"I have a fixed mass, so getting too big and continuing to like be a single thing is hard? And I haven't practiced getting big much. I'm not always good at keeping my form consistent or plausible - Joseph noticed me 'cause I forgot how mobile human joints are supposed to be. I'm not actually changing my base material, just what it feels and looks like? And I have to be in one piece, and if I make a connection between two pieces too thin it might break and then I've lost that piece. Level of detail's down to skill, and if I know what something looks like I'm very good at being that when still, less good at moving like I'm supposed to? So someone that really knows how foxes move might spot that I'm moving weirdly."

"...If you wrapped around a tree, and mimicked the texture of the bark, you wouldn't have to move at all and could get a good view of the house." 

"Oh yeah! I could do that I bet." Will probably feel a bit weird of course, but that's not a big deal in the face of succeeding at this.

"He leaves behind Derby in Asenath's body when he goes out. Sometimes he switches back before Derby's body has gotten back, I think he can't hold it indefinitely yet. If you kept watch outside I could wait for the other two to be distracted or distract them myself and give you a signal and you could come in and take him and when Ephraim lets go you'll have Ephraim and Derby will have his body back. I think if you take him far enough from the house he won't be able to initiate another switch." 

"What does he need to switch with someone? Could he switch with me?"

"I don't think he could. I don't know what he needs exactly but there are limits or he'd have switched out of Asenath long ago, I don't think he likes being in a body that's female or half-human...he couldn't hold onto Derby for very long to start with, I think, because he didn't stay switched as long, so as long as there's more than one of you around you can probably hold onto him until he's forced to let go." 

"Perhaps if I come, and Nereus presents as female, Ephraim will be less inclined to try."

"I don't know how much that would help but it wouldn't hurt."

"Isn't something I mind, anyways."

"Thank you." 

"Taking Asenath's body while Derby is inhabiting it also has the benefit that if Derby knows anything more about what Ephraim is doing we can extract that information." 

"And Derby's probably more cooperative with us."

"You...probably shouldn't let on that you're not human, though. I think Ephraim's gotten him spooked on the--conventionally abnormal." 

"Walk in in girl face and explain I'm here to help with the body-switching problem? I can just pretend to be human that way..."

"Look respectable. Possibly insinuate you're the messenger for a male principal who doesn't want to show up in person because Ephraim wants a male body." 

He nods. "That makes a lot of sense, yeah. I can do respectable."

"Would it be convenient to obtain 'respectable' clothing or can you handle that on short notice?" 

"I can make wool, and I guess there's respectable wool clothes, but I'm not in fancy enough circles to really have an idea of fashions. I could probably copy something, though."

"If you can copy Amity or Eliza's measurements they can buy something and you can use it." 

"If Amity's with me it might look weird if I'm her shape, so I can copy Eliza?"

"I imagine one or both of them could hang back out of sight until Ephraim shows up."

He shrugs. "It doesn't really matter which I am, I don't think."

"Well, we'll see what happens. Martina, can you think of anything else useful?" 

"I know the names of some of Derby's friends, it might be a good idea to prevail upon one of them to host him for a while; it might be safer if he doesn't spend much time in the house until we've got Ephraim dealt with." 

"Likely a good thing to mention to Derby himself, once we have him secured."