Beautiful opening, nice getting back to one of my favourite characters, I like the way the servant girl was tied up, just a personal favourite method of mine. I enjoyed reading about what's going through Tsuki's mind and what the black star is making her do and won't do, it's interesting to say the least, it seems that the black star is more sentient that what I was initially thinking, hhhmmm.
I did also like the way Tsuki broke the fourth wall......Without actually breaking the fourth wall.......We know the servant girl is just an extra to be used, then never seen again, but it was also for the intention of the black star and not the reader directly, it was a very clever scene with some very clever writing and I really appreciated it.
Haha I love it, even though Safiye isn't exactly keen on shapeshifters and their methods of impersonating women, she certainly doesn't seem to mind in playing the USB card herself does she.
I'm curious to see what Tsuki is plotting, let's read on.
I enjoyed the next scene, the brief history and lore about the four fishing cities was a very welcome touch to your ever expanding world. Yisüi is really coming through here, I noticed it in the last part as well, but her character is seriously undergoing some changes, it'll be interesting to see where this leads and Azeneth is right, we're not used to seeing her like this.
Amazing scene which followed as well, it just really isn't safe to close your eyes is it, I like those sort of scenes and I get the feeling that a lot of the story will be following this sort of style as it's offering up some really good interaction scenes between Yuka and Tsuki, plus these are the scenes I live for when reading this series.
Aaahh Coulter, forever trying to hide her feelings of her friendship for Yuka, people can try to tell me that I'm only seeing what I want to see. But I see it......I see it.
What an amazing set of USB scenes that came afterwards, I naturally liked the barmaid and Elena's takedown but I loved Lidia's takedown the most, the idea that a much stronger and taller opponent, just literally walks up to her, hand gags her, then picks up and carries away while Lidia is still kicking around, if I'm being honest, I chuckled a bit.
Haha, it looks like that drink went straight to Giulia’s head........I'm sorry.......I'm sorry.
I really Tsuki in this scene, the little childish jabs she makes as she impersonates Giulia is incredibly satisfying and is something that just seems right.....I can always see Tsuki doing this sort of thing, plus I'm starting to think her running gag now about the "extras" should be a tent pole in this series, I don't why, but I always find them joyful and quite entertaining.
This is really getting good now and I look forward to reading the second part, which is what I shall do right now. Plus, seeing Safiye using an old fashioned method of impersonation, such as wigs and makeup to look like the woman she's impersonating, actually feels a little bit alien in this universe, but I think I've just been spoilt by too many shape shifter impersonation scenes.........More in this case is NEVER a bad thing.
Well I guess that what happens when your sailor of medieval times eh. I suppose we just all be thankful that Yuka didn't require the sailor woman's undergarments, as that could of been eerrrmmm......Interesting for poor Yuka. I loved the takedown of the female sailor too by the way.
Hahahahaha! My god man, you've certainly painted one hell of a picture in my mind with all these greasy and drunk sailors our poor heroines are impersonating....... "her victim was wearing a sleeveless undershirt and knee-long underpants that had probably been blue one day, but were now very faded."........Hahaha, seriously, it's because you write funny and unexpected little scenes like this as to why you are one of my favourite writers, it's just so gross, yet so funny at the same time.
A nice little scene there as well after that barrage of USB scenes against those sailors, I liked their brief little scene here and let's be honest with ourselves, what infiltrator wants to hear the word "moist" when they put on their disguise.
WOW! Now I enjoyed the takedown of these six slavers, I really did and the black haired one jinxing herself with that "lucky night" pun was just the icing on the cake, but honestly......Yisüi ......She really, REALLY stood out in this scene, she really did. It was nice watching her perform her first real takedown with Azeneth reminding her to always punch the temple, plus it was really nice and dare I say "Kind of sweet" to see Yisüi taking a page out of her friends books and stripping the slavers purely for humiliation purposes. She's really come a long way and it's been wonderful watching her evolve into the woman she is today.
Whoe.......Another truly powerful scene here. Yisüi and Coulter shone through like diamonds in this scene, I loved watching Coulter literally denounce Heather, indeed a fate worse than death, then I enjoyed the moral dilemma Yisüi faced about wanting to truly get her revenge, but I was actually pleased to see that Yuka and Azeneth managed to persuade her otherwise, indeed Yisüi does still have that "Purity" but I still love all the characters of this group equally, I mean how could you not.
That was quite a sweet scene which followed as well, it was understandable that Yisüi became a little homesick, but I was pleased to see that her friends quickly came together to comfort her and that she also quickly realized that her place in with them, it was nice scene and I really enjoyed it......Plus, did Coulter just manage to get a little joke over on Yuka, my goodness, will wonders ever cease hahaha.
That was quite a little cute scene there with Rashid and Yuka if I'm being honest, these two must know by now that they have deep feelings for one another, I think it's only a matter of time now.
And now the pieces are slowly falling into place with Safiye, Tsuki and the rest of the gang receiving the letter that was supposed to have gone to Giulia. I sense a really interesting and amazing chapter on the horizon and I for one just simply can not wait to see what happens next.
Now let's read on and......Huh......Wait, you can't be serious, I'm at the end already! ..........Oh come on, I could have easily kept on reading for another two hours at least.
Hahaha, in actual fact, I wasn't entirely joking with what I said above. Honest to god, I absolutely love this series, I love the characters, I love the world, I love the lore and I certainly love the USB scenes, I promise you, I could have easily kept on reading for another couple more hours. I really do enjoy it when a story gets me that hooked and that invested, that I honestly just want to keep on reading and reading.
Another phenomenal chapter, I will say though that the true star of this chapter was definitely Yisüi. She was incredible, seeing her go on quite an emotional journey in this chapter was outstanding, it was heart warming and was just a blast to read through. We all know how I feel about Tsuki, so I think you know that I automatically LOVE every scene she's in, I can't help it, she's such a bad arse. I think she's amazing!
Thank you ever so much for another truly amazing chapter, I just loved it from start to finish, seriously, what another fantastic way to start the weekend, what a treat indeed.
The Black Star has a form of sentience, and it's actually the reason why Tsuki's so mind-broken.
I suspected that you'd appreciate Tsuki's moments. Indeed, her personality traits were in full display. The scene during which she breaks the fourth wall is an essential part to understand her actions. Her attitude stems from the fact that she doesn't see most people as real human beings anymore, because she has some understanding of the kind of person she is. Esercito sconfitto once asked if Magneto was a source of inspiration for her character, but if I had to pinpoint one comic book character that inspired me for Tsuki it would be the Joker - I once read on Tv Tropes that in some stories, there are hints that the Joker has some degree of self-awareness that he's a fictional character in a fictional world, hence why he acts this way. This is the king of logic behind Tsuki's actions. However, this conversation featured a lot of re-writing because I was afraid that it could be too heavy-handed. Ultimately though, I decided to choose clarity over subtelty.
Tsuki (and Safiye) are supposed to be major threats in this chapter, therefore I thought it was important to remind of and to explore her connection with Yuka. Dreams are a good way to develop that without having to always find excuses for them to be at the same place.
I've mentioned in my latest comment on tirepanted's story that I've grown to strongly dislike a certain character archetype (the one displaying what I call 'callousness', basically the negative personality traits of characters like Bobbi or Knipperen), and the more I write the more I realize that Tsuki is basically my way of venting my resentment and strong dislike of this type of personality. It's incredibly cathartic to portray such a character as a barely functional sick lunatic, mind-broken beyond reason by an eldritch abomination, who's a walking disaster-in-waiting, and who elicits reactions of disgust and wariness from even the other antagonists.
Though it is always very interesting to see the various reactions characters elicit with the readers. While Tsuki's always been supposed to be complex and to have a tragic background that elicits her sympathy during some scenes, her current self is mostly supposed to appear scary, creepy and dangerous. For instance, her childish jabs and her little speech to Itzel while taking Giulia's appearance were meant to highlight a dangerous and disgusting petty mindset - one born in a sick twisted mind. A way to show that she's becoming more and more monstruous - and sure, the fact that it's happening because of reasons beyond her control is tragic. However, Itzel's comment that this is the attitude of a disgusting and sick woman simply making excuses to justify her sadistic way of having fun was more or less my statement on her attitude. I wasn't expecting her to appear joyful and entertaining!
When it came to characters, I indeed wanted to give Yisüi and Coulter their time to shine.
Yisüi has changed compared to her beginnings. She's become a lot more self-assured. It's classic, but I really like this sort of character arc. I wanted to feature this side-story of her being able to rain down some justice on some of the slavers responsible of her plight for quite some time, and it was probably the last opportunity to feature it. A way to highlight her growth, and to allow her to live good moments. (I've been itching to feature that scene of her friends giving her that talisman for, like, forever. Not a group hug, and it's a small scene, but it's one of my personal favorite friendship moments between these five.) Her being tempted to kill felt like a good idea at the time, but I'm starting to regret having made it so quick. It sort of comes and goes while doing the bare minimum... Yes indeed, there is some purity in her in the sense that contrary to Azeneth or Yuka, she hasn't killed anyone yet. The others want to preserve that. Though the idea that she's 'pure' doesn't come from me. I'm merely quoting Alicia.
Developing Coulter (and reminding of her character development) will be important for the next parts of the story, so it was essential to remind the slow birth of her 'kind-of-friendship' with Yuka and the others. No, you're not seeing things during her scenes with Yuka and the others. She's opening up to them, ever since chapter 3 actually. But being Coulter, she's doing it slowly and not openly. As shown in her mirror scenes, she's deeply afraid of any human bond that could make her happy, because she fears it will tempt her to forego her revenge. Plus I was satisfied to be able to incorporate uniform stealings into the character development for once.Small details, but Coulter says that Yuka, Az' and Yusüi are worthy of wearing her people's traditional clothes and chooses to let Yuka wear traditional clothes of her people instead of jumping on the opportunity to put them on - when she's been shown time after time to favour wearing her people's outfit if given the choice.
Unfortunately, because it wouldn't have been realistic to have other types of characters, the infiltration of the ship was a little repetitive 'clothes-wise'. Therefore, I added the running-gag of our unlucky heroines being confronted to these women's poor hygiene. I enjoyed writing the parts with Giulia, Elena, and Lidia a lot more, especially the imagery of Astrid just casually restraining and carrying the poor short woman. The flashback scene with the mountain guides was a way to add another uniform stealing to compensate the lack of variety of the second part.
Yuka's and Rashid's relationship is probably one of the 'less-USB thing' of this story, but I just love it. It was important to remind of their relationship (that has barely been touched upon ever since chapter 3) because (I don't think it's a spoiler anymore) the story makes it pretty clear that this time Yuka will have to protect her man.
Sorry to end up on a cliffhanger... The next part is a tough one to write, and I wanted to buy some time.
I like the way the servant girl was tied up
You mean chair-tied? If that's the case, it has been duly noted.
Haha, it looks like that drink went straight to Giulia’s head.
I've mentioned in my latest comment on tirepanted's story that I've grown to strongly dislike a certain character archetype (the one displaying what I call 'callousness', basically the negative personality traits of characters like Bobbi or Knipperen), and the more I write the more I realize that Tsuki is basically my way of venting my resentment and strong dislike of this type of personality. It's incredibly cathartic to portray such a character as a barely functional sick lunatic, mind-broken beyond reason by an eldritch abomination, who's a walking disaster-in-waiting, and who elicits reactions of disgust and wariness from even the other antagonists
Hahaha, duly noted. ...................But honestly, I can understand why this is as writing someone like Knipperen can quite the experience that's for sure. But I just can't help it, it seems that even Tsuki herself has some sort of power over me. I just can't not like her, I think it was always due to the fact that I always remember how she ended up where she is and everything that happened to her before and because of this, no matter what she does or how she does it, I'll just never be able to bring myself to dislike her in any shape or form, she just has this way of always making me like her and I doubt I'll ever change my view on her.
Yisüi has changed compared to her beginnings. She's become a lot more self-assured. It's classic, but I really like this sort of character arc. I wanted to feature this side-story of her being able to rain down some justice on some of the slavers responsible of her plight for quite some time, and it was probably the last opportunity to feature it. A way to highlight her growth, and to allow her to live good moments. (I've been itching to feature that scene of her friends giving her that talisman for, like, forever. Not a group hug, and it's a small scene, but it's one of my personal favorite friendship moments between these five.) Her being tempted to kill felt like a good idea at the time, but I'm starting to regret having made it so quick. It sort of comes and goes while doing the bare minimum... Yes indeed, there is some purity in her in the sense that contrary to Azeneth or Yuka, she hasn't killed anyone yet. The others want to preserve that. Though the idea that she's 'pure' doesn't come from me. I'm merely quoting Alicia.
No, no I don't think you should have regrets at all, I personally didn't think that the scene with Yisüi was rushed at all, given everything that had happened to her over these past couple of chapter, I personally am actually surprised she managed to repress these urges for as long as she did, I honestly think that she deserves a massive round of applause and she has tremendous will power and I have garnished a lot more respect for her, seeing her evolve and grow lately has just been wonderful.
Yuka's and Rashid's relationship is probably one of the 'less-USB thing' of this story, but I just love it. It was important to remind of their relationship (that has barely been touched upon ever since chapter 3) because (I don't think it's a spoiler anymore) the story makes it pretty clear that this time Yuka will have to protect her man.
Go Yuka! Got to love a bad arse woman whose willing to go and protect her man!
You mean chair-tied? If that's the case, it has been duly noted.
Well if I'm being honest, I have several bound positions that I enjoy seeing, but the chair - tied technique is definitely in my top three......Alongside the sixty nine position and having two women pressed against each other in something like a wardrobe or a closet.
I take it Stasis took over during one second?
Hahaha, I must admit, I try and have Stasis take over as much as possible as I'm always on the hunt for bad one liners, awful puns and absolutely terrible jokes.
Hahaha, duly noted. ...................But honestly, I can understand why this is as writing someone like Knipperen can quite the experience that's for sure.
Though because I dislike them for their personality, it doesn't mean that they are bad characters. Honestly, I think that writing unsympathetic characters is sometimes easier than reading about them, because when I write them I know their eventual fate. As I said, an unsympathetic character isn't necessarily a bad character. Some characters are meant to be unsympathetic. Sometimes it's to make their eventual character development more satisfying, sometimes it's to make their inevitable defeat and humiliation more satisfying... sometimes it's to show that life is unfair and bad people always prosper...
But I just can't help it, it seems that even Tsuki herself has some sort of power over me. I just can't not like her, I think it was always due to the fact that I always remember how she ended up where she is and everything that happened to her before and because of this, no matter what she does or how she does it, I'll just never be able to bring myself to dislike her in any shape or form, she just has this way of always making me like her and I doubt I'll ever change my view on her.
Well, you don't have to justify yourself for liking her. She's supposed to be a three-dimentional tragic character, and her backstory gives her a lot of sympathy as a character. I also like her a lot, I'm a sucker for tragic villains. I mostly meant that her current attitude when it comes to uniform stealing is meant to come off as creepy and disgusting. In a way, it highlights the tragedy of the character: it showcases the fact that she's sinking deeper and deeper into madness.
Well if I'm being honest, I have several bound positions that I enjoy seeing, but the chair - tied technique is definitely in my top three......Alongside the sixty nine position and having two women pressed against each other in something like a wardrobe or a closet.
A new chapter, and worth the wait! I've really come to enjoy this series, and the latest adventure is shaping up nicely.
At least a dozen women getting their uniforms stolen in this chapter, plus six slavers stripped for humiliation purposes. Seems like a "Pakal" record. Better yet, these USB scenes really feel like they're progressing the story and the characters, be they the villains' plan or Yisüi's development.
Fair to say that Yisüi is one of the best characters in the series - a sympathetic woman who's really grown into her own as a capable fighter and rebel. It's been great fun watching her progress from the meek slave girl she was back in Chapter 1. Her quest to get revenge on the slavers who wronged her was satisfying and well-earned.
The infiltration of the boat by our heroines was good fun, even if it did feel a bit repetitive. Azeneth's quick, behind-the-barrels takedown of the first sailor was spiced up by some great sound effects, and it was poetic to see another sailor knocked out by her own bottle.
Fun as the scenes with the heroines were, I found the stronger half of the chapter to be the scenes with the villainesses (perhaps not a surprise, as I love a lot of the villains in your stories). Safiye continues to be a fascinating character, caught in a situation she doesn't want with a partner she can't stand, and I'm curious to see where her situation will lead.
Tsuki is still rather unlikable, but as you say, that is part of the intent. She's too psychotic and unhinged to connect with, but I don't really mind, as it makes it easier to sympathize with Safiye, as well as Itzel and Astrid. I noticed that some of Tsuki's dialogue parallels Bobbi's dialogue in my most recent chapter - and let me assure you, Bobbi will never make it to a level as evil and twisted as Tsuki.
My favorite part of the chapter was the section in and around the bar. The twist that the real tavern wench had already been replaced was great (I love the "behind the bar" reveal), as were the takedowns of Elena and Lidia. And Giulia getting bonked on the head as opposed to drugged was funny in a fittingly twisted way.
A setup chapter, by the looks of it, but a very fun one. I'm intrigued.
I've really come to enjoy this series, and the latest adventure is shaping up nicely.
Now, that's a statement that goes straight through my heart and that I appreciate at its fair value, given the fact that you admitted several times that a fantasy setting wasn't your favorite setting at all.
Glad you enjoyed the uniform stealings. Personally, I was satisfied to be able to tie some of them in with character development (Yisüi's and Coulter's notably), which is something that's very hard for me to do. I suspected you'd appreciate the part with the villainesses. They are basically co-protagonists in this beginning when it comes to screentime. Villain protagonists, but protagonists nonetheless. Safiye's still far from my favorite character, but I know you appreciate her so I'm trying to incorporate her as much as I can, and it's allowing her to get more development.
I noticed that some of Tsuki's dialogue parallels Bobbi's dialogue in my most recent chapter - and let me assure you, Bobbi will never make it to a level as evil and twisted as Tsuki.
Ha! Ha! I was wondering if you would notice. If not, it would have been my little personal private joke... I indeed took inspiration of some of Bobbi's moments, even though Tsuki's actions are of course an exaggerated version. As far as uniform stealings are concerned, Tsuki has become a living incarnation of attitudes I hate, a personification of selfish callousness and sense of superiority. In fact, I'm realizing that I should try to tone it down a little. Because the point of these stories is for them to be pleasant to read, not for me to vent my resentment . Though I don't know if I would go as far as to call Tsuki 'evil', as this label would require free will, and contrary to other characters with negative attitudes (such as Safiye, Knipperen or Bobbi recently), that's something she doesn't fully have anymore. (As the beginning reminds, she's not even allowed to choose which emotions to feel anymore, and her addiction gets stronger.)
A setup chapter indeed, though these are usually easier to write, since it's easier to feature uniform stealings compared to action scenes. I hope it won't disappoint. Several characters are supposed to find closure to their story in this arc...
(PS. Trackman, I answered your comment in a previous post, in case you've missed it. )
(PS. Trackman, I answered your comment in a previous post, in case you've missed it. )
Seen it, many thanks!
Yes, hhhmmm, I'm always harping on aren't I about how I love bad women and villainess, but what you just said about even you yourself having a soft spot for "tragic" Villainesses got me thinking......Maybe it's the fact that they get misunderstood is why I get attracted to them so often, as it's never their fault that they find themselves in the situations that they get stuck in......Hhhhmmmm, well good sir, you've managed to make me think about things that's for sure. Goodness, what else with this series hold I wonder.
Just a warning, this part will be plot-heavy. I realized that I wrote myself into a corner after the last update, since most characters were in a configuration where including uniform stealings was difficult. For a while, I didn't know what to do. So I decided ‘To heck with this’, and I completed this part so it would be done and next part could feature more uniform stealings.
Chapter 6: Part 2
**************
Of course, the first thing Rashid did after Yuka’s, Azeneth’s, Jinora’s, Coulter’s, and Yisüi’s return was to inform them of the recent developments.
Outside of Giulia's arrival, he had other good news.
“I have received a message from our scholars. They have managed to build a new crystal to conceal Coulter’s powers. And she will be able to carry this one.”
Ghazan’s scholars had long ago invented a device that could prevent a Mage from sensing another one use their magic. These were the shining light purple crystals were bolted to the walls of all their hideouts. As long as Coulter was near them, she could freely use almost all her powers without anyone sensing them. However, these inventions had a huge drawback: The crystals were boiling hot. They burnt the skin and set fire to clothes. To manipulate them, one needed to use pliers made of a very specific metal.
Apparently, after years of work, Rashid’s scholars had managed to get rid of this flaw.
“My father has sent a small squad to secretly bring them to us.” the prince concluded. "They will arrive by boat."
“So it means…” Yuka started to say.
Rashid nodded. “It means that soon, Coulter will be able to use most of her powers, save for the more ‘noisy’, almost everywhere…”
Yuka’s friends exchanged smiles and exclamations of joy. Coulter was looking radiant.
The news were indeed great. Until now, their fight against the Mages had always been hampered by the fact that Coulter couldn’t use most of her powers without all the Mages immediately rushing to crush her with their number. It meant that any direct confrontation involving magic required a meticulous planning and an immediate retreat. And the one time they were actually taken by surprise, with Ce-Tochtli, Jinora almost died, and Coulter and Yuka almost got captured.
Rashid indeed couldn’t have brought them better news.
Yuka noticed however that the prince was concealing a detail. She knew him well. She had learned to read his facial expressions.
“Did you forget to tell us something?” she asked him.
Rashid looked unsure, but he knew he couldn’t lie to her. He revealed: “I heard Nahid was part of the crystal’s escort.”
Objectively, these were also good news. It meant that, at the kingdom of Ghazan, Rashid’s father had managed to calm things up with the desert tribes. Indeed, the Mages’ intrigues, performed by their agents Safiye and Tsuki, had put a dent in the relationships between the crown and the southern desert tribes.
However, Nahid was also Rashid’s fiancee in a political marriage, and her presence meant that Mehmet III hadn’t renounced his idea to marry his younger son.
For personal reasons, Rashid was very embarrassed by the ordeal, and even more embarrassed to mention it in front of Yuka.
The shapeshifter forced herself to remain impassible.
When she was far away from Ghazan, it was easy to forget how complicated her and Rashid’s personal lives were. But a part of her always knew that reality would come knocking at their door one day…
“These are wonderful news indeed.” she finally commented while keeping a neutral face. “Our situation is getting better.”
She ignored the worried glances Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi were casting at her.
“Tell us where the ship is supposed to land.” she added.
“The usual secret cove. They are supposed to arrive tomorrow.” Rashid answered.
He was looking ill-at-ease and worried for her, but she didn't let on any emotion during the entire remainder of the conversation.
**************
It was the beginning of the evening. The sun was starting to go down, but there was still plenty of light.
Rashid was a meticulous careful man. Even though his hideout in the city of Chichen Itza was secret and underground, there still was someone watching its entrance from the outside.
Tepin was standing on top of a building. She was a watcher working for Rashid. She was tall, with closely-cropped black hair, hazel almond-shaped eyes, an oval face with a large forehead, and a tanned copper-coloured skin.
She was wearing a black hooded long robe, with a grey cloth sash tied around the waist, and brown leather sandals.
The woman was carefully watching the area.
She was unaware of the danger however.
Unaware of the fact that, for Safiye’s plan to succeed, she had to be the first casualty.
**************
Safiye approached her target from behind, as silent as a snake. She was wearing grey clothes to blend in with the buildings’ walls. The brown-haired mercenary was trained to walk silently, and she was wearing special soft boots.
Tepin yawned.
The spy jumped, and wrapped her arms around Tepin’s throat to choke her. The watcher gurgled in surprise. Safiye smiled. She was confident in her technique.
However, Tepin was a lot more dangerous than she let on. She also had trained in unorthodox fighting styles. When the watcher felt Safiye’s arms wrapping themselves around her, she used an over the shoulder throw to get rid of her opponent.
Safiye was taken by surprise, and fell on her back with a dull thud. She grunted in pain.
The watcher grabbed a horn on her belt.
Shit! Safiye thought to herself.
Tepin tried to blow the horn.
However, Astrid grabbed the watcher by the shoulder, and pulled her to force Tepin to face her. The blonde then socked the woman into the temple with her right fist.
The watcher fell on the floor with a grunt of pain, and remained still. Out cold.
Safiye got up. “Thank you. I owe you one.”
The blond knight smiled.
The brown-haired spy looked at the unconscious woman. “Now… We’ll start with her clothes.”
Astrid removed the watcher’s outer clothes, leaving her clad in a red loincloth tied around the waist and between the legs, and a black sleeveless undertunic.
“You will take this woman’s place.” Safiye told the knight.
“Is this necessary?” Astrid asked.
“One is never too cautious. It’s in case someone from the hideout takes a look outside. They must believe that their watcher is still at her post.”
Tepin was hog-tied with ropes and cleave-gagged with a thick scarf, then concealed behind the small wall of the building’s top on which she used to be standing. Astrid slipped into her clothes.
Safiye grabbed her spy’s make-up kit. She dyed Astrid’s hair black, and darkened the skin of her face and her hands. She was satisfied by the result. From afar, with the hood on, Astrid would fool the others.
The two accomplices heard the noise of discreet footsteps.
Astrid grabbed her battle axe, but she and Safiye relaxed when they heard the cry of a hawk above their heads.
Marquess Tosca was as discreet and supple as she was good with a bow. The noblewoman regrouped with Safiye and Astrid. Her hawk was watching the surroundings. Lucilla, the marquess’ aide, climbed after her mistress. Both women were wearing plain clothes to better blend in.
“Marquess. You shouldn’t be here.” Safiye commented.
“If someone was watching us, I’d know it.” the redhead retorted.
The hawk let out another cry. People were pretending that the bird and his mistress were sharing a soul-link. Safiye was inclined to believe them. She of all people knew that soul-links weren’t a legend... The spy shook her head. The less she was thinking of Tsuki, the better!
Tosca glanced at the defeated Tepin. “That was impressive work!” the marquess commented. “It reminds me of the day some ruffians tried to attack my brother and his wife!”
Safiye suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Like many military aristocrats, Tosca loved to ramble on her achievements.
“But I wouldn’t let them! I actually grabbed their sentry and took her clothes! They never suspected me, until I jumped them! It was the night, and they weren’t expecting an attack from within their ranks!” Tosca mimed a fight. Her eyes were sparkling. “You should have seen them run!”
Safiye raised her head slightly.
“I shall introduce you to my brother and his wife once they have finished their journey. They are currently touring Bommare's Southern Islands.”
The hawk let out another cry.
“Anyway, I shall deploy my soldiers.”
The marquess left without waiting for an answer.
Safiye turned towards Lucilla and couldn't help but ask her. “Is this the true story?”
A part of her wouldn’t mind finding another recruit. Anyone would be better than Tsuki...
Now that her mistress wasn't seeing her, Lucilla’s expression changed. It was a look of sadness and pity.
“She arrived too late.”
“What?”
“Her brother. Her sister-in-law. Their servants. They were all already dead by the time she arrived. You have to forgive her. Her story of the attack changes every time she tells it. Her mind refuses to accept they’re gone. She’s perfectly sane for everything else, but it’s been one year that she’s persuaded they’re still touring the Southern Islands.”
Lucilla left to follow the footsteps of her marquess.
Safiye rolled her eyes. “Why do I attract the lunatics…?” she muttered to herself. The spy shook her head. “Bah! It doesn’t matter.”
Only the Mages’ money mattered. Riches beyond her wildest dreams. Enough money to live her life as she saw fit until her death.
Safiye left Astrid, and regrouped with Tsuki and Itzel.
The novice mage-woman was pacing nervously.
The shapeshifter was standing still and gazing at the sky with a vacant smile.
Safiye knew that, if she didn’t quickly distract Tsuki with something, the latter would tear her top off to grow some wings again. And then she would find a poor girl to replace her clothes.
“Get ready to disguise yourselves. It’s time for our meeting.” the spy announced.
Itzel nodded in silence.
Tsuki grinned. “FINALLY!”
Safiye ignored her, and grabbed her make-up kit. She didn't need magic or shapeshifting powers. Only her skills. In no time, she had transformed herself into Elena's twin sister.
Itzel was going to take Lidia's place; and Tsuki, Giulia's.
They put on again the clothes they had stolen when they had captures the three women.
**************
Yuka had chosen to isolate herself. She wasn’t in the mood to argue with Rashid, or with Azeneth for that matter. She knew that the metis was looking for her to have another conversation about her private life.
The shapeshifter was in a storage room, trying to clear her mind. Unsuccessfully.
However, the first woman who found her wasn’t Azeneth.
It was Coulter.
When the mage-woman cornered her with a grim expression, Yuka anticipated an argument. Even though this time she had no idea of what she had done to cause the redhead’s anger...
However, Coulter simply gave her a golden necklace adorned with a green-coloured stone.
“Here. I got something for you.”
Yuka frowned. “Isn’t it one of your catalysts?”
“I infused some power in it. Wear this during your sleep. Tsuki shouldn’t be able to visit you in your dreams anymore.” Coulter explained.
Yuka temporarily forgot about Rashid, and grabbed the jewel.
“Uhm… Thanks… I... I don’t really know what to say… This is a precious gift...” She couldn’t help but gaze at the necklace. She was remembering their conversation in Jöchi’s inn, but she hadn’t thought that the redhead would be so quick.
Coulter shrugged. “It’ll only work if Tsuki’s the one responsible of your nightmares. It won’t block the bad dreams if they come from you. But at least, now, we’ll be sure…”
The mage-woman frowned.
“Why are you looking at this thing as if it was the emperor’s crown itself?” she asked.
Yuka smiled. She was feeling a little amused. “You really don’t know the symbolic of offering a jewel to someone of my people’s culture, am I right?”
It was indeed a token of great friendship. Tsuki’s earrings were actually Yuka’s and Hinata’s gift, and Yuka also possessed bracelets offered to her by Tsuki and Hinata, though she couldn’t bring herself to wear them anymore.
Coulter finally realized the implication of her gesture. “You better not offer me a jewel back!” the redhead warned Yuka.
The shapeshifter couldn’t help but chuckle. “You don’t have to play tough all the time… You don’t have to be afraid to have friends…”
“My people-”
“We’ve already had that discussion." Yuka interrupted her, unwilling to start another argument. "You know what I think of your self-destructive revenge obsession. But consider this: Even if you finally get your precious vengeance, you’ll still have to find something to do AFTERWARDS… Right? So why not return to some friends?”
Coulter looked ill-at-ease, just like every time someone was offering her a gesture of friendship.
Yuka concluded: “We started off on the wrong foot, we’ve wasted a long time hating each other, but you’re not gonna deny that things are better now that we have reached an understanding. You really want us to be at each other’s throats again?”
Coulter grumbled and mumbled, until she couldn’t avoid giving an answer. “… No.” she finally admitted.
“There you go!” Yuka beamed.
Coulter bit her lower lip, looking ill-at-ease. However, then, a shrewd spark ignited in her eyes. “So if we’re friends, then it means that we can discuss personal things. Like about Rashid.”
Yuka lost her smile, and her good mood. “Low blow.” she commented.
“Azeneth pestered me until I agreed to broach the subject with you, if I was the one who found you first.” Coulter justified herself.
Yuka didn’t answer.
“She’s worried for you. Jinora and Yisüi are too. They are so worried that they’re becoming annoying…” the redhead insisted.
“I can’t let you say that. Friends like them are treasures to be cherished!” Yuka shook her head. “I shouldn’t try to avoid them… I have to reassure them…” She glanced sideways at Coulter. “By the way… And you? Are you worried about me?”
“The Mages burnt alive my entire cland, including the person I loved. I think you’re making a mountain out of a simple problem.” Coulter said in all honesty. “Rashid could simply take you as his mistress. He wouldn’t be the first man to do so.”
“I’ll admit, sometimes I find your cold bluntness refreshing.” Yuka answered, also in all honesty. “But Rashid wouldn’t want that. It’s a part of his culture that he hates, and he fears it won’t make me happy. I think he’s right. I had to spend all my life hidden, deceiving others to survive. When it comes to the man I love, at least for that, I don't want to have to hide myself.”
Coulter grumbled something that was very blunt and was NOT very flattering.
However, Yuka had found a way to tease her in retaliation. She hadn’t forgotten about her encounter with the redhead’s counterpart, when they were trapped in Pakal’s alternate universe. “By the way, I heard you talk about a ‘person’ you loved. A boy or a girl?”
Coulter didn't even blink. “A dead body, now.”
Yuka sighed. “Really, you’re the sunshine of our lives...”
Their conversation was interrupted by Jinora’s arrival.
“Yu’! I’ve been looking for you everywhere! Rashid’s allies are here!” she announced.
**************
Giulia and her escort secretly entered Rashid’s hideout, guided by one of his agents.
Yuka observed them from afar. She was standing with Azeneth, Jinora, Yisüi, and Coulter.
She was also ignoring Rashid’s glances towards her.
Giulia had dark blond hair that were a little orange-coloured. They were loose and shoulder-long. One longer armpit-long strand of hair was falling on each shoulder. Her eyes were ocean blue and her skin was light, though after her travel by sea she had gotten a tan.
She was accompanied by two women. The first one, Elena, had short neck-long black hair, a tanned skin, and green eyes. The second one, Lidia, was a short woman with round-shaped blue eyes, shoulder-long reddish brown hair, and a light skin tanned because of her travel by sea. Two locks of hair were framing her face and falling on her shoulders, one on each side
Rashid greeted them, and they started to exchange salutations. Giulia was an aristocrat. They had to observe the forms.
Yuka noticed Giulia’s brief glance towards her. For some reason, the aristocrat was looking disapproving.
Great. Does she know for Rashid and I? Did she guess by the way he's looking at me? Another political complication.
She avoided the aristocrat’s gaze by looking elsewhere, and in the process saw the small steel knives strapped onto Azeneth’s belt.
“Rashid gave me new throwing knives.” the metis explained. “They’re not my father’s, but they’ll do.” She looked Yuka in the eyes. “Speaking of Rashid...”
“I’m fine, Az’.”
Jinora and Yisüi glanced at her.
Azeneth raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
“Look, I’m sorry I tried to avoid you. You’re a great friends.” Yuka answered. “I’ll talk to Rashid later. Just give me the time to have some rest first.”
Azeneth exchanged a brief glance with her two friends. She hesitated to insist, but then finally said: “Okay. I trust you. We trust you.”
Next to them, Coulter was glaring at Elena.
“Something wrong?” Yisüi asked her.
“Giulia’s bodyguard. She looks familiar.”
“Well, you’ll get to know her better during the upcoming reunion.” Jinora intervened.
“They’re not going to talk here and now?” the redhead asked.
“Rashid doesn’t want to start the reunion immediately. He’ll let his guests rest a little first.” Jinora explained.
“Then I’ll do the same. I’ll get some rest in my room then. Warn me when the serious stuff will begin.” Yuka concluded.
Her friends nodded.
Coulter was still glaring at Elena.
**************
‘Giulia’ and her ‘friends’ had been given a room in which they could rest before the big strategy meeting that Rashid had planned.
Safiye had checked all the walls. There was no hole to spy on them, and nobody could hear what they were saying from behind the walls.
Of course, the three impostors were taking advantage of the situation to scheme in peace.
“The first step of the infiltration was a success.” Itzel commented. “They didn’t suspect anything.”
“Told you.” Safiye answered. “I’m a professional. Give me some make-up, and you’ll never recognize me. Plus, Tsuki never makes any mistake when she’s in-character, I'll give her that.”
They had interrogated the real Giulia and her entourage to know everything they needed to impersonate them. Unmasked and captured, the women had no choice but talk, hoping that it would earn them some leniency. The Mages had chosen to let Tosca judge them, as a way to avoid an international incident, but the marquess didn’t take kindly to treason.
“Now, we simply have to find a way to capture the prince…” Itzel concluded.
“The Moon Child is here.” Safiye remarked. “This changes everything… Ce-Acatl considers her a bigger priority.”
“Yu’ is here too.” Tsuki intervened.
Safiye thought it was more prudent to ignore her.
“Itzel. Contact the Mages. Tell them about the Moon Child.” she instructed her other accomplice.
The brown-haired spy knew that Ce-Acatl would pay her a substantial extra if she could hand over Coulter to him on a silver platter.
Itzel grimaced. “She will sense me use sun magic if I contact the Mages. Long-distance communication is like teleportation. It doesn’t look flashy, but since it directly involves a journey through the invisible world, it’s VERY noisy for other magic users...”
Safiye pointed at the shining light purple crystals bolted to the walls. “You see these stones? They are an invention of my people. Istir mentioned them to me during my mission in El Idriss. They prevent the Mages from sensing Coulter’s magic as long as she’s near them. It will do the same for you.”
Itzel smiled when she understood the implications of Safiye’s explanation. “We will use their own invention against them…”
“Exactly.”
Safiye stopped talking to Itzel to allow her to focus.
She glanced at Tsuki. The shapeshifter was looking pensive. There was still a little smile on her lips, but it was a lot smaller than usual.
Though the sight of a smile was still reassuring. Safiye knew that Tsuki was at her most dangerous during the brief moments when she was NOT smiling... as during these brief instants, Tsuki’s mind was NOT being overflown by the Black Star’s waves of pleasure to keep her emotions in check.
However, the brown-haired spy was surprised that her accomplice hadn’t already put the mission in jeopardy to go after Yuka.
“Why are you looking at me?” Tsuki asked.
Great. She noticed it.
“You’re wondering why I haven’t ruined everything to go after Yuka yet, right?” the shapeshifter added.
Safiye wondered if Tsuki was simply very good at reading her face, or if the connection she weaved between them allowed her to read her mind. Both options were terrifying, but the second one was a lot more despairing.
Tsuki’s smile disappeared, which made Safiye immediately tense up.
“I don’t know either.” Tsuki earnestly admitted. “Normally I would have said it’s because I’m scared she’ll reject me for good this time, but I am not allowed to be scared anymore. Perhaps it’s because waiting will make the pleasure of our reunion more intense…” Her expression suddenly changed once more, and her smile returned. “By the way, I’m surprised you haven’t tried again to get rid of me. Do I have to conclude that you have grown fond of me?”
The idea was so ridiculous that Safiye couldn’t even retort something.
Tsuki shrugged. “You don’t need to answer. I know you’re not. It’s in my nature to hurt the people around me. Yu’ is slowly realizing that. Doesn’t stop me from loving her...”
She was saying all that without losing her smile.
Perhaps for the first time in her life, Safiye felt a slight twinge of pity towards Tsuki. Yes, her partner was a capricious womanchild, a raving lunatic with no moral compass who was having sadistic fun. Selfish and callous. Greedy. Slave to her impulses. But on the other hand…
On the other hand, Tsuki hadn’t chosen to feel what she was feeling, or to crave what she was craving. She didn’t have free will anymore. Her very being was under the influence of the Black Star. For someone like Safiye, who had fought all her life to be free to do as she pleased, it sounded like a torture.
“It’s sad.” she finally remarked.
“I am not allowed to be sad. When I’m thinking of your disgust, I feel happy. When I’m thinking of Yu’ rejecting me, I also feel happy. Happiness is the only emotion I still feel. Well, with CRAVING. Craving for thrills. Craving for entertainment. Craving for another victim. Craving for another appearance, another set of clothes, another life. Craving for the Black Star.”
“I can’t understand why you’re letting someone else rob you of your free will.” Safiye commented. “I fought all my existence to live freely as I deemed fit. I could never stand not being free to feel what I want.”
“Oh! I still have free will!” Tsuki retorted. “For instance, the Black Star always orders me to kill the humans I come across. And I refuse to do it. Most of the time.”
And she was actually looking proud of herself!
Tsuki’s expression reminded Safiye of why she had learned to fear and hate her partner. A being that thought that not killing people at random MOST OF THE TIME was a huge moral achievement!
Thankfully, Itzel intervened, saving her from that conversation.
“Marquess Tosca’s archers are in position, and Ce-Acatl is contacting all the Mages of the Empire to capture Coulter. He is instructing us to make things easier for them by making sure Rashid can’t escape first. Once they’ll transport themselves here, Coulter will sense them, so the prince must be captured beforehand.”
Safyie sighed. “It’s good to know that my talents are appreciated… but sometimes I wish the Mages underestimated me more… I mean, do they think that my plans come up by themselves?” The spy briefly scratched her chin. “We’ll have to remain discreet. The best course of action is to reach Rashid’s room and capture him in secret. We’ll probably have to change our guise.”
“By the way have you noticed?” Tsuki intervened. “The people protecting this place are wearing the same specific clothes...”
Safiye smiled. “We should… ‘take a walk’ and ‘borrow’ some of these clothes.”
Tsuki jumped on her feet. “Finally! I thought you were never going to propose it!” Once again, she had a brutal mood-swing. She was pensive no more. Her horrible peppy smile and impish attitude had returned.
“Uh, Tsuki, wait! We still haven’t planned the details!” Safiye retorted.
The shapeshifter ignored her, walked to the door, and opened it. She looked into the corridor, and addressed the sentry tasked with protecting them.
The latter was a metis. Her hair were dark brown and her skin was tanned. Her hazel eyes, while still almond-shaped, were rounder than the ones of a pure-blooded Pakal woman. She had an oval face and a fit body of average size. Her hair were braided: she had three shoulder-long braids adorned with black stone beads.
While her clothes weren’t a uniform per say, they were still giving off the vibe of a military-like organization. She was wearing brown long boots, grey trousers, a black weapon belt, and a grey tunic. She was armed with an obsidian dagger and a small steel sword – perfect weapons in enclosed underground corridors.
“Excuse me guard. I need your help.” Tsuki announced.
The woman approached her. “Yes, lady Giulia?”
Tsuki punched her in the guts, cutting her breath. She grabbed her by the shoulders, and pulled her inside the room. Then she grabbed the neck of the gasping woman. Her palm glowed as she was pinching, and the woman passed out while making a long moan. She fell on the floor’s carpet.
“Details are for losers.” Tsuki commented while closing the door.
Safyie massaged her forehead. “Well, that settles it.”
She grabbed the woman’s ankles and dragged her to the center of the room. The spy undressed the guard.
“Itzel, you take this woman’s clothes. Use your illusion to conceal your face. Tsuki, you keep Giulia’s appearance for now. We’ll pretend that you’re being escorted to Rashid if a guard asks us questions.” she instructed.
The sentry was left clad in her skimpy underclothes: tight reddish brown drawers and a thin translucent band of cloth of matching colour wrapped over the breasts and the back.
Safiye sat up the half-naked woman on a thick wooden chair. She cut the sheets on the beds and used them as makeshift bonds. She tied the woman’s ankles and calves to the chair’s legs – the right ankles to the right chair leg and the left ankle to the left chair leg. She bound her wrists behind the back of the chair, then tightly wrapped a few strips around the guard’s torso and the back of the chair to pin her against the chair. She shoved a few strips of sheets into her mouth, cloth gagged her with another thick strip of sheet, and used another one as a blindfold.
Finally, she dragged the chair to a corner of the room, out of sight, and left it there.
Itzel had changed herself. She casted a spell, and conjured up an illusion to modify her face.
They were ready to go.
“I’ll take the front.” Tsuki decided.
Safiye shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
The shapeshifter opened the door, and led the way.
“How can you work with her?” Itzel remarked.
Safiye shrugged. “Just let her do her thing. Trust me, it’s better to have her in front of you rather than behind you. At least when she’s in front, you can watch what she’s doing.”
**************
Safiye and Itzel were following Tsuki in the underground corridors. Rashid’s room was located at the opposite side of the hideout.
The place was quiet. Which was logical: There weren’t many people in here. A group too large risked attracting the attention of the town’s garrison.
The three women were passing in front of the storage room when, suddenly, the door opened, and two women exited the storage room.
The two guards were wearing the same clothes as the one Tsuki jumped in front of the bedroom. Brown long boots, grey trousers, a black weapon belt with an obsidian dagger and a short sword, and a grey tunic.
The first woman had dark blond hair, dark blue eyes, and a white skin. She wasn’t from the Empire. Her nose was tall and aquiline. She had a neck-long square-cut. The second woman had light brown hair, a slightly tanned skin, and hazel green eyes. She had a round-shaped face and a small nose. Her hair were tied into an armpit-long ponytail.
The guards stopped when they saw ‘Giulia’, ‘Elena’, and a fellow guard.
“Excuse me, but why are you outside?”
They were talking to Itzel, as she was looking like one of their companions.
Unfortunately, Itzel didn’t have Safiye’s experience as a spy. She wasn’t able to react convincingly.
“Well… uhm… They’re… I’m taking them to Rashid.”
The two guards shared a quick glance.
Safiye realized that they were unmasked.
The first woman opened her mouth to shout.
Shit! We’re done for!
The brown-haired spy attempted to grab her.
However, Tsuki moved faster than her, or than anyone else for that matter. Inhumanely fast, in fact.
The shapeshifter punched each guard at the same time, in a very specific spot between the stomach and the torso.
The two women bent forward, and let out a grunt. However, their breaths were cut. They couldn’t scram.
The freedom fighters staggered. They were making faint moans. Their eyes rolled backwards.
Then the two women fell, face against the floor and buns raised towards the ceiling. Tsuki’s smile widened when she noticed their position. She patted the women’s backsides, and looked at Safiye.
The brown-haired woman needed to blink two times to gather her thoughts. Did Tsuki use her shapeshifter’s touch through the women’s clothes when she punched them, or did she just aim at a precise spot to knock them out instantly?
Safiye shook her head. Questions for later!
Next to her, Itzel was looking in awe at the sight.
“And that’s the second reason why I stomach working with her.” Safiye commented. “Tsuki and I will take their clothes.” she decided.
They dragged the guards into the storage room they had just left.
The two women were thoroughly stripped of their outer clothes. The blond-haired guard was wearing white drawers and a dark grey sleeveless undershirt that wasn’t covering her navel. The light-brown-haired guard was wearing a black loincloth and a black strip of cloth wrapped around the chest and the back.
Safiye grabbed brown ropes that were in the supply room. She bound the upper-arms, the wrists, the thighs, and the ankles She then hog-tied each woman to keep their legs in suspension. The spy then removed her current clothes, and cut them into strips with Itzel. She used the strips to gag and blindfold the guards.
Safiye and Tsuki put on the discarded uniforms.
“I noticed that you’re less frequently using your powers to create clothes out of your skin.” Safiye commented.
“To better understand Yu’, I need to act like her.” Tsuki retorted, as if it was obvious.
Safiye thought to herself that she REALLY needed to STOP trying to find a sense in Tsuki’s actions and reasoning.
They dragged the two guards further into the storage room, and covered them with blankets from the supplies to conceal them.
Then they left.
**************
The three fake guards arrived in front of Rashid’s room.
They hadn't come across anyone else. Though they had seen from afar three women discuss. Safiye had recognized three of Yuka's friends: the metis that was deadly with her knives, the former scribe, and the pale blonde. Luckily, the women were absorbed by their discussion. Therefore they hadn't pay attention to the patrol of guards that was passing through another corridor. They had barely gotten a glimpse of the uniforms, and therefore they didn't suspect foul play.
Safiye could only congratulate herself for her decision to steal clothes for disguise.
“Here we are. He should be alone." the brown-haired spy said. "Nobody knows we’re here, so we can capture him with no one the wiser. Itzel! The moment we’ve grabbed him, I want you to send a message to the Mages.”
“Understood.”
“Perfect! I’ll let you take care of everything here!” Tsuki suddenly intervened. “I have to go look for Yu’!”
The shapeshifter didn’t wait for an answer and threw away the guard’s stolen clothes that she was wearing, until she was naked. As she was running, her figure blurred to once again take Giulia’s appearance. Then, her skin teared itself and transformed into Giulia’s clothes.
Tsuki turned around a corner, and disappeared from their field of vision.
Safiye glanced at the discarded outfit.
“I just hate how wasteful she is…” she commented.
The spy sighed, and shook her head. She looked at Itzel.
“Ignore her. We have a mission to accomplish. Let’s just hope that she gets killed somehow.”
Safiye silently opened the door.
**************
Yuka raised her head when she heard someone knock at her bedroom's door. She left her bed.
A part of her was hoping it was Rashid. An other part was dreading it.
She opened the door.
It was Giulia.
“We need to talk.” the woman said.
Yuka shook her head. “Look. I- I’m not in the mood to have a talk with-”
“It’s about the prince Rashid.” Giulia interrupted her.
Yuka bit her lower lip, but then allowed the woman to enter, and closed the door to give them some privacy.
“What do you want to talk about?”
“You seem to care a lot about him.” Giulia’s tone was disapproving.
Yuka frowned. Was this woman really going to talk about politics right now?
“Do you have a problem with that?” she defiantly retorted.
"Yes I have."
Yuka chose to not let the noblewoman intimidate her. "Well, with all due respect, this doesn't concern you at all."
"Of course it concerns me. It concerns me a lot, in fact." Giulia retorted
Yuka saw Giulia clench her fists.
“This is insane..." Giulia added. "It seems that every time I turn my back, you find another one. Another one to care about. Another human.”
Yuka suddenly noticed something. Giulia’s eyes. They were different than before.
They were sky blue!
A shiver went down her spine.
It can’t be!
They were the colour of Tsuki’s eyes!
Giulia smiled. “Ah! Finally! I was wondering how long it would take you to notice it...” Her voice was now also different.
There was no mistake possible. She sounded like Tsuki.
"You're losing your edge, Yu'... Humans are making you become complacent... Before, you'd never have been fooled for so long."
Giulia’s face melted and, one second later, Tsuki was standing in front of her.
Yuka opened her mouth to scream, but Tsuki was faster. She jumped her, tackled her to the ground, grabbed her throat with one hand, and clamped the other hand over her mouth. Tsuki’s palms were glowing. She couldn’t use her ‘touch’ to knock out Yuka, as that power didn’t work on other shapeshifters. However, thanks to the essence of the Black Star, Tsuki could use it to numb Yuka’s body and paralyze her.
“Yu’! It’s time for you to stop all this non-sense and to come back where you belong!”
Tsuki put her forehead against Yuka’s, in a display of affection so reminiscent of the good old days that for one fraction of second, Yuka could think that nothing had happened in-between them. That Tsuki was still herself.
Then she saw that her friend’s sky blue eyes had turned deep black.
Yuka brutally moved her head to free her mouth from the hand-gag. She bit Tsuki’s hand to force her to remove it, but she couldn’t do anything about the hand grabbing her throat.
“I don’t belong... with you!” she retorted, even though she had a hard time speaking. “Not when... you’re like that! The real... Tsuki would... never have done... what you’re doing! The Black Star… is changing you!”
Tsuki cooed. “Oh dear, now you’re just being delusional… Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon...” Her palms glowed more brightly. “Just tell me where the Black Star is… Where did you send Her?”
I have to get out! If Tsuki’s here, the others are in danger!
"Tell me, Yu'... Don't make me hurt you... I don't want to have to hurt you... But the Black Star isn't patient..."
Yuka got an idea. It was a dirty trick. A very dirty trick. But she had no other choice.
She took a breath and modified her appearance. Thankfully, she could still do it even though Tsuki was using the ‘touch’ on her. Yuka’s hair turned black and grew until they were midback-long. Her skin became light. Her eyes became faded grey, almost white.
“Tsu’! Stop it please! You’re hurting me!” Yuka said with an other voice.
Tsuki’s eyes widened.
“Hinata?” she exclaimed.
During one second, because of the shock to look at the face of her late friend, Tsuki’s grip loosened slightly. She stopped using the ‘touch’.
It was all Yuka needed.
She used her feet to push Tsuki away with all her strength. The unhinged shapeshifter was sent flying across the room.
Her friend actually grunted in pain when her back violently hit the wall. However, because of the Black Star’s essence, she quickly recovered.
Tsuki shook her head to gather her spirits. During one split second, her face was bright red because of the sadness and the anger.
“Cheater! You tricked me!” she shouted.
Then the Black Star’s essence forced her to smile and to be happy again.
“Good one… Good one…” she said with a chuckle.
Yuka ran away. She knew that Tsuki was insanely fast when she wanted.
Tsuki jumped on her feet.
Yuka reached the door of the room.
Tsuki started to run.
Yuka closed the door just in time.
There was a violent impact when Tsuki crashed into the wooden frame, a loud noise, and the door shook. Yuka couldn’t help but grimace. That must have hurt!
Luckily, the shapeshifter was carrying the door’s key on her. She barely had the time to lock it.
Still, Yuka knew that it would only buy her a few minutes at most. She hurriedly ran away.
**************
Tsuki attempted to break down the door. She used all the strength the Black Star was granting her, and hit the wooden frame with her shoulder.
The door shook and the impact destroyed the bones of her arm and shoulder, sending a wave of pure bliss through her body. While she had used the power of the Black Star, she had forgotten to reinforce her bones so that they would withstand her enhanced strength. She took one deep breath, and her bones became as sturdy as metal.
Her second hit made the door tremble. Her third one weakened its hinges. Her fourth one made the door fall.
However, Yuka was already out of sight. Tsuki had lost her tracks.
**************
Yuka was rushing in the direction of Rashid’s room when she heard a deafening sound, and saw a blinding light.
The Mages had launched an assault.
**************
I know this update was rather short, but writing it was harder than expected. Hopefully, the new story configuration will make it easier to include uniform stealings.
Certainly a shorter and more plot-heavy chapter than usual, but it's understandable. Sometimes it's tough to balance such a sprawling plot with more self-contained uniform steals.
And it looks like you're setting up some promising material here, both for story and USB potential.
Two running threads here, and I found the Safiye/Tsuki/Itzel material more intriguing. The villains continue to have a complicated dynamic which adds an extra layer of suspense to their scenes. And as crazy as Tsuki is, she and Safiye continue to have an interesting dynamic.
More unlucky guards... they just can't escape, no matter what palace they're situated in. The mugging scenes were pretty straightforward, though it was clever to see Tsuki acknowledge this ("details are for losers").
The takedown of Tepin was good as well. Some brief suspense, as she didn't surrender easily, but the conclusion wasn't in doubt.
All in all, not a lot to say about this chapter, but it appears that pieces are moving in place for some exciting things to come.
Sometimes, you sum up my intent so well (and with better words), that it's kind of eery! Yes indeed, I knew that there wouldn't be much to say about this specific chapter. It's mostly a way to set up important elements for the next story parts which, while maybe not quicker to write, at least will make including uniform stealings easier.
Safiy's team of villains is a ton of fun to write, and I'll miss writing them when the plot will mess with the current configurations, but no spoilers. It was interesting to develop Tsuki's personality here. Her psyche is being explored, and most of the uniform stealings were also a way to illustrate her mindset.
Poor guards indeed. Even joining the good guys don't make them safe! Tepin was unlucky to be an extra. I'm sure she has had plenty of (off-screen) crazy adventures before her unfortunate meeting with a main character. Somehow...
I enjoyed reading about what's going through Tsuki's mind and what the black star is making her do and won't do, it's interesting to say the least, it seems that the black star is more sentient that what I was initially thinking, hhhmmm. 
..........Oh come on, I could have easily kept on reading for another two hours at least. 
I've really come to enjoy this series, and the latest adventure is shaping up nicely.
. Though I don't know if I would go as far as to call Tsuki 'evil', as this label would require free will, and contrary to other characters with negative attitudes (such as Safiye, Knipperen or Bobbi recently), that's something she doesn't fully have anymore. (As the beginning reminds, she's not even allowed to choose which emotions to feel anymore, and her addiction gets stronger.)