"Humans lungs need air. Stomach needs food and water. But the throat." she touched her ow. "has both side tunnels to breathing and eating. block off the throat main tunnel no eating no breathing.  no eating days to fix tunnel. no breathing minutes. and no breathing leads to sleep then death so someone else has to fix. if alone... Dead." she explained then on his subject of burps she chuckled. " Humans dont like sudden unpleasant sounds, smells, tastes, sights, or feelings.  burps tend to be sudden loudness or even smells. so humans try to avoid them.  expelling methane out the ass also considered rude. but if it happens they say sorry or look like they did something inappropriate. but its a minor offense and the body needs to burp, fart, and other things. so it's just something to brush off as a mild inconvenience." she ate some of her food.

He put his corn down, but didn't grab something else immediately, pondering her words most solemnly. "Dead? Human units... cease if not oxygen having?" His usual lack of emotion broke, definitely bothered and concerned by this information.

"Humans need Oxygen to live, they need enough nlood in their body flr their heart to pump . they need everything to work right in the brain. they need nutrients. Humans are very mortal they can die in many ways which is why, for most life is precious. Some consider their own life more precious so they do everything for gold, wenches, and power as you might put it. Some help others because we're all the same mortal beings why not help each other make our lifetimes happier.  Would you like to watch some videos about the human body? with your healing powers and moving pictures instead of words you might be a cleric intentionally instead of accidentally." she offered.

"Knowing blood about. And heart. Have those. Brain confusing. Understanding brain as intelligence, smartness, creativity. Not understood brain organ. There... are no single-unit lifeforms, home in. Much hard comprehension human medicine without magic. You... you too much alien. I make much mistaking, not likes disrupt local life ways, not desire made minds cease. But doing." It was like a confession, something that burned in his heart, a regret, a sadness he couldn't put aside.

"Sword of Cup cleric intentional, because mistakes I shall making. Is my fault he regained mana from pain; misunderstand trope, 'Russian Guy Suffers Most.' And I reversal he sword grace from harm others to hurts self, in his matrix. Inversion sword of making he blows heal damage instead inflict damage, so I use that sensible, addition cleric class to he role in party." A deep, long sigh. "Does not know humans single unit. I wreckage six lives, six minds, avoided ceasing myself here. Owe they much make atonement."

"How do atone for immortal life anguish of, Taskmistress?"

She thought long and hard especially with the syntax. "So you ended traditional single mind lifes of birth, experience, and ultimately death. but put them into a sort of immortal life as something else?" she rubbed her temples in thought. "If they are still "Alive" as souls, as minds, etc. And you can interact with them give them new experiences. Human life is about learning new things growing. If they can "speak to you." she rubbed tilted her head and pulled up YouTube  putting a video of cute animals on her phone. ""If this group of people was like the lives of immortal anguish.  And this video is the real world. You can go to places and do things they'd like. Maybe the Russian guy would like. To drink vodka or wrestle. Maybe others like other things. You do things they would enjoy. If they're gone you'd do things you think they'd enjoy. You atone by giving their lives and deaths meaning if they die and give them new experiences if they're alive somewhere. In you... Does that make sense?" she asked.

He nodded slowly, thrice. "Yes. Sensible. They live, what left they minds of before my assimilate they units as. Erase much what inside, not understanding are important. Cannot heal that. Other five... they each other have. Are family. Sword of Cup is... slave in they castle. Do servant. Not knowing present find he family, he home. He... wishing to cease. Cannot granting that. I found thing he enjoy, exploration, will heal will to live, Taskmistress?"

He gestured at the phone, fingers splayed. "Creoc Illusidor" he incanted softly, a spray of bloody light flying off of his fingers to strike the screen. The video changed to one that was in Bloodrager's matrix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNpLuXOg7xQ

"It will take time but it should. Exploring learning growing as much as he can. One day. one day maybe a hundred, a thousand a billion years from now. all of you. Every being that you are may want to die in unison. and on that day someone will help you with reality altering beings you're not immortal even if the true you is safely hidden away in time space you can die. So immortality doesn't have to be anguish. it can be an adventure. And when the day comes that you die as an entity whatever is next will be the next adventure. New experiences, learning, exploring will help him grow and don't make him think he can't ever die. Just that your story, all of your stories aren't over yet. He doesn't want to walk out of the movie before it ends after all. Immortality can be scary. Me i don't dwell on much. I cant remember anything more than three months ago. So long term planning isn't really a concern. But imagine if everything you ever wanted came true forever. You'd be bored. That's the greatest anguish. That's why adventure, danger, drama, romance, saving the world etc. should keep anyone entertained. but if you have a painter in you try painting or going to see an art gallery. If you have a chef try to learn cooking. Got kids in you play games. our people are single minds but we have biological groups called family and they are similar to many minds living together. mother might like going shooting. sister might like playing baseball, brother might like sewing, dad might like watching YouTube videos. You're the family and the house. you've got to help with their interests to make a happy family. I'm sorry if I'm confusing. I barely know me so I'm trying to theorize on you hoping it helps". she explained taking a sip of her drink afterwards. Was she rambling it was a complicated situation.

The big, red man listened, harkening to her words, bearded chin resting on his clasped hands. Unknowable thoughts churned behind those white eyes as the hive mind from outside of the multiverse considered the implications and ramifications of Taskmistress' advice. His lips moved silently, reciting part of the lyrics of the song which the ring had emanated in Laredo, the theme music of his adventuring party units in general.

The ring suddenly flared much brighter, then went dark. Not a spark of bloody light was being emitted by the now-dull band and rune. Bloodrager's expression was blank, unresponsive for some seconds before he jolted with a start as Sword of Cup realized that he was, for the moment, free of Heart of Heart's smothering supervision and control. The hive mind was allowing him a bit of complete freedom.

She looked at him."Are you ok? Your ring did some flashing. I have no idea what it means but it could be a useful flashlight." she remarked with a smile eating a little more.

"I... I don't know, either, but he let me out again. I've been tied up in the back seat of my own body since before we left the base." His mannerisms were more hesitant, a far more normal, scared man than the odd behaviors Bloodrager had had before, both in body language and word usage.

He looked down at his plate, reaching cautiously for the chicken as if he couldn't quite believe he was being permitted to dine on his own.

"He regrets what he's done to you. He wants to atone. He wants to make you happy. " she explained watching him. " We can talk in between mouthfuls if you like. We could even have some alcohol if you want." she offered.

He nodded after taking a bite of chicken, a more normal sized one than the other persona had been stuffing in. "I know. It's no fun being the character sheet on someone elses' gaming table, but I can still see, still hear with my eyes and ears while he's in control. He doesn't make me sleep whenever he goes away, like he does to Sword of Sword." He took another bite.

"Vodka sounds nice, but I'd be afraid of what my powers might do if I get drunk. Especially while wearing the Belt of Genre Changing." He glanced down to confirm that yes, he was indeed still wearing the lime green belt.

She ordered a small glass of vodka for him.  "A little moderation and if you do get out of control  Shield or the player at the table can... leash you. But we'll try not to get you drunk " she replied putting a hand on his and and smiling kindly before releasing it.

A quiet "Thank you," of gratitude crossed his lips. Vodka... a taste of home. Whatever it actually tasted like. He was going to find out. But... why had he felt a wave of weakness sweep through his limbs when she touched his hand? He didn't know. Was this a normal emotional response, or something else going on? He didn't know.

Wiping greasy fingers off on a napkin, he lifted the glass of vodka to his lips and took a sip. Canadian-style vodka He didn't know why he thought that, it just jumped to mind with the mildly briny taste on his tongue.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 03:15, Sun 11 Nov 2018.

She sat back "Tonight you get to live a little. Eventually the leash will return but we'll have a little fun while we can." she grinned ordering her own drink a glass of Țuică.

A blink. Another one. "Live?" He sounded confused, and his expression reflected that. ""How is being this," he pointed to his chest with the vodka-free hand, "being 'alive?'" His head tilted questioningly, asking something with his eyes.

"Life is all about new experiences. Learning new things. Becoming more. If you keep learning, keep experiencing you're living. if you muddle by in the daily grind you're just existing. You may not have signed up for the adventure but you can learn to find moments of pleasure during it. " she suggested.

He thought about that between sips of vodka and bites of food. "Than how, if you not mind me asking, how do you live with your restricted memory?" He was putting things together mentally, and finding her 3 month memory limit sounded quite strange for accumulating experience points under that definition.

"I learn physical skills. muscle memory. I can shift from being a rogue to a fighter to a monk to a barbarian myself depending on the situation. My Anni keeps me apprised of my funds and such.  But I am a... transitory being us that the word? I drift through life having experiences but not learning anything but skills. I have no stories, no legends, no loves, or true friends. I'm a leaf on the wind." she replied with a slight sigh.

That took more thought for him to digest. "Muscle memory? Can learn martial art, but not remember philosophy and inner air behind the moves? Is strange. Um. Can Anni hire bards to tell your legends?"

"She could but I work mostly ... campaigns like this one. My unique mind makes psychic intrusion challenging and thus interrogation involves torture and pain which I'm trained to endure. I havo no friends or family that can be used as leverage. I have no dignity or pride to be blackmailed.  All in all I'm kind of awesome. But I don't need the past. I have today. " she answered.

He looked confused. "How do you keep your training to endure if you forget in 3 months? Am not seeing how that works, Taskmistress. It makes it sound like you lose levels regularly."

"every skill I've learned i have stored in my muscle memory.  to put it another way I don't lose levels I lose loose experience points. I maintain skills even though I may not know it. Imagine a mage who had his memory erased of being a mage. he thinks he's a farmer. but then he's attacked and suddenly poof a fireball appears. it was still inside him. but he didn't know it. those are my skills. for example i don't know if I've ever played ...a lute but if you put it in my hands and I gave it a few strums I'd find out if i could play. I use my active learning to reinforce skills just in case. but they're still there hidden in some cases." she explained.

"That is... hard to see, in mind's eye. So, you use game system that advance skills, not levels?" Something shifted in his perceptions as his matrix revolved to bring a different instance to view the world through.

"That's a more apt analogy than mine." she conceded the point. She took a swallow of her drink it felt familiar down her throat. But she gave it no mind. Muscle memory after all.