phonetasmal

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[From user: dreadsexy. Interesting choice on Pidonus's part.]

Hey, this is Pidonus Marasia. I'm trying to figure out my goals and motivations and such a bit while I'm here, because the more I'm reviewing the situation, the more likely it is that it's gonna be quite some time before we find my world and I can return to my Queen. So, I gotta come up with motivations for myself,
I guess? Other than, you know, the dungeons. Which have some very weird loot, to say the least...

Anyways! I'd kinda like to try and get some, well, minions for myself. People willing to let me influence their minds into long-term servitude. Key word there is willing, because as quite a few people here have emphasized, it'd be a mistake for me to just take people's wills with my seductive powers.

Of course, anyone who would voluntarily agree to being under my spell is someone with clear and very severe issues. Like, if your mindstate's bad enough that "under the maniplation of a Succubus" qualifies to your own perception as an improvement... I mean, whatever floats your boat I guess, but I'm pretty sure in some cities that would legally qualify you as 'kind of insane'.

So, uh... What does that leave? I genuinely don't know. I'm. Sorta new to the whole 'need to have my own motivations' thing, and the Chaotic and Evil subtypes unto themselves don't do a lot for giving me ideas.

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... You might be right. But it still feels wrong. Saying 'supposed to be' was not the most accurate thing; the cosmic energy of Evil is literally part of my being. So... Uh. That's kinda part of the problem.

And the blessing of the Draconian is literally a part of mine, but that doesn't mean that I won't do my damnedest to render him into so very much divine scrap metal should I ever encounter him again. You have a predisposition, but it need not define you.

... That makes some sense, I guess.

That leaves my Queen as the last thing I must consider, and what she would desire of me. Which... Uh, good question there, too, honestly?

Self-determination is a hard road if you choose to embark on it. You can't rely on the opinions of others, especially those who aren't here.

But I think you can manage. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ★

[Emoji for emphasis!]

[There's a distinct delay before Pidonus responds this time...]

I am loyal to my Queen. I seek to return to her.

[And she's probably forgotten a fair bit of this conversation.]

[Oh, Pidonus' response...sure seems familiar.]

She's under some sort of mental effect. Saying anything that causes her to reconsider her loyalty to her Queen causes her to enter a trance and forget the past several minutes.

I expect it will be more productive to work at her concept of freedom and self-motivation independently of that loyalty, at least until we figure out how to prevent that influence from activating.

Hmm. That is a problem. And given what she's said here, she seems to think that such a thing is a matter of course in terms of ensuring loyalty.

I've been trying to think of ways to remove it without affecting her psyche in other ways. I doubt a standard status removal skill would work, but the only alternatives I have available at the moment are a little extreme. And I'm not even certain one of them is viable here.

That's more than I have, admittedly. Long-term effects like that aren't common on Eos. I would almost say impossible, except...

...Nevermind.

I admit, the ability I'm certain I have access to isn't something I've ever used to try to undo a permanent effect. I have the ability to temporarily break all of the bonds on a person's heart and free them from any sort of outside influence, but it doesn't discriminate between excessive restraints and necessary ones. It can be quite dangerous to allow someone's innermost, repressed desires such free reign, and I can't even say whether or not the enchantment will reassert itself as soon as the effect wears off.

The other one...might not even be possible, without access to the places that have a strong presence in her cognition.

Especially on someone who has admitted to the ability to mentally influence others. It might cause a chain reaction through the entire station.I'm inclined to think that those are not her own true desires, but it's an unpleasant risk.

What does the other method entail?

Entering a person's Palace within the cognitive world, a place born from their distorted beliefs and desires. You often find things there representational of aspects of their psyche. You can also find their Shadow, a manifestation of a person's hidden thoughts and emotions. Affecting their Palace can also influence their mental state, even force them to see the world as it is if you remove the core of their distortion. Such methods can cause a dramatic shift in personality and heavy regrets, as the target's self-justifications break down, but smaller impacts can be made as well.

I think it's possible that, like a naturally developed distortion, the core of this enchantment may also be represented in a Palace. The difficulty is in getting access, because the cognitive world overlaps with the physical one, and a person's Palace is generally located somewhere of significance to them. Entry also requires figuring out what it is that the target sees their significant location as in a metaphorical sense, such as an extortionist viewing the area he victimized the same as he would his own personal bank.

That does make it more difficult. The location aspect, especially, given our current situation. The metaphorical view is something that it could be possible to guess, if you knew the person in question well enough and knew their ways of thinking, but there's no way to simply summon up a place that way.

Perhaps with illusion magic? But I'm nowhere near skilled enough for such a thing, I can't do anything more than minor modifications to my own appearance.

Guessing is typically how one finds a Palace, since most people don't volunteer to have their hearts laid open for visitors to see.

Palaces lean heavily on cognition, so it might be possible, if the prospective target is convinced that the fake location is as good as real. It's also possible, since it is based on a person's viewpoint, that the location might change eventually if someone becomes accustomed to a new setting...but that would require waiting long enough for somewhere here to become significant enough in her cognition that she has a strong, emotional image of what she thinks it is.

No, I imagine not. It would be uncomfortable to be seen in such a way.

It's not as though we have any better ideas than waiting, for the moment. Assuming that power of yours even works here.

Particularly since Shadows wish to be heard. It's possible to learn a person's deepest secrets, simply by giving the Shadow time to talk.

I might as well test the tool I use to find Palaces. I don't know if it would be able to detect ones in other worlds, but I can at least see if it functions at all.

It's certainly worth an attempt. Nothing to be lost by trying, certainly?

Not at all. In fact, it usually takes several attempts to figure out a person's keywords in full.

[He minimizes the chat so he can bring up the Metanav, and...hmmm. Normally he wouldn't hesitate to try it on Pidonus herself, but being a demon, she might have ways of detecting even an attempt at determining if her Palace is within range. Best not to try that and risk making it more difficult to adjust her cognition if it's necessary to get into her Palace. He could try Kurama, but...it seems kind of rude to his boyfriend. Well, here goes.]

Izunia Lucis Caelum.

[We're going to pretend that I remember exactly what the Nav says for a positive hit, here. Because that sure is one.]

More attempts the less you know about them, I imagine?

['Candidate Found.' Perfect.]

Occasionally I make a lucky guess, but that's generally right.

The navigator works, by the way.

That's good, at least.

We'll just have to keep an eye on it for now.

I don't think there's any short-term danger. I've made certain she understands the consequences of disturbing the peace here, and she doesn't strike me as the malicious sort regardless.

I'd be more worried if her Queen were to arrive, but I'd be inclined to consider more direct options for dealing with her. My concern here is mostly for Marisia-san herself.

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