Serious Plots 6: Srs bsns

[Shadowcaller]

[Rivi Des]

Obriane just stares at Kitty for a moment, shuddering a little. "That's... that's hard to believe." Her eyes widen. "But th-then why were you crying? Just tell me, please Kitty, I need to know."

[Beans]

[Upstairs]
Assuming Arlem was talking to Carrie (with his miiiiiind), the reply he gets is overlaid with an unnatural hoarseness and sibilance. Eat what you want. I just want to hurt them.

Ricocheting bullets clip and graze her, which makes her even more furious. As Arlem isn't dealing with the shotgun-holder, she turns her displeasure on that unfortunate fellow. Ducking behind the wall may not help him much, as her huge hammer-instrument crashes into that side of the doorway and sends drywall and splinters flying. He might even get winged, or hit full-on, if luck is decidedly not with him today. Her attack is punctuated by a shout of the sort that turns knees into something approximating jelly.
"KNEEL!"

[Gullara]

[Rivi Des]

"You... asked me to eat the spirit that was attacking us. So I did." Kitty shudders at the thought. "I saw things when I did. I'm not exactly sure what they were, but they were horrible." If pressed for more details, Kitty will give brief descriptions of what she saw, though she doesn't want to linger on it long.

[Shadowcaller]

[Rivi Des]

Obriane's eyes go wide. "E-eat?" She had no idea you could even do that! "That's disgusting! That- that can't have been me Kitty, I swear. It must have been a spirit that possessed me, making me all those horrible things." It did feel all too familiar, but hadn't she had her breastplate on? Odd.

[Gullara]

[Rivi Des]

"Maybe you're right." It seemed strange compared to the other times Obriane has been possessed, but that's hardly a normal thing to begin with. "But it's over now. That's all that really matters." Kitty nestles her head into Obriane's shoulder and squeezes her close.

[Shadowcaller]

[Rivi Des]

Just as Kitty nestles her head into Obriane's shoulder, Aurora comes back in with two cups of warm milk. "Oh. So... do you girls want to be left alone?" She asks as she puts the cups on the table. "We all have questions, but as, ah, Kitty just said, the important thing is that it is over."
Has she been listening to them?

Obriane nods, "Um, yeah." But her mothers imploring gaze makes Obriane glance at at Kitty, suddenly hesitating. "Or... do you want to talk right away, Kitty?"

[Gullara]

[Rivi Des]

"No, it's fine." Kitty sits more upright, though she keeps her arm around Obriane. "Now's as good a time as any."

[Shadowcaller]

[Rivi Des]

This appears to have been what Aurora have wanted to hear. "Okay, now I'm quite used to weirdness at this point. While Obriane brought us a lot of that, I can't claim it was the first time I've seen it." She smiles as much as she dares after what just happened. "I overheard a bit of what you said, and I realize there are things that not even you can explain. A lot of strange things happened today, but no one was hurt and you're home now so we should be glad. But, what is it you want to tell me?"

Obriane stares at her mother. "...I love Kitty. We... we are a pair, and, ah, I... want to spend time with her, a lot of time."

Aurora is silent, but she is looking at the kitsune as if she is expecting her to add something.

[Gullara]

[Rivi Des]

Kitty looks at her girlfriend and smiles just a bit. This was clearly very awkward for her. Best get it out into the open early, though. "Yeah, that's right. We live together as lovers. Obriane is very important to me."

[Shadowcaller]

[Rivi Des]

Lovers? The very word seem to make both Obriane and her mother react. Aurora glances at her daughter, but she does not dare to meet her gaze.
"Live together? Have you settled down then?"
"N-no, not exactly. We go around doing odd jobs, she is, uh, also my business partner."

"Oh." That word also seem to carry a special meaning to the two as well. "Well, that's wonderful. You're starting to get your economy going then. I knew you would be able to make money out of your 'gift'. So what is your business model, exactly?"

"Half payment upfront. I lure the spirits out, Kitty helps me banish them. We had some initial problems but I think we can get it working." Obriane replies, sounding a lot more confident about this subject as she us now able to look her mother in the eyes. "There are a lot of spirits there so we might get a lot more jobs in the future once we've properly established ourselves."

"Sounds like it has potential, though judging from all this, you might need a bit more help. I don't want you getting hurt out there, Obri." Her eyes shift to Kitty. "So why did you decide to start up a relationship with my daughter? Did you have a job before you... got together?"

[Gullara]

[Rivi Des]

"Obriane is a wonderful woman I care deeply for. That's all the reason I need for falling in love with her." Kitty says, though she's not really sure what kind of answer Aurora is looking for with that next question. "I... didn't have any kind of job before this, no." She gives Obriane a sidelong glance. Is she being tested here? "I was in a... pretty rough place before I met Obriane, I guess."

[Shadowcaller]

[Rivi Des]

The changeling just gives Kitty a confident nod, while her mother was looking for certain answers, this was better than going back to discussing the exact details of their relationship.

"Is that so? Now I don't know much about Kitsunes, admittedly, though I imagine that there are a lot of prejudices against your kind, which must make it hard to get a proper job. Obriane has certainly experienced that, while her antlers can be hidden, her ears less so." Aurora gestures at Obriane who is back at looking awkward.

"Um, yeah. But people are more accepting where we work, so its okay." Obriane nods, she seemed confident about this despite the situation.

Aurora nods. "I figured as much. I personally believe that if everyone get to use their abilities to the fullest, things will work out for the better. However, you both should have more confidence in yourself. With what you can do, and no prejudices holding you back, you could go big. The little Albin have told me about spirit has made me realize with a human mind behind them, they could accomplish wonders. There is absolutely no need for you two to have such a rough time with your powers. You just need to figure out how to use it all properly." She turns to Kitty. "So what can you do, Kitty? I'm curious, perhaps I can help out. I have a mind for these things."

[Gullara]

[Rivi Des]

"Well..." Kitty thinks for a moment. Admittedly all this conversation after all the excitement earlier is getting exhausting, but she'd rather not upset Obriane's parents somehow. "I can create flames that burn spirits, create some images, be harder to see... jump really high?" Why does she feel like she's being assessed?

[Shadowcaller]

[Rivi Des]

Aurora opens her mouth to reply, but suddenly the front door opens and Obriane's father enters. "Is everyone alright?" He asks, looking at the gathered group with a puzzled expression. "I was just talking to Tavos and Bern and they're sending out a party to scout the woods. Just in case there are any spirits left. It has kind of riled up the entire town."

"Yes, the girls are alright. Though I do need to talk to you as soon as you're done out there. You don't think there are any other spirits out there, do you?"

He shrugs. "Probably not, but you know how people react when there's spirits about. What do you need to discuss?"

"We can take that later, once everyone has gone home. I don't like everyone moving around on our yard."

"They are just trying to help, dear. I'll be back soon." He then disappears out the door again.

Aurora looks back at the two. "But what am I doing? You two must be exhausted. Go and rest in the guest room. We'll eat at five o' clock."

Obriane nods, but glances at Kitty to be sure.

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Nightmare]

Wenomir and Anika find their way up to the stairs easily enough, and they'll be able to travel upwards - for a time. After a while, however, they'll find a literal wall barring their path, right where the next flight of stairs should be. They could go back down, or they could explore this floor some more. Wenomir will recognize the door that heads to the library, which seems to be open where the other doors on the floor are shut.

[Gullara]

[Rivi Des]

"Yeah, I really need that." Kitty says almost too eagerly. She meets Obriane's eye and will give her a squeeze around the waist and stand up with her. "Thank you, missus Bellamy. We can talk more later." She waits for Obriane to guide the way to the room.

[Morty]

[The Nightmare]

"This thing doesn't want us to get upstairs," Wenomir observes. He then glances at the open library door. "This feels far too much like a trap. But we don't really have anywhere else to go. Maybe we can get out through a window and climb."

[Shadowcaller]

[Rivi Des]

"Yeah, thanks mom. I'm pretty exhausted too." She will then get up from the coach to lead Kitty to the guestroom. It is a small room that they somehow have managed to cram two beds into. Its looks like it haven't been cleaned as well as the rest of the house judging by the thin layer of dust covering the floor.

It is also rather cold, despite being so small. Must be that window, Kitty can feel some cold air sweeping through it.
"Ethros strike me down." Obriane declares once she closed the door. She doesn't say it too loudly though, the walls weren't that thick. "She's going to tell dad about us, and I don't even know how he'll react. Its going to be so awkward. I just want to sink through the earth..."

[The Nightmare]

"This thing doesn't want us to get upstairs," Wenomir observes. He then glances at the open library door. "This feels far too much like a trap. But we don't really have anywhere else to go. Maybe we can get out through a window and climb."

[The Nightmare]

"Of course it doesn't. Same way a sabercat protects its throat, it knows its weak spots and protects them any way it can." Anika observes. "It controls this space though, so its going to be difficult not moving into its traps. I could try to fly up to the top of the tower however, but I wouldn't be able to take me with you."

[Morty]

[The Nightmare]

"I can climb, but that would take a while," Wenomir says. "And we still need a window for that. Let's just get it over with," he adds, heading for the library door.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Nightmare]

"Alright, alright. Lets spring this trap already." Anika replies as she follows along. This better not be Karazhan all over again.

[Gullara]

[Rivi Des]

"He'll cope." Kitty says with confidence. Maybe he'll take issue with it, but he's got something coming to him if he tries to make anything of it. "Don't worry about that now. You're family is safe, we're together, and tomorrow we'll go get Annie, too." She tries to pull Obriane down onto the bed with her (as if they need two) and hold her close. "Everything is going to be alright now."

[Shadowcaller]

[Rivi Des]

The bed is a bit small for two people, they will basically be forced to lay on top of one another. But perhaps that is all a part of Kitty's devious plan. "Mm." Obriane agrees as she snuggles in close. "Its going to be quite a trip to get Annie though. But at least she'd be safe here too."

[Gullara]

[Rivi Des]

It takes most of the next day to walk all the way back to pick up Annie. The little girl is very happy to see her mom and her Obi, though. She wasn't miserable staying with the tribe, but she doesn''t always do well with other children. They arrive back at Obriane's parents' house in the evening with Annie and some of the other nonessential items they had left previously. When they walk in the door, Obriane has been carrying Annie for a while. The girl is insisting on clinging to her, and she's not intent on letting go anytime soon.

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Nightmare]

Wenomir will find the library much as it was before the attack. Quiet. Peaceful. Seemingly unbroken by the ravages of the battle in the courtyard. In fact, a glimpse outside the large window at the front would make it seem as if there were no such battle taking place at all. The courtyard seems empty, the lake still. Assuming the pair even manage to get said glimpse, however, because they're not alone in the library.

Kneeling in the center of the library, before the statue of the long-forgotten knowledge god that the builders of the tower had seen fit to install in their center of knowledge, is a man. He kneels on one knee with his head bowed, hands clasped around the leather-clad blade of a sheathed longsword. Behind him, a banner lies in two pieces across the floor, Vigil's sigil cut neatly in half by a clean, swift stroke. Also cleanly cut are the bodies - corpses of various fellows scattered like petals in the wind between the spotless shelves, perfect pools of red blood spreading like crimson blossoms in a field. Soldiers, farmers, women, babes. It never really mattered who the slain were. They were mere flesh to be parted by the cold perfection of steel, their lives sliced away like floating banners in the wind.

As Wenomir and Anika approach, the man stands and slowly turns, the black scales in his armor clinking like a cloak of knives. The man is tall, lean, and covered with a tapestry of scars, ravaged flesh criss-crossing his pale skin in patterns some familiar, some not - a manuscript of burns and injuries that Wenomir had never received, an archive telling of battles never fought. Of massacres. The barest sheen of sweat glistens in the black bristles of the Demon Hunter's closely shaved scalp. His red eyes glimmer opaquely as he draws a red blade from its scabbard, tossing the piece of leather away as he draws the naked blade into a familiar ready stance.

[Morty]

[The Nightmare]

Wenomir steps slowly into the library, and stares at... himself? No, that thing is not him. He's done too much in order not to be this. And now he'll carve this bad copy into pieces to prove it.

"That's... not... me," he growls through clenched teeth. He raises his sword and assumes a stance that nonetheless mirrors that of the apparition.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Nightmare]

Oh. This was new. Anika stares down the Othermir and then glances back at Wenomir, just in time to see his reaction.
Was Wenomir afraid of... himself? While he seemed angry, it seemed that this nightmare spawn had provoked some kind of reaction. Perhaps it wasn't as much himself as what he could have become. Regardless, this enemy would be fast and brutal and the ceiling stopped her from flying out of reach. So hit and run would be out of the question, which leaves her with her favorite tactic.
"You're going down, dude." Anika tells Othermir before she suddenly changes form into a massive bear and charges right at him with a loud roar. But as she charges she moves her paw, creating a swarm of glowing motes of light that would reach Othermir just before she did. While technically harmless, they are extremely bright and distracting.

[Rivi Des]

"Do- do you think you can take Annie for a moment, Kitty?" Obriane asks as they enter. "I need to take-"
But before she can finish Aurora interrupts her. "Don't worry about that, I can take her." And without a word, Obriane attempts to gently hand over Annie to her mother.

[Gullara]

[Rivi Des]

Annie looks shocked to suddenly be in the hands of a stranger, though maybe not totally strange. The girl isn't entirely sure what to make of this new person.

"This is Obi's mom, Annie." Kitty steps over and touches her daughter's back. "Her name is Aurora. Can you say, 'Hi, Aurora'?" Annie seems too shy to speak, sadly. Kitty watches Aurora's face closely, wondering what she's thinking.

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Nightmare]

The Demon Hunter pivots deftly sideways, swinging his sword at Anika as she charges. He keeps one eye on Wenomir as he does so, watching for his move.

[Morty]

[The Nightmare]

Wenomir breaks into a run towards the Demon Hunter, but instead of charging him head-on, he sidesteps to his left, circling around the enemy and surrounding him in a silvery net of lightning-quick attacks.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Nightmare]

The swarm of motes will actually follow Othermir, even as he dodges around, continuing being a thorn in his side.
Anika shields herself by rearing up to tank the swing by her torso. Her ironfur protecting her against the bulk of the swing. In response she attempts to jab Othermir with her claws, if Wenomir was moving around him then perhaps he couldn't just step away from it.

[Rivi Des]

Obriane removes her outdoor clothes as Aurora studies Annie. "Hello Annie, no need to be afraid of me. I'm a mother, just like your own." She says with a smile. "Obriane is my daughter, you know?" She gestures at Obriane.

Meanwhile Kitty can see Obriane's father moving about, he have seem hesitant to talk to any of them since the attack.