#spkyscry

Somehow even bigger than he'd looked in the photos, just standing there at the bus stop carrying a few too many bags in his arms- no bus or car anywhere in sight to have delivered the Kansas man.

"You're Tabitha, right?" He asked, sticking out a hand to shake despite the fact the arm was supporting quite a few bags. "Hi, I'm Clark- you already know that, I think. Swell to meet you in person!"

Regardless of whether she'd accept his handshake or not, one of the bags on the outstretched arm would split in the bottom and have it's contents (what appeared to be meals in Tupperware) spill out onto the concrete, Clark frantically dropping down to save them.

"S... sorry! If I kept you waiting, I mean- my taxi had car troubles on the road here, so I decided to just hoof it the rest of the way."

"Oh, good. I needed someone to taste test so I could figure out what's the maximum amount of garlic I can serve to vampires."

ALICE! It is I, Dr. Ludwig Frankenstein, speaking to you through your mobile communications device with an urgent request!

My readings have detected a strange energetic disturbance of a grand magnitude, through the woods directly south of your current location! Considering your proximity, I'd like you to investigate!

Reminder that this device does not receive audio, so if you are saying yes or no, I cannot and will not be able to hear it either way!

Thank you!

Click!

Thus would end the very one-sided phone call from the ever-eccentric Doctor Puddlebind, leaving the young skele-witch with yet another side-objective dotted down in her journal.

Regardless of whether she'd get to it right then or in the next hour, she would eventually trek through those aforementioned woods and find herself amongst the somewhat-disconcerting scene of what looked like a very fresh battleground, with trees smashed & splintered, still-smoking scorch marks in the grass, and an odd electricity in the air... an odd parting in the clouds up above.

Before she'd have a chance of calling Dr. Jingletime back, though, she (and any party members that happen to be with her) would be given brief surprise from a voice speaking up from directly behind them.

"Oh, good, you don't seem like you're with those guys."

A ghastly voice would say with relief, the source of which being sack-like head of a ghost sticking out from the ground, where he'd undoubtedly been hiding until they got there as he phased out.

"Hiya, sorry for the mess, had a scuffle with some thugs... that said thugs kind of won..." The spirit started to explain, before his singular eye would squint and his head would tilt. "Wait, you're a skeleton? I didn't know this system had skeletons... where am I, anyway?"

as elating as the new change, the new body, the new her had been within the first few moments... as she sits alone, in her currently outdated green room, staring at the mirror.. that pang of anxiety struck her. sure, there had been some changes to them before, usually in the form of new attire or colors or the like, this was completely different.

she wasn't captain foxy, the cunning fox pirate of the band anymore. she was someone entirely new... yet, still her. but would the band even be able to see past that? would they tolerate her new personality? was she... pretty enough?

her ears folded down, tail unmoving and gaze saddened as she sat on her "captain's chair", staring ahead with nothing really in sight. sure, they were nice, they were her friends. but they were "foxy" 's friends. would---

a knock at the door sends her jolting up and out of her own head, tail sent straight up as it takes her a second to register the sound. her eyes narrowed towards her room's sole entrance... and with her upgraded vision, she immediately recognized exactly the tall bear on the other side. if she were organic, she would probably have gulped in fear. it's now or never, roxanne.

she reaches for her "throat", preparing herself and her voice box to try and imitate her "old" voice.

" 𝘾-𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣, 𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙚. "

it feels so wrong, but. she doesn't want to give it away so soon.

now or never.... now or never........

"No, no– it's okay! I.. couldn't expect anything specific- there isn't much in here really to keep track of time anyhow.."

The phobia chittered worriedly in Oz's ear, not satisfied by their attempts to explain away the lack of specificity while reassuring the princess. There was too much up in the air, and it only further shrank with a piteous whine as the phobias working at the chain alerted them to progress in warping the metal. It would not take much more pressure to shatter the links. Now only question remained; Should they?

Keeping their focus glued to the metal as if still working away at it, the amalgam mulled over their next move for a moment. The princess didn't necessarily owe them any answers, helping her or not they were still fundamentally a stranger. Another phobia slithered down the length of the chain, stopping just short of her shackle to wave up at her as she delivered her title.

"Princess.. seems like less of a mouthful- yeah.."

They nodded slowly, phobia closest to the princess giving her a bow before chittering away despite knowing it's voice could never properly reach her ears.