deercountry | [closed] general catch-all

[A confused blink.]

I certainly will carry on! ...But, uh, weren't you telling me that grabbing things is a thing we... shouldn't be doing at all?

[ Also a confused blink. ]

I was telling you...?

[ Tanya jolts in place, a horrified expression taking over her face. ]

I did say that! Barely a minute ago!

[ She's more or less shouting now... but the fuss is entirely justified, surely! Tanya suppresses a shudder at the thought of how completely she fell under that cursed shovel's spell. ]

Right! I knew I wasn't imagining that!

[She says as if she was almost starting to entertain the idea! But no, she ultimately remains steadfast, and is concerned at someone like Tanya seemed to forget.]

So, y'know, you can see why I'm a little confused here! I really wanna stick to this whole 'not touching' thing. It sounds like the safest thing for both of us!

[ This is really bad. Possibly even the worst. If not for her current arrangement with Scorpia, Tanya would almost certainly have succumbed to temptation and died a gaudy statue. On the bright side, it would seem that Scorpia really is highly resistant to whatever is corrupting Tanya's brain. As long as Scorpia stays at the helm of this ship, they should be able to get through okay.

Alright. Tanya slaps a hand on a non-pointy section of Scorpia's shoulder. ]

I can't be trusted. I'm relying on you to keep me in check, Scorpia. Keep on not touching anything, no matter what I end up saying.

[ For good measure, she pulls the hood of her cloak low over her face and slaps her hand against her eyes. If she can't see anything, then she can't get tempted by anything. She mutters into Scorpia's shoulder. ]

I have to wonder if you have incredible mental fortitude or if I've become mentally decrepit...

[Scorpia's taken her words to heart. And she's trying not to pay much attention to all the riches regardless! As Tanya goes on, the weight of the responsibility that comes with her role becomes clear. She has to be strong when Tanya isn't, and make sure she doesn't touch anything to become a golden statue. Time to keep her pincers up on her legs to help make sure she stays secure!]

Right. Got it. You can count on me, Tanya! I will not let you down, and I will carry out your words! ...And just those ones, not ones that you might say when you're being confusing!

[She does hear her muttering and gives a little smile in turn.]

Hey now, you are mentally glorious! I- I guess I'm just good with this kind of thing? I've never really wanted much of this kind of stuff. I'm kinda more about friendships than possessions, you know? [If there was friendship among this treasure trove, they might have a problem!]

I wouldn't have called myself particularly materialistic before today. In fact, I'm positive that I keep a light load compared to most other people. I think you must be a natural bodhisattva.

[ Her words are shaped like a compliment, but they come out like a grumble. Oh well. This is why diversification is important; what Tanya lacks, someone else will have. ]

In any case, I'll be closing my eyes for a while, so let me know if you see anything strange.

I don't know what that means, but it sounds like a fancy kind of compliment, so thank you! I'm sure you're also bod... body-satva in your own way!

[Scorpia grins, trying to make the best of Tanya's words. But now, it's back to business.]

Okay! Time to keep on this trial!

[With that, she starts marching forward.]

Nothing out of the unusual so far! Just, you know, more riches and treasures, some magical-looking swords... Are those crates of ammo? I dunno, probably not! It's probably nothing. Moving on along!

[ Crates of ammo? It is a little strange that there would be something as commonplace and expendable as ammo mixed in with all this epic weaponry. Unless they're magical bullets? If only she could sneak a handful and find out...

Dimly, she's aware that her desires are being yanked around by whatever enchantments are in this room. Her mind is fixating on things that will definitely kill her, and her logical self is fighting an uphill battle to keep her hands pressed over her eyes to prevent herself from peeking.

Talking about things in the room is a mistake. Tanya hurries to move the topic along. ]

Tell me something about where you're from, Scorpia. Anything will do.

[It sure looks like it to Scorpia! She's toted enough crates around to tell. Maybe they're special in some way, but she knows better than to dwell on that.

Which is why she gladly clings to the topic change offered by Tanya! She's glad to talk about anything that's more pleasant than this situation.]

Oh boy! I will gladly do so. Where do I start? ...Ooh, how about the Fright Zone! Yep, that's where I came from. It used to be the kingdom of its people until the Horde came along. My grandfather was the last Scorpion King, aaand now I'm supposed to be its official princess back home! Just, y'know, I've just been hanging around here instead.

... Princess?

[ Um?? Why is Tanya just hearing about this?? On the bright side, she is definitely not thinking about random ammo anymore.

Technically, Scorpia being a princess doesn't matter here any more than Tanya being a lieutenant colonel, but she still feels like she's done one or two things to Scorpia that have horrendously breached princess-handling protocol. Scorpia almost assuredly doesn't care, but Tanya, who does her best to be mindful of social status, feels like she's dropped some kind of ball. ]

You're being awfully casual about this. And why is it called the Fright Zone?

[ Awful name. Would not visit. Why would anyone visit? ]

Yep! I'm a princess alright! Just, I don't always think of myself as one because I've been used to being a soldier most of my life.

[She gives a light shrug, continuing to be very casual about it as she strides forward.]

It's just ordinary stuff about my life, nothing wild. And, y'know? I never really asked why it was called the Fright Zone. That's just, what it's been called. Forever! I like to think it's because we're frightfully good at giving out hugs! [She says with a confident smile.]

[ A beat of silence says pretty much everything about what Tanya thinks about that explanation. ]

Would you have become Queen if you hadn't come here?

Most likely! I mean, when I came here, we had kinda just liberated the Fright Zone from the Horde's control. So I don't know for sure how all the details are gonna shake out. But I think, most likely, I'll end up queening it up! It- it's something to look forward to someday!

It sounds like your work is cut out for you...

[ Being a king or queen would be way too much responsibility for Tanya's blood. Better to be a prince or princess a few steps down the line, just important enough to have a modicum of influence but unlikely to ever assume the throne. ]

You'll have to pardon me saying so, but I wouldn't have guessed you were royalty.

[She responds with a laugh.]

Oh yeah, I hear that one alright! I mean, I get it. I knew I don't... look like the typical image of a princess. And all my years working for the Horde probably didn't help either. But hey, surprise! I am a princess anyway. And it wasn't long before I came here that I really started to embrace it.

[She presses onward, ignoring more of the treasures as she makes her way through the trail. Talking about herself has proven to be a good distraction!]

But at the end of the day, I'm still your ordinary scorpion gal pal Scorpia!

[ There's very little ordinary about a scorpion gal pal in Tanya's books, but she understands the sentiment. ]

In the end, that's probably for the best. I've never interacted with royalty — before you, that is — but anyone born and bred for the role has to live on a different wavelength.

[ Eyes still closed, she props an elbow on one of Scorpia's shoulders and leans her head on her hand. She isn't a particular fan of monarchies, but they are what they are. ]

Well, I'm sure you wouldn't be the kind of queen who bleeds taxpayer money and shirks productivity.

I- I seeee. I mean, I got along with the princesses that I met a lot better than I expected, at least.

[She'll shift her position every now and then, maintaining a hold on Tanya while trying to help her feel as comfortable as she can while riding a scorpion woman.]

You know, I haven't really laid out a 'queen' gameplan yet, but those are definitely things I'm not thinking of doing! I just want to make the Fright Zone a more livable and very fair place to live in.

I get the impression that you get along with everyone you meet.

[ Which is a very useful skill for a leader to have. Tanya considers herself pretty easy to get along with too, by the by; she's honest, considerate, and polite. That's a guaranteed recipe for social success among upstanding circles. ]

I won't tell you how to run your country, but I suggest you get cracking on that gameplan sooner rather than later. First impressions are crucial, you know — no matter how solid your job security is.

That's fair! It, it does usually tend to be the case. A bit less often when we start off as enemies, though!

[She was raised to distrust the princesses and felt she wouldn't fit in with them. And there was some of that tension right after she left the Horde, only for all of them to end up getting along quicker than she'd expected!]

You know, I appreciate the advice! I guess that is something I should try to give some more thought to. So far my main plan is, uh, get rid of lots of the bad Horde stuff and... make things better!

You really are easygoing...

[ Tanya reeaally has no intention of telling Scorpia what to do, especially with little to no knowledge of the state of the Fright Zone. Any ruler should have a trusty council to advise them on how to run their country, so any advice Tanya could give would ultimately be redundant if not completely pointless... but still, Scorpia is making it awfully hard to stay silent on the matter.

As her mind goes on a brief detour about how she might rule a country of her own, Tanya's head droops lower over Scorpia's shoulder, drowsiness inching over her consciousness and into her voice. ]

Honestly, I have a hard time believing you were a soldier.

Thanks! I try to keep things nice and easy.

[She says as she keeps on moving forward. This conversation is also helping to distract her from the sights, which is extra helpful in getting them safely to the exit. Speaking of which, it seems like they'r nearing the end of this!]

Really? I always thought that was one of the most believable things about me. I can be really good at following orders, and also at beating people up! And! And and and- teamwork! [She builds up to that with a dramatic flourish!]

[ "Beating people up"? It's precisely wording like that that gives Tanya doubts. Is it Scorpia being mindful of Tanya's age...? ]

You don't have to moderate your language for my sake. I was a soldier too.

[It is a little easier to forget her age the more she talks about weaponry, though it does still feel like she's toting around a kid. Still, she wasn't really trying to censor herself, so she seems a bit confused by her response.]

Oh yeah, of course. I- I know I can say anything around you! [A nervous chuckle.] I just, I'm not really the swearing kind so that's some language I don't use off the bat. Other than that, I, sure, I'll say anything around you! [Then after a beat, she adds.] Remind me, what exactly was it that I moderated...?

"Beating people up." I do understand that soldiers kill people in war. It's a bit silly to expect otherwise.

[ Perfectly legal! She has no reason to judge anyone for it. Though of course, she is strictly against war crimes. ]

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