Recap: Floor 2

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**Floor 2 Recap (QueenNyanlathotep)** *Released on 25th Feb 2021*

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## Floor 2 Recap

Ashley and Syl, after what seems like an hour’s walk through the medieval hall, arrive on the 2nd Floor through a strange, glowing mirror. They exit onto a platform overlooking a fairy-tale landscape of fields surrounding the walled city of Chessboard and its high-towered castle. Less minimalist than what they left behind, Syl muses that it reminds her of home.

The pair find that the platform sits next to railway tracks – Syl mistaking rail lines for ley lines when Ashley identifies them. She also proves to not know what a train is when a red-black locomotive turns up – mistaking it for a dragon – a bunny-eared conductor quickly hustling the two aboard.

Quickly taking their seats as the train prepares to push on to Chessboard, they find that the high-class carriage is packed – all tables except their own full of all variety of faces. They are also joined, at their own table, by a last-minute arrival to the train.

A tall, refined blonde with black and orange eyes – curvaceous with a presence that heats the air. She’s wearing a suit and jacket, adorned with gold stars and culinary utensils. Her hands – as both girls find with a handshake – are hot to the touch.

Porter’s warning about “the bitch in the suit” rings in Ashley’s head as a pink-haired punk gets on the woman’s wrong side and disappears with little fanfare, the newcomer wiping her lips in disgust.

The woman introduces herself to Ashley and Syl as Michelle L'Instar as the train finally gets moving, observing from Syl’s fear of the “dragon” that they are newcomers. In a mix of French and English, she reads about the 2nd Floor from a strange book. She speaks of the city of Chessboard, of the various gates along the circular train-line that lead up from the 1st Floor, and of the floor’s overseer – Queen Mirror – as well as a warning about the “White Queen” and “Red Queen”.

It is around this time that Ashley and Syl learn that what Ashley has been hearing as French, Syl has heard as High Fae. The same seems to be true for English and Fae. They also learn that Michelle already knows the details of this floor’s challenge – placed somewhere outside of the city. She isn’t telling, though, and is cryptic when asked how she knows.

Eventually, the train pulls into Chessboard’s station and the passengers disembark, Michelle parting company with Ashley and Syl as they marvel at the tall, sugary buildings of the city, the colors of the locale evoking a chessboard themselves. While Ashley is surprised at it being an actual city and not a prank, Syl has a mild crisis over a city not made up of trees, Ashley having to drag her along.

From a chalkboard in the station, the duo learns via a message from Queen Mirror that predation is forbidden inside the city, and that the overseer’s trial begins at her castle on the night of the full moon. It says nothing of how to leave the Tower, and Ashley and Syl briefly consider staying in Chessboard forever. As they’d rather get home, however, they discard that notion.

Before leaving the station, both Ashley and Syl are given an ID card by a woman in white and red armor, which magically manifests photos of them, as well as names, ages, credits, and so on.

Travelling into the city, the girls encounter an even wider variety of people than were on the train, as well as an anachronistic gathering of shops. After a brief exploration, Ashley suggests preparing for the trial by purchasing weapons with their ID cards, which now provide them each 10,000 credits to spend. This in mind, they go to a “blacksmith’s” – more of a second-hand weapons store with stock as varied as the shops.

While there, Syl acquires a rocket launcher – to Ashley’s terror when the elf almost blows herself up trying to work out where the “arrows” go – while Ashley opts for a shield when her crushing lack of weapon ability dawns on her. She finds a strange, impractical looking glass shield styled as a fancy hand mirror – drawn to it because, mysteriously, it glows when viewed through her new glasses.

Licking it, Syl claims it isn’t magic – as magic supposedly tastes like chutney – but suggests Ashley buy it anyway due to it being cheap and lightweight.

Ashley and Syl board for the night at a medieval inn – all straw beds and chamber pots – reminding Syl of home and Ashley of something resembling Lord of the Rings. Due to the inn being nearly full, they are forced to share a two-bed room with an irate blonde woman. Syl agrees a little too quickly to sharing a bed with Ashley.

Some odd behavior from the innkeeper and their irritable roommate aside, the pair try to settle down for the night. Syl’s homesickness gets to her a little, Ashley reassuring her that they’ll get home, even if it takes climbing the entire Tower to do it (and eating all in their way, though Ashley opts not to speak this thought aloud).

Amidst salivation and fear she might be addicted to eating others, Ashley tries to fall asleep.

Three nights later, on the night of the full moon, Ashley and Syl travel to Chessboard Castle. They enter through the front gate into a dark hallway lined with statues of chess pieces. At the stairs beyond, they meet Queen Mirror – both halves of her. They first encounter the fearsome red, dragon incarnation – who nearly toasts them alive – before her white, human reflection scolds her. After panic passes, they are hurried along, as they are the last trial-goers to arrive.

In the throne room, an assortment of others are waiting, including a large pig-woman known as the Duchess and her followers, a tanuki, a little catgirl, the blonde from the inn – now wearing elegant armor over her blue and white dress – and finally Michelle. Mirror and Mirror greet the group, welcoming them to the 2nd Trial and setting their task: To brave the Morning Wood and capture the Jabbercock – one of the kingdom’s most feared beasts – alive.

Understandably, the name provokes reactions – except from Michelle.

The first to capture the beast will be allowed passage to the next floor. There is no penalty for failure – as Mirror only hosts the trial out of obligation – but that doesn’t mean it is without risk, as the forest sits beyond the city walls and doesn’t fall under the predation ban. Ashley sees this as a win, however, as the lack of penalty means she and Syl may not need to eat anyone to get through this.

With that, the human Mirror abruptly transports the group to the snowy outskirts of Morning Wood, before departing, leaving her red dragon counterpart in charge. The dragon Mirror opts to decide who will enter the forest first by testing everyone’s strength and assigning them a number.

Scores include the tanuki’s aura-fuelled 2, the Duchess’ cleaver attack of 9, and so on. The armored blonde – Alice Little – earns a 10 with the use of her blade – Excalceate – while Michelle is mysteriously barred from testing her strength, Mirror telling her she will enter the forest last. When it comes to Ashley and Syl’s turn, Syl is allowed to take the shot for both Ashley and herself…

…only to hold her rocket launcher the wrong way around, the shot firing backward. Catching it in her claw, Mirror assigns Ashley and a stunned Syl a 5.

Once all present have been assigned numbers, Mirror reveals to almost everyone’s shock that the lowest numbers – those who are weakest – will be entering the trial first. Even with this, however, it is eventually Ashley and Syl’s turn to enter, much to the detriment of Ashley’s nerves.

As they enter, the large, hard, and veiny nature of the Morning Wood’s trees becomes apparent, the overall snowy atmosphere not helping to distract from that. Nor is Syl’s enthusiasm about being in a forest. Or her claims that the trees back in Halvalla are bigger and thicker.

Despite Syl’s inability to not crack up at accidental innuendos regarding the Jabbercock, she and Ashley make cautiously optimistic plans to see if the creature has left any tracks they can follow.

Following an attack by uncouth, perverted goblins – during which Ashley discovers that her mirror shield is capable of reflecting back all that it blocks, despite Syl’s prior insistence that it didn’t taste magic – the pair make haste so they aren’t caught off guard again. Deeper into Morning Wood, the trees become more densely packed – and even girthier – making ambush even more likely.

Syl insists they aren’t being followed – owing to her heightened elven hearing – but that doesn’t calm Ashley’s nerves. Especially as – directly after this – a battle between Michelle and the Duchess’ crew finds its way to them, forcing the duo to hide in a bush to keep out of the way.

Despite visceral threats of consumption from the pig-woman, Michelle remains composed, even managing several jabs of her own that serve to enrage the cohort into a full-frontal attack…

…at which point Michelle blurs into motion, dodging all attacks and – one by one – binds each attacker with strong, golden threads. Butchers’ twine, as she calls it, is a versatile tool, which she quickly uses to cut the Duchess’ cleaver in two. She attempts to flee – utterly outmatched – but is rapidly entwined, as her mooks are. Michelle encroaches on her, not letting her escape.

Michelle then unleashes a burning aura from her body, suffusing all with a red glow and unnatural heat. Michelle’s suit turns into a chef’s outfit with a burst of flame, and the cook welcomes her soon-to-be prey to her Hell’s Kitchen. She lifts the trapped pig-woman from the floor, and with a few flicks of Michelle’s knife, her clothes are torn to shreds, falling from her body.

One by one, the pig-woman’s minions are lifted and stuffed down their leader’s throat. And her rear. The pig – terrified – finds herself swallowing outside her control, group dwindling as they vanish inside and are absorbed one after the other. Soon, the Duchess is alone, entire crew subsumed within. Exhausted, she begs for her life, but Michelle quiets her, summoning golden spit rods to pierce her orifices, a fire to turn her over, and a floating orb of brown liquid to baste her in. For several minutes, Ashley and Syl watch as the still live porcine is cooked – smell both delicious and horrifying – but eventually Michelle brings it to an end.

The rods are replaced by a gold platter beneath the cooked woman’s form, surrounding her with vegetables and forcing an apple into her mouth. Further knife flicks relieve her of her limbs, popping off without a drop of blood spilled – only darkness visible at the cuts.

And then the Duchess is no more. Ashley forces herself not to watch as Michelle feasts, only feeling it safe to look once the noises end. Suit returned and red glow faded, Michelle appears to take her leave…

…only for Ashley and Syl to walk right into her as they attempt to flee discreetly. Despite their fear at what she might do to them, however, Michelle seems more interested in Ashley’s shield, finding that – to her – it smells like cinnamon, something that for whatever reason comes as a surprise. Not long after this, however – after some terrifying banter – Michelle departs. For real, this time.

As they move on, Syl again gets the feeling they’re out of their depth. That perhaps they ought to have stayed in Chessboard. Ashley attempts to quash her fears. If nothing else, they have to try.

Not long after, in a clearing, they find a marble statue. Except it isn’t marble, and it isn’t a statue. Frozen in fear midstride, a woman is coated in a strange waxy substance, solidified around her. Syl deduces she’s been this way for some time, and that – after a taste – the “wax” is salty, something that makes her want to throw up once the implications dawn on her. She advises running away.

Ashley, however, suspects this may be the Jabbercock’s doing, and asks Syl to track it. The elf is reluctant to – for obvious reasons – but acquiesces when approaching noises force the situation.

Deeper still, the trees and branches are thicker, and the paths thinner, forcing passers-by to slide between trunks to get by the veiny bark. The trees shuddering in the darkness is not appreciated.

They soon reach another clearing, where the track Syl is following ends. Whatever made it vanished up into the trees. And as Syl doesn’t want to go up alone, the trail’s gone cold. At Ashley’s suggestion, Syl sets up a trap, using sticks, string, and stones to create something resembling a bird’s nest. She insists it will work, but the pair are forced to hide again before they can test it.

Not long after, Alice Little crashes into the clearing, eyes fixed intensely on the hole above. She calls out, and for a moment it seems as if she knows the duo are there. Then, instead, Michelle emerges from the shadows. Alice has little patience for her theatrics, calling Michelle a demon and claiming self-righteously that the right to capture the Jabbercock is hers’ alone.

Then, preceded by their alerting Michelle’s, Alice’s and Syl’s senses, a woman with antlers runs screaming into the clearing. She is promptly knocked to the ground and trapped by a rapidly hardening white stuff, as a great beast lumbers out of the trees behind her.

Ashley hopes desperately that it isn’t a giant member. She’s half right.

The building-sized monster woman who bursts from the trees has bat wings and dragon scales, as well as a cockerel’s comb and a large, limp member, pulled along behind like a tail. Warbling, the Jabbercock pins its victim with its length and sucks her up. After that, she proves to not be long for the world, and the creature quickly going after whoever else it can see. It isn’t long before half the clearing is coated white, Michelle and Alice dodging and Ashley and Syl being forced to abandon their hiding spot to avoid being trapped. They almost are again as the beast corners them…

…and steps on Syl’s trap. It goes up like a landmine, smoke and dust everywhere. Ashley – in complete panic – takes the moment to try and hide, dragging Syl with her as the beast unleashes another round. It tries to close on them again, but Alice takes the moment to attack. She’s knocked away just as quickly, struck by the creature’s member. Said creature turns back, and Ashley prepares to defend with her shield before Michelle interjects, indicating that – though her bravery is noble – they might wish to run instead.

Ashley and Syl don’t need to be told twice and beat a rapid retreat from the clearing. At first Ashley frantically tells Syl they weren’t ready, and that they can come back and retake the trial another time. Michelle, who is keeping pace with the duo, chides her for giving up so easily, however. When she said to run, she meant it tactically. In other words, to give them time to come up with a plan.

After all – as she explains how she views the two with a food metaphor – it would be a shame to abandon the meal before it is ready. The implications terrify Ashley, and she outright asks Michelle what she is – to which Michelle responds with her being a chef who hates to see ingredients wasted – before swallowing her fear to come up with a plan with Syl, while they have a moment of relative calm. Michelle takes a backseat in proceeds, leaving them to come up with a plan on their own.

That said, the plan Syl comes up with leads to her to, with trepidation, ask to borrow Michelle’s twine, and the trio circle back to the Jabbercock again, finding it in another confrontation with Alice, the blonde having limited success in combating the beast. As they were hoping to corner the creature alone, Ashley voices hope that Alice will cooperate with them as they begin the plan.

As a terrified Ashley tries to draw the attention of the monster by shouting and throwing rocks, it rapidly becomes apparent that Alice will not be playing along, refusing to be helped in capturing her quarry. Though still scared, the implied threat doesn’t dissuade Ashley, and she persists in her attempts to distract the Jabbercock into looking at her as Alice fails to so much as scratch it.

Soon, she’s successful in annoying it enough that it opens fire on her. Ashley raises her shield, eyes shut and hoping for the best…

…as the creature’s load is absorbed by the mirror and fired back in its face. The not-wax rapidly hardens as it splatters the Jabbercock, restricting its movement even as it struggles. Not hesitating, Ashley calls to Syl, who readies her rocket launcher, Michelle’s twine inside – woven into a net.

She fires and, with a bang, the Jabbercock is wrapped up and immobilized. They’ve done it. Ashley and Syl are elated, while Michelle is all too happy to congratulate them, stating that the overseer should be along soon (brushing off the implication that her book told her the details of the trial).

Alice is less than happy, however. Spitting countless insults at the ones she perceives as stealing her prize from her, she snaps and retrieves a blue bottle from her pocket, chugging it. Her body sparks and swells, armor cracking and falling to pieces. Her body becomes nude as she grows to be a giantess and lifts the Jabbercock skyward – away from where those who rightfully caught it can supposedly lay claim – her slamming the ground with her foot sending ripples through the earth.

Michelle observes the theft calmly, all but explicitly telling Ashley – with a little motivation – what she must do. Ashley contemplates it – not having the excuse of self-defense this time – knowing this path is the only way the progress. With a sigh, she steps up to the not so little Alice.

Distracted by false victory, Alice – eyes on the sky – doesn’t notice Ashley grab her foot until it’s too late. Heedless of the giantess’ shouts to stop, Ashley – catching a taste of Alice’s skin – pulls the toe into her mouth. Rather than choking, she finds it slips down as easily as liquid. With determination, Ashley continues to draw Little into her body, Alice’s attempts to swat her fended off as Syl attacks her with twine – binding her.

More and more of Alice passes into Ashley, compressing as it does so. First the rest of her foot, then her other foot as she fails to kick Ashley off in fear. Ankles are subsumed, followed by legs and knees, Ashley’s stomach bulging beneath her as her prey de-compacts within. Waist, rear and thighs are savored, Alice’s courage fading as the knight tries desperately to escape, going so far as to beg, though Ashley cannot hear her. Her chest poses no challenge, and as she proceeds to Alice’s neck, the knight’s arms are pinned. Then, as Ashley takes her head, her pleas are silenced.

Ashley has never felt so full, before. Below, the engorged gut she rests atop rumbles as its enlarged cargo fights fruitlessly. Her movements slow, however, and Ashley’s belly begins to shrink, Alice crying out one last time before she ceases to be with a dissonant moan. Slumped in bliss as her stomach continues to compact, energy suffuses Ashley for a moment, and images flash through her mind – an echo of Alice’s own experiences.

Gut subsided, a blushing Syl helps Ashley to her feet. To her surprise, her gut is the same size now as it was after her last meal. Syl is quick to point out the reason for this. For lack of a better explanation, Alice has gone straight to Ashley’s butt. Where before she was almost entirely flat, Ashley finds she now sports a much more inflated, perky rear end. Her leggings, previously loose fitting, struggle to contain her new heavy jiggles and audible claps – being pushed to their limits.

After a jab about drow rears, Syl attempts to dissuade Ashley’s mortified state by turning attention to their victory, giving her partner a hug. Fortunately, she either misses or shrugs off Ashley’s instinctive whisper that she smells delicious, instead noting that Michelle has quietly departed. Given she made both Ashley and Syl anxious, it isn’t considered a massive loss.

Shortly after, Ashley and Syl are joined by Mirror – her two halves seemingly having switched forms – who congratulates them on completing the trial. After some inappropriate squeezing of things on the red, human Mirror’s part, they get down to business, Ashley and Syl each being rewarded with a ‘Royal Key’ that will allow travel between the 2nd and 3rd Floors – touching it to their IDs causing it to be absorbed into it as a symbol in the corner – as well as 10,000 credits for later spending.

Mirror also takes note of Ashley’s shield, explaining that it is her old, lost hand mirror. When told where Ashley found it, she seems amused, but allows Ashley to keep it, as an extra reward.

With that cleared up, the trial is complete, and Ashley and Syl are invited to a celebratory banquet to cap off their time on the 2nd Floor.

Elsewhere, on a hill overlooking Chessboard, Michelle meets with an odd individual – apparently a close associate – whose appearance resembles a clockwork mannequin of silver and glass, as well as carrying bird-like qualities. Michelle apologizes for her lateness, citing complications, though is evasive when pressed for details. Her ally sees through it, though, form shifting – apparently via illusion – to that of Ashley, then Syl, then Alice, then herself again. She saw everything.

The artificial woman asks Michelle why she spared Ashley and Syl, though Michelle’s answer is unhelpful, and the chef turns the tables in asking what of interest her partner found. The automaton is equally evasive, though hints of her movements are seen in her demonstration of the forms she’s taken or replaced in recent days: the bunny conductor, the station guard, the innkeeper and so on.

Exchanges made, the “robot” says she’s hungry, and looks with wanting at the city. Michelle calls it a hard request, but one she can arrange with a little time, which appears to be a jab at her “friend”.

The clockwork woman acquiesces, however.

She has all the time in the world.