She looks conflicted. "It was... Home. I did chores and played with younger kids, I got my tattoos, I listened to the adults, I had a sort-of-girlfriend... I was 'loosed into the currents'. Sent ashore with the clothes on my back, a harpoon, a single gold coin, and well-wishes. Not to return until my journey is complete." She grimaces.

"It wasn't your choice to leave."

Hand-squeeze.

"It's more complicated than that... Do you have faith?"

Wryly: "In what?"

"In something. Anything. The goodness of people. The... Importance of sexuality? Because I do. I could have stayed. The loosing to the currents isn't forced, it's a way to bring more wealth and Skills to the community, and to build bridges. So I could have stayed. But the whispers asked me to seek something. I... Have faith that it is important."

Ame nods in understanding.

"I think maybe my reasons-for-doing-things, just aren't structured that way. But you chose to trust in these whispers, right. So you're here for the sake of that trust, which is kind of impressive actually. Do you know what you're seeking?"

"You don't think it's creepy?" A deflection.

Ame is sincerely confused about what is supposed to be creepy about anything Bys just said.

"No? I honestly struggle to guess what people mean when they call something creepy, though."

She shrugs and looks vaguely sad. "You haven't seen me communing..."

Ame stops walking, pulls Bys close, and kisses her. Hard.

After they break apart, Ame smirks. "Don't underestimate me, Bys. I wouldn't notice creepy even if it ate out my ass, and if I did notice I wouldn't care."

She makes a face. "Gross. And I'll believe that when I see it. I was planning on communing tonight anyway."

Ame gives her another kiss, this one quick and light.

"I bet you my first question will be: 'wait, was that supposed to be the creepy part?'," she teases.

Bys lightly punches Ame in the shoulder. "You say that now, but... Ugh."

She shakes her head, clearly very anxious about it.

"I think we're going to stop soon. We should find that organizer lady so we can get food and bunks."

Ame gives her a squeeze, then takes her hand again and nods.

"I think I saw her over there..."

As they walk towards Debra, one of the guys from the gangbang sees her, points to her and says something, and gets half a dozen people to checking Ame out and grinning.

Debra is near the front of the caravan, power-walking along like it's the most natural thing in the world. "Good afternoon. We'll be stopping soon. Here to ask about food and sleeping, I assume?"

Ame shoots the guys a grin in return and waves with her shield arm.

And didn't Debra point out some other people they were supposed to ask? Shrug. "Sure, where're you putting us?"

"For food, we set up one big cooking line and you get to pick between the two or three things Cook has ready. Some people will sell you snacks if you want something else, I'm sure. For sleeping, your options are a narrow bunk in Nedji's wagon or a tent and sleeping bag and pillow. Not the height of luxury, but we are travelling."

"Tent," Abyssia says immediately. "I'll set it up somewhere quiet."

"...Please do set it up within the watch perimeter we set."

Bys nods. "I just can't sleep well where it's noisy."

"I'm all set, myself."

Looking around, Ame points out a quiet-looking spot to Bys that still has line of sight on the interior of the camp that everyone is setting up but is still out of the way.

"There works. I hope you're planning on, er, actually sleeping somewhere else. Not that it will be hard to find a place. Something will be hard, anyway..."

She sets up the tent with brisk efficiency. She sits inside it, gets put a shallow stone bowl, very dark colored, and pours a little water into it.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Slightly nervous smile.

"Last chance to not see this."

"I'll find a spot to park my Lube Slime later."

Ame watches Bys set up the communion thing. She just smiles, shakes her head, and sits (using her Healing Slime as a seat) with her back to the front 'wall' of the tent to watch.

She stares into the bowl and chants entreaties interspersed with names. "Speak to me, Ha-kli-vis. I call forth, y'narra'k. Whisper in my ear..."

Something is definitely happening. It's completely silent except for Abyssia's resonating chanting. The water in the bowl has turned pitch black, absorbing all the sunset light breaking through the tent walls. The bowl seems to expand more and more despite staying the same size. It's almost hypnotic, like you could fall in and be lost forever.

And then the whispers start. They're barely audible, coming from all directions, a low chorus of distorted voices - calm, angry, laughing, crying, demanding, bored, excited, and more. Ame can't understand the words.

"I have taken on a new job. As a caravan guard I can move forwards while gathering more resources. I feel this course of action is wise."

-whisper whisper whisper-

"Thank you. No, I haven't met the master. Only his servant, the organizer. Am I closer to what I seek today?"

-whisper whisper whisper-

"Another's secret? You don't care that much about it, but I should be wary... Okay."

-whisper whisper whisper-

It feels like time is standing still. There are vague sense-impressions of vast dark things. A titanic eye with purple sclera is visible in the black void of the bowl. It feels... Alien.

"I still don't understand your descriptions of the key. I'm sorry."

-whisper whisper whisper-

"It's okay. I know you're trying. I ask for a favor now. I seek a blessing of growth and Skills, such that I may be a a finer tool... I ask for ---- -- --------- --- --------..."

Abyssia is still talking, but the words seem unimportant. She's in the pitch darkness, invisible except for the blazing dots of color that outline her whole body, a figure of light in deepest blackness.

And then, things slowly return to normal. The water is just water. The whispering and timelessness is gone. Abyssia takes a deep, deep breath, and slooowly lets it out. Then she opens her eyes and looks at Ameron.

"I already told you what I was going to say," she says kindly.

Ame crawls around the bowl to give Bys a snuggle, because actions speak louder than words. "That was... weird but cool. Definitely the cool kind of weird. And I have a bunch of questions, but for real, what part of that was supposed to be creepy?"

She looks like she might start crying. "The whispering. The eyes and sigils. The blackness. The... Time thing, the silence..." Snuggle. Sniff. "They say they don't have any Skills, which freaks most people out... I don't really understand myself I think..."

Ame pulls Bys close and strokes her head.

"Well, I don't understand it either. People freak out over all kinds of things that seem perfectly fine to me. The whispering was fine. The eyes and sigils were cool. And seeing you shining in the blackness like that was... actually kind of hot. The silent untime thing was trippy*, but not in a bad way or anything. I'd rather the silent untime thing than get drunk."

*("fey-dusty")

"Mmmh. Too bad, because I could use a drink now..."

She pats wherever her hands happen to be idly, not really thinking about it.