She's able to summon her rod still, too. It can't strictly be taken away from her, because...

Because something, but it's not important.

"I need to know, darling, my precious..." she strokes her cheek lovingly. "Where is my beautiful Tear?"

"...oh really now." She smiles, showing off her fangs. "That's beautiful. I quite agree, I would most enjoy having the show back on the air. It can finally present me in the manner that I deserve. You can join, too - an honorary member, my special guest~ And your friends! The boy's already a lovely creature, but wouldn't you like it if your sister was like you, darling? And that sweet little redheaded girl trying to meditate back."

Arielle would be so happy to have both wings, to be just like her. Ashlyn's so lonely on her own, hurting over the abuse heaped on her by her father. And Ethan! Wait until he sees her like this. Now he doesn't have to be alone in his exoticism, alienated from the world.

"They might be confused at first, my little Silverleaf, but I think you can persuade them."

A handsome teen comes up, carrying a jar of colorless flowers marked with thorns, and the Lady presents them to her. "You may need to deceive them, just a little. They might think you're not yourself, and they would quite reasonably oppose you, but you know better."

Valerie shouldn't even need it! The Lady is clearly just exercising an abundance of caution - she doesn't understand what an Obrimos is, clearly. The power of truth and beauty is within her. She'll just have to show her master later~

She'll be the best Hunter ever in the realm!

Soaring up and over the broken ruins of the Lady of Silk's home - beautiful and tragic at once - she wings towards the light on the horizon, the symbol of hope. Though, really, isn't the dark wonderful and sheltering?

No, that's... eh, well, she can figure it out. There can be sunlight in dark places.

Besides, the thrill of flying under her own power is pretty exciting. She can see why Arielle likes this, even if it'd be nice to have a vehicle of some kind of her own design. She can really spruce the place up after she's done, become a real big role making her mark.

It takes some doing to find the little town, the little rebels, traitors, and poor fools who have forgotten the beauty of the dark and the Caretakers, who just want to love them. She spies the Oath Stone, where Ashlyn is meditating. Hurrin is nearby, and that's a bit concerning - he's a powerful Goetic spirit. Arielle's probably in town somewhere - the people are so open and welcoming they'll probably let her walk right in.

The town is a ramshackle collection of styles and direction, with no form or purpose that she can detect. It just sprawls out, adding new neighborhoods as new Forgotten enter town. The locals, an eclectic mix as familiar as elves and as bizarre as insectile horses make their homes here, planning their attacks on the Caretakers or how they'll find their lost families.

In the show, the main group led by Tear wasn't the only one, and there are other towns, little holdouts. Weakness is in going it your own, and she founded this place to be non-exclusive, open to all.

Poor lost souls.

While exploring for Arielle, she's pleased to see a frustrated Ashlyn returning on her own at the market. She must still be upset over not getting to visit the Omphalos stone - maybe she's even planning on going herself.

To be fair, the Ecstatic Wind around the stone is pretty faint.

The young Irish girl - well, she's actually 22 - yelps and turns. At first, she doesn't recognize her, noting her horns and scales, but then her eyes widen.

"Wire? Wow... what's this? I thought you'd all gone on. How'd you change like that? Ari?"

Ashlyn's mouth opens as her story goes on, and comprehension slowly dawns. She takes her new features in with a growing sense of worry.

"Oh my god. Lady... Valerie, you didn't run into the Lady of Silk by any chance...?"

It's stuff she never would have dared wear, even though she's always wanted to. Arielle, with her taut belly and pert rear could carry off a swimsuit, but she couldn't, even if she weren't bound in a wheelchair, terrified of her flab and pasty skin. Body image was ever her enemy.

Now she looks how she should.

Ashlyn begins to understand, she can see it, but instead of looking happy for her, she looks upset! She shies from the colorless flowers like they're poison.

"Val, you gotta listen. She's gotten into your head! She isn't your friend."

"Mind control isn't!"

Heads start to turn, suspicion building among the locals. Most of them are just extras, background and not actually people, though there's a couple residents among them.

"What's going on?"

"Is there a Chaser?" someone asks in a panic, and that starts to spread.

"Didn't you watch the show?!" she hisses, keeping her voice low. "The Caretakers pull your will out and change you to suit their vision! They exploit feelings like that! I get it, you want to be beautiful like your sister, but you're an angel!"

The crowd is getting ugly, the faeries starting to mutter.

It all makes sense now - they're the ones who were deceived. Her Lady wasn't telling her to deceive them to hurt them, it's because they can't see what she's showing her!

Shouts, gasps, a half-hearted pursuit. Ashlyn squeals, stuck in Valerie's unexpected strength as the world rushes away from her. The poor dear.

She'll understand soon.

------

The Lady removes her barb from the cocoon. It shakes, jerking about. Then there's a soft sigh, and the Lady cuts her out.

Ashlyn slumps out, carried to the ground, her wings wrapped tight about herself. She's so pretty! Her scales are a deep crimson, and her tail ends in a triangle. She blinks up at Valerie.

"Do you feel any better, Ashlyn?" The Lady asks, stroking her cheek.

"Oh, much." She smiles, cute little fangs showing. "I'm so sorry I fought you, Val."

Ashlyn embraces her tightly, wings wrapped about her. "It's okay. I get it now."

"We're going to have to be careful helping the others. They're going to think we're the bad guys!"

"That show never gave us a fair trial," the Lady says. "There have been fan stories of us, but never enough. You need to show them how beautiful it is here, girls."

Ashlyn gasps with pleasure when they launch into the air, whooping for joy as she swoops and dives. To think, she thought she'd need to be an Adept of Forces at least before she could do that.

They avoid the town. The skies are alive, and if Hurrin sees them they might be in for some shit. Arielle and Ethan might both be needed.

"So, do you know how to use the Desires?" Ashlyn asks, whipping her tail as they perch in the trees.