[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
[ ] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
-[] But it will take time before she gets better. If she gets better. So try to indicate to Honey that 'Tomorrow' isn't enough time, either.
We could also try to emphasize the importance of 'asking.' I mean, I'm sure she'll say, "CanIplease" and the person will say, "What?" and she'll take that as a yes...but if there's a warning, at least.
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
[] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
-[] Part of Georgia getting better is asking her permission before trying to do anything like that. Try to tie it into her...not alrightness with these things.
Another thought. I mean, if we can carve out a special exception for Georgia, maybe we can eventually teach Honey that more people than she thinks are part of that.
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyoneelse.
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
finally got around to catching back up on this. Georgia gets all the hugs... er... maybe i should just get her a card considering...? And I want to have a beer with Clyde, he's good people. And huh, slime is smarter than she looks, neat! (this post brought to you by beer, yaaay beer!)
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
"I'm just sayin', no one ends up with an ability like that because they want make friends, and anything that tinkers around with gray matter isn't something I'd want to take lightly," said the centaur evenly. "If that gaze of hers took out peoples' ability to breathe, she'd be at risk of killing folk left and right."
"Thin. Drippy. Hard to move," she replies, frowning at the unpleasant memories.
"The way Georgia is right now, if you try to touch her, to make her feel good the way you usually do, she'll start to feel like that," you state as firmly as you can. Honey's amber orbs widen in surprise.
"Why?" Her gurgling voice actually seems somewhat...concerned. It looks like you actually might have gotten through to her.
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
Well, eyes are connected directly to the brain, so the better question is what the Gorgon Gaze to keep Area 4 of the frontal lobe, a.k.a the Primary Motor Cortex, from doing its job. However, that question only works with humanoids since slimes don't have a traditional brain.
By the way, I probably should have said something earlier, but snake women that can inflict paralysis by eyesight are called Gorgons. Medusa is just the most famous example.
By the way, I probably should have said something earlier, but snake women that can inflict paralysis by eyesight are called Gorgons. Medusa is just the most famous example.
Gorgons didn't paralyze people through their gaze, they turned anyone who looked at their face to stone. Hence why Athena plastered Medusa's face unto her shield. They also had bronze claws and/or wings in many depictions.
Since the species has more in common with the general fantasy depictions, it isn't that unusual that they share a name with them. Plus naming an entire species after a word that literally means "dreadful" probably isn't good for diplomacy.
(plus, they could be named after the jellyfish. Those are also known to paralyze)
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
By the way, I probably should have said something earlier, but snake women that can inflict paralysis by eyesight are called Gorgons. Medusa is just the most famous example.
Gorgon is one of the species' alternate names. Medusa is their most common one though, as that is what they are called in canon. And, as @Omegahugger pointed out, "Protectress" is a far more noble thing to be called than "Dreadful".
In this universe, the species has historically preferred the term "Medusa" over "Gorgon", as beyond the meaning of the words with the exception of Medusa all the Gorgons were immortal. Before they started spreading out and learned other languages, the name they used for their own species was "Μέδουσαίδες", which roughly translates as "The daughters of Medusa". These days most just call themselves Medusas for brevity.
[X] Be honest. Lying might be a good way to control her behavior, but it's still not the right way. Honey should leave people alone because she understands why it's wrong to attack them, not because you tricked her. Putting up with more attacks might be hard on Georgia after what's happened, but she'll still just have to muddle through like everyone else.
[X] Be honest.
-[X] But it will take time before she gets better. If she gets better. So try to indicate to Honey that 'Tomorrow' isn't enough time, either.
As reluctant as you might be to expose your friend to the threat of continued molestation, there's realistically no way Georgia would be able to maintain the fiction long term. Not if you wanted her to have any kind of meaningful relationship with Honey, anyway. Practicality aside, you were frankly just uncomfortable with the idea of lying to anyone you were supposed to be friends with. While it was admittedly too soon to decide if you could really call the lusty slime a real friend, you hoped you would be able to in time. You refused to build the foundation of that friendship on lies.
"Georgia is definitely going to get better," you tell the slime with confidence you don't really feel. "I'm not sure exactly how long its going to take, however, and even once she feels up to being around people she likely won't be able to handle physical contact for a bit."
Honey turns her head at a strange angle, apparently trying to wrap whatever part of her gelatinous mass that served as a brain around what you are telling her. Seriously, how the heck did her nervous system work? Did she even have one?
"When?" the slime asks, and you shake your head.
"I don't know. Not today, and probably not tomorrow either," you explain. This was the tricky part. It wasn't as though Georgia was going to walk up to Honey and just tell her she felt well enough to be assaulted again, and you weren't about to throw her under the metaphorical bus yourself. Still, this might be a good opportunity to get Honey interacting with people in a non-sexual way. "She'll likely be herself again in a few days. The more comfortable she feels, the faster she'll get better."
Honey blinks (likely a copied habit, unless her constructed eyes really did dry out faster than the rest of her or couldn't directly absorb irritants?) and tilts her head even further. The angle is now making your neck hurt: nothing with bones could possibly bend that way.
"How?" she asks, her voice and expression showing she is completely baffled.
"There are lots of ways to make people comfortable without having sex with them," you point out. You are unsure if you should find the idea of Honey honestly not being able to think of a way to comfort someone in a non-sexual way horrifying or hilarious, and decided you'd rather not find out. "Try being in the same room and talking to her. Don't try to touch her or get too close, just talk."
"About what?" she queries, thankfully returning her head to normal but continuing to frown. If anything, she seems a little sad.
Only now does it occur to you that Honey might actually be pretty lonely. Considering her language skills were limited to what she'd picked up from observing others and she'd never been outside her home before joining the program, she really didn't have much to talk about and couldn't express herself very well even if she did. No wonder she defaulted to physical interactions when possible: she was a literal blank slate in terms of almost all social activity.
"Ask her questions, like we did when we played the game last night," you suggest. "What sorts of things does she like? Does she have any family? That kind of thing. Then answer any questions she has for you."
"I will try this," agrees the slime with a nod, and you almost sag with relief. It wasn't much, but it was still a start. Rather than push your luck, you decide this is as good a time as any for a change in subject.
"So who wants dinner?"
"Sounds great to me, Doc."
"I'm starved!"
"Eat..."
Honey's suggestive grin sends a shiver through you. You still can't tell if she's joking around or not with comments like that. Still, the response seems pretty unanimous, so you start trying to think of what you might be able to make. You wouldn't have enough time for a marinade or more complex recipe, and your grill was still in storage. Well, you didn't have time for most marinades...
"Hey Zophar, how do you feel about seafood?"
"Love it!" the arachne reports enthusiastically, and you smile.
"Excellent. Clyde, are you okay with another noodle dish?"
"Yeah, that sounds pretty good," he answers.
"Perfect! Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable, the food should be ready in about a half-hour."
"I think I'll go take a shower, if no one minds," Clyde says. "Kinda worked up a sweat out there."
You have to agree: the room is starting to smell rather strongly of horse. Still, you would never be so rude as to actually say it to his face. Zophar, naturally, has no such qualms.
"Make sure you scrub the undercarriage good, Big Guy!" he remarks flippantly. "You reek like a stable."
"And you're obnoxious," responds the centaur with a friendly grin. "But in twenty minutes, I'll be clean and smelling fresh. You'll still be you."
"Bah, you love me and you know it."
"Love you?"
"Shit! Um, Honey, you know, I think I might be coming down with that thing Georgia has. Maybe you shouldn't-AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
Clyde trots up the stairs laughing as Zophar leaps to the ceiling moments before a mass of pink slime envolops the area where he had been standing. The arachne flees upside-down at full speed while Honey gives chase, leaving you staring at the vaguely pink spots the slime's attempts to grab the evasive spider have left on your ceiling. You sigh. That could be a problem for later. Right now you had to worry about dinner.
Within about five minutes you have a mass of raw shrimp soaking in a marinade and have begun work on the noodles. Normally you would serve rice and other cooked veggies with this dish, but since neither of those will do much for carnivores like Zophar or Georgia, you have adjusted your plan. Honey shrimp doesn't mesh perfectly with the mild veggie Lo mein recipe you're working on, but you're really the only one who will be eating both. Clyde will only be having the noodles, Zophar (and Georgia if she comes down in time) will only have the shrimp, and Honey will get her usual.
"Is she gone?" asks a voice from above you, and you glance up to see Zophar huddled in a corner of the ceiling, glancing frantically around for any sign of pursuit.
"I think so, yes," you inform him. "I haven't seen her around, anyway. I hope she's not thinking of jumping Clyde in the shower..."
"Eh, all that water? It's probably the safest place to be right now," he answers, coming out of hiding to stand above your head. "Ooo, shrimp! What's all over them though?"
"It's a little something I put together. Normally I would let them soak for a few hours, but technically this marinade only really needs about fifteen minutes or so. The shrimp themselves don't take that long to cook."
"Is that honey?" Zophar asks, sniffing experimentally.
"Yes. I know most carnivores can't really taste sweet flavors, but honey is complex enough that I though it might still work as a good seasoning. There's also garlic and ginger in there. I doubled the usual amount, since I know Georgia likes spicy food."
"Yeah, me too most of the time," agrees the figure clinging to your ceiling. "I've had a few things that weren't really seasoned at all though and were still good. Weird, right?"
"Not really. A lot of carnivores are receptive to the taste of adenosine triphosphate, which vegetarians aren't. The higher the quality of the meat, the less seasoning you'd need to make it interesting," you reply, continuing your work on the noodles. "Remind me to take you guys out for a really nice steak dinner some time, you'll probably get a real kick out of it."
"Eh, I don't know. Think Clyde'd be pissed we were eating his relatives?" Zophar asks with an evil smirk. You start to correct him, centaurs were part horse not part cow, but stop yourself when you realize he was just messing around.
"Probably not. In some parts of the world, humans eat monkey's brains, and apparently merfolk love the taste of fish," you supply helpfully, causing Zophar to burst out laughing.
"Seriously? Humans eating monkey brains? That's hilarious! I though you were supposed to be all squeamish! What's that stupid thing where humans not only refuse to eat meat but anything that comes from animals at all?"
"Veganism. Certain types of vegan actually refuse to use any products that come from animals, regardless of if it's food," you explain. "Animal fat soap, that sort of thing."
"Seriously? Oh man, you people are crazy!"
You shrug as you put the shrimp into a pan.
"I've seen both sides of the spectrum. I've had people bring me carnivores who were only sick because their owners insisted on feeding them nothing but vegetarian food. I've also gotten a few calls to the big meat farms, and I can say first-hand that the conditions in those are nightmarish. I have no problems treating meat livestock, but I won't do business with those sorts of places anymore."
"Right, I keep forgetting about the vet thing. You're such a nerd, you do know that right?"
"Proud of it," you answer with a smirk. "How about you? What do you want to do?"
Zophar actually frowns at the question, the expression slightly comical considering he was still upside-down.
"I don't know. I like physical activities, I've always been good at those, but..." he gestures at himself. "Not much call for tiny freaky people in those sorts of jobs. I can't play sports, I can't do heavy labor, and there's no way I'd be able to put up with idiots every day."
"Well, maybe we should sit down and talk it over sometime," you suggest, stirring both the noodles and the shrimp.
"And maybe I should schedule a few root canals," he replies with a roll of his many eyes. "I appreciate the effort, but I'm really only in this for fun, you know? I don't really mind getting deported at the end of it."
You strongly disagree with his logic, but the food is ready and you suspect you won't be able to get anywhere with him in this short span of time anyway.
"Hate to change the subject, but would you mind grabbing Clyde and Honey?" you ask. "I'll dish all this up and meet you in the dinning room."
"Eh...maybe I'll just get Clyde and make him find Honey?" Zophar suggests hopefully. "I just got away from her!"
"Whatever works for you."
"Excellent! Be right back!"
By the time Zophar scurries into the dinning room with both Clyde and Honey in tow, you have the table fully set with the food ready and steaming in the middle.
"Looks great Doc!" Clyde remarks, before glancing at the single chair without a place-setting. "Still no word from Georgia?"
"Sleeping," Honey states instantly, drawing all eyes to her.
"Um, do I want to know how you know that?" Zophar asks cautiously.
"Was worried. Went to see her."
You were afraid she'd say that. You shuddered to think how poor Georgia might have responded to waking up half-naked with Honey of all people looming over her. Based off Zophar's sudden shudder, the idea that she could worm her way into any of your rooms pretty much at will was just as horrifying to him as it was to you. Still, there had been no harm done and it was nice to see Honey was actually worried about Georgia's health. Maybe you could invest in waterproof seals for the doors at a later date.
"Well, if she wakes up and comes down we'll get her a plate, and I've saved back some to reheat in case she doesn't," you state briskly, hoping to be able to move past this most recent bit of tension. "No sense in letting it get cold, so let's dig in!"
The next few minutes are spent resolutely ignoring the sight of Zophar gleefully shredding his way through the shrimp and Clyde inhaling the vast majority of the vegetables and noodles all by himself. When the feeding frenzy has calmed down enough that you can finally get a word in edgewise, you speak up.
"So did anyone have any plans for after dinner?"
"Eh, not really Doc."
"I'm up for anything!"
"Plans..." Honey purrs suggestively, glancing around the room with dangerous promise in her eyes.
"Vetoed," you state instantly before moving on to the real issue. Fortunately, you're starting to get used to being the one who always decides what to do, and already have a few ideas...
[ ] Pool party! It's going to be light out for a few more hours, why not go swimming?
[ ] Game time! Let's have some fun!
-[ ] What game?
[ ] Let them unpack and relax. It's been a rough day for everyone.
-[ ] Help Zophar -[ ] Help Georgia
-[ ] Help Honey
-[ ] Help Clyde
-[ ] Let them do it on their own
