[color=silver][center][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjEyOC5iYTllMTguVTNOb2FYcHVZUS4w/perfecto-calligraphy-personal-use.regular.webp[/img][/center][s][/s]

Sshizna stepped further aside as the rest of her saviour crew poured into the room. She was conflicted by the sight; while she'd come to resent the room beyond words over the years, she had also undeniably come to view the space as hers and [i]hers alone. [/i]Seeing strangers strolling in so casually felt wrong. An affront, even.

It was an illogical, emotional thought, so Sshizna kept it to herself. Instead, she simply listened as Rory explained their situation, be that not all of it made sense to her. Indeed, the adventurers — if that was even a proper way to address the motley crew — were even more peculiar up close, and half the things they said were confusing at best, nonsensical at worst. They were, as far as she was aware, nowhere [i]near[/i] a swamp, for one. 

Exactly[i] how much[/i] had changed since her capture?

Sshizna might have voiced that very question, had the woman who'd mentioned the swamps not stolen her attention. For a split second, the Yuan-ti's slit pupils dilated, her perpetually angry expression overtaken by startled surprise. It— [i]couldn't[/i] be. Simply could [i]not[/i]. Why would They be—

She gathered herself, cold hard logic prevailing once more. Yes, that [i]would [/i]have been rather silly. Yet it was clear this woman was at least adjacent to... but why? Curious, curious indeed.

It was then she realized the elf had turned to her. Sshizna hoped she was presenting a neutral enough face by the time she turned to Rory. [color=#C5AF3F]"Ah, now [i]that [/i]isss a quessstion I would love to know the anssswer to, myssself,"[/color] she mused, wry and bitter.

[color=#C5AF3F]"Alasss, time isss a finicky thing, and ssso very quick to lossse meaning when one cannot ssseee the effectsss of itsss flow."[/color] She thought a moment regardless, trying to offer at least some form of an answer. [color=#C5AF3F]"Sssince before there were ssswampsss in Prisssmeer. Sssince before there wasss a place called... '[i]Thither[/i]', wasss it? Long. Awfully long."[/color]

She threw a glance at the woman with the clockwork eyes. [color=#C5AF3F]"[i]Ssshe [/i]might be better equipped to anssswer your time-related quessstionsss."[/color]

Hearing rummaging sounds, the Yuan-ti craned her neck to find the bard further in the room. [color=#C5AF3F]"The dice, and I sssupossse the ressst of the carnival thingsss, are in [i]there[/i]. It isss deeper than you think."[/color] She nodded her head curtly towards an unassuming, bronze statue of a frog.
[/color]