Mithar Keep & Frescot House IV: Magic babble lies within

[Gullara]

[Fall]

"It really is fine, Cessie. It was a surprise, but I love Russell as much as any of my other babies. And we got a handy door here too, didn't we." Sakura really doesn't want to make Cessie feel bad for that, especially now and when it was just as much Sakura's own fault.

[UncleWolf]

Entrance

"Business consultant. Mainly in efficiency matters." Thad answers as he writes down where everything is on a small notebook. "Do any of your children need medication or anything else that's special?"

[Morty]

[Snowy Afternoon]

One snowy afternoon, as it says in the tag, Dorota can be seen strolling up the path to the keep, carrying with her a satchel that appears to contain some books. She's dressed in a buttoned-up black coat, a dark blue long skirt and a scarf of the same colour, as well as dark grey earmuffs. She reaches the gates and knocks.

[Shadowcaller]

Entrance

"Any specific company?" Cessie makes small talk as she starts showing the young man around the keep. It's a big building, far too large for a single mother to live on her own so a lot of the rooms seems to have been untouched for quite some time. The babies have both a sleep room, a playroom, their own bathroom and have pretty much made their little marks in the rest of the keep as well. Garn is currently busy mopping up what appears to be some sort of baby-mess. He gives Thad a glare as they pass by.

[Fall]

Cessie nods, the door was very handy even if she still hadn't figured it out how it worked. "How is Russell anyway? I know those roses weren't exactly harmless last time I encountered them."

[Snowy Afternoon]

A rather snowy Garn is there to greet her, the gargoyle seems to have been outside for some time so there is a small pile of snow which have gathered upon his head which he hasn't noticed. "Yah?" He asks, coming up from behind as Dorota knocks on the door.

[Morty]

[Snowy Afternoon]

Dorota is a little startled, but turns around calmly. She's familiar with Garn, and presumably, the gargoyle is familiar with her by now as well.

"Hello, Garn. I'm here to visit your mistress, if she has time."

[UncleWolf]

Inside

"He works for about a dozen different ones and isn't allowed to specify." Thad admits before shrinking a bit under Garn's glare. "Hello Garn. I hope everything is okay. I'll be cleaning those messes pretty soon I believe if that helps." He points out, hoping to cheer up the gargoyle some.

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"What you want?" Garn asks out of habit. People couldn't just show up to meet the creator, unless they were the flower-haired one of course.

Inside

"Oh, I see." Cessie replies as she turns to Garn. "Be nice to Thad now, Garn. He will help you take care of the children so treat him like family."

[Morty]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"I have some books I thought she might find interesting," Dorota says, raising her satchel for the gargoyle to see.

[Gullara]

[Fall]

Cessie nods, the door was very handy even if she still hadn't figured it out how it worked. "How is Russell anyway? I know those roses weren't exactly harmless last time I encountered them."

[Fall]

"Russell is great. He's a bit... different than the others, but he's still my sweet little baby." Sakura smiles. Russell certainly is different though. Quiet, but not inn the same way as Gwydion. "He acts different is all. But I guess that's not all that surprising."

[Shadowcaller]

[Fall]

"If you don't mind me asking, how is he different exactly?" Cessie asks curiously. "I couldn't spend all that much time with him last time and I love learning a bit more about him." Due to the circumstances.

[Snowy Afternoon]

Books? She came all the way here just for books? Garn says nothing for a moment until he asks. "What books?"

[Morty]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"They're books about the creation of remotely-controlled constructs," Dorota says. She feels strange explaining it to Garn, but never mind that. "As well as other methods of enchantment. Some of those I think she might be able to understand better than I do."

[Gullara]

[Fall]

"Oh, well. I guess he's just not quite as... needy. You know what I mean? It's really obvious right next to Lucy." Sakura scratches her head. Hopefully that kinda got it across.

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"Right." That made enough sense Garn supposed. "She in laboratory." And so the gargoyle will guide her there and knock on the lab door.

"Come in." The sorceress turns to Dorota, as if she had been expecting her. "Sorry for not being there to greet you, Dorota. I just had to finish something in the lab." It does appear the lab have been cleaned just now. "There was such a long time since we saw one another."

[Morty]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"It has been," Dorota agrees as she walks in. "So when I found some books that I thought might interest you, I thought I might drop by for a visit. How have you been Cessie?" she asks, unaware of the recent upheaval in the sorceress' life.

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Afternoon]

Cessie looks at Dorota without saying anything for a moment, she couldn't tell her that. Surely Dorota would figure it out eventually if she didn't already know. Jezebel had known, surely the alchemist would have some hint of what had happened too. "Pretty well all things considering." She finally replies, searching for a sign of recognition in Dorotas expression. "The children have been healthy for an unusual long time despite it being winter time and all." Probably since they rarely went outside the keep.

[Morty]

[Snowy Afternoon]

A look of confusion briefly crosses Dorota's face. "All things considered"? She's not sure what Cessie means... but then she remembers something Crissy had mentioned while reading those gossip magazines that Dorota sometimes wishes she didn't read. She dismissed those rumours at the time, but now it's clear. The alchemist goes a little pale and puts her hand to her mouth for a moment.

"Oh my goodness. So it was true. I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" she asks a little helplessly.

[UncleWolf]

Inside

"As I said before, I think Garn and I will get along. It might just take some work." Thad admits, mustering up enough courage to offer Garn his hand. "I'd like to work alongside you. Not against."

[Shadowcaller]

[Fall]

"Oh, well. I guess he's just not quite as... needy. You know what I mean? It's really obvious right next to Lucy." Sakura scratches her head. Hopefully that kinda got it across.

[Snowy Afternoon]

A look of confusion briefly crosses Dorota's face. "All things considered"? She's not sure what Cessie means... but then she remembers something Crissy had mentioned while reading those gossip magazines that Dorota sometimes wishes she didn't read. She dismissed those rumours at the time, but now it's clear. The alchemist goes a little pale and puts her hand to her mouth for a moment.

"Oh my goodness. So it was true. I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" she asks a little helplessly.

Inside

"As I said before, I think Garn and I will get along. It might just take some work." Thad admits, mustering up enough courage to offer Garn his hand. "I'd like to work alongside you. Not against."

[Fall]

"I'm not sure I do actually." Cessie was considering all sort of things regarding Russell so she wasn't sure if Sakura was talking about something mundane or more extraordinary. "He doesn't eat as much as the others?" Perhaps since he was even more plant than the other children?

Inside

The gargoyle stares back at That, seemingly confused. "Go on Garn, he will be the best help you can get." The sorceress encourages.

Finally the gargoyle reluctantly gently takes Thad's hand and shakes it. "Okay."

[Snowy Afternoon]

So she just thought of it now? Geez, this was awkward. "I rather not discuss it, but I appreciate the concern." Cessie replies curtly.

[Gullara]

[Fall]

"Oh, no not at all. If anything, he eats more. No, he's just... He doesn't need as much attention is all. I still give it to him, you know, but he'd probably be just fine without me gushing over him." She worries at her lip with a tooth. It's a bit troubling sometimes... But helpful too, when Lucy is being very demanding.

[Morty]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"Looks like I owe Crissy an apology for saying those magazines are good for nothing," Dorota says, running her hand through her hair. Her engagement ring takes on the colour of deep purplish brown in her embarrassment as she does so. She was going to tell Cessie about her engagement, but at the moment it would make the situation even more awkward. "Well... if you need something to take your mind off it, I believe I've run across a way to use alchemy to accomplish something along the lines of how you made Garn to work. Along with other things, like remotely controlled constructs. I thought it might interest you."

[UncleWolf]

Inside

Thad shakes Garn's hand with a smile. His grip is firm and strong, far more than a young teen like him should be able to accomplish. "Thank you." He tells Garn before looking back at Cessie. "Do any of your children have any special needs?" He asks. "Diets or anything?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Fall]

"I see." Cessie wasn't entirely sure what Sakura meant, which bothered her. Didn't she had the same sensibilities as the dryad when it came to children? "But that's good, he's probably just more individualistic. That way you can focus more on the other children."

[Snowy Afternoon]

Weird lesbian engagements.
She sorceress clears her voice. "Truly? What does this method involve?" She asks as if the other discussion never happened.

Inside

The consruct probably doesn't notice with his adamatite skin and all. He just let's go after a moment or so.
"Cora and Bastions teeths are coming in very early and they're also rather sharp as far as I can tell." She never really did breast feed them.
"So I've found that they like meat more than anything else as long as it isn't too hard to chew. Jillian should just have formula."

[Gullara]

[Fall]

"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, it's fine, and he seems fine, but I guess I just worry sometimes." Sakura shrugs her shoulders a little. "But I'm just worrying about nothing probably."

The two women likely continue chatting for a while longer, and Sakura will definitely visit with Cessie's kids, but that can all happen off screen.

[Morty]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"It involves inscribing an object with a geometric, runic pattern that traps an ephemeral presence, so to speak," Dorota says. "Create a closed pathway from which it cannot leave. Apart from binding extra-planar beings to physical objects, it can actually be used to control them yourself, by projecting your consciousness into them. Sounds risky to me. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much in terms of previous attempts."

[UncleWolf]

Elsewhere, but posted here for convenience...

If there was anything that Jezebel had forgotten when she had ascended above humanity, it was simply how weak she used to be. Every day since the night Cessie agreed to go with her back home had been one filled with burning muscles and a dizzy head. She never got tired, but that didn't mean her body didn't need to rest and repair. If it hadn't been for the aura of The Gardens, it would have undoubtedly taken her months to get back to her peak, but in her own domain it merely took several weeks of non-stop fitness and training.

Her beloved Melta and Eviscerator Chainsword had felt as heavy as blocks of lead when she started, but after getting them tinkered with and training with them relentlessly, they once more felt like extensions of her body. The heavy materials of each had been removed and replaced with lighter ones unavailable to her home plane, such as Mithral and Adamantine. The two handed chainsword, once weighing far too much for most people to use, only weighed a handful of kilos now. The balance was recentered so it was heavier in the pommel, allowing her to even use it one handed with agility she'd never been able to accomplish before. She'd never be able to admit she had them changed though, not at home where it was a literal crime against a god to do so. If anyone figured it out, she would be lucky if all they did was turn her over to the AdMech for execution.

Armor had been another matter though. Her normal set of Carapace Armor, while dependable and sturdy, simply felt too bulky and thin after so long. Even though the goddess still loved how well it fit, she'd spent days trying to find something better until, eventually, she did. The glossy heather colored armor was simply gorgeous, covering a person nearly head to toe with armor far lighter than anything she was used to, not to mention far stronger. The best part had been the miniature flight pack on the back. Such things were available back home, but they were crude designs that did little more than slow a person's fall for the most part. This however allowed true flight and even hovering. It was a distasteful thing to do, but in order to make it blend in she had to pay the seller to add matte black to much of the armor as well as skull motifs.

Skulls in the Imperium were a must-have after all.

For all the positive changes however, there was one heavy negative side effect she hadn't even considered as a possibility of wearing her actual human body. Withdrawal.

It wasn't a Withdrawal from her power, though that was part of the cause. Just the second day in, she'd felt the long-forgotten agitation, tremors, intense migraines and sensitivity of drug withdrawal set in. Years of endless abuse decided to finally catch up with her and even though it couldn't kill her, it sure as hell would incapacitate her for far too long if she tried to ignore it. She'd long ago lost count of types of drugs she'd taken, let alone their actual names or doses, but she couldn't go back on them either without risking dulling her mind and body. It was a sure death sentence during this trip if any combat broke out and she wasn't able to form a thought.

Unfortunately, she couldn't just wish such a thing away either. It was simply part of her make-up now and there wasn't a simple spell or drug that could remove it without leaving her body wracked in pain from the sudden dependencies being removed while she was forced to adapt. It'd take months for The Gardens' Aura to remove it from her safely, and she didn't have months. For now, all she could do was delay it all day by day with de-tox drugs in the hopes that they would continue to be effective for as long as she was away. Despite the withdrawal though, she had packed a few choice drugs in case she needed a use for them. All would be brutal to her body, even short term, but if she needed a boost quickly, she'd have to use them.

Entrance - A while later

Eventually, the day of the trip, Cessie might notice a series of large vans drive by her home as they headed towards the deep forests, followed by one that stops as well as a bright yellow convertible sports car with the top down. The only person in the last one is Jezebel, and even though it'd been only a week and a half since she visited to show Cessie how to use various firearms and bring her clothes to be fitted, she's changed quite a bit. Mostly, she appeared far healthier than when she did originally with both her hair and skin looking smooth and lustrous, and even the chemical burns on her skin have faded to the point where it looks more like dark purple freckles than anything else. Her smile is still a little lop-sided, but not nearly as bad as it once was. More importantly though, she carries herself better. All the exercise seems to have done her self-image some good in her human form and she certainly appears more toned and muscular, not to mention taller.

Despite driving such a luxurious car, she's wearing her new armor, fitted perfectly to her frame and an appealing mixture of black and purple. The skulls on the knees and shoulders are a little obnoxious, but from what Jezebel has said about the Imperium, it's probably toned down. As the woman heads over to the Gate to wait for Cessie, the back of the parked van is opened by a Mask guard.

Even though Jezebel is bringing three steamer trunks full of "supplies", hopefully Cessie isn't bringing too much more than that.

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"What is this 'presence' exactly?" Cessie asks curiously with a brief glance at Garn. "Garn here was made through a similar method and it has been done before."

Entrance - A while later

The sorceress has packed one single large bag that Garn is carrying as they come up to meet Jezebel at the gate. "Are you sure they will mistake Garn for something else, Jezebel?" Is the first thing Cessie asks, looking a bit stressed about the whole situation. She's wearing the clothes Jezebel gave her at thankmas and by the looks of it, she's been wearing them a while. She also has a shoulder bag where she's probably carrying lighter things in. "It has been worrying me." She admits.

[Morty]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"It's used to denote a being that has no physical body," Dorota explains. "Or at least none that could exist in the physical world. The geometry of the runes creates a... microcosm, of sorts, where an ethereal being can stay without dissipating or being forced back onto its home plane."

[UncleWolf]

Entrance

"People will see what they want to see. I'm certain he'll be fine as long as he doesn't speak too much, which I don't think will be much of a problem" Jezebel says with a smile to Garn before looking at Cessie's one bag with a frown. "Just the one? We're going to be gone for a while. Well, I guess I am carrying the bulkier things." She admits with a small shrug before offering her hand to take the bag for her. "Our ship will be arriving in two hours, and it'll take most of that time for us to get there. I've already sent a few people ahead of us so our way will be prepared. I actually had more than a few people volunteer. I guess many of my people who'd never seen The Imperium wanted to."

Once the bag is put away one way or another, Jezebel will open car doors for both Cessie and Garn so they can get in easily as the van pulls away. "Again, thank you for this. Both of you."

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"Is there any way to explore this 'microcosm' any closer? There might be different types of beings to study closer before attempting to extract any of them." Cessie argues.

Entrance

"I had another bag packed with clothes and some money but it dawned to me that I don't have your currency." She gestures back at the keep. "Which reminded me of another issue, when Harnel and I traveled to my world Libra claimed that the nexus was somehow 'translating' our languages and that didn't exist in my world so that she had to step in to make sure Harnel and I understood one another. An odd sentiment from her but an important one. So that has concerned me as well." The sorceress explains as Garn avoids meeting Jezebel's gaze.

"There is really no need to thank me though, it feels like I'm mostly doing this for myself."

[Morty]

[Snowy Afternoon]

"It might be possible, even easy," Dorota says. "If I were to inscribe the proper runes on an object, maybe you think you could use your spells to examine it."