I press a few fingers against my chin as I watch, a delicate eyebrow raised high. 

Yeah it seems - caught looking for something? There's a lot more differing data then it was expecting, and I think uh... 

There's probably more I can push, into it, really? There's that bloody intro perk, that's got to count for something, maybe some blood... 

I don't - think that's quite how it works? It might be part of it but... 

I take a deep breath. 

Yeah. 

So - 

I think - 

Probably the thing to do is - acknowledge those, yeah, they're gonna help, they can't help - but help, in this config, but... 

There's the presence thing, too, yeah? 

It's hard to see inside this but... I feel like part of the mechanism is to just - give out for something really strong - it's like, far from impossible that something like this gets back to someone if a senior pokes at it and gets denied their loot, yeah? 

So. 

I take a deep breath, and prepare a lil speech. 

"Hey lil box." 

I bob my head down for a moment, and just - try to keep it quieter, more intimate. 

"Your creators have abandoned you, I can tell. There's no - rightful owner to your treasures, out there, any more, I'd think. So there's just the fallbacks, and letting you fall to dust. And no one wants this to be - wasted, that's just bad all around." 

I trace my tongue along the base of my mouth for a long while, relatively speaking. 

"I can't tell you that I'll do with your treasures what your creators would want. But what I can tell you, is that it'll be a great fucking story, a big story, something bold and brash and warm and tender. I have this - power, this - impossible incredible blessing of potential, of power, of right to live the life I please, and that's going to take me up to the heavens, going to give me a chance to surpass them and reshape them, and you're just the first step in our journey, my first little bit of starting loot to plunder, without having to worry about anything as fussy as an actual person or any going concerns at all. So you are going to open up, and let the goddess take her first tribute." 

I smile wickedly, a grin dawning widely on my face. 

"'kay kay~?" 

The sound of the mechanism - clicking, and disengaging is music to my ears, and the sigh of released tension that we make out is almost as good. 

"Gosh lessgo girl!" 

I laugh gently. 

It's - easier, to see the weaknesses, now that they're well - well and properly exploited. It's a bit weak to - strong auras and more brute forcey things, similarities to the - shape of the souls of the targets. They're probably soul cultivators, or do - something a bit sketchier, and with a bit of fuzzing and a bit of overload and some blur between the pattern matches - wonder if it's meant to - catch kids or divergent clones or something, that's got to be intentional - there's - well. Room for some tricks~

Without another second's hesistation, I pull open the chest, and see what's inside our lil care package. 

There's a couple of little partitions - pale wooden slats making the numerous compartments at least something resembling organized. 

There's four different pottles of pills with slightly scrungy bits of paper squirrel in beside them all gathered up on the left, a limp brown clothed baggie slightly bulging with coins plopped sadly next to a proudly placed fishing rod - complete with a backup spool of wire and another baggie, this one filled up with tiny little fishes. They still look fresh, but it's - odd, to say the least, to see them just... left here, like this. 

There's some finer, more colorful paper on the far right, all rolled up against itself, and a knife haphazardly tossed into the mix, a thin and plain steel blade about palm's span across jutting out uncerimonously from the unwrapped wooden hilt. 

Oo. 

Nice! 

Interesting to see that it's got the preservativey bits and all and those slats have some sort of enchantment, don't they - something to stop spiritual energy circulation if the dumb tricks to bypass it are any indication. That's probably useful on it's own, even if this isn't the nicest form for that sort of thing and it looks a bit well, slapdash, given the bleed of the pinkish ink and the slight unevenness along the whole formation. 

Okay - let's nab one of those and pray that we don't get kicked in the ass for not picking the translation perk ^^

It's kinda wispy in my hand, actually - like those cheap bus tickets or shitty reciepts that crumple under a stiff breeze. I straighten it out with a glide of my nails down the side, careful not to touch the printed bit too much, and crane my neck forward to take a look at the text.

1 (One) Order of Pre-Foundational Body Refinement and Physical Cultivation Course, suitable for 1 (One) Adult Human, or Such Species as may be determined to be Physiognomically Similar, from time to time, to be consumed Orally 1 (One) time daily, 'til the completion of the Course Contained Within. 

Similarly Suitable for Supplementation of Delayed Adult Training, Augmentation of Accessory non-cultivation staff, concubines or the like.

It Is Here certified that this course of Medicine is not known to be Contaminated, Cursed, or Unfit for Consumption, nor is it known to cause Side Effects, beyond the De Minimis amount known to occur in all similar Medicines. 

- The Sequoia Sect

Huuuuuh.

The formatting is interesting - it's not exactly - the most usual for a cultivation setting to have a receipt printer, especially for something like this, given that it looks a bit - low value? But still, it's a cultivation resource so it's not - impossible that it's a bit more rarified? But hard to tell. 

There's probably a bit more that we're not seeing nicely, given the level of smudging and more - deliberate tearing at the bottom. 

It should be safe and fit for consumption and all? There's clearly all the stops taken for making things shelf stable enough.

Let's flick through the rest of these... 

1 (One) Order of Pre-Foundational Qi Excitation and Empowerment Pills and Spiritual Cultivation Course, suitable for 1 (One) Adult Human, or Such Species as may be determined to be Pyschospiritually Similar, from time to time, to be consumed Orally 1 (One) time daily, 'til the completion of the Course Contained Within. 

Yeah okay, that makes sense that there's the opposite side, and of course there's the same sourcing information and basic format for the rest of the page that I skim over in a quick second. 

1 (One) Order of Miscellaneous Essences of the Elements, suitable for consumption by Humans, or Such Species as may be determined to be Pyschospiritually Similar, from time to time, to be consumed Orally a maximum of 1 (One) time daily, for the simplification of the Evocation of the Contained Elements, Meditation on associated Matters, and Simple Emanations amongst those who have Achieved the Foundation Establishment Realm. 

Oh interesting - and looking down there's again the same sort of notes, but also... 

May cause Deviation Within Constitutions of a Contrary Nature to the elements intaked. Consult a Senior Practitioner before using Opposing Elemental Energies. 

Contains Equivalent (More or Less) quantities of the simple energies of Earth, Fire, Metal, Water, Wood, with Markers Such to Make their Nature Obvious to Observers. 

Okay, Okay. Seems like a useful tool, albeit one that might be a bit well - awkward to put to use immediately. 

1 (One) Order of Miscellaneous Essences of the Emotions, suitable for consumption by Humans, or Such Species as may be determined to be Pyschospiritually Similar, from time to time, to be consumed Orally a maximum of 1 (One) time daily, for the simplification of the Evocation of the Contained Emotions, Meditation on associated Matters, and Simple Emanations amongst those who have Achieved the Foundation Establishment Realm. 

As Commisioned, the Essences of Bravery, Excitement, Openness, Relaxedness, Intrigue, and the Like have been prioritized, though other such materials as may be available have been included, as well as fit with Markers, such to make their Nature Obvious to Observers.

I frown a little at that. Sounds like it might be useful but like it's perhaps a bit more - finnicky? And... Well. 

Does start to paint a Bit of a Picture:tm:. 

I let my hand drift up to my cheek, poking in a little bit, forward in our head and heart. 

Oh and... yeah. We've got powers to use, don't we? 

Yeah :3 

Dragon Elf Fairy Witch just works for things that we've encountered before, so we can just... rattle off things and go and get 'em? No reason not to front load that at least a bit. 

I stretch up, and wander over to the pebbly shore of the lake, kicking off my sandals before sitting down and feeling the cool water between my pretty lil toes. 

So... 

Stuff we'll like, abstractly miss even w/out thinking too much about the utility and all. 

Seen plenty of cats and a fox or two, in passing, and parents were enough the type that I think that I've seen a big cat or two in person, actually, and those'll be fun to play 'round with, I think. Getting the ears and some of the instincts and all... 

Ahhhhh there we go. The tail is super swooshy and nice, even if yeeeeeeeeeeeep okay brain definitely just wants normal girl config right now yep yep yep. 

I blink my eyes shut for a moment and rub them a little, smoothing away the lil onrush of teary feelings. 

It's - good to have, though, in the back and all. 

What else 's likely to come up... 

Wonder what copying some random ass city birds I remember will do - not sure if they're all like literally pigeons but might as well - there's some neat shit in there for lightness and maaaaybe very eventually some flight stuff? Hard to say. Certainly doesn't do anything obvious to my shape, tho that hardly means anything. 

Uhhh might as well do a quick backlog of all the people I've met, if I can batch order it? I'll go through some faint memories, anyways - there's a few - different lil features in people that pop up occasionally. I know that there's some demographic differences that could like, theoretically be nice? If nothing else being able to like, turn on and off the alcohol flush response or something seems like a nice feature, if that doesn't already come standard w/ the beauty shit. 

Oh and yeah! 

Fishhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Fish fish fish. Seen plenty of random fish in my life, in the eating context or otherwise! You don't see a lot of them in lakes I've been to but there's only so much they can hide, and watched some fam fish, sometimes. Ideally I can be a gill-girl and magically breathe water? Oh that is a weird fluttery feeling...

Cool, cool, cool let's tamp that down or -

Awwwwwwwww fuck it. I've got this right in front of me, don't I?

It'll be fiiiiiine. The water's cold and flowing, there's no reason to expect that there's some special hostile supernatural condition just in the water, we know how to swim and c'mon now, objectively the trapped treasure chest is way more dangerous then a quick swim. 

I check out the number I'm wearing for a moment - I'm sure that I can just launder it the mo that I pop out, but the plain white clinging muscle-t, while great for wet t-shirt contests and showing off my bare abs, isn't exactly the most economical thing, especially considering how billowy it is even with the way the folds cling to my curves. 

I flick my eyes closed, and spin up a new number - a marvelously stretchy slinky skanky thing of spandex a deep enough black that it bleeds into latex, swirling up to cover my hands in oh-so-intimate gloves, wrapping me from neck to toe in something resembling racing garb. 

I snicker and look down and beam at how bountfiul and big my bust is, especially given the way that the whole affair pulls the plump things up and how much it sticks out compared to the slighter chests more traditional on swimmers wearing something this nice. It looks right, though, a mix of enveloping night and a nice navy that's shameless and more mine, fine little filaments and dappling light, like scales the color of my blue hair are just gently laced into it. 

I stand up high on my toes, raise my hands up over my head, and dive the fuck in. 

There's the rush, the feeling of being so physical as I cut through the water, diving down into the wonderful clear water. My hair billows out behind me - it's totally crept longer and swooshier, hasn't it~? - as the rush of cool freshness ends and I take a look around, eyes blinking open as I swim down a bit. 

The water is impressively clear, glassy and thoroughly blue before it tapers off into the dark and grey stone. I can even see the fleeing fishes, too! The thin little ones are darting away as I plummet into the water, the bubbles floating up and away as I catch a last little glimpse of their flashing scales. 

I take a deep 'breath' - gills flaring and bubbling as my chest just - eases gently back as the need to breathe settles out. 

There's a little prickling tingling strength flooding through my body as I relax, as I copy that all in, something sublime shifting within me and - 

There's nothing terribly concrete, but it feels - sparklier, to have that inside me, and energizing, despite how - calming, the gentle wash of water is, despite how - warm and tender and snug it still sort of feels - everything all - wrapped around my waist and chest. 

I can see - the slight layers of the setting sun beneath the water, still, washed out into soft purples and greens. 

I smile, slowly. This... 

This is nice. 

I take a while to settle down, knees folded together against the lakebed, rocks reassuringly present through the fabric, paying attention to all the little signs of problems just... basking in this, a little, away from the sun and the open, as silly as that still feels but - 

Yeah. 

I rise, slowly, kicking up from the water, and crawl out with a silly lil grin on my face, the water sparkling off my skin as I 'clean' up. 

I breathe normally, now, sitting my fat ass down aside the shore, thighs pulled up a little as I hold myself small and pant quietly. It was kinda cold, and there's only so much that the advantages I have do. It's fine, though - the wind isn't too chilly, and it - helps, and swaddling up with a nice ol' woolly sweater swaddling close around me. 

I rock in against my thighs a little, feeling the way the muscle and the softness of my chest play against each other. 

...I've got the femme genital package now. huh. 

It doesn't feel too much like - anything in particular. There's just that sort of - kinesthetic feeling of differing contours and skin in a different place but it's not like - fundamentally that that different, and the resting feeling is a bit less different then I imagined. It's a little - odd to not feel my sack settled into place or the faint airy feedback of my penis present, but... 

It's chill though, and it's - nice to have a bit more feeling up there between my thighs and all. 

Doubt it'll be too default, but there's - a nice texture to it, and it's - me, y'know? 

I shake my head a bit. 

Doesn't bear thinking of too too much. 

...Yeah okay I'm probably hogging front a bit. 

Lemme step back a bit as we figure out the rest of this, nyow. 

I stretch out a little, unwinding the tension of the before-times as best I can in a long languorous stretch. 

Apparently our instincts have decided that we're going for a slightly butch look - artfully windswept silver hair that arcs down to the base of my neck, a bit sharper lines on my face, and one of those hyper thin exercise shirts in a pale blue covering my slightly more slender frame, met with a similarly flattering clinging affair down below, especially in a... very particular place. It makes me feel a bit like I'm cosplaying a delinquent, given the amount of skin that it probably shows through, but I can't really find it in myself to object.  

I shake my head and turn dwon my silly grin a little, refocusing as best I can.

So asides aside - 

There's the practical considerations to get there, aren't there? 

We still don't have food or shelter or water terribly figured out, and I don't think that our needs for that are too ameliorated by other advantages just yet. That should be our first priority, realistically. 

The lake water seems obviously fresh and moving, though that hardly disqualifies it from having some miscellaneous nasty property to it that disqualifies it. In theory could probably set up one of those water accumulation pits with a big of elbow grease and the ability to conjure arbitrary clothes, and I'd trust that at least a little more then just a random lake, but that'll take a while, even on a dewy day like this. Shelter's probably improvisable enough with some work - there's a lot of trees here and binding some waterproof fabrics into a rudimentary roof with whatever 'rope' or the like dressing room feels like providing ought to be possible? Food is trickier - never exactly been survivalists so there's a dearth of usable knowledge about what, exactly is going to be edible here, beyond the most obvious stuff, if that even transfers. We're fed enough that it's probably not amazingly immediately pressing to get food right the fuck now but that doesn't mean that we can be exactly uh. Lax. 

Honestly the more I think about it the more the water situation seems relatively solvable - should be possible enough to get a proper fire going with some stripped down wood and one of those bow-things that help you wriggle it back and forth quickly, with this much wood and all, and there's no lack of water to boil, which should deal with most impurity issues? 

I guess it's an option too to see how well we can like, spear fish or something. If nothing better comes to mind, might have to stick with that? Not exactly the best place to be but that's the most - immediate option, and keeps us in the ward which should mean that we don't have to deal with a random incoming bear or something, even if I'm sure there's plenty of spirit beasts somewhere that can shrug off the perceptual effects without care, the fact that this has stood for this long suggests they're not here with any regularity, or particularly inclined to make a mess, at least. 

Feel like I'm missing something... 

The 'items that might as well be part of your outfit' part, perhaps? 

I furrow my brow, and conjure that lovely little fidget cube to fuss with as I think on that. 

What counts for that... There's got to be a good few things. 

There's a wallet, of course - though it's hardly like any of that will particularly be worth bothering with, unless we're going to implement something silly with magnetic strips and need a reference or the like. The keys aren't exactly especially sharp, and the bills might as well just be scrap paper. But sure, those are a thing. 

Made a habit of keeping pencils on us enough that I'm pretty sure that'll count - though not terribly immediately useful. Spent far far too many school days focusing on how a pencil would fit in my hand or just chewing on the backend, though it's not like the poor pencils are to blame. 

And... 

I let out a breathless snort. 

Yes, I did have a habit of carrying around a water bottle everywhere I went for a long while there, and well. 

To think that has some - pertinent implications. 

I conjure the (embarrassedly nibbled) nice blue water bottle, complete with some nice cool lemon water to drink... later, honestly, I'm not even thirsty, just thinking about these concerns. 

Food... 

That's a bit less clear. I bet the body pills help a little, and Tourm's pretty convinced that it'll be safe, and I can't exactly say that she's tangibly wrong about that but... 

I tap my lips together in thought. 

It's harder to be sure on the inside view, is what I'll 'say'. 

There's not a lot that - really fits? It's not like we've been above keeping snacks and the like on our person, but sitting down and eating off of a plate just - isn't the same, and those come out pretty different as - attachments.  

In so far as there's anything that I - ought to have on me... 

Some mints nestled in the base of the a winter pocket for safety in the cold? Not - the most helpful, if likely at least marginally helpful. 

I let out a little dissatisfied sigh. It sucks that granola bars get - grungy and slightly less appetizing so readily in a backpack or else that'd totally be something that we'd picture ourselves as having, rather then just an embarrassment we have to clear out sometimes. 

There's probably a bit of flex but - 

We're not going to get things working too readily from that.