************************************************** "AVERY-WERE" a sexy comic of transformation and travel by Tiliquain ************************************************** Travelers from another universe arrived on Earth to conduct a secret ceremony. A mysterious freedom fighter followed them, with plans to sabotage it. One ordinary human just happened to be in the wrong place. Now she can go anyplace she wants. Avery was just a snarky bookstore employee in Chicago. Now she's a dimensional traveler and a were-everything-- taking a different animal form each month when she goes into heat, and figuring out her newfound power to create portals between universes. With the help of draconic roommate and occasional sex buddy Rho, she learns the ups and downs of life on a magical island of dragons... while a secretive organization lurks beneath the surface of everything in town, hunting her for the power she's accidentally stolen. ************************************************** page 1 ************************************************** ----- Panel 1: Large image of Avery walking in the door of a bookstore, seen from inside and slightly below. Takes up most of the page. This is the introductory shot of Avery. Wearing plain T-shirt and jeans, carrying a small over-shoulder bag. Her face is mostly serious with a smile at one corner of the mouth. ----- A: Good morning, bookstore. Avery Alice Worthington has ARRIVED. I am here to CHEW GUM and KICK ASS. ----- Panel 2: Smaller panel, zoomed in on her face and hand as she starts to pop a stick of gum out of a package into her mouth. ----- A: And I'm all out of ass. ----- Panel 3: View from the side, somewhat zoomed out. Shows Avery, standing, blowing a gum bubble. And her boss, sitting at a desk, looking at paperwork instead of at Avery, but holding up a small trash can with one hand. ----- Boss: No gum. No B-movie narration. Just work. ----- Panel 4: very small, just shows Avery spitting gum into trash can ----- Avery: Ugh, fiiiine. ------------------------------------------------- Page break 2 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1: Medium size panel, with room for a few linked speech balloons. Boss is setting down trash can. Avery is seen in foreground, close up, facing away from boss and toward viewer, eyebrow raised. ----- B: Could you at least pretend to care about your job, Avery? A: You want me to lie to you? B: Sure. For a brief moment, I'd believe that you actually care about something. A: I care about lots of things. ----- Panel 2: Slightly different angle but similar scene. Boss has an angry look. Avery is counting on her fingers and giving an amused smile. ----- B: Oh? Like what? A: Chocolate ice cream, chocolate milk shakes, chocolate bars, chocolate-scented bath bombs... B: You don't give a shit about anything, do you? Someday, you're not gonna show up for work and I'll find out later that you just wandered off to some foreign country with nothing but the clothes on your back. A: Heehee. Then I'd get arrested for frontal nudity. ----- Panel 3: Large panel with room for several linked speech bubbles. Avery is starting to walk past the boss into the interior of the bookstore. Turning back over her shoulder to continue conversing with boss, who is still sitting in chair, now leaning back and rolling eyes exasperatedly. ----- B: What? A: 'Cause I'd have nothing but the clothes on my BACK. So my FRONT would be NUDE. B: The whole world is just one big joke to you, isn't it? A: Why wouldn't it be? Human history is just a very long joke with no punchline. B: That also describes our conversations! Since you recently mentioned frontal nudity, how about you shelve the new releases in the romance section? ------------------------------------------------- Page break 3 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1: Small panel. Avery is alone among bookshelves, hands full of books. ----- A: Ugh, whatEVER. If I took this world seriously I'd probably just wanna die. ----- Panels 2 through 4: Small panels in a series. Show passage of time. books she's putting on shelves dwindling. Have the light from windows in the shop change to evening colors. ----- ----- Panel 5: Avery is holding a book open, smiling lewdly at it as she reads a few pages. The book is a romance novel with pictures of dragons on the cover. We can see the cover and her behind the book in this shot. ### Come up with title & cover text## ----- A: Ooh, the latest in the series! A: How does E. Singlais know where all my buttons are? God fucking dammit. I should NOT read this at work. ------------------------------------------------- Page break 4 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1: Full body shot of Avery in the bathroom with her pants down, book in one hand, clit in the other. Snippets of racy text from the story float in the air, around Avery's thought bubble. ----- A: I promised myself I wouldn't do this at work again, but here we are. ----- Panel 2: Close-up of her hand touching herself. More snippets, more thought bubbles. ----- A: A: You did this to me, E. Singlais and H. . This is actually YOUR fault. ----- Panel 3: Medium close-up of her face getting close to orgasm. More snippets, more thought bubbles, these ones with dragon images in them. ----- A: Ooooh fuck yeah. (This speech bubble can be between panel 3 and 4) ----- Panel 4: Medium close-up of her hand on her genitals, a couple fingers inside her, thumb on her clit. Lots of juices flowing. ----- A: AAAaaaahh! ----- Panel 5: Afterglow, slumped and relaxed, looking ruefully at the book that's still in her hand. ----- A: I'd feel guilty putting this back on the shelf. Welp, guess I'll have to buy it! ------------------------------------------------- Page break 5 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1: Avery is cautiously coming out of the restroom, book still in hand, thought bubble above her head. ----- A: I was really loud that time. Hope no one heard me. ----- Panel 2 Small panel shows her setting the book behind a counter, saving it to be bought later. ----- ----- Panel 3 Medium size panel showing Avery from the front, looking out from behind a bookshelf, and a strange figure seen from behind, facing her. ----- A: Umm... Hi, can I help you? ----- Panel 4 Zoomed in on the strange woman manipulating glowing symbols on her own arm. Behind her, through the window, a car is seen parked outside. It's the stranger's car. Will show up later. ----- Stranger: Yes, actually. ----- Panel 5 Showing the stranger's hand resting against the center of a glowing portal she is creating. ----- ------------------------------------------------- Page break 6 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1: Large panel, seen from the other side of the portal. Avery is stumbling through, clearly having been pushed by the stranger, whose arms are still up from pushing her, and whose leg is already half through the portal, showing that she's coming through too. Avery is colliding with Jen, a normal-looking young woman in street clothes, who is surrounded by strangers in strange uniforms. Most of them look human, but four of them resemble a lion, a fox, a horse and a lizard. A strange blast of light, coming from the hands of the lion man, is hitting Avery in the chest. ----- ----- Panel 2 shows only Avery, sitting on the floor, suffused in a strange glow. ----- A: What the fuck just happened!? ------------------------------------------------- Page break 7 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1: Avery's head is seen up close, mostly from behind. We see what she sees, in the background: a dingy little room full of several humans and anthros in strange clothes, staring at her in shock. One man is lying motionless, as if in a coffin at a funeral. He has horns on his head and claws on his hands. The woman she collided with, Jen, is crouched on the floor nearby. Thought bubbles radiate from Avery's head. ----- A: Wait, I recognize this place. It's... just the backroom of that weird little yoga place next door to the bookstore. Josie used to work here. We had band practice here once. But how'd I get here? What the fuck is even going on? And why is my body all... glowy... ----- Panel 2: Her head tosses back and her limbs stretch out. Glowing tattoos appear on her body, looking like bands around the neck, arms, and legs. ----- ------------------------------------------------- Page break 8 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1: Large action shot. The cloaked figure who shoved her through the portal jumps onto the scene, and begins fighting everyone. ----- ----- Panel 2: Avery close up, eyes wide, thought bubble above her head. ----- A: O...kay. Whatever this is, I should sneak out RIGHT NOW. ----- Panel 3: view of her outside in the street, running home ----- ------------------------------------------------- Page break 9 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Avery walks into bookstore. This time she's seen from the side, looking tired. Her tattoos are still visible on her neck and arms, but no longer glowing. Her boss is at the same desk. ----- B: Hey. Where did you go yesterday? A: Got abducted through a space portal. B: Jesus Christ I wish I had employees who gave a shit about their jobs. Get to work. Now. ----- Panel 2: Avery shelving books ----- Panel 3: Large panel with room for several linked speech bubbles. Avery is walking into a room with several people holding musical instruments. One of them, Josie, addresses her. ----- J: Hey, Ave. A: Hey Josie. Sorry I'm late, had to stay after work. J: Who cares. Just tell me you at least got the lyrics written. A: Mostly. J: Mostly? What've you been... hey, what happened to your arms? ----- Panel 4 Large panel with room for several linked speech bubbles. Avery looks at the tattoo that's still on her forearm. Josie in the background with a perplexed look. Others staring similarly. ----- A: Dunno. Just appeared. J: How? A: Fuck if I know. You got any guesses? J: Well, if it was anyone else, I'd say you must've got tattooed while you were blackout drunk. But since it's YOU, I'd say you drew them on yourself, as some elaborate setup for a joke. Expecting the punchline any minute now. A: Wish I had one. ------------------------------------------------- Page break 10 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panels 1-2 Small images of Avery at work and at home, in her daily life, with thought bubbles. In both scenes, a certain car is visible through the window. Same one from earlier scene. ----- A: It seems like nothing's changed. What did it even mean? That weird ritual, that portal thing? ----- Panel 3 Small image of near-full moon, alongside Avery's thought bubble ----- A: Did I imagine it all? ----- Panel 4 Larger panel showing her looking at her own arms, while the full moon is overhead. Her ears are beginning to point a little bit. ----- A: And why do I feel like this? Itchy. Restless. And I've NEVER felt this horny. What do people do when they need sex, like, RIGHT NOW? ----- Panel 5 looking across the street at the storefront of a bar ----- ------------------------------------------------- Page break 11 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Large panel with room for several linked speech bubbles. Avery is sitting at a bar, looking uncomfortable. Woman next to her is leaning over with a flirtatious look. Her car is visible through the window, same one as on previous page. ----- W: What brings you here? A: I don't know. Looking for a casual hookup, I guess. Which is not the kind of thing I do, okay? I've never done this before. W: Um... well, can I buy you a drink? A: I don't drink. Also, I'm terrible at this. W: You into ladies at all? A: I'm into pretty much anything. Especially right now... Hey, could you show me how lesbian stuff works first, and then we talk afterwards? God, what's wrong with me? W: Hey, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Back to my place? A: Mine's just across the street. ----- Panel 2 Inside Avery's apartment. The two of them are heavily making out. Some subtle TF beginning. Head spikes, claws. ----- ******************************** Next few pages: Transformation and sex scene. Let the voters help decide the details. Basic gist: Avery transforms into an anthro dragon and has sex with the strange woman. Strange woman does not seem at all surprised. Avery is confused, but not able to focus much on it, because she is overwhelmed by both her transformation and her mating drive. Also, during this scene we see that Avery's bedroom is full of stacks of books, mostly erotic novels about dragons. ******************************** ------------------------------------------------- Page break 12 ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Page break 13 ------------------------------------------------- ******************************** ------------------------------------------------- Page break 14 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 small image of them lying together. Avery has fully transformed to an anthro dragon, but still has her tattoos. ----- ----- Panel 2-4 Avery wakes up, looking closely at one of her arms. The arm tattoo begins to change, separating into four bracelet-like bands. Two bands on each side of her elbow, with a small diamond shape in between, in the hollow on the inside of her elbow. ----- ----- Panel 5: Large panel with room for several linked speech bubbles. The stranger is touching the symbols on Avery's arm. Avery is looking at her with a confused expression. ----- A: What are you doing? W: Just feeling your scales. They're so smooth! A: Do you know why I'm glowing? W: Maybe. Does it matter? ------------------------------------------------- Page break 15 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Large panel with room for several linked speech bubbles. Stranger is still touching Avery's tattoos. Two of them have been changed so that one large symbol is frozen in place, and she is on the third. The fourth and final one is still unchanged. Avery's look is deeply concerned, almost panicked. ----- A: So, am I, like, a were-dragon now? Will I change again? W: You would have to change every month. I don't know if you would always be a dragon. Maybe you would be a freak, a were-everything, a different form each time... A: What do you mean, "would"? Why are you saying "would" instead of "will"? W: Hmm? A: Are you trying to make me NOT be a were-creature anymore? Is that what you're doing? W: Why would you even WANT to stay like this? What kind of life would that be? A: I dunno, maybe I like it! ------ Panel 2 She struggles, trying to get the last symbol. ------ W: Trust me, you'll be better off without it. A: Stop it! You gotta give me a choice before you go changing stuff! ----- Panel 3 Small panel showing them struggling. Avery tries to pull away. Stranger won't let go of her arm. Avery has her foot on the woman's chest to push her away. ----- ------------------------------------------------- Page break 16 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Avery manages to shove her away. Stranger falls to floor in opposite corner of the room, dazed for a moment. ----- ----- Panel 2 Avery stares at her own arm, biting her lip, a look of agonized indecision on her face. Three symbols are selected. The fourth band is unchanged. A: [thought bubble] Now, where's the delete key? ----- ----- Panel 3 [small panel] She pushes her finger into the small diamond shape at the inside of her elbow. Portal begins to form in front of her. ----- ----- Panel 4: Portal grows. A few dragon romance novels fall off one of the stacks near her and tumble through the portal. ----- ----- Panel 5 Large panel of Avery looking into the portal that has formed. The view through it seems to be a tropical area, like a park with ocean in the background. Her books are lying on the pavement in the park. ----- A: [thought bubble] Is this a portal? To Hawaii? ------------------------------------------------- Page break 17 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Large panel of Avery coming through the portal in a tropical-looking place, near an ocean beach. A public park sort of area, with crowds everywhere, including dragons, humans and others. The portal is slightly above the ground, so she is shown stumbling and falling through. ----- A: Holy shit! ----- Panel 2 Avery is sitting on the ground, naked, next to a small pile of romance novels. Looking around. More views of strangers, including dragons similar to Avery. Portal is closing up, in the background. ----- A: Whoa. I don't know where the hell I am, but it's fantastic. Like a beach in Hawaii. Full of awesome dragon people! ----- Panel 3 view of Avery looking toward a few dragons talking, seen from the chest up. Speech bubbles with unknown words in them. ----- Bubble 1, in Uthish: Seems like an Utheveger is drunk. Bubble 2, in Uthish: I don't often see them act like people! A: None of whom speak English. Oh well. ----- Panel 4 view of whole bodies of some of the dragons who don't have clothes on ----- A: Well, at least they don't mind me being naked! ------------------------------------------------- Uthish Speech Bubbles: Bubble 1, in Uthish: Seems like an Utheveger is drunk. (GRAMMAR) (singular indefinite article) (Utheveger) (seem, modal verb, conjugated in third-person plural) (to be drunk, unconjugated) (UTHISH, TRANSLITERATED) Fle Uthevegere koizloi kmezhnespe (UTHISH, TO TYPE IN UTHISH FONT) & “p=Gi A<@< Ff6 Bubble 2, in Uthish: I don't often see them act like people! (GRAMMAR) [negative] (see, first person singular) (often) (be similar to, transitive verb, third-person plural) (plural indefinite article) (person) [/negative] (UTHISH, TRANSLITERATED) Se ka spreklezhleskle chmoi skre gre se (UTHISH, TO TYPE IN UTHISH FONT) v A[ 7Ce1 R< 2 H v ------------------------------------------------- Page break 18 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Small panel of Avery turning back toward the portal. The woman is getting to her feet, but the portal is closing. ----- Panel 2 Small panel where Portal is tiny. ----- A: [thought bubble] Good riddance, bitch!. ----- Panel 3 Large panel of Avery gathering up her books, singing & talking to herself in linked speech bubbles, with an amused smile ----- A: Avery the dragon Lived by the sea... And frolicked naked all day long, In a land like... Hono...lulu... ...no, that doesn't rhyme. Avery the dragon, Lived by the... Sulu... Heh. Of course I'm dreaming, or drunk, or on drugs. And I don't drink or do drugs, and I sure as hell don't dream this vividly. Fuck it. Whatever it is, I'm just gonna enjoy it. ----- Panel 3 Large panel of Avery walking happily through the crowd, books under her arm, singing to herself ----- A: Avery the dragon Somehow got attacked, And wound up nude in paradise With nothing on her back! Avery the dragon Chilled by the sea In some cool place that doesn't mind Her frontal nudity! ------------------------------------------------- Page break 19 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Large panel with room for several linked speech bubbles. Rho comes running toward Avery. Show her tail holding something shiny. Rho is a female dragon with forked tail and ears, wearing clothes with lots of pockets. Excited look on her face. Confused, startled look on Avery. Hands trying to cover up the titles and images on her books. ----- R: Oh! Please, Lord Uthe, wait a moment! I need your help! A: Whoa! Someone who speaks my language! R: Yes! Um, Lord Uthe, sir. I'm-- a prospective client. Can we talk? A: Well, my name's Avery, not Lord Uthe, but-- R: And mine's Rhotiancotazi, you can call me Rho-- And I'm sorry, sir. I just meant I've been needing the services of an Utherveger, and I'm willing to pay-- A: What's an Utheveger? ----- Panel 2 Medium panel. Both faces have changed to annoyed expressions. Her tail is coming out of one of her pockets. Avery isn't paying attention to that because it's a side pocket and Rho is up in front of her. ----- R: Please don't mock me, Lord Uthe. I don't look like much, but I honestly DO need your services and I honestly CAN pay. A: And I honestly do NOT know what you're talking about. You're confusing me with someone else. ------------------------------------------------- Page break 20 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Avery partly turned away from Rho. Rho slightly in background, looking angry. ----- A: I'm new here, Rho. Like, REALLY new. There's a lot I don't know, including titles like "Uthe" and "Utheveger," so please stop calling me that. R: (skeptical look) So, what, you just tattooed yourself for fun, then? ----- Panel 2 Avery looking at her own forearm. Confused look. Rho's look has changed from angry to a mix of surprised, interested and eager. ----- A: ...Oh, the markings? No. I didn't put them on myself. Someone else did. Pretty suddenly, without telling me what they do. I'm still trying to figure it out. R: Oh! Well. I've... Huh. I've never met an Uthe that didn't know they were an Uthe before. This is... Well. ----- Panel 3 Rho is closer to Avery, posture and expression have become very friendly. Avery is leaning back a bit, uncertain and still kinda confused ----- R: I suppose you'll be needing some help, then? A place to stay, someone to show you around? You said you're new here? Where did you come from? Another world? Universe? A: Wow. I didn't expect you to figure that out so fast. I... yeah, I'm pretty sure I DID come here from another... R: Well, of course. That's what Uthevegers DO. I've never gotten the chance to travel with one. But I've always wanted to. ------------------------------------------------- Page break 21 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 They are walking side by side through a street full of people. A mix of dragons, humans and others. Panel views them from behind; Rho's tail is lifting a coin purse out of a stranger's pocket as she talks. Avery does not appear to see. ----- A: Wait. Is that why you know English? Because there are other people here who, um, travel? To MY universe? R: Well, I don't know. I don't know WHAT universe you're from. But I know of several. At least six. That have a planet where some people speak your language. A: Really? ----- Panel 2 views them from the front. Behind them, Rho's tail is visible undoing a necklace on a stranger's neck ----- R: Oh yes. I've studied them. Some are parallel versions of the same planet. When Uthevegers go looking for new universes, you know. They tend to find the similar ones first. It's how the magic works. R: Or so I've heard. You really don't know this? A: Magic. Wow, I guess that's a thing here? ------------------------------------------------- Page break 22 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 They are still walking through crowds. Crowds are mostly dragons now. Rho is still talking, in small linked speech bubbles. ----- R: This world is a way-station. I've lived here my whole life. Most people here haven't. Uthevegers bring them to and from here. Usually on the way somewhere else. ----- Panel 2 Stranger from previous page, who had her necklace stolen, comes running, shouting words in another language. Meanwhile, Rho's tail is digging around in her own pocket. ----- Uthish Speech Bubbles: woman, in Uthish: You stole my necklace! Give it to me! R: See, Avery! Lots of different languages spoken here. This lady is asking if I've seen the necklace she lost. ----- Panel 3 Rho hands the stranger her necklace. Stranger still looks angry but no longer shouting as she grabs it back. Rho keeps talking to Avery as this happens. ----- R: Which it turns out I have! I found it a while ago. And it seems now its owner has found me! Here you go, madam. No need to thank me. ----- Panel 4 They are walking again; the stranger has left. Scenery is more forest now. Fewer strangers in background, all dragons. ----- R: The whole way-station business. It's all about travelers from other places. The native dragons of this world? Ignored. Most Uthevegers won't even look at me. Avery, you're special. You're the first one who's talked to me more than a few moments. A: So, if I figure out how to use my... travel skills, you want me to help you get off this world? R: Let's take it one step at a time. ------------------------------------------------- Bubble, in Uthish: You stole my necklace! Give it to me! (GRAMMAR) [past] (steal, transitive verb, conjugated in second-person singular) (my) (definite article, singular) (necklace) [/past] [command] (give, transitive verb, conjugated in second-person singular) [third person singular object pronoun] [first person singular object pronoun] [/command] (UTHISH, TRANSLITERATED) me kmosno nethe retlezhnejeshmeke me fe thne pe ne fe (UTHISH, TO TYPE IN UTHISH FONT) ` D{3{ xp ilfSaA ` % s + x % ------------------------------------------------- Page break 23 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Large panel. Scene of Rho's home from outside. It's a big multi-room tent, shaped sort of like a small house. It's on a small patch of land surrounded by forest. A vegetable garden grows just outside it. Speech bubbles come from within the tent. ----- A: So, Rho. What can I do to help out, while I stick around here and... and figure out how to be an Utheveger? R: Um, let me think. D'you like onions? A: Sure, they're okay. Why? R: I'm making soup. Well, can you sing? Play music? ----- Panel 2 Large panel, many linked speech bubbles. They are in Rho's kitchen. Rho is making food, Avery is sitting at a table ----- A: Not much. I wrote lyrics for a band, before I came here. Played drums a bit, but lyrics were all I was good at. R: You didn't write the music? A: None of us did. It was a parody band. We sang funny words to the tunes of well-known songs. Usually we picked songs old enough that the artists weren't still around to get mad at us. Which meant audiences didn't care much either. We weren't very popular. R: Well, I'm a singer and musician. Sometimes I sing in your language. You might be useful. ------------------------------------------------- Page break 24 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1: small panel, mostly just their faces as they talk, Rho in foreground and Avery in background ----- R: And I'll teach you other languages too. We can start with Uthish. Since everyone will expect you to know it. A: Uthish? R: The inter-universal language. Uthevegers use it. And those who do business with them. You could start now, even. There’s a pamphlet in Uthish right there. ----- Panel 2 Avery in foreground, looking at a paper on the table. Text on it reads "sethezhmespre nge gnezhlezhnere," in the familiar Roman alphabet, and vpg7 M Gefi in the Uthish font. ----- A: This? What’s it about? R: Utheveger-provided schooling. For native dragons. Like the school I went to. Now they’re mailing me pamphlets, in case I have children I want to send there. Which... no, never. But, that’s Uthish, printed in both their script and yours. “Free education” in Uthish is “sethezhmespre nge gnezhlezhnere.” Each symbol is a syllable, you can sound them out. A: Se-the-zhme-spre nge gne-zhle-zhne-re... This language looks like PIZZA, and FEELS like trying to TALK with my MOUTH full of pizza, and... dammit, now I want pizza. Does pizza even exist in this universe? What are you making again? R: SOUP. ------------------------------------------------- Page break 25 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Rho casts a fireball against the bottom of a pot of food she's holding. Avery looks startled. ----- A: Whoa! Can everyone do magic like that here? ----- Panel 2 A bowl is on the table in front of Avery. Rho pours soup from the pot into it. ----- R: Anyone who's capable of living on their own. You gotta know cooking spells. Careful, it's hot. ----- Panel 3 Close-up of the soup as Avery looks down at it. ----- A: Eesh, you didn't tell me these would be in here. R: You said you liked onions! A: These aren't onions, they're mushrooms. ----- Panel 4 Larger panel. Avery is turned back to look at Rho. Rho in the background is holding up an onion. ----- R: No, THESE are mushrooms. A: You mean to tell me that the dialect of English you speak-- comes from a parallel universe where the ONLY DIFFERENCE is that the words for ONIONS and MUSHROOMS are switched? R: Oh, I'm sure there are other differences. A: I HOPE nothing life-threatening. ------------------------------------------------- Page break 26 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Beginning of a montage of scenes from Avery getting used to her new life. Avery is sitting at the table, Rho hands her a book. ----- R: I'll buy you clothes. Pick out something from the tailor's catalog. A: Oh... Thanks. How many sets of clothes should I get? R: Why would you need more than one? You just use a cleaning spell-- A: I don't know any. R: Well, for now I'll clean them for you. But as soon as I can teach you magic, that's the first spell you'll learn. ----- Panel 2 They are practicing music now. Rho is tuning a stringed instrument. Avery is screwing around with a pair of small drums, holding them to her chest like boobs, while looking at some sheets of paper. ----- R: Well, your drum-playing wasn't bad. Now let's see if you can write lyrics in Uthish. A: Hah, Uthish has the same word for drums and breasts. I am gonna have so much fun with this. R: Excellent. Punny lyrics always do well. ----- Panel 3 in the kitchen, Rho pouring the pot into a bowl for Avery. Avery's looking curiously at a pair of chopsticks. ----- R: I made soup again. Tomato soup. No onions OR mushrooms this time. A: Do you always eat soup with these weird hollow chopsticks? R: For the last time, they're NOT complicated. You just use them to pick up the solid bits, and then drink the broth through them. A: Oh, like a straw? R: What's a straw? ------------------------------------------------- Page break 27 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Avery looks at Rho's purple necklace, as they work tending the vegetables in the garden. ----- A: ...Your necklace. I could swear that stone used to be pink. R: It was. In the light indoors. In other light it can be different colors. A: Oh. Yeah, I think there's a stone like that where I come from too. It's called... alex-something. R: Alexitishenstone. ----- Panel 2 Avery looks surprised. Rho's turned away, digging in the flowerbed as she talks. ---- A: Huh, that's what it's called in this universe? R: Not this one. It's imported, that's what the jeweler told me. A: From another universe. R: One I'd like to visit, sometime. If I ever get the chance. A: Hey. I'm working on that. Meanwhile, when am I gonna get those clothes I ordered? ----- Panel 5 Large panel, establishing shot of Avery's new outfit. Avery has just put on the clothes Rho bought her. ----- A: I like how the shirt's loose and the pants are stretchy. R: That's always good. To allow for changes in your size and shape over time. A: That... probably will be an issue for me. ------------------------------------------------- Page break 28 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1-3 images of the moon changing ----- ----- Panel 4 Rho is outside Avery's bedroom door, which is just a divider curtain in the tent. She's parting the fabric a little. ----- R: You okay in there? A: Leave me alone. R: What's wrong with you? Is it that time of the month? A: NO. ----- Panel 5 Rho comes in. Avery is lying on her stomach on her bed, looking depressed. She has partly transformed back into her old shape. In her room we see that she has arranged the dragon romance novels on one small shelf. Other than her clothing, they still seem to be her only possessions. ----- A: I don't even know what that MEANS anymore. Apparently, now, instead of getting a period, I just turn back into a HUMAN. Which is somehow worse. R: So you think this is part of your normal cycle? A: Well, the person who... sent me here... said I would transform each month. That was right after I became a dragon. And it was about half a month ago. ------------------------------------------------- Page break 28 ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Rho sits down on the corner of the bed. Avery sits up, still looking dejected. ----- R: What's a month, in your world? A: Um... by the length of days on this planet, I guess about twenty days? It's the amount of time my hormone cycle takes. R: So you weren't always a dragon? A: Nope. I used to look like... what I'm turning into now. Human. R: I've heard that some Uthes can change shape. They're secretive about just how that works, though. Secretive about lots of things. Including how they do their traveling. A: Yeah, I'm ONE of them and it's even a secret from me. ----- Panel 2 Small panel, showing a hand pulling a string to ring a bell next to the front door. ----- ----- Panel 3: Just Rho's face, eyes turned away from Avery. ----- R: Stay here. I'll get it. ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 The outside of Rho's tent. Rho answers the door. An Utheveger is standing outside. It's one of the four anthros who were at the ceremony where Avery got changed. Allow voters to decide whether it's the lion, the horse, the fox or the lizard. ----- U: Sorry to bother you, ma'am. I'm investigating a disappearance. Would you happen to have any knowledge about someone matching this description? ----- Panel 2 Close up of a paper he is showing her. It contains some words in a foreign language and a sketch that appears to be Avery in dragon form. ----- R: No. I don't know anybody who looks like that. ----- Panel 3 Avery, from her bedroom, hears words from offstage. Her face looks concerned ----- U: Don't give me that, we've seen you with her! Tell me what you know! R: Don't shout so loud! Shh, shh. Maybe we can work something out. (further speech bubbles in text too small to see, indicating that they began whispering) ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Rho and the Utheveger in the doorway are looking at each other. ----- U: Why are you so concerned about me shouting? Someone nearby you don't want to hear this? R: Listen. What will it take to convince you? That you aren't going to find anything here? U: Are you offering a bribe? R: If I were, what would your price be? U: That necklace looks expensive. ----- Panel 2 (Rho puts a hand over her necklace, protectively. Utheveger looks perplexed. ----- R: No. No. You can't have this one. U: Well, what other valuables do you have stashed in here? I know you're a thief, Rhotiancotazi. ----- Panel 3: Rho becomes flirtatious, stroking the Utheveger's face. He looks interested. ----- R: Hmm. Well, you see. I prefer NOT to part with any of my sparkly things. If I ever were to bribe someone... I'd prefer to do it in a different way. U: Hmmm. Well, I am intrigued. Do tell me more. *************************** Next 4 pages: Sex scene. Allow voters to decide the details. Possibilities: What kind of sex do they have? What does the Utheveger's equipment look like? Does Avery masturbate while watching them-- and is Avery fully female by now, or does she still have a penis from her dragon form? Basic gist: Avery comes out of her room to see what's going on. She's only heard enough to suspect that the Utheveger is looking for her and that Rho is trying to work something out with him. (They are speaking in Uthish, so she can't understand everything, especially once their voices get quieter.) She sees them having sex. The don't see her. She recognizes the Utheveger from when she had the spell cast on her. She comes to the conclusion that Rho is having an affair with this Utheveger and trading information about Avery for sexual favors and possibly other gifts. She is now very distrustful of Rho. (possible dialogue:) U: Will this fit inside you, do you think? R: L-let's find out. (straddles him) U: Ooh. Tighter than I imagined. Yeahhh... R: Nnggh. U: Rhotiancotazi. You didn't tell me you were a virgin. R: I-I'm not! You said yourself I've bribed guards before! U: Not saying you haven't given handjobs, blowjobs, tail jobs. But I can tell you haven't done THIS before. R: Oh, am I that bad at it? You want me to stop? U: N-no! Fuck, no! I just... didn't think you'd let me be your first. Whatever you're hiding, it must be... R: Or. Maybe I'm just a super slut who can't wait. Maybe I'm so horny I don't care who it is. Maybe you're so horny you don't care either. U: Fffuck yeah, you might be right... *************************** ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- **************************** ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1-3 montage of the moon changing ----- ----- Panel 4 Rho and Avery have just finished playing music to a crowd outdoors. Avery has turned mostly human now, except for the tail, hands and feet, and other permanent draconic features. Some strangers throw coins into her bowl, saying words in an unknown language ----- A: They sure give me weird looks. R: Humans aren't common here. Humans with animal features even less so. Do you think your tail and hands are ever going to change back? ----- Panel 5 Avery looks at her own hands. In the background, dragons are whispering while looking at the two of them. ----- A: I doubt it. Those seem to be permanent. Along with the feet, and the eyes and the head spikes. I think this is as human as I get now. R: Does that bother you? A: Nah. Human bodies are overrated. But people do seem to find me weird. I wish I could understand what they're saying about me. ----- Panel 6 Still surrounded by dragons offering coins, some gossiping in the background ----- A: When are you going to teach me the dragon language? It's all they speak here. We haven't gotten to perform any songs in Uthish OR English. I'm getting bored of drumming. R: Your drumming's great! When your Uthish gets better, we can take a day trip to an area where tourists who speak it hang out. ----- Panel 7 while they talk, Rho accepts coins from another stranger while her tail pulls more coins out of his back pocket, unseen by him or Avery ----- A: Why can't we do that now? R: Just focus on learning the language, okay? ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1: Large panel. Walking home from a music session ----- R: Are you okay? You seem upset. A: I'm FINE. R: Is being human bringing back memories? Missing your home? A: The weird thing is I haven't missed it much at all. I had nothing tying me down there. R: Not even family? A: There wasn't much. Just me and my parents. ----- Panel 2 Large panel. Still walking home. ----- A: And it's not like they were asshole parents. They just never talked about their feelings. Never asked me about mine. Helped me any time I asked for help, but they never, like, made any effort to stay in touch with me. Even when I lived in the same goddamn town. So I hadn't felt, like, close to them in a long time. And I had casual friends, but never really good friends. Or a lover. I guess I never learned how to be close to ANYONE. It's just... hard to feel close to someone who won't open up to you about anything, y'know? ----- Panel 3 Large panel. Still walking home. Behind them, Rho's tail is stealing a bracelet ----- R: Yeh. I mean, where I came from, family didn't mean much. The whole village raised the kids. Together. Not like humans. But my village didn't work out for me. A: You do something that got you in trouble there? R: I just didn't fit in. I never fit in anywhere. A: I know the feeling. R: But you still seem weird today. Anxious. ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 They've stopped for a moment. Avery is angry. Rho is guarded. ----- A: What? You think I don't have stuff to be anxious about? R: ... What do you mean exactly? A: A: Stop fucking pretending that you're not hiding things from me. R: Hiding. What. ----- Panel 2 Angry looks & gestures intensify ----- A: Like I said. Never taking me anyplace with humans, or anyone who speaks my language. Is there something you're afraid I'd hear about you? R: Paranoid. A: Right now it feels justified! R: Of course it is! But not because of me! Because you became an Uthe by accident! Got their powers and their secrets without their approval! There must be a thousand Uthevegers hunting you right now! A: Yeah, and you're one to talk! One of them has been trading you sexual favors for information about me! R: Trading...? ----- Panel 3 Still standing on street, arguing, angry ----- A: Stop acting so goddamn coy! I saw you. R: You saw... You saw! ...Oh, you stupid dandelion! You didn't even pay attention to what you saw! A: Oh. So it "wasn't what it looked like." R: It didn't even look like what you thought! You saw what you were scared of! A: And what exactly would I NOT be scared of? ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Rho looks furious and also shocked. Avery looks accusing, with one hand holding up two pieces of jewelry, and the other hand pulling a third out of her pocket. ----- R: Avery! I was the one paying HIM in sex! For leaving us alone! For NOT searching the house for you! A: Oh? And if you were the one paying him, then where the goddamn hell did you get this? And this? And this? R: Jeezass! Where did YOU get those, you pothole? A: You think I'm not smart enough to find your secret hiding places? You live in a fucking tent. If you stash secret treasure everywhere, of COURSE I'm gonna find some of it. Sexual favors AND shiny gifts. What's he paying you for, you traitor tramp? ----- Panel 2 Avery's anger has calmed. She's just looking at Rho sternly. Rho looks sad and dejected, eyes turned away. ----- R: F-for the sex. A: Liar. You said a second ago you were trading sex for him leaving us alone. R: Plus the jewelry! He said the sex was worth both those things! A: You're a shitty liar. In fact you're so shitty at lying that now I believe you. About not selling me out. 'Cause you didn't sound like a shitty liar when you said that. But I still want to know why you're hiding jewelry all over the damn house. R: I'm a hoarder, okay? I hoard things. A: And steal things. R: ... ...Yeah. I'm a thief too. ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 They are once again walking toward home. Avery looks annoyed. Rho looks guarded and ashamed. ----- A: Cool. And why would you think I give a shit? You think my feelings about petty thievery are worth all this lying and sneaking around? I mean, I'm a freeloader in your house, and a wanted fugitive. Why would I turn you in to the cops? R: ...I... I'm embarrassed, okay? A: About having to steal to survive? Hey. The system screws us all over. Even where I come from. We do what we have to. I'm sure not judging. R: ....No. Not that. ----- Panel 2 Still walking home. Avery looking off to the side and blushing. Avery looking concerned. ----- R: I... don't exactly steal to survive. I'm not sure why I do. Not even a choice I make, exactly. Just happens. A: ...Oh. R: People used to think I was cursed with the compulsion. Mages can do that, if they want to humiliate someone. Maybe someone did. But I don't know why they would've cast a curse on a baby. I've been that way as long as I can remember. A: So. So what you're embarrassed about is losing control. R: Don't I have a right to be? Who could trust someone who steals and can't control it? You don't anymore. Of course I'm embarrassed, dad gametes! A: ...Dad gametes? ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 talking and smiling a little ----- R: Shut up. My English teachers never taught me any swear words. Don't blame me if I pick them up from you. Yours are fun. A: That's... not one of mine. I mean, I've said "goddamn it." But you must've Spoonerized it and then, like, bent the spoon with your weird telekinetic brain. R: Wait. So you DON'T yell an obscene phrase that means "sperm" whenever you're angry? A: Nope. Other obscene phrases, yes. But that one's aaaalll yours. R: Fine. I'm keeping it then. And I'm sorry about being such a pothole, just now. But you were being one too. ----- Panel 2 still talking and smiling ----- A: I'd correct you on "pothole" too, but honestly I think it's a brilliant insult. Kinda embarrassed my world didn't come up with it. Potholes are damn annoying. R: That one's translated from my language, actually. And what do you mean, your world? You said your world hasn't got magic portals. A pothole is the magic portal in the bottom of a chamberpot. A: ...Oh. I'd been wondering about that thing. Where does it lead anyway? R: The sewer, you dandelion. Where else? A: Huh. I guess you DO kinda have modern amenities here. ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Large panel, in the kitchen. Room for many linked speech bubbles. ----- R: Are you sure you're all right. You still seem ... tense. A: I... I... it's okay. I'm just hormonal or something. R: Avery. You think I don't know what that means? R: I can count days, you know. I know how long it was between you coming here and you changing back to human. And it's been the same length of time from then until now. A: Stay out of my business. R: I think you're VERY near the part of your cycle where you transform into a non-human creature again. A: Why the hell does that matter to you? ----- Panel 2: Large panel, still in the kitchen. Room for many linked speech bubbles. ----- R: It matters because I am pretty damn sure it's not JUST a transformation cycle. A: Fine. Yes. Yes, it's a mating cycle too, okay? I'm gonna get horny and I'm gonna have to deal with it. Still not your problem. R: See, that's the thing. I think you're afraid it IS my problem. You're afraid you won't be able to control yourself. That you'll force yourself on me. That you'll hurt me. A: And is that not a valid fear? I have lived through this before, okay? I was vicious. R: Did someone else help you with it before? Did you hurt them? ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1: Large panel, in the kitchen. Room for many linked speech bubbles. ----- A: ...No. It was... it was weird. She was pretending to be a normal human. But she clearly knew what I was. When I changed, it didn't surprise her at all. It was like I was part of her plan. She found me that night BECAUSE she wanted to go through that with me. And afterwards... She tried to do something to me. At first I thought she was trying to break the spell that was on me. But now I think she was trying to send me to another universe. I fought her off. I think I stopped her. I don't know what I exactly did, or why it landed me in THIS universe. But I'm sure this isn't where she meant to send me. R: But. You didn't hurt her. You're not as dangerous as you think. ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Large panel, in the kitchen. Room for many linked speech bubbles. Avery looking annoyed and Rho looking concerned, but both VERY close to each other's faces ----- R: Well, in case you care at all-- dragons like me have a mating cycle, too. Not like yours. But, um... apparently it can synchronize with yours. I'm feeling this too. You wouldn't be, uh, unwelcome. And I understand. Believe me, I understand how you feel. The fear and the shame. About losing control of yourself. But... I want to help you. A: Yeah, or maybe you just want to use me. R: Use you? A: Yeah. You're guessing what I've been guessing, right? That I can only jump universes right after I transform. After I fuck. You just want to be there so you can hitch a ride. That's all I've ever been to you. ----- Panel 2 Rho touches Avery ----- R: I can want that, and also be attracted to you. AND also want to help you. Things never just have one reason. A: Y-you're so hot... ----- Panel 3 Large panel with lotsa room for sexiness. No words, just the beginning of some intense hot kissing & groping. ----- ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ----- Panel 1 Large panel with lotsa room for sexiness. Heavy making out, just being broken by Avery. ----- A: H-hold on, wait a sec. R: What? A: We can't do this now. I'm-- I'm losing control already. I FEEL the change starting. It's-- it's overwhelming. R: You're still afraid of hurting me? A: Y-yeah. I can't be sure I won't. R: You didn't before. A: But maybe she had magic to protect her. Or maybe my form last time was less dangerous than this one will be. ----- Panel 2 Large panel. They're not making out anymore, but Rho still has a comforting hand on Avery's shoulder. ----- R: Would you feel safer if I tie you down? A: M...maybe. Your bedposts are pretty strong, right? You have rope and stuff? R: Yeah. I'll get it. R: It'll be fine. It'll be good, Avery. A: At least I won't be a human anymore, for a while. I never realized how much better I like NOT being one. R: What do you s'pose you'll be? A: No idea. R: Will you have a cock? A: No idea. Far as I know I could be any species, any sex. It's weird. I actually don't CARE what my body looks like. But I feel like I'd like ANYTHING better than being my boring old self. ----- Panel 3 Large panel. Rho still has a comforting hand on Avery's shoulder. Also a smile now, while Avery looks more annoyed. ----- R: If it helps at all... I like you any way you look, too. A: Yeah. Whatever. Just get the rope. R: We'll have fun. You can write a song about it. A: I can't write music. R: Well, lyrics then. Funny lyrics! A: Fuck you. *************************************** (Next 8 pages:) TF and sex scene. Let voters decide the details.) ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- *************************************** ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------ Panel 1 they are in bed together ------ R: How much of that do you remember? A: Heh. Enough that I... kinda might be okay with doing it again sometime. R: Your arm looks different. A: Hah. All of me looks different, you dumbass. R: And super sexy, you dandelion. But I mean your arm tattoos. ------ Panel 2-4 Closeup of arm. Sigils glowing. Changing into their traveling form. ------ A: Yeah. I guess if I'm going to try and transport you somewhere, I have to do it now. You have anything you want to bring? R: I'll pack up the tent! A: ...The whole tent? With everything in it? R: It's enchanted. Shrinkage spell. I can squeeze everything down small enough to pull on a cart behind me. A: Cool. How long does that take? R: A few minutes. I've practiced a lot. Been chased out of towns before. ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------ Panel 1 They're standing in the forest, clothed now. Rho is holding onto a two-wheeled luggage cart with a large rolled-up tent on it. Avery is scrolling through the first band on her tattoo. Rho watches, curious. ------ A: Neat. It's like a phone touchscreen. R: So you just scroll through them until you find a symbol to choose, right? A: I mean, since I've been learning Uthish, I recognize some of these symbols. But they're just syllables and numbers. I don't know what they stand for. R: What did you do last time? ------ Panel 2 Avery still looking at the tattoos. Both look concerned. ------ A: Nothing. The stranger did. Chose three of them, I mean. And then I pushed her away. And touched this little mark here. And that brought me to your world. But I dunno which ones she picked. Or which ones I should pick, to go somewhere else. I don't even know if all the possible combinations are SAFE. Maybe if I press the wrong ones we could end up inside a sun. Or in, like, a universe where planets have death rays instead of gravity. I... I'm sorry. I thought maybe I'd have an instinct for it, the second time around. But I don't. ------ Panel 3 Rho looks eager. Avery looks cautious. ------ R: If you make a portal, do you HAVE to go through it? A: I mean, it didn't pull me in or anything. It just opened, and I decided to jump through. R: Then try some random combinations! We'll look through them until we see one we like! ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------ Panel 1 Avery touches her tattoos. ------ A: Fine. Hope this doesn't get us sucked into a black hole or something. Here goes four random sigils. ------ Panels 2-3 Portal forms. ------ A: Huh, that's a portal, and I didn't even press the buttony thing. Small portal though. I don't think we can fit through it. R: We can look into it, though. Maybe if we like it you can make it bigger. ------ Panel 4 A dark and stormy world, red sky, bleak landscape, fires everywhere. Avery and Rho look into it, commenting in linked speech bubbles ------ R: Jeezass. No, that looks bad. Even the fire is on fire! A: Wonder what happens if I change one of the symbols. ------ Panel 5 Avery's hand on her tattoos, one symbol changed. The portal now shows the same scene but with large carnivorous dinosaurs. ------ A: ...Not different enough. R: Mothershitter. A: I'm gonna try a few more combinations. ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------ Panels 1 - 6: Various portals showing different scary-looking universes, with Avery and Rho commenting on them. ------ ------ Panel 7: A nice-looking world. Voters can decide on the details. ------ R: Oh! Oh, let's pick that one! A: It does look less likely to kill us than anything else we've seen. And I don't know how many more I can look into before I lose the ability for another month. ...Yeah, let's go with this one. R: Maybe if you push the... the elbow button thing now, it lets us through? ------ Panel 8: She pushes it. ------ ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------ Panel 1-2 Portal opens big enough for them to walk through. ------ ------ Panel 3 Big panel, establishing shot of the setting they're coming into, from the viewpoint of inside the portal. They are entering, pulling the tent behind them, looks of wonder on their faces. ------ A: Mmm. Breathable air. Always a good thing. Remains to be seen whether the food here is edible. R: If not, I have food to last us until next time. A: Yeah. There will be other months, if this place doesn't work out. Maybe we'll learn more about how this traveling thing works, before next time. R: Maybe. Anyway, you don't have to go through this alone. You don't have to go through anything alone anymore. ------ Panel 4 Walking together. Both look mildly annoyed. ------ A: Hey. We fucked for a day. Don't act like we're married or something. R: Don't be a pothole. We haven't got anything but each other now. We have to get used to this. A: You can't MAKE me learn how to feel close to someone. R: (sigh) Maybe not. But I can try. Shall we set up camp? I'll make breakfast! Hashbrowns with mushrooms? A: Onions! I mean... NO! I mean mushrooms! ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------ Panel 1 In the Utheveger headquarters. The one who negotiated with Rho (U1) is facing one of the others who was there (U2). ------ U1: How is the heiress? ------ Panel 2 In the heiress's room. Jen is on her bed, looking dejected. U2's voice can be heard from offstage. ------ U2: Still uncooperative. It was a mistake to let her grow up on that world. I am not sure how long it will take before she is prepared to accept her inheritance. ------ Panel 3 Adjacent room. Gheun, the woman who pushed Avery through the portal, is chained to the wall. U1 and U2's words come from offstage. ------ U1: And the prisoner? U2: Equally uncooperative. If we wish to understand why she chose to interfere in our ceremony-- and to involve that stranger-- we may need to resort to mind-probing techniques. ------------------------------------------------- Page break ------------------------------------------------- ------ Panel 1 Back to scene where U1 and U2 are talking. Large panel. ------ U1: And our men who stayed behind to hunt for the fugitive? U2: Still have not located her. The rumor that she jumped universes is most likely true. Have you found anything here? U1: I questioned the dragon thief who was rumored to be seen with her. She does know something. She offered significant bribes to keep me from asking further. U2: Which you took? U1: Of course. Those who offer bribes seldom realize that we can take the payment and still not keep the promise. ------ Panel 2 U1 and U2 are still talking. ------ U1: How shall I proceed? Should we return with a squad to search her home? U2: No. Not while she is still cautious from your visit. We should strike when she is unprepared. U1: She may have jumped worlds with the fugitive. U2: They you should jump too, as soon as you can. Find her, keep taking her bribes. Build her trust. Bring me any information you get from her. Eventually, she will lead us to the stranger who has the rightful inheritance of Jen Uth-Omataad. ------ Panel 3 In the heiress's room. Jen is still on her bed. U2's voice is heard from offstage. ------ U2: And meanwhile, I will do my best to build the trust of the one who DESERVES that inheritance. So that when we do bring it home for her, she will be ready.