Ranryu

Why have I been summoned? OOOH. Are we doing a hostile takeover of the boys' thread?

The Rightful One responded, Ranryu being in no state for conversation. "You are intruding. Why?" Her wings flared out threateningly.

Hmmm... This Karden could prove to be a great stumbling block to our plans. We will need to keep an eye on him. Ranryu wasn't listening. Her eyes swept back forth from shelf to shelf. "I burned this library once. Look at it now. All that fire- useless." Focus, dragon. We're here for the thread. Let me drive. Ranryu gave in, but she couldn't shake the image of fire, glorious burning paper and binding! So much fire... Something's wrong with you, I can feel it. "So?"

The sword flew through the cramped tunnels, cleaving the rotlings heads from their bodies. "Ugh! Their blood is all moldy. I wish we could just use a spell to do this. Using those cards of yours would be a supremely foolish act. The only thing that can exterminate these pests is luminite steel. "Lucky you had some on hand." Indeed. Now, where is that thread?

This task requires more than one body. "Clearly. Should we ask someone for help?" Only if you know of someone trustworthy and suitable for the job. A dragon, preferably. "A dragon? How about @The Halcyon Girl?" We will find her, and I will decide if she suffices.

Careful now. "You're the one doing this. Why are you telling me to be careful?" Because if you move the body even the tiniest inch in the wrong direction, we'll both be blown to smithereens. "Good to know." She made special effort to let the Rightful One do her work. The golden thread weaved in and out of the fabric of reality, and as it did, the scent of rot receded. "Is the problem fixed?" No, not nearly. There are holes like this everywhere, with more appearing each day. If we are to bind it all, we'll need allies and thread. A lot of thread.

The Aos si's energy source felt so good. Ranryu had never experienced something so relaxing, yet invigorating. After an undefined span of time, she felt the stream of light slow to a trickle, and then she was alone in a dark place. Well, not alone... technically. Now wasn't that nice? I hope you're rested. "That was amazing." Ranryu felt more substantial- that terrible feeling of fading away was almost completely gone. "Can I do it again?" Perhaps later. We need to be on watch, as I have a feeling a fight is going to break out soon. We can't afford to lose anyone so close to the beginning of the war. ... Grandpa Yupper was perplexed. Just two hours previously, he had put down some nice, fresh wooden floorboards in this little room on the second floor. Now those boards were rotting away, practically disintegrating into nothing. That entire wing of the clinic smelled off. Like rot and destruction. Beware the unbinding and the rot it brings...

"Yup.*"* Do not underestimate the Aos sí, although I do not think they intend harm. I sense Ranryu knows I have been searching for her, and has chosen to conceal herself.

"Yup yup.*" *They would be the sìth, or the people of the mound. If you do not know of them, there is little I can tell, for I know almost nothing of them myself. Their realm is very close to this one, and they have an interest in protecting us, for some reason. They make many bargains and cannot lie, and this pocket dimension prevents them from physically entering. They have a great magic, but I know not of what kind.

"...yup.*" I created Ranryu to free our kind. When this pocket dimension was created, our kind was displaced from our rightful homes and locked in the basement caves for eternity. Part of the bargain I made with the ones who gave me the creation spell was to allow them to choose the body which I used to animate her. I fear they chose one of their own deceased, giving the soul of that body an intimate connection with Ranryu's soul. If she has made a bargain with the Aos sí, there is nothing I can do to stop her. I have been searching for her for quite some time. I doubt she had ill intent when brewing that potion. My granddaughter is many things, but evil is not one of them.

Grandpa Yupper notices the tiger. "Yup?*" *Why do you come, soul-tiger?

"You sure nobody can find us here?" Yes. Even if someone managed to trespass, I would be able to hold them off until you were capable. "It feels strange, leaving myself vulnerable like this." Just relax and let the energy soak in. We need this body to be at maximum working capacity.

"Yup yupyupyupyupyup. YUP. Yup yup up up yup....*" *You speak Yupper? Excellent! Grandpa was walking around trying to figure out how to fix the holes in the building when he had a bad feeling that baby dragon child was making trouble so he ran all the way across the clinic and now he's missing. Do you like fish? I like fish. The other day, I was cleaning the white water chairs when a fish popped out of one and... (The Yupper continues rambling on with no regard for his uninterested audience)

Ranryu's body laughed, though the mirth did not completely belong to her. "Our poor lost kitty thinks Grandpa made the potion!" The Rightful One laughed with her. Of course he does. These beings know not with whom they deal. Just as your dear Grandpa bargained your body from our rest, unknowing of the promises being made, so will these- dealing unknowingly. "Should I stop him?" No, let them be for the moment. If they are to be allies, then they must become such on their own. Besides, our form requires recharging if we are to keep the contract alive.

Ah. Someone's finally figured us out, I see. Worry not, our spell is a boon that will protect you from the coming danger. Consider it a gift from the Aos sí. Come Ranryu, let us take our leave now. And with that, Ranryu's presence winked out of existence.

"It worked." You sound surprised. "Well, it's not like I have any experience in potion brewing or mental invasion of privacy." Lucky for you I do. Do you still feel bad? "No, I see why it was necessary. I thought for sure they had us figured out for a minute though." They never do. I doubt they even noticed the spell at all. It's better that way. They'll stay safer. "What's next?" The next clause of the contract, I would suppose. We have work to do before we rest.

And these delusions gave him power, for he had no idea that he was actually stealing Nameless's shoes.

He hired Goomba as an office clerk.

Goomba the Emperor of the Universe demanded Cheetos.

The Narrationblade gained sentience and named itself Goomba the Emperor of the Universe.

That ate This.

Grandpa Yupper was having some trouble. He had been hired to repair the insanity clinic (he assumed- his only translator had run off somewhere), but the insanity clinic didn't seem to want to be fixed. Things kept mysteriously breaking in the night, cold drafts came from nowhere, and there was a constant smell of books and dark magic. Grandpa Yupper couldn't fathom some of the technology these beings used, such as the metal boxes of cold and the white chairs with water inside. Now, where had Ranryu run off to? The young dragon was prone to trouble, and Grandpa Yupper had a bad feeling that she was getting mixed up with the dangerous magics of the other clinic patients. Or worse.

Then a telescope ate him. (The telescope was alive and had a very meaningful and emotional backstory, but no one cares about that)

Then Cricket tied Nameless upside down to an angry umbrellaphant.