5.12 – Borrow
The conversation from there went to lighter topics—with both Jacquelyn and Delta seeming more eager to flirt than discuss the Church and its principles. Zoey trusted that Delta knew what she was doing, so she played along. It wasn’t like it was unpleasant. Though the flash of zealotry had been off-putting, Jacquelyn was a great conversationalist, and Zoey had always been weak to pretty won.
Unfortunately, Jacquelyn needed to extract herself from the conversation; she had other guests to entertain, or rather, recruit. She suggested Zoey and Delta co find her after the event. Zoey was tempted to take her up on the offer, regardless that she and Delta had other goals today, and regardless of the rather disconcerting bit of fervency she’d displayed. By the way Delta’s eyes tracked Jacquelyn’s sashaying hips as she left, then how she quirked an eyebrow at Zoey, Zoey could tell Delta agreed. They silently agreed they’d figure out where that was going later, though; they really did have more pressing goals.
Not longer after Jacquelyn’s departure, the main speaker arrived and got everyone’s attention. The guests, who’d been scattered through the hall either eating or socializing, gathered around the raised platform. There was a decent amount of people, so a crowd ford. The man’s voice was amplified through magical ans, carrying far, which ant they didn’t have to pack too tightly together to hear.
The following minutes comprised Zoey’s first-ever introductory cult pitch. It was a lot more moderated than Jacquelyn’s diving-in of the topics, but held the sa general idea—that misbehavior among those granted powerful classes, both combat-oriented and not, was causing the literal erosion and destruction of the world. Dressed up in a calm, reasonable tone, Zoey could how people would buy into it. People believed far crazier things, even from Zoey’s world, where magic wasn’t real. And by cult standards, even, she would call it downright ta. They weren’t trying to summon demons or end the world or such. Though, to be honest, the exact goals of the group eluded her. They hardly divulged their full plans. Zoey assud that was intentional. Deeper integration into the Church undoubtedly led to unpleasant realizations, but initial recruits weren’t privy to them just yet.
Following the speech, what everyone had been waiting for arrived. They made a great show of carrying out the mysterious ‘proof’ wrapped in black cloth, as if transporting so delicate, arcane artifact. Which was close to the truth, Zoey knew, having been told in advance by Jacquelyn. If they’d really found a ‘broken item’, so to say, then they were in possession of sothing incredibly rare. Because had the decaying shards been sothing common, or the resulting ‘broken items’, then this small-ti cult wouldn’t be thought of as insane people—the secret would be out in the open, and likely, the world in a frenzy as they ca to terms with their fundantal laws breaking down.
“Please be advised,” the speaker said, “that this will be unpleasant, but perfectly safe. One of our mbers recently found this in an expedition of hers. It is proof of our claims. That the world is coming apart at the seams.”
Without further ceremony, he unveiled the artifact.
Interested, Zoey inspected the item, a clear, unblemished crystal ball. So did most of the crowd.
She, as many others, winced, a wave going through the group as a jumbled cacophony of information entered their heads. It was similar to the item they’d found down in their own shard, but far worse. Her team had co upon a ‘chewed on’ shard, for a lack of perfect terminology. The invader had destabilized l’s ho but had ultimately left it functional and in-tact in the ways that mattered.
This item, however, was far more dilapidated. Chewed up and spat out, nearly completely broken. Zoey couldn’t even intuit an impression of what the description should have been, as she had with the remote vibrator. Only a complete, jarring ss.
The crowd broke out into worried whispers and even so loud exclamations. Zoey, for her part, shared a concerned look with Delta.
It was the last confirmation they’d needed. Whether these people had information on the shard-eaters or not, they at a minimum had a mber who had been to a broken shard. Lacking any other lead, finding and speaking to that person was the best path toward information they had.
The problem, of course, would be arranging a eting. The woman’s na who’d found it hadn’t even been ntioned.
Following the big reveal—which was honestly fascinating even to Zoey and Delta, who’d been prepared for it—the mbers of the Church obscured the item and carried it away. Zoey tracked it as it went, wondering how in the world they were going to find the proper person to talk to.
With the event winding down, everyone was left once again to eat and socialize—undoubtedly to stir up intrigue and increase recruitnt chances. Delta tugged Zoey along, headed for the nearest black-masked mber. She was eager to get straight to tracking down their target.
Unfortunately, Delta’s attempts at finding a na much less setting up a eting was t with nothing but rebuffs. Only mbers could learn more, they explained patiently, which Zoey supposed was reasonable. Delta tried two more mbers—though not Jacquelyn—before growling and stalking off. All she ended up receiving was a vague allusion that whatever wayfarer responsible for finding the orb was present today, but they would need to be properly inducted to et her.
“Okay,” Delta said. “I think I know what we need to do.”
In a hushed tone, Delta explained her plan. Zoey shifted uncomfortably throughout it. In her ti spent in this new world, she hadn’t actually done much that would be considered truly questionable, beyond maybe the dream delving and so public shenanigans. Delta’s plans for forcing a eting with the mysterious wayfarer, however, crossed more than a few lines.
At the sa ti, Zoey understood her logic. Saving the world would require so less than perfectly-polite asures, and the alternative solution, joining the cult in earnest, was hardly sothing they wanted to do, or even had the ti for. Sabotaging their relationship with the Church was also not a problem, since they would be leaving Treyhull in less than a week.
Still, taking advantage of Jacquelyn didn’t feel great. A moderated approach might ruin their chance at the more extre plan, though.
So, reluctantly, Zoey agreed.
The first part wasn’t particularly difficult to pull off. Jacquelyn had made it more than clear that she was interested in Zoey and Delta, so when the two of them suggested that they sneak off to a secluded space, Jacquelyn had several ideas for them. In less than a minute, they’d slunk away from the main hall, down a hallway, and invaded a sowhat cramped utility closet.
“Perfect,” Delta said. “Now, go ahead and tie up.” The foxgirl withdrew a sturdy rope from her inventory—sothing she undoubtedly kept around as a matter of being a prepared wayfarer—and handed it to Zoey.
Jacquelyn, naturally, paused at the instruction Delta had given. Delta pressed her back to a sturdy utility shelf—bolted to the wall, fortunately—and Zoey got straight to tying her wrists, torso, and legs down, making sure she was well and secured.
“Gag too,” Delta said.
Soon, Zoey had secured cloth around Delta’s mouth, and so test yells showed she was well and muffled. This far away from the main hall, nobody would be able to hear her—it would be difficult even out in the empty hallway.
“Is this … how you prefer doing this?” Jacquelyn asked, confused. The previously excited glint in her eyes had traded for confusion—though she didn’t seem entirely put off.
Zoey paused, then quirked an eyebrow at Delta, wondering the answer to the question. Her gag ant Zoey couldn’t get her exact response, but she intuited the spirit behind her shrug and wiggled eyebrows: Delta wouldn’t be wholly against it.
With Delta secured and gagged, Zoey faced Jacquelyn. She grimaced. “I really am sorry about this,” she said. “It’s … necessary.” To save the world, in fact, which outweighed most minor issues over morality. Still, Zoey had certainly never abducted a woman’s body to use it to invade a cult’s leadership before.
“Sorry?” Jacquelyn asked, still totally oblivious. She didn’t distrust the two of them in the slightest. That almost made it worse.
Zoey held up the Mirror of Deep Echoes in front of Delta’s face and pointed toward Jacquelyn.
Both of them stiffened.
Jacquelyn—Delta, now—looked down at her hands. She rolled her shoulders.
“Huh. I forgot how weird this feels.”
Delta turned her attention to the tied-up Delta—Jacquelyn, now—who watched with baffled wide eyes, frozen in shock—then quickly started to struggle.
“Yeah, we really are sorry,” Delta said. “This is kind of an asshole move, we know. But I swear you’ll be fine. We need your body to do so sneaking around. It’ll be yours again in less than an hour.”
Panicked muffled noises were all the two of them received. Jacquelyn-Delta struggled against her bindings, but all she achieved was rattling so items on the shelf. She didn’t have Delta’s improved strength; her body was as strong as a normal human’s, and Zoey had tied her down with several loops of thick rope. She wasn’t going anywhere.
Delta watched Jacquelyn struggle for a mont, then grimaced a second ti. She turned to Zoey, then said, “Well. Let’s not waste any ti. We have a cult to invade.”
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