⠀
slimy ? sure. characteristics of a mind flayer. only an insult to inferior beings. you may be immune to the illithid, but that is nothing to boast about. not when you contribute nothing to our cause. you'll simply watch your friends undergo ceremorphosis without you ?
⠀
are you trying to say you're not slimy, or that you do understand the entire reason i was unceremoniously yanked back into the material plane was because i was /immune/ to the illithid ? or that you aren't dumb ?
⠀
what will it be like, I wonder? what expression will be on their faces right before tentacles burst out ? how will they look at you ? what will they think of you ? their ally, their friend ? will they be appreciative of your aid ?
⠀
⠀
are you asking me about the birds and the bees regarding mind flayers, or the netherese—infused tadpoles ? you are making no sense. I am also not pretending to be a 'good mind flayer'. I have a goal that aligns with that of our allies; you do not.
⠀
do you ever wonder how so many tadpoles came to be, or did that also float past you. like the rock with prince orpheus. you know. the boy you keep hostage so you can pretend to be "the good mindflayer".
⠀
as long as the gith is of use to me, he remains a hostage. as long as our allies are of use to me, they remain our allies. I do not have to pretend to be anything; I am their only chance at survival, and I will let them know if I must.
⠀
you'd look at mushed grapes in the mud and think, ah ! wine ! how you've managed this long is beyond me. you have the survival skills of an earthworm. an actual, honest to the gods, earthworm. even then, an earthworm can compost. you .. you just look slimy.
⠀
exactly right. you serve no purpose. you are anything but useful. your rotting mind hosts maggots rather than illithid parasites. no ceremorphosis, no enthralling, no nourishment. your entire existence is meaningless. nothing but a toy for a god to abandon in time.
⠀
⠀
a battle over territory would serve neither of us. if it comes to that, my life will be on the line, and I will act accordingly. for now, I will 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 you.
⠀