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So you might have noticed there's a big ol' robot parked out back of the bunker at the Cooper farm. It's large and green and looks very battered.

Approach it, and one of two things happens.

Either you came during the day, and Val Bell is sitting on its head with a good book and a bowl of apples, or you came during the evening or night and it is apparently deserted. 'Apparently' being the key word.

What'll it be?

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"That's one way to put it," Val agrees.

Normally she'd say she's all for a little blasphemy, but... churches. Made of people.

Yeah.

Sonia is not for any amount of blasphemy.

She is definitely for putting her boot in the face of evil. (And other parts of evil. Especially the squishy parts with nerve endings.)

"You fought him before?"

"Not the guy himself, but I was handing out asskick to his creepy minions for a while. Ripped the heart out of his flesh castle, too, which is a lot grosser than it sounds."

Dang, girl, you hardcore!

Is what Sonia's approving look is saying.

"Anything y'can tell me about 'em, I'd be obliged. That way, we could, y'know, stock up."

She's thinking assloads of holy water and garlic.

"Well, from the general theme of 'creepy things made out of flesh and bone' I'm betting they've got somebody who can mess around with that kind of shit. A... dunno what you'd call 'em, flesh sculptor I guess? Probably more than one. It was a big church. And they had a monster the size of a house that looked like what would happen if you took twenty different kinds of animal, rolled 'em up into a ball, and melted them together. I mentioned it was disgusting, right?"

She nods. "Yeah, seen that sorta thing. Not that big, thanks be t'God. Golems 'n' all... Nothin' else? Wolves, bats, skeletons, sorta thing?"

"Nah, none'a that shit. Just creepy minion guys, creepy church, big melty monster."

"Sounds pretty simple. Might not even need much holy water." You always need SOME holy water. "Just plain ol' sorcery."

She tickles Ralph's belly. "Figure I better leave this one home, though. He ain't old enough for that stuff yet." Better to wait until he can at least hold a whip and throw some subweapons.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan to me."

It's hard to tell which statement she's agreeing with, there. Perhaps that's because she is agreeing with both.

"Lemme know when y'need me. I'm kinda ready whenever." Or at least after she grabs a babysitter.

"Good thing this come up after I had him... I can fit in my armor again."

"That's always a plus," she says cheerfully. "I'll come get you when we roll out. Might not be for a while, though. I'm keeping an eye out for signs of creepy flesh churches anywhere on this continent and nothin's popped up yet."

"The continent?" Staaaare.

"How far can you sense that stuff?!"

"I can't."

She grins.

"I can fly, though, and sometimes I bring binoculars."

Because being nearsighted and flight-capable just isn't the best combination in the world sometimes.

"Flyin'?" Whoa. "You turn into a bird or somethin'?"

"Nah."

It's easier to demonstrate than explain. She shrugs her shoulders, and the movement somehow translates into a pair of bright shapeless wings rolling out of her back. They keep unfolding, passing through her clothes without apparent difficulty, until they're big enough to conceivably carry Val into the air.

Then they dissolve into pale white mist and vanish completely.

"Like that," says Val, eternally casual.

!!!

Sonia crosses herself again, and spends a few moments staring, as her brain tries to assimilate this.

The fact that the glowy wings are as "ping neutral" as the rest of it is not helping.

"...Sorry."

She has the grace to look embarrassed about it, at least.

"I know it looks-- yeah, sorry."

...

"You din't... mean for it t'be that way, right? I mean, you din't pick the stuff?"

This makes a difference.

"Nope. Born this way. I've been glowy since I can remember."

She nods, serious.

"Guess... well, I guess God had a reason t'make you that way, then."

Ralph gets extra cuddles before he gets fussy from Mommy's Srsface.

"Guess so," she agrees.

Val doesn't do serious well.

She does religious even less well.

But-- she feels bad about not taking those connotations seriously.

"I guess I better get goin'. Gotta get back t' top condition after all that sittin' around."

"Good luck."

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