And onward to do that! Lianne finishes the other monsters fairly efficiently, then loops back to the center.

"Want to de-transform now?"

If that's what you'd prefer, yes.

"I think we're clear, is all; you can stay as a weapon if you'd like?"

...I might stay like this, for a bit.

"Alright."

They settle in to rest against one wall, where they'll have good sight-lines on the entrances and the stone. "You doing okay?"

Pretty well. I'm still not completely used to being a sword, but-- There's a pause as she works out how to describe it. It's comfy.

"That's good! It always feels a bit odd to me, but - not in a bad way, so I can see what you mean."

It's definitely distinct from being a human, but not a bad kind of distinct.

"I think I see what you mean, yeah."

I wouldn't want to be like this all the time-- walking is certainly convenient, for one thing-- but... yeah.

"I like being able to read and all, so I think I'd prefer to mostly hang out in human shape? But if you like being a weapon, that - fits well, with me being a more experienced wielder. Weapons obviously have a lot to do and keep track of, but I've found it an easier learning curve. Less stressful, at least."

Assisting can be easier that doing, yeah.

"Benefits and drawbacks to both." She stretches a bit, sighing.

I'm almost certain there's someone out there who'd boggle at the idea of being a weapon being easier.

They laugh. "Certainly. There's lots of people born as weapons who just settle down as humans, after all..."

Having hands and ability to move around youself might affect the calculations there.

They nod. "It's easier as a born-human, yeah. You can always just turn back into human on your own."

Even with that, I'd imagine with some born weapons-- even if they preferred to be a weapon, the advantages of having limbs and suchlike might make being human more often the only choice they could make.

"Definitely."

And the night drags on. The monster bodies vanish, and a few are recreated by the center stone - slowly, though, not in such numbers that Lianne and Louie can't handle them.

And then the air starts to ripple.

Okay, that's... kind of worrying. (Which is putting it mildly, but still.)

Is that... normal?

"No," Lianne says, climbing to their feet. "Not at all."

Ah.

So it is alarming. That's just lovely. Wonderful.

She tenses (as much as a sword can 'tense') and tries to get ready for whatever the shimmer might do or be.

And a person - or at least a person-shaped being, artful in the way some monsters are - steps through.

"Interesting," ze says.