[X] The power your life fluids hold. You allow some of it to drop into the child's mouth.
Potentially an endless source of health potions if we decide to become an underground doctor or something.
[X] The knowledge of a reversal ritual. You use your own life fluids to inscribe the symbols into the ground.
A ritual to roll back time. Given that this should probably remove the sleeping pills from the child's system it might be useful for us if we want him to take us home and give us time to sleep.
[X] The treasure that is a healing elixir. You manifest the object before the child and pour it into their orifice.
[X] The acolyte you know as a tentacle parasite. You implore them for help and they come readily and happily.
Heals our our newfound progeny baby boy and inflicts unspeakable violence upon defends him from threats when we can't be there, seems like a win-win. Could also be a good companion for him...like a guard dog that can sew his flesh back together.
[X] The acolyte you know as a tentacle parasite. You implore them for help and they come readily and happily.
This seems like our best option to me, as it heals, keeps the child safe, and has a low cost. It's also a consistent effect that doesn't require our presence or action.
We (in character) don't know how dangerous this world is, which makes this doubly important.
[X] The treasure that is a healing elixir. You manifest the object before the child and pour it into their orifice.
I'm going to go for max greed here. We get the heal pot, we get two more uses before we need another option. That means after the first stasis cycle we have a short window in which we can afford to recall more generally useful stuff.
Bob would be an amazing way to give our new son a pet, medicine, and a self defense class. Forever. On the other hand, implanting our kid with Bob without permission isn't constructive towards healthy boundaries later in life. As a good parent and eldritch entity from beyond time and space, we know that boundaries are important.
[X] The power your life fluids hold. You allow some of it to drop into the child's mouth.
I think gross cherry flavored fever medicine is just a normal childhood memory? Right? Anyway, this has a lot of great potential and I'm always interested in stuff where the monster is actually the good guy.
[X] The acolyte you know as a tentacle parasite. You implore them for help and they come readily and happily.
You recall an acolyte of yours, one you met many, many, may lifetimes ago.
BOB was their name. Their species that of a "tentacled parasite", beings who burrow within the flesh of sapients and consume their fluids until they grow dry and expire.
A troubled species to be sure, especially when they grew sapience themselves and began pondering the implications of treating other sapients as mere cattle and transport. Many wars were waged, both between themselves and other sapients as they struggled to find their way within an uncaring universe.
It was about then, at the height of all such conflict, that you encountered the tentacled parasites. More specifically, you encountered the "radicalistic, peace-loving traitor" known as BOB.
You cannot remember much beyond your initial meeting... but you know that in the oncoming years you trusted BOB. That BOB trusted you.
And that is enough.
You reach towards your true existence, calling upon your connection to BOB. He comes readily, happily, his mind bursting with fast-paced thoughts and intense emotions.
<<friend friend friend! happy happy, so happy to see friend after so long time!>>
His tendrils tap and grasp at your gifted form, encircling your limbs and cutting into flesh. Their core sac pulsates rapidly, growing and shrinking in time with their excitement.
You feel a fondness within you grow. You cannot remember -- and yet, you know. You know you missed your acolyte dearly.
<<friend friend friend, so happy to -->> The tendrils tap against your form's damages. They are worse after the summoning, as a good portion of your hardened tissue -- "bone" -- are greatly fractured. Moving is difficult. <<friend? friend different. friend hurt?>>
Yes.
But you will heal in time.
<<BOB can heal. heal friend!>>
No.
You would prefer for him to heal the child instead.
<<child? friend have child? baby? baby friend?!>>
[X] Yes. This child is now your child.
[X] Temporarily. You are taking care of the child until a proper caregiver can be found.
[X] You are unsure. The current situation is unexpected.
[X] Write in...
<<BOB will heal child! BOB is good friend!>>
Yes.
You always are, BOB.
BOB, the Tentacled Parasite: An acolyte you met many, many, many lifetimes ago. Can heal the wounds of its host, amongst other things.
+ Can invade the bodies of others, though he refuses to completely take over.
+ Instead, he heals the wounds of his host, repairing any damage that is biologically fixable.
+ Tentacles can secrete a highly effective painkiller.
+ Cannot regrow limbs.
+ Does not know how to cure diseases or poisonous effects.
+ Can manifest his tentacles outside of his host, and is capable of defending them from harm.
+ Str: 5, Agi: 7, Dur: 3
+ Health: 15/15
+ 10 to all combat rolls.
+ Costs 2 Health per round summoned.
+ Familiarity:2%.
BOB injects his tendrils into the child's body, pulling himself into their flesh while simultaneously healing the damage he creates. You can see his tendrils writhing beneath the child's skin, fixing their wounds and restoring their life fluids.
The child does not wake, though you note that their breathing is no longer labored.
- 2 Health.
Current Health:4/10.
BOB withdraws. <<baby is heal! baby is safe!>>
Thank you, BOB.
<<...will friend be safe?>>
Yes, BOB.
You are always safe.
<<hmph. BOB will see to believe.>> BOB taps his tendrils against your new orifices, the ones that manifested themselves through your new flesh after his summoning. They are leaking life fluid in copious amounts. <<call BOB if need BOB. DON'T call BOB if friend gets hurt from BOB.>>
This body is not yours, BOB. You will not be hurt if it expires.
<<BOB not like looking at friend's hurt. no matter if real friend body or not.>> Their core sac presses against your consuming orifice -- your "mouth". <<BOB heal friend?>>
No.
You apologize, but it will only damage your gifted form more.
<<oh.>> Their orc sac vibrates. You "taste" the numbing sap that his body regularly secretes. <<no like it.>>
You do not appreciate it either, BOB.
Several moments pass. The child rests in peaceful unconsciousness.
<<...be safe. care for friend>>
You care for BOB in a similar capacity.
Farewell.
<<bye-bye salty friend. miss.>>
You distance yourself from your true existence.
BOB disappears -- though you note that his existence is far closer than before. It does not seem to be harmful to your current form.
Perhaps some familiarity can be created between your true existence and your fragile flesh?
A future endeavor. The child is far more important.
You stand.
Your flesh and bones rip and break, but you are able to maintain a steady propulsion forward. The child is heavy to your broken form, but you succeed at carrying them despite the inherent drawback.
The child continues into unconsciousness. The most ideal scenario is one in which they do not wake, not until you have provided them with a safe location.
A safe location?
You search the brain of the gift giver for a safe location.
Human Brain Recall Roll: 77.
You are given three results.
A location known as an "apartment", one where the child spent a good portion of their time residing in. The gift giver occasionally visited.
A location known as a "safe house", one where the gift giver and several other individuals spent a good portion of their time residing in. The child never once resided within this location.
A location known as a "homeless shelter". It is a location the gift giver resided in years ago, before the child's conception.
[X] Go to the "apartment".
[X] Go to the "safe house".
[X] Go to the "homeless shelter".
[X] Try to find a different location. (Another Roll).
[X] Stay where you currently are.
[X] Write in...
I wasn't expecting Radical Pacifistic Tentacle Parasite to be a term I read today but really that's on me.
Just because we don't intend to use the Gift in the spirit it was given doesn't mean we shouldn't accept it in the spirit of something gladly received. As for location it's probably best to go somewhere there's no one waiting for us so we can go into Stasis and there's no telling who could be at the 'safehouse'. I wouldn't put it past the Woman-Formerly-Known-As-Sally to have been up to some...stuff.
Can we find a cat (or better yet, a kitten) and put BOB in it? Because if he doesn't agree to take over completely, it doesn't mean we can't encourage him to stay with us(or for BOB to subtly influence the kitten's opinion).
And yes, I'm in favor of moving somewhere else as soon as we have the opportunity and making a life for ourselves there. Still, those who know the mistress of this body will notice a strong change of personality, and we with the help of our strength and money from the sale of the apartment could settle down well.... or just disappear to avoid the debt service. All we need is TIME to get some strength so we can change the situation we are in.
[X] Plan: The new Mum
-[X] Yes. This child is now your child.
-[X] Go to the "apartment".
A child.
It has been... a while, you believe. A long, long, long, long time since you have had offspring of your own.
You cannot remember why. There was a reason, a good one, one you followed with a religious fervor only your most loyal of acolytes had.
But that reason was lost during the conflict with your Other Half. You have nothing now, no reason to keep you from taking this child as your own.
For is this child not your own already?
The life essence of your new form matches that of your child. Your child was born from its flesh and bone. And though you may have entered this body only recently, it is a body gifted to you by another -- with all the extensions that come with it.
By right, this child is yours. Yours to raise, yours to protect.
Your child.
You examine them, this being that is now yours. Examine their flesh, their breath, their garments that cover them from view. Feel their weight press against your skin and open flesh, your life fluids staining them red.
Your child is small. Fragile and weak.
They have no protections, no weaponry, no defenses against attack. It would take little to break them. To crush them into bits of flesh and bone. To reduce them to liquid and shattered matter.
There are no mental defenses, no shielding, no detection for foreign influences. It would take little to hurt their innocent thoughts and young mind, to break and corrupt and change into something abhorrent.
It is... sad.
You do not want your child to be sad. You do not want them hurt or broken, to be afraid of repeated hurts and uncaring eyes.
And yet, they are so small. So fragile and weak. Anything could hurt them.
Even you.
You carry them in your limbs, through the entrance and out into open air. Propelling one limb after another, the cracking of bone and sloshing of flesh accompanying each movement as you travel to the "apartment".
Your surroundings are familiar. Buildings of various uses, traveling devices propelling through specifically crafted pathways, poles upon tall lights that illuminate your path, planted flora dotting individual buildings and sectioned out paths. A singular lunar orb hovering above, with no luminous spheres of plasma to be found.
So many things. So many human things.
It is... a pleasant sight. Familiar.
Had you seen such things in the pas--
Your child moves.
It is slight, and stillness immediately returns -- but you re-examine them anyway.
Their breathing is even. Healthy. The rhythmic beating of their heart is pressing against your skin. Based on your examination, they have no injuries.
You are still concerned -- though there is nothing to be concerned of.
Your child is healthy.
Your child will continue to live.
Currently, there are no active threats to their wellbeing.
Your child is fine.
They are fine.
You will ensure this to be so.
Forever.
Until the End Of All Things.
You arrive at the "apartment".
Your child's stasis receptacle is in the center of the "apartment". A long, cloth-covered, tubic object that your gift giver called a "couch". It was commonly used for sitting and "watching TV".
According to their memories, your gift giver would frequently witness your child laying upon it, often using its "cushions" as a source of warmth. Odd, considering that the gift giver had several warmth cloths or "blankets" located within a small storage room nearby.
You place your child upon the couch and provide the blankets for warmth. Your child moves, cocooning the blankets around themselves while maintaining unconsciousness.
You --
[X] Immediately proceed to stasis.
[X] Clean the life fluids you tracked into the apartment.
[X] Examine the apartment further.
[X] Ask BOB for child caregiving advice.
[X] Write in...
[X] Find a comfortable position on one of the stasis chairs or beds, remembering to check for locked doors so that your stasis location is not invaded until you are able to do something to counter the intruder.
