't grow it! I was born with it.
My mother was sick when she was pregnant with me, so to save her, my dad tracked down a magical flower that was rumored to heal anything.
That power was passed onto me after she gave birth!

[It feels a little weird to be so open about this, considering how intent Gothel had been in hiding her and her hair away from the world. For a moment, she feels her old nerves flare up - you can't trust anyone in the outside world, my flower - but she shakes those feelings off. Talking about her magic feels like she's going against Gothel in a way, even with Gothel long gone. Nerves aside, it feels... good.]

[thepsyingnun]

The start of the month was terribly childish. In the good things about childhood, such as sweets and skating. It was only as time went on things began to crumble. I wonder if strength is needed to create such 'happy' things, which wanes with time, or if perhaps there is more than us and our summoner present in this place. Some foe it required our help against.

Fascinating. These powers did not come with you, I take it?

[prodigalhairess]

Huh... I didn't think about that.
Do you think our happiness had something to do with things staying normal?
Things only started getting bad later on in the month, right? It's when we all were getting used to the festivities and things started calming down.

They didn't, no.
But they weren't with me right before I woke up here, so I don't think that's very important!
Um... a lot of strange things happened, and I was separated from that power and it returned to where it had once been a very long time ago.
So I was just a regular person when we were all dragged here.

[thepsyingnun]

That is an interesting thought. Are we an energy source for our summoner? Our emotions? There may be a way to test that, as time goes on.

Ah, a vessel no more. That is a good thing. Humans are meant to be as we were made, not what some other power may cause us to be.

[prodigalhairess]

Maybe if we can all focus on one emotion at once, we can see if that has any influence at all?

It's funny, though... I feel more different without that power than I did with it.
Not a bad different, of course!!!
But I had that power all my life, and now it's gone.
I always knew I'd be able to help people if they got hurt... but not having that certainty now is kind of weird.
And scary.

[thepsyingnun]

There are far more ways to help others than magical short cuts.

I am sure such an ability came with a price, as well.

[prodigalhairess]

It can't hurt to try, though. Can it?

The healing magic didn't hurt me or anything. So it didn't really have any bad side effects!
But power like that... some people wanted it. Bad.
One person wanted to hoard it for herself. When it got out that the legendary power was use to heal my mom, that woman came and kidnapped me when I was a baby, just so she could use the power to stay young forever.

So the power itself isn't bad!
Just... some of the people who wanted it.

[thepsyingnun]

Such is the nature of power and pride. You are better without it.

[prodigalhairess]

yeah... I think so
as useful as those powers were, too many people were hurt or manipulated because of that power and its sister power
if I had to choose between keeping that power and there being a risk of other people being hurt or used because others want it
i'd give it up any day

... i do miss being able to heal people, though
Maybe I can learn first aid so I can do it without magic.

[thepsyingnun]

That may be wise. I gather nursing is one of the 'acceptable' occupations for us womenfolk at the moment.

[prodigalhairess]

[Oh right. That.]

That's just ridiculous.
Why not let women take whatever jobs we want???
If you're good at the job, you should be able to get that job.