# chapters

path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212212
author_id: gigantorzzz
title: Break Aparijita's essentia up
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>Frank's point troubles you until Rick speaks again: "That doesn't matter. Whoever gets Glundandra, in whatever combination, is going to seem like a rival.<br/>
<br/>
"What would the other combinations be like," you interrupt.<br/>
<br/>
"Glundandra and Perelandra," muses Rick. "You should have taken Malaika for that. Could end up with a pretty little thing. The kind of leader who inspires devotion in her followers. As for Glundandra and Catilindria: A revolutionary. Someone who turns the established order on its head."<br/>
<br/>
That gives you food for thought. Every combination seems to have potential. "If I paired Glundandra with one of those two, what would the spares be like?"<br/>
<br/>
Rick snorts a little at the question. "The last guy we had with Eldibria and Catilindria had direct water control powers, but he was abrasive. Ended up going off the deep end." You frown, that doesn't sound so good. "Perelandra and Eldibria means you end up with someone like Maria Cardozo Good at making people love her. It doesn't matter though, as long as youve got that magic mask, you can be them any time you like."<br/>
<br/>
That reassures you; better, the thought of using that kind of power to help manage erstwhile colleagues--partners who are independent of you, even if they share your anima--is also appealing.<br/>
<br/>
Though Rick has pointed out it would be easier to combine Glundandra with Eldibria, you instead tell Frank and Joe that you are going to keep your options option and maybe switch the ouisiarchs around. Flexibility is important, you tell Frank and Joe. They accept your decision without any kind of demurral. Whether that is because they agree or because they've just been reminded of your ability to make the decision for them, you don't know.<br/>
<br/>
"Great," Rick says. "If we're finally done with that, I'm ready to put an end to this farce. This house is creepier than anything back in Cuthbert. Let's stain it with Rick Bredon's blood and be done with it." He wobbles as he stands up.<br/>
<br/>
"Where do want us to set up the dissection table," you ask Rick.<br/>
<br/>
"I don't care," he says, his voice rising. "Come find me upstairs when you get it figured out." Swaying, he strides from the room.<br/>
<br/>
"You know, I said I hated to lose him," Frank says quietly when he's gone. "But it looks like it would be a kindness to--"<br/>
<br/>
"I know what you mean," you say. "Joe, how about you get some of Blackwell's knockout drops, put him under. He seems a little--"<br/>
<br/>
But Joe's already vanished in a blur.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
You leave Rick sleeping until morning, and put him under again at mid-morning. That's because after talking things over with Frank and Joe, you've decided to expand your arsenal of tools.<br/>
<br/>
It's a great pain having to draw any sigil, but the one you've had to use when dissecting and reanimating people is an especially heavy-duty one. It's too big to fit inside a book--and you know of no tricks to reduce it in size--so you decide to make up a life-size permanent model that you can cart around. "Now I understand why they turned it into a machine in Cuthbert," you say. "It's just easiest."<br/>
<br/>
But your model will be more portable. Frank drives out to metal-supply store and returns with a large sheet of steel and some tools. Over the course of the rest of the day--a Sunday, which makes it seem extra-blasphemous--you carve the hyper-complicated sigils into the sheet; the line work glitters in the light with bitter blues and lurid crimsons. Meanwhile, Frank and Joe transfer the boxed up books to Straussler's over the course of several trips.<br/>
<br/>
"The old man set us up with a special room," Joe says after one such trip. "Used to be a ballroom or something. We've told him to buy a lot of shelves, and he'll put an electronic lock on it."<br/>
<br/>
"We'll need someplace for this thing," you say, indicating your half-finished job.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, there'll be room enough for it there. Plenty of room for dancing and necromancy."<br/>
<br/>
The latter word gives you some pause, but you put it aside to return to your work.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
You become increasingly nervous as the time for making the final transference comes closer and closer. You have the feeling that you're overlooking something. But after talking it all over with Frank and Joe and Rick (awake again, and ready for his final disposition), you decide it's all set. Everything you need from Blackwell's has been moved to the Straussler's. Frank and Joe have also emptied their own house of the few things they will want. As twilight deepens, you spread some magical arson stuff throughout Blackwell's villa.<br/>
<br/>
But the next to the last thing is to take care of Rick. He disrobes and lays onto the metal sheet. You activate sigils, and bit by bit he dissolves into his constituents: a bare golem; two bottles of essentia; a bottle containing your own anima (retrieved from Rick); and his imago preserved in case of later need in a mask.<br/>
<br/>
"You think he'd be okay without his essentia giving him those visions?" you ask Frank as the three of you drive away from the villa.<br/>
<br/>
"I think he was too damaged," Frank says thoughtfully. "And how would you bring him back? Put that mask onto someone?"<br/>
<br/>
We've found lots of ways of doing lots of things," you say. "One of those spells, you know, lets you modify memories inside people. Maybe we could merge his memories with someone else's? Give them a double set?"<br/>
<br/>
Frank looks over at you. "Maybe you could do it somehow with Aparijita too," he says. "That way at least whoever you give one of her ousiarchs to, they'd at least know a little about using them.<br/>
<br/>
"Don't be an idiot Frank, says Joe. Chances are giving someone a different second ouisiarch would change the way the first one works too. Shed be learning from scratch again either way." He is interrupted by a flash of light behind you: the villa, exploding in a fireball. "Pretty fireworks," he chortles.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Then it's out to the Straussler's, where you transfer the rest of your loot to the ballroom: It's a vast, dim, echoing space, paved with tile, that's easily ten times the size of Blackwell's old library. You waste no time breaking it in: You put Straussler onto the sigil, lift the mask from him, and reduce him to bare substantia. But Joe takes the mask instead of putting it onto the golem. "I've been missing this," he chortles.<br/>
<br/>
"Just in time for classes tomorrow," you say after he wakes up again.<br/>
<br/>
"Just in time for Monique," he smiles as he stretches and rises.<br/>
<br/>
''Talking about Monique, I really should get started.'', you say. ''So, who do you think we should get to be our Glundandra?''<br/>
<br/>
''Well, Frank and I both think Alyssa Randal is the best choice.'' He pauses. ''Then, let me see, Geoff Dunholm, Kyle Lakewood and Jenny Taylor.''<br/>
<br/>
''Noted.''<br/>
<br/>
After that, you make your way to Jonathan's 'punishment corner' where you had laid out sleeping bags previously. You make yourself comfortable in one of them and brush your hand over your face. Instantly, the world goes blank.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
When the world eventually re-appears, you find yourself in a small bedroom that's both alien and familiar at the same time. You blink once. Then twice. Before you let a small smile twitch on your lips. It's definitely a great change from being Grandmother or Aunt Sarah.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
''You sure took your time.'' Frank smirk, or as close as he can come to a smirk.<br/>
<br/>
He sits beside you, reading. Upon closer examination, you realise it's one of the books from Blackwell's exotic collection. ''What's that about?'' you ask.<br/>
<br/>
''Nothing,'' Frank says, without batting an eyelid. ''Just some stories.''<br/>
<br/>
''Oh.'' You frown, but don't press any further. ''Where's Joe?''<br/>
<br/>
''In his room. Meditating.'' Frank closes the book he was reading and put it to one side. ''Have you picked someone?''<br/>
<br/>
''Yes.'', you say, very pleased with yourself. ''Now let's go find Joe.''<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
''You're making this too complicated.'' Jonathan looks at you.<br/>
<br/>
''What? How?'' you say. Joe and Frank's rather dismissive reply to your plan about capturing Alyssa leaves you rather deflated.<br/>
<br/>
''Let me talk to her.'' Jonathan smiles lazily.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
''I don't understand why you let her go,'' asks Frank.<br/>
<br/>
He and Jonathan stands beside you at the window of one the upper floor room of the Straussler mansion. The three of you are looking out at Alyssa making her way back into her car, before you watch her driving out into the night. <br/>
<br/>
''I didn't exactly let her go though.'' you answer, holding up your newly acquired mask. The name Alyssa Randal gleams clearly on the inside. ''I've also put a remote mask on her, so if we want her then I can just walk her here.''<br/>
<br/>
''<i>If we want her</i>?,'' Jonathan looks at you.<br/>
<br/>
''I'm thinking we should experiment a bit,'' you hastily say, ''Remember what Rick said about combining Glundandra with Catilindria? A revolutionary? Or Glundandra with Perelandra? A sweet little thing? I've decided that I want our Glundandra to be one of those.''<br/>
<br/>
''I need one of you guys to put this mask on,'' you say, holding Alyssa's mask, ''and find me someone fitting.''<br/>
<br/>
Joe quickly snatches the mask from your hand and grins inanely. Leaning against the window sill, he takes the mask of Jonathan Straussler off his face before ceremoniously placing Alyssa's mask on his face. A soft light cocoons his entire body. It fades as quickly as it comes and the shapely body of Alyssa Randal stands there.<br/>
<br/>
''So,'' Alyssa coos as she takes a step towards you and Frank, ''who are you looking for?''</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122121
author_id: imaj
title: The Four Body Problem
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>“I like the idea of a Perelandra – Glundandra combination,” you say.<br/>
<br/>
“If you’d wanted that, you should have grabbed Malaika when you had the chance,” says Frank sourly.<br/>
<br/>
“That’s why I like it,” you reply with a grin.  “Look, why are we here?  This is all just practice and experimentation until we’re ready to sneak in and take control of the <i>Stellae</i>.”  Franks squirms uncomfortably.  “Malaika is going to be the next leader after Charles dies, right?”<br/>
<br/>
“Unless they find another Glundandra,” interrupts Joe, discarding any pretence of Alyssa’s personality.  “There’s always two.”<br/>
<br/>
“Rosalie was the second,” states Frank.  “So it’s going to be Malaika.”<br/>
<br/>
“Exactly,” you smile.  “I want practice with Perelandra and Glundandra first.”<br/>
<br/>
“Are you saying you want to change your <i>ouisiarchs</i>,” asks Joe.  “Is that even possible.”<br/>
<br/>
You hadn’t even thought about the possibility until Joe has asked the question.  But now that he has, it seems tantalising.  You could probably do it too.  The dissection table you’ve set up in the ballroom would make switching <i>essentia </i>about easy enough.<br/>
<br/>
“Stars, he thinking about how to do it now,” exclaims Frank.  “You’re a deviant fuck Prescott.”<br/>
<br/>
“And you would know, what with being me inside,” you say, tapping him on the forehead.  He growls unhappily and you remove your finger.  “Actually, what would be even better would be if I had all four.  I’m working all this out because of Sulva and Kenandandra, yeah?”  Joe nods.  “But I want to be the leader too”<br/>
<br/>
“You are the leader,” says Joe, rolling Alyssa’s eyes.<br/>
<br/>
“That’s my point,” you reply.  “If I set up someone else with Glundandra…  Even if I put my anima in them…  Even if I can leap in with the remote sigil…  It would still be like having two different leaders.  That wouldn’t work out.”<br/>
<br/>
“Well you’d better get used to it,” growls Frank.  “You can’t have four <i>ousiarchs</i>.  It’s impossible.  Right Joe?”<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah,” replies Joe with a thoughtful look on his face.<br/>
<br/>
“Give me a few days to look into it,” you say in a conciliatory tone.  “I’d need the time to work out an <i>essentia </i>swap anyway.  What I need you to do now Joe is put that mask to use and tell me who’s the best bet at Eastman to be a Perelandra – Glundandra.”<br/>
<br/>
“On it boss,” he grins goofily.  Then the expression vanishes to be replaced with something cooler and more controlled as he summons Alyssa’s personality about him.  “Jenny Taylor.  It’s Jenny Taylor, obviously.”<br/>
<br/>
You stare blankly at Joe.  The name means nothing to you.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, I forgot you know nothing about Eastman,” says Joe coolly, still playing the part of Alyssa.  “Jenny’s got it all:  She’s the captain of the girl’s soccer team.  She’s dating Kyle Lakewood, who is the captain of the boy’s team.  She’s beautiful, intelligent…  She even reads books to children in the municipal library for fucks sake.”<br/>
<br/>
“You sound jealous,” you say.<br/>
<br/>
“I am, or maybe Alyssa is,” replies Joe.  “Look, Jenny is <i>perfect</i>, Alyssa isn’t.  It grates on her.  Alyssa’s thankful that Jenny is just too nice to play the same games that she does.  If Jenny wanted to be the alpha girl, Alyssa doesn’t think she could stop her.”<br/>
<br/>
“Ok, so Jenny then, unless you have any alternatives.”<br/>
<br/>
Joe smiles wickedly.  You can’t imagine Alyssa ever smiling like that.  “You know what would really drive her crazy?  Alyssa I mean.  Jessica Pearce,” he says triumphantly.  You stare at him blankly again.  “Oh right, yeah.  Jessica’s a cheerleader, smart and beautiful like you wouldn’t believe, but Alyssa keeps her isolated from the rest of the school.”<br/>
<br/>
“Why,” you ask.<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t know,” shrugs Joe.<br/>
<br/>
“You don’t but Alyssa does,” you remind him.<br/>
<br/>
“Ah,” he replies.  “Yeah, give me a minute.”  He cocks Alyssa’s head sideways as he delves into her memories.  “Hmm, Alyssa has her figured as a potential rival.  Stopping her from making friends and forming a clique of her own means Jessica can’t threaten Alyssa’s position.”<br/>
<br/>
“But we could change that,” you say.<br/>
<br/>
Joe laughs loudly.  “Yeah, we could.  So what do you think?  Jenny or Jessica?”<br/>
<br/>
“I’ll need to think about it,” you reply.  “I’ll make the decision after I work out the <i>essentia </i>swap.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
In truth the <i>essentia </i>swap is easy, albeit disturbing.  It only takes a few hours to work out the basics of it the next day.  You have to dissect yourself, splitting yourself into component parts.  Then you simply put yourself back together, but using different <i>essentia</i>.  The only wrinkle is that you would have to do it, possibly using a remote mask to carry out the ritual from Frank or Joe’s body.  That sets up the secondary question of whether or not you would be able to maintain the remote link without any <i>essentia</i>.  You devise a method that would let you swap out one <i>ousiarch </i>at a time to play it safe though.<br/>
<br/>
But the idea of having four <i>ousiarchs </i>continues to tempt you.  You spend a couple of fruitless ideas toying with how to make it work in the makeshift library you have set up in the ballroom.  In the evenings, Joe comes to help you with your meditation.  You know that your <i>ousiarchs </i>are Sulva and Kenandandra, but there is a long way to go before you can start unlocking any tricks with them.  Prodigies, as Joe insists on referring to them as.<br/>
<br/>
Kenandandra flickers out of view from your minds eye and you turn your attention back on the material world again.  “I’ve worked out how to change my ousiarchs to Perelandra and Glundandra,” you tell Joe.  “I’m giving up on having all four though.  I just can’t work it out.”<br/>
<br/>
“About that,” says Joe.  “I remembered something.  From back when I was just Joe.  Uh…  You know what I mean.”  He fishes out an envelope from his pocket and hands it to you.  The seal has been ripped open and a thick sheaf of papers protrudes from it.  On the face of the envelope is a complicated looking sigil.  “The sigil is a conjunction of Arbol, Perelandra, Lurga and Catilindria,” explains Joe.  “I had this for months.  Kali Valentine gave it to me before I came to Saratoga Falls, but I never opened it.  I remembered it last night and thought it might help.  So I went back to our old place and opened it.  You’ll want to read it.”<br/>
<br/>
You pull out the papers and look at the title:  "<a href="https://www.Writing.Com/main/view_item/item_id/1890248-Retrograde-Motion---Part-1" target="_top" title="A member of a secret society investigates the disappearance of one of her colleagues.">Retrograde Motion - Part 1</a>" <a href="https://www.Writing.Com/main/view_item/item_id/1890248-Retrograde-Motion---Part-1" target="_blank" title="A member of a secret society investigates the disappearance of one of her colleagues."><img border="0" height="12" loading="lazy" onmouseout="$(this).css('opacity', '.4');" onmouseover="$(this).css('opacity', '1');" src="https://www.Writing.Com/nw.gif" style="opacity:.4;" width="12"/></a> <br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
“This is it,” you say, holding a piece of paper.  “Where it says ‘Perhaps the shadows are now a net’.  That’s the key:  I have to prevent the four <i>ousiarchs </i>from connecting with each other.”<br/>
<br/>
“I guess it could work,” shrugs Joe.  “How do you keep them apart though?”<br/>
<br/>
A flash of inspiration hits you.  “Layers,” you shout.  “Like the chameleon mask.  On one layer I have Sulva and Kenandandra, on the other Perelandra and Glundandra.  Oh, but how to do it.  I need paper…”<br/>
<br/>
Midnight has come and gone by the time you are finished writing.  New sigils lay out on both your notes and the metal sheets of the dissection table.  Complicated spider diagram illustrate your plans and how you will connect the components of yourself together anew.  Though you are tired, pure adrenaline keeps you going.<br/>
<br/>
“Think it’ll work,” you ask Joe.<br/>
<br/>
He takes one last brief look at your notes.  “Layering the <i>substantia </i>like a mask?  In theory, maybe.  In practice, I have no idea.”<br/>
<br/>
“Only one way to find out,” you grin, running over to the dissection table.  You lay down on it.<br/>
<br/>
“You're ma-“ begins Joe.  He does not finish the sentence as you brush your hand across your face and activate the remote sigil.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
“Did it work,” you mumble with difficulty.<br/>
<br/>
Light streams into the ballroom.  You sit up awkwardly and look around.  It’s morning now.  Did you pass out last night?  At the edge of the dissection table, Joe sits cross legged on the floor.<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t know,” he admits.  “I mean, I think you did everything you were planning to, but I passed out when you relinquished control of me.  I think you passed out afterwards too.  I’ve been sitting here for an hour waiting for you to wake up.”  He gazes to the side.  “The bottles are empty so…"<br/>
<br/>
You examine yourself.  Everything seems to be there, so you try meditating.  Sulva and Kenandandra swim into view.  There is no sign of Glundandra and Perelandra though.<br/>
<br/>
Should there be though?<br/>
<br/>
You’ve kept the two pairs separate intentionally, so you turn your attention inwards.  There must be something like a switch or a lever that lets you flip between your <i>ousiarchs</i>.  It takes several minutes, but you eventually find what your looking for.  It is almost like a little latch deep within yourself.  You grab hold mentally and pull.<br/>
<br/>
Nothing seems to happen.<br/>
<br/>
You try meditating again.  Sulva and Kenandandra do not come.  You panic for a few seconds, until you realise that panicking is just making it more difficult to find your <i>ousiarchs</i>.  You try some simple concentration exercises that Frank taught you, and two round discs swim into the view of your mind’s eye.<br/>
<br/>
You laugh.  You laugh and laugh and laugh.<br/>
<br/>
“I need you to bring someone here tonight,” you say to Joe when you open your eyes.<br/>
<br/>
“Who,” he asks.  You can see the curiosity in his eyes.  He wants to know what’s happening.  If your ritual has worked.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121221211
author_id: imaj
title: A Junction With Jessica
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span><i>Who indeed</i>, you think.  You hadn’t really made up your mind until this point.  You weren’t even sure you’d get this far, or make the four <i>ousiarch </i>combo work.  But you did, and not only do you get to be the leader in every sense of the word, you get to chose who you get to lead as too.<br/>
<br/>
“Jessica,” you tell Joe.<br/>
<br/>
“Hmm,” he murmurs in reply, momentarily lost in reverie.  “Good choice.  Though Jenny would be a good choice too.”<br/>
<br/>
“Think you can persuade her to come up here,” you ask.<br/>
<br/>
“Remember what I said when I was wearing that mask of Alyssa,” asks Joe.  “She’s tried to keep Jessica isolated.  If Jon Straussler asked Jessica to come over, she’d jump at the chance.”<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Jump at the chance she does, because mid-afternoon you receive a call from Joe masquerading as Jon.  He tells you that he and Jessica will be at the ballroom a little while after Eastman breaks up for the day.  That gives you some time to work out how you are going to make the switch.<br/>
<br/>
In fact it’s straightforward, if you can call putting yourself on the dissection table straightforward.  All you need to do is pull off your <i>imago</i>, or at least the physical parts of it, and paste Jessica’s over the top.  What it will require is time, effort and painstaking attention to detail.  You spend the rest of the afternoon preparing the dissection table, dragooning Frank to help you when he show up around mid afternoon.<br/>
<br/>
“You realise you need two copies of the sigil for that,” says Frank after you explain how it’s all going to work.<br/>
<br/>
You stop in your tracks. He’s right:  The <i>Libra </i>can let you examine someone’s <i>imago </i>in details using the sigils contained within in it.  If you wanted to do two at the same time though…  Well, you’d need two <i>Libras</i>, or at least two sigils.  “But the book is locked against copying,” you whine. <br/>
<br/>
Frank frowns. "Thing is, you've already made up your own modifications of the sigils. You're probably smart enough that you could have invented that 'modify' sigil on your own."<br/>
<br/>
"Would I have been able to write it down, if I had?"<br/>
<br/>
"The lock only stops you copying sigils, if you worked them out on your own.," Frank says. He frowns thoughtfully again and places the empty <i>essentia </i>bottle he’s carrying on the floor.  "What if you tried writing down the sigil without using the book to guide you?"<br/>
<br/>
"From memory? That's like copying."<br/>
<br/>
“Is it,” asks Frank. “If there’s a copy in your memory, then the sigil has already been copied. Logically that means you could copy it again,” says Frank somewhat tenuously. You shake your head as Frank turns the <i>Libra </i>to the front page and studies the symbols there. "Maybe it won't let you copy the sigils with the book open. But if you closed it--" He shuts it firmly. "Just try it. Let's see what happens."<br/>
<br/>
And so you settle over a large sheet of paper on the floor by the dissection table and try to make up your own copy of the "modify anima" sigil. You try not to work from memory, and just let your own knowledge of how the spell is supposed to work guide you. Frank goes back to carting bottles round the ballroom. Bit by bit it takes form, and Frank puts aside his own task again as the symbols come together and the circle fills in. When you're done he picks it up and carefully examines it. "Well?" you ask. "Is there any way to test it, short of…"<br/>
<br/>
"No, you got it," he says quietly. "I can tell. This thing is live." He puts it down gingerly and looks at you. "You said the last page in the book was blank? I wonder if it is now. Because this thing here feels like a graduation exercise. If you can do this, I'd say you've mastered the <i>Libra</i>."<br/>
<br/>
You take a deep breath, and a tremble goes through you. Are you now a master of the book's magic, on a par with the author of it? Slowly, you open the <i>Libra</i>, and turn pages until you come to the last one.<br/>
<br/>
But it's still blank, and still refuses to turn.<br/>
<br/>
“Maybe it’s for the best,” says Frank as you shut the <i>Libra </i>again.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
You try not to stare at Jessica when she arrives.  She’s pretty.  No, more than that, she’s beautiful – a fitting face for a Perelandra:  Generous boobs stretch a woollen sweater tight across her body.  Long dark tresses of tumble onto her shoulders, bouncing as she walks into the ballroom.  Her face is beautiful, but a sour expression twists and disfigures it as her gaze fixes on you and Frank.<br/>
<br/>
Joe is with her, still in the guise of Jon Straussler.  An sense of easy confidence surrounds him.  His arm rest lightly round Jessica’s waist.  “Hey guys,” he says, waving his free hand at you.<br/>
<br/>
“Frank,” says Jessica.  Her voice is cool and modulated with disdain.  “What happened to you?  Is this another brother?”  There’s the slightest hint of mockery in her tone.  “Is this why you brought me here Jon, and what is this place?”<br/>
<br/>
“Bitch,” mutters Frank quietly, so that only you can hear.<br/>
<br/>
“That can change when I’m her,” you reply in a low voice.<br/>
<br/>
“Did you say something,” asks Jessica imperiously.<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah,” interrupts Joe.  “Sounded like they were talking about how Prescott is going to steal your identity.”  Emotions flit across Jessica’s face:  Confusion, puzzlement then finally terror.  She opens her mouth to scream, but she never has the chance.  Joe moves lightning fast, taking some knockout powder from his pocket and blowing it in her face.  Jessica’s eyes flutter and her body slackens.  Joe catches her before she falls.<br/>
<br/>
You fidget nervously as Frank helps Joe move Jessica to the dissection table.  They strip her quickly, though Joe stops every so often to make appreciative sighing noises, before piling her clothes neatly to the side.  You’ll need those later.  What you don’t need is another Jessica.  So you carve her up quickly, leaving only the golem like remains of her <i>substantia </i>and the various occult containers used to hold her other component parts.  Joe and Frank clear them from the dissection table as you strip down.<br/>
<br/>
The table is cold against your exposed skin when you lie on it.  You don’t feel it for long though.  With a quick swipe of your hand across your face you are in Frank’s body, looking down at yourself.<br/>
<br/>
“Let’s get this started,” you say.  The voice is Franks, but you sound nothing like him.<br/>
<br/>
You place the mask that contains Jessica’s <i>imago  </i>onto the Libra and then put a voodoo doll golem onto it. The <i>imago </i>swirls in front of you as you close your eyes.  You pick away at it, separating the physical and mental parts. You shiver a little before repeating the process with yourself. It feels… Well, it feels like nothing.<br/>
<br/>
The next step is to merge Jessica’s mental imago with your own. It tingles as it connects and you feel another, almost alien, presence lurking at the back of your mind. You push it to the side for now and concentrate on the last step of the process – the physical <i>imago</i>. You open your eyes as you start to smudge away your own <i>imago</i>.<br/>
<br/>
This might be a mistake. Each brush you make is like ripping the skin away from your body. It comes away in ragged gouts, vanishing into the ether and leaving an unrecognisable mess of blood and torn muscle exposed beneath it. Your stomach churns and for a brief second you struggle to hold on to the link to Frank.<br/>
<br/>
But you press on until there is nothing but the broken mockery of a person on the dissection table in front of you. The ghost like remnants of Jessica’s physical <i>imago </i>slip round you easily, and you would swear you could see them hanging there in the air around your body in the real world. As you make each connection between the physical and mental <i>imago </i>more of Jessica returns. Bit by bit, Jessica continues to form round the ruined remains of your body until all you can see is a beautiful girls sleeping naked on the floor<br/>
<br/>
You totter on your feet as the last bits of <i>imago </i>fall into place. Waves of exhaustion assail you and you tiredly flip back out of Frank. In an instant the fatigue is gone, because it was with Frank’s body – Frank’s <i>essentia </i>and <i>ousiarchs </i>– that you carried out the spell.<br/>
<br/>
The world is a different place as you stand back up.  Jessica’s thoughts start to mingle with your own, her cool and disinterested mien settling over you.  You lean on Joe to steady yourself and another Jessica emotion swirls in the pit of your stomach:  Hunger.  You know why Jessica agreed to come with who she thought was Jon.  You know what she wants from him.  You know that you can get it too.  You wrap your arms round him and hug him tightly, rubbing your naked body against him.  It reacts in all sort of ways that somehow seem both strange and familiar.<br/>
<br/>
All you need to do is say the word and you could fuck Joe right here.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212212111
author_id: imaj
title: Wants and Needs
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>Jessica’s memories nip at you:  The loneliness, the isolation, the way Alyssa and her friends seem to have dug a ditch round Jessica to keep everyone away.  The slow build up of Jessica’s anger and frustration seeps into your head, and you share her feeling at the way she… <i>you</i>… have been treated.<br/>
<br/>
But it can change now, all you had to do was become someone else.  You snort with amusement at the Jessica-thought.  Her memories are part of you now.  You’re a composite entity – part Will Prescott, part Jessica Pearce.  The Jessica part insists you kiss Joe.<br/>
<br/>
He resists, but only for a few seconds.  His lips part and you hungrily start sucking on his tongue, wrestling with it energetically.  You wish you could pull it inside yourself.  Not just his tongue, his whole mouth, his whole body even.  You want to draw him close and envelop him, to break down the barriers that have been so cruelly erected around you.<br/>
<br/>
Joe breaks off, and you find yourself staring into the face he is wearing, that of Jon Straussler.  “You’re starving girl,” he whispers to you.<br/>
<br/>
“And you’re a feast,” you say giddily back to him.  You can feel his rising erection start to poke through is pants.  The Jessica parts of you shiver in anticipation.<br/>
<br/>
“What about him,” asks Joe, nodding to where Frank has collapsed on the floor.<br/>
<br/>
You shrug in reply.  “Forget him,” you whisper.  “Your…  Jon’s bedroom, now.”  You nibble on his lips again.<br/>
<br/>
“Wait for me there,” answers Joe.  “I’ll tuck Frank up somewhere,” he adds with a grin.<br/>
<br/>
Joe finds you lying on Jon’s bed five minutes later, with one hand flicking at your crotch.  You moan in anticipation as he sheds his clothes.  Slowly and carelessly he drops everything to the floor before climbing onto the bed.  Joe shuffles into place beside you, leaning on one elbow to prop himself up.  He grins warmly and stares at you, his eyes roving over your body.  He takes in every last detail as your ample boobs heave in time with your breathing.<br/>
<br/>
You can take it any longer.  You grab Joe by the back of his neck and pull his face closer before kissing him again.  His mouth is warm and inviting and he lets you explore it thoroughly.  Joe slips onto his back and you clamber on top of him.  As you trace kisses down his body you feel his cock start to swell underneath you.  It grows and grows and you have to twist your hips to accommodate it.<br/>
<br/>
You lower yourself gently onto his member, feeding it inside yourself with a free hand.  It fills you down there, leaving you feeling very warm and very wet.  “This is…  Ohhh,” you sigh.  Joe chuckles a little at the comment, but he does no move any further.  He just lies there passively, filling you. You suck on you bottom lip as you start sliding up and down his shaft.  Your motions are quick, rapid and most of all they send little sparks up and down the back of your spine.  You gasp for breath.  Something is happening down there, something is building and gathering and tensing and overtopping itself, and still it gathers, shooting upward until you are dizzy and sick with vertigo and still you are lofting upward and there's a golden shaft inside you, pushing you higher and higher and hi--<br/>
<br/>
"Yeee-aaiigghhhh,” you scream.<br/>
<br/>
Everything seems to vanish.  All you can think of is flashes of lightning that seem to be bouncing around your skull.  You are vaguely aware of a pounding happening somewhere – nearby?  Inside you? Your last drops of energy evaporate and you feel yourself collapsing boneless to the pillow, barely missing Joe’s face on the way down.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
“Fgggnh,” you mutter, making a vague waving motion with your hand  “Leavem’lone.”<br/>
<br/>
“I said,” says a voice beside you. “You’ll want me to stay as Jon then.”<br/>
<br/>
You open your eyes, blinking them a couple of times till the fuzzy shape in front of you resolves itself into a person.  It is Jon Straussler, and his words make no sense for a few moments.  Then it all comes back to you.  He looks like Jon Straussler, but it’s really a magical disguise, under which is Joe Durras.  And under that is the <i>anima </i>of Will Prescott.<br/>
<br/>
You.<br/>
<br/>
You aren’t really Jessica Pearce.  You’re also Will Prescott, and you’ve stolen Jessica’s body (and murdered her, you suppose).  It’s all an experiment:  In magic, in the levers of power and in what kinds of fun you can have.  Your brain kicks into high gear, drawing on both your own memories and those of Jessica as you start plotting out your next steps.  You sit up in the bed, hauling the covers over you to protect your nakedness.<br/>
<br/>
“It’s tempting,” you say.  Flashes of memory remind you just how tempting it is.  “And I think Jon is about to break up with Monique and find someone new,” you add archly.  “But I think Jon is mostly going to be a golem.  Maybe I’ll let you wear his mask when I’m in the mood.”  You smile wickedly at Jon and place a hand at his waist.<br/>
<br/>
“So who am I going to be?”<br/>
<br/>
“You’re going to be my new best friend,” you say in a sing song voice.  “I <i>need </i>friends:  Alyssa has Maddy and Tina and Natalie and Mandy.  Her Rumouratti.  I need a group of my own, except my group will have the power of the planets on their side.”  You laugh at that.  The plotting, the revenge, it’s all so exciting for your Jessica half.  “I think we’ll all be cheerleaders.”<br/>
<br/>
“Alyssa is the captain of the team though,” frowns Joe.<br/>
<br/>
“She won’t be for long,” you scowl back.<br/>
<br/>
“Who am I going to be then?  Please say Becky.  Please say Becky,” he asks, making puppy dog eyes at you.<br/>
<br/>
You lightly swat at him with one hand.  “Maybe Becky, or maybe Rhianna.  A sweet package where that quicksilver tongue of yours can be put to good use.”<br/>
<br/>
“I like,” says Joe.  His voice matches the ever so slightly vapid tones of Becky Torres perfectly – a talent granted to him by Viritrilbia.  “What about Frank though,” he adds in his own voice.<br/>
<br/>
“I need an enforcer,” you answer.  “A Kendra to my Chelsea,” you explain, drawing on your memories of life at Westside.  Joe might not know of the Chelsea’s clique, but the copy of your <i>anima </i>inside him certainly does.  “Hmm, I guess I need two enforcers, a Gloria as well.”  You frown for a second until you remember something.  “But I can have two, can’t I?  We’ve still got Rick’s Malacandra <i>ousiarch</i>.”<br/>
<br/>
“And the Sulva you pulled out of Rosalie,” adds Joe.  “You could combine them.”<br/>
<br/>
“I could,” you muse.  “What would that be like?  Sulva and Malcandra together?”<br/>
<br/>
Joe frowns thoughtfully for a few seconds before grinning madly.  “Ninja!”  He shouts the word in a badly fake Japanese accent before collapsing into laughter.  You can’t help but join in.  “They’d be good at sneaking around and surprising people then putting the beatdown on them.  It’s a good combination.  I’m not sure it’s good for an enforcer though.”<br/>
<br/>
“Well, I’m not matching Malacandra up with Eldibria again,” you reply.  You remember just how pathetic Rick Breddon seemed before you finally granted him some peace by splitting him up into his constituent parts.<br/>
<br/>
“No,” agrees Joe with a sad little smile.  “That leaves Catilindria…”  He stops abruptly and starts laughing.  “There’s a Malacandra - Catilindria in the <i>Stellae</i>,” he explains.  “Miko Toyotomi.  She’s…  prickly, yeah prickly.  Partnering Frank up with a Malacandra – Catilindria combination…  That would be hilarious.  Do that please.”  He makes the puppy dog eyes again.<br/>
<br/>
You swat at him again.  “Stop that,” you sniff coolly, turning the full force of Jessica’s disapproval on him.  Joe recoils as if stung.  “It’s good though, two Malacandrae.  Nina and Lorena are the obvious choices.  They hang about together so much anyway, it’ll give Frank a chance to train up his partner.”<br/>
<br/>
“You’ve decided then,” asks Joe.<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah,” you reply.  “Malacandra and…”<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122121112
author_id: imaj
title: The Salters of (Graveyard) Earth
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>“…Catilindria,” you say.  You cock your head to the side.  “And I’ll make the switch tomorrow.  Both Frank and adding my anima to the new Malacandra.”  You climb of the bed, suddenly businesslike.<br/>
<br/>
“Both,” asks Joe in surprise.<br/>
<br/>
You nod, cursing under your breath that you left Jessica’s clothes back in the ballroom  “Both.  I’ll swap Frank from inside of you first, so I don’t exhaust myself.  Then I’ll add my <i>anima </i>and the <i>essentia </i>to the other girl.”  Joe smiles tightly, less than happy at the idea of you poking around inside his head.  “I’ll persuade Nina and Lorena to come here.  All you and Frank need to do is set everything up for me.”<br/>
<br/>
“Ok,” replies Joe.<br/>
<br/>
“And I’m taking the <i>Libra </i>home with me tonight.  I’ve got some things I need to do,” you continue.  You smile at Joe, flashing him Jessica’s brightest, happiest smile.  The one she almost never gets to use.<br/>
<br/>
And with that you walk out the door.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
The <i>Libra </i>is a comforting, if heavy, weight in your shoulder bag as you walk up the steps to the front door of Jessica’s home.  At least it’s a nice home.  Nowhere near as big as the Straussler’s, but still an expansive building with two wings.  It belongs to Jessica’s grandparents.  She has been living with them as part of a ‘temporary’ arrangement for the last for years.  The consequence of an acrimonious divorce between her parents.  You slip inside the front door, passing a grandfather clock in the hall.<br/>
<br/>
"Is that you, dear?" a voice calls faintly from several rooms away. You cross the living room and the dining room and the serving hallway and finally come to the kitchen. She must have been watching the video monitor; no way she could have <i>heard </i>the door open and close.<br/>
<br/>
"Hi, Grams," you say, and kiss her on her dusty cheek. Evelyn Salter appears to be well into her evening cocktails as she sits in the dining nook and watches the two screens: one tuned to the security system and the other to black and white sitcom reruns.<br/>
<br/>
"Didn't you eat while you were out?" The question isn't waspish, exactly, but you flinch.  A Jessica reaction that you can’t quite stop.  Her relationship with her grandparents is…  Well it’s not warm and her memories suddenly reveal her suspicion that Jessica is a living reminder of her grandparent’s displeasure at their daughter’s choice of husband.<br/>
<br/>
<i>Well, that’s going to change</i>, you think, one hand slipping inside the bag to where you have a mask ready.  Jessica’s grandmother  seemingly didn’t expect an answer from you and is engrossed in the television again.  She barely notices your presence as you walk round behind her.  <i>No change there,</i> comes the bitter Jessica thought.  You slip the mask onto the face of Evelyn Salter silently catching her in your arms as she falters.<br/>
<br/>
You gently rest Jessica’s grandmother on the kitchen counter before setting your shoulder bag down beside her.  The <i>Libra </i>is inside and you’ll need it.  You’ll also need some sealant the little bag of graveyard earth you packed as well.  You set all the items on the counter and wait patiently.  Jessica’s grandfather is most likely in the ‘business wing’ – the half of the house that acts as his office – and will probably not disturb you.<br/>
<br/>
Still, you keep an eye on the doors as you wait for the mask to finish absorbing Evelyn’s <i>imago</i>.  When it does pop out, you grab it quickly, sealing it and applying a golem layer before she has a chance to stir.  When Evelyn Salter does wake up, it as a golem, and one thoroughly under your control.<br/>
<br/>
She eyes you warily.  “You have to do what I say now,” you tell the golem.  You can’t keep the vindictive glee from your face when your grandmother nods unhappily.  “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”<br/>
<br/>
Twenty minute later, you are sitting cross-legged on the bed in your bedroom.  Though it would be more accurate to call it the room where you sleep.  Other than the laptop, there is nothing to suggest it is the bedroom of a teenage girl.  After all, you are only living here ‘temporarily’ and you could be whisked away at any moment.  There has never been any hint that the room might be redecorated for your benefit.<br/>
<br/>
Until now that is.<br/>
<br/>
Your grandparents stand at the bottom of your bed, their expressions pinched.  Both are beholden to you now, each under a golem mask linked by a strand of your long and silky Jessica-hair.<br/>
<br/>
“This is going to change,” you say gesturing around you.  Neither golem responds.  “This wing is going to change.  It’s time you showed me how much you loved me, and that I am the most precious thing in your world:  Your beautiful granddaughter.  You would do anything to make me happy.”  <br/>
<br/>
The golem’s freeze awkwardly for a few seconds, then their faces crinkle into expressions of warm adoration.  “What do you want us to do dear,” asks your grandmother.  Any hint of waspishness is gone from the golem’s voice.<br/>
<br/>
“I told you,” you frown.  “Redecorate.  This is going to be <i>my </i>wing and there’s going to be a part here next weekend.  I don’t want to be shown up.”  The golem grandparents both nod, their heads jerking up and down as if they were on strings.  In a way they are.  “After that, well you’ll think of someway to show your love, won’t you?”  More nods.  You smile back at them.  “Leave me, I have something I need to do.”<br/>
<br/>
Your smile broadens as your grandparents back out of the room obsequiously.  They’ve been cold towards Jessica, towards <i>you</i>, for so long that a little payback is well deserved.  You’d love to keep them a little longer, just to enjoying the sudden one-eighty in their attitudes, but you have more important matters to attend to.<br/>
<br/>
You lift your shoulder back from the floor and empty to the contents onto your bed covers.  The <i>Libra </i>spills out, along side one of the voodoo doll sized golem.  There’s one last component you need though.  You reach to your forehead, muttering a few low words and pull.  You find the head of the nail with your fingers and drag it slowly out.  It feels as if it is being pulled from syrup, but no mark is left by its passing.  You place the nail down on the bed carefully.  You’ll need it when you’re done, to secure the remote mask back in place.<br/>
<br/>
With the nail removed, all it takes is a word to remove the remote mask.  You flick the <i>Libra </i>open, placing the mask and doll atop it.  Then you concentrate, focusing on Alyssa Randall.  The sigil representing her, and the remote mask you placed upon her days ago, burns brightly in your thoughts<br/>
<br/>
You don’t leap behind Alyssa’s eyes or take control of her body, not using the remote mask like this.  Instead her thoughts around you like a stream.  She’s at her laptop, browsing through a handful of social networking sites.  <i>Lisa again</i>, comes one of Alyssa’s thoughts.  <i>She knows just how far to push me without going to far.  One day I’m going…</i>  You pull away from Alyssa’s thoughts for a second.  It’s unlikely Alyssa noticed your intrusion, but you don’t just want to know what Alyssa is thinking, you want to change it.<br/>
<br/>
You dive back , surrounded by Alyssa’s thought again.  <i>…and I’ll have Maddy stick close to her until…</i>  This time you think a thought of your own, letting it swim into the flow of Alyssa’s consciousness:  <i>Ugh</i>, you think, <i>my stomach just turned over.  Was it something I ate?</i><br/>
<br/>
You pull back away for a few minutes<br/>
<br/>
<i>...and now that Summer and Chris…</i> you hear Alyssa’s thoughts continue as you return to them.  They aren’t important though.  You suppress them and add another of your own:  <i>Ow, my stomach again</i>. This time you feel Alyssa slip a hand down to her taut belly.  There’s no real pain there, only what you are making her think she feels.  <i>I think I’m going to hurl</i>, you add.  You sense Alyssa stand up from her laptop and run to the bathroom.  She needs no further provocation from you to kneel over the toilet and empty the contents of her stomach.  <i>I don’t feel well</i>, you think for Alyssa, concealing your triumphalism from her.   <i>Maybe I should skip school tomorrow</i>.  You grim as the thought takes root in Alyssa’s mind.  You just need her out of the way till the weekend  to make your move on the cheerleading squad.  By the time Alyssa returns to school it will be too late.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Part of you wants to gnash your teeth in frustration as you steadily remove your cheerleading uniform from your kit bag.  The rest of the squad is changing around you, all that naked girlflesh but you cannot ogle at it.<br/>
<br/>
But you are also Jessica Pearce now, and Jessica has no interest in the other girls on the team.  Not in the way Will Prescott does.  You remove your bra in a workmanlike fashion, putting it into your bag before donning your sports bra.  It squashes your ample breasts, but that is an inconvenience you are willing to pay to avoid having our boobs tumble and bounce all over the place as you practice your routines.<br/>
<br/>
You smile brightly as you pull on the last of your uniform.  Then you fix your hair into a high pony tail and turn round to face the rest of the squad.  “Where’s Alyssa,” you ask, affecting confusion.<br/>
<br/>
“She’s not feeling well,” answers Becky Torres, looking up from the bench she is sat upon.  The rest of the squad share looks with each other.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122122
author_id: gigantorzzz
title: Catilindria
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>“I like the idea of a Catilindria – Glundandra combination,” you say.<br/>
<br/>
“Are we looking to shake things up?,” Joe grins.<br/>
<br/>
“Look, why are we here? This is all just practice and experimentation until we’re ready to sneak in and take control of the <i>Stellae</i>.” Franks squirms uncomfortably. “Malaika is going to be the next leader after Charles dies, right?”<br/>
<br/>
“Unless they find another Glundandra,” interrupts Joe, discarding any pretence of Alyssa’s personality. “There’s always two.”<br/>
<br/>
“Rosalie was the second,” states Frank. “So it’s going to be Malaika.”<br/>
<br/>
“Exactly,” you smile. “So, if we can get some practice with Catilindria - Glundandra tricks, it'll help us with the bigger takeover in the future.”<br/>
<br/>
“Are you saying you want to change your <i>ousiarchs</i>,” asks Joe. “Is that even possible.”<br/>
<br/>
You hadn’t even thought about the possibility until Joe has asked the question. But now that he has, it seems tantalising. You could probably do it too. The dissection table you’ve set up in the ballroom would make switching <i>essentia </i> about easy enough.<br/>
<br/>
“Stars, he thinking about how to do it now,” exclaims Frank. “You’re a deviant fuck Prescott.”<br/>
<br/>
“And you would know, what with being me inside,” you say, tapping him on the forehead. He growls unhappily and you remove your finger. “Actually, what would be even better would be if I had all four. I’m working all this out because of Sulva and Kenandandra, yeah?” Joe nods. “But I want to be the leader too”<br/>
<br/>
“You are the leader,” says Joe, rolling Alyssa’s eyes.<br/>
<br/>
“That’s my point,” you reply. “If I set up someone else with Glundandra… Even if I put my anima in them… Even if I can leap in with the remote sigil… It would still be like having two different leaders. That wouldn’t work out.” You pause as Rick's words sound within your head, ''Especially Glundandra - Catilindria is a revolutionary. That person would be very good in rebelling against established order, whether it's Alyssa or the <i>Stellae</i>, but it could divide our group too. Do you get what I mean?''<br/>
<br/>
''Still, you can't have four <i>ousiarch</i>,'' growls Frank,'' It’s impossible. Right Joe?”<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah,” replies Joe with a thoughtful look on his face.<br/>
<br/>
“Give me a few days to look into it,” you say in a conciliatory tone. “I’d need the time to work out an essentia swap anyway. What I need you to do now Joe is put that mask to use and tell me who’s the best bet at Eastman to be a Catilindria – Glundandra.”<br/>
<br/>
“On it boss,” he grins goofily. Then the expression vanishes to be replaced with something cooler and more controlled as he summons Alyssa’s personality about him. “Lisa Rickover. It’s Lisa Rickover, obviously.”<br/>
<br/>
You stare blankly at Joe. The name means nothing to you.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, I forgot you know nothing about Eastman,” says Joe coolly, still playing the part of Alyssa. “Lisa's a snake. She thinks she's so smart, manipulating and controlling people to get what she wants. Spreading lies and gossips around.''<br/>
<br/>
''Wait, isn't she part of Alyssa's group?'', Frank interjects.<br/>
<br/>
Joe snort,'' Yeah, but only to keep her in my line of sight. Making sure I know what she's up to.''<br/>
<br/>
“You sound rather frustrated,” you say.<br/>
<br/>
“I am, or maybe Alyssa is,” replies Joe. “Look, Lisa's smart and Alyssa knows it. Lisa's not above using tricks to get the things that she wants too. Alyssa's thankful she seized the top of the pecking order first and that she's head cheerleader.''<br/>
<br/>
“Ok, so Lisa then, unless you have any alternatives.”<br/>
<br/>
Joe smiles wickedly. You can’t imagine Alyssa ever smiling like that. “Look, we know you don't have any experience pushing the buttons, levers and people to get power.''<br/>
<br/>
''What are you trying to say?'', you ask.<br/>
<br/>
''We do know someone who knows how to do just that. Someone like Chelsea Cooper.'', Joe grins.''Combine her mind with yours. We were planning to do it with Aparijita earlier, I don't see why it we can't do it with you. Then you can get anyone you want in Eastman or maybe come as a new student. <i>As Rosalie</i>.''<br/>
<br/>
''The fuck?'', you say in disbelief. Chelsea Cooper is Westside's head cheerleader. Blonde, voluptuous, with a face to die for that you could only try to catch a glimpse of because Gordon or his flunkies will fuck you up if they catch you ogling her. She's also manipulative and has the entire school under her thumb.<br/>
<br/>
''You two are sick.'', Frank groan, ''That aside, he'll have two different set of personality and memories, three when he's going to get someone in Eastman.''<br/>
<br/>
''There might be a way to get just the personality without the memories.'', Joe muse.<br/>
<br/>
''And you know this, how?'', Frank growls.<br/>
<br/>
''Hell if I know.'', Joe grins sheepishly, ''I'm just throwing ideas. He's the one with Kenandandra prodigy.''<br/>
<br/>
“I’ll still need to think about it,” you reply in a conciliatory tone. “I’ll make the decision after I work out the <i>essentia </i> swap.''<br/>
<br/>
<i>*****</i><br/>
<br/>
In truth the essentia swap is easy, albeit disturbing. It only takes a few hours to work out the basics of it the next day. You have to dissect yourself, splitting yourself into component parts. Then you simply put yourself back together, but using different essentia. The only wrinkle is that you would have to do it, possibly using a remote mask to carry out the ritual from Frank or Joe’s body. That sets up the secondary question of whether or not you would be able to maintain the remote link without any essentia. You devise a method that would let you swap out one ousiarch at a time to play it safe though.<br/>
<br/>
But the idea of having four ousiarchs continues to tempt you. You spend a couple of fruitless ideas toying with how to make it work in the makeshift library you have set up in the ballroom. In the evenings, Joe comes to help you with your meditation. You know that your <i>ousiarchs </i> are Sulva and Kenandandra, but there is a long way to go before you can start unlocking any tricks with them. Prodigies, as Joe insists on referring to them as.<br/>
<br/>
Kenandandra flickers out of view from your minds eye and you turn your attention back on the material world again. “I’ve worked out how to change my ousiarchs to Catilindria and Glundandra,” you tell Joe. “I’m giving up on having all four though. I just can’t work it out.”<br/>
<br/>
“About that,” says Joe. “I remembered something. From back when I was just Joe. Uh… You know what I mean.” He fishes out an envelope from his pocket and hands it to you. The seal has been ripped open and a thick sheaf of papers protrudes from it. On the face of the envelope is a complicated looking sigil. “The sigil is a conjunction of Arbol, Perelandra, Lurga and Catilindria,” explains Joe. “I had this for months. Kali Valentine gave it to me before I came to Saratoga Falls, but I never opened it. I remembered it last night and thought it might help. So I went back to our old place and opened it. You’ll want to read it.”<br/>
<br/>
You pull out the papers and look at the title: "Retrograde Motion - Part 1" <br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
“This is it,” you say, holding a piece of paper. “Where it says ‘Perhaps the shadows are now a net’. That’s the key: I have to prevent the four <i>ousiarchs </i> from connecting with each other.”<br/>
<br/>
“I guess it could work,” shrugs Joe. “How do you keep them apart though?”<br/>
<br/>
A flash of inspiration hits you. “Layers,” you shout. “Like the chameleon mask. On one layer I have Sulva and Kenandandra, on the other Catilindria and Glundandra. Oh, but how to do it. I need paper…”<br/>
<br/>
Midnight has come and gone by the time you are finished writing. New sigils lay out on both your notes and the metal sheets of the dissection table. Complicated spider diagram illustrate your plans and how you will connect the components of yourself together anew. Though you are tired, pure adrenaline keeps you going.<br/>
<br/>
“Think it’ll work,” you ask Joe.<br/>
<br/>
He takes one last brief look at your notes. “Layering the substantia like a mask? In theory, maybe. In practice, I have no idea.”<br/>
<br/>
“Only one way to find out,” you grin, running over to the dissection table. You lay down on it.<br/>
<br/>
“You're ma-“ begins Joe. He does not finish the sentence as you brush your hand across your face and activate the remote sigil.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
“Did it work,” you mumble with difficulty.<br/>
<br/>
Light streams into the ballroom. You sit up awkwardly and look around. It’s morning now. Did you pass out last night? At the edge of the dissection table, Joe sits cross legged on the floor.<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t know,” he admits. “I mean, I think you did everything you were planning to, but I passed out when you relinquished control of me. I think you passed out afterwards too. I’ve been sitting here for an hour waiting for you to wake up.” He gazes to the side. “The bottles are empty so…"<br/>
<br/>
You examine yourself. Everything seems to be there, so you try meditating. Sulva and Kenandandra swim into view. There is no sign of Glundandra and Catilindria though.<br/>
<br/>
Should there be though?<br/>
<br/>
You’ve kept the two pairs separate intentionally, so you turn your attention inwards. There must be something like a switch or a lever that lets you flip between your ousiarchs. It takes several minutes, but you eventually find what your looking for. It is almost like a little latch deep within yourself. You grab hold mentally and pull.<br/>
<br/>
Nothing seems to happen.<br/>
<br/>
You try meditating again. Sulva and Kenandandra do not come. You panic for a few seconds, until you realise that panicking is just making it more difficult to find your <i>ousiarchs</i>. You try some simple concentration exercises that Frank taught you, and two round discs swim into the view of your mind’s eye.<br/>
<br/>
You laugh. You laugh and laugh and laugh.<br/>
<br/>
You look at Joe and smirk, '' I want to...</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121221221
author_id: gigantorzzz
title: Grab Lisa Rickover
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>''I want to get started in Eastman quickly.'' You roll off from the dissection table. ''Your idea yesterday was good, but we could still figure it out later.'' you say, referring to his idea last night. <br/>
<br/>
''Look at you, taking charge of things, Prescott.'', Joe has you in a headlock. ''Must be that Glundandran quality seeping in.'' <br/>
<br/>
''If everything goes well, you won't be calling me that anymore soon.'' you snicker.<br/>
<br/>
''Oh really,'' a smirk forms on Joe's face. ''Who'd it be?'', he releases you from the headlock.<br/>
<br/>
That million dollar question has been hanging in your head ever since you asked Joe about potential life you could step into last night. The obvious choice was Lisa Rickover. She seems to be poised to do just what you are about to do, even without your intervention. Though with your intervention, she could definitely achieve whatever she set out to do. Well, the easiest option is usually the best.<br/>
<br/>
''Lisa Rickover. Do you think you can get her here?'' you ask.<br/>
<br/>
''Easy,'' Joe almost snorts at your request, ''Just get everything ready when she gets here.''<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
You decide to make a copy of Alyssa's mask on to a layer in your chameleon mask, before telling Frank to recycle the Alyssa's mask for further re-use. The rest of the morning is spent mulling over Joe's remarks about getting someone's personality without having to copy their memories as well, but your research is interrupted by a phone call from Joe, masquerading as Straussler. He tells you that he managed to secure Lisa's attendance after Eastman breaks up for the day. As soon as the conversation ends, you put your research to one side and starts to think about how to make the switch.<br/>
<br/>
When you review the process with Frank, you conclude the process is actually very much straightforward. Though you are quite unnerved that the process requires you to put yourself on the dissection table and essentially replace your physical imago with Lisa's. The process however, requires considerable precision, timing and effort to pull off and you start arranging the necessary things with Frank.<br/>
<br/>
After listening to your explanation on the whole procedures, Frank raises up a point, ''We need two copies of the sigils to do that.''<br/>
<br/>
You stop in your tracks. He’s right: The Libra can let you examine someone’s imago in details using the sigils contained within in it. If you wanted to do two at the same time though… Well, you’d need two Libras, or at least two sigils. “But the book is locked against copying,” you whine.<br/>
<br/>
Frank frowns. "Thing is, you've already made up your own modifications of the sigils. You're probably smart enough that you could have invented that 'modify' sigil on your own."<br/>
<br/>
"Would I have been able to write it down, if I had?"<br/>
<br/>
"The lock only stops you copying sigils, if you worked them out on your own.," Frank says. He frowns thoughtfully again and places the empty essentia bottle he’s carrying on the floor. "What if you tried writing down the sigil without using the book to guide you?"<br/>
<br/>
"From memory? That's like copying."<br/>
<br/>
“Is it,” asks Frank. “If there’s a copy in your memory, then the sigil has already been copied. Logically that means you could copy it again,” says Frank somewhat tenuously. You shake your head as Frank turns the Libra to the front page and studies the symbols there. "Maybe it won't let you copy the sigils with the book open. But if you closed it--" He shuts it firmly. "Just try it. Let's see what happens."<br/>
<br/>
And so you settle over a large sheet of paper on the floor by the dissection table and try to make up your own copy of the "modify anima" sigil. You try not to work from memory, and just let your own knowledge of how the spell is supposed to work guide you. Frank goes back to carting bottles round the ballroom. Bit by bit it takes form, and Frank puts aside his own task again as the symbols come together and the circle fills in. When you're done he picks it up and carefully examines it. "Well?" you ask. "Is there any way to test it, short of…"<br/>
<br/>
"No, you got it," he says quietly. "I can tell. This thing is live." He puts it down gingerly and looks at you. "You said the last page in the book was blank? I wonder if it is now. Because this thing here feels like a graduation exercise. If you can do this, I'd say you've mastered the Libra."<br/>
<br/>
You take a deep breath, and a tremble goes through you. Are you now a master of the book's magic, on a par with the author of it? Slowly, you open the Libra, and turn pages until you come to the last one.<br/>
<br/>
But it's still blank, and still refuses to turn.<br/>
<br/>
“Maybe it’s for the best,” says Frank as you shut the Libra again. '' Still, though you should've tested it out first.'' Frank mutters as he picks up the <i>essentia</i> bottle and moves it to its place.<br/>
<br/>
''What do you mean?'' you perk up at that last statement.<br/>
<br/>
''Just in case something goes wrong, not that I thought it would.'' Frank looks at you. ''You've got two sets of ousiarchs now. Plus, if something goes wrong, neither me nor Joe could fix you.''<br/>
<br/>
''I think it would be alright.'' you say with a note of firmness in your voice, ''It should be.''<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
The name Lisa, reminds you of your ex-girlfriend. Lisa Yarborough. And now that you've begun to think about her, you can't help but to want to know how she is faring in Westside. It is quite an odd thought since you haven't really thought about her for quite some time. The wondrous secrets of the Book of Masks, <i>Stellae</i> related matters and escaping from the Witch Queen of Cuthbert takes up a massive amount of your attention. <br/>
<br/>
The Lisa that arrives however, is far from <i>your </i> Lisa. She has a rather thin frame and B cup breasts that looks somewhat fitting to her frame. She sports her dirty blonde hair in a short pageboy style, combined with her piercing blue eyes, it makes her face rather attractive. <br/>
<br/>
''Hey guys,'' Joe, still in his guise as Jon waves at your direction.<br/>
<br/>
''Frank!'', Lisa exclaims, her tone is cheery and upbeat before she runs to hug Frank. ''Where's Joe?'', Lisa says after she let go.<br/>
<br/>
''He's out,'' Frank says gruffly, ''Getting drinks.''<br/>
<br/>
''Oh, anyway, that's Will.'' Jon introduces Lisa to you, ''He's their third brother. Has been going to Westside, but is going to move to Eastman soon.''<br/>
<br/>
''Nice to meet you.'' Lisa extends an arm to shake, which you take. ''I'll be happy to help you transition, Eastman is such a great place, you'll like it.''<br/>
<br/>
''I'm sure you will'', Jon grabs a fistful of the knockout powder, ''In fact, you and him are going to be very close.''<br/>
<br/>
A confused look flit across Lisa's face, however it doesn't stay there for long as Jon blows the knockout powder into her face. Immediately, Lisa's torso slacken and her eyes closed. Lightning fast, Jon catches her frame before she hits the floor.<br/>
<br/>
Frank easily get Lisa's unconscious body on to the dissection table. After some stripping down, you quickly separate Lisa into her various component, leaving a golem-like <i> substantia </i> and soon, it is your turn to come to the dissection table.<br/>
<br/>
The table is cold as it touches your skin and you are reminded of the feeling of going to the doctor or the dentist. A sense of dread suddenly creeps into you, even though you know you should be fine. With a quick swipe of your hand over your face, you're in Frank's body, looking over your own.<br/>
<br/>
The Libra awaits and you put the mask containing Lisa's <i>imago </i>on it before piling a voodoo doll golem on. Lisa's imago mentally appears in front of you as you close your eyes, before carefully separating the physical and mental parts. You suppress a cringe as you begin to do the same with your own <i>imago</i>, but you don't feel anything from the process.<br/>
<br/>
You then proceed to merge Lisa's mental imago with your own. There is a brief tingling sensation, but despite the sensation you could feel an alien presence intruding your mind. You push the alien presence to the back of your mind and concentrate on the last step. <br/>
<br/>
Removing your physical <i>imago</i> is a messy process. You open your eyes and smudge away your own <i>imago</i>, each brush appears to rip the skin away from your body, which then disappears seemingly to thin air. Despite the sight and your doubts, you press on, leaving a humanoid shape of blood and muscle. <br/>
<br/>
Lisa's physical imago then slip around your messed up body, and you work on connecting the link between the physical and mental imago, until you can see the form of Lisa Rickover's naked body sleeping peacefully on the floor. As you finish up, waves of exhaustion assails you and you quickly flip out of Frank. As you leave his body, the fatigue also leaves you, as it was with Frank's body that the process is carried out.<br/>
<br/>
The world is a different place as you stand up. For starters, it seems a bit bigger, but that is because you were taller than Lisa. Lisa's thought begins to mingle with your own, and you realize that what said yesterday about her, was not wrong. <br/>
<br/>
''Very smart,'' you smirk, as you find out the lure that Joe used to lure Lisa to the Straussler's mansion. He had used Lisa's hunger for gossip to ensure her attendance and what would be better than the prospect of finding out why Frank and Joe left Eastman without any notice. Well, <i>she </i>knows now. </span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212212211
author_id: gigantorzzz
title: Stepping In and Stepping Out
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>''Is he going to be alright?'', you help Joe to haul Frank on to Jon's bed. The former <i>Stellae</i> looks poorly. His face is pale and the eyes lack focus as he staggers on to the bed. ''Get him some food.'' , you command the golem Jon Straussler, who looks at you uncertainly for a seconds, before he scurries away after Joe gives him a nod. You need to ensure that Frank is okay, he is a very important piece of your plan. <br/>
<br/>
''Exhaustion by the looks of it.'' Joe says speculatively. ''But Frank's a tough guy and if that's all it is, he'll be fine after some rest and food.''<br/>
<br/>
As if on cue, Straussler returns to the bedroom, bringing a tray with him. Joe snatches some croissant and leftover roast chicken from the tray and proceeds to give them to Frank, who although slovenly, begins to eat. You help yourself to a croissant too.<br/>
<br/>
Joe looks at you, ''Did it, work?''<br/>
<br/>
<i>Did it work?</i>. Now that you have time to properly evaluate your situation. It is a rather interesting situation. ''It's different, '' you begin. ''It's like her thoughts and mine are completely mashed together. I'm Will Prescott, but at the same time, also Lisa Rickover. Though it'll be easier if you call me Lisa.''<br/>
<br/>
''Stay here and look after him.'' you decide to give Joe and Frank some space. It is getting late too. ''This guy could go to class tomorrow.'' you motion at Straussler. <br/>
<br/>
''Aren't we going to plot?'', Joe says.<br/>
<br/>
''It could wait. I'll drop by tomorrow'', you reply, ''Oh, and I need a ride back.''<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
You're lying in bed enjoying the after glow of your latest tryst, whilst Straussler sits atop you. The two of you are connected in the nether region. It isn't that hard to bully the Straussler golem to do as you instructed, even without having to use Joe to give him direct order. Originally, you intended to return to your researches as soon as you get to Lisa's place. However, with both her parents out and her brother out with some dumb frat boys, that initial plan quickly takes the backseat.<br/>
<br/>
You want a smoke. Looking around the familiar bedroom, you know there's at least a packet of smokes stashed somewhere. Though Lisa's parents did not object too much on their daughter's smoking habit, it was made clear that she's not allowed to smoke inside the house. <br/>
<br/>
Soon however, your attention return to Jon Straussler who's still straddling you. He has a fit body, Monique is a lucky gal. A pleasurable shiver runs up your spine, all that influence, power and good looks too. Lisa has shared her bed with a number of other males in Eastman, mostly as a mean for her to collect information. From Sammy Orson, the social butterfly to Hector Amijo, who's rather nerdy, though he is in the debate team with Alyssa. Although she has never shared her bed with an A-lister, the likes of Kyle Lakewood, Ian Carpenter, Geoff Dunholm and Jon Straussler. That is, until tonight.<br/>
<br/>
Your mind returns to the names of A-listers you've mentally summoned. <i>Ian Carpenter</i>, you thought, <i>So strung on Alyssa. </i>. You know that Alyssa never has any plan to hook up with him, ever. Although she often keeps him waiting on her every move by dropping vague clues that she might be interested in him. All part of Alyssa's scheme to seize influence within the school. Instead the person Alyssa's really interested in is Geoff Dunholm. That's when you had the brainwaves, the plot to take Alyssa down. Through the two boys in her life.<br/>
<br/>
''What's so funny?'', Jon's voice breaks you from your thoughts.<br/>
<br/>
That's when you realize you've been sporting a huge smirk all along. ''You'll see later,'' you say enigmatically to the golem. You brush your hand over your forehead in a distinctive manner. Immediately, you begin to feel the change as your frame grows bigger and your breasts swell to opulent proportion. Dark tresses of hair obscures your vision and when you brush them away, you notice that your skin has taken a much darker complexion. Alyssa's complexion.<br/>
<br/>
''For now, '' you feel a thrill as you hear Alyssa's voice coming out from your mouth, ''Fuck me.''<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
''I thought you were going to school.'' Frank says gruffly. The former <i>Stellae</i> is still pale and sickly looking, but insisted to follow you and Joe to the re-purposed ballroom in Straussler's residence.<br/>
<br/>
''Back for more, no doubt'' Joe smirks knowingly. ''How was Jon?''<br/>
<br/>
There's no doubt Joe has spent some time snooping inside his golem's mask, but you brush that question away unanswered. You had a plan to execute.<br/>
<br/>
''Do we have any masks ready?'', you say.<br/>
<br/>
''There should be four in that corner there,'' Frank points to a box. <br/>
<br/>
You rummage the box and take out the masks contained within and grab a voodoo doll golem from one of the shelves. Laying down the items on the dissection table, you turn to Frank, ''Lisa's going, but doesn't have to be the <i>real</i> Lisa.'' you take a steel nub and after expanding the golem back to its original size, carve the remote control sigil directly on the golem. <br/>
<br/>
You take out the nail that holds your mask on you. A part of you expects that you'll revert to your Will Prescott form, however, you know that won't happen. You take off your mask, but don't pass out despite the wave of dizziness and put a blank mask on yourself. <br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
''Good thinking Prescott, or Lisa, should I say.'' Joe hands you the mask you just made. Both of them seem to be impressed by the plan you've told them and they should, as Lisa's a very accomplished schemer. Now they are up to date with what you are planning to do. Instead of going to school yourself, you could just send a golem in your place. That will free your time to do more important things with Joe and Frank in the Straussler's residence and if you want to, you can just hop into it, or Alyssa or Monique or anyone else with the remote sigil or mask on them.<br/>
<br/>
''We should make a list. A list to keep track on the number of golem we've made so far.'', Frank says. <br/>
<br/>
''You do that,'' you say as you apply a golemising layer on the new mask with your hair on it so that you are its master.<br/>
<br/>
As soon as you're done, you gently place the mask on the golem.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
''See you at school,'' golem Lisa hugs you before she sets off. You've given her the rest of the blank masks which you've converted to remote masks, ready to be placed on targets. <br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
The most part of the morning was spent with Joe meditating. Though the meditation itself this time was somewhat harder and leaves you sweating and short of breath. Glundandra shone with brilliance and magnificence. It was nothing like Sulva, Kenandandra and Catilindria. You could feel its massive influence on you, but you perseveres, knowing that it is yours.<br/>
<br/>
''Well done.'' Joe says when you return to the land of the living. Your time spent in connecting with Sulva and Kenandandra seems to have aided you to connect with your new set of ousiarch.<br/>
<br/>
With that done and out of the way, you decide to check what's happening in Eastman.</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122122111
author_id: maximaw
title: Alyssa's Supports
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>Eastman's cafeteria is abuzz, as it usually is, with students who are looking to sate their hunger and those wanting a respite from their classes. You throw your gaze around the room and see students settling in their seats among their usual cliques. Alyssa, golem Lisa and the rest of the Rumouratti are seated in the usual place, no doubt discussing the most important gossip of the day or to disseminate one. No bother, you are going to check on them later on. For now, you return your attention back to Straussler whom you're sharing a table with.<br/>
<br/>
''Is everything okay?'', you ask innocently, ''You look, tense.''<br/>
<br/>
''Huh?,'' Straussler looks at you for a bit, before averting his gaze away, ''I'm fine.''<br/>
<br/>
''Really? You can tell me everything, you know. <i>Everything</i>'', you say the last word more softly. You are perhaps being too forward than the person whom you're inhabiting right now would usually be, but you feel a sense of thrill welling from the inside.<br/>
<br/>
''I'm fine,'' the slight frown in Straussler's face tells you that he doesn't like your inquisitiveness, but you know that expression hides the uncomfortable feeling inside. <br/>
<br/>
''Oh, I'm sorry,'' you gushes and feign retreat, '' Maybe I just care about you too much.'' you pick up a lightly browned slice of apple and pops it in your mouth.<br/>
<br/>
''<i>Monique</i>,'' Straussler pleads, saying your name, or more correctly, the name of the girl whose body you've been inhabiting after morning meditation practice with Joe, ''It's not like that, -''<br/>
<br/>
You cut him before he could finish his sentence, ''<i>So</i>, what did you get up to last night?'' you perk up a little.<br/>
<br/>
A palpable tightness appears in Straussler's face, ''Nothing, just gaming and stuff,'' It's extremely satisfying to see Straussler squirms even if this Straussler is merely a golem, but if he wants to play it like that.<br/>
<br/>
''I should watch you play. Is it that soccer game? I'm sure you <i>screwed</i> them good'', again this is something that normally Monique wouldn't say, ''Maybe next time I could join too,'' and you wink.<br/>
<br/>
Straussler's cheek flushes as the golem catches on or you think it has, but you are already looking to make a move to your next body.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">***</div><br/>
<br/>
You trace Monique's memories from where you switched into her body and snip off any conspicuous ones, including the awkward conversation that she just had with Straussler. It is easier this time as you have done it before. <br/>
<br/>
You had jumped into Monique to find out more about the lower class, with Lisa's memories at your disposal, your trawl for people that you could use to topple Alyssa became easier. But it also highlighted how deep Alyssa controls the school subtly. Instead of ruling by fear and letting everyone know who's in charge like her counterpart in Westside, Alyssa employs a much more friendly disposition and portraying herself as the best person to be a the top. Inwardly you sneer, most of the things that she do are merely to cement her place in the top of the pecking order. <br/>
<br/>
However, Alyssa's lofty perch is much less secure than Chelsea's. The Westside queen has Westside's captain of the basketball team under her thumb to enforce her every whim. Instead, Alyssa relies more on the support of the more affluent students, such as Christine Yves and Jenny Taylor whilst keeping Eastman's basketball captain waiting on her every word.<br/>
<br/>
If you want to take Alyssa down and set you up, you have to remove her supports and turn them against her. And you think you have found a way to.</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222
author_id: seuzz
title: Preparations for the Next Stage
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>"I don't want to skip ahead in my life," you say as Rick parks the car in front of Blackwell's villa. "And I've got unfinished business at Westside."<br/>
<br/>
"So you just want to jerk around," Rick sighs. "Typical. If you were looking at it from my point of view--"<br/>
<br/>
"Call it 'practice,' Rick," you retort. "Walk before running. Wire a high school before trying to wire the world."<br/>
<br/>
"So what do we do with Straussler?" Frank asks. "He's at Eastman."<br/>
<br/>
"He can stay there. Mostly we just want his money, right? And a place to hide out after we get rid of this place." You open the car door. "Come on, let's go tell the professor his services are no longer required."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
Blackwell is on his way out to the university when you barge in on him. "Good heavens," he exclaims. "Where have you been? I've been worried."<br/>
<br/>
"Bullshit," Frank says. "You were hoping we'd disappeared so you'd have the run of things again." Blackwell scowls at him.<br/>
<br/>
"Go to class," you order him. "We've got some stuff to do here."<br/>
<br/>
"Shoulda told him to bring that girl back with him," Rick says after Blackwell is gone. "She could be useful for getting in the university." <br/>
<br/>
"I'm not interested in the university yet," you reply. You notice Rick is hanging back in the foyer. "What's wrong with you?"<br/>
<br/>
"Who says there's anything wrong with me? Everything's working like it should." He looks around furtively. "Too well."<br/>
<br/>
"You have to get your car back up to Cuthbert anyway," you remind him. "For the <i>Stellae</i> to find. How about you take care of that while the rest of us deal with the house."<br/>
<br/>
Rick chews on the inside of his cheek, and then with a shrug departs.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
The library looks disused, and you and Joe and Frank look over the many shelves of books with mounting despair at the amount of work that faces you. It would be easiest to burn most them with the house, but you don't know which ones will ultimately prove useful. "Go get us some boxes, Frank," you say. "Lots and lots of book boxes."<br/>
<br/>
"I should take care of the house guardian first," he replies, nodding at the vampire cyclops-monkey in its niche. "This time of day it'll be at its weakest."<br/>
<br/>
"Then I'll go get boxes," Joe says. "No point in starting to unload shelves until we've got a place to stow them. Blackwell's already got them nicely organized. What're <i>you</i> gonna do in the meantime?" he asks you.<br/>
<br/>
"Sort out the workroom upstairs." You watch Frank as he strides over to the guardian. You nearly call out a warning as he grasps it, but he's got it well in hand. He flinches a little as he pulls it from its niche.<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah, you're not getting any blood outta <i>me,</i> you son of a bitch," he grins. "Bite my mailed fist, will you? I hope you chipped a tooth."<br/>
<br/>
While your partners are away you scour the house for any and all useful trinkets, potions and ingredients, and pack them up in some cardboard boxes you find in the laundry room. Then after Frank and Joe are back, the three of you start unloading shelves and packing boxes. "I guess we'll stow these at Straussler's," you observe as you work. "Oh, what did you do with him when you left town for Cuthbert?"<br/>
<br/>
"I dunno," Joe grunts, wiping a dirty hand across his dirty brow. "That was the first Joe Durras handling things. I've only got the memories you had in your mask. But I assume he shoved Straussler back under his own golemized mask."<br/>
<br/>
"Better check. Call and get him out here."<br/>
<br/>
Joe's hunch proves correct: Jonathan Straussler arrives a little after noon (bringing a pizza, as Joe had ordered him), and under his mask you find the still-slumbering Eastman student. "Is there room at your place for all these books?" you ask the golem when you've got it reactivated.<br/>
<br/>
"It's a big place," he says with lazy confidence. "Dad'll find room for 'em all."<br/>
<br/>
"It's going to have to a secure place," Frank says. "Someplace no one can get into except us."<br/>
<br/>
"They make locks for things like that."<br/>
<br/>
It looks like it'll work out fine: Since Joe's <i>essentia</i> is back in play, the Straussler-bot is obeying him; that means that his dad's golem will obey Frank. "You know, that's something that hadn't occurred to me," you say aloud as the thought strikes you. The others look at you with cocked eyebrows. "Golems. There's a limit to the number we can put out there. I can only have six golems under my control. Seven, if I want to take a big risk. But it'll be the same with you guys, and with Rick and Rosalie and the other one, once I've got them up and running. Six golems for each of you guys. That's thirty-six golems for our gang to run on the side."<br/>
<br/>
Frank and Joe exchange a glance. "Thirty-six golems for <i>us</i>?" Joe asks with lazy insolence. "Or for <i>you?</i> Since you can run our golems from inside our bodies?"<br/>
<br/>
"I wasn't going to mention <i>that</i> little dividend," you say smugly.<br/>
<br/>
"Thirty-six little spies and slaves," Joe muses. "All inside Westside?"<br/>
<br/>
"Straussler and his dad and Melody on the outside," you say. "Maybe one or two more, if they seem useful."<br/>
<br/>
"But how useful are a bunch of golems inside Westside?" Frank says. "I know you're thinking about getting revenge on a bunch of people, but you have to think long-range."<br/>
<br/>
"I will. But the ones who'll be useful long-range will also be useful at the school. Guys who are good inside the school will be good outside of it."<br/>
<br/>
"Like Gordon Black?" Frank asks skeptically.<br/>
<br/>
"I wasn't thinking of <i>him,</i>" you say with a sly smile. "Though you're close." You tell them what you've been thinking.<br/>
<br/>
Joe claps his hands with delight. "Perfect!"<br/>
<br/>
"But getting close to her could be a problem," you caution.<br/>
<br/>
"No it won't," Joe retorts. "We got the perfect bait right here." He points at Straussler, who looks back with a puzzled expression. "All he has to do is call her and tell her he's thinking of throwing a party at his place. Invite her out to look over the house--"<br/>
<br/>
"Why would she care?" Frank asks.<br/>
<br/>
"I'm sure that Chelsea Cooper knows <i>exactly</i> who Jonathan Straussler is," Joe replies. "And how rich he is."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
Eager as you are to move on Chelsea, you've got to get your own forces organized. That means figuring out what to do with the various minds and bottles of <i>essentia</i> you've extracted. The problem grows more acute when Rick returns a little after ten, having driven back into town in Jape's tow truck. "I'll dump it someplace in the morning," he says as he slouches in the living room with a stiff drink. "Or one of you will. You don't need me anymore, and I'd just as soon end it all tonight."<br/>
<br/>
"What are you talking about, Rick?" Frank asks.<br/>
<br/>
Rick glances over at you. "It's no fun being Rick Bredon," you explain on his behalf. "And we don't need his Malacandran <i>ousiarch.</i> We'll take him apart, split him up like we did with Rosalie, and recombine his <i>essentia.</i>"<br/>
<br/>
"You want to do the same to us?" Joe asks, looking alarmed.<br/>
<br/>
"No, you guys are fine the way you are. There's also that Indian woman to think about. Catilindria and Perelandra," you murmur thoughtfully to yourself.<br/>
<br/>
"We've also got Glundandra from Rosalie," Joe says. "You'll get Eldibria from Rick--"<br/>
<br/>
"So there's a couple of ways you can do things," Rick says. "Aparijita suggested leaving her <i>essentia</i> intact. Pair her <i>essentia</i> with her memories, and you'll have a full-fledged <i>Stellae</i> working with you."<br/>
<br/>
"We'd have another one if we left you in one piece," Frank points out. "I'd hate to lose you, Rick."<br/>
<br/>
"I love you too, Frank," Rick says with some waspishness. "But boy-Merlin is right. You only need one of my <i>ousiarchs.</i> Easiest thing to do is to merge my Eldibrian with the Glundandran you got from Rosalie."<br/>
<br/>
"But where do we put it?" Frank asks.<br/>
<br/>
"Where do we put Aparijita's <i>essentia?</i>" Joe replies rhetorically. "We put it, and the Glundandran-Elidibrian combo, inside someone new. A new recruit. Two of them."<br/>
<br/>
"They won't know how to manage their prodigies."<br/>
<br/>
"With Aparijita's memories," Rick says, "your Catilindrian-Perelandran will know how to manage them. The other one would have to start from scratch." He pours a long drink down his throat. "If you split up Aparijita's <i>essentia</i> and swap things around, you'd have <i>two</i> of them you'd have to train." He looks over at you and sniffs. "Well, <i>three</i> of them. The sprog still has a lot of growing to do."<br/>
<br/>
"So what are the combinations?" Joe asks, pulls a small notebook out of the end table by the sofa. "Catilindria-Perelandra," he mutters. "I don't know what Aparijita's skill set was--"<br/>
<br/>
"Manna," Rick says. "She was like a battery, could draw life force from the vegetation and share it with her colleagues. She was also good at manipulating plant life, like a dryad. She also had a lot of sex appeal. Could make the sap rise in anyone she concentrated on."<br/>
<br/>
Joe turns pink, and his gaze grows distant. Only when you clear your throat does he retrieve himself from his reverie. "Okay," he says, shaking himself. "If we leave her alone, we could pair Glundandra and Eldibria. What would that be like?"<br/>
<br/>
"Depends on who gets it," Rick says. "They're gonna be a boss, that's clear, but what kind of boss depends on the recipient's personality. Same thing with Eldibria. I doubt they'll see what I can see. But if it pairs with a management type--" He rubs his cheek. "The human body is mostly water. The person who gets that combination is probably going to be extremely <i>persuasive</i> and good at managing emotions."<br/>
<br/>
"Sounds like you'd be setting yourself up a rival," Frank says to you. </span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221
author_id: seuzz
title: The End of Blackwell's, the Start of Straussler's
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>Frank's point troubles you until Rick speaks again: "That doesn't matter. <i>Whoever</i> gets Glundandra, in whatever combination, is going to seem like a rival. But as long as you've got that magic mask," he adds, fixing you with a keen gaze, "you can <i>be</i> that rival whenever you like"<br/>
<br/>
That reassures you; better, the thought of using that kind of power to help manage erstwhile colleagues--partners who are independent of you, even if they share your <i>anima</i>--is also appealing.<br/>
<br/>
And as Rick has pointed out, it would be easier to combine Glundandra with Eldibria, and to leave Aparijita's <i>essentia</i> intact. Those are the grounds you appeal to when you give your decision. Frank and Joe accept without any kind of demurral.<br/>
<br/>
"Great," Rick says. "If we're <i>finally</i> done with that, I'm ready to put an end to this farce. This house is creepier than anything back in Cuthbert. Let's stain it with Rick Bredon's blood and be done with it." He wobbles as he stands up. "Oh, what happened to Blackwell and Melody Weiss?"<br/>
<br/>
"I unmasked Blackwell's golem and sent Melody back to the university with orders to stay available," you say.<br/>
<br/>
"She could be the one to get Aparijita's <i>essentia,</i>" Rick says.<br/>
<br/>
"She doesn't make <i>my</i> sap rise," Joe says.<br/>
<br/>
"She would if she had it."<br/>
<br/>
"It's something to think about," you say. "Where do want us to set up the dissection table," you ask Rick.<br/>
<br/>
"Back yard is fine," he says. His face is very pale.<br/>
<br/>
"I can't scratch it into the dirt."<br/>
<br/>
"I don't care," he says, his voice rising. "Come find me upstairs when you get it figured out." Swaying, he strides from the room.<br/>
<br/>
"You know, I said I hated to lose him," Frank says quietly when he's gone. "But it looks like it would be a kindness to--"<br/>
<br/>
"I know what you mean," you say. "Joe, how about you get some of Blackwell's knockout drops, put him under. He seems a little--"<br/>
<br/>
But Joe's already vanished in a blur.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
You leave Rick sleeping until morning, and put him under again at mid-morning. That's because after talking things over with Frank and Joe, you've decided to expand your arsenal of tools.<br/>
<br/>
It's a great pain having to draw any sigil, but the one you've had to use when dissecting and reanimating people is an especially heavy-duty one. It's too big to fit inside a book--and you know of no tricks to reduce it in size--so you decide to make up a life-size permanent model that you can cart around. "Now I understand why they turned it into a machine in Cuthbert," you say. "It's just easiest."<br/>
<br/>
But your model will be more portable. Frank drives out to metal-supply store and returns with a large sheet of steel and some tools. Over the course of the rest of the day--a Sunday, which makes it seem extra-blasphemous--you carve the hyper-complicated sigils into the sheet; the line work glitters in the light with bitter blues and lurid crimsons. Meanwhile, Frank and Joe transfer the boxed up books to Straussler's over the course of several trips.<br/>
<br/>
"The old man set us up with a special room," Joe says after one such trip. "Used to be a ballroom or something. We've told him to buy a lot of shelves, and he'll put an electronic lock on it."<br/>
<br/>
"We'll need someplace for this thing," you say, indicating your half-finished job.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, there'll be room enough for it there. Plenty of room for dancing and necromancy."<br/>
<br/>
The latter word gives you some pause, but you put it aside to return to your work.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
You become increasingly nervous as the time for making the final transference comes closer and closer. You have the feeling that you're overlooking something. But after talking it all over with Frank and Joe and Rick (awake again, and ready for his final disposition), you decide it's all set. Everything you need from Blackwell's has been moved to the Straussler's. Frank and Joe have also emptied their own house of the few things they will want. As twilight deepens, you spread some magical arson stuff throughout Blackwell's villa. <br/>
<br/>
But the next to the last thing is to take care of Rick. He disrobes and lays onto the metal sheet. You activate sigils, and bit by bit he dissolves into his constituents: a bare golem; two bottles of <i>essentia</i>; a bottle containing your own <i>anima</i> (retrieved from Rick); and his <i>imago</i> preserved in case of later need in a mask.<br/>
<br/>
"You think he'd be okay without his <i>essentia</i> giving him those visions?" you ask Frank as the two of you drive away from the villa.<br/>
<br/>
"I think he was too damaged," Frank says thoughtfully. "And how would you bring him back? Put that mask onto someone?"<br/>
<br/>
"We've found lots of ways of doing lots of things," you say. "One of those spells, you know, lets you modify memories inside people. Maybe we could merge his memories with someone else's? Give them a double set?"<br/>
<br/>
Frank looks over at you. "I hadn't mentioned it," he says. "But I was wondering how we were going to do it with Aparijita. I guess I thought you'd be bringing her back the way she was."<br/>
<br/>
"If everything else fails, that's what we'll have to do," you reply. "But if I could squeeze her mind into someone else's, merging them--"<br/>
<br/>
You're interrupted by a flash of light behind you: the villa, exploding in a fireball. Frank doesn't stop, but continues to drive on until you hit the convenience store you'd set up as a rendezvous. Joe--who'd stayed behind to light the blaze--is already waiting there, grinning, having sprinted hard to beat you. "Pretty fireworks," he chortles as he leaps into the cab with you.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
Then it's out to the Straussler's, where you transfer the rest of your loot to the ballroom: It's a vast, dim, echoing space, paved with tile, that's easily ten times the size of Blackwell's old library. You waste no time breaking it in: You put Straussler onto the sigil, lift the mask from him, and reduce him to bare <i>substantia.</i> But Joe takes the mask instead of putting it onto the golem. "I've been missing this," he chortles.<br/>
<br/>
"Just in time for classes tomorrow," you say after he wakes up again.<br/>
<br/>
"Just in time for Monique," he smiles as he stretches and rises. "Everyone's been wondering what happened to Frank and Joe," he adds.<br/>
<br/>
"For heaven's sake, don't say anything."<br/>
<br/>
"I'm not an idiot," he retorts. "Fuck," he adds, blinking. "I just got accept to Princeton."<br/>
<br/>
"Congratulations," Frank says dryly. "With Straussler's brain, maybe you'll pass most of the classes."<br/>
<br/>
After that you play some pool and classic video games in the spacious rumpus room out back, then repair to Jonathan's "punishment corner," where you and Frank bed down in some sleeping bags. "What are you gonna do tomorrow while I'm at school?" Joe/Jonathan asks.<br/>
<br/>
You flick your mask until the control sigil appears, and you slide into Frank's body. "Hit the weight set," you reply. "It's been a couple of weeks. I feel like I'm atrophying."<br/>
<br/>
Jonathan glances between you and Prescott's prone body. "Well, just stay out of sight."<br/>
<br/>
And so you do, though by noon the next day you're feeling bored and restless, and switch into the Straussler-disguised Joe for the afternoon. You find Monique attentive and delectable, and talk her into skipping fifth for some flirting and smooching in the library; you resist the temptation to take control of her. She talks about coming out to the house with you, but you demur, saying you've got things to do. She pouts a little, but you squeeze her until she's happy again.<br/>
<br/>
When post-class basketball practice is over you take out your phone, find Chelsea Cooper's number in an online directory, and call her. She sounds irritated when she answers, but warms considerably after you introduce yourself and explain the reason for your call. "I'm thinking about throwing a party out at my place," you say. "All this Eastman-Westside crap has been bothering me. I was thinking we should all break bread, try to get to know each other." She cautiously agrees that might be a good idea. "Great. Wanna come out to my place around six, look around, talk about it?"<br/>
<br/>
As you'd suspected, she jumps at the chance to see the house where the uber-rich Strausslers live, and agrees.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
She's actually early, but you're waiting for her out front, and smile broadly as she gets out of her pert little car. She's dressed up, too, in tight jeans and a cashmere sweater; her golden hair is perfectly coifed. "Miss Cooper," you say, and raise her hand to your lips. "So delighted to have you here." She dimples, and her own smile is dazzling.<br/>
<br/>
"It's very big," she says, looking up at the eaves of the massive manor.<br/>
<br/>
"We'd only be taking up a corner of it," you say as you lead her around the side of the house. "I've already talked to my folks about it. They'd give us one of the wings and leave us alone. It'd be catered--" She squeals, then controls herself. "But it would have to be alcohol free."<br/>
<br/>
"No problems there," she says. Her head swivels to take in the grounds and the tennis court and the basketball court and the fountain and the racing track. "We don't want anybody causing trouble."<br/>
<br/>
"And with you ride herd, I'm sure there wouldn't be," you say as you open the door to Jonathan's private suite.<br/>
<br/>
"What do you mean?"<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, we know all about you. That's why we want you on our team. Frank?"<br/>
<br/>
Your partner gets out of the beanbag where he's been slouched. He clenches his hand, and Chelsea freezes and topples against you.<br/>
<br/>
Now it comes to the point. Do you make her a puppet? Or a full partner?</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211
author_id: imaj
title: Chelsea Mk II
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>Glundandra and Eldibria. A boss-type who would be good at manipulating people, that's how Rick had forecast the combination would work, if lodged in the right personality. And if there's anyone who has those qualities already, it would be Chelsea Cooper, the head cheerleader and acknowledged queen of Westside High School.  It’s a perfect match.<br/>
<br/>
"What the--?" Chelsea squeals. "I can't move!"<br/>
<br/>
Almost too perfect…<br/>
<br/>
“Don’t worry about it,” you tell her, sounding more confident than you feel.  “It’ll all be ok in a few minutes.  You might even like it when it’s all over.  I’m sure you will if I ask you to.  She falls against you, and you grasp her in your arms. Frank opens up a vial of Blackwell's knockout powder, but you wave him off. "We don't need that," you say, and push her into his arms. "Just keep her muffled."<br/>
<br/>
Frank gives you a look, but claps a hand over Chelsea's mouth; her eyes roll with terror in their sockets.<br/>
<br/>
You manifest Joe's illusory twin and send it into the house to scout ahead; through its eyes, you see the way is clear, and gesture Frank to follow you with the captive girl.<br/>
<br/>
In the makeshift library you direct him to lay her on the sigil. "Jonathan!" she gasps as Frank's hand comes away. "Whatever you want, I-- I'll--" She swallows, and her voice shakes hard. "I'll give it to you."<br/>
<br/>
"Of course you will, Chelsea," you say. "And you'll be happy to. You aren’t going to have any choice really." She turns very white, and starts to hiccup.<br/>
<br/>
You set empty bottles in the sigils for <i>essentia </i>and <i>anima</i>, and a blank mask in the sigil for <i>imago</i>. With his invisible fists, Frank keeps her pinned in place even as the two of you stand off to the side. You extend your hands palm downward and chant the incantations. First you strip her of her physical form, then pull her <i>anima </i>and <i>essentia </i>from her, which you place to the side for now. "You know how to carve a remote sigil," you ask Frank as you pull the clothes off Chelsea's remnants.<br/>
<br/>
"It's not something I really remember,” he answers sullenly.  He looks around the room, freezing ever so slightly when he catches sight of the bottles used to hold essentia.  “You aren’t gonna…  Please tell me you’re not putting some of our stuff inside her?”<br/>
<br/>
You freeze yourself for a second.  You’d thought about it sure, but now that you’re here you are having second thoughts.  “Nah, she doesn’t deserve it,” you answer.  <i>Not when I want it myself</i>, the thought flitting through your mind unbidden.<br/>
<br/>
“Good,” nods Frank as you scratch the runework onto the golem’s chest.  You find a lock of your own hair that you set aside earlier and bind it alongside the carving.  This is one golem you want direct control of.  “She’s hard enough to deal with without any magic inside her,” adds Frank.  “You’re taking control of her,” he asks, looking over your shoulder.  “You or Joe?”<br/>
<br/>
You stop for a moment, and turn to stare at Frank.  Without thinking, you use the level stare that Joe favours when he thinks Frank is being particularly dense – which in Joe’s opinion is more or less all the time.  “What do you think?”<br/>
<br/>
Frank recoils, and his nervous grin belongs more to the copy of your anima inside him than anything else.  “Ok, I guess.  I would too I mean.  Are you going to...” he tails off blushing, making and awkward and incomprehensible gesture with his hands.  It takes a few moments to realise what he means.<br/>
<br/>
Your turn to blush, though you manage to banish it quickly.  “None of your business,” you snap.  Now quiet down while I concentrate."<br/>
<br/>
It takes the better part of an hour in all.  Once you are happy with the golem-<i>substantia</i>, you start returning the rest of Chelsea’s component parts to her.  You replace her <i>anima </i>first, emptying the bottle that had stored it.<br/>
<br/>
“Is this going to work,” asks Frank, as you near the end of your labours.<br/>
<br/>
“We’ll see in a minute.”  You hold out your hands again, make the incantation, and send Chelsea's <i>imago </i>back onto her.<br/>
<br/>
Her naked body--so perfectly formed--betrays no hint of tan lines as it lays in the sigil. Her thighs and calves are strong and taut; her boobs spread and droop only a little under gravity's pull; her hair is a lovely tangle. And her face is drawn up in a proud little pout.<br/>
<br/>
Her eyes spring open. She blinks hard a couple of times, then sits up with a groan. For a moment, no one says anything as Chelsea surveys her surrounds.  She looks round taking in every last detail:  You – as Joe – Frank, the sheet of metal that serves as your dissection table and the debris of the operation that has taken her apart and put her back together again.<br/>
<br/>
Then Chelsea opens her mouth and screams and screams and screams.<br/>
<br/>
You stand with your mouth slackly open for what seems like an age, unable to react.  Finally you find the words, just as Chelsea pauses to draw breath.  “Shut up,” you shout at the golem.  “shut up, shut up, shut up.”  She ignores you though, and starts screaming again.  “Why isn’t it working?”<br/>
<br/>
Frank finally reacts too, and though you cannot see what he does as he moves his invisible fists, the effects are clear.  Chelsea squirms in place and her mouth snaps shut as if clamped in place.<br/>
<br/>
“Why didn’t it work,” you moan again.<br/>
<br/>
Frank grins broadly at you, and you realise from Joe’s memories that it is the kind of grin he uses when he gets one over his brother.  “For someone so smart you can be really dumb sometimes,” he says drawing it out.  “Whose hair did you use?”<br/>
<br/>
“Mine,” you snap in reply, just before the realisation hits.  “Oh…”<br/>
<br/>
“Big as this house is, that screaming is going to draw some attention,” continues Frank, his tone more serious now.<br/>
<br/>
“I can just tell Chelsea to say everything’s ok,” you say, glancing at the stricken cheerleader.  Her eyes widen.<br/>
<br/>
“You’ll need to get back in here first then,” replies Frank sharply.  You waste no time in bringing up the control sigil mentally and flicking back to your own body.<br/>
<br/>
Then suddenly you are where you left yourself this morning – in Jon Straussler’s bed.  Your limbs feel stiff and awkward as you struggle to your feet.  It takes a few, stumbling steps for you to start moving even half properly and you lumber back to the ballroom as quick as you can.<br/>
<br/>
Frank, Joe and Chelsea all turn round to look at you as you half run over to them.  You waste no time on pleasantries and address Chelsea directly.  “You have to do what I say, don’t you?”  Her face pales and she nods as best is she is able to from within the restraints Frank holds her in.  “When Frank lets you go, you aren’t going to scream again.”  She nods again.<br/>
<br/>
You glance at Frank, who nods almost imperceptibly in return.  Chelsea sags as he releases her from the grasp of his invisible fists.  “What are you going to do to me,” asks Chelsea weakly.  There is no trace of her customary haughtiness left in her demeanour.<br/>
<br/>
Joe snickers and mutters under his breath.  “We’ve done it already.”<br/>
<br/>
You ignore him though.  “Relax Chelsea,” you say soothingly.  The colour flushes back into her cheeks.  “You’re going to be my friend.  You’re going to like what we’re going to do together, we’re going to be very close now.”  <br/>
<br/>
She nods again.  “Are we going to…” she tails off, still not quite her normal self.  There’s still a hint of disgust in her face, but she’s doing a good job of trying to hide it.<br/>
<br/>
You can’t say that the thought hadn’t occurred to you:  What would it be like?  To have your way with that beautiful body?  To get to feel what Gordon Black gets to feel?  It’s tempting, but not a temptation you’ll surrender to.  Yet.  “No,” you tell her.  “We’re going to be closer than that, but in a different way.  You’ll know when it happens, but you aren’t going to worry about it, now or afterwards.”<br/>
<br/>
“Ok, I guess,” replies Chelsea.  “I should get my clothes back on,” she adds, shuffling over to the rough pile left from when you removed them earlier.  “So what are we going to do,” she asks as she slips on her panties.<br/>
<br/>
You look around.  At Frank and Joe, who carry a little bit of you inside themselves.  And then at Chelsea, to all intents and purposes your slave.  You grin wildly, and they all grin back at you.<br/>
<br/>
“Let’s have some fun,” you say.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111
author_id: imaj
title: Doubling Your Fun
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>“I still can’t believe how keen she was.”<br/>
<br/>
You take a moment to think over Joe’s statement, mostly because you are still focused on the game on the television in front of you.  It doesn’t last long though, as he handily beats you again without even trying seconds later.<br/>
<br/>
It’s been an hour since Chelsea – the modified golem that you turned her into – left the Straussler house.  Another two before that since reconnected her imago, and in those two hours – after she’d persuaded Jon’s Mom that all that screaming was an accident – she talked.  A lot.  Chelsea had talked about many things, about herself, about the Strausslers, but mostly about the people and cliques at Westside High.<br/>
<br/>
“I told her that she was going to like helping us,” you reply.  That command you gave the golem must surely account for her enthusiasm.<br/>
<br/>
“No it was more than that,” insists Joe.  “It’s all the planning and plotting against people.  She loves it.  She has to.”<br/>
<br/>
“I could find out,” you grin.  You haven’t used the remote control sigil to enter the golem’s body and take it over yet, but you’d welcome the excuse to do so.<br/>
<br/>
Joe laughs loudly at that.  “And maybe play with her while you were there?  She must be in bed by now,” he adds in a low voice.  “All alone under the covers with no one to interrupt you.”  There is a long pause before he laughs again.  “You should do.  You’re gonna do it sooner or later anyway.  Let me know what the goods are like,” he grins, gesturing expansively with his hands.<br/>
<br/>
Nobody says anything for a minute.  The only sound is the game as Joe easily beats you again.<br/>
<br/>
“What made you go with the golem,” he eventually asks.  “I thought you were all set to put some of our <i>essentia </i>into her?  She’d have been perfect for it.”<br/>
<br/>
It takes you a minute to answer.  “I wanted it myself,” you say in a quiet voice.<br/>
<br/>
“Hah, yeah, good one,” laughs Joe.  His laughter dies off abruptly.  “Shit.  You’re serious aren’t you?  Is that even possible, swapping <i>ousiarchs</i>?”  He pauses to consider.  “It must be, mustn’t it?  You could take yourself apart in the ballroom and put yourself back together different.”  He looks at you thoughtfully.  “But then you wouldn’t be a Kenandandra.  Wouldn’t be able to work all this out so easily.”<br/>
<br/>
“Who’s to say I couldn’t be,” you protest.  “Sulva, Kenandadnra, Glundandra and Eldibria.”<br/>
<br/>
Joe laughs again.  “Now you’re joking.  Can’t be done.  Rick said…”  He tails off.<br/>
<br/>
“It isn’t that simple is it,” you say, your own mind kicking into gear.  It’s a puzzle to be solved, you are sure.  If only you found the right angle to look at it from.<br/>
<br/>
“You’re crazy,” mutters Joe under his breath.  He throws his controller down and storms out the room.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
It was only a moment of idle speculation, but the idea of having four <i>ousiarchs </i>continues to tempt you the following day. You spend a couple of fruitless ideas toying with how to make it work in the makeshift library you have set up in the ballroom.  It’s useless though, so you turn your attention to other things – using the dissection table to switch <i>imago </i>around.  <i>That </i>is certainly possible given how you were able to pull apart Chelsea yesterday and you have a solution sketched out by dinner time. In the evening, Joe returns to help you with your meditation. You know that your <i>ousiarchs </i>are Sulva and Kenandandra, but there is a long way to go before you can start unlocking any tricks with them. Prodigies, as Joe insists on referring to them as.<br/>
<br/>
Kenandandra flickers out of view from your minds eye and you turn your attention back on the material world again. “I’m sorry about last night,” you tell Joe. “Having four <i>ousiarchs</i>, it was a dumb thing to say. You were right.  I just can’t work it out.”<br/>
<br/>
“About that,” says Joe. “I remembered something. From back when I was just Joe. Uh… You know what I mean.” He fishes out an envelope from his pocket and hands it to you. The seal has been ripped open and a thick sheaf of papers protrudes from it. On the face of the envelope is a complicated looking sigil. “The sigil is a conjunction of Arbol, Perelandra, Lurga and Catilindria,” explains Joe. “I had this for months. Kali Valentine gave it to me before I came to Saratoga Falls, but I never opened it. I remembered it last night and thought it might help. So I went back to our old place and opened it. You’ll want to read it.”<br/>
<br/>
You pull out the papers and look at the title: "<a href="https://www.Writing.Com/main/view_item/item_id/1890248-Retrograde-Motion---Part-1" target="_top" title="A member of a secret society investigates the disappearance of one of her colleagues.">Retrograde Motion - Part 1</a>" <a href="https://www.Writing.Com/main/view_item/item_id/1890248-Retrograde-Motion---Part-1" target="_blank" title="A member of a secret society investigates the disappearance of one of her colleagues."><img border="0" height="12" loading="lazy" onmouseout="$(this).css('opacity', '.4');" onmouseover="$(this).css('opacity', '1');" src="https://www.Writing.Com/nw.gif" style="opacity:.4;" width="12"/></a> <br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
“This is it,” you say, holding a piece of paper. “Where it says ‘Perhaps the shadows are now a net’. That’s the key: I have to prevent the four <i>ousiarchs </i>from connecting with each other.”<br/>
<br/>
“I guess it could work,” shrugs Joe. “How do you keep them apart though?”<br/>
<br/>
A flash of inspiration hits you. “Layers,” you shout. “Like the chameleon mask. On one layer I have Sulva and Kenandandra, on the other Eldibria and Glundandra. Oh, but how to do it. I need paper…”<br/>
<br/>
Midnight has come and gone by the time you are finished writing. New sigils lay out on both your notes and the metal sheets of the dissection table. Complicated spider diagram illustrate your plans and how you will connect the components of yourself together anew. Though you are tired, pure adrenaline keeps you going.<br/>
<br/>
“Think it’ll work,” you ask Joe.<br/>
<br/>
He takes one last brief look at your notes. “Layering the <i>substantia </i>like a mask? In theory, maybe. In practice, I have no idea.”<br/>
<br/>
“Only one way to find out,” you grin, running over to the dissection table. You lay down on it.<br/>
<br/>
“You're ma-“ begins Joe. He does not finish the sentence as you brush your hand across your face and activate the remote sigil.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
“Did it work,” you mumble with difficulty.<br/>
<br/>
Light streams into the ballroom. You sit up awkwardly and look around. It’s morning now. Did you pass out last night? At the edge of the dissection table, Joe sits cross legged on the floor.<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t know,” he admits. “I mean, I think you did everything you were planning to, but I passed out when you relinquished control of me. I think you passed out afterwards too. I’ve been sitting here for an hour waiting for you to wake up.” He gazes to the side. “The bottles are empty so…"<br/>
<br/>
You examine yourself. Everything seems to be there, so you try meditating. Sulva and Kenandandra swim into view. There is no sign of Glundandra and Eldibria.<br/>
<br/>
Should there be though?<br/>
<br/>
You’ve kept the two pairs separate intentionally, so you turn your attention inwards. There must be something like a switch or a lever that lets you flip between your <i>ousiarchs</i>. It takes several minutes, but you eventually find what your looking for. It is almost like a little latch deep within yourself. You grab hold mentally and pull.<br/>
<br/>
Nothing seems to happen.<br/>
<br/>
You try meditating again. Sulva and Kenandandra do not come. You panic for a few seconds, until you realise that panicking is just making it more difficult to find your <i>ousiarchs</i>. You try some simple concentration exercises that Frank taught you, and two round discs swim into the view of your mind’s eye.<br/>
<br/>
You laugh. You laugh and laugh and laugh.<br/>
<br/>
“What,” shouts Joe anxiously.  “What is it?”<br/>
<br/>
You pull the two new planets close, opening your hands and holding them level.  Two sigils spring into life, hovering just about the your palms.  The look on Joe’s face is priceless:  His eyes goggle, his jaw hangs loose and he stares at you dumbfounded.  You flick the switch inside you again and the sigils change.<br/>
<br/>
Sulva and Kenandandra.<br/>
<br/>
You flick the switch once more.<br/>
<br/>
Eldibria and Glundandra.<br/>
<br/>
Joe finally regains his senses.  “You did it,” he states, somewhat redundantly you feel.  There is a short pause.  “Now what?”<br/>
<br/>
“New faces,” you grin.  “I worked it out yesterday, how to swap <i>imago</i>.  It’s better than a mask, because you can’t take it off.  Nothing to detect, no way to tell that you aren’t who you seem to be,” the smile spreads across your face as you explain.<br/>
<br/>
It stretches as far as Joe’s face too.  He looks back at you, a huge grin plastered across his face.  “Fuck yeah.  Who are we going to be?”<br/>
<br/>
“I was going to call Chelsea over…” you begin to say.<br/>
<br/>
“You want to be Chelsea,” interrupts Joe.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221111
author_id: imaj
title: A Sneak Preview
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>“Chelsea.”<br/>
<br/>
The voice is quiet, but firm.  Familiar somehow.<br/>
<br/>
“Chelsea.”<br/>
<br/>
Again.  Insistent.  The voice is talking to <i>you</i>.<br/>
<br/>
Of course it is.  Why wouldn’t it be?  A minute ago you were in the ballroom at the Straussler’s.  Then Joe had put the idea of being Chelsea into your head.  You’d only wanted to talk to her, but as soon as Joe mentioned it…  It just somehow seemed right.  You’d brought your hand to your face and summoned the constellations that marked the remote masks you have placed.<br/>
<br/>
You’d dived into the fiery star that marked Chelsea.<br/>
<br/>
And now you are here.  Awareness comes slowly to you.  The honey blonde locks that frame your field of vision.  The open locker in front of you, with a set of clothes piled into it.  You glace downward and see Chelsea ample boobs, flattened in place by the tight confines of a sports bra.<br/>
<br/>
You’re in the locker room, you decide.<br/>
<br/>
Well of course you are.  It’s time for cheerleading practice after all.  Chelsea’s thoughts snake inside your head.  They wind around you, and without thinking your stance subtly shifts to match Chelsea’s own:  The flaring nostrils, the imperious tilt of the head, the assurance that <i>you </i>are in charge and <i>you </i>own this place.<br/>
<br/>
“Chels,” that voice again, this time accompanied by a hand resting lightly on your shoulder and giving you the most gentle of shakes.  Almost as if they are scared to do so.  <i>They should be</i>.<br/>
<br/>
You know the voice now, and you spin round and pull your lips into Chelsea’s most winning smile.  “Kendra,” you say in warm voice to the delicate African American girl in front of you.<br/>
<br/>
“You ok girl,” she replies, her face radiating concern.  There’s no mistaking the hunger in her eyes though, Chelsea’s instincts pick up on it instantly.  <i>She’s a snake</i>, a memory that is not your own tells you.  <i>Keep her at arms length</i>.  “You spaced out there.”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh I was just thinking about something,” you tell her airily.  Your gaze sweeps the room, taking in the rest of the team as they change into their uniforms:  The Garners tie their hair into high ponytails – Eva’s short and Jessica’s long.  Yumi and Lin Pol sharing whispered confidences, Chelsea’s feelings cause you to narrow your eyes in suspicion as you see that.  Cara Fuhrman – one of the new girls – pulling on her jersey with workmanlike efficiency.  She’s practically terrified of doing something wrong.  <i>Just the way I like it</i>.<br/>
<br/>
“Say Kendra,” you add, reaching down for your own uniform sweater.  You pull it on, fluffing out your hair afterwards.  The jersey hugs your stolen body tightly, accentuating your curves.  “How about you run the practice?”<br/>
<br/>
“Really,” grins Kendra.  The hunger in her eyes eclipses any mask of compassion she might have been attempting now.<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah,” you reply.  “I want to get a good look at everyone.”  You glance round the locker room, looking at all the girls in various states of undress.<br/>
<br/>
“Thank you” says Kendra insincerely, throwing her arms round you.<br/>
<br/>
“You’ve earned it” you tell her with equal dishonesty.<br/>
<br/>
As Kendra turns away from you to address the team, you give yourself one last look over.  The red and gold Westside uniform fits your body perfectly, and the matching sneakers are adorable.  You can’t wait to get away and make Chelsea’s body your own permanently.<br/>
<br/>
But first the practice.<br/>
<br/>
You follow the rest of the team out into the gymnasium, climbing to the very top of the seating area and planting yourself down in the middle of the last row.  You actually do want to take a look at the rest of the team, but not to judge their cheerleading ability.  No, you are far more interested in finding candidates for the <i>essentia </i>you have collected.  If you are going to be Chelsea, then the logical place for your allies is on the cheerleading team.  You nod to yourself as you watch Eva and Jessica Garner practice backflips.  It might even be a way to extend Chelsea’s – your – influence over the rest of the team.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Jon Straussler – Joe really, under a mask – is waiting in the ballroom when you finally arrive there, after all your classes.  “You took your time getting here,” he tells you, gesturing vaguely to a nearby seat where your real body has been propped up.<br/>
<br/>
“I wanted to spend the day as her,” your explain.  “See what I was getting myself into.”<br/>
<br/>
“And did you like what you saw,” leers Joe.<br/>
<br/>
You smile at him coyly.  “Maybe I’ll show you later,” you reply, letting the words hang languidly in the air.  Joe’s body stiffens awkwardly for a moment, letting you know you are having the desired effect on him  “And I had to spend time taking care of Gordon too,” you add as an afterthought.<br/>
<br/>
Joe splutters for a moment, unable to reply.<br/>
<br/>
You drop the catlike façade of being Chelsea and break into laughter.  “Dude, you should see the look on your face.”<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah, yeah,” mutters Joe.  “I’m not the one that spent some quality time with another guy.”<br/>
<br/>
You shrug.  “It’s easy to fall into being her,” you explain, gesturing at yourself.  “It’s like Chelsea is all around me, and it’s harder not to let her feelings guide me.  You want to know the truth though?  It feels good, having what she does and using it the way she does.  I had Cara jumping through hoops after practice today.  She’s <i>terrified </i>of me.  I can’t wait to make all this permanent.”<br/>
<br/>
“It’s all set up for you then,” states Frank baldly as he emerges from the bookshelves.  “Based on what you told Joe.”<br/>
<br/>
You look over the arrangements on the metal sheets.  Everything is as you need it and you nod your head in thanks before lying down on the correct spot.  With a wave of your hand, you find yourself on the opposite side of the room and back in your own body.  Pulling yourself uncertainly to your feet, you look back at the dissection table.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea sits bolt upright immediately.  “You…  You were inside me,” she whimpers, her voice robbed of any sense of assurance.<br/>
<br/>
“I was,” you say soothingly as you walk back over.  “But it isn’t going to happen again.  You won’t have to worry about that.  You trust me, remember.”  The nerves evaporate from Chelsea’s face, leaving her looking vacant.  “Just lie back down and stay quiet for me,” you instruct the golem.  “It will all be over soon.”<br/>
<br/>
“You’re going through with this,” asks Frank as the golem settles back onto the metal sheets of the dissection table with a mechanical motion.  “Joe told me about you having four <i>ousiarchs</i>, and now you want to be someone else too?”<br/>
<br/>
“We can’t exactly keep running around as ourselves anymore,” you explain.  “Especially you and Joe – You’re supposed to be dead in Cuthbert.  And this is so much better than masks:  It can’t be pulled off and there’s no way to detect it.  When this is done, I’ll still be me inside, but as far as the rest of the world knows I’ll be Chelsea Cooper.”  The golem squirms unhappily, but says nothing just as you told it to.  “Just as you are going to end up being her friends and teammates.”<br/>
<br/>
“We get to be Cheerleaders,” interrupts Joe, a huge smile stretching right across his face.  “Oh man, sweet.  Can I be Maria?”<br/>
<br/>
“Seriously,” grimaces Frank.  “You’ve got all this power and you’re using it to replace a high school cheerleading team?  What a waste.”<br/>
<br/>
“Boobs are never a waste Frank,” states Joe with a mock seriousness.  “You’d know that if you’d ever been close to any.”  He laughs quickly.  “You’re right though, it’s a dumb idea.  Can you imagine a Cheerleader scowling like that,” he adds pointing to Frank’s dark expression.<br/>
<br/>
You say nothing, because the aura of unhappy pent up aggression hanging around Frank like a low cloud has suddenly put you in mind of Eva Garner.  That would be an excellent identity for Frank, even if telling him that right now might only spur him to violence.  “It’s what we’re going to do,” you say, surprising even yourself at the firmness in your voice.  “Now I need to borrow your body to do this Frank,” you add.  “If that’s alright.”<br/>
<br/>
Frank stares at you with hard eyes for an uncomfortable few seconds.  He swallows then looks away.  “Ok.”<br/>
<br/>
You lay down beside Chelsea.  With another swipe of your hand across your face you find yourself looking down at both your real body and Chelsea.  “Let’s get this over with,” you say to Joe.<br/>
<br/>
For the second time you take Chelsea apart.  A mask to hold her <i>imago</i>, bottles for her <i>essentia </i>and <i>anima</i>.  You fancy you hear a brief whimper before you reduce Chelsea to her component parts, but if there is one, it is over quickly.  All that remains is the golem like <i>substantia</i>, with the remote sigil that you painted on it the first time you disassembled Chelsea.<br/>
<br/>
“That could be useful,” you tell Joe.  Though you are going to be Chelsea, you could still wrap someone else’s <i>imago </i>around her <i>substantia </i>and control them just as you did her.  “Find somewhere safe to put it.”<br/>
<br/>
“Yessir bossman,” answers Joe, flipping you a cheeky salute.  You feel Frank’s sense of annoyance rising within you.  I<i>t’s like this all the time</i>, Frank’s thoughts tell you.<br/>
<br/>
You turn away and ignore him, focussing instead on where your true body lies on the dissection table.<br/>
<br/>
“I hope this works,” you say beneath your breath.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211111
author_id: imaj
title: Chelsea Mk III
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You close your eyes and begin.  It isn’t like the crude work of taking apart Chelsea, this time you are working <i>within </i>the <i>imago</i>, changing it.  As your <i>imago </i>takes shape within your mind, you realise that hundreds, maybe thousands of points of contact between the physical and mental components.  It’s more than a little daunting and, maybe for the first time since moving your base of operations to the Straussler’s house, you feel a little uncertain about what you are doing.<br/>
<br/>
The feeling only lasts a moment though.  With a grim resolve settling in – perhaps borrowed from Frank – you set about your task.  Each connection you find between the physical and mental parts of your <i>imago </i>is like a little clasp.  It is a simple act to reach out mentally and flip it open.  The loose connections seem to waver for a second and then part.<br/>
<br/>
The tricky thing is doing it again.  And again and again.  As you undo each connection you have to move onto the next.  Find it, undo it and move on again.  It is painstaking and exhausting work and you feel yourself faltering as you progress.  Just as it seems to be too much, a sudden surge of strength from within yourself revitalises you and you find yourself continuing with a renewed pace.  Frank’s Malacandra <i>ousiarch </i>perhaps?<br/>
<br/>
Slowly the physical parts of your <i>imago </i>start to drift away.  You let them float away without stopping them.  You doubt you’ll ever need to be Will Prescott again..  You risk opening your eyes for a second and almost lose your connection to Frank’s body in shock.<br/>
<br/>
The body on the metal sheets is barely recognisable as you anymore.  It’s barely even recognisable as human, just a ragged mess of bloody flesh and bone.  You close your eyes tight again and don’t open them as you remove the last few strips of pale skin from your body.<br/>
<br/>
“Put the mask of Chelsea on the book,” you say to Joe through gritted teeth.  You don’t want to do it yourself, that would mean opening your eyes again.  “And the doll on top of it.”<br/>
<br/>
You move onto the next step, splitting Chelsea’s <i>imago </i>in two as well.  It’s a little easier to unclasp it this time.  Whether that’s because the <i>imago </i>isn’t attached to anything, or because you are getting a little more practised, you are unsure.  After that you bring the two sets of mental <i>imago </i>together, merging Chelsea’s mind with your own.  Connections spring up and writhe as you bring the them together.  You’d swear that you could feel an almost volcanic warmth at the back of your mind:  the staggering sense of arrogance and entitlement that belongs to Chelsea.  To you as well now.<br/>
<br/>
With that done you move onto putting yourself back together, drawing Chelsea’s physical <i>imago </i>around you.  It slips round easily, helped in part by the presence of her mental <i>imago </i>within you.  You risk opening your eyes again.  Though your body still a bloody mess, you can sense the ghost of Chelsea’s form around it.  It seems to float their, the potential of it all hanging in the air.<br/>
<br/>
But it won’t amount to anything until you connect it altogether.  The process is laborious, finding each connection and snapping it back together.  It is amazing to watch though, as Chelsea slowly appears piece by piece on the ruined mess of your body:  The flawless skin, the golden hair, her delicate nose and perfect smile.  They all take shape on you, joined finally by her ample breasts – round and magnificent and somehow able to hold half of Westside in their thrall.<br/>
<br/>
The last connection snips into place and you find yourself sagging.  Your legs are weak, your breathing shallow and you are drenched in sweat, but it seems to have worked.  On the ground in front of you is Chelsea Cooper, or at least someone who looks very much like her.  There is only one way to find out for sure.<br/>
<br/>
You swipe your hand across your face and return to your body.<br/>
<br/>
The change is instant.  You’ve been in this body before, with its different perspective and centre of gravity, but when you hopped into Chelsea earlier today it didn’t feel like this.  It didn’t feel this <i>right</i>.  Slowly, and with a grin forming on your face, you push yourself into a sitting position.<br/>
<br/>
“Stars, I feel drained,” mutters Frank.  He’s sank to one knee.<br/>
<br/>
“Did you get the number of that truck,” laughs Joe.  “The one that ran you over.”<br/>
<br/>
Frank growls unhappily, then he turns his gaze on you.  You meet his eyes and smile one of Chelsea’s insincere smiles.  “Who am I talking to?”<br/>
<br/>
“Chelsea Cooper, of course,” you say.  “Silly.”  Frank’s eyes narrow, and even in his weakened state his hands clench into ugly looking fists.  You tap at your temples with a finger.  “Oh I know what you’re looking for.  Buried in here somewhere I’m still Will Prescott.  I am, and I’m running the show too, but I’m also Chelsea Courtney Cooper,” you say, pronouncing your new name in full and using a sing song voice.  “Everything that she had, every nasty little trick she knew, it’s all in here now.  It’s not like using a mask or a mind band either, it feels <i>right</i>.  It feels like it belongs.  I’m the best of both Will and Chelsea now.”<br/>
<br/>
Frank gives you a dark look.  “I’m not sure I like the sound of that”<br/>
<br/>
“Dude,” you say, suppressing your Chelsea-side.  “Would I lie to you… uh on second thoughts don’t answer that.  You’ll understand what I mean once I get you two inside someone.”<br/>
<br/>
Joe’s face immediately brightens.  “You’re gonna put us into people like that?”<br/>
<br/>
“I said that was my plan,” you reply, just a shade testily.  “It’s not changed.”<br/>
<br/>
“I thought you were just trying to annoy Frank,” mugs Joe.  His brother shakes his head wearily.  “You were serious?  We’re gonna be Cheerleaders?”<br/>
<br/>
You pause before answering, turning your thoughts inward to the little lever that you use to switch between your pairs of <i>ousiarchs</i>.  You summon Glundandra, in the hope that it provides you with a little inspiration.  “Mmmm, that where Chelsea’s… that’s where my power base lies.  I want to see what I can do with it… and…”  The sigil of Glundandra flickers into life in the open palm of your left hand.<br/>
<br/>
“And have a little fun, yeah,” asks Joe keenly.<br/>
<br/>
You smile wryly.  “Maybe a little fun,” you admit.<br/>
<br/>
“So you’ve gotta have some ideas already,” continues Joe.  “Please say Maria.”<br/>
<br/>
You tilt your head to one side.  No, Maria isn’t the right choice for Joe.  You need him somewhere he can make the most of his Viritrilbian <i>ousiarch</i>.  A name pops into your head almost immediately, and you recognise the inspiration instantly too – it’s clearly from your Chelsea half.  “Kendra,” you say, maintaining the wry grin.  “I think she’d benefit from having you inside her Joe.”<br/>
<br/>
Joe chortles in response.  He doesn’t have the same insight that you do, not without Chelsea’s memories, but he has your Prescott memories from the copy of your <i>anima </i>inside him and he remembers Kendra well enough.<br/>
<br/>
“What about me,” ask Frank, his voice tinged with bitterness.<br/>
<br/>
“The Garners,” you explain, recalling your earlier thoughts in that direction.<br/>
<br/>
“What, both of them” asks Joe, a little incredulously.<br/>
<br/>
“Remember, we’ve got the Malacandra <i>essentia </i>from Rick, and the spare Sulva too,” you add.  “Eva for you Frank.  Your self control would make a big difference to her.”  Eva’s temper is well known throughout Westside and Frank nods thoughtfully at the indirect compliment you have paid him.  “And you can train Jessica to use her new <i>ousiarchs </i>too.”  That actually forces a smile out of Frank.  Jessica would be more likely to follow orders than Joe ever was, you decide.<br/>
<br/>
“What about Aparijita’s <i>essentia</i>,” asks Joe<br/>
<br/>
The other two spare <i>ousiarchs </i>that you have, he means.  Perelandra and Catilindria.  “I hadn’t though that far,” you admit.  That might be a better fit for Maria, or maybe Cara.  You resolve to decide later though.<br/>
<br/>
“So,” says Joe casually, a little too casually.  “When are you going to make the switches?”<br/>
<br/>
“Not today,” you reply.  “Look how much it took out of Frank.  We’ll have to do it another day.”  Not to mention that you are keen to get back to your new home and become better acquainted with your new body.  But Joe does have a point.  Who are you going to swap first?  Frank or Joe?<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111111
author_id: imaj
title: Setting Wheels In Motion
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>“Is that you Chelsea sweetheart,” calls Kelly Cooper.<br/>
<br/>
You close the front door to the Cooper house – your house – behind you quietly.  “Yes Mom,” you shout back, grabbing hold of the banister and preparing to head up to your bedroom.<br/>
<br/>
“Where were you honey,” calls your new mom again.  “You missed dinner.  Have you eaten?”<br/>
<br/>
“I was at Kendra’s,” you lie.  Lying comes so naturally to you now.  “We’re working on a project for school.  Her mom made something for both of us.  I’d have called you but my cell run out of charge.”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, ok,” says your mom, appearing at the doorway to the living room.  She looks very much like you do, albeit aged a good twenty odd years.  You know, because she’s repeatedly told Chelsea before you became her, that she was a cheerleader herself back in her school days.  Just as your new dad was her high school sweetheart.<br/>
<br/>
You suppress a sneer.  You can’t imagine marrying Gordon, a sentiment that both the Prescott and Chelsea parts of you are in a surprising agreement about.  No, Gordon is just a convenient tool, one that cements your place at the top of the school hierarchy.  Once you graduate you’ll find someone else.  Someone to advance your position, wherever you end up.  Someone like…  Jon Straussler?  There’s an interesting thought and one that hadn’t occurred to you before your… <i>change</i>… this afternoon.  You file the possibility for future reference and smile at your mom.<br/>
<br/>
“I’m beat mom,” you tell her.  “I was thinking of going to bed early.”<br/>
<br/>
“Golly sweetheart, if you think that’s best,” answers your mom.  It’s clear from the look on her face that she doesn’t quite believe you, and it’s equally clear that she isn’t going to pry.  Perhaps she suspects that things Chelsea is getting up to are the same as the kind of things she got up to when she was your age.  How would she react if she knew the truth?  “If you change your mind, I’ll rustle something up as quick as you like,” she adds, beaming at you.  “Gotta be up bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning.”<br/>
<br/>
“It’s Saturday tomorrow Mom,” you whine.  Going to bed early is a lie too, of course.  Your transformation at the Straussler house has eaten up far too much time that you, Chelsea, would normally use for something else.  When you reach the top of the stairs and enter your bedroom, this first thing you do is flip open Chelsea’s laptop.<br/>
<br/>
It doesn’t take long to catch up on the half dozen or so social networking sites you now use as Chelsea.  You divide your time between devouring tweets and posts and giving yourself a manicure.  Every so often you pause to tap out a response – sometimes signed, sometimes using an anonymous account.  You are a little more careful today that Chelsea might have been with such things yesterday though, now that your Will Prescott part insists that anonymous accounts are no such thing.  There isn’t anything important to worry about though, it’s mostly just lame posts by people with boring lives.  No one as important as <i>you </i>anyway.  Luckily your odd behaviour at practice has gone unnoticed although you have the nagging feeling you’ve forgotten about something…<br/>
<br/>
Your cell phone rings.  You glance at the screen before picking it up and answering.  “Hello girl.”<br/>
<br/>
“Hey Chels,” replies Kendra.  “I wanted to check, are you going to Jamie Bornholm’s party tomorrow?”<br/>
<br/>
That’s what you’d forgotten about.  “I thought it was tonight,” you reply, puzzled.  In truth, Chelsea – the Chelsea before you became her – had been planning on skipping the party.  Jamie Bornholm simply isn’t important enough to command your attention.  Now that you are Chelsea, well Jamie’s still unimportant, but the idea of going to your first party as Chelsea is appealing, no matter how dull it might be.<br/>
<br/>
“Mmm, last minute change of plans,” explains Kendra.  Interesting, you think.  “I think you should come.”<br/>
<br/>
Not that Kendra can see you, but you narrow your eyes.  “You know something, don’t you?”<br/>
<br/>
On the other end of the phone, Kendra giggles.  “Maybe.  You gonna be there girl?”<br/>
<br/>
“Maybe,” you parrot.  “What about Eva and Jessica?  Are they going?”<br/>
<br/>
“They’ve been invited,” replies Kendra.  It’s her turn to sound puzzled.  “Why?”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh,” you reply airily.  “It was just an idea I had.”  You’ll need to get hold of the sisters <i>before </i>they go to the party then.  Maybe some time in the afternoon?  “It doesn’t matter.  I’ll maybe see you tomorrow.”<br/>
<br/>
“You know it Chels,” says Kendra by way of goodbye.  <br/>
<br/>
You hesitate before switching the phone off though.  Instead you flip through the phonebook until you find the number you are looking for.  A couple of taps on the screen and it starts ringing again.<br/>
<br/>
“Yes,” says Eva Garner rather testily as she answers.<br/>
<br/>
“Hiya Eva,” you reply chirpily.<br/>
<br/>
“Chelsea,” states Eva.  “What is it?” <br/>
<br/>
“You’ll never guess who I ran into today,” you continue, ignoring the irritation in Eva’s voice, and the loud sigh that follow from her as you keep on talking.  “Jonathan Straussler, you know, from Eastman.  He’s got this great idea:  Have a party for both Eastman and Westside at his house, so we could, like, bury the hatchet.”<br/>
<br/>
“I see,” says Eva exasperatedly.  “Look, why are you telling me this Chelsea, and not Kendra?”  She all but spits out the name of your associate.<br/>
<br/>
“Well, I know we don’t always get along,” you say in a hurt tone of voice.  Luckily Eva can’t see you failing to keep a smile off your face.  “I though, you know, maybe it would be a good chance for us to bury the hatchet too.”<br/>
<br/>
“I see,” says Eva, her voice tinged with suspicion.  You can hardly blame her.  The previous Chelsea played nice with her several times in the past, only to turn round and knife her in the back later.<br/>
<br/>
“I really want us to get along better,” you wheedle. “With your sister too.  You should come meet him at his house with me tomorrow.  Both of you.  I promise it’ll be the first step in us all becoming BFFs.”  You grin again.  Not a single word there was a lie.<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t know.”  She’s hesitant.  A Chelsea-instinct tells you that all you have to do is push her a little harder.<br/>
<br/>
“You should see this guys house, it’s like a castle,” you add.<br/>
<br/>
There is some muffled conversation at the other end of the line.  “Alright Chelsea,” says Eva, with some reluctance.  “We’ll go see this guy, but I’m not promising anything.”<br/>
<br/>
“Great,” you reply enthusiastically.  “How about I pick you up after lunch.  We’ll go together.”  There is still some resistance from Eva as you hash out the details, but you have what you want from her and her sister now.  They’ll be at Straussler’s tomorrow for you to make the switch with Frank.  You feel more than a little smug as you terminate the phone call.<br/>
<br/>
But you still have one last call to make before you can finish for the night.  You dial the number using the phone book.  “Hey snookie,” you say, as the person on the other end answers.  “Did you miss me?”<br/>
<br/>
Gordon Black grunts monosyllabically in response.  The previous Chelsea had been giving her boyfriend the cold shoulder for the last few days.  It’s something she did from time to time because, and you bite your lip nervously at the thought, making up afterwards always felt so good.<br/>
<br/>
It leaves you a little queasy.  You’ve no desire to sleep with the fucker, and now that you are Chelsea, her already low opinion of her boyfriend has taken a nosedive.  What you are though, is keen to exert the kind of control over Gordon that your predecessor had.  That might involve doing some distasteful things, you realise, but all you need is to keep him sweet until you graduate and you can dump him for someone more useful.<br/>
<br/>
“I’m going to Jamie Bornholm’s party tomorrow,” you say in a low voice.  “You should come along.”<br/>
<br/>
“I thought you were going to skip it.  You said it would be lame,” growls Gordon.  “Why’d you change your mind?”<br/>
<br/>
“You should come,” you say, lowering your voice to the sexiest register that you can manage.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh,” says Gordon, his interest suddenly sparking.  “Oh.”<br/>
<br/>
You giggle in response.  “I’ll see you there snookie,” you say in a breathy voice, hanging up before he has a chance to respond.<br/>
<br/>
Finally satisfied with your work, you put your phone down and turn off your laptop.  You disrobe in a workmanlike fashion.  There will be time to play with the magnificent body you have stolen later.  Right now you are tired.  You find a pair of pink cotton PJs under the pillow on your bed.  They slip on easily, feeling soft and comfortable against your skin.  Then you turn out the lights and crawl under the bedcovers.<br/>
<br/>
But you don’t go to sleep, not yet.  Instead you close your eyes and meditate, summoning your <i>ousiarchs </i>close to you.  The magnificent golden disc of Glundandra and the featureless blue-green orb of Eldibria manifest in your inner vision.  You murmur gently at them, asking them to reveal your new prodigies to you.  Then you sink into a soft sleep.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221112
author_id: imaj
title: Chelsea Explains It All, Part One
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>“Oh this is going to be so much fun,” squees Chelsea, catching you by surprise as she bounds over and hugs you tightly.  It’s almost too much for you: the smell of her hair, the feel of her breath on your neck, those warm, inviting curves.  Your body stiffens as she squeezes you.<br/>
<br/>
It isn’t the only part of you that stiffens.<br/>
<br/>
Mortifyingly, you slowly become aware of your pants tenting at the crotch, your rising erection hardening and pressing into Chelsea’s thigh.  She doesn’t recoil though, just leans back and grins wryly at you.<br/>
<br/>
“You’re as excited as I am, aren’t you, she says in a low voice meant only for your ears.  You can only manage a weak nod.  Chelsea smiles dazzlingly at you before taking a few steps back.<br/>
<br/>
Your conversation with Joe last night surfaces in your memory. He’d been surprised at how keen the golem Chelsea had been, and now that you’ve explained your latest ideas to her – you have a hard time thinking of her as an <i>it </i>now – her eagerness is undiminished.  “It’s ok then,” you say, still uncertain.  “I mean, we’re basically talking about killing people.”<br/>
<br/>
“I like what we’re doing together,” she reaffirms, echoing the instruction you gave her two days ago.  “Besides, you aren’t going to be hurting anyone important are you?”<br/>
<br/>
You wonder briefly exactly who Chelsea defines as important, but do not give voice to the question.  “No,” you tell her.  “And its not like they’ll really be dead, they’ll still be around – it’ll just be one of us underneath.”<br/>
<br/>
“There you go then,” beams Chelsea.  “Nobody gets hurt,” she adds sincerely.  You wonder who she is trying to convince – you or herself.<br/>
<br/>
“Do you have any ideas then,” you ask her.  “Who I could become?  We want to run Westside.”<br/>
<br/>
“<i>I</i> run Westside,” pouts Chelsea.<br/>
<br/>
“What Prescott means is we want to run it together, with you.”  It’s the first words Joe – still disguised as Jon Straussler - has said since the golem’s arrival, and he says them smoothly and reassuring.  <br/>
<br/>
Chelsea’s posture relaxes, and she lets out a little giggle.  “Sure.  Lots.  There’s a lot of groups that don’ know their…  that don’t always think about what’s best for the school.  You could take control of one of them.  You and your friends, one group each.”<br/>
<br/>
“So that they’d do what is best for Westside,” asks Frank, his tone of voice making clear exactly what he really thinks of the question.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea doesn’t notice, or at least chooses to ignore it.  “Exactly, though…” she pauses for a second and furrows her brow.  “You know what would be really fun:  Setting everyone against each other.  All that plotting and no one realising that both sides were run by the same people.”  She hugs you again.  Her body wriggles against yours, doing nothing to calm the burgeoning stiffy in your pants.  “I want that,” she whispers in your ear.  “I want it a <i>lot</i>.”<br/>
<br/>
Frank, however, scoffs in reply.  “Seriously?  That’s what you want to do?”  He shakes his head angrily.  “What a waste.”<br/>
<br/>
“I think it’s a good idea,” counters Joe.  He ignores Frank’s grunted reply.  “We’re seeing what we can do here, aren’t we Prescott?”  You nod at him, turning yourself away from Chelsea reluctantly.  “So it gives us a chance to see what we can do.  Prescott’s gotta learn his new <i>ousiarchs</i>…”<br/>
<br/>
“His new <i>ousiarchs</i>,” splutters Frank.<br/>
<br/>
“… and whoever he puts the rest of our <i>essentia </i>into will have to do the same,” continues Joe without missing a beat.<br/>
<br/>
“I worked out how to have four,” you explain to Frank sheepishly.  “Glundandra and Eldibria now too.”<br/>
<br/>
“And it gives Prescott time to figure out what he can do with the <i>Libra</i>,” adds Joe.  “By the time we leave Westside at the end of the year – whoever <i>we </i>are – we’ll be all set up to do whatever we want.”<br/>
<br/>
“If you say so,” says Frank grudgingly.<br/>
<br/>
“Wait,” says Chelsea, catching up to what Joe has been saying.  “Is there more than the three of you?”<br/>
<br/>
“Another two, if Prescott wants,” explains Joe.  “Or we could double up the <i>essentia</i>, now that we know how.  Give me a little Malacandra.  I’ll be better at it than Frank ever is,” he pleads, making puppy dog eyes.  Beside you Chelsea giggles.<br/>
<br/>
“No,” you counter as firmly as you can manage.  “We’ll split them up.  Malacandra and Sulva, Perelandra and Catilindria – once Chelsea suggests where we can put them.”<br/>
<br/>
“Thank you,” smiles Chelsea before hugging you again.  For the briefest of moments your lips connect and your feel her tongue break into your mouth.  Then it’s gone again, leaving your wondering if it really happened or you just imagined it as she steps away from you.  “This is going to be <i>so </i>amazing.”<br/>
<br/>
“So…” you say weakly.<br/>
<br/>
“So,” repeats Chelsea.<br/>
<br/>
“Who do you think I should become,” you ask.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea cocks her head to one side and screws up her face.  It’s unclear if her expression is genuine or affectation, but after a few moments she gives you her answer.  “The AP crowd.”<br/>
<br/>
A spike of ill-feeling knots in the pit of your stomach.  Resentments that you had forgotten you had.  “Lisa,” you growl quietly, but not so quietly that Chelsea cannot hear you.<br/>
<br/>
She scrunches up her face again.  “Lisa Yarborough,” she says in a puzzled voice after a little thought.  “She hangs out with them, dating Geoff Mansfield.”  The mention of his name feels like icy spikes being driven through your gut.  Chelsea must have caught the wince you made, as her eyes glitter maliciously.  “You could do something about that.  Kelsey Blakenship could apply the pressure to make them break up.  Or you could be Geoff yourself and date Lisa that way.”<br/>
<br/>
Your eyes narrow.  Chelsea’s pushing your buttons – expertly too it seems.  A part of you wants to tell her to stop, but it’s being voted down by the other part of you.  The part that is screaming for revenge.<br/>
<br/>
“Or maybe you could be Lisa and break Geoff’s heart,” she grins.<br/>
<br/>
“He doesn’t have one,” you growl angrily.<br/>
<br/>
“<i>Everyone </i>has one,” answers Chelsea.  “You just have to know where to push.  What about Lisa?  Would it break her heart if Deanna Showalter stole Geoff away from her?  That could be you too…”<br/>
<br/>
“What do you get out of it,” you manage to ask, trying to blot out the siren voices in your own head that demand you take up Chelsea’s suggestion.<br/>
<br/>
The question catches her off guard.  “They’re all so snooty,” she whines honestly.  She as no option but to answer truthfully, your position as the golem’s master makes the instruction binding.  “They look down on me.  Oh that’s not fair, forcing me to tell you like that” she pouts.  “Even if you don’t do it for me, there’s still a lot of good reasons to pick the AP students.”<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea isn’t wrong.  Most of the people she’s mentioned would all be good people to be.  They come from well to do backgrounds.  They’re all high achievers at Westside and they have a good life mapped out ahead of them.  People look up to them – or at least aren’t rude directly to their face.<br/>
<br/>
You just don’t like the feeling that the golem is manipulating you.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211121
author_id: rugal
title: The Pick of the Litter
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>She could be manipulating you. She probably <i>is</i> trying to manipulate you. But at the end of the day you realize she truly can't, can she? Chelsea Cooper is wrapped around <i>your</i> finger, not the reverse, so if you're leaning towards the AP group it's because it's not because that's where she wants you. So you look at her and nod a bit, "Yeah, you're right Chelsea. There <i>are</i> a lot of good reasons to go with them. So I'm going to do just that."<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea's face lights up and she throws her arms around you once more. "Oh, Will! You made the right choice!" she coos happily, "You'll see, that's a good crowd of people to have under control."<br/>
<br/>
"Just make sure it's all actually under <i>your</i> control." states Frank as he glowers at both you and Chelsea.<br/>
<br/>
"What's that supposed to imply?" asks Chelsea, more than a hint of disdain in her voice.<br/>
<br/>
Frank, however, drills a hole right through her with his stare. "What do you think it implies?" he asks, "Because whatever you think that's probably what it is."<br/>
<br/>
"Frank, come on." you say as you hold up a hand to try and stop them. "If you think Chelsea's trying to goad me into doing what she wants... well that's insane. She can't." You then look over at Chelsea and smile, "You're not going to try and manipulate me, are you?"<br/>
<br/>
A very subtle shift seems to overtake Chelsea and she shakes her head. "No, of course not. I'd never try to." she says in an innocent voice.<br/>
<br/>
"See?" you grin at Frank, "Nothing to worry about. I'm going along with what she said because she brought up good points; that <i>is</i> why I brought her here after all. Taking over that group of people has too many benefits and no real discernable downsides I can think of. There's the arrogance but that can be dealt with using either the essentia and anima or just a mask if we have to."<br/>
<br/>
Frank eyes you and then shakes his head and grumbles.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, what was that Frank?" Straussler asks teasingly as he leans over and cups his ear, "You think that all sounds pretty spot on?"<br/>
<br/>
"I said I hope he actually knows what he's doing." Frank replies in a measured but clearly irritated tone, "Because I don't want him dragging us down with him if he messes up."<br/>
<br/>
"I'm not gonig to be dragging anyone down; you, me or otherwise." you reply in a forceful, confident manner. "We have to make sure we can do all this and we have to make sure we can run the show with no problems. If we can't take over a high school how can we take over the Stellae?" You suck your breath in; you're certainly putting on a braver front than usual, "We're going to have to take chances."<br/>
<br/>
There's a long silence and then finally Frank nods his acceptance.<br/>
<br/>
"Great, glad we're on the same page then!" you exclaim with a grin. You then turn to Chelsea, "I'm going to have to hitch a ride with you to school tomorrow, by the way."<br/>
<br/>
It's now her turn to eye you. "You think I have time to come all the way out here to pick you up and bring you to school?" she asks rather huffily.<br/>
<br/>
"Isn't there another 'you' running around there anyway?" asks Straussler.<br/>
<br/>
"No, I mean I'm going to have to take her over tomorrow." you reply as you make a waving motion in front of your face, though without saying the words to make the transfer happen. "Try to scope out the group and see who'd be the best to get and see if I can get them out here."<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea makes a face at that. "Can't you just, like, have me call you or we can talk about this or something?" she asks, "I don't want you riding around inside of me."<br/>
<br/>
"It'll be easier this way, trust me." you state in a reassuring manner. "I know you don't really mind it so send me a text when you get to school."<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea's expression softens, "No, I guess I don't." she sighs, "Alright, fine. Just don't do anything that'll make people think I'm not, you know, me."<br/>
<br/>
"Wouldn't think of it." you reply. You then send her on her way home before her mother starts wondering where she is and turn back to Frank and the disguised Joe, flashing that smile at them once more. Figuring out the ousiarch trick has left you feeling much more confident. "See? It's all good. The three of us have this under control."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
<br/>
Once you receive Chelsea's text early in the morning you make the motions and say the words and in a flash you're in the parking lot of Westside High School sitting in Chelsea's car; she must've sent it before actually getting out. You note the way Chelsea's body feels, the large breasts and toned stomach and legs indicative of a girl that keeps herself in prime physical shape. You take a quick look in her rearview mirror at the blonde hair, blue eyes and winning smile.<br/>
<br/>
"Chelsea Cooper, you really are a sight aren't you?" you say to yourself in an amused manner before stepping out of the car.<br/>
<br/>
You bound over towards the gym where the cheerleading squad is in the locker room getting changed as Chelsea's ordered a before school practice pretty much to exercise a bit of power and show Cara Furhman, the new girl, exactly how things are going to be. In the locker room and during practice you engage in gossip with Kendra and Gloria, Chelsea's two lieutenants.<br/>
<br/>
You work Yumi a little extra hard and heap a little extra criticism at her and while part of you feels bad about it, Yumi's always been nice to you, you have to stay in character and Chelsea's mind tells you that she's almost certainly next on the chopping block. Well, you might have to have a little talk with Chelsea about reconsidering that. Or she might be a good place for Frank or Joe; it would be a huge boon for Chelsea if Yumi went from enemy to ally.<br/>
<br/>
There's more to do of course. Placating Gordon is at the top of the list. The human wall of anger gets wound up and it's up to Chelsea to <i>un</i>wind him when that happens. Thankfully you don't have to do more than some sweet talk, some caressing and a little bit of kissing to calm him for another few days.<br/>
<br/>
You spend the rest of the day trying to observe the AP students, going through and weighing the pros and cons of each possibility. By close to the end of the day you've got your list and in a class that neither Chelsea nor you particularly care for you look it over both to find a name and as more potential homes for Frank and/or Joe if you think having an ally in the AP group would be good. Although, and perhaps it's Chelsea's thought processes influencing you, putting yourself, Frank and Joe in different social groups might be for the best to help strengthen your influence over the school.<br/>
<br/>
Still you look over the list. Kelsey Blankenship is at the very top. If there's a more smug, more conceited person than Chelsea in Westside then Kelsey is it. Well off, smart, determined, confident, attractive though not quite to the degree of some of her peers. The teachers love her. She'll have go to a good school, have a good career. She seems practically untouchable.<br/>
<br/>
Then there's Amanda Ferguson. What she lacks in Kelsey's academic and career excellence she makes up for in sex appeal. A large chest, windswept auburn hair, piercing gray eyes and a fashion sense that emphasizes her attractiveness and drives boys wild.<br/>
<br/>
Deanna Showalter is next on the list. Short, peroxide blonde hair, a button nose, large cheeks and a light smattering of freckles. Far more approachable, far more outgoing and a veritable gossip hound.<br/>
<br/>
The fourth name on the list is Kim Walsh. Kim is cute but she's respectable as the senior class president. She's got her fingers in lots of different pies and is a busybody who gets along with most everyone. But that niceness could be mistaken for weakness.<br/>
<br/>
You immediately cross out three names: Marc Garner, Ricky Golia and Geoff Mansfield. Marc, the third of the Garner triplets that includes Eva and Jessica from the cheerleading squad, is too on the fringes, too quiet, not a mover and shaker.<br/>
<br/>
Ricky... he's a jerk looking to usurp Kim's position but he's not a likable sort and he's wrapped around Amanda's nicely manicured finger.<br/>
<br/>
As for Geoff... well, fuck Geoff.<br/>
<br/>
But that takes you to the last name on your list. What Chelsea said yesterday runs through your mind. If you wanted to ruin Mansfield you could, easily. You might have to fuck Geoff a little but you'd really fuck him a <i>lot</i> too. And you'd finally have her, though not the way you ever planned. Should you do it? Should you become Lisa Yarborough?</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111211
author_id: rugal
title: My Girl, Myself
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>The question continues to run through your mind: should you become Lisa Yarborough? Eventually, by the time you reach the last class of the day, you come to the decision that you should. The decision makes sense to you. Geoff Mansfield is an asshole and Lisa is too good for him. He doesn't deserve someone like her and yet she seems so blind to that fact and if she can't seem to understand that... well, you'd be doing her a favor right?<br/>
<br/>
Besides, none of the other options do much of anything for you. Sexy as Amanda is being her means having to deal with Ricky to keep him in line and you'd rather have nothing to do with him like that. Kelsey's a stuck-up bitch who rubs everyone the wrong way. Kim is much more well-liked but you fear that she's too nice which could leave you getting pushed around. Deanna is liked too but passive-aggressiveness on Kelsey's group hold her back<br/>
<br/>
Lisa though... she's not the most popular member of the group but people do like her. If you could worm your way, maybe get an ally in Kim, then outmanuevering Kelsey and her group and taking control should be possible.<br/>
<br/>
The big problem is getting to her. Chelsea and Lisa have never interacted much and while there's no enmity, at least on Lisa's end, they're not friends. But as the bell rings and class lets out you mentally shrug and decide to try the direct approach. You make a beeline for Lisa's locker and are relieved to see her there... as well as Mansfield. You'll have to get rid of him.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, Lisa! I'm so glad I ran into you!" you exclaim in a friendly manner as you approach them.<br/>
<br/>
Both look over at you in surprise but it's Lisa who speaks. "Oh! Chelsea! Hi, this is... a surprise." she says taken off guard.<br/>
<br/>
"A nice surprise." Mansfield adds with a grin to which Lisa replies with a light and affectionate punch to the arm but one that also tells him to cut it out.<br/>
<br/>
"So what brings you around here, anyway?" she asks as she grabs a few books out, probably stuff she'll need for homework.<br/>
<br/>
"Well, there's something I'd like to talk to you abou." you say before casting a glance at Mansfield, "Girl to girl, if that'd be alright."<br/>
<br/>
"Lisa and I were discussing some important things ourselves." Mansfield replies, "Boyfriend to girlfriend, if that's alright."<br/>
<br/>
"Geoff!" Lisa says sharply, "I'm sorry but he does have a point. You can't talk about this here?"<br/>
<br/>
Mansfield's response irritated you but Lisa is a more calming presence so you acquiesce. "Fine. Alright, so I was contacted by someone who wanted to host a get together. Does the name Jonathan Straussler ring any bells?" That causes their eyes to widen, "I thought so. Well, Jon wants to hold a little meeting out at his place. The best and brightest of Eastman and Westside coming together for a little... détente he said."<br/>
<br/>
"That sounds like a good idea." Lisa states plainly.<br/>
<br/>
"It is!" you exclaim, "Anyway, Steve was contacted too so the both of us are looking for people to bring; he's looking for guys, I'm looking for girls and you're one of those girls Lisa. So what do you say?"<br/>
<br/>
Lisa gives it a thought before nodding, "I don't know why you'd pick me but... sure. I'll go."<br/>
<br/>
"What about me?" Mansfield asks.<br/>
<br/>
"I just told you that Steve is the one gathering guys. Whether or not you get an invite is up to him."<br/>
<br/>
"But Steve hates me!" he protests.<br/>
<br/>
"Well that's tough luck, then, isn't it?" you say with more than a hint of smug joy in your voice. This causes Mansfield to mutter something to Lisa before storming off. "Is he going to be alright?"<br/>
<br/>
"He'll be fine, don't worry." she replies, "So when is it?"<br/>
<br/>
"Today, actually." you answer, "In fact, we should probably get out there since it's a drive. What do you say we grab our cars and you follow me?"<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
You see your imago floating before you... or to be more specific the inner workings of your image. The clasps, as is probably the best way to describe it, that join the physical and mental halves of the image are there; countless in number and more than a little daunting. However you try your best to keep your cool, significantly easier now that you're in Frank's body and have his more determined mind to support your own, and get to the task at hand: unhooking those clasps and disconnecting the physical and mental portions of the imago.<br/>
<br/>
The act itself is the simple part. The difficult one is doing that act again and again, over and over, one after the the other. It's tedious and it takes all your willpower to keep concentrated on the task at hand, especially due to what you hear from outside your mental space as you go about your work.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh my God!"<br/>
<br/>
It's Chelsea's voice that cries out, a mixture of surprise and horror. For a brief moment you want to open your eyes to see what it is that has her so upset but you fight the urge and continue your work. This clasp is undone, then that one, then the next, on and on until finally your mental and physical imago float in front of you. You grasp the mental one and are about to do the same to the physical but stop. You're no longer going to be Will Prescott, physically, are you? The golem is already in place so you have no reason to ever step into that role or life again; and so you allow it to float away and disappear into nothingness.<br/>
<br/>
"The mask and the doll," you say to Joe trying not to lose concentration, "Grab them. Mask on the book, doll on the mask, got it?"<br/>
<br/>
In a few seconds your partner as given you the affirmative so you get to work doing the same for Lisa's physical and mental imago. It comes along much easier and much faster, feeling more natural and less laborious. Once the separation is done you then take hold of her mental imago and push it toward your own. With only slight prodding both sets of mental imago begin to connect and entwine and as the process plays out there's a feeling--an indescribable one--that you want to say is at the back of your skull but you're not sure that'd be correct.<br/>
<br/>
There's a warmth there but also a bit of nervousness and uncertainty.<br/>
<br/>
The process finishes and all that's left is adding Lisa's physical imago. Much like that implies, it's a reverse of the process with your own imago as you skillfully seek out and find each clasp and connect them, fastening them into place. You're not quite sure how long the process takes--not just the task of reconnecting the two imago halves but the entire operation--but eventually the last of them comes into view, the last connection is made and you finally allow your eyes to open.<br/>
<br/>
You take a brief look to your side and see Joe, still done up as Jon, and a confused and possibly somewhat frightened Chelsea clinging to him. You look forward to see something that looks exactly like the the girl you've long been pining for laying there. You then wave a hand and leave Frank's body.<br/>
<br/>
"How do you feel?" comes the voice of the nise Jon as you feel yourself come back to awareness.<br/>
<br/>
"You know how a southern summer is? When you step out and the humidity just saps you of all your strength?" you hear Frank respond groggily.<br/>
<br/>
You stir before bringing yourself to a sitting position. You brush a bit of raven hair out of your face and look down at large but not too large chest, you take one in your hand, heft it and let it drop. It's a feeling that you can't describe and an action that brings attention to you.<br/>
<br/>
"Is that you, Will?" asks Jon.<br/>
<br/>
You want to nod but you're not sure that's the correct answer so you just say what comes to mind. "It is but... it isn't." you say vaguely.<br/>
<br/>
"That doesn't make much sense." Frank pipes in, still smarting.<br/>
<br/>
"That's because it's hard to explain." you state, and you're surprised by how calm you're being. "With the anima bands it's like using a new personality to override the old one but with this it's different. The easiest way to think of it is that Lisa Yarborough and Will Prescott aren't separate people anymore." You then cast another look down at your body and hug yourself, "Half of me is excited and amazed to see this, he's been fantasizing about it. To the other half this is what she sees every day and the weird part is sharing it with her ex-boyfriend."<br/>
<br/>
"All this mystical crap is making my head hurt." Chelsea complains.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, Chelsea I want to tell you something: don't cut Yumi from the squad." you state.<br/>
<br/>
"Don't cut her?" she asks, "But why? She's such an uptight bitch!"<br/>
<br/>
"Because I want to put Frank in for her." you state and that catches both him and Chelsea by surprise, "With Frank as Yumi you'll have an ally and he'll keep the opposing side in check."<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea bites her lip but concedes. "That sounds good... Jessica would go along with Yumi. Eva's a hothead but will go along with her sister. Lin's still a wildcard though."<br/>
<br/>
"Then we use Lin for the last bit of essentia we have." you state, "Or maybe we put Frank in Lin and use the essentia with Yumi. Either way you'll have the squad under control."<br/>
<br/>
"What about me?" Jon asks, "Do I get to be a pretty cheerleader too? Can I be Maria?"<br/>
<br/>
"Well... you'll be a girl but you'll be with me." you say with a bright smile.<br/>
<br/>
You've got two options in mind, in fact. The first is Kim. You need her as an ally and with Joe running her that'll be dealt with. Plus with Joe running her, she wouldn't be pushed around.<br/>
<br/>
The other, however, is Deanna. Her and Lisa, you really, have a rivalry due to her massive crush on Geoff. That crush is really her biggest negative aspect as Kelsey, Amanda and the like have called it "pathetic". Joe in Deanna would take care of that and you're confident you could get Kim on your side without anyone running her; that would mean a nice power trio of yourself, Deanna and Kim to counter Kelsey. As a bonus, when you end things with Geoff his obvious Plan B won't be there and in fact his ex and her former rival will be on the same side. It'd crush his pride.</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111212
author_id: rugal
title: A Very Different Kelsey Blankenship
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>By the time last period lets out you shouldn't, you realize. You'd rather not involve her at all and you don't want to be around that prick Mansfield even if it's to ruin him. Plus you're not even sure how you'd get close to Lisa in the first place although with Chelsea's mind at your disposal at the moment you'd undoubtedly be able to cook something up. Not wanting to be around Mansfield would also eliminate Deanna as Chelsea's mind tells you about her not-so-secret feelings for him. With Amanda, Ricky is just too much of a greasy little weasel and as her you'd have to pay him just enough attention to keep him happy which isn't an enticing prospect.<br/>
<br/>
That leaves Kim and Kelsey. Both of them wield considerable influence both among the AP group and school in general but they're about as opposite as it gets and, much as you like Kim, her niceness might not cause people to take her as seriously. That would leave...<br/>
<br/>
"Kelsey!" you chirp as you glide up to her while she puts some books in her locker.<br/>
<br/>
She turns to look at you with a blindingly bright smile, "Chelsea, I see you're looking as nice as always."<br/>
<br/>
"You too, Kels!" you say cheerily. The passive aggressiveness is evident in both of your voices.<br/>
<br/>
"So what do you want?" Kelsey asks as she closes her locker and the faux-cheeriness, and temperature, drops just a bit.<br/>
<br/>
You, however, keep a bright and friendly expression. "Oh, well there's a small get together I'm headed to," you state, "and I was wondering if you wanted to come along. A few people from Westside, a few from Eastman..."<br/>
<br/>
Any pretense of fake friendliness from Kelsey is now gone as she rolls her eyes. "Chelsea, please. I have more important stuff to do than go with you, of all people, to a stupid little party. Especially with--"<br/>
<br/>
"Jonathan Straussler." you state.<br/>
<br/>
"--Jonathan Straussler." Kelsey finishes, influenced by what you've said which gives her pause, "Wait, Straussler?"<br/>
<br/>
"It's at his place." you smirk, "He wants to try and make peace between the schools so he's throwing a little soirée at his place with some of the more influential people at each place. He told Kim who told me and we've told a few other people."<br/>
<br/>
Kelsey eyes you with a mix of wariness and contempt. "If he told Kim, why did she tell you instead of me?" she asks.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe she just came across me first? Maybe it slipped her mind?" you try to sound as innocent as possible. "But are you really going to pass up a chance to go to Jonathan's mansion?"<br/>
<br/>
Kelsey continues to eye you but eventually her defense begins to show small cracks and before you know it enough damage has been done to allow you to get in. "No, I guess not." she says with a tiny bit of resignation in her voice, "So when are we going over there?"<br/>
<br/>
Your expression becomes a little more foxish now that you know you've won. "Oh, right now actually. Better to get there as soon as possible, you know." you state in a friendly manner. You notice that while her defenses are weakened, they're still up so she still looks at you warily, "Why would I lie about this, Kelsey?" you say projecting a slight hint of annoyance, "Just get in your car and follow me."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
You see your imago floating before you... or to be more specific the inner workings of your image. The clasps, as is probably the best way to describe it, that join the physical and mental halves of the image are there; countless in number and more than a little daunting. However you try your best to keep your cool, significantly easier now that you're in Frank's body and have his more determined mind to support your own, and get to the task at hand: unhooking those clasps and disconnecting the physical and mental portions of the imago.<br/>
<br/>
The act itself is the simple part. The difficult one is doing that act again and again, over and over, one after the the other. It's tedious and it takes all your willpower to keep concentrated on the task at hand, especially due to what you hear from outside your mental space as you go about your work.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh my God!"<br/>
<br/>
It's Chelsea's voice that cries out, a mixture of surprise and horror. For a brief moment you want to open your eyes to see what it is that has her so upset but you fight the urge and continue your work. This clasp is undone, then that one, then the next, on and on until finally your mental and physical imago float in front of you. You grasp the mental one and are about to do the same to the physical but stop. You're no longer going to be Will Prescott, physically, are you? The golem is already in place so you have no reason to ever step into that role or life again; and so you allow it to float away and disappear into nothingness.<br/>
<br/>
"The mask and the doll," you say to Joe trying not to lose concentration, "Grab them. Mask on the book, doll on the mask, got it?"<br/>
<br/>
In a few seconds your partner as given you the affirmative so you get to work doing the same for Kelsey's physical and mental imago. It comes along much easier and much faster, feeling more natural and less laborious. Once the separation is done you then take hold of her mental imago and push it toward your own. With only slight prodding both sets of mental imago begin to connect and entwine and as the process plays out there's a feeling--an indescribable one--that you want to say is at the back of your skull but you're not sure that'd be correct.<br/>
<br/>
Cold yet warm, hard yet soft and it brings with it a sense of arrogance yet accompanied with genuine pride and confidence.<br/>
<br/>
The process finishes and all that's left is adding Kelsey's physical imago. Much like that implies, it's a reverse of the process with your own imago as you skillfully seek out and find each clasp and connect them, fastening them into place. You're not quite sure how long the process takes--not just the task of reconnecting the two imago halves but the entire operation--but eventually the last of them comes into view, the last connection is made and you finally allow your eyes to open.<br/>
<br/>
You take a brief look to your side and see Joe, still done up as Jon, and a confused and possibly somewhat frightened Chelsea clinging to him. You look forward to see something that looks exactly like the AP queen in front of you. You then wave a hand and leave Frank's body.<br/>
<br/>
"How do you feel?" comes the voice of the nise Jon as you feel yourself come back to awareness.<br/>
<br/>
"You know how a southern summer is? When you step out and the humidity just saps you of all your strength?" you hear Frank respond groggily.<br/>
<br/>
You flutter your eyes open, sit up, yawn and stretch. "So everything went well?" you asl before you let a smirk form, "What am I saying, of <i>course</i> it went well."<br/>
<br/>
"Will? That you?" asks Jon.<br/>
<br/>
"Yes and no." you reply leaving all three of your companions bewildered. "The thoughts, the personality, the very being of Will Prescott are in here but they're combined with those same features, and in the body, of Kelsey Blankenship."<br/>
<br/>
"So you're... what, not you?" asks Frank still trying to shake off the effects of your use of him.<br/>
<br/>
"Like I said, yes and no." you reiterate, a bit of annoyance creeping into your voice. It's replaced, however, with a mild condescension as you explain further. "This isn't like when I placed the anima band on you or your brother. It's not inserting one mind into another body and overriding the controlling one. It's a full-on merging. I'm Will but I'm also, and I expect you to refer to me as, Kelsey. There's no separation between the two; we're one and the same now."<br/>
<br/>
"Great, wonderful." Chelsea pouts. "I thought that by putting you in there it'd mean I wouldn't have to deal with Kelsey being a cunt to me."<br/>
<br/>
You snicker a bit, "Chelsea, didn't you hear me? Kelsey's mannerisms and feelings are there but so are Will's. I'm not..."<br/>
<br/>
You trail off at that. You're not what? The bitch that everyone thinks you are? Well, you are... aren't you? Well around your family you're find and you're a bit of a daddy's girl. But that's not the same. No there's... Karl? Karl Hennepin? That was a fling with the guy who's cute in an offbeat kind of way. You secretly like the guys who are from a world removed from your own after all. But Karl just has a way about him. He's funny and sweet and makes you feel comfortable and at ease. You're a different Kelsey Blankenship around him than you are others.<br/>
<br/>
"Will, um, Kelsey?" asks Chelsea.<br/>
<br/>
You shake your head, "No, nothing." you say before turning to look back at her, "If you want me to treat you better I will. But you have to make me a promise."<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea eyes you suspiciously, "And what's that?"<br/>
<br/>
The smirk returns, you know she can't refuse an order. "I know you're planning on cutting Yumi from the squad, but don't. Don't cut her."<br/>
<br/>
She gives it a moment's thought. "I... guess. But why? Because <i>you</i> were friends with her?"<br/>
<br/>
"Well... yes." you state bluntly, "But I also want you to consider this: what would be better? Yumi off the squad and against you or Yumi on the squad and with you?"<br/>
<br/>
"With me? But how?"<br/>
<br/>
"Simple: we put either Joe or Frank here in for her." you answer, "With one of them running her she'll be on your side and that should take care of any potential mutinies. And it might be a good idea to put the other with me now that I think about it. Kim, Ricky, Amanda... bringing one of them to my side more firmly would mean better control over the AP group."<br/>
<br/>
"That's true... but I was expecting everyone to go somewhere else and control different groups." Chelsea says.<br/>
<br/>
That gives you pause. That could work too and is an equally good idea. You've got an easy in to the underground as well but now you're left with something of a replay of your earlier dilemma. Kelsey does, you do, genuinely care for Karl... would you want to replace him and risk changing what he is just to go with Chelsea's idea?</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211122
author_id: imaj
title: Chelsea Explains It All, Part Two
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>“That isn’t your only idea,” says Joe diplomatically.  You close your eyes momentarily and offer a silent thank you.  A flat no would only have angered Chelsea.  Though you could always order the golem to accept your decision, you suppose.  Or would that change her personality too much?<br/>
<br/>
“I’ve got lots of ideas,” beams Chelsea, pulling your attention back to her.  “Don’t you want to run the AP set?”<br/>
<br/>
“We just want to make a good decision,” answers Joe for you again.  “Who else is there?”<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea makes her thinking face again – you’re increasingly sure that she’s putting it on – and then answers Joe’s question with a grin.  “The wannabes.”<br/>
<br/>
“The who?”  You have to ask.<br/>
<br/>
“The wannabes,” states Chelsea again.  “You know the people that aren’t as popular as me.”  No flicker appears on her face.  No little wry smile or tell to indicate that she is being anything other than one hundred percent sincere.  “But aren’t as unpopular as all the losers.  Uh… no offence meant.”<br/>
<br/>
“None taken,” you say weakly.<br/>
<br/>
“I mean, I didn’t mean to say you’re a loser or anything,” continues Chelsea, now with just the hint of malice in her eyes.  “I mean you are, but that’s what we’re changing isn’t it?  You’ll be popular when we’ve decided who you can be, even if it's only someone from the second table.”<br/>
<br/>
“Who is that though,” asks Joe on your behalf.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, the football team I guess,” says Chelsea with a dismissive wave of her hand.  “If you don’t mind losing every game from now till graduation.  Molly Shaw and her groupies.  I’d like to know some of the things they get up,” she adds darkly.  “Joe Ysleta and Victoria Rodriguez, or Cameron Huber and Anne Starkey.  If you don’t mind being a cheap knockoff of me and Gordon.”<br/>
<br/>
“You don’t make it sound that good,” frowns Joe.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh it’s not like that,” pouts Chelsea, crossing her arms.  “It’s just…  they aren’t as popular.  We could change all that though.  Once you’re in place,” she finishes, unfolding her arms and placing her index finger lightly on your chest.”<br/>
<br/>
“And what do you get,” you stutter.<br/>
<br/>
“Influence,” admits Chelsea.  “I don’t move much in the circles these guys do.  And I don’t trust Kendra to be honest about what she hears from some of them.”<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111222
author_id: rugal
title: The Bottom of the Barrel?
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>"We'll give it some thought." you say rather plainly which leads to further pouting from Chelsea. "Look, we want to keep all our options open on all of this as this is a large undertaking. A place that works for me might not work for Frank or Joe and vice versa, you know what I mean?"<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea still pouts but her expression softens a bit. "Yeah, I guess. I just hate feel like I'm being shot down; like you think my ideas are... are stupid."<br/>
<br/>
"Chelsea, please. We don't think your ideas are stupid at all." Joe jumps in trying to be reassuring, "If anyone would have good ideas about where we should go, it's Chelsea Cooper after all." he says in a pitch perfect imitation of Chelsea's voice.<br/>
<br/>
"Man, I knew about your ability to imitate voices but I never really thought about you imitating a female one." you say in complete honesty, "Don't know why."<br/>
<br/>
"I never have much of a reason to." he replies still copying Chelsea's voice, "Besides it's not really convincing come from someone who looks like <i>me</i>. Now that I think about it, though, it might through someone off balance, eh?"<br/>
<br/>
"The only thing off balance is way of thinking." Frank replies with typical grumpiness.<br/>
<br/>
"Maybe, because I think I'll keep this up for a bit. Getting some practice in with off beat voices is good anyway." smiles Joe and at that point you're sure he's doing it more to annoy his brother than out of any sincere desire for practice.<br/>
<br/>
You just shake your head and turn back to a very clearly annoyed and uncomfortable Chelsea. "I'm sorry about that." you say reassuringly, "Any other ideas though?"<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea grumbles a bit but eventually relents. "All that's really left is... I don't even know what you'd call them." Chelsea states with a bit of disdain, "They're just a random bunch of people at this point. There's the underground for one."<br/>
<br/>
"The underground? Who's in there?" you ask.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea shrugs, "Karl Hennepin for one. Jelena Petrovic, Fatima... something, the terrorist girl that hangs out with..." she stops at that and her face turns into a sneer, "That trashy slut Sienna Goldman. Ugh."<br/>
<br/>
"Anyone else?"<br/>
<br/>
"For the seniors? Just the ones who don't really have status. The ones who are there." she states rather dully, "Christine Coolidge or Bethany Lewis or Olivia Byrne from the swim team. Elle Moore or Audrey Briscoe from the drama club. That ultra-Christian girl Yvette Moore. Almida Jones and the girl's basketball team. Maggie Crenshaw and the softball team. That weirdo wannabe writer Laura MacGregor. That witch girl Morgana Hollis." She continues to rattle off names, she must have an encyclopedic knowledge of who's who you muse, but she does catch your attention once more, "...Ioeger, James Lamont, Jenny Ashton..."<br/>
<br/>
"Wait, back up, who?" you ask.<br/>
<br/>
"Carson Ioeger, James Lamont and Jenny Ashton?" Chelsea asks. "You're not considering one of <i>them</i> are you? All of these people would be a challenge but they'd <i>really</i> be one."<br/>
<br/>
"That's true," you state, "but maybe it'd be good to put our ability to gain control to the test. If we could build someone like Jenny or Morgana or Laura up into someone who could wield influence and run the school that'd be great practice for the Stellae."<br/>
<br/>
"Oh I don't know, Jenny's a cutie in her way. Right friends and it wouldn't be hard." Joe says this time copying Jenny's voice. Right, your anima, your memories. Now <i>you're</i> starting to get a headache.<br/>
<br/>
"If you want difficult," Chelsea says with a bit of a smirk on her face, "why go with a senior?"<br/>
<br/>
This grabs your attention and you eye her with confusion.<br/>
<br/>
"Why not be a junior? Or a sophomore? Or, hell, a freshman?" Chelsea asks before adding, "There's this freshman girl, Amala Kapoor. Super pretty plus her dad's got some important position at Proteus or something so she's got money. Cara Fuhrman, new girl on the squad's, a junior and her friends aren't bad either."<br/>
<br/>
"You said something difficult would be good." Frank states cautiously, "And while I'm not against training... lower grades might put it off."<br/>
<br/>
"Stop pissing on everything." the once-again Chelsea-voiced Joe says, "Giving us a couple years of practice wouldn't be a bad thing."<br/>
<br/>
"Joe, if you don't stop that, I promise..." Frank trails off.<br/>
<br/>
"Promise what?" Joe asks teasingly.<br/>
<br/>
You ignore the two of them arguing and focus on what Chelsea's told you. None of these choices are particularly good and like you've said they're all kind of difficult either because of unpopularity or having to play the long game. But you've kind of rejected every other option at this point so it's this or nothing it seems.</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221112221
author_id: imaj
title: Making The Best of A Bad Selection
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You drift off a little, thinking about the choices on offer.  None of them are great, but you definitely want to stay a senior.  High school has hardly been a barrel of laughs for you, and you have no desire to repeat it.  Though you suppose being a popular junior, or even freshman would ease your passage significantly.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh,” says Joe, catching you attention.<br/>
<br/>
“What now,” sighs Frank impatiently.  <br/>
<br/>
“I just thought about something Chelsea said,” answers Joe.  He suddenly switches to Chelsea’s voice again.  “That witch girl Morganna Hollis.”<br/>
<br/>
“So,” mutters Frank.  “She’s not really a witch, she just like dressing in black and moping around.”  Joe grins maniacally back at his brother.  “Oh no…  No, absolutely no way.”<br/>
<br/>
“What,” you interrupt, completely lost.<br/>
<br/>
“What my brother is suggesting is that we make Morganna an <i>actual </i>witch girl,” replies Frank wearily.  “Which is spectacularly dumb, even by his low standards.”<br/>
<br/>
“Why not,” pouts Joe, using his own voice again.  “Between our prodigies and the books we rescued from Blackwell’s we could be the Witches of Westside.  So capitalised,” he adds with a grin.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh it's all fun and games till the <i>Stellae </i>show up,” growls Frank in a low voice.<br/>
<br/>
“With Blackwell’s house burnt down, there’s nothing to link back to us,” explains Joe.  “Besides, the trail ends in Cuthbert.  We’d be careful.”<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t like it,” says Frank with an air of finality.  He folds his arms and give Joe a long hard stare.<br/>
<br/>
“Not that it’s your decision anyway,” mutters Joe under his breath.  “Fine.  Who do you suggest?”<br/>
<br/>
“Jenny, Ioeger and Lamont,” answers Frank firmly.<br/>
<br/>
“I thought we were going to take control of different groups,” whines Chelsea.<br/>
<br/>
“We’re better off sticking together,” counters Frank.  “Those three would be a good choice.  They’ve got a low enough profile that we can stay under the radar.”<br/>
<br/>
“Jenny is friends with Yumi ,” interrupts Chelsea, her eyes glittering with malice.  The sudden turnabout in her attitude catches you by surprise.  There’s nothing that she can’t turn to her advantage, you suppose.<br/>
<br/>
Frank grins darkly.  “With a couple of recruits in the right places we could be running things and no one would know it was us.  We still have two more sets of <i>essentia </i>we could use.”  He hesitates for a moment before continuing.  “We could make some more golems too.”<br/>
<br/>
“So you’d be like, the powers behind the throne,” says Chelsea.  She grins a little.  “I can live with that.”<br/>
<br/>
“What do you think Will,” asks Frank, turning to look at you.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211122211
author_id: rugal
title: The Coven Conspiracy
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>"I think..." you pause, not sure what you think. Both brothers make good points, no doubt, but which one makes the better one? You weigh it over in your head for a minute, running through the pros, cons and logistics of each one.<br/>
<br/>
"Will?" asks Joe.<br/>
<br/>
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." you state and after another minute you snap as it comes to you, "Alright, yeah, I've got it. Frank, you make a lot of good points but I'm liking Joe's idea more."<br/>
<br/>
"Yes! In your face, Frank!" Joe hoots as he jumps to his feet.<br/>
<br/>
Frank just grumbles and places his head into his hands. "I don't really get it. Why do that? Why give <i>him</i> ammunition?" he grumbles.<br/>
<br/>
"I'm not giving anyone ammunition, Frank." you reply defensively, "But if we're going to manage a magic society best to start with a magic society of our own. Somebody with an occult and mystical interest with knowledge to real magic would also help us get through this book faster and figure out more applications."<br/>
<br/>
"And what about the Stellae?" Frank asks still very clearly perturbed, "Joe said there's nothing to get back to us but... you never know. They're very good at what they do and Joe knows as well as I do that if we've missed even the tiniest speck of anything they'll start putting it together."<br/>
<br/>
You rub your chin thoughtfully, "Maybe," you state, "but if that happens then we deal with it and move up our plans to take the Stellae."<br/>
<br/>
"Will's right." adds Joe, "We've dealt with Rick and Aparijita and Will dealt with us before the anima bands were put on. With us, the book, the experience in Cuthbert and the old, fat warlock's work, unless the Stellae sends full army after us we should be able to deal with them."<br/>
<br/>
Frank crosses his arms but casts a hooded glance. "I guess. Rick was probably the most dangerous, relentless and the best investigator the Stellae had so that gives us a leg up. Miko and Fyodor are no slouches though. And what if they get Kali involved in the field again?" he asks as he looks directly at Joe, "Would you have the spine to do to her what we did to Rick and Aparijita?"<br/>
<br/>
"If I was still just Joe Durras, I wouldn't even consider it." comes the reply, "But I'm not. Well I am but, you know, the anima band and all that. So if it came to having to take out Kali, then yeah." He then flashes a smile, "Besides if we don't want to deal with the Stellae at the moment then we could always 'practice' with the Akshardham or the Great Sages, especially the Sages given the ambivalence that'd keep the Stellae off our backs." His smile grows even more catlike, "Or Fane. We've betrayed the Stellae at this point, why not go all out?"<br/>
<br/>
"Guys!" you exclaim holding up a hand to stop them. "If that happens, <i>if</i>, then we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now we need to focus on the school. Chelsea, is there anybody else that you think would make a good witch? Or be easy to convince?"<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea scrunches up her face, "Morgana's the only girl I can think of into all that dumb goth shit. The easiest to convince would be ones like Wendy Silbert or Sophia Wilson, but..."<br/>
<br/>
"But none of them are really enticing, physically or otherwise." you finish her thought, "Even with magic we'd be at a severe disadvantage."<br/>
<br/>
"Well, what about all of those names Chelsea went through?" asks Joe, seriousness in his voice for once.<br/>
<br/>
"What about them?" you ask.<br/>
<br/>
He leans forward and answers, "Well we don't have to be someone like... Gracie McGraw." he makes a face at that, "But instead we replace and add essentia to someone from other under the radar groups; a representative of sorts."<br/>
<br/>
"Representative, huh?" you reply thoughtfully, "Laura's on the school paper so having someone like her on our side, either because of anima or one of us running her, would be good."<br/>
<br/>
"You sure it's not because you used to have a crush on her? Did Chelsea mentioning her stir up some long-buried feelings?" Joe asks teasingly, "But yes, someone like that. Someone from the girls' basketball team. Someone from the swim team. People like that. Just powerful enough to exercise some influence but too under the radar to really grab attention. It'll be a secret society; our own little witchity Bilderberg Group."<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah, that works." you nod, "We'll figure out who to get, then, but first thing's first we need Morgana." You then turn to look at Chelsea, "Do you have any idea how to get her out here?"<br/>
<br/>
"Easy, I'll ask her." Chelsea replies to your surprise, "Oh come on, all of those losers want to be at the top. All of those losers would kill themselves for a chance to hang out with me. If I offer Morgana the chance to come out here with me, she will."<br/>
<br/>
"I'd be careful about talking about them like that, Chelsea." you reply, "Because if an imago switch works we could just as easily do it to you. In fact, we might need to. You're good at planning and plotting and if we're not able to talk to you as we are, well, maybe you'd like being Audrey Briscoe."<br/>
<br/>
You give a small smirk as Chelsea regards that possibility with stark horror.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
"This place is so... it's amazing!" Morgana exclaims. She tries to keep her voice quiet, not attempting to betray her normally dour exterior but that's quickly become impossible.<br/>
<br/>
"I know! It's just so large and all this nice decor, the gorgeous architecture..." you swoon. The words are yours but the voice is Chelsea's. She's been reliable so far but you wanted to leave nothing to chance so you made sure to take control of her in order to make sure everything went off without a hitch. Chelsea was right, too: convincing Morgana to come out to the Straussler residence was incredibly easy.<br/>
<br/>
"The best part about it is now that we're secret friends, we'll be able to see a whole lot more of it!" you exclaim, "Because I'm friends with Jonathan so he won't mind me coming over and he's always saying people should bring friends. Doesn't that sound great?"<br/>
<br/>
Morgana nods, still moving and looking around like she's in a haze. "Yeah, it does. I really don't know what to say, Chelsea. I guess I've had you pegged wrong the whole time."<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, you have, definitely." you smile, "Everyone thinks I'm just some blonde, bimbo bitch but there's a lot about me people don't know. That's what I actually wanted to show you."<br/>
<br/>
The pair of you walk until you see the door that leads to the ballroom and makeshift mystical lab. You open the door and see the metal slabs, the markings, the jars, even the book and other elements that you'll be needing for what you're going to do.<br/>
<br/>
Morganna eyes it all in wonder. "Chelsea... what is all this? It looks so... so..."<br/>
<br/>
"Magical?" you ask with a grin, "It's something Jonathan's into. He's been pulling in people left and right to show this too. He wants to change Eastman and Westside. He wants to make the school division meaningless, the social clique division meaningless. He wants Eastman and Westside students to hang out. Jocks and nerds. He's so convincing so I'm on board, and I want you to be on board too."<br/>
<br/>
"I don't know what to say, Chelsea." Morgana replies eying you, "All of this... it looks so much more advanced than what I've seen at Madame Andrassy's shop." It's then that she notices Joe who smiles and waves at her. "Who's he?"<br/>
<br/>
"Oh him? That's Joe Durras; he's teammates with Jonathan and he's part of our little group. He's on board." you explain before turning to Joe, "Speaking of Jonathan, where is he?"<br/>
<br/>
"Oh right, yeah Fr--er, Jonathan said he was tired fo being cooped up her." Joe explains, "So I told him to go out, get some air, go see Monique."<br/>
<br/>
You nod then turn your attention back to Morgana. "So what do you say, Morgana? Do you want to join us?"<br/>
<br/>
Morgana looks at you, then Joe, then back at you with uncertainty. But then she nods.<br/>
<br/>
"Great! Then close your eyes and we can start the initiation process."<br/>
<br/>
Morgana does so and you motion for Joe to come over. You pull out a bit of knockout powder and blow it at Morgana, Joe catching her as she falls and placing her on the slab.<br/>
<br/>
"Wait, you're really going to do it like that?" he asks.<br/>
<br/>
"Well since Frank's out I can't use him and I'd rather have you helping me do this than Chelsea." you reply, "Plus who knows how much it'd drain me. I can't be out for any significant amount of time."<br/>
<br/>
"And I'm sure the fact you even have Chelsea's body has nothing to do with it, huh?" Joe asks grinning.<br/>
<br/>
You roll your eyes but he's right. Chelsea's body feels nice so you want to keep it just a little while longer. It feels comfortable and you'll need to be as comfortable and calm as possible to do this anyway. You get to work stripping Morgana of first her clothes, then her physical imago, then anima, then essentia. What's left is a vaguely humanoid-shapes gray lump.<br/>
<br/>
You're then left with a bit of a dilemma. Originally you were going to put one of the pairs of essentia, the Sulva/Malacandra combo, into her. Naturally you would've added an anima band, Rick's or the new one that you made up today you weren't sure not that it really mattered, to make sure she'd be a member of the team. But a thought hits you: maybe you should step in for yourself and become Morgana Hollis. But the imago swap is something you'd have to test on the fly and do you really want to use it on Morgana or wait for someone you'd much rather prefer being?</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211122212
author_id: rugal
title: The Shadow Queen
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>"What do I think?" you repeat Frank's question though it's more stalling for time. Both of their ideas are sound and both of them make good points. So which is the better one? "I think... I think I like your idea, Frank."<br/>
<br/>
"Man, really?" Joe says with noticeable disappointment.<br/>
<br/>
"Really." you state, "Frank's right; we don't need to be risk drawing attention to ourselves."<br/>
<br/>
"But we <i>won't</i>!" Joe exclaims with a slight bit of a whine, "Or did you forget what I said two minutes ago? Cuthbert, the destroyed house... maaaaan!"<br/>
<br/>
"Not used to not getting his way?" you ask.<br/>
<br/>
Frank grunts, "No, he's just putting on a show. Like usual." He then turns to Joe and stars at him. It's a hard gaze, a stern one, but not an anger-filled one. More like the type of gaze of an annoyed dad. "Look Joe, you're right about the trail seemingly ending in Cuthbert and the now burned out villa. But with the Stellae we can't take too many risks."<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah? And what risks are those, huh?" asks Joe in a challenging manner. You're not sure if Frank's right about Joe putting on a show or if he really is upset.<br/>
<br/>
Frank, however, is undeterred and keeps pressing. "The trail supposedly ends in Cuthbert but Cuthbert is, relatively, right up the street from Saratoga Falls. So what if you come here? Then there's the Blackwell's villa. Plus we've still been popping up at school so you check Eastman, people will have seen us despite the fact we've now disappeared. Then there's a girl at Westside pulling off actual magic."<br/>
<br/>
Joe moves his mouth as if literally chewing on a thought. He finally speaks after a moment, "Doesn't lead back to us or the book."<br/>
<br/>
"It might not lead back to the <i>book</i> but it'd lead to a mystically empowered Morgana Hollis all the same." Frank states, his gaze still stern, "We've dealt with the best guy to suss out these clues in Rick but you know as well as I do that if I could put together that little chain then someone else from the Stellae could. You're not stupid, Joe, so stop acting like it and look at things logically: it's too big of a risk. Doing this would make things easier."<br/>
<br/>
You nod in agreement. You went with your gut but seeing it laid out it all makes sense, "I get what you're saying, Frank." you state, "We need to concentrate more on taking control and honing our skills. Better to stay as under the radar as possible while we do that."<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah, yeah I get it." Joe grumbles, "You guys win."<br/>
<br/>
"Well I have no idea what you three are even talking about and all this magic garbage is flying right over my head so if you don't need me..." Chelsea's voice cuts through your little debate.<br/>
<br/>
"What? Oh, yeah, sure. Go home, Chelsea." you say absent-mindedly before catching yourself. You order the golem to stop and she does, "Since you mentioned Yumi earlier I want you to tell me if you're planning on doing anything with her and if so what."<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea eyes you but what resistance she can muster fades and she starts talking in a resigned manner, "Yumi's too popular. She's got half the squad behind her. She's a threat that needs to be eliminated so I was going to cut her soon."<br/>
<br/>
"No, you're not." you state plainly, "Because Yumi's gonna be joining our club."<br/>
<br/>
"Yumi's getting some essentia?" Joe asks and his jovial, excitable demeanor has returned, "Which pair?"<br/>
<br/>
"I think... Perelandra and Sulva."<br/>
<br/>
"I thought you were going with different combinations?" Frank asks, raising an eyebrow.<br/>
<br/>
"Well that was before we decided on this course."<br/>
<br/>
"That doesn't explain why those two." Frank states.<br/>
<br/>
You let a small smirk show on your face. "Well think about it: Yumi's gorgeous and cheerleaders inspire, good fit for Perelandra. She's in great shape so she'd make a good fighter and a good fit for Malacandra but the way she straddles the line between the worlds of popular and unpopular, effortlessly blends into any environment? Prime Sulva material." You then lean forward, "If we're running things from the shadows then she makes a good intermediary and for that Sulva works better I think."<br/>
<br/>
Both Frank and Joe nod in agreement though it's Joe who speaks, "Sounds solid."<br/>
<br/>
"Glad we're in agreement, then." you state before turning back to Chelsea, "Alright, now you can go home. But remember: don't cut Yumi. She'll be on our side soon enough."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
That night you take a bit of time to make a new anima band, one that'll go along with the one from Rick and that you can use on the second non-Yumi person to get essentia. Early the next morning you call your golem doppelganger and tell him to skip school for the day because you'll be going instead. You then have Jonathan, Frank in his mask today, drop you off at Westside on his way to Eastman and that's something that causes a bit of a stir as more than a few people see you getting out of his car.<br/>
<br/>
School as yourself is absolute hell. It's been a while but the feeling of being a pariah that you experienced a few times previously thanks to the hex returns. It's a lonely feeling and you curse having ever accepted that tainted money from Blackwell. You'll have to do the right thing for your double and get rid of it at some point, once you've got the time; especially since this is the last day you'll ever attend school as Will Prescott.<br/>
<br/>
So you suffer through the first half of the day until lunch comes where you take a seat with Carson, James and Jenny. It's a relatively quiet affair. Carson and James don't say much to you specifically and you remember that James had come under the hex's power. You wonder if both Carson and Jenny have as well though if Jenny has she's doing a hell of a job gutting through it and talking to you, kind of like how Yumi did when you got the mask of her so long ago.<br/>
<br/>
That's Jenny's way, however. She's a nice girl who has a way of making you feel not just like she's paying attention to you but that you're the absolute center of her attention. Small wonder, then, that you had a small crush on her before hooking up with Lisa. For a brief moment you feel a pang of regret knowing that by the end of the day Jenny will be gone and you'll be walking around in a perfect disguise of her, though as quickly as it comes that regret goes.<br/>
<br/>
As lunch ends, you pull her aside and ask her meet up with you after school. Straussler drove you to school today, you met him by dumb luck, and he wants you to bring some friends by. James has been acting weird and Carson can be a d-bag, you tell her, but if Jenny says it's all cool they'll listen to her. She hesitates, she seems a bit uncomfortable by it, but eventually she relents. You'll take her car up to the Straussler residence after school.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
"This is... it's such an odd feeling." you state as you pull your shorts on. Ugh, why'd you wear these anyway? You always feel envious of Yumi's thighs when you do; she'd look great in these.<br/>
<br/>
"I don't see what's so odd. You've been girls before." Frank says.<br/>
<br/>
"I know, but this is different." With that you finish putting on your bra. Doing this in front of two attractive guys has made you self-conscious about your boobs. <i>I really wish they were a cup size bigger,</i> you find yourself thinking. It was a long, laborious and exhausting process to switch the imago of Jenny Ashton and Will Prescott and link their mental imago but you had gotten it done with no problems. "This isn't like putting on a mask. It's like, I dunno, a joining? Like the separation between 'Will' and 'Jenny' is so tiny it may as well not even exist I guess."<br/>
<br/>
"So then if you're totally Jenny, it's not weird if I think you're cute?" Joe asks with a grin.<br/>
<br/>
You feel yourself grow hot at that and quickly go to throw your shirt over your head. "Look, I'm trying to adjust so can you kind of cut down on the lovable perv thing for a little bit?" you ask.<br/>
<br/>
It does stir some feelings: ones of attraction, ones of joy... and ones of loneliness. You--Jenny--live with your dad and while Ted Ashton is a nice enough guy, over the last year or year and a half he's started having to take more business trips leaving you on your own for days at a time, rationalized by the belief among the both of your that you're old enough to take care of yourself.<br/>
<br/>
Well soon enough those feelings of loneliness will be gone as your court expands and you take your place as the queen behind the queen. But in what direction do you expand it first? Joe and Frank need their new identities ASAP and maybe if you put Joe in for James... well then James would man up and stop pussyfooting about making things serious while putting Frank in for Carson would hopefully mean dealing with Carson's poorly-hidden feelings for you since you don't see Frank as the type to care much about anything romantic.<br/>
<br/>
But there's Yumi, too! You're so happy that she's going to be joining your club. She's going to make a great addition, no doubt, and despite what Chelsea thinks she's just a golem. Yumi will love a Chelsea that'll know what it feels like to be ordered around for once. Plus every queen needs a reliable knight and who'd make a better one than your best friend? You can't hardly wait to get her set up so maybe you should take care of that first.</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111222122
author_id: rugal
title: The Lonely One
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>"So, what are you gonna do?"<br/>
<br/>
Joe's question draws you out of your small reverie. "Um, I dunno. What do you mean?" you ask.<br/>
<br/>
"Well, now that you're Jenny..."<br/>
<br/>
Joe's voice trails off leaving you to try and finish his thought. "Joe, come on!" you reply emphatically, "I just told you that I... that I don't want to do anything like that right now!"<br/>
<br/>
That you..." Joe eyes you before rolling his eyes, "Oh man, no I didn't mean <i>that</i>! Not right now anyway. I just mean in general, what are you going to do? You're Jenny, that's cool, so now what?"<br/>
<br/>
"Oh! Well, um, I was thinking." You let out a warm smile, "I was thinking that it might be time to get you guys set up too."<br/>
<br/>
"That's good," Frank nods, "because we need to get out of these identities soon."<br/>
<br/>
"And you will, promise."<br/>
<br/>
Joe cocks an eyebrow, "That sounds like it includes a 'but'."<br/>
<br/>
"Well, yeah. I want to start getting things wired right away so I'm going to bring in Yumi first." You go and plop yourself into a beanbag chair, one of a handful of a pieces of furniture that had been brought in over the last few days. "That and I need a bit of time to figure out where to put you. So while I'm deciding... Yumi it is."<br/>
<br/>
"You need to figure it out?" Frank casts a skeptical look, "I thought we were being put in for Ioegger and Lamont."<br/>
<br/>
"Well you are. I just haven't decided who's going where." You then look from one brother to the other and back again, "Either of you have any preferences?"<br/>
<br/>
Frank shrugs. Joe grins, however. "Put me in for Lamont. Ol' tall, dark and dour here wouldn't know how to treat you under his face." he states.<br/>
<br/>
"Maybe. We'll see. Just let me get this done with Yumi first, alright?" you sigh, "Speaking of, we're doing that at my--Jenny's--place tomorrow so do you guys think you can help me get that stuff in my car when I leave?"<br/>
<br/>
That causes Frank to raise an eyebrow. "Why your place?"<br/>
<br/>
"Because it's closer to the school. It's kind of a drive getting out here." you state, "Besides, dad's out on a trip and isn't going to be back until Tuesday. We can just use it until then, like a forward base or something. He's gone enough that we can use it like that anyway and if he's around well we could... we could golemize him, I guess." That thought, for some reason, makes you a bit uncomfortable. It must be the Jenny part of you.<br/>
<br/>
Frank, however, throws water on that idea. "Part of the reason we do it out here is because of the commotion this causes. Replacing and removing and adding everything." he explains, "Out here we're away from everything with a compliant group of people. We don't have to worry about people coming to check. If that lightning and those thunderclaps happened in a normal neighborhood it'd cause trouble though."<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah... that's true." you reply while casting a downward glance, the disappointment obvious.<br/>
<br/>
Joe notices this and casts a side glance at Frank, "Yeah true, but it doesn't mean we can't still study or do other book-related things at... her?" You nod at that, "At her place, right Frank?"<br/>
<br/>
Frank eyes him but then seems to get the hint and nods, "Yeah, sure. We use this place for the big stuff, your place for the small." He then adds something surprising, "Besides, you need to do some meditation and get more in touch with your new ousiarchs. I'll hitch a ride back to your place with you and we can just do it there. Joe can take over for Jon."<br/>
<br/>
You look at him now, a small amount of gratefulness shining through. "Yeah, we can do that. Thanks."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
You let yourself go slack and your breathing slows to a more calm, measured pace. You feel yourself letting go and becoming more centered. The darkness becomes broken by the emergence of two entities that come swimming into view: the reflective, comforting presence of Sulva and the dark, mysterious form of Kenandandra.<br/>
<br/>
Crap! Did you mess up?<br/>
<br/>
"It's fine." comes Frank's voice, distant yet clear, "Working with new ousiarchs is a big undertaking so it's probably good to start with what's familiar. Think of it like getting your bearings before setting out."<br/>
<br/>
You calm yourself again and gaze at Sulva. At a glance its appearance is uninviting, a gray surface dotted with a seemingly endless number of crates. But appearances can be deceiving and each crater, jagged and dark from a distance, is smooth and bright from up close. Each crater a mirror, each casting a reflection of yourself until you realize that it's the other way around: you're reflecting it much as you reflect those around you. Each mirror contains a face, though vague you think you can make out Jenny Ashton in one, in another is what looks to be a wispy reflection of Will Prescott, more faces, an infinite amount such that it becomes impossible to recognize them all, show in each new surface.<br/>
<br/>
And you move on. Sulva is left behind but Kenandandra approaches. Its initial appearance is much like Sulva's, dark and uninviting but there's an air of mystery to it. A conundrum that draws you in, begging to be solved and as you move closer the you become more inquisitive as the cold, darkness fades and is replaced by a burning fire. As you draw closer to the burning, molten core your own investigative nature continues to flare. You understand; the sigils, the book itself, the nature of magic. It's almost too much to take but Kenandandra itself steadies you and as you pass through you feel your desire for knowledge fade but also feel a sense of satisfaction.<br/>
<br/>
"That's good." the distant voice of Frank interjects once more, "That should be enough for now."<br/>
<br/>
Slowly you open your eyes. You wipe at your forehead. "Why stop now?" you ask, "If I'm going to get a feel for my new ousiarchs..." You close your eyes once more and find the mental-spiritual-magical switch and flip it. Sulva and Kenandandra fade from view to be replaced by Glundandra and Eldibria.<br/>
<br/>
"How'd it feel meeting Sulva and Kenandandra?" asks Frank.<br/>
<br/>
You pause at that. Though you exerted no physical effort you feel winded and there's a bit of a cold sweat. "I've done it before but even still it's... it's so intense." you finally say, "To have to take it in all at once, the reflections and knowledge and all that... especially since it's been a while since I've done it right?"<br/>
<br/>
Frank nods, "And just think, if it was like that with Sulva and Kenandandra, imagine what the emotional tides of Eldibria would be like. Or the overpowering presence of Glundandra. It's better to approach them with cautious steps than to sprint towards it."<br/>
<br/>
You nod, "Yeah, I get it I guess." You then meet him with a tiny smile, "Thanks a lot."<br/>
<br/>
"No need to thank me, we're partners in this. I'd be helping you out with this no matter what."<br/>
<br/>
You shake your head, "No, not just that." you say and you're struck by how tired and weak your voice sounds, "I mean for even coming over and staying the night. Jenny's dad, my dad now, he's a good guy but..." you pause; this is something that eats at her, at you, "It's been a few years since the divorce. Mom barely even calls. Dad's not here as much as he used to be. I--Will--went from having a stable family life to being an only child left on her own. And I can put on a nice face, a mature one, but to come home half the time to an empty home just gets at you."<br/>
<br/>
"Well, Joe and I live on our own too, or did, while we've been here." says Frank.<br/>
<br/>
"But you've still got, had, a tight-knit group to turn to."<br/>
<br/>
"What about Lamont?" asks Frank, "Jenny and him don't have anything going on?"<br/>
<br/>
"James? Oh, I don't know and that frustrates me even more!" you can feel yourself getting worked up, "We'll see each other in private and we'll behave like a couple some times but then other times he treats me like I'm only a friend. And if we're in public? Forget it."<br/>
<br/>
"He's probably scared, I'd say." he replies matter-of-factly, "Maybe he's worried about what would happen to you two if things don't work out." He then adds, "So do you think that's going to change once one of us is in for James?"<br/>
<br/>
"Right now I just want to get Yumi added as quickly as possible." you say dodging the question. You sigh and quietly add, "Hopefully it'll work itself out once I'm playing the role of shadow queen."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
"Morning Chelsea!"<br/>
<br/>
Your voice is chipper the next morning. You've decided to give Chelsea a quick call before heading out for school.<br/>
<br/>
"Who's this?" Chelsea's voice is full of disdain.<br/>
<br/>
"Who's thi--" you catch yourself with, "Chelsea, it's Will. I switched with Jenny. Remember? We were talking about that?"<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, well then, hi." she says though not dropping the disdain, "What do you want?"<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea can be a bitch but why is she being, well, such a bitch?<br/>
<br/>
"I was just wondering, are you running a practice after school?" you ask.<br/>
<br/>
"Of course I am." This time the disdain is replaced by annoyance, "Why?"<br/>
<br/>
"Well don't. I need Yumi free today."<br/>
<br/>
There's a pause, "And why should I care what you want?"<br/>
<br/>
"Because I told you to and you have to do what I say." you reply.<br/>
<br/>
There's a derisive snort on the other end, "That so? Well if you want Yumi free from cheerleading duties today, I could arrange that." Chelsea says, "Because I could just cut her."<br/>
<br/>
"Chelsea, don't!" you exclaim, "I told you not to!"<br/>
<br/>
"And I'm not going to." she replies, "And <i>since</i> I'm not going to, looks like your shit out of luck <i>Jenny</i>."<br/>
<br/>
Before you can say anything else she's hung up. You're completely baffled. When you told her to cancel practice she should've acquiesced so why isn't she? Has Chelsea Cooper, a Chelsea Cooper who knows everything you're up to, slipped out of your control?</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221112221221
author_id: rugal
title: Yumi's Promotion
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You try calling Chelsea back but instead are sent right to her voicemail. You try once more and again are thrown to voicemail. Frustrated you finish getting dressed and getting made up. As you finish up your breakfast, really just a microwavable sausage patty thrown inbetween two halves of an English muffin with some sunny side up eggs, Frank appears in the kitchen having been roused from his sleep.<br/>
<br/>
"You look peeved. Anything wrong?" he asks.<br/>
<br/>
You glare up at him for a moment before going to rinse your plate. "Nothing that I can't figure out myself." you reply coolly.<br/>
<br/>
"That you can't figure out yourself? What happened."<br/>
<br/>
You hit him with another glare before grabbing your stuff. "Nothing happened." you say, and technically you're telling the truth.<br/>
<br/>
"Will...!" he calls out.<br/>
<br/>
"Jenny." you reply.<br/>
<br/>
"Jenny, wait! I came here with you remember?" You turn and see him with a much more frustrated look now, "What am I supposed to do?"<br/>
<br/>
"Clean up the kitchen a little?" you shrug, "Call Joe and have him swing by after school.<br/>
<br/>
"Jenny? Come on, Jenny!"<br/>
<br/>
You hear Frank's voice call out but pay it no mind as you close the door behind you, head out to your car and then make your way to school.<br/>
<br/>
You spend a good chunk of the morning jumping between lectures, school work and trying to figure out just what went wrong. You retrace your steps: Chelsea had been listening to you just yesterday after you had switched into your current imago so the mere act of switching imago couldn't have done anything to disrupt your control.<br/>
<br/>
So what was it then?<br/>
<br/>
Well Frank went home with you, no way that did anything. You meditated, got in touch with Sulva and Kenandandra. You asked about your new ousiarchs, switched to them... is that it? Did gaining Glundandra and Eldibria screw it all up? No, <i>that</i> couldn't have been it either since Chelsea was still obeying you after adding them. You'd done everything right by your reckoning, separating each pair by placing them on their own layers, preventing them from getting entangled, allowing you to... wait, is that it? You back up a few thoughts. Last night you switched to Glundandra and Eldibria and...<br/>
<br/>
God, really? <i>That's</i> what's causing the problem? How did you overlook something so retardedly simple? You almost want to smack yourself. Control of golems is tied to essentia so by switching to the new one you've effectively set Chelsea free. Mrs. Friedlander's given you a biology quiz and once you finish that you immediately turn your attention inwards, concentrating until you see the images of the ousiarchs, then flip the switch going back to Sulva and Kenandandra accompanied by a faint lurching feeling, less a physical lurching than a spiritual one.<br/>
<br/>
Being in class you can't really just call Chelsea so you'll have to wait until it lets out to try and get a hold of her to make sure things are back in working order.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
At lunch you ask Yumi if she'd be up for hanging out after school since it's something the two of you haven't done in a while. She hems and haws a bit until you bring up Straussler's name and much like it would anyone else that catches her attention. You give her something similar to the same spiel you had used to get Jenny out though when James and Carson inquire about coming you demure saying that he specified girlfriends. You'll be getting to them soon enough but for now Yumi is the focus of your attention.<br/>
<br/>
Yumi herself says she'd like to but Chelsea already said there'd be an after school practice. You act disappointed and ask her that on the off chance anything changes if she'd still do it and she eventually agrees. That's one of your big advantages, you muse. Jenny Ashton is a girl who can win someone over with both charm and sympathy and if you have to play the Poor Little Lonely Girl card to get what you need, well you'll play it.<br/>
<br/>
Once lunch lets out you pull your phone out and ring up Chelsea.<br/>
<br/>
"Ugh! Didn't you get the message this morning?"<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea's tone still hasn't changed, much to your chagrin although the fact she even answered is a good sign, you hope.<br/>
<br/>
"Neither of us did, I think." you reply putting just a hint of contriteness in your voice, "So I figured I'd let things cool off and try again. So tell me, Chelsea, are we on the same page again? Because I really want us to be."<br/>
<br/>
There's a pause and then Chelsea's voice comes through, now much more resigned in nature. "Yeah, I guess we are."<br/>
<br/>
"Apologies, then?"<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah, apologies. Sorry."<br/>
<br/>
You can tell that even under your control having to apologize was a torturous action for her. You smile a little at that. "Apology accepted then." you reply before adding, "And since we're on the same page, I want you to cancel after-school practice for today. Can you do that?"<br/>
<br/>
"I already told them earlier we were having it." she whines.<br/>
<br/>
"Then make up an excuse. Tell them something came up and you can't do it today." you reply sternly, "So you're cancelling the practice, right?"<br/>
<br/>
"Alright, fine. Practice is cancelled." she answers and you find yourself amused by how small she sounds, "Am I gonna have to come by Jonathan's place after school?"<br/>
<br/>
"No, that won't be..." you stop yourself, a thought comes over you. Oh she's going to hate this but hey, if you and your little cabal want power... "Actually, yes. Come by after school. You're going to hang out with us. Yumi will be there, you know."<br/>
<br/>
"What does Yumi being there have to do with anything?" she asks.<br/>
<br/>
"Well, tomorrow morning you're going to hold a meeting." you state, "You and Yumi talked, realize neither of you wanted to tear the squad apart. You're going to introduce her as the new co-captain."<br/>
<br/>
There's a long moment of silence and then Chelsea explodes. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! YOU BITCH! YOU WHORE! YOU STUPID GODDAMN CUNT PIECE OF--"<br/>
<br/>
You end the call and it's all you can do to stop yourself from breaking down laughing in the hallway. Chelsea might be pissed, she might scream and she might protest but in the end she can't do anything about it. By tomorrow morning Yumi's going to be both the newest member of your group and co-captain of the Westside High cheerleading squad.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
"Are either of you any good on making another remote sigil after watching me last time?"<br/>
<br/>
That leads to head shakes from both Joe and Frank... and Chelsea too which makes you want to roll your eyes. Of fucking course she wouldn't know how to do it, why would she? Plus you weren't asking her anyway. You'll have to teach the brothers though.<br/>
<br/>
You then grab a steel nub pen and get to work on the exacting work of carving the sigils on the lump of substantia that had been, and once again will be, Yumi Saito. Close to an hour later that's done and you get to work rebuilding her. You use the anima band that had been on Rick. Her imago comes back. Finally you add the essentia, Perelandra and Sulva. Mystical lightning arcs from the bottles containing them into the prone form of Yumi causing a loud burst of thunder.<br/>
<br/>
So there you are, middle of the afternoon, the naked form of your now mystically inclined best friend laying on a metal slab. You then see her eyes flutter open and slowly she brings herself to a standing position.<br/>
<br/>
"Yumi?" you ask.<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah? Well, Will too. But sure, Yumi. What's up? Last thing I remembered we were in Cuthbert."<br/>
<br/>
You, Frank and Joe then proceed to fill Yumi in on everything that's happened so far. Your plan, what your new identities are or will be. What you told Chelsea earlier, and you make sure to tell Chelsea that she's going to start being nicer to Yumi.<br/>
<br/>
"So we're going to be partners?" Yumi asks as she looks at you, "You and me?"<br/>
<br/>
You nod, "Yep. Well and those two once I get them set up." You turn to look at Joe and Frank and smile before turning back to Yumi, "But mostly us."<br/>
<br/>
Yumi eyes you, then smiles herself and embraces you in a sisterly hug. "Jenny, this is going to be great!"<br/>
<br/>
"I know, right?" you ask, "It's going to be like it was when we were kids. Remember?"<br/>
<br/>
"You mean when we'd play the medieval knight stuff?"<br/>
<br/>
"Right! I'll be the queen, you'll be the totally badass paladin." you state. The pair of you then break into fits of laughter while Chelsea rolls her eyes.<br/>
<br/>
"And what about us, huh?" asks Joe, "Are we chopped liver or something?"<br/>
<br/>
The two of you look back at them.<br/>
<br/>
"What do you think?" asks Yumi.<br/>
<br/>
"Well I'll need a co-ruler or at least my own little boy toy and that'll totally be James." you state.<br/>
<br/>
"Which makes Carson the fool."<br/>
<br/>
"Probably!"<br/>
<br/>
Of course now the question is, who's going to be James? When you first switched you were thinking of Joe as it might finally cause him to stop beating around the bush and make a move. But after last night... Frank can be quick to anger but that's tempered by his otherwise calm and orderly nature. There's something very comforting about it, something that puts you at ease. Maybe he'd be the better choice for James.</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211122213
author_id: imaj
title: The Witches of Westside
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>“The Witches of Westside,” you say after a moments thought.<br/>
<br/>
Frank frowns unhappily at you, but Joe’s grin stretches from ear to ear.  “What can I say,” Joe says smugly.  “It’s got alliterative appeal.  So, so, so…” he hops up and down excitedly on the spot.  “When are you going to switch with Morgana.”<br/>
<br/>
You grin right back at him.  “I’m not,” you say, trying to ignore the smile that breaks out on Frank’s face.  “You are.”<br/>
<br/>
“Because the sooner the… wait, what,” says Joe, his face suddenly crestfallen.  He looks at you as if you have just kicked his puppy.  “I’m going to be Morgana?  What about you?”<br/>
<br/>
“Morgana pretends that she’s a witch,” says Chelsea thoughtfully.  “But she’s not like  the kind of person that’s the head of a clique.  She’s well… you know…  fat.”  You gape at Chelsea for a second, almost impressed at the way she uses her cattiness.  “What,” she asks when she see you staring at her.<br/>
<br/>
“Great so I get stuck with the fat girl,” moans Joe.<br/>
<br/>
“She’s not the fat girl,” counters Chelsea.  “She’s only a bit dumpy and plain.”  Beside you, Frank makes a terrible job of turning a laugh into a cough.  From the look on Joe’s face, it’s probably on purpose.<br/>
<br/>
“Can’t we like give her a makeover or something,” complains Joe.  “It works so well in the movies.”  Frank only laughs again.<br/>
<br/>
“Actually…” you begin.<br/>
<br/>
“What,” says Joe quickly.<br/>
<br/>
“Well, it must be possible,” you explain.  “When you put two faces in a mask before sealing it, it kind of mixes them up.”<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t see how that’s useful,” states Frank.<br/>
<br/>
“Well it means that it must be possible to edit the <i>imago </i>in a mask,” you explain.  Joe nods in agreement.  “So we get Morgana’s <i>imago </i>in a mask first.  I work out how to tweak it and we change it a little, so when Joe becomes Morgana, he becomes a better Morgana.  What do you think Chelsea?  What would you change?”<br/>
<br/>
The golem cocks her head to the side.  “Maybe take a little weight off her thighs, trim her tummy.  Firm up her boobies a little too maybe.  Raise her cheekbones a bit and trim her nose,” she offers after a moment or two of thinking.  “You could pass it off as, I don’t know, a really good makeover and diet.  Oh, this is going to be amazing,” she gushes.<br/>
<br/>
“If I give you a blank mask Chelsea, could you get us a copy of Morgana’s <i>imago </i>to work with,” you ask.<br/>
<br/>
“Please,” she says with a wide smile.  “It’s me.  Of course I can.”<br/>
<br/>
“Frank, get her a blank,” you instruct.<br/>
<br/>
“What about you,” asks Joe as Frank leads Chelsea away.  “If I’m going to be Morgana, who are you going to be?”  He watches Frank take Chelsea into the little library you’ve set up in one corner of the ballroom.  “Or Frank for that matter, and what about the spare <i>essentia </i>we have.”<br/>
<br/>
“Whoa, one question at a time dude,” you say, holding up your hands.  “I thought I’d make someone new to be myself.  You know, new girls arrives at school and forms a coven.  With you as Morgana and Frank as…  I’m not sure.”<br/>
<br/>
“Three would be a coven,” says Joe.  “Traditionally speaking, anyway.”<br/>
<br/>
You both stand in silence for a moment.  “But we have two spare sets of essentia,” you find yourself saying.  An idea is slowly forming in your head, and from the look on Joe’s face it’s forming there too.  You don’t want to be the one that says it.<br/>
<br/>
“We could,” he says slowly, and you suspect he doesn’t want to be the one that says it either.  “Double up.  You’ve already shown that it works.”<br/>
<br/>
There it is, laid out in full:  The Witches of Westside, three young women, each with twice the power of a <i>Stellae</i>.  And now that it has been said, you find it hard to argue.<br/>
<br/>
“What do we have left,” you say thickly.  You already know the answer.<br/>
<br/>
“Perelandra and Catilindria, from Aparijita,” says Joe flatly, as if he is reading the lines from somewhere.  “Malacandra and Sulva.  I’d have to take Malacandra, since Frank has that already.”  That finally breaks the spell.  Joe breaks out into another massive grin.  “Oh man, Viritrilbia and Arbol and Malacandra and Sulva.  This is going to be sweet.”  He actually starts laughing.  “But not as funny as when Frank gets a little Catilindria in him.”<br/>
<br/>
“We can start tonight,” you grin back.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
“Will you stop that,” complains Frank.<br/>
<br/>
Joe ignores his brother.  He just opens and closes his hand, summoning and releasing the sigil for Sulva in his palm.  The silvery shape glows for a few seconds before Joe extinguishes it, then repeats the process with Malacandra.  Then again with Sulva.  Malacandra, Sulva.  Malacandra, Sulva.<br/>
<br/>
“I can’t help myself…” he says.<br/>
<br/>
“You never can,” mutter Frank under his breath.<br/>
<br/>
“…New <i>ousiarchs</i>, new prodigies.  I wonder what they’re gonna be,” continues Joe.  “Aren’t you excited to have Perelandra and Catilindria in there with you too?  Does Perelandra make you feel pretty,” he teases.<br/>
<br/>
“I know better than to play with it,” scowls Frank.  “Besides, you’re distracting Prescott.”<br/>
<br/>
“Would you rather I play with something else,” Joe shoots back.<br/>
<br/>
Not that it matters, since you have your eye’s closed, but you’d really rather not have Joe playing with something else.  He’s been standing around naked for the past hour or so – it’s necessary for what you are doing of course, but you prefer not to catch an eyeful.<br/>
<br/>
Instead you focus on the image you are holding in your mind.  It’s naked too, but its also a lot more pleasing to look at than Joe.  Or at least it’s a lot more pleasing to look at now.  Working out how to edit <i>imago </i>turned out to be a cinch, and you’ve been using your newly created spell since Chelsea arrived about an hour or so ago.  True to her word, she went home last night with the blank mask Frank gave her and arrived this afternoon with Morgana’s <i>imago </i>copied into it.<br/>
<br/>
You make another tweak to the copy.  It’s almost like make a character for a video game, except rather than having a handful of sliders and options, you have thousands, maybe even millions.  It isn’t always clear what each one does, but you’ve managed to slowly change Morgana.  She’s still recognisable as herself, but what you see in your mind is a big improvement.  You spin the image round one last time to check that you are happy with your changes.<br/>
<br/>
You open your eyes.  On the floor in front of you is the <i>Libra</i>, on it the mask holding Morgana’s <i>imago </i>and inside the mask one of the voodoo doll golem.  You pick up the mask and stand up.  “Try it now Joe,” you say.<br/>
<br/>
You keep your eyes firmly fixed on Joe’s face as he walks over.  He leans on you for support as he puts the mask on.  You have to support him for a minute, but within seconds you are looking at the improved Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
“Tada,” says Joe.  “What do you think?”<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea comes over and walks slowly round Joe.  “I think you’ve got it now Will,” she says, placing one hand idly on Joe’s thigh.  “I really like what you’ve done with her face.  It makes her look, uh… weird, but in a good way.”<br/>
<br/>
You nod, you understand what Chelsea means, even if she can’t express it in words.  “Ethereal,” says Joe, grabbing a compact mirror from Chelsea and admiring himself.  “Other worldly, those are the words you’re looking for Chelsea.”  He turns his head this way and that, picking at his hair with is fuller bodied and more lustrous than the real Morgana’s drab style.  “Yes, I like this.”<br/>
<br/>
“Mmm, I do too,” concurs Chelsea.  Her hand lingers on Joe’s Morgana-thigh for just a second more.  “You’re really good at this Will,” she adds encouragingly.<br/>
<br/>
“Actually, I was practicing all day,” you reply.  “I’ll show you.”  You stride over to the make shift library.  A minute later you return to Joe and Chelsea with two masks in your hands.  “Try this one,” you say, handing a mask to Joe.  He’s already removed the improved Morgana mask.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea gasps as Joe puts on the mask.  “She’s gorgeous,” she mumbles.<br/>
<br/>
“Wait, let me see,” says Joe hurriedly.  He grabs the mirror from Chelsea again. He stares at himself with his mouth hanging open.  “This is who you are going to be?  So unfair…  She looks familiar though.”<br/>
<br/>
You look at the girl you’ve turned Joe into.  Chelsea’s assessment is not wrong.  The girl is slender to the point of being willowy, but you’ve enhanced her curves just enough to attract attention.  Her breasts are perhaps just the wrong side of natural for someone with such a thin frame, but are still smallish and perky.  Her complexion is perfect, her porcelain skin is flawless.  Tresses of hair the colour of midnight cascade down to her shoulders.  Vivid green eyes peer out from an elfin face.<br/>
<br/>
“She looks a little like that girl from Cuthbert,” says Frank.<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah, I started with Rosalie,” you admit.  “Then I made some improvements.”<br/>
<br/>
“A lot of improvements,” interrupts Joe.  “Wow, I’m jealous here.  But…  no memories yet?”<br/>
<br/>
“No, I was hoping Chelsea would help me pick out some people to use to make a personality.  I’m going to need the right memories and skills to be able to run that body.  Especially if I’m going to be head witch.”<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea beams at you.  “I can think of some people.”  She hugs you and whispers conspiratorially in your ear.  “Do you want to be a little bit bitchy or a lot bitchy,” she asks before breaking into a fit of giggles.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111222132
author_id: imaj
title: Some Preparations For A New Life
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span> “I need to be in charge Chelsea,” you tell her.  “I need to be able to push people around and manipulate them to do what I want.  I need to be like you.”<br/>
<br/>
“You say the sweetest things Will,” replies Chelsea through a slightly forced smile.<br/>
<br/>
“But can you get me the people I need?”<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea lets go of you and turns away.  “I suppose I could go to Jamie Bornholm’s party tomorrow,”  she states, still facing away from you.  “I was going to skip it.”<br/>
<br/>
“What’s wrong,” you ask.  “You seemed really into this earlier.”<br/>
<br/>
“I like what we’re doing,” replies Chelsea.  As she turns round the look on her face suggests otherwise:  Her eyes are hard and her lip curls unpleasantly.  “But it seems like you’re setting yourself up to replace me.” <br/>
<br/>
“You like that I want to be more like you,” you say quickly, framing it as an instruction so the golem has to follow it.  Chelsea’s eyes glaze a little.  “It’s going to be like having a sister,” you add.  “You’ll enjoying plotting with me.”<br/>
<br/>
The rationalisation seems to be enough for the golem.  Chelsea’s smile moves into gear and she bounces back over and hugs you again.  “I’ll get you some really good – no, really bad people then,” she giggles at her own joke.  “What do I need to do?”<br/>
<br/>
“Frank will get you some mind bands before you leave,” you explain.  Frank, of course, just sighs unhappily.<br/>
<br/>
“What about the other mask then,” asks Joe.  He’s removed the Rosalie mask and is himself again.  “Can I try it on?  Can I?”<br/>
<br/>
You exchange masks with him.  Joe doesn’t hesitate before putting the last of the masks to his face.  He examines himself in the mirror one last time.<br/>
<br/>
“Whoa, can you say MILF,” he chortles.<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah, but in when I become Rosalie, that’s going to be my Mom,” you answer.  “So, not cool I guess…”  Joe frowns at you. “Well, I need a background for my new identity, and we need to be able to support it.  So I’m going to have a golem mom – I made a copy of the imago of Rosalie, aged it and made a few minor changes so I won’t end up looking exactly like a younger version of her.  Frank can get Straussler senior to set golem-mom up with a job.”<br/>
<br/>
“No memories in this mask either though,” complains Joe.<br/>
<br/>
“We’ll just get the mind band of someone with the skills to do the job Jon’s dad puts her in,” you explain.  “I bet he could set up identity paperwork and shit too.”<br/>
<br/>
“No sucker bets,” counters Joe.  “Daddy Straussler looks connected.”<br/>
<br/>
“Lucky for us he has to do what Frank tells him,” you laugh.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Saturday proves to be a busy day.  Much of the time is spent preparing to slip into your new life.  Curt Straussler, as suspected, proves to be very useful:  The golem sets up getting fake identities for you – as Rosalie Martin, using your given middle name as your new family name – and your new ‘mom’.  <br/>
<br/>
Golem-mom is going to be Straussler senior’s new executive assistant.  You instruct Frank to order Curt to get a mind band copy of his present assistant, figuring that she has the skills your golem-mom will need.  The filled mind band is returned to you by the end of the day, the name Lydia Rachels glowing faintly on the inside.  You do wonder briefly if your should feel guilty about putting this woman out of a job, but on reflection her sacking is a minor thing compared to some of what you have done of late, and plan to do soon.<br/>
<br/>
Curt Strausler also sorts out your new home.  It turns out that he owns several houses in Saratoga Falls that can be given to new Proteus Industries staff so they have somewhere to stay when they join.<br/>
<br/>
He can’t help you with your wardrobe though, beyond giving you a credit card to buy clothes with.  In the afternoon, wearing the Rosalie Martin mask, you go shopping.   Joe comes along too, using the modified Morgana mask, concealing his identity with a hooded top and a pair of huge sunglasses.  Though you get the odd look from some of the sales assistants due to the odd clothes you are wearing – you end up wearing a pair of Jon’s mom’s old jeans and flannel shirt belonging to Jon – you simply explain that you lost all you old clothes in a house fire.  By the end of the afternoon you have more than a dozen new outfits for Rosalie, including all the underwear, toiletries and other sundries you’ll need for your new life.<br/>
<br/>
“Morgana’s going to be impressed when she sees you in all these,” says Joe as you walk up the drive of the Straussler house.  He’s still wearing Morgana’s mask and drawing directly on the memories within.  “You’ll look super hot in it.  It’s exactly the kind of clothes I…  She wishes she could wear.”<br/>
<br/>
Exactly what you are looking for, you think.  “She’ll be able to wear things like this when you’re her, with the improvements we made.”<br/>
<br/>
“I…  She knows,” replies Joe.  “She’s looking forward to it.”<br/>
<br/>
Any further conversation is interrupted as Jon Straussler – presumably Frank really – comes out of the house to meet you.  “Catch,” he shouts before throwing over a set of keys.<br/>
<br/>
With your hands full of shopping bags, the keys fall on the ground beside you.  You kneel down to pick them up.  “What are these for?”<br/>
<br/>
“Present from Dad,” explains Jon.  He point over to a sporty Japanese roadster parked in front of the house.<br/>
<br/>
“For Rosalie,” you ask in surprise.  “Why?”<br/>
<br/>
“Mom already thinks you’re my illegitimate half sister,” explains Jon.  “So Dad decided to confirm that in her mind rather than have her dig into who you really are.  He’s worryingly sharp that way.”<br/>
<br/>
“And she’s ok with that?”<br/>
<br/>
“They’ve been cheating on each other for years,” answers Jon.  “That’s what Jon thinks anyway.  It’s odd, he just kind of lives with it and hides in his corner of the mansion.  Talking of who you really are, <i>Prescott</i>, we should get you started on training your new <i>ousiarchs</i>.”<br/>
<br/>
“But I’ve been working all day,” you whine.<br/>
<br/>
“No rest for the wicked,” laughs Joe.  “And we are pretty wicked.”<br/>
<br/>
“You too <i>Joe</i>,” says Jon.  “Malacandra requires discipline.”<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Which is how Chelsea finds you on Sunday morning:  Sat cross-legged on the ballroom floor at the Straussler’s.  Your eyes are shut tight so you can concentrate better on holding onto Glundandra.  The magnificent golden orb hovers in front of you, its power pulsating through you.  At the same time you radiate that power outwards.  It fills the room, covering everything in its warm embrace.<br/>
<br/>
“Um, excuse me, sir” says Chelsea quietly from somewhere nearby.  It’s only now that you notice her in the room.  The distraction is enough to loosen your hold on Glundandra and the tenuous connection between you and your new <i>ouisiarch </i>snaps.  The power that suffused the room slowly fades and vanishes.<br/>
<br/>
<i>Sir</i>, you frown to yourself.  Why did she call you that?<br/>
<br/>
Then you notice the way Frank and Joe are staring at you – their eyes wide in shock.  “What,” you ask them.<br/>
<br/>
Joe recovers first.  “You just, I don’t know, filled the room there,” he explains.  “It was kind of like Dad for a few second…”  Frank nods, his normally implacable exterior visibly shaken.  “I guess you’ve hit on your first prodigy.”<br/>
<br/>
You shake your head.  “I don’t know.  I mean, I could feel Glundandra, but…  I know it sounds crazy but for a second I thought I felt it echoing off you guys.”<br/>
<br/>
“Actually that kinda makes sense,” says Joe thoughtfully.  “Dad always seems to know what’s best for everyone, so maybe it's like a Glundandra spider-sense.”  Frank snorts and rolls his eyes.<br/>
<br/>
“You look like your having a guy moment,” says Chelsea, with the lightest touch of sarcasm in her voice.  “I’ll come back later.”<br/>
<br/>
“No it’s ok,” you call.  “Come back, we’re done.”  But Chelsea keeps on heading towards the door.<br/>
<br/>
“I have to call Kendra about what happened last night anyway,” she says, turning briefly towards you before continuing out.<br/>
<br/>
You frown, puzzled at the golem’s behaviour.  She’s supposed to follow your instructions.  “Wait Chelsea,” you shout.  She finally stops and turns round to face you.  “You’re supposed to follow my instructions.”<br/>
<br/>
“Nuh-uh,”  answers Chelsea, shaking her head.  “I like you guys, but I’m not your slave.”<br/>
<br/>
“I knew this was a bad idea,” groans Frank.  “New <i>ouisiarchs</i>,” he adds, his tone of voice making his feelings clear.  “You’ll have to take her apart and start over, assuming you haven’t fucked yourself up irretrievably.  Fucked <i>all </i>of us up irretrievably.”<br/>
<br/>
You sit there distraught.  How could this have happened?  You were very careful to disentangle each pair of <i>ousiarchs</i>.  There’s no way you could have gotten yourself tied up in your own power the way that happened in the story.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh,” someone says.  After a moment you realise it was you that spoke.<br/>
<br/>
It can’t be that simple, can it?  Mentally, you feel around for the little latch that lets you switch between <i>ousiarchs</i>.  Glundandra and Eldibria vanish, only to be replaced by Sulva and Kenandandra.  “But you have to do what I say now,” you ask Chelsea.<br/>
<br/>
Her face whitens, but she nods in agreement.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221112221321
author_id: imaj
title: All The Pieces In Place
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>“The two sets of <i>essentia </i>can’t get entangled,” you explain to Frank an Joe.  They both listen to you attentively whilst Chelsea kicks her feet disinterestedly over at the opposite side of the ballroom.  “So I had to keep them separate with sigils.  There’s an inert layer between each set of <i>essentia </i>that prevents connections forming.  You don’t get tangled up like that guy Lucio did in the story you gave me Joe.  But it means any other connections your essentia has are temporarily blocked.”<br/>
<br/>
“Like between a golem and its master,” asks Joe.<br/>
<br/>
“Exactly like that Joe,” you say, feeling pleased with yourself.  This kind of applied work isn’t Joe’s strength, but at least you’ve made it clear enough to him what happened.  “So Chelsea remembered that she’s supposed to like us, but she didn’t have to follow my instructions.  She couldn’t see the <i>essentia </i>that she’s supposed to obey.”<br/>
<br/>
“That could make things tricky,” frowns Frank.<br/>
<br/>
“Not really,” counters Joe.  “We just have to switch between <i>essentia </i>to make sure that we have the right one active.  Or we order them to always follow our orders.”<br/>
<br/>
The brothers continue to bicker, but you barely notice them.  Your mind is already racing with possibilities as Kenandandra kicks in.  New avenues of investigation open up in your mind and you can’t help but wonder how you missed them before.  A faint smile creeps onto your face.<br/>
<br/>
“Hey Will,” says Joe shaking you by the shoulders.<br/>
<br/>
“Huh?”<br/>
<br/>
“I said, what are we going to do next,” asks Joe.  “You were a million miles away.”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh,” you murmur.  “Chelsea, did you get the mind bands?”<br/>
<br/>
The golem looks up and then scuttles across the room toward you.  “Here,” she says, thrusting out a hand at you.  “This is all I could get.  The party was totally lame and she had no right hosting it.”<br/>
<br/>
You look at the three bands she has given you, and the names written on each one:  Molly Shaw, Amanda Fergusson and…  “Isn’t Kendra your friend Chelsea,” you ask.  You lean in to whisper in her ear.  “I thought I said I wanted bitchy girls.”<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea tilts her side for a moment to consider.  “She’s a snake Will,” she says in a low voice as though confiding in you.  “I have to watch myself around her to make sure she doesn’t get too uppity.”<br/>
<br/>
“Aren’t you worried about me using her mind then?”<br/>
<br/>
The golem looks momentarily puzzled.  “Of course not Will,” she says, batting your nose lightly.  “You’re my friend and I like helping you.”<br/>
<br/>
“Right,” you murmur.  “What about the other two?”<br/>
<br/>
“Amanda keeps Ricky on a tight leash,” explains Chelsea.  You refrain from mentioning she does the same with Gordon Black.  “Kendra says Molly is wired into a lot of things with the wannabe crowd.”<br/>
<br/>
“Thanks Chelsea, you did a really good job,” you tell the golem.  She smiles happily at you.  “You should go home now.  I’ll call you when I need your help again.”<br/>
<br/>
The golem pouts adorably.  “But I want to help,” she whines, running a finger down your chest.  You gulp nervously.<br/>
<br/>
“It’s gonna be dull,” you say, tugging on your collar with one hand.  “Got to work out how to put all this together.”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, right,” says Chelsea, suddenly switching off all the smiles and charm.  “I’ll be seeing you then.”<br/>
<br/>
“Actually, you won’t,” you grin.  “I’ll be someone else next time I see you.  Don’t worry, you’ll recognise me,” you add, thinking about your new understanding of how your <i>essentia </i>links you to the golem.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, okay,” is all Chelsea says.  She kisses you briskly on the cheek then strides out the room without a goodbye.<br/>
<br/>
“I know power is supposed to be an aphrodisiac,” says Joe quietly, suddenly appearing at your side.  “But judging by that performance you must be the most powerful person on the world.”<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah, thanks,” you mutter.  You’re pretty sure he just insulted you.  You think…<br/>
<br/>
“I think she might be trying to manipulate you,” continues Joe.  “Hard to tell.  She probably does it without thinking.”<br/>
<br/>
You look at the mind bands Chelsea has left you with.  “I think I’ll be a match for her next time I see her.”<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
You check over your experiment one last time before beginning.  Two of the little golem voodoo dolls lie on top of a large sheet of paper covered in intricate sigils.  The mind bands of Kendra Saunders and Amanda Fergusson lie on top of them.  You’re as ready as you can be, though the truth is you don’t know exactly how this is going to work.<br/>
<br/>
You close your eyes and concentrate.  You can see Kendra and Molly again, but this time they seem like shadowy webs rather than thin strips of metal.  You dive forward at Kendra until she presses in all around you.  Memories flit past you.  For a brief second you remember Kendra whispering to Chelsea:  <i>I could wrap him round my little finger in thirty minutes, forty five tops</i>.  Then the memory is gone, with other similar ones trailing along in its wake.  That’s what you are looking for:  her imperious self confidence, and her ability to push the pieces round the board.<br/>
<br/>
You keep searching, but try as you might, all you can find are memories.  Times that Kendra has behaved the way you want Rosalie to emulate.  That’s not what you are looking for, you want personality traits.  Why can’t you find any?<br/>
<br/>
And that’s when you realize that there are no "personality traits" as such to copy. There are only her accumulated experiences. Kendra’s skills come from what she's learned; her habits from what she's done; her proclivities and moods and quirks from the way those experiences have twisted and grown around each other. The girl herself is the sum of her experiences.  Your heart sinks as you realise that you can't copy that form without copying everything. You don't want everything. Having the conflicting memories of three different girls floating around inside your head will only drive you mad.<br/>
<br/>
But can you get the form without the content?<br/>
<br/>
You look again at Kendra’s mental <i>imago</i>.  Between the strands of memory, between the filaments of the web that is Kendra Saunders there are dozens of gaps and spaces – a negative imprint of what it is like to be Kendra.  That might be what you are looking for.  You try to grab hold of them.  Though it takes a couple of attempts, eventually you get a grasp of them, your will curled round the gaps like an eggshell.<br/>
<br/>
You dismiss the actual mind of Kendra, then pull in the one of Amanda Fergusson and push.<br/>
<br/>
Amanda’s mental <i>imago </i>is stubbornly reluctant to move, it strains against the hollowed out shape of Kendra until is seems as if Kendra is about to splinter and crack.  You push again, harder this time, and there is just the tiniest fraction of movement.<br/>
<br/>
Then you lose control.  Amanda starts pouring into the gaps left by Kendra.  The two <i>imagos </i>writhe and warp.  In places, the eggshell like hold you have on where Kendra was splinters and deforms and Amanda’s thoughts push themselves into a shape they are more comfortable with.  In others the sense of Kendra hold firm, twisting Amanda’s experiences into a new shape.<br/>
<br/>
Tentatively you prod at the combined <i>imago</i>.  No memories of Kendra’s remain, but as you review Amanda’s thoughts, an odd sense of something being out of place starts to steal over you.  Amanda’s reputation round Westside is, though no one would say it to her face, that of a ballbuster, she suffers no fools and keeps her boyfriend Ricky Golia firmly under her control.  Yet the Amanda you are exploring now seems more knowing, more self absorbed and definitely more manipulative.  You snatch at a stray thought as it passes:  <i>I could really get Ricky to do anything I wanted if I asked him the right way.  He’s totally wrapped round my little finger and I should take advantage of that.</i><br/>
<br/>
You smile, because this is exactly what you are looking for.  Amanda’s memories, tinged with Kendra’s personality.  “More mind bands,” you say hoarsely without opening your eyes.  “A blank and Molly.”  There is a movement around you and after a few moments you feel someone shoving two strips of metal into your hand.  You fumble Molly’s into place where Kendra’s was.<br/>
<br/>
Then you repeat the process again – emptying Amanda’s memories and cramming Molly’s into the gaps left behind.  They twist and turn and merge again.  Finally you remove Molly’s experiences, leaving only the gaps between the combined imagos behind.  You place the result into the blank mind band and sigh loudly as you open your eyes.<br/>
<br/>
Joe looks up from a nearby seat, putting one of the books you rescued from Blackwell’s library down as he does so.  “Are you ok,” he asks.  Of Frank there is no sign.<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah,” you say, your lips dry.  “I figured out how to join their personalities.”<br/>
<br/>
“You were doing it for over an hour,” states Joe.<br/>
<br/>
<i>It didn’t feel that long</i>, you think to yourself.  Suddenly you realise just how drained the experience has left you.  “I’m ready to put Rosalie together now,” you tell him.  “But we’ll wait to after dinner.  I feel tired.”<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211122213211
author_id: imaj
title: A Girl of Many Parts
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You place the <i>essentia </i>jar down on the metal sheeting that makes up your dissection table.  Joe leans over to peer at the feeble glow within the bottle.  “What’s this,” he asks, tapping at the bottle inquisitively.<br/>
<br/>
“Chelsea’s <i>essentia</i>…” you begin.<br/>
<br/>
“What do you need that for,” interrupts Joe before you can speak further.<br/>
<br/>
“I had an idea and I wanted to try it out,” you explain.<br/>
<br/>
“On yourself,” snorts Frank, over by the windows.  “This is a bad idea.”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh stop whining,” laughs Joe.  “I’m kinda looking forward to this.  Rosalie was cute before, but after the changes Prescott made to her she’s hot.  And I wanna see what she’s like once the whole package is put together,” he adds gesturing at the floor.<br/>
<br/>
You look down yourself.  Everything you need to complete your transformation into Rosalie Martin is there:  The mask containing the physical imago, modified from the original Rosalie, the mind strip filled with the empty spaces between Kendra, Molly and Amanda’s minds and the bottle of Chelsea’s <i>essentia</i>.  You’ve even set out one of the outfits you bought for Rosalie so you can get dressed afterwards.<br/>
<br/>
“You going through with this,” asks Frank unhappily.<br/>
<br/>
“Yeah,” you nod before lying down in the middle of a complicated sigil etched onto the dissection table.  “I need to borrow you for a bit Frank,” you add.<br/>
<br/>
“What,” splutters Frank.  He doesn’t complain any further, not after you wave your hand across your face and take control of his body.<br/>
<br/>
Joe works out what has happened almost immediately.  “Well that shut him up,” he grins.<br/>
<br/>
You shoot Joe one of Frank’s best level glares.  “This is serious Joe,” you tell him, feeling Frank’s personality, and his annoyance at his brothers frivolity, press in around you.  “I don’t want to make a mistake.”<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t know whether to be sad or relieved that Frank’s no fun whoever is running him,” snarks Joe.<br/>
<br/>
“Shut up Joe,” you mutter.<br/>
<br/>
“Come over and make me,” he says, suddenly blurring before reappearing at the opposite side of the room.  The urge to hit Joe comes on strong from Frank’s feelings.  But you don’t have time to indulge in one of the brawls that the brothers fall into from time to time.  Instead you squat on the floor beside the dissection table and close your eyes.<br/>
<br/>
You reach out mentally and feel for where your real body lies.  You begin with your <i>essentia</i>.  The structure is already complex – a result of the operation that gave you two different pairs of <i>ousiarchs</i>.  Carefully not disturbing the existing <i>essentia</i>, you tweak and turn the layer that separates your <i>essentia </i>until there is enough space to hold a third.  You pour Chelsea’s <i>essentia </i>into the gap.  It seeps into the space, slowly settling until it is solidly embedded as a part of you.  Chelsea’s <i>essentia </i>seems a pallid and dull thing when set next to your own.  You smile faintly at that, maybe this is going to work out how you hope.<br/>
<br/>
The next part is where it gets difficult though.  You release your grasp on your <i>essentia </i>and turn your attention to your <i>imago</i>.  This isn’t going to be like the crude swap you worked on Chelsea, where you ripped her apart whole and then put her back together again.  This time you have to work precisely, and as you begin you find yourself dispirited as you realise that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of points of connection between the physical and mental components of your <i>imago</i>.<br/>
<br/>
A grim resolve, perhaps born of Frank’s personality, sets in.  It’s a lot to do, but you’ll certainly never do it if you don’t make a start.  You reach out for one connection, finding it like a simply clasp.  It is no effort at all to flip it open.  The loose connections waver for a moment then part.<br/>
<br/>
The tricky thing is doing it again. And again and again. As you undo each connection you have to move onto the next. Find it, undo it and move on again. It is painstaking and exhausting work and you feel yourself faltering as you progress. Just as it seems to be too much, a sudden surge of strength from within yourself revitalises you and you find yourself continuing with a renewed pace. Frank’s Malacandra <i>ousiarch </i>perhaps?<br/>
<br/>
Slowly the physical parts of your <i>imago </i>start to drift away. You let them float away without stopping them. You doubt you’ll ever need to be Will Prescott again.  Somewhere nearby, you hear Joe groan.<br/>
<br/>
“Dude, you do not want to open your eyes right now,” he moans.<br/>
<br/>
You grit you teeth.  You had no intention of opening you eyes, up until now at least.  But Joe’s comment has left you worried about exactly what is happening to your body.  No, you can’t afford any distractions.  You try and block out Joe from your mind and continue.<br/>
<br/>
There’s nothing left of your physical <i>imago </i>now, just the mental parts.  You feel for the mind band, summoning its contents:  It’s nothing more than a series of gaps and spaces, places for your own mental <i>imago </i>to fit around.  There is a sharp pain at the back of your head as you try to push your mental <i>imago </i>into the spaces left in the mind band and your curse loudly.  You push again and your <i>imago </i>starts to budge.  The pain settles down to a dull throbbing as your mental <i>imago </i>contorts itself to fit into the gaps.  If you feel different as a result, you don’t notice, but then you are far to busy concentrating on not slipping up right now.<br/>
<br/>
That just leaves your new physical <i>imago </i>to deal with.  It slips easily from the mask and round your mental <i>imago </i>and <i>substantia</i>.  You still have to connect it though, and the process is the same as the one you used to remove your old physical <i>imago</i>, except in reverse.  Methodically, you work your way through the <i>imago</i>¸ finding connections and snapping them shut.  It is tedious, dull and exacting, but the knowledge that you are on the final stretch keeps your going and eventually you close the final clasp.  Finally you open your eyes to see what you have done.<br/>
<br/>
It takes a minute for it to fully sink in:  The beautiful creature on the metal sheet is you, going to be you, just as soon as you switch out of Frank.  That flawless porcelain skin?  Yours.  The waves of raven hair that cascade from her head?  Yours.  The luscious curves and stunning green eyes?  All yours, just as soon as you make the switch.  You curse yourself for standing there like a slack jawed idiot and wave your hand in front of your face.<br/>
<br/>
Your perspective suddenly shifts.  Slowly, confidently and, most importantly, elegantly you rise to your feet.  You fold one arm across your ample chest for the sake of modesty and look down to survey yourself.  “Oh yes,” you murmur warmly.  “Yes, I like this.”  You instantly realise that the sentiment is from your newly modified personality.  It seems that the trick with modifying the mental imago has succeeded in making you think more like a girl.  “Joe,” you say, looking back up at your co-conspirator.  His eyes are goggling at the sight of you.  “Be a sweetie and fetch the device you use for measuring <i>essentia</i>.”<br/>
<br/>
As he disappears – and he really disappears, setting off at inhuman speed – you turn your attention inwards till you find the catch that lets you switch between essentias.  All three present themselves to you.  Two are like brightly shining pairs of binary stars, but it is the dull glow of the last that catches your attention.  You pull Chelsea’s essentia close.<br/>
<br/>
Joe reappears almost immediately, using his Viritrilbian speed.  “Show off,” you murmur lazily.  The urge for catlike playfulness from your new personality is too strong to resist now.  Joe only waggles his eyebrows suggestively.  “Tell me what it reads.”<br/>
<br/>
You saunter over to the pile of clothes as Joe waves the gold disc of the <i>essentia </i>reader in your direction.  For the first time, you feel a little stab of irritation.  The clothes aren’t what you would have chosen. <i> It’s all about playing a part though</i>, you think.  Wearing these clothes will mark you out as an outsider in Westside’s rigid social strata, but that’s how you are going to have the most fun.<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t get it,” says Joe as you pick up your new glasses.  You could have corrected Rosalie’s eyesight to be perfect when you were changing her, but the thick black librarian style frames draw attention to those iridescent green eyes you’ve given her.  “I think it’s broken.”<br/>
<br/>
“Why,” you ask as you snap your lacy black panties into place.<br/>
<br/>
“I’m not getting a reading,” replies Joe.  You leave him hanging there are you finish putting on your underwear.  The matching bra pushes your boobies together to produce a deep cleavage.  Joe’s eyes narrow as you roll the stripy black and white tights up your shapely legs.  “You meant this to happen, didn’t you,” he asks accusingly.<br/>
<br/>
You can’t help but titter.  “Why do you say that,” you ask before slipping into your dress.  It is black, velvety and hugs your body tightly except for where it flares at the bottom at the middle of your thighs and at the end of the long sleeves.<br/>
<br/>
Joe is no fool, he works it out after a little thought.  “Chelsea’s <i>essentia</i>,” he exclaims as you slip the shiny black leather maryjanes onto your dainty feet.  “You’re using Chelsea’s <i>essentia</i>, so the special <i>Stellae </i>stuff is hidden and the dingus can’t detect it.”<br/>
<br/>
You fluff your hair before spinning round slowly to give Joe the chance to appreciate your new body.  “Isn’t it the perfect disguise?”<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111222132111
author_id: imaj
title: Inside The Mind of Rosalie Martin
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>Joe gulps and stares at you hungrily.  “Yeah,” he stumbles.  “It’s something all right.”  It must be, you doubt anything could ever truly render Joe completely speechless, but your change in appearance obviously come close.  Then again, from what you know of Joe, he always was a sucker for a pretty face.  <br/>
<br/>
You permit yourself a brief little smug smile, pleased at the effect you are having on Joe.  You’re eyes rove over him.  He’s used to getting his way with the girls, you suppose.  The shaggy blond mop of hair and the goofy grin have some appeal.<br/>
<br/>
You bite nervously on your lip.<br/>
<br/>
It was inevitable really.  In reshaping your mental <i>imago </i>to fit better with your body, you’ve picked up on the desires of the girls you used as donors.  Plainly, you find Joe attractive now, and he’s too sharp to miss the little ways your body betrays that.  A smug grin starts to grow on Joe’s face.<br/>
<br/>
“So do I call you Will or Rosalie now,” asks Joe smoothly, his confidence ebbing back.<br/>
<br/>
“Rosalie,” you drawl, acutely aware of the damp sensation stirring in your lower reaches.  You curse under your breath.  So what, you clearly want to do Joe.  It’s understandable, he’s a cute guy, but you are damned if you are going to give in to him so easily.  No, he’s going to have to work for it, and when it happens it is going to be on your terms.<br/>
<br/>
For now then, you should work a little on making him jealous.  The insight leaves you feeling in control again.  This what you are going to be like then, with your new personality.  It sits oddly comfortably with you that you will be using sex as a weapon.  It’s a pity that Frank looks so wasted after carrying out the spell – playing him off against Joe for your favour would have worked well.  Perhaps if you hadn’t sent Chelsea home – and it feels a little reassuring to realise that you are still attracted to girls, whether that’s a remnant of your old personality or something you’ve picked up from one of the girls that shaped your new one – you could have used her.<br/>
<br/>
Still, you have to work with what you’ve got.<br/>
<br/>
“Are you ok Frank,” you ask, radiating concern.  It is only mostly faked.<br/>
<br/>
“’m jus’ tired,” he mumbles through thick lips.<br/>
“I’m sorry,” you say, still maintaining the false concern.  “I didn’t realise how bad it would be for you.  Let me help you to bed.”<br/>
<br/>
“’s okay,” groans Frank.<br/>
<br/>
You kneel down beside Frank and help him to his feet.  “No, I insist,” you reply before giving him a perfectly calculated little smile faint little smile.  His frosty attitude melts a notch.  “Joe, can you get a glass of water and bring it to Jon’s bedroom?”<br/>
<br/>
If Joe is unhappy at the this turn of events he doesn’t show it.  He smiles brightly and nods, before disappearing off to fetch it – this time more slowly.  You let Frank lean on you for support as you guide him to Jon’s bedroom.  There you help him strip, undoing the buttons on his shirt and helping him pull off his clothes until there is nothing left but his shorts.  You pull the covers over him as Frank sits in the bed before sitting on the edge of the bed next to him.<br/>
<br/>
“It all worked,” he asks.  “Even the crazy bit with Chelsea’s <i>essentia</i>?”<br/>
<br/>
“Everything,” you reply, brushing at a few strands of dark hair plastered to Frank’s brow with sweat.  “Thanks for helping me,” you add with a smile.  “Did you see Joe testing my <i>essentia</i>?”<br/>
<br/>
Frank nods.  “Speak of the devil.”  You turn to follow his gaze, seeing Joe carrying a glass.<br/>
<br/>
“Here,” says Joe, giving the glass to Frank, who takes long, gulping draughts from it.  He looks better almost immediately.<br/>
<br/>
“Remember how you said the <i>Stellae </i>would find us if we started playing about with magic,” you ask Frank.  He nods in reply.  “Well now they won’t.  We’ll be able to hide that our <i>essentia </i>is special.”<br/>
<br/>
“That’s something at least,” replies Frank.  You can tell he is still unhappy at your plans.<br/>
<br/>
“I’ll stay here a while,” you say, gently stroking Frank’s hair.  “To make sure you are alright.”  Behind you, Joe makes mumbled excuses about leaving.  You barely hear him.<br/>
<br/>
You wait for the sound of the door to the room closing then you place your hands on either side of Frank’s head.  You hold him in place as you lean in to kiss him on the lips.  His mouth is like stone, cold and unyielding, but you are slow and methodical.  You work at him just long enough to feel a chink open up in his iron façade.  When you release him he looks at you quizzically.<br/>
<br/>
“I’m sorry,” you say, forcing a blush.  “I wanted to thank you but…”<br/>
<br/>
“I’m just surprised,” states Frank.  “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this.  I’m not sure you should be comfortable with this either.”<br/>
<br/>
You do your best to look embarrassed, finding it surprisingly easy.  “I’m…  I’m different now.  I need this…” you say, hiding the lie within a truth.<br/>
<br/>
“Well Joe can help you out,” says Frank sourly.<br/>
<br/>
You force a tear to your eye, hiding your amazement at just how much your new personality has changed – and at just what it has made your capable of.  Frank reacts as if struck and guilt writes itself across his face.  “I’m nervous,” you say quietly.  “You know what he’s like and it would be my…  my first…”  Frank hugs you awkwardly as you tail off.  His lips find yours and that little chink in his armour widens into a crack, and then into a crevice.<br/>
<br/>
You pour yourself in.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
You don’t get the chance to talk to Frank the following morning.  By the time you wake he has already left for school in the guise of Jon Straussler.  You have to put up with a few gentle gibes from Joe, but he relents after a few well placed glares.  The rest of the morning is spent assembling the golem that is to play the role of your mother.<br/>
<br/>
And that is how you end up spending the afternoon in its company, at the house that is to become your new home.<br/>
<br/>
You lounge on the sofa, playing with a laptop as your new mom strides about the house re-arranging furniture, making phone calls and generally making the house ready for habitation.  “Are you just going to sit there Rosalie,” she asks impatiently.<br/>
<br/>
You look up from the laptop, pausing the odd game that you are playing.  Joe gave it to you, claiming it to be a learning aid for your <i>ousiarchs</i>.  In truth it is far too simple for you, the sigils it portrays are simplistic compared to the ones you have devised from your studies of the <i>Libra</i>.<br/>
<br/>
You eye the golem.  It’s slaved to you, using the Sulva and Kenandandra essentia pair.  You’ve given it minimal instructions so far, but perhaps it’s time to program it to your satisfaction.  “I am just going to sit here Mom,” you smirk at the golem.  “Because you spoil me rotten and do everything for me.”<br/>
<br/>
The golem straightens up for a second, its eyes distant as the instructions take hold.  “Have you got everything you need honey?”<br/>
<br/>
“I’m fine just now, thanks Mom,” you reply, still grinning at the hold you have over the golem.  “Oh there was just one more thing:  You think the world of me Mom, you can’t imagine that I’d do anything bad.  You’ll always think of me as being the innocent little girl which I didn’t use to be,” you continue with a laugh.  “If I tell you I didn’t do something, you’ll defend me even if shown proof that I did.  And you’ll ignore anything that I do that contradicts your view of me.”<br/>
<br/>
The golem sways a little.  Its eyes look glassy as it assimilates the instructions.  “Okay honey,” it says in a distant sounding voice.<br/>
<br/>
You decide to put it to the test.  “I just wanted to make sure Mom, because I’m going to be fucking a lot of guys and girls up in my bedroom and I don’t want you disturbing me.”<br/>
<br/>
The golem freezes for a handful of seconds before smiling sweetly.  “Did you say something honey?”  You shake your head.  “Oh, then I need to finish working on the house.  I start my new job tomorrow and you start your new school.  I want everything to be ready before that.  Are you look forward to it honey?”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, I’m really excited Mom.”<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221112221321111
author_id: imaj
title: The It Girl
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You slide your car into the parking space and kill the engine.  Around you, dozens of other students are doing the same.  It won’t be long till the home room bell sounds and the school day starts, but you still take time to flip down the mirror above the driver seat and examine yourself.<br/>
<br/>
Green eyes sparkle back at you through stylish glasses.  Though you’ve been at Westside High for years, today is your first day there in your new identity as Rosalie Martin.  You are going to make quite an impression if you’ve judged everything correctly, and you are sure that you have.  You twitch your blood red lips into a smirk and check over your outfit one last time before you get out of your car.<br/>
<br/>
It’s going to turn heads, that’s for sure.  The bandeau top and mini-skirt match the colour on your lips, but the mesh top and fishnet stocking mean that your body is covered, even if a lot of it is tantalisingly revealed through the gaps.  It probably comes down on the wrong side of slutty, but you have one sure fire way of making sure people don’t see you that way.  Glundandra and Eldibria come when you summon them, replacing your <i>essentia</i>.  As you step out of the car, you start radiating Glundandra, letting it suffuse your surroundings.<br/>
<br/>
Heads turn as your boots clack across the parking lot.  You glace this way and that as you pass the stunned students, taking in the looks on their faces: amazement, lust, envy, jealousy and more.  It’s hard to keep a smirk from your face.<br/>
<br/>
That grin widens when you spot Morgana Hollis sitting by herself on a bench outside the main door.  She’s hunched over, thumbing at a book and totally oblivious to the world around her thanks to the white earbuds in her ears.  Her long flowing black clothes are shapeless, you notice, presumably to better hide her dumpy physique.  She barely notices as you sit down beside her, looking up only briefly.<br/>
<br/>
The look of shock on her face is priceless, but you compose yourself and succeed in looking very earnest.  “Hi,” you say to Morgana as she pulls one of the earphones out.  “Um…  This is my first day and I’m kind of lost.   How do I get to the principal’s office?”<br/>
<br/>
Morgana stutters a mousy reply, but you aren’t really listening to her.  Instead you pick at the discarded earphone.  “Hey, what are you listening to?  Can I…”  You place the earbud in your own ear.  It isn’t exactly too your tastes, too whiney and mopey.  “Cool,” you lie.  “So can you show me to the principal’s office?”  You don’t wait for Morgana to answer, but hook your arm around hers and hoist her to her feet with you.  “Thanks,” you gush.<br/>
<br/>
Morgana finally gives in and goes with the flow, witlessly guiding you inside the school.  You chose not to press her any further right now.  There will be plenty of time to do that later.<br/>
<br/>
You have to spend the whole of first period in the school offices.  First with Principal Sagansky, who treats you with a cool disdain that your Glundandran aura can’t seem to shift.  Most of the time you spend with his administrative assistant who gets your class schedule sorted.  Finally you spend a few minutes with Ms Davies, the watery eyed school counsellor.  She seems to have been struck almost mute by you’re the raw power of Glundandra you radiate, as she barely manages to string a few words together before sending you on your way, just in time for second period.<br/>
<br/>
A quick check off your schedule shows that you have Biology with Mr Cash.  You get to the class quickly, with most of the class still to arrive.  Morgana is there already – hardly surprising since you used the knowledge from the mask Chelsea acquired of Morgana to ensure your schedule matched hers as much as possible.  She presumably already has a lab partner for this class, but that doesn’t stop you from planting yourself in the empty seat next to her.<br/>
<br/>
“Hi again,” you say before she protests.  “I didn’t get a chance to properly introduce myself earlier.  I’m Rosalie,” you add, offering one hand.<br/>
<br/>
“Morgana,” she replies, taking your hand and shaking it briefly.<br/>
<br/>
“Thanks for showing me round,” you continue.  “It’s kinda scary starting a new place, but I saw you and thought you looked cool.”  <br/>
<br/>
Morgana blushes briefly at the complement.  “It was nothing,” she mumbles<br/>
<br/>
A shadow falls across the bench.  You look round to see the cause, another girl stands beside the bench.  Her puffy face and poor complexion look familiar but you can’t put a name to the face.  Her lip wobbles anxiously.  She wants to voice the obvious complaint – <i>that’s my seat</i> – but your aura intimidates her.<br/>
<br/>
It doesn’t stop Mr Cash.  He tilts his head up slightly, affording him the chance to look down his nose towards you.  “You must be Rosalie Martin,” he intones.  “If you let Sarah have her seat back I’ll assign you a partner in a moment.”<br/>
<br/>
You rise to your feet graciously, offering Sarah her chair back, but not before you hurriedly whisper in Morgana’s ear.  “We should hang out at lunch break.”  Morgana nods jerkily, as if her head is being pulled on strings.<br/>
<br/>
“There’s a spare seat right at the back Rosalie,” says Mr Cash.  “Next to Keith.”<br/>
<br/>
You look round.  Sure enough, your one time friend Keith Tilley is sitting on his own right at the back of the class.  His eyes never leave your boobs as you sit next to him and – ugh – did he always smell faintly of cabbages?  You sit down next to him, making your distaste plain for all to see on your face.<br/>
<br/>
But then, Keith never could pick up signals like that.  He offers his hand.  “Uh…  I’m Keith,” he stutters before withdrawing his hand unshaken a few awkward moments later.<br/>
<br/>
“My eyes are up here,” you mutter.  “Pervert.”<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
You get caught by surprise when the hand falls on your shoulder as you make your way through the halls before lunch.  That, as much as anything else, stops you from resisting as you get dragged into a nearby empty classroom.  There your attacker spins you round and shoves you against a wall.  You find yourself face to face Kendra Saunders, her face twisted up into an ugly sneer.<br/>
<br/>
“What…” you start.<br/>
<br/>
“Shut up,” says Kendra, her voice dripping poison.<br/>
<br/>
You fall silent and Kendra releases you, taking a step back to reveal Chelsea.  Of course it would be her, she keeps a tight hold on Kendra’s reins.  The golem frowns at you, making no secret of her dislike for you.  Then she forces the most insincere smile she can manage.  “Welcome to Westside, I’m Chelsea,” she says frostily.<br/>
<br/>
The golem doesn’t recognise you, of course.  She only saw your Rosalie face briefly, and certainly not dressed up the way you are now.  You’ve been running on your Glundandra and Eldibria <i>essentia </i>all day too, and whilst the Glundandran aura has cowed a lot of people in the school it isn’t having much effect on this pair.  Probably because they are used to being in charge themselves.<br/>
<br/>
“We thought we’d help you by telling you some of the ground rules,” says Kendra.  She folds her arms and smirks at you.  <br/>
<br/>
They’ve pegged you as a threat, you realise:  You have the looks to be one of the school’s A-listers, but you dress like an outcast and have already been hanging round unpopular people like Morgana.  Having spent some time inside Chelsea’s head already, it really isn’t surprising that this is happening, though that it is happening so soon is a bit of a shock.<br/>
<br/>
You can’t keep the smirk from your face once you decide how to deal with them, a fact that seems only to irritate them further.  Taking a deep breath, you concentrate and bring up your <i>essentia </i>collection.  The stars of Kenandandra and Sulva draw close to you.<br/>
<br/>
The sudden change in Chelsea’s demeanour is hilarious.  All the arrogance, all the bluster and superiority vanishes in a second as she starts to comprehend exactly who it is she’s accosted.<br/>
<br/>
“Kendra, leave us alone for a moment,” says Chelsea.  Kendra snorts unhappily.  “Now Kendra.”  <br/>
<br/>
You both watch as the African-American cheerleader trudges out the room in angry silence.  “Well…” you start to say.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea holds up her hand.  “She’ll be listening outside,” she says in a low whisper.  You wait another minute in silence.  “She should be gone now.  I didn’t recognise you,” states the golem, still whispering.  “This is going to be you now?  How can I help you?”<br/>
<br/>
That surprises you a little too.  Should it though?  You did tell the golem to be helpful, so maybe that’s what it’s doing.  Joe’s warning that the golem might still be trying to manipulate you, despite the orders you’ve given it resurfaces in your thoughts.<br/>
<br/>
“We should talk over lunch,” says Chelsea.  “About what you want me to do next.”<br/>
<br/>
You were supposed to be meeting Morgana.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211122213211112
author_id: imaj
title: The Last Moments of Morgana
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>If nothing else, you want to remind the golem just who is in charge.  “I’m having lunch with Morgana,” you sniff imperiously.  “Come by Straussler’s after school.  We’ll talk then.”<br/>
<br/>
You turn to leave, but a mischievous idea sparks into life in your mind.<br/>
<br/>
You sway over to Chelsea, walking slowly round her and whispering instructions in a low voice.  “You want me,” you tell her, unable to keep an evil little grin from your face.  “You want me in the absolutely worst way possible.  Every time you see me you can’t stop thinking about pushing me against the wall and ravaging me until I scream in ecstasy.”  The golem trembles a little and a bead of sweat forms on her forehead.  “But you can’t have me.  Not because I’d say no, but because of what people would say – Kendra, Gloria, Gordon, all of them.  It drives you mad.”<br/>
<br/>
You stop just in front of Chelsea, running a finger up her neck and under her chin.  She shivers in response.  Then you kiss her briefly, just long enough for her to work herself up.<br/>
<br/>
“Be seeing you around,” you say with little wave of your hand.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Morgana is just coming off the line with a tray of food in her hands when you find her.  You gently, but forcefully, steer her over to an empty table in one corner of the canteen, ignoring the pointed stares from Kendra as you pass her.  There you usher Morgana into a seat with her back to the wall.  You sit down directly beside her so you can both see the entire room before taking an apple from your book bag.  You’ve got a figure to watch now, you reflect a little sourly as Morgana tucks into her mac and cheese.<br/>
<br/>
“Why are we over here,” asks Morgana between mouthfuls.<br/>
<br/>
“I wanted to talk to you somewhere out of the way,” you reply, taking a bite out of your apple.  “Who is the blonde over there,” you ask pointing towards Chelsea and her cohorts at the top table.<br/>
<br/>
“That’s Chelsea Cooper, she’s the head cheerleader,” says Morgana, suddenly furtive.  “Why”<br/>
<br/>
“She threatened me in the hall,” you reply.  Your apple makes a satisfying crunching sound as you take another bite from it.  “Her and the African-American girl next to her.”<br/>
<br/>
Morgana makes a choking sound and drops her fork to her plate.  You doubt that she’s ever been the target of Chelsea, at least directly.  She’s simply not important enough to warrant Chelsea’s attention.  “What did they say,” she asks quietly.<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t know,” you reply with a wave of your hand.  “I blew them off.”  Morgan makes an odd sound that is halfway between a gasp of shock and a high pitched giggle.  “Where do people like her get off, telling us what to do?”<br/>
<br/>
“Please don’t draw attention to us,” whines Morgana.  “Chelsea mostly leaves us alone.”<br/>
<br/>
Sarah appears at your table, standing beside it unsurely with a tray of food in her hands.  You glare at her.  “Having a conversation here,” you mutter, sending Sarah scuttling off.  Before Morgana can react, you grab her hand and look right into her eyes, Glundandra pouring off you.  “But you still get bullied sometimes, right?”<br/>
<br/>
You feel the answer before she even says it.  “Sometimes.”  Morgana glances from side to side uncomfortably.<br/>
<br/>
“It isn’t right,” you say forcefully, the fact that you just chased off one of Morgana’s friends completely forgotten.  “Someone should do something about her…”  You let the fire slip away from you and look down at the ground.  “No…” you say quietly.  “You’d just laugh at me.”<br/>
<br/>
Morgana takes the bait without hesitation.  “What?”<br/>
<br/>
“Magic,” you whisper into Morgana’s ear.  You smile at her with an entirely faked nervousness.  The look on Morgana’s face tells you everything you need to know though:  She’s hooked.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
“This isn’t where you live, is it,” asks Morgana, slightly awed as the gravel driveway crunches under the wheels of your car.  She turns in her seat to get a better look of the Straussler mansion.<br/>
<br/>
“No, it’s the guy my Mom works for,” you explain as you bring your car to a halt by one of the side entrances.  “He’s helped us move out here, and his son is kind of cute,” you add.  “There he is there.”  Jon Straussler emerges from the door and waves at you.  You wonder if it is Frank or Joe playing the role, or a golem.<br/>
<br/>
He opens the passenger side door of the car and helps Morgana out with a charming smile.  “You must be Morgana,” he says, laying it on thick.  “I’ve heard a lot about you.”  Words fail Morgana.  Her cheeks flush a bright red and she waves one hand frantically in front of her face.  Inwardly, you seethe at Joe – because who else could it be under there, behaving like that – clearly Jon Straussler should barely know who she is.  But it seems that Morgana is too flustered to notice.  “What do you say Rosalie, will I give Morgana the full tour?”<br/>
<br/>
You fight to keep your temper in check.  You do not have time for this.  Outwardly though, you remain calm and smile sweetly.  “Jon, I was going to show Morgana the project I was working on,”  you hook your arm round hers and whisper in her ear.  “Remember what I said at lunch.”<br/>
<br/>
Joe lays an arm round Morgana’s shoulders  “Aw come on,” he says turning up that charm of his.  “You’ll really love it.”  <br/>
<br/>
Morgana cranes her neck to look up, trying to take in the size of the Straussler mansion.  “Can I take the tour?”<br/>
<br/>
“Sure you can,” says Joe with an easy smile before you can stop him.<br/>
<br/>
“You guys go on ahead,” you say with forced cheer.  “I’ll catch you up in the ballroom.”<br/>
<br/>
“You have a ballroom,” gasps Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh yes,” says Joe, now leading Morgana inside with one arm around her waist.  “And lots more.”<br/>
<br/>
“It’s the highlight of the tour,” you mutter acidly.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Chelsea stares at you as you rush about the ballroom, preparing for Morgana’s arrival.  She was already there when you arrived, waiting for you just like you instructed.  She hasn’t said anything though, other than a brief hello.  She’s just sat and watched, though she’s been very sly about it – shifting her gaze somewhere else when you look at her, playing with her phone and peering over the top of it at you.  The other instructions you gave her before lunch have taken hold as well.  <br/>
<br/>
“I’m a little disappointed you aren’t being more obvious about checking me out Chelsea,” you say as you set down an empty <i>essentia </i>bottle on the metal sheeting.<br/>
<br/>
“Do you want me to be more obvious,” she chirps helpfully.<br/>
<br/>
You permit yourself a frown.  “No,” you decide.  “It’s enough to know”<br/>
<br/>
“Know what,” asks Frank.  He dusts of his knees as he gets up from the floor.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, I made Chelsea hot for me,” you reply in a sing song voice.  The unhappy look that clouds over Frank’s face makes you smile.  “But it doesn’t seem to have changed her much,” you add, looking at the golem.  Maybe it’s your imagination, but shadows seem to momentarily flicker round her.  “Never mind, does this all look right to you Frank?”<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t know,” he replies sullenly.  “It’s all your work, I barely understand half of it.”<br/>
<br/>
“Don’t be like that Frank,” you wheedle.  You look over the work, it looks fine but…  Better to check it properly yourself.  Glundrandra and Eldibria sink away from you and you switch your <i>essentia </i>over to the Sulva and Kenandandra <i>ousiarch </i>pair.  You review the setup again.  Much better.  “Yes, it looks fine.”<br/>
<br/>
“What looks fine,” asks Morgana, from over by the door.  You look up.  She’s just entered with Joe following behind her.  “What’s going on here,” she says, spotting Chelsea.  “I thought you said…”<br/>
<br/>
Morgana’s gaze falls on the metal sheet on the floor, the sigil etched onto it and all the paraphernalia you’ve placed around it.  “Oh no,” she says her eyes going wide in terror.  You frown.  Does she know the purpose behind the sigil, or perhaps she can just sense the dark nature of it.  “I want to go home,” she cries.<br/>
<br/>
But Joe clamps one hand over her mouth and holds her tight against his body with the other.  “You can’t go yet.  Not until I’m you.”<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111222132111121
author_id: imaj
title: And The First Moments of Her Replacement
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You relinquish control of Frank as the last connection snaps into place, cementing Morgana’s physical <i>imago </i>around what used to be Joe.  Frank gasps and staggers as you settle back into you own body, but he remains upright.<br/>
<br/>
The new Morgana bounces to her feet, running hands over her newly svelte body.  You used the modified version of Morgana’s physical <i>imago </i>that you created when you were making Rosalie.  Though she is still recognisable as herself, it makes a big improvement to her looks.<br/>
<br/>
“Thanks for the makeup tips Rosalie,” smirks Morgana, referring to the excuse you came up with earlier to explain away the subtle changes you have wrought to her face.  “And dieting on the Will Prescott plan, I’ve got to tell all my friends.”<br/>
<br/>
You frown.  You kept Joe’s mental <i>imago</i>, merging it with Morgana’s in order to keep his skills with his <i>ousiarchs</i>, and there’s clearly enough of Joe still in her judging by her attitude.  “Just who are you friends Morgana?”<br/>
<br/>
“Sarah and Lotte and Wendy but…”  She tails off.  “Rosalie, you’re my friend Rosalie.”<br/>
<br/>
You smirk.  “Yeah, you should probably ditch those other losers now that you look like this,” you say, gesturing up and down at her.  “Ugh, which one tried to interrupt us at lunch, I mean did you see her complexion.”<br/>
<br/>
“That was Sarah.”<br/>
<br/>
Frank sighs unhappily and collapses into a nearby chair.  “Have you listened to yourself lately Will,” he asks, the use of your old name causing a brief flare of irritation.  “You’re changing.”<br/>
<br/>
“Am I,” you reply, just a touch of acid edging its way into your voice without thinking about it.  “This is who I’ve made myself, who I need to be.  I wouldn’t have been able to trick Morgana into coming out here otherwise.”<br/>
<br/>
“The old Morgana, I mean me,” interrupts Joe.  “I wouldn’t fall for it now.”<br/>
<br/>
“Not everything is about you Joe,” mutters Frank.<br/>
<br/>
“Morgana,” counters Morgana, insisting on the use of her new name.<br/>
<br/>
“Sorry,” you say putting on your sweetest smile.  It hides the anger you feel quite well.  “You’ll appreciate it all better once we get you a new face,” you continue.  Your mind races, who would be best for Frank?  Who would be best at unbuttoning and unlacing the buttoned-up and straight-laced Frank?  You’ll have to talk to Chelsea about it.<br/>
<br/>
First things first though.<br/>
<br/>
“We need to test your <i>essentia </i>Morgana,” you say to the new Morgana.  She grins, far wider and more giddily than Joe used to manage. It looks weird on what had been the more usually sullen face of Morgana.  “Close your eyes and meditate.  Remember, you’re looking for something that feels like a latch or something.”<br/>
<br/>
“I see it,” says Morgana after a few moments.  She opens her eyes and holds her hands out – palm facing up – in front of her.  The sigils for Malacandra and Sulva flare into life above her hands, one silvery and gossamer, the other cold and iron.<br/>
<br/>
“I already know that works Morgana,” you tell the new girl irritably.  “Morgana's <i>essentia </i>please.”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh, ok,” she pouts.  “There.  Oh, I think she’s…  I’m a little magically sensitive.  Not <i>Stellae </i>sensitive, but a little above the norm.”<br/>
<br/>
<i>Interesting</i>¸ you think.  That may explain her reaction to seeing your dissection table earlier.  You pick up the little gold disc.  The bead barely budges.  “Perfect,” you trill.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh,” adds Morgana.  “I was consulting a fortune teller, Madame Andrassy.”  You make a non-committal sound.  “I think we should visit her.”<br/>
<br/>
That sparks your interest.  “Is that Joe’s opinion or Morgana’s?”<br/>
<br/>
“Both,” replies Morgana.  “But mostly Joe’s.  Let’s just say Andrassy isn’t totally a hack.”  She picks up the panties discarded by the old Morgana.  Your eye’s flicker down towards the golem like <i>substantia </i>that is all that remains of the original.  “Hmm.  I’ll need some new clothes.”  Morgana slides her legs into the panties and snaps them around her hips.  “So now that you have me, what are you going to do with me,” she asks with a Joe-like grin.<br/>
<br/>
You take a step closer to Morgana, running one hand through the mess of her dyed black hair.  “Oh,” you drawl.  “I think I want to have you.”<br/>
<br/>
Somewhere behind you, Frank grunts sourly and Chelsea moans unhappily, but you ignore them.  You plant your lips firmly on Morgana’s, holding her head in your hands.  She warms to you quickly and probes your mouth with her tongue in quick darting bursts.  Her hand slinks down your body and finds its way inside your miniskirt.<br/>
<br/>
Then suddenly you feel a glow where Morgana’s hand is working its way inside your skirt.  You arch your back and squeal in pleasure as Morgana’s hand finds your cunny, slipping inside the confines of your panties.<br/>
<br/>
The glow fades for a moment and you look round.  Chelsea suddenly finds the floor the most interesting thing in the room.  Frank stares right at the pair of your with angry eyes, but all you do is giggle girlishly.  He’s had his opportunity to explore your delectable body, now it’s his brother’s – no, sister’s - chance.  You pull Morgana’s hand out from your skirt and grab it, dragging her along with your as you run from the room whooping and laughing.<br/>
<br/>
You jump onto the bed when you reach Jon’s room, whirling round to face Morgana with a smile on your lips.  She climbs onto the bed after you, kneeling on top of the mattress in nothing but her panties.  Suddenly, your feel very overdressed.  Morgana moves quickly to rectify that though.  Her hands slide under your mesh top, dancing over your shallow stomach and lifting the top up and over your head.  The bandeau top follows quickly, leaving your breasts standing proudly exposed.  They move slowly up and down as you breathe, with just gentlest hint of a quiver.<br/>
<br/>
Morgana dives at them.  Her mouth is warm and wet as her tongue traces looping circles across your boobs.  She closes her lips around the areolas and tweaks them gently, causing you to emit a low appreciative moan.  “Still a sucker for a pretty girl Joe,” you sigh.  Morgana rewards you by gently teasing the tips of your boobs with her teeth.<br/>
<br/>
You topple backwards on the bed, your hair spreading out across the sheets like the corona of a black star.  Morgana climbs onto you, still working at your breasts with an expert tongue.  Your hands slip into the wild mess of her hair and you push her head gently downwards.  She leaves a trail of kisses along your belly.<br/>
<br/>
Then she passes your waist.  You hear the sound of a zipper unfastening and feel your skirt being pulled away.  Then your panties.  Then…<br/>
<br/>
Light flashes behind your eyes and your field of vision explodes with stars as an electric rush of ecstasy thunders its way up you spine and into your brain.  You struggle to breathe as Morgana’s tongue explores your most intimate depths.<br/>
<br/>
“Are all…uh,” you shriek.  “Are… all Viritrilbians… ohgod… this good… aaaah.”  You have to bite down on a knuckle to stop yourself from screaming.  Where did Morgana learn to <i>do this</i>.  No, it must be something remembered from being Joe.  “…this… uh… good with… aah… their tongues?”  The last words are almost lost in a another scream of bliss.<br/>
<br/>
Morgana does not tell, but shows you instead.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221112221321111211
author_id: imaj
title: Where The Kraken Sleeps
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>Morgana's head rolls slightly in your lap as play idly with her hair.  She's lying on the sofa beside you, legs hooked over the armrest.  Morgana has been quiet since your little session in Jon's bedroom.  But sex always did have a way of addling Joe's wits in the past and maybe that's carried on into his new persona as Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
You are certainly a little bit addled too.<br/>
<br/>
Your cheeks flush for a moment as you dwell on just what you and Morgana got up to.  That draws Chelsea's attention.  She pauses in her rambling discussion of the intricacies of the cheerleading team.  Despite asking her to describe the balance of power on the team, you weren't really listening.  It was just something to keep Chelsea talking.  "Ok, what's up," she asks.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh nothing," you say looking away.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea says nothing, but you'd swear you feel her glare at you, the result of you reprogramming her to want you.  Doubtless she's envious of your tryst with Morgana.  When you look back at Chelsea she just smiles sweetly at you, leaving you wondering again just why she isn't more annoyed or upset with you.  "Let's talk about Frank," you say, changing the subject.<br/>
<br/>
"Let's not," murmurs Morgana.  She smiles up at you lazily.<br/>
<br/>
"What did you have in mind," says Chelsea brightly.<br/>
<br/>
"We need to work out who to put him in for," you explain.  "Who's going to be the third member of our coven.  Any ideas."<br/>
<br/>
"What about one of Morgana's friends," offers Chelsea after Morgana says nothing.<br/>
<br/>
"They wouldn't fit," you reply.  "Not without a major makeover.  Way more than Morgana's.  I don't think we can make all of the outcasts of Westside suddenly hot..."  Morgana shifts in your lap and sighs wistfully.  "...without people noticing."<br/>
<br/>
"Well has Morgana got any ideas," replies Chelsea, a shade defensively.<br/>
<br/>
You look down at Morgana, who gazes back with lidded eyes. "Oh," she murmurs, blinking a couple of times before finally focusing her eyes on you.  "Well...  I... yes I always wanted to be friends with Gillian Kiefer."  You stare blankly at Morgana. The name is not familiar.  "You remember her, she's dating Braydon Derp, I mean Delp,"  Morgana giggles.<br/>
<br/>
Now you remember Gillian - dark hair, chipmunk face and mischievous eyes, always wearing torn jeans and offbeat clothes.  You can see why Morgana would want to be friends with her, and at the same why it never happened.  Gillian is an outcast by choice, Morgana never had any other option.  The old Morgana anyway.  The new Morgana wouldn't look out of place next to Gillian.<br/>
<br/>
Gillian would be a very good fit for Frank, if only because she is so different from him: Flighty and impulsive - being her would help Frank loosen up a little.  Below you, Morgana smirks.  No doubt she thinks being Gillian would annoy Frank no end.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea snorts contemptuously.  "Another loser," she states, before suddenly looking guilty.  "I mean, she stops being a loser as soon as she's one of you, but you'd have to work up from the very bottom."<br/>
<br/>
"That's what makes it so fun," says Morgana as she rises from your lap.  You sigh as her hair slips from your grasp.  Maybe again later...<br/>
<br/>
"You want someone from a different group," continues Chelsea, gesturing animatedly.  She starts ticking off the advantages on her hands.  "That makes it easier for you to influence different groups in the school.  If you pick someone more popular then you get a free boost to your own popularity.  You won't need to change the way someone popular looks like you did with Morgana.  You said that was a bad thing, right."  She goes on and on breathlessly.<br/>
<br/>
"Who did you have in mind Chelsea," you interrupt, working out why she is so keen.<br/>
<br/>
"I didn't say anyone," she protests with an adorable pout.<br/>
<br/>
"But you are thinking of someone, aren't you Chelsea," you reply.  "Tell me who it is."<br/>
<br/>
"Cindy," she states reluctantly.  "Cindy would be perfect.  She's popular, or was."  Chelsea pauses to snicker.  "And now that Seth's dumped her for Yumi - they totally got a room at Jamie Bornholm's party - she's at rock bottom.  It would be so believable if she ended up with you guys.  And think about the fun you could have messing with her friends."  Chelsea's eyes gleam with malice.<br/>
<br/>
Even if Chelsea is only suggesting Cindy because of her long running dislike of her - and it surprises you that the golem is still able to act on her own agenda despite all the programming you have given her - Cindy wouldn't be a bad choice.  "Cindy would want revenge," you say thoughtfully.<br/>
<br/>
"And we could help her get it," Morgana finishes of for you.  She licks her lips.  "And help her get other things too.  Cindy would be ideal for Franks new Perelandra and Catilindria <i>ousiarchs</i>.  So would Gillian."<br/>
<br/>
"I'll think about it," you tell them.  No need to make a decision right now.  Besides, you want to get to bed and meditate on your own new <i>ousiarchs</i>.  That or take Morgana to bed again.<br/>
<br/>
Maybe later...<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
That night you dream of water.  The deep murky depths at the bottom of the ocean.  You drift aimlessly though the impenetrable deeps, unable to see more than a few metres through the gloom.  It seems as if shadows flit just beyond your vision, and dark shapes move where you cannot see them.  As you float, you realise that something - something massive and ancient - is trailing you.<br/>
<br/>
You should feel terrified, but instead you feel oddly comforted.<br/>
<br/>
As you bask slowly through the water, lazily kicking your feet to propel yourself forward, you slowly become aware of the currents surrounding you.  There are dozens of little streams that course over and around your body.  You pause for a second to interrupt one of them with your hand.  It seems to respond to your presence, growing faster and more energetic.  Then you try willing it to stop and it becomes sluggish.  You try each of the currents in turn, playing with the flow, completely unaware of the shadow growing behind you.<br/>
<br/>
Only when it falls over you completely do you flip over and look at what has been following you.  A massive creature with an ugly beak near a dozen writhing tentacles regards you with alien eyes.  It drifts in the murky water, the shadows hiding much of its immense bulk.  It floats unmoving for what seems like eternity.<br/>
<br/>
Then the water and the monster vanish in an instant and you are alone in the void, with only the blue-green disc of Eldibria.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
"Eldibria is an odd one," says Morgana as you place the textbooks in your locker.  Other students wander about the hall, chatting to friends or using their own lockers before the first bell sounds.  "It could just be a dream.  Or it could be Eldibria trying to tell you something.  If you dreamt about the Kraken it's unlikely to be a coincidence."<br/>
<br/>
"The Kraken," you ask.<br/>
<br/>
"Legendary sea monster," explains Morgana.  "It's also associated with Eldibria.  Rick mentioned it a couple of times."<br/>
<br/>
"Do we still have Rick's <i>imago </i>somewhere," you wonder.  "It might help me learn to use Eldibria properly."<br/>
<br/>
"Nope," counters  Morgana.   "Remember, Rick was Eldibria and Malacandra, you're Eldibria and Glundandra.  There's no guarantee that your prodigies would be the same.  Rick saw things and could use a couple of weak curses."  Morgana pauses and grins for a moment.  "But he could also sense people through their water and could throw water about when taxed.  There are a couple of other Eldibria in the <i>Stellae </i>too though.  Maria Cardozo has Perelandra and Eldibria and she uses Eldibria to manipulate emotions."<br/>
<br/>
"So," you say, closing your locker over and hoisting your book bag over your shoulder.  "What does it mean?"<br/>
<br/>
"You saw currents around yourself and altered them," says Morgana.  "You should try doing that."<br/>
<br/>
"Try what," says a voice from nearby.<br/>
<br/>
You turn round to see Jason Lynch leaning on the lockers beside you.  He favours you with an easy smile that doesn't reach his eyes.  You stop yourself from flinching as you meet his gaze.  You've always thought that Lynch was a bit of a psycho, and the look in his eyes as he surveys you does nothing to dispel that notion.<br/>
<br/>
But you shouldn't let yourself be intimidated by this idiot, not anymore.  Not now that you are this powerful.  "I wasn't talking to you," you sneer at him.<br/>
<br/>
His smile never moves but there is a flash of anger in his eyes.  "I was just going to say a friendly hello to you," he says in a wounded voice.  "What with you being a transfer student.  Maybe you need someone to show you around."<br/>
<br/>
 "As if," you mutter.  You glance at Morgana, who arches an eyebrow back.  "Actually, wait," you say, slipping your own smile into place.  It is as warm and genuine as Lynch's own.  "You know, if there are some important places we've missed it would be great if you showed us them."  The sudden turnaround doesn't seem to fazeLynch, though Morgana rolls her eyes.<br/>
<br/>
After all, Lynch might be a bully and a psycho, but he would also make a perfect test subject.</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211122213211112111
author_id: imaj
title: Secrets, and How To Discover Them
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You start thinking about what happened in your dream, reaching out to Lynch mentally and looking for any currents that might be near him.  It takes a few moments to become aware of them, and you have to try your best not to screw up your face in concentration.  Lynch doesn't seem to notice though.<br/>
<br/>
You almost jump in shock as an impossibly thick tentacle slithers out from the narrow gap between two lockers.  It wraps itself round one leg of Lynch's pants, slowly wriggling upwards till it reaches the fly.  The tentacle somehow plunges inside, despite the fly being zipped out.  The part that freaks you out the most, though, is that Lynch simply doesn't notice.  He simply drones on about something or other.  Morgana seems oblivious to it too.  "...and then maybe we could have lunch, or hang about after school," finishes Lynch.<br/>
<br/>
He looks at you expectantly for a good few seconds.  You are simply too shocked to reply though, not at first.  What did Morgana say?  Rick saw things.  And Eldibria knows about secrets.  So is that what's happening here?  Eldibria is trying to show you some secret about Lynch.  You look at him, ignoring the oddity of the tentacle probing at his crotch:  The well pressed, stylish shirt and pants.  The slick hair.  The oddly hollow way he is flirting with you.<br/>
<br/>
You look at the tentacle again.<br/>
<br/>
Suddenly it all seems so obvious.  "I don't think so," you reply to Lynch, smirking.  "I mean it's obvious that you're gay and you're just looking for some notch on your bedpost to try and hide the fact from yourself."<br/>
<br/>
Lynch just stands there with his mouth open.  Beside you, Morgana struggles to turn a laugh into a coughing fit.<br/>
<br/>
Lynch works his mouth silently a few times, finally processing what you just said to him.  You can see the anger building up in his eyes, but you can also feel it building up in the air around him, in the invisible currents that stream over him.  You reach out mentally and yank hard on the one that is swelling.<br/>
<br/>
Lynch almost deflates in front of you.  His eyes grow dull and his shoulders droop as you pull the rage out of him.  "Oh" he says in an empty voice.  He hangs there listlessly for a second before stumbling away.<br/>
<br/>
"Eldibria," asks Morgana quietly.<br/>
<br/>
You nod and tell her what you saw.  "It just seemed so obvious."<br/>
<br/>
"When you said it, yeah," replies Morgana.  "It makes perfect sense, and it explains a lot about him.  And talking about making perfect sense - seeing someone's personal secrets: that sounds like Eldibria and Glundandra working together."<br/>
<br/>
"And I stopped him from getting angry at us too," you add.  "Manipulating emotions like you said."<br/>
<br/>
"Drastically," counters Morgana.  "I saw that much.  He'll have felt it too.  Maria Cardozo is much more subtle at it.  Maybe you need practice," she adds with a shrug before smiling mischievously.  "Can you see my secrets too?"<br/>
<br/>
You concentrate on Morgana, but nothing comes - no vision or hint appears.  You wonder if you simply lack the experience yet, or if Morgana is just too good at lying and disassembling.  "I don't need Eldibria to tell that you're too clever for your own good Morgana," you drawl.<br/>
<br/>
She laughs.  "Too true.  This is interesting, but you should be careful.  The things Rick saw drove him to the inside of the bottle, and what you described to me sounds very similar."<br/>
<br/>
You pout.  "I can take it."<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, obvious secrets like Lynch being a homo are easy," counters Morgana.  "It's the big, man-was-not-meant-to-meddle crap that's going to drive you insane.  But it still sounds like a useful talent.  I'm still working on the Malacandra and Sulva that you gave me."<br/>
<br/>
"That will be useful too," you smirk.  "We're going to rule this place when we are done," you add gleefully.<br/>
<br/>
"Or mess it up so bad," suggests Morgana.  She grabs you by the arm and starts dragging you to your home room.<br/>
<br/>
"Or both," you titter.<br/>
<br/>
Halfway along the hall you spot a solitary figure brooding beside her locker.  She looks round furtively before unloading the contents of her book bag.  Morgana hauls you into a nook in the wall and nods at the figure.  "Have you thought much about Frank?"<br/>
<br/>
You glance at the abject figure of Cindy Vredenburg as she continues to empty her book bag.  "She looks miserable," you state.  "Do we want to inflict that on Frank?"<br/>
<br/>
"Chelsea wasn't lying, I suppose," replies Morgana thoughtfully.  "Making Frank miserable is fun though, and he likes it that way.  Lurga," adds Morgana with a roll of her eyes.  "I have experience in these matters."  She pauses to giggle.  "She wouldn't be miserable for long anyway.  Not with what we can do."<br/>
<br/>
No.  She wouldn't.  You can't deny that is appealing.  You are already set on upending Westside for your own amusement, and the idea of engineering the triumphant return of Cindy Vredenburg - as one of your own number - would mesh neatly with that goal.  <br/>
<br/>
And Cindy is pretty, very pretty, more pretty than Chelsea even.  That long platinum blonde hair and that tight body...  You wouldn't mind having your way with her either.  You chew on you lip in anticipation.  Not for the first time, you find yourself wondering which of the girls that you used to construct your new personality has left you with these feelings.<br/>
<br/>
"Cindy might be a good choice," you admit.<br/>
<br/>
Morgana nudges you under the ribs and grins.  "Well, think about it then," she tells you.  "Come on, let's get you to class."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Last period, English Lit with Ms Gladstone, bores you.  She witters on endlessly about some book you haven't read and have no intention of reading.  You barely pay her any attention, instead making desultory notes in your jotter.  They start out vaguely related to class but quickly morph into sketched out sigils as you switch your <i>essentia </i>over to the Sulva and Kenandandra pair.  It's nothing new or exciting, just playing about with the sigils you already know.  So engrossed are you in your scribbling that you fail to hear the bell go at the end of the day.  Only when the other students file past do you realise what time it is.<br/>
<br/>
"That looks neat," says a voice from above you.<br/>
<br/>
You look up into the dark curls and cute face of Gillian Kiefer.  "Oh it's nothing," you blush.   "Just doodling."<br/>
<br/>
"No, it's really neat," she grins settling into one of the now vacant seats beside you.  "It would look great as a tat or something.  I'm Gillian by the way."  She extends a slender hand.  You take it and give it a brief shake.  "Welcome to Westside."<br/>
<br/>
"Rosalie," you reply, flashing one of your most dazzling smiles.  Inwardly, you switch back to Glundandra and  ramp up your aura.  Almost imperceptibly, Gillian wilts a little under its glare.<br/>
<br/>
"I saw you had a run in with the bitch patrol yesterday," she says with a relaxed laugh.  "Don't pay them any attention.  Chelsea likes to think she runs things around here but there's a lot going on that she doesn't know about."<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, I told them to get lost," you reply.<br/>
<br/>
Gillian laughs, sending the tassels sewn to her tank top shaking.  "Oh I'd have loved to have seen that.  What was the look on her face like?  You should take a photo next time."<br/>
<br/>
"Girls," shouts Ms Gladstone from the front of the class.  She tilts her chin up and taps on her watch.  "<i>Some </i>of us have homes to get to."<br/>
<br/>
Gillian stands up.  "Hey, I was going to go meet my hubby at King Kong Komics, but he'll probably be wasting time gaming with the rest of the guys.  I could use some company if you want to tag along."<br/>
<br/>
You stand up yourself, leaving you close enough to Gillian to catch a waft of her scent.  It is quite intoxicating and you break into a wide smile without meaning to.  Yes, Gillian would also be an excellent choice for Frank.  You can imagine yourself having your way with her as well.  She isn't as beautiful as Cindy, but she has an energy to her that leaves you in no doubt that she would be an excellent fuck.<br/>
<br/>
And here she is practically serving herself up on a plate for you to abduct her and take her back to the Straussler's.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111222132111121112
author_id: imaj
title: The Coven Completed
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You put on your best concerned looking face as you approach the forlorn looking girl by her locker.  Cindy seems almost hunched up, trying to hide herself as she empties her locker.  Not another soul is around in the hall, and whilst you were delayed because you were talking to Gillian, you suspect that Cindy was delayed because she didn't want anyone to see her.<br/>
<br/>
"Are you alright," you say in a soft voice as you slink up behind Cindy.<br/>
<br/>
She chokes a little as she turns round to face you.  Her eyes are raw and red.  "I'm..." she stumbles over the words.  "I'm okay."<br/>
<br/>
You make a show of looking at her.  Aside from the state of her eyes, she is a mess.  Her makeup, where it isn't stained and running from tears is clumsily applied and her clothes are dishevelled.  Most telling of all is when you turn your aura upon her though.  It reverberates off her, sour and discordant.  Cindy could not be less okay if she tried.<br/>
<br/>
"You don't look okay," you reply sceptically.  "You look like you could use a friend."<br/>
<br/>
Cindy laughs bitterly.  "No I don't."<br/>
<br/>
You fold your arms and lean back against one of the lockers.  "Well I'm not going anywhere," you say. all the while trying to use Eldibria to read the currents of her emotions.  They seem far too tempestuous to understand and the black miasma that forms around her comes close to making you gag more than once.<br/>
<br/>
"Well I am," counters Cindy.  She slams her locker door shut and turns to leave.  But you restrain her gently by placing a hand on her shoulder .  "Look, I'm sure you mean well," she begins as she turns to face you.  It's just too much for her though.  Cindy's eyes erupt into a stream of tears.  Her book bag slips from her hand and falls to the floor with a dull thud.<br/>
<br/>
Without saying a word, you hug Cindy gently.  She rests her head on your shoulders and you can feel your clothes getting damp from the flood of her tears.  Finally you grasp a hold of her feelings with Eldibria and push.  She sniffles a couple of times then starts giggling hysterically.  Quickly you withdraw your grasp on her feelings and almost instantly the tears return.  "I don't know what's wrong with me," she whispers, as much to herself as to you.<br/>
<br/>
You hold her there as she sobs.  Eventually the tears dry up.  Cindy sniffles a few times and lifts her head from your shoulder.  "Thanks," she says softly as she wipes at her eyes with her hands.  "But you really don't want to be seen with me."  She looks around nervously, as if she expects someone to jump out from behind the lockers.  "I'm not real popular round here at the moment."<br/>
<br/>
You take a step back and gesture at yourself, and at the outfit you are wearing - a leather miniskirt and a tight fitting white blouse with just enough buttons undone to offer a glimpse of your lacy black bra.  "I don't look like I care about what other people think, do I," you ask, getting a little forced smile out of Cindy.  "Was it that Chelsea bitch?  She and her little helper threatened me yesterday."<br/>
<br/>
Cindy looks away.  "Something like that," she murmurs.<br/>
<br/>
"Do you want to talk about it?"  Cindy shakes her head.  "Would you just like some company then," you ask.  "We don't need to talk at all.  Not until you want to."<br/>
<br/>
Cindy sighs.  She nods weakly.  "I think that's what I want."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Cindy stares out the passenger window as the trees roll past.  She's barely said a word since you led her out of the school.  She just sits there and sighs occasionally.<br/>
<br/>
"I don't even know who you are," she says eventually as you loop out past the city limits and onto a back road that runs round behind the Straussler estate.  "That's crazy, what am I doing here..."<br/>
<br/>
You say nothing in reply.<br/>
<br/>
"I keep pushing people away,  I've pushed everyone away" confesses Cindy, wiping at her eyes again.  "I pushed away Seth.  I pushed away Lin and Yumi."  She opens her mouth to scream, but nothing comes out.  "Oh what have I done," she wails.  "They were trying so hard to be there for me and I..."  She breaks down into tears again, long, copious sobs that fill the car with a fog of despair.<br/>
<br/>
You pull the car to a halt as she stops, just outside one of the gates to Straussler's house.  "Are you okay?"<br/>
<br/>
"Not really," hiccups Cindy, wiping some snotter from the end of her nose.  "I don't know what to do."<br/>
<br/>
You turn and smile encouragingly at her.  "Then let me do something," you say, starting the car back up and turning in through the gate.<br/>
<br/>
"What?  Where are we going," panics Cindy.  "This is someone's house, we can't drive in here."<br/>
<br/>
You continue to nudge the car up the driveway.  "No it's okay," you explain.  "My mom works for this guy.  And his son is kind of cute."<br/>
<br/>
Cindy squirms in her seat uncomfortably, but she acquiesces.  You guide your car up the long drive to one of the back doors, where Jon Straussler is waiting for you.  "Is that..." she blushes furiously.<br/>
<br/>
You climb out of the car and wave at Jon.  He smiles back.  "Hi Rosalie, who have you brought with you today."  He peers inside the window, causing Cindy's face to redden further.  "You're Cindy Vredenburg, aren't you," asks Jon as he opens the passenger side door.<br/>
<br/>
"You know who I am," stutters Cindy.<br/>
<br/>
"Sure," he replies, still smiling broadly at her.  He takes Cindy's hand and helps her out of your car.  "I've seen you on the Westside cheerleading squad.  You're very good."<br/>
<br/>
Cindy blushes again.  "Thank you," she says in a tiny voice.<br/>
<br/>
"It's real nice to make your acquaintance," replies Jon.  He turns round to gesture at the massive house.  "Care to come in."<br/>
<br/>
You grab Cindy by the arm and huddle close to her.  "What do you say Cindy," you whisper in her ear, too quietly for Jon to hear.  "This could be like a fresh start for you."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
"A fresh start, huh," says a feminine sounding voice,  its owner gently shaking you awake.  "You really are an utter bastard Prescott."<br/>
<br/>
You make an unintelligible grunting sound and open one eye.  Oh, it's too bright in here.  Far too bright.  You close your eye and roll over.   Someone shakes you again.  This time you manage to open both your eyes.  You sit up unsteadily and blink until the brightness fades just enough to make keeping your eyes bearable.  "Where am I," you mumble.<br/>
<br/>
"Still at Straussler's," replies the voice.  You manage to lay your eyes on its source.  Cindy Vredenburg is kneeling beside you, one hand on your shoulder.  "You keeled over after you finished."<br/>
<br/>
Finished?  Finished what?  The memory comes back in pieces.  It isn't Cindy beside you, not anymore.  "Frank," you murmur.<br/>
<br/>
"Hold still a moment," says Cindy.  She holds both hand open above your chest.  A warmth starts to spread outward, reinvigorating you.  "There," says Cindy, helping you to your feet.  She spots your puzzled look and explains.  "Unlike my brother - sister now," he snorts.  "I've actually bothered to spend time learning my new <i>ousiarchs</i>.  One of Aparijita's prodigies was to act as a mana battery, and now I can use it to help you recover."<br/>
<br/>
"Thanks," you reply sweetly.  "Did everything work?  You've got all of Cindy's memories and persona?"<br/>
<br/>
"I feel awkward," admits Cindy with a complicated shrugging motion.  "Like I don't fit."<br/>
<br/>
"Did I make a mistake," you frown.<br/>
<br/>
Cindy looks at the floor.  "I think that's just how Cindy feels right now.  What you've done to her, to me, makes that feeling worse."  There's no hint of accusation in her voice, just sadness, but it doesn't stop you from feeling the faintest twinge of guilt for the first time in a long while.<br/>
<br/>
It doesn't take long to shoulder that to one side though.  You gently stroke Cindy's platinum blonde hair.  It feels so soft to you.  "You do fit Cindy," you tell her soothingly, even as her stance grows rigid from your touch.  "You fit in now more than ever.  And we're going to change things for you Cindy," you add, moving closer to her till your mouth is only a few inches away from hers.  "Make things better."<br/>
<br/>
She pushes you gently away.  "Joe - Morgana - might go in for this girls club crap you having going on, but I'm not really interested."  <br/>
<br/>
You pout at her.  For a moment Eldibria gathers around you, and you consider unleashing it to flood Cindy's emotions with lust.  In the end you hold back the tides though.  So far you've only been able to effect drastic emotional changes, and that means Cindy with catch on to what you are doing.<br/>
<br/>
"That's fine," you demure, carefully holding your ire in check.  You'll get your chance to fuck Cindy one way or another, but you're content to play a waiting game for now.  "The important thing is getting you comfortable in your skin."<br/>
<br/>
"We'll need to get Jon back in circulation," says Cindy, turning away from you.  Jon and Cindy?  There's a potential match up that could put Cindy's star back in the ascendant, and the fallout from her dating one of Westside's prominent rivals would be an added bonus.  "And let Morgana know who I've become."<br/>
<br/>
"Actually," you say.  "Let's spring that on her as a surprise."<br/>
<br/>
Cindy smiles.  She still has enough of Frank in her to enjoy the prospect of getting one up on her sibling.</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221112221321111211121
author_id: imaj
title: Cindy and Delilah
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You don't see Cindy at Westside on the following day, the Friday.  She does, however, send a text to you cell phone, arranging to meet with you at the small mall in the centre of Saratoga falls after school.  You drag Morgana along with you to the meeting spot, a balcony on the first floor that looks over the entire length of the mall.  You scan the lower floor, searching for Cindy.  It's busy, with a lot of freshmen and juniors from both Westside and Eastman, even a few seniors too.<br/>
<br/>
But of Cindy, there is no sign.<br/>
<br/>
"Who are we waiting for," asks Morgana.  She pushes on the railing, lifting her feet a few inches above the ground.<br/>
<br/>
"I told you," you sigh in reply.  "Frank."<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah, but <i>who </i>are we waiting for," repeats Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
"It's a surprise..." you begin.<br/>
<br/>
"Hi guys," says Cindy behind you.<br/>
<br/>
You both turn round, your jaw dropping in shock.  "What have you done," you shriek, momentarily losing control.<br/>
<br/>
Cindy's most obvious feature, her long platinum blonde locks are gone.  She has had them sheared right back to only a few inches in length and brushed them across her head in a boyish style.  Her clothes are different too.  A set of flat sandals, a pair of worn jeans and a simple tank top create a much more grungy appearance than is typical for Cindy.  You're sure she's wearing a sports bra under there too, as her boobs seem somehow flattened.<br/>
<br/>
Cindy shrugs and shoves her hands into her pockets.  "I was just making myself more comfortable," she tells you.  "Though I guess Mom and Dad and my therapist are going to freak when they see the haircut."<br/>
<br/>
"Therapist?"  You knew nothing about this.<br/>
<br/>
"Cindy's been seeing one..."<br/>
<br/>
"You mean 'I've been seeing one'," interrupts Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
"... since Lucy well..." finishes off Cindy, ignoring her sister.  She tails off into silence for a moment.  "Nobody knew, except Seth and Yumi and Lin.  And look where that got me," she adds, some venom creeping into her tone.<br/>
<br/>
"I kind of like it," says Morgana.  "It looks hot in a sort of I-don't-care-about-looking-hot sort of way," she explains, laying and hand on Cindy's upper arm.  Cindy shrugs it away though.<br/>
<br/>
You tilt your head to the side and examine Cindy critically.  It's true, Cindy is the kind of girl who could wear a sack and still look incredibly sexy.  "This could work," you admit, your mind kicking into gear and starting to consider the possibilities.  "Oooh, what's Chelsea going to say when she sees you looking like that but still having some gorgeous hunk wrapped round you," you trill, picturing the scene in your mind.  No Chelsea would not be happy to see that at all.  The prospect of rubbing it in the golems face and her being unable to do anything about it entices you.<br/>
<br/>
Cindy, however, freezes up a little.  Is that Frank being unhappy at the idea of being with a guy, or Cindy showing the same attitude that drove Seth into Yumi's arms, you wonder.<br/>
<br/>
"Or, you know, playing hard to get while all the guys chase after you," you offer, pleased to see Cindy relax a little.  "Only..."<br/>
<br/>
Both girls look at you expectantly, waiting for you to continue.<br/>
<br/>
"Well, we'd need to get you some new clothes Cindy," you explain.  "You can't just throw on any old clothes and expect to look like you're not making an effort.  If you want to look like you don't care, you have to work hard at it.<br/>
<br/>
Morgana rolls her eyes at your tenuous logic, but you don't care about what she thinks.  The important thing is that Cindy is nodding earnestly.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
"What about these," says Morgana, pulling a pair of faux-leather pants of a rack and thrusting them at Cindy.  She looks at them dubiously, but when you smile encouragingly at her, she takes them and holds them to her waist.  They would be a tight fit, but they would show off Cindy's body well.<br/>
<br/>
"I'll try them on," concedes Cindy.  "No promises."  Morgana dives forward to the next rack and starts thumbing through the clothes on display.  "So now that we're all here," continues Cindy.  "What do we do next?"<br/>
<br/>
"I hadn't thought too much about it," you confess.  "Beyond just messing things about."<br/>
<br/>
Cindy snorts in response.  "It doesn't matter so much what we do, but how we do it," explains Cindy.  "Westside is all just a dress rehearsal, right?  For bigger and better things."<br/>
<br/>
It is, though it's been hard to think of it that way since you took up your new life as Rosalie.  The prospect of upending the carefully stratified social order at Westside makes you giddy and, to be honest, a little... well... 'excited'.  But going beyond Westside?  Using what you've learned in the wider world.  You gasp in anticpation.<br/>
<br/>
"You know I hate to agree with him, uh her," says Morgana, reappearing at your side.  "But she's right.  We need to decide what we're going to experiment with.  We've got the rest of the school year, and we could do a lot, but what do we do <i>first</i>."  Morgana grins excitedly.<br/>
<br/>
"We've got a lot of options," you tell the pair.<br/>
<br/>
"We do," agrees Cindy.  "And you've probably got ideas of your own already, Kenandandra and all, but I see three options.  First one is our prodigies.  We've all got new ones to learn - thanks for that by the way - so let's learn about them."<br/>
<br/>
"We could do a lot with just our <i>ousiarchs</i>," adds Cindy, whispering now.   "It's going to take a lot of work to get as good with our new ones as we are with our old ones.  And you'd be starting from scratch with two pairs rather than one."<br/>
<br/>
"Hardly from scratch," scoffs Morgana.  "Given what Rosalie's done already with the <i>Libra</i>, I'd say she's pretty good with Kenandandra."  Cindy nods in agreement<br/>
<br/>
"I could use the practice with Eldibria," you concede.  "At the moment, all I can do is blast people with strong emotions."<br/>
<br/>
"That could be all you can do," says Morgana, looking thoughtful.  "The thing about Glundandra is it's so <i>big</i>, and it takes up all the space.  It dominates everything around it.  What you can do with Eldibria would reflect that.  You might never be as subtle as Maria Cardozo."<br/>
<br/>
"One of the other options is the Libra, isn't it," you state.  It's not a question, you are sure you already know the answers.<br/>
<br/>
Morgana nods.  "There's still material to master in there, and even if there isn't...  Masks can be fun."<br/>
<br/>
"Why do we need masks," frowns Cindy.  "Now that we look like this, masks are a liability - If the <i>Stellae </i>come, some of them could see through masks easily."<br/>
<br/>
"I didn't say <i>we'd</i> be using the masks," counters Morgana.  "Might be fun to watch what some other people in the school would get up to with them."<br/>
<br/>
"Are you serious," explodes Cindy.  Everyone freezes for a second and looks round.  Luckily no-one else in the shop has caught her outburst.  She lowers her voice as she continues.  "Give the <i>Libra </i>to some other high school students?  It's like handing a bomb to a toddler."<br/>
<br/>
"Not the whole <i>Libra</i>," answers Morgana.  "I bet Rosalie could make copies of bits of it."<br/>
<br/>
You could at that, and even make changes to some of the spells.  You find yourself remembering how Grandma Shabbleman used to keep an eye on everyone in Cuthbert using watchers.  It would be simple to combine that into the mask creation spell, allowing you to watch exactly what the people you slipped the copied spells were getting up to.<br/>
<br/>
"It's still the dumbest idea you ever had, <i>Morgana</i>," spits Cindy.  "When the <i>Stellae </i>come, and they are going to come here at some point after that clusterfuck in Cuthbert, the people in masks might as well be waving signs saying 'Warlocks over here'."<br/>
<br/>
"If that's too obvious," counters Morgana.  "What about the books we rescued from Blackwell's?  We could play about with those - The Witches of Westside, remember.  And <i>if </i>the <i>Stellae </i>come, well I'm just an ordinary girl that got led astray by the wrong artefact, no special <i>essentia </i>on me.  Please, it just got out of hand.  I never meant for all this to happen," she whines, putting on an utterly convincing display of contrition.  "You know what the Stellae are like.  We'd get a slap on the wrist and told not to do it again."<br/>
<br/>
"I also know they'd send you through the door and onto the banks of the Acheron without a second thought if they thought you were playing them," growls Cindy.<br/>
<br/>
"Girls," you say interposing yourself between them.  Frank and Joe would often come to blows and you wonder if it's going to be the same with Cindy and Morgana.  "These are all good ideas, but they all have their bad points too," you say soothingly, flipping to Glundandra and letting your aura radiate as gently as you are able to.  "I've thought a lot about it, and I've made my decision."<br/>
<br/>
"Well," says both Cindy and Morgana in unison.</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211122213211112111211
author_id: imaj
title: Test Subject Alpha
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You ignore the stares as you walk through the halls at Westside the following Monday morning.  They are mostly aimed at Cindy, who trails along in your wake beside Morgana.  Her new haircut has caught everyone by surprise, as has the new style you and Morgana worked out for her on Friday:  Hiphugger jeans and a corset - the new Cindy is much rougher round the edges than the old one was.  Low whispers and concerned looks accompany her passing.  Yumi tries to talk to Cindy as you pass her, but Cindy brushes her off.<br/>
<br/>
You are more interested in finding Chelsea though.  She's lurking by her locker with Kendra and Gloria.  You nod slightly as you pass Chelsea, before turning into an empty classroom and waiting.  There you perch on a desk opposite Morgan and Cindy and start rifling through your book bag.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea enters the class alone a few minutes later.  "It took me a while to shake Kendra," she explains.  "I like the new style Cindy," she snickers insincerely.  "So, what do you want."<br/>
<br/>
You pull a blank mask from your bag and hand it to her.  "Get a copy of Maria," you instruct her.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea takes the mask and frowns.  "Is that all," she asks.  "I thought you didn't need these anymore."<br/>
<br/>
"Just get a copy of Maria," you tell her.  Chelsea turns to leave, but you call her name to stop her.  "Oh, you don't happen to know the combination to Jason Lynch's locker."<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea shrugs.  "I can probably find out."<br/>
<br/>
"Bitch," mutters Cindy as Chelsea leaves.  "Why do you need Lynch's locker combination anyway?"<br/>
<br/>
Morgana's jaw drops as she works it out.  "You're going to give Lynch a mask," she asks incredulously.  "Of Maria?"<br/>
<br/>
You smirk back at Cindy and Morgana.  "Yeah, remember what we know about Lynch."<br/>
<br/>
"He's a psycho," mutters Cindy.<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah," you admit.  "But he's also totally homo, and probably hot for Gordon Black too.  Eldibria showed me."  Morgana nods, remembering your encounter  with Lynch last week.  "So what do you think he's going to do when he finds himself a copy of one of the prettiest girls in school, and Black's girlfriend's bestie too"<br/>
<br/>
Morgana bursts out laughing.  "Oh I'd like to see that."<br/>
<br/>
"You can," you giggle.  "I can anyway.  Remember Grandma Shabbleman?  Those watchers she used to keep an eye on the freakshow in Cuthbert?  I managed to work one into the mask.  Whatever Lynch does with it, I can watch him.  Or her."  You giggle again.<br/>
<br/>
"And then what happens," asks Cindy sourly.<br/>
<br/>
"I don't know, but it'll be fun to find out," you reply.  "Especially when Lynch realises he can't take the mask back off."<br/>
<br/>
Cindy makes an oddly strangled gasping sound.  "Why would you even..."<br/>
<br/>
"Social experiment," you explain with a sniff.  "I want to see how other people react to using the masks.  There's only three of us, but if we can nudge people in the right direction without golemising them, then we can overcome that limit."<br/>
<br/>
"Couldn't we just keep on adding more <i>essentia </i>to control more golems," asks Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
You cock your head to the side.  That's a possibility.  "Awkward," you reply.  "Continually switching between <i>essentia </i>to give orders.  We can give Lynch his mask anonymously, which hides our involvement."  Morgana nods, but Cindy looks unsure.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
The halls are empty as you creep through them midway through last period.  You should be in class, of course, but you've changed to your Sulva and Kenandandra <i>ousiarch </i>pair and hopefully that should keep you from being spotted.  You pass a couple of  classrooms, but the doors are closed and the teachers are too busy with their classes to spot you, let alone give you a second look.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea came through for you at lunchtime, handing back the mask filled with Maria's <i>imago </i>as well as little slip of paper containing a series of numbers on it.  She'd slipped away without saying anything, anxious to get back to her hangers on before they'd noticed her absence<br/>
<br/>
You take one last look around when you reach Lynch's locker.  Nobody is in sight.  Chelsea's purloined combination proves correct and the door swings open.  You curl you lip at the faint musty smell emanating from within.  It isn't obvious where it comes from either, as the locker is mostly bare, save for a little mirror pinned to the back, a comb and a small tub of hair gel.<br/>
<br/>
That just means there is plenty of room to leave your little present.  You drop the mask on the top shelf of Lynch's locker after a cursory examination.  It's sealed now, and Maria's name is clearly visible on the inside, as is the image of her form in the surface of the mask.  Then you unfold the note you've written and place it on top of the mask.  It reads 'find somewhere quiet and put me on'.  You don't want Lynch suddenly changing to Maria in the middle of a crowd.  Finally, you close over the locker door and slink away, your work done.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
"It's a pity Cindy is so... uptight," says Morgana before pulling her dress over her head.  It takes her a minute to tug it all into place.  Then she tightens up the bodice and sits down on your bed, causing the dress to crinkle up.<br/>
<br/>
You shrug into a long tee, ignoring the sounds from downstairs.  The golem playing the role of your mom is tidying up loudly, mostly to distract itself from the noises that had been emanating from your bedroom for the last thirty minutes.  Then you slide into a pair of light cotton pyjama bottoms.  It's almost ten in the evening now and you'll probably go to bed once Morgana leaves.<br/>
<br/>
"Still, at least you're here.  And to have a parent willing to turn such a blind eye to what we get up to," grins Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
"She's a golem," you state flatly.  "It'll do what it's told to."<br/>
<br/>
"Not that I'm complaining," continues Morgana.  She kisses you sloppily on the mouth.<br/>
<br/>
You gently shove her away.  "We've already had our fun.  And you never answered my question."<br/>
<br/>
"Oh who else to give masks to," replies Morgana airily.  "I don't think my old friends are adventurous enough.  You know, the ones Morgana had before I became her.  It'd be 'This is really sick'," explains Morgana, imitating the voice of Sarah McDonald perfectly before bursting into laughter.<br/>
<br/>
"So who then?"<br/>
<br/>
"Maybe <i>our </i>old friends - Keith, Caleb," suggests Morgana.  Your own anima lies at her core, so of course she remembers your friends from your life as Will Prescott<br/>
<br/>
"Ugh, no," you tell Morgan, your face twisting up.  "One of the best things about being Rosalie is never having to deal with Keith again. <br/>
<br/>
"And that odd smell of his," agrees Morgana.  She pauses to think.  "You're not going to like this..."<br/>
<br/>
You sigh.  "Go on."<br/>
<br/>
"The roleplayers," says Morgana quickly.  She's right, you don't like it.  You're vaguely aware of who she means - The guys that hang out at King Kong Komics and play roleplaying games.  You never really talked to them much, you gave up on that crap after middle school and these guys are even lower on the social ladder than you were when you were still Will Prescott.  "Hear me out," pleads Morgana.  "Do you know anyone else who'd buy straight into the idea of magical mask disguises?  It's probably a fantasy for some of them," she adds with a twisted smile.  "And how long do you think they'd keep playing games when they have real magic in front of them?  Wouldn't it be fun to see where they end up?  Wouldn't it?"<br/>
<br/>
You sigh again.  She probably has a point, and Howie Baylor and his friends are probably as good a group as any to give limited access to the <i>Libra</i>'s spells.<br/>
<br/>
"How did it work out with Lynch," asks Morgana, interrupting your thoughts.<br/>
<br/>
"I put the mask in his locker," you reply.  "Haven't checked up on it since."  You get up from the bed and walk over to a shelf, where a little porcelain figurine sits.  It controls the watcher tied to mask you left in Lynch's locker.  You pick it up and sit next to Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
"Why didn't you just add a control sigil to his mask," she asks<br/>
<br/>
"Because then he'd know when I jumped to him.  And it would be no use if he wasn't wearing the mask.  Oh, and I get to see him, rather than through his eyes this way."<br/>
<br/>
"I was just asking," complains Morgana.  <br/>
<br/>
You ignore her and concentrate on the figurine in your hands.  Suddenly your perspective jumps and you are no longer in your bedroom.  It takes a moment to adjust to the darkness, as there is not a single source of light nearby except for the moon and the stars, and those are obscured by a thick canopy of trees.<br/>
<br/>
There is a figure standing there.  You dive in close to see that it is Maria Vasquez.  Except it is not, you can see that you are tied to her, and that means it must be someone - Lynch presumably - wearing the mask you created.  You draw back when you see the shovel in her hands.  She is vigorously filling in a hole in the ground beside her.  <br/>
<br/>
A twisting, sickening sensation turns your stomach inside out, but you force yourself close to examine the pit.  It's mostly filled now, but there is enough left exposed to confirm your suspicions.  Another Maria Vasquez stares up at you lifelessly from the ground, but only until another shovelful of dirt covers her face.<br/>
<br/>
The figurine drops to the ground and rolls under your bed as you release it.  Suddenly you are back in your bedroom.<br/>
<br/>
"What did you see," asks Morgana, one arm comfortingly wrapped round your shoulders.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222111222132111121112112
author_id: imaj
title: False Faces In Play
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You think for a moment before you answer Morgana's question.  Just what did you see,  A murder?  That much is obvious, but what else is it?  What did you think Lynch was going to do?  This is exactly what you are looking for - to find out how people react, to find out how you can push their buttons.<br/>
<br/>
And now you can trying pushing Lynch - or Maria now, you suppose - further.  "Something interesting," you reply.  "I'll tell you more later, once I've worked what to do next."  Already plans are forming in your head though.  Will Lynch have a guilty conscience?  Morgana could imitate Maria's voice perfectly and a 'ghostly echo' of the dead Maria could unbalance Lynch quite satisfactorily.<br/>
<br/>
You kiss Morgana one last time before shooing her from your room.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
You make an effort to check on 'Maria' the following morning, first using the figurine again before you leave you house, and then again when you reach Westside.  She is in Chelsea's company as usual, and at first glance there is nothing out of place:  Her clothes are the kind of clothes that Maria wears normally.  Her makeup is done as she usually does it.  The vacant expression that habitually graces her face is in place.<br/>
<br/>
No, not quite.  It's mostly there, but there's something in her eyes that isn't quite right:  A lizard like coldness that regards you with far more scrutiny as you pass than the real Maria ever would.<br/>
<br/>
"What was that," asks Morgana once the replacement Maria is out of sight.  "You were staring."<br/>
<br/>
"Didn't you see the look in her eyes?"<br/>
<br/>
"Vacant as always," replies Morgana, twirling her hair.<br/>
<br/>
You frown and pull her along before she can say anything else.  It must be Eldibria again, showing you something that isn't quite there to reveal a secret.  Though you already know Maria is really Jason Lynch.  "I saw Lynch's eyes," you explain.  "You know that look he has, the one like he's sizing you up."<br/>
<br/>
Now Morgana frowns.  "Oh," she says quietly after a few moments.  "Eldibria.  Just like Rick."  She walks alongside you in silence for a few minutes<br/>
<br/>
"Lynch killed her," you eventually tell Morgana<br/>
<br/>
Morgana nods grimly.  "So what are you going to do?"<br/>
<br/>
"Nothing," you reply with a trill, perhaps a little too much of one.  "Maybe fuck with <i>her </i>head a bit.  You could haunt her a bit.  You know, the ghostly voice of Maria accusing her replacement from time to time."<br/>
<br/>
Morgana nods.  "That could be done," she says without batting an eyelid.  "What about the roleplayers?  Do you still want to give them something as well, or are you just going to play out Lynch's swap."<br/>
<br/>
"I'm writing a copy of part of the <i>Libra </i>for them.  I started after you left last night," you explain.  "I'm modifying the sigils to embed a watcher in every mask they make," you add with a grin as you push the memory of Maria's lifeless face from your thoughts.<br/>
<br/>
Morgana squeezes your arm affectionately.  "Clever," she states before coming to an abrupt halt.<br/>
<br/>
It took a lot to render Joe speechless, back when he was Joe rather than Morgana.  Nonetheless, all of his old character traits are still there under Morgana's skin, and Morgana <i>has </i>just been rendered speechless.  You follow her gaze, only to find yourself rendered equally mute.<br/>
<br/>
Cindy blushes as soon as she spots you.  She withdraws one arm from her companion's waist, moving with the haste of someone who's hand as been caught in the cookie jar.  The guy turns round, looking to see what's spooked Cindy.  For a moment you can't quite place him.  He features just seem to slide from your grasp and he is unrecognisable.<br/>
<br/>
You blink a couple of times and rub your eyes.  Now you can see him properly.  It's Scott Bickelmeir, the wide receiver for the schools lacklustre football team.  He smiles sheepishly at you and Morgana, but his hand never leaves Cindy's hip.  Then he turns back to Cindy and whispers something in her ear.  Cindy smiles faintly in return.  The pair hold hands for a second then part, their fingers lingering together for just a few seconds more.<br/>
<br/>
Morgana rushes over to Cindy.  "Cindy's got a boyfriend," she teases in a sing-song voice.  "Cindy's got a boy-<i>frieeend</i>."<br/>
<br/>
Cindy shoves Morgana roughly. "Leave off," she complains.<br/>
<br/>
You look around.  No one has noticed your little group.  Yet.  You don't want them breaking into a fight though, so you grab both girls and tug them into a side corridor.  Cindy glares at Morgana, who humms under her breath the same few bars she used to tease Cindy moments earlier.<br/>
<br/>
"Cut it out," you growl.  Morgana rolls her eyes.  "I mean it."  You pause for a second before turning to Cindy.  "Is this serious, with Scott?"<br/>
<br/>
"I don't know," says Cindy, staring at the floor.   "I'm..." she drifts off into silence.<br/>
<br/>
You give the obviously distressed girl a friendly hug.  "It's ok," you tell her.  "We're all adjusting to our new selves."  She doesn't look too convinced, but you continue.  "We're just doing it in different ways."  That at least gets a small nod from her.  "Scott's going to be good for you.  What do you think about the football team Morgana?"<br/>
<br/>
"What," asks Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
"If we all had boyfriends on the football team?"<br/>
<br/>
Cindy frowns  "Why?"<br/>
<br/>
"Well, Chelsea controls the basketball team through Gordon," you explain.   "And that cements her popularity."<br/>
<br/>
"The football teams are goof-ups," counters Morgana.  "The basketball team are aiming for the championship."<br/>
<br/>
"That could change," you muse.  "Now that Patterson's gone to Eastman, and I think there's going to be some changes in the cheerleaders too," you snicker.  If you've read Lynch right, the new Maria and Chelsea will come to blows soon enough too.  "And we could help the football team get better."<br/>
<br/>
"Do you have to turn everything into some kind of scheme," complains Cindy.<br/>
<br/>
"That's what we are supposed to be doing," counters Morgana.  "Experimenting."<br/>
<br/>
"Of course, I'd be dating the captain," you say, talking as much to yourself as anyone else.  You think of Cameron Huber, the quarterback and captain:  Huge and hairy, but a gentle giant.  And dating Anne Starkey.  You purse your lips - you'll have to do something about that.  "Just be yourself," you tell Cindy as your attention drifts back into focus.  "Spend some time with Scott.  And get to class, both of you."<br/>
<br/>
Cindy nods before scurrying off with a relieved expression on her face.  Morgana waits for a moment, one eyebrow raised perfectly.  "What are you up to now Rosalie," she asks.<br/>
<br/>
You smile back at her.  "I'm skipping," you reply.  "I want to trawl the remnants of Blackwell's library.  I'll see you this afternoon."<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
It isn't Morgana you go looking for when you return to Westside at the end of lunch break though.  Instead you prowl the halls, looking for your quarry, the little bit of knowledge you gleaned from Blackwell's books fizzling away in your thoughts.  You spot him alone at his locker, hunched over and trying not to loom over everyone around him.  You slip in beside Cameron Huber, glaring at the group of sophomore girls giggling nearby.  They take the hint and scuttle off, leaving you alone with him.<br/>
<br/>
You take one last look around to check that no one else is in hearing range.  <br/>
<br/>
The alien string of syllables slip from your mouth.  You'd swear that you could actually see them stream like smoke out of your mouth before wrapping themselves round Cameron's head and then fading into nothing.  He freezes in place momentarily, then continues fidgeting with the contents of his locker.  It seems to have worked, so you tap out a quick text to Morgana giving her a handful of instructions.<br/>
<br/>
"Hey Cameron," you say softly, catching his attention.  He turns to face you and you repeat the mesmeric word one more time, causing his eyes to glaze over.  "It's me, Anne," you smirk.  The hypnotic effect of the word should leave him believing every word you say, despite the fact you look nothing like the football team captain's girlfriend.  "What'd you say we skip classes this afternoon," you add, stroking his upper arm.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221112221321111211121121
author_id: imaj
title: Cheating Hearts
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You grasp tightly onto the thick mat of hair that covers Cameron's chest as you bounce up and down on top of him.  He grunts appreciatively, content to let you take the lead.  Not that the passivity upsets you.  He is big enough and thick enough that he more than fills you up.  Already, the sweaty mist of your coupling is steaming up the dirty windows of the old disused portables.<br/>
<br/>
"What's gotten into you Anne," he asks in between your shrieks.  "It's like you're..."<br/>
<br/>
"A different person," you interrupt with a laugh.  You're close now, very close and tantalising anticipation of what is to come makes you redouble your efforts.  You want to get finished before...<br/>
<br/>
Before the door opens.  Damn.  Well you knew this was going to happen.  You'd planned for it.  You just wish Morgana could have been five minutes later.  She pushes the door right open, determined to make a scene.  In turn, you cease sliding up and down whilst this plays out, Cameron's cock buried deep inside you.<br/>
<br/>
"Cameron," says Anne Starkey as she pushes past Morgana, her voice heavy with disbelief.  Of course it would have been easy for Morgana to use her <i>ousiarchs </i>to persuade Anne to come out here with her.  "Cameron, what are you doing."<br/>
<br/>
That is enough to break your hold over him.  He twists round, as best as he is able to with you pinning him in position at the waist.  "Anne?"  He looks up at you, suddenly seeing you as you really are for the first time.  "Who the hell are you?"<br/>
<br/>
"It's a little late to be asking that now Cameron honey," you reply, pushing him back to the floor as he tries to get up.  He's much stronger than you, but he's not using his full strength yet.  Too confused, probably.  Already Anne is storming away angrily.  Morgana waits long enough to smirk at you knowingly before chasing off after Anne.  "What'd you think now that you can see who you're really fucking?  Wanna finish off," you ask, running your hands all over his chest.<br/>
<br/>
"What did you do to me," he growls, trying to get up again. You push him down again, but it's only a matter before he pushes you aside with the sheer power of that athlete's body of his.  "How did you look like Anne?"<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, I'm much better than <i>her</i>," you drawl, but you realise it'll take more than words to keep Cameron between your legs.  You reach for Eldibria and push hard at him, directing the torrent at where you think will flood Cameron with lust.<br/>
<br/>
For a moment you think you have made a mistake, for he grits his teeth and stares at you wildly.  But he doesn't push you away.  He grabs you by the shoulders and rolls you over until he is pinning you in place on the floor.  He growls, a low throaty rumble that vibrates right along your spine.  Then he pushes inside you, hard, deep and fast and your world erupts into dazzling brightness.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
Cameron lies on the floor, panting hard.  The rough thatch of hair that covers his chest is slick with sweat.  He moves his hand uncertainly, stroking your hair uneasily where is meets his own.  "What did I do," he whispers.<br/>
<br/>
You press your head against his chest.  He feels warm, fevered.  "You gave me the best fuck of my life," you sigh, stroking his ego as well as his chest.<br/>
<br/>
"I should..." he never completes the sentence.<br/>
<br/>
You prop yourself up beside him.  "You should what?  Go crawling back?  Beg for forgiveness?"  You lift one leg over him and straddle his stomach again, darting down for quick pecks to his lips.  Cameron is stiff and unresponsive, but he does not push you away.  "Is that what you want to do?"<br/>
<br/>
He stiffens again.  "No," he says, but you sense reluctance from him.<br/>
<br/>
"And will Anne take you back," you add, hiding your own grin.<br/>
<br/>
He says nothing in reply.<br/>
<br/>
<i>Definitely not</i>, you think.  <i>Not if Morgana's had a chance to persuade her</i>.  You ride one hand down the well toned muscles of Cameron's stomach.  Then you snake your hand to his crotch, where you gently massage his cock.  There is no ambivalence in Cameron's reactions there:  His member hardens at your touch, ready to go again.<br/>
<br/>
He makes only a token effort to push you away as you slip his cock inside you again.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
You push the thick pile of paper aside when your cell rings.  The papers - the cut down copy of the <i>Libra </i>for the roleplayers - are almost complete.  It's taken most of the evening, but you're almost done.  You've managed to work in a few embellishments that you're proud of.  The embedded watcher, which you've already told Morgana about is a nice touch, but it is the remote deactivation that you are most happy with.  One word and every mask made with these copies will fall off and the copies themselves will go inert.<br/>
<br/>
You smirk as you drop you pen and pick up the phone.  It's going to be fun.<br/>
<br/>
"Hey girl," you say to Morgana as you answer the phone.  "How's Anne."<br/>
<br/>
"Angry and disappointed," giggles Morgana. "She wanted to give Cameron a chance to explain himself after she cooled down a little."<br/>
<br/>
"But..."<br/>
<br/>
"It wasn't hard to make her believe this wasn't your first time with Cameron," continues Morgana.  "Which, given you've been at Westside for about a week that's pretty good.  If I say so myself."<br/>
<br/>
"Pretty good that I've moved so fast on Cameron, supposedly, or pretty good that you could persuade her."  You know the answer of course.  Morgana is as sure of her own abilities as Joe ever was.  "I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't think you could do it Morgana," you chirp before she can get a word in.  "Cameron is still a little conflicted, but as soon as I turn Eldibria on him he's all over me.  A little more reinforcement tomorrow and they'll be broken up for good."<br/>
<br/>
"So you and Cameron, Cindy and Bickelmeir," states Morgana.  "What about me?"<br/>
<br/>
"That's something I'll have to work out with Cameron," you reply.  "You'll be riding herd on one of the more  awkward members of the squad.  I need to find out which one needs your intervention."<br/>
<br/>
"Don't I get a say who," interrupts Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
"Only a little..."<br/>
<br/>
"Doesn't matter I guess, as long as I get to<i> ride herd </i>on them," she laughs, hardly concealing what she really means.<br/>
<br/>
"Have you...  I mean since you became Morgana, have you..." you ask.<br/>
<br/>
"Hmm, oh what do you think," she replies insouciantly.<br/>
<br/>
"I think I don't actually want to know," you tell her.<br/>
<br/>
"Didn't think so," she titters.  "Cya later."<br/>
<br/>
You put the phone back down.  It's tempting to return to the work on the copy of the <i>Libra </i>spells.  There isn't much left and you could probably finish off tonight if you tried, but it would probably keep you up well past midnight.  A faint smile forms on your lips:  You're tired too, very tired.  Who wouldn't be after your exertions this afternoon.<br/>
<br/>
You have time to do one thing though, and you let your mind relax a little as you grab the little figurine from its shelf.  A few moments later you concentrate and reach out for the watcher tied to Lynch.<br/>
<br/>
Wherever the fake Maria is, it's dark.  The dull glow of the streetlights is obscured by sharp shadows that reach towards the sky.  As your eyes grow used to the gloom, you slowly gain an inkling of your location:  Farm Road, Saratoga Falls best known makeout spot.<br/>
<br/>
You will the watcher to dart towards the classic Volkswagen bug parked in a little nook off the road.  That's where 'Maria' is, you can feel it, and the car looks very familiar too.  The windows are all steamed up, but that poses no barrier to you.  Tied to the impostor Maria inside the car, the watcher passes through the doors effortlessly.  What you see makes you drop the figurine from your hands again, instantly bringing you back to your bedroom.<br/>
<br/>
This time though, you are laughing.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 112211111112122221222121121122111221111122121111111111111112212122211122213211112111211211
author_id: imaj
title: The Me In Team
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>You go looking for Cameron the next morning, searching the locker before the first bell goes.  It's unlikely that he and his now ex-girlfriend will talk, not with Morgana efforts on Anne last night, but you want to sink another hook or three into the captain of the football team.<br/>
<br/>
You run across Chelsea first though, wandering through the halls with an unhappy expression on her face, Kendra and Gloria following along in her wake.  Most people would avoid the head cheerleader if they saw her that angry, but you have nothing to fear from her.  She has to follow your instructions, or at least she has to when you are using your Kenandandra and Sulva <i>ousiarch </i>pair.<br/>
<br/>
You don't even bother to switch to them when you pass her.  You stop Chelsea just long enough to whisper in her ear:  "Where was Gordon last night?"  Then you move on, leaving the golem's face to shade a bright red.<br/>
<br/>
A few minutes later you find Cameron hiding by his locker.  He stiffens guiltily as you wrap one arm round his waist and draw him close.  That only lasts a few seconds before you spray him with a blast of Eldibria, deluging him in lust.  Then he all over you, his strong hands roaming across your body, caressing you roughly through the velveteen material of your dress.<br/>
<br/>
"How do you do this to me," Cameron asks breathlessly once he finally manages to pull his lips away from yours.  Your answer is to devour him again with hungry kisses.  He is too wrapped up in the moment to notice as Anne storms past, nor does he hear her swear loudly at you.  "Who <i>are </i>you?"<br/>
<br/>
You giggle and lick your lips.  That's right, Cameron still doesn't know your name.  "Call me Rosalie," you say, tickling the underside of his chin with one finger.  The heavy stubble there feels scratchy to you.  "And come see me at lunch."<br/>
<br/>
You give him one last brief kiss before breezily walking away, your mind humming with schemes and plans.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">*****</div><br/>
<br/>
You cast a short, envious, glance at Cameron's lunch after skipping up to him in the canteen at lunchtime.  His tray is piled high with a generous serving of whatever today's mystery meat is, covered in thick sludge of a questionable looking brown sauce.  It's not that you particularly enjoy the food they serve in the school, it's just since becoming Rosalie, you just can't eat so much anymore.  All you have for lunch is a pair of apples tucked into your book bag.<br/>
<br/>
"Hey baby," you say, tucking your arm around him.  He smiles as he sees you.  "Missed you,"  you add, rubbing against him.  The tray of food tilts at an awkward angle and almost drops out his hand.<br/>
<br/>
He stumbles as you guide him over to your table.  Morgana and Cindy are both there already, but Cindy is wrapped around Scott Bickelmeir.  <i>And </i>his hands are all over her.  Hardly surprising, the new Cindy's every attempt to play down her beauty - and she's wearing a rough pair of old jeans and a sleeveless tee right now - only seem to make her hotter.  Cameron blanches at the sight.<br/>
<br/>
"Huber," says Scott frostily, finally noticing the presence of his captain.<br/>
<br/>
"Scott," replies Cameron, equally coolly.<br/>
<br/>
"You guys know each other," you ask sweetly and with fake innocence.  You gently but insistently guide Cameron into a seat.<br/>
<br/>
"He's on the football team," explains Cameron unhappily.  <br/>
<br/>
"Cool," you say, completely ignoring the attitude of both.  You ramp up your Glundandran aura.  The discordance in the pairs relationship is obvious now - cool, but polite, not really team mates. That will have to change.  A quick blast of mellowness using Eldibria should help.  Scott looks confused at the sudden tugging of his emotions.  Cameron though, seems unfazed.  "Wait, don't you guys usually have lunch together?  Where's the rest of the team?"<br/>
<br/>
Neither answers.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh," you say.  "I thought you'd be more like those guys."  You point to the table where the basketball team and Chelsea and her cronies sit.  Though in truth, they hardly seem happy over their either.  There is a distinct frostiness in the air that can be felt even at this distance:  Chelsea and Gordon face away from each other,  Maria is nowhere to be seen and the other basketball players seem to be talking just a little too loudly to each other in an attempt to ignore what's going on.<br/>
<br/>
Cameron seems to miss it too though.  "No, we're not," he manages to say with a sad little half smile.<br/>
<br/>
Scott snorts contemptuously.  "Assholes," he mutters.  "And Dalton Douglas is the worst of them."<br/>
<br/>
You glance at Morgana and raise an eyebrow.  She smiles briefly at you as Cameron speaks.  "It isn't that bad," he lies, his head turned away and unable to face you.  Scott scowls angrily.<br/>
<br/>
"When do you guys practice next," asks Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
Cameron and Scott look at each other, caught out by the question.  "Uh, today, after school," admits Cameron.<br/>
<br/>
"We should come watch," replies Morgana cheerfully.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, definitely," you concur.  "Don't you think so Cindy."  She nods in agreement, but Cameron and Scott can only stare at you in horror.<br/>
<div align="center"><br/>
*****</div><br/>
<br/>
 It is a little despondent, sitting on the bleachers and watching the team practice on the football field outside the school.  For one you are more or less alone, with only Cindy and Morgana at your sides for company.  No one else comes to watch the team.<br/>
<br/>
On the field it looks just as bad, with Dalton Douglas and his cronies half-assing their way through the practice session.  Him, Kevin and Nathan Hall and Erik Carstairs coast along, putting minimal effort in.  It looks bad, and given that you can see that much with your minimal knowledge of the sport.<br/>
<br/>
"We'll need to do something about them," you whisper in an aside to Morgana.  Not that you need to, no one will be able to hear what you say.<br/>
<br/>
"You mean I'll need to do something about them," counters Morgana.<br/>
<br/>
"You did say you wanted to ride herd," you reply.  "Douglas is the worst of them," you add intuitively.<br/>
<br/>
"Him then," nods Morgana.  "Is he dating someone already?"<br/>
<br/>
"I honestly don't know," you reply.  Dalton Douglas, for all that he is one of Black's gang, is too far down the pecking order for you to know anything about.  "Does it matter?"<br/>
<br/>
Morgana laughs in response.  "Probably not."<br/>
<br/>
You don't hear what she says next though, as the training in front of you has taken a turn for the worse.  Sean Mitchell has grabbed Dalton Douglas by the throat, and you watch in horror as the burly wrestler throws Douglas to the ground.  He climbs on top of the bully and starts trying to throttle the life out of him as Cameron can only watch them with a bemused expression on his face.  The rest of the team piles on.  Bickelmeir in support of Mitchell, Carstairs and the Halls in support of Douglas.<br/>
<br/>
You leap to your feet and start running down toward the field, taking the steps of the bleachers two at a time.  Cameron finally seems to be stirring himself into action as you reach the foot of the steps.  He wades into the scrum, trying to pull apart the fighters.  All he succeeds in doing is lifting a couple of them away before the others drag him in.  He disappears into the heaving mass of bodies.<br/>
<br/>
So it's up to you then.  You walk closer to the brawl, summoning Glundandra round you like a cloak.  You are vaguely aware of Morgana drawing alongside you, but your focus is purely on the mess in front of you.  You pour the aura of the king of planets at them.  The you say one word, very quietly and very softly.<br/>
<br/>
"Stop."<br/>
<br/>
Everyone freezes.  For a moment nobody so much as breathes.  Then, slowly and quietly, the brawlers start untangling themselves and dusting themselves down.  To a man, they look at you sheepishly.  Even Dalton Douglas, who attempts to stare at you defiantly, can only manage a brief second before he hangs his head in shame.<br/>
<br/>
"You should be ashamed of yourselves," you add.  "Everyone in the school  wants you to win for us."  Despite the clichéd nature of your words, they all nod in embarrassment.  That's the power of Glundandra at work.  You can sense the enmities between them, but they lie quiet now.  The team needs someone to lead them, to give them purpose  They actually want it, you feel.  Someone who can weld them together into something more.<br/>
<br/>
You look at Cameron.  <br/>
<br/>
It isn't him - can't be him.  He's too <i>nice </i>to push this lot into line.  But he's still a figurehead, and as long as you are here with him you can smooth over the cracks in the squad.  "Take five," you instruct them.  "Then start again."  Some of the team seem surprised that they are following your orders so readily, others thankful.  You grab Morgana by the arm as they part.  "Go after Douglas," you whisper in her ear.  She grins mischievously before hurrying off after her quarry.<br/>
<br/>
Then you turn to Cameron.  He seems stupefied by this turn of events, but breaks into a idiotic grin as you sway over to him.  You throw your arms round his neck and pull his head down to your level. He hungrily kisses you, sucking on your lips fervently.<br/>
<br/>
"We're going to turn things around," you whisper in his ear when he is sated.<br/>
</span></div></div>


path: 1122111111121222212221211211221112211111221211111111111111122121222112
author_id: seuzz
title: Four for the Price of Two
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>"I still can't believe how keen she was," Joe says.<br/>
<br/>
You're too focused on the videogame to reply. But Joe is better, and a moment later your game avatar is blinking red and fading. "I told you she was going to like helping us," you snicker. "'Cos I told <i>her</i> she was going to like helping us."<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea is gone by now, after spending two hours enthusiastically spilling everything she knows about Westside High School--and everything she'd like to do to her fellow students.<br/>
<br/>
Joe seems particularly struck by the latter. "It was more than that," he says. "All that planning and plotting. She loves it." He pauses as your game avatar pulses back to life. "You'll love it too once you're inside her, operating her."<br/>
<br/>
You smile, for you're deliberately holding back from that, savoring the anticipation. The sweet, juicy anticipation of getting inside Chelsea Cooper's body, and feeling it up and down with her own hands and probing it with her own fingers. She herself must have a lot of experience doing that. How could she not take advantage of the opportunities everyone else would like to have? "I'll make a mask of her for you," you say.<br/>
<br/>
Joe's game avatar freezes at your words, and in that moment your own avatar blows a hole in the other's head. <br/>
<br/>
"Are you serious?" he says. "Because that'd be way cool. Not as cool as navigating the real girl, but --"<br/>
<br/>
"She's not the real girl anymore," you say. "She's just a golem. And you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between being inside the golem and being inside a mask."<br/>
<br/>
"Maybe not. But <i>knowing</i> where you were--" He trails off. "Say, why didn't you?"<br/>
<br/>
"Why didn't I what?" You keep your eyes on the screen, for his avatar has returned and is in motion.<br/>
<br/>
"Sorry, just following a-- I was thinking it would be cool to operate Chelsea <i>and</i> have some <i>ousiarchs</i> to play with while inside her. So why'd you just turn her into a golem instead of making her a partner?"<br/>
<br/>
It's a good question, and you hesitate before answering. "I wanted them for myself."<br/>
<br/>
Abruptly, Joe pauses the game. "You mean take yourself apart and swap out your <i>essentia</i>?"<br/>
<br/>
"Well, yeah," you say, even though you hadn't actually articulated just that thought until now. "Or, I dunno. Maybe just add Glundandra and Eldibria to my own, give me four for the price of two."<br/>
<br/>
"Good thing you mentioned it to me first. It can't be done."<br/>
<br/>
"Whaddaya mean? Who's to say?"<br/>
<br/>
"The planets. You can only have two."<br/>
<br/>
"We're already committing crimes against nature." You chortle, but it sounds uneasy even in your own ears, and Joe doesn't smile.<br/>
<br/>
"It's been tried before," he says. "Not too long ago, in fact. One of the <i>Stellae</i> went retrograde, tried using a doohickey to give himself some more planets. It turned out bad for him."<br/>
<br/>
"What happened?" A feeling like a thin sheet of ice spreads beneath your skin.<br/>
<br/>
"Kali wrote the story up--that's one of her hobbies, you know--and she gave me a copy. I'll pass it along."<br/>
<br/>
He returns to the game. But your concentration is fatally shot, and he easily beats you six times in a row.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
You have to pester Joe before he'll remember, but the next day he gives you a bulky packet of papers: a thinly fictionally account of the retrograde <i>Stellae.</i> Your attention, naturally, is caught by the account of the <i>Calice de Tenebres,</i> the occult object at the heart of the adventure. For a little while your palms itch with the desire to lay hold of it and study it. But then you reflect that you've learned how to do the trick yourself, <i>and</i> without the need of anything but sigils. That leaves you feeling rather smug.<br/>
<br/>
Then you feel even more smug when you see how to get what Joe said was impossible.<br/>
<br/>
Your eyes are bloodshot but shining when Joe and Frank find you the next morning at Jonathan's breakfast table. You'd stayed up all night working. "Where'd you get the canary?" Joe asks warily. "The one that you seem to have swallowed," he adds.<br/>
<br/>
"From you." You wave some of your scratch paper at him. "You gave me the idea, and the answer was in that story."<br/>
<br/>
"I knew I shouldn't have spent yesterday playing Jonathan," Frank says. "What are you guys talking about?"<br/>
<br/>
"You're better for the quality time you spent with Monique," Joe says. He keeps his eyes locked on your face. "Have you been working on that cock-eyed idea--?"<br/>
<br/>
"Got it licked, too."<br/>
<br/>
"I don't like the sounds of this," Frank says.<br/>
<br/>
"You don't have to." To Joe: "In the story, where it says 'The shadows are now a net.' This Lucio guy got them all tangled up with each other, and that's why he failed."<br/>
<br/>
"That's what I told you," Joe says. "Get me some OJ while you're up, Frank."<br/>
<br/>
"So all I have to do is keep them separate. I'll take some OJ too, Frank."<br/>
<br/>
"I might as well play butler to you two," he grouses. "I've got nothing to contribute."<br/>
<br/>
"The week is young," you laugh. "We'll see how little you have to contribute."<br/>
<br/>
He freezes and turns. "What does that mean?"<br/>
<br/>
You ignore him. "We already got the concept for the solution," you tell Joe, "in that spell that lets you put different <i>imago</i> into a mask. It keeps them in separate layers, remember? Just do the same thing with <i>essentia.</i> Then you can flip between layers."<br/>
<br/>
Joe tugs at his lower lip. "But can you make it work in execution?" He closes one eye skeptically as you flourish your worksheets at him. "Could you do the same thing with <i>anima?</i> Put different <i>anima</i> in yourself and switch between them?" He nods at Frank as the latter sets some orange juice onto the table and sits heavily with a cereal bowl.<br/>
<br/>
"I'm not switching my psychology around," you retort. "Look what happened to you and Frank when I switched <i>your</i> psychologies around with <i>anima.</i>"<br/>
<br/>
Joe's grin is sharp. "You mean that <i>anima</i> is essential to who you are, that's why you don't want to fiddle with it?" You nod, and his grin widens. "What makes you think it's any safer fiddling with <i>essentia?</i> Why do you think they call it <i>essentia,</i> which is the root form for the word--?"<br/>
<br/>
You wave your hand dismissively. "Yeah, alright, so in a sense I'd be changing who I am. So I'd no longer be 'Will Prescott, Sulva and Kenandandra.' I'd be, uh--"<br/>
<br/>
"Shmill Shmescott, Glundandra and Eldibria," Joe finishes for you.<br/>
<br/>
"But my <i>anima</i> would be unchanged. My <i>imago,</i> too. So as far as what I felt like, I'd be the same."<br/>
<br/>
"You don't know that."<br/>
<br/>
Frank drops his spoon with a clatter. "Are you talking about--? Shit! Are you talking about giving yourself <i>two essentias? Four ousiarchs?</i>"<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah!"<br/>
<br/>
Frank stares at you; Joe laughs softly to himself. You grin at both of them. Frank looks over at Joe for a long minute, then returns to you. "And where were you gonna get the donors?"<br/>
<br/>
"We already have donors. Glundandra and Eldibria. Perelandra and Catilindria. An extra Sulva, an extra Mala--"<br/>
<br/>
"Just as long as you're not casting covetous eyes at me and Joe," Frank says.<br/>
<br/>
"Dude!"<br/>
<br/>
"Well, he wouldn't do that to you, Frank," Joe says. "He's already got an extra connection to Malacandra, thanks to Rick. And who'd want your connection to Lurga? Me, on the other hand--"<br/>
<br/>
"Joe!" Your tone is wounded, and sincerely so.<br/>
<br/>
He just grunts, and takes your worksheets from you to study. Frank gets to spend another day as Jonathan Straussler.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
Notwithstanding all your brag about the ease of the concept, the execution proves tricky. The two <i>essentia</i> cannot "touch," and yet each must be accessible to you. So you craft a "skein of control" that will tie separately into each, and yet will be rooted in your own <i>anima.</i> If it works--<br/>
<br/>
"Did it work?" you mumble as you sit up in the ballroom. Late afternoon light streams into the ballroom.<br/>
<br/>
"Beats me," says Joe, who looks as exhausted as you feel. "I passed out as soon as you relinquished control of me. We shoulda waited for Frank to get back. He's got more stamina." He blinks stupidly at the massive sigil you are laying inside. "The bottles are empty, so I assume--"<br/>
<br/>
You close your eyes and concentrate. Sulva and Kenandandra swim into view. <i>So far so good, though it's not an advance on where you started.</i><br/>
<br/>
You look deeper inside your self. There should be a switch. Or something that feels like it.<br/>
<br/>
Things like spider webs brush past your consciousness.<br/>
<br/>
And then you find it. A web that floats into and settles over your face. You smile into it, and it unlocks.<br/>
<br/>
Something inside you lurches, and your stomach plunges. You open your eyes with a hard gasp. "What's wrong?" Joe asks, and crawls over with an anxious look on his face.<br/>
<br/>
But you're already laughing. He frowns, then gasps in his turn as you open your palm to him. The sigils for Glundandra and Eldibria float there.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
Despite what you'd told Joe and Frank earlier, you now find yourself entertaining more grandiose thoughts. You've got four <i>ousiarchs</i> now; you can have six; why not get yourself ten? Take their <i>essentia</i> from them, for yourself? Sure, you can borrow it now by borrowing their bodies, but this way you could have it without having to negotiate with them.</span></div></div>


path: 11221111111212222122212112112211122111112212111111111111111221212221122
author_id: seuzz
title: The Defiant One
chapter_content:
<div><div> <span>So, you've found a way to give yourself more than two<i>ousiarchs.</i> You could give yourself all ten. You've got the <i>essentia</i> on hand to do it. You'd only have to take Frank and Joe apart.<br/>
<br/>
The temptation flares within you, but passes. You like having them as partners and friends, even if they sometimes get on your nerves. Oh, sure, you could revive them without their <i>essentia,</i> but it wouldn't be the same. Certainly it wouldn't be the same for them, and if they felt the loss, you'd feel it too, even if indirectly.<br/>
<br/>
Besides, you can get access to their <i>essentia</i> whenever you want, just by "possessing" them.<br/>
<br/>
"What?" Joe says.<br/>
<br/>
You blink, and realize you've been staring thoughtfully at him. There is a glitter in his eye that you don't like. A glitter of suspicion. Maybe even of fear.<br/>
<br/>
"Oh," you drawl, quickly covering up those thoughts you've decided to discard. "I was just thinking about whether to give you and Frank some exta <i>essentia</i> too."<br/>
<br/>
Joe's eyes warm. "That'd be real sporting of you."<br/>
<br/>
"I know it would. But I—"<br/>
<br/>
"I wouldn't mind having a little Perelandra to play with. A little more potency."<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah, but we were planning on getting us some new partners."<br/>
<br/>
"Three's company," Joe says. "Four's a crowd. If you keep it to just us—"<br/>
<br/>
"I'll have to think about it." You stagger to your feet, then fall back down again, for you're still wrung out from the operation. So is Joe, and it is only with your mutual help that the two of you are able to stagger back to Jonathan's apartments. Frank—finally returned, and still sporting Straussler's face—looks up vaguely from his schoolwork at you.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
"The extra <i>essentia</i> business can wait," you sigh. "First order of business is getting you two guys hidden."<br/>
<br/>
"Figure out the <i>essentia</i> first," Joe insists. "Based on that we figure where we'd best—"<br/>
<br/>
"Frank, will you sit on him?"<br/>
<br/>
"Watch it, asshole," Joe says as Frank steps up with a frown.<br/>
<br/>
"I wish I understood what you guys were all going on about," Chelsea says from the other end of the sofa. She's got her arms and legs crossed and is jogging her foot. "I don't even know why you called me out here if I've got nothing to contribute."<br/>
<br/>
"I told you, we need your input on disguises for these guys—" you start.<br/>
<br/>
"Maybe if you took her apart again, gave her a copy of your brain," Frank says.<br/>
<br/>
"You certainly wouldn't want to give her a copy of <i>your</i>—" Joe dodges as Frank lunges for him.<br/>
<br/>
"Guys!" you shout, and your voice sounds thin and reedy. "Will you stop that and pay attention. I'm supposed to be the boss here! I've even got some of that boss stuff now."<br/>
<br/>
The boys shrug at you, but at least they settle down. Chelsea, though, rolls her eyes.<br/>
<br/>
"I know it's going to take training to get me to know how to use these things," you continue now that you've got everyone's attention. So the <i>first</i> thing—" You shoot Joe a hard look. "The first thing is where to put me and Frank so we can work closely together. You're still willing to be my coach at the meditation and stuff, right?" you ask him.<br/>
<br/>
"Of course," he says. "But we could do that here—"<br/>
<br/>
"You need a new face," you insist. "In case the—"<br/>
<br/>
"And why haven't we been practicing?" Frank continues.<br/>
<br/>
"We will! Once we get some ideas from Chelsea. So come on," you say, turning to her. "Who could Frank and I be, where it wouldn't look weird if we hung out real close for a long time after school? Two guys. Two girls." Your tone grows more desperate as she just looks at you from under lowered brows and kicks at the air. "Siblings?"<br/>
<br/>
She just shrugs.<br/>
<br/>
"Don't be like this, Chelsea," you sigh. <i>God, just how aggravating can she be?</i> You wonder if her boyfriend goes through this kind of passive-aggressive shit with her. "You were really into this stuff yesterday."<br/>
<br/>
"Maybe I just don't like being pushed around," she says archly. She gets up and stalks to the door. "When you can treat me with a little respect, call me." She doesn't even say it over her shoulder.<br/>
<br/>
"Chelsea, come back," you say as sternly as you can.<br/>
<br/>
That at least gets you a black, backward glare. "Like <i>you</i> can order me around."<br/>
<br/>
Your jaw drops. <br/>
<br/>
Fortunately, Joe is on it, and he blurs as he gets between her and the door. He catches her fist as she strikes at him; an instant later she goes rigid as Frank enfolds her with his invisible fist. Joe gently clasps his arms around her, and muffles her with a hand over her mouth. "What were you saying, boss?" he asks.<br/>
<br/>
You swallow, hard. "She's a golem," you say weakly. "She's supposed to— And she didn't."<br/>
<br/>
"So we noticed," Frank says. "I thought it sounded like a bad idea, what you were getting up to with your 'new <i>ousiarchs.</i>" He crooks his fingers in air quotes.<br/>
<br/>
"I fucked myself up," you groan, and fall back onto the sofa. "I fucked up my <i>essentia,</i> and now—" You gnaw your lip. "We can't let her go, not with her knowing everything, and being free to talk."<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea's eyes widen.<br/>
<br/>
"You've still got that remote sigil in her, right?" Joe asks. "You could take direct control until we figure out what to do. But I know you'd <i>hate</i> to do that," he grins.<br/>
<br/>
"Looks like you'll have to take her apart again and start over with your new <i>essentia,</i>" Frank says. "If you didn't irretrievably fuck it up."<br/>
<br/>
<i>Your new </i>essentia.<i> Why did your improvement have to fuck things up with the golem?</i> You were very careful to arrange it so that each set up was disentangled from the other. The new—<br/>
<br/>
You blink hard. <i>Is that it? Is it that stupidly obvious what you did wrong?</i><br/>
<br/>
You close your eyes and concentrate. Dimly, Glundandra and Eldibria appear. Mentally, you grope about them, feeling for something like a latch or switch. A little mental hinge that will let you— <i>There it is.</i><br/>
<br/>
Like this afternoon, you feel a dreadful internal lurch; you hope you eventually get used to it. Glundandra and Eldibria vanish, to be replaced by the more familiar Sulva and Kenandandra. <br/>
<br/>
The planets associated with the <i>essentia</i> you used to enslave the Chelsea-golem. You open your eyes. "Let her go, Joe," you say.<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea is very red in the face, and her lip curls hard. For a moment you think she is actually going to spit at you.<br/>
<br/>
"Who's your boss, Chelsea," you ask her quietly.<br/>
<br/>
She goes very white. "You are, Will," she croaks.<br/>
<br/>
"That's right. Are you going to do what I say?"<br/>
<br/>
Her head jerks up and down.<br/>
<br/>
"Tell me you're sorry for being such a cunt earlier."<br/>
<br/>
"I'm sorry," she says in a small voice.<br/>
<br/>
"What are you sorry for?"<br/>
<br/>
Her nostrils flare. "For being a ... a cunt."<br/>
<br/>
"You <i>are</i> sorry, Chelsea. You are very sorry. You want to help me and Frank and Joe. You want to help us a lot. It's the most important thing in your life, helping us. " There's a subtle shift behind her eyes, and though she still looks abused and unhappy, she perks up a little. "You'll do whatever we ask, and you'll be cheerful about it. Because helping us makes you happy."<br/>
<br/>
Chelsea sniffles, then does the last thing you'd expect. She darts forward and hugs you tightly, burying her face in your chest.<br/>
<br/>
<div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>
After that, it all goes smoothly, though you notice that Joe and Frank keep shooting uneasy glances at Chelsea. For her part, she perches on the sofa, smiling in a glassy kind of way at you and the others. You're sure she's utterly confused and probably bored, but she at pretends to be raptly interested in the conversation.<br/>
<br/>
"It's the way I set it up with my new <i>ousiarchs,</i>" you explain to the others. "They're so segregated they're like two different <i>essentia.</i> When I switched over to the new ones, it was like I wasn't my old self—"<br/>
<br/>
"You weren't," Joe interjects. "Literally."<br/>
<br/>
"Well, that's how come Chelsea didn't obey me. I was switched over to the other <i>ousiarchs,</i> so I was running with an <i>essentia</i> she didn't recognize. But when I switched back—"<br/>
<br/>
"Two different <i>essentias,</i>" Joe muses. "Now, suppose you switched back over to your new <i>ousiarchs.</i> And then you used your hair to fashion a new golem. When would it obey you?"<br/>
<br/>
"Only when I was running with the new <i>ousiarchs,</i> I guess," you say. "I wouldn't be able to order Chelsea and the new golem around at the same time. So I guess I better stick to using my old <i>essentia</i> when making golems."<br/>
<br/>
"Why?" Joe says, and his smile is very sly. "If you did that, you'd be limiting yourself to only half a dozen golems."<br/>
<br/>
"Right," you say, and frown at him in puzzlement. "That's one of the first about golems, is that you're limited. You've only got so much <i>essentia</i> to go arou— Oh!"<br/>
<br/>
"Exactly!" Joe exclaims. He splays the fingers on one hand. "With Sulva and Kenandandra you can have five, maybe six golems." He raises his other hand. "With Glundandra and Eldibria you can have another five, maybe six golems."<br/>
<br/>
You rub the side of your face. <i>And why stop there?</i> The way you made the connections this afternoon, you could stitch in a third <i>essentia—</i> You glance at Joe and Frank before your eye settles on Chelsea. You've still got her <i>essentia</i> in a bottle in the ballroom. With hers, you could have fifteen to eighteen golems.<br/>
<br/>
With her <i>essentia</i>, you'd also <i>be</i> Chelsea Cooper. <i>Literally,</i> as Joe said.<br/>
<br/>
You'd only have to take her <i>imago</i> for yourself as well.<br/>
<br/>
The girl smiles vacantly at you.</span></div></div>


