Home 24: A house in this market?

[Deathkeeper]

[Skullfort- Workshop]

Koshal nods, getting up immediately. ”I will depart at once, my Lady!” He salutes and goes to the door, stopping halfway out.
”Uh, when you say energetic, do you mean literally, metaphorically, or both?” he asks.

[Recaiden]

"Good fortune on your errand, my loyal squire."
Leah replies, being a bit more formal than usual.
Oh. He's back already?
"Hmm....both!"

[Deathkeeper]

[Skullfort- Worksho]

Koshal nods and heads out the door with Faye. Leah will not see him for some time.

Two weeks later, he returns, leading an absolutely enormous purple bird. It stubbornly refuses to be touched or get close to Koshal or anyone, but follows him nonetheless.
"I told him that there was someone here who wished to gaze upon him and appreciate his awe-inspiring wings." he tells Leah sheepishly, and immediately sets off again without really restraining the bird, assuming Leah and her crew can do that just fine if they wish.

The three days after that, he returns with a monarch butterfly in a jar, an tern in a little cage, a salmon caught with a rod, and a sea turtle plucked from a beach. The salmon is dead, but he assumes if Leah can't study a dead animal that she can simply have it cooked.
It takes two days for him to return again, this time with a full grown female caribou. He doesn't explain how he got her to follow him, only giving that same sheepish grin.

His last two stops, which each take five days, produce a stout leafy goat and a tiny mouse full of electric energy on his first. The second produces a hummingbird, a spotted lavender cat with two tails, and a border collie. The dog is one of the skullfort villager's, though, who volunteered her on the condition that she not be harmed and would be returned within three days.

Koshal is worn, filthy and ragged by the end of it. It seems he has been pushing himself quite hard in that month. Catching all these animals was very difficult. And very long. He had to go to at least four different biomes, find so many overly specific things to bribe them with, especially the cat, and then he had to spend upwards of an hour listening to an old man explain how to take little metal spheres out of your pocket and throw them at animals as if it wasn't self-explanatory.
"Is...that enough...Lady Danir?" asks the very tired squire, who would very much like to stop and take a warm bath right now.

[Recaiden]

It might take a while, but a couple of pterosaur-riders can definitely herd the the bird back in after Koshal leaves it alone. It's pretty sizeable!! And it already has a forked tail! What a perfect bird.

Migrating creatures. Excellent. And the butterfly gives her an idea... The salmon is fine, as far as being dead, but sea creatures probably won't be much help here. Koshal isn't the underwater sort. And what did he tell to that caribou?

Hm...Pokemon? Very complicated to work with. At least one of them is cute.

Hummingbirds are intriguing but surely won't be relevant to anything big enough. A cat with two tails!? How precious! That is an amazing find all on its own.
The last one, though...
"Koshal, I know this dog. Go take her home right away and find a replacement creature."

[Deathkeeper]

[Skullfort- Workshop And Menagerie]

Koshal hauls himself up to full height.
”Yes, my Lady. Hath said he didn’t mind her being studied as long as it was just looking. C’mon Quess.” he says, and takes the dog back to town.
A few hours later he comes back with a local jackalope with its legs tied. He looks even more tired, but still proud of himself.

[Recaiden]

"That's perfect, Koshal." Leah grabs the hog-tied jacakalope and gives the squire and approving nod.
"Go on in and take some time to rest."

[Deathkeeper]

[Skullfort- Workshop And Menagerie]

Koshal returns the nod and leaves with a salute, only letting himself sigh with relief once he’s out of the room. Then he’ll spend a long time in the bath and then bed.

[Halae]

Sam’s Room

Sam gets to work immediately, getting Kathy to measure a few things and then doing most of it himself. Kathy might notice something about how Sam works: he does each task slowly, but he’s able to easily perform two or even three tasks at once with his four arms without the motions interfering with each other. It results in him working quite quickly even though he isn’t rushing himself.
Some days he wonders if he’d be even better if Jinn had given him more eyes. He’s sure the Ethereal had been tempted. Sam is glad it didn’t, though.

After a long time, Sam finally pops a pale, speckled cake into the oven.
”So. That’s that. What do you want to do in the meantime?” he asks.

[Sam's Room]

"I don't know. Just chat, I guess?" Kathy shrugs. It's not exactly like she came here with complex motives - her entire reason for having come in is currently baking in the oven, "What do you do besides cook?"

[Murkus]

[Tina's Place]

I don’t kno I’m not sure, I didn’t really think this far ahead, Cantata admits with a bashful tinge to her cheeks. She laughs with a giddy smile, nodding in agreement as she pushes herself up from resting against the counter.

Well, I think the first thing we should do is figure out what churches that adorable rear of yours isn’t already banned from, she teases, and just how much fanfare we want to go about with this.” The songstress can’t seem to stay still as she waits for Tina to finish reading, before adding with a twinkle in her eye, “That is, assuming a trip to city hall to sign a marriage license isn’t romantic enough for you~

[Tina's Place]

"Hahah! She's got jokes!" Fettina pokes Cantata in the belly after the church comment. "Are you kidding? You know me a little by now right? Fanfare is where Tina lives. We ain't getting no marriage slip signed. We're gonna get drunk and do the whole shebang. We're gonna have an Elvis marry us. Wait, do you know who Elvis is? Uh, never mind."

"Seriously though, we can make a huge deal about it. You know. Just for a coupla days."

[Arkhosia]

[Tina's Place]

"Hahah! She's got jokes!" Fettina pokes Cantata in the belly after the church comment. "Are you kidding? You know me a little by now right? Fanfare is where Tina lives. We ain't getting no marriage slip signed. We're gonna get drunk and do the whole shebang. We're gonna have an Elvis marry us. Wait, do you know who Elvis is? Uh, never mind."

"Seriously though, we can make a huge deal about it. You know. Just for a coupla days."

Cantata grins, trying her best to pretend she knows who Elvis is.My dear, there’s nothing about you that isn’t fanfare~ It’s why I adore your company, after all. reaching up to wrap her arms around Tina and clasp her hands behind her neck, she leans up to give her a soft kiss - well, as much as she can, considering her angelic nature. She then pulls away to lead her towards the couch, typing, I think we have a few things to plan, but right now, I just want to enjoy being back here with you.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Unmasqued]

There's rustling behind Cass, as Electra slides off her own dress. She wasn't really expecting to end up here tonight, but she's also not bothered by sleeping in various states of undress. When Cass turns back around, she'll probably note that Electra was wearing a very strange-looking sort of bra underneath that dress, one that wraps around her back, but still provides support where she needs it, in a blue that matches the color of her dress, while her panties are a very basic satin black. She seems to be contemplating something, but also seems very tired all of a sudden, and slightly unfocused, seated on the edge of the bed in her undies, staring off into space.

After a second, she starts humming quietly to herself, just a few bars over and over, a curiously happy and melancholy tune at once. It's hard to tell whether she's doing it consciously or unconsciously, since she doesn't move, except for breathing, and an occasional blink.

[Cass' Tower - Unmasqued]

Cass keeps an awkward distance for now, not sure if she should say anything. Maybe she's... making a back-up? Uploading? Downloading? Rebooting?

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Well, then. Who is it in Cassandra's tower that she's arguing with but who also feels enough at home to tell a visitor to enter? One way to find out. Wenomir opens the door and strides in, ready for anything.

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir will see the first floor of the tower is all a large, single space, though somewhat divided into two rooms. The front and right side of the room is a large living space, with a coffee table, sofa and a few comfy chairs, a small bookshelf, and what appears to be a large glass lizard habitat on top of a lengthy sideboard. To his immediate right is a large, curved television, hanging flush against the wall. To the rear of the space is a moderately sized kitchen, separated on the left side from the front of the tower by a small dining table surrounded by chairs.

Leaning against this table is Cass, dressed casually in a t-shirt and shorts, though she looks... decidedly worse for wear. She's pale and drawn, with visible veins of black creeping up her arms, neck, and around her face. Most of her lower left arm, including the palm of her hand, is wrapped in bandages, and more bandages wrap from her shoulder down under her shirt around her chest. She turns, giving Wenomir a sullen glance, and he'll be able to see the black corruption is significantly concentrated around the left side of her face, up to her left eye, which is completely black as well.

The other woman, the one who spoke, is a tall, pale skinned elf with platinum blonde hair, tied up in an elaborate bun full of silver, wearing a dark gown of crushed green velvet, slashed with black. She has a stern, somewhat forbidding expression, and gives Wenomir a critical glance as he steps in.
"Ah... Commander. So good of you to come, but I'm afraid now is not a good-"
"He can stay." Cass cuts in, giving the other elf a sullen glare. The other elf gives Cass a threatening, angry glare of her own, but it quickly softens into... concern? Tenderness?
"Very well."

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Cass' Tower - Unmasqued]

The humming changes after a few iterations, but it's...slower, experimental, as though Electra's unsure of the next few notes. After a moment, she blinks quickly a few times, before noticing Cass watching her and blushing slightly, shifting a bit.

"Sorry. I've had the start of a song going around in my head on and off for a few days. Music helps me in a lot of ways, and I've sort of gotten used to working out little bits and pieces of song ideas before bed. Sorry if that's a little weird."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir stands there, in silence, for a moment. There's rather a lot to take in there. Cassandra clearly injured, or otherwise harmed by magic, and this woman. She seems similar to Cassandra and is clearly concerned about her, but who is she? Family? That wouldn't line up with what Cassandra's story was.

"...alright. I came here to speak to Cassandra, but it seems I've walked into an emergency situation. What happened?" He pauses and opts for directness. "You know who I am, it seems, but you have me at a disadvantage, lady...?"

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Unmasqued]

"Oh," say Cass, a little surprised. "No, it's not weird. I... think I get it."

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass scowls as Wenomir says 'emergency situation', looking out the window with a sullen glare. Wenomir might notice some bruising around her throat as well, as if someone had been choking her with one hand.

"It's not an emergency," says Cass, sulkily.

The other elf tsks, turning to address Wenomir directly.
"You may call me Geneviève," she says. "Cassandra attempted to summon a demon."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir... is silent. Closes his eyes. Takes a deep breath. When he opens his eyes, his expression isn't really anger or even irritation. It's the face of a tired man thinking "why must people be this way?".

"Why?" He asks. Which part of it sounded like a good idea? "If the attempt didn't work, then it seems like she got off easy, compared to what would usually happen."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass flinches slightly.
"I may have been a little foolish..." She says, her voice shaking a little.

"Summoning an imp would have been foolish, Cassandra," Geneviève says sharply. "The demon I saw was no imp. The man asks an appropriate question. Why?"

"I needed instruction on enchantments," says Cass, defensively. "An incubus seemed like an appropriate choice."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir isn't keen on people not referring to him by his actual name, but it's good to see he has an ally here. At least for the moment.

"Had you exhausted all sources of this instruction that didn't involve demons first?" he asks.

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Cass' Tower - Unmasqued]

Electra smiles gently, and moves up the bed, still seated, but sliding up until she's near the head, and reaches out with one hand to Cass.

"Should I sing you something to sleep by?"

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

"...if you wanted instruction, you should have approached me," says Geneviève crisply, somehow managing to keep her voice even, despite what must be no doubt an overwhelming urge to smack Cass over the head with a book.

"That's not necessary." Cass interjects, tersely. "I don't need a master."

"Perhaps not, but at least I would train you enough to not destroy yourself in your recklessness. Not just the demon. I know you've been getting sick. You overreach." Geneviève retorts.

"I'm fine," Cass shoots back, adamantly. "I- I might strain myself from time to time, but I can figure out how to control it well enough on my own, and I don't need someone else meddling in my affairs."

"On your own? Don't be dense, child. If the demon didn't kill you, the strain of summoning almost did. What you've managed on your own is impressive, I'll grant you, but even the humans whose tomes you keep knew that flailing around in the dark is the height of foolishness. I will not allow you to destroy your potential with your own stubborn willfulness and foolish pride." Geneviève says firmly.

"Why should I give a damn what you'll allow? I gave you the research you wanted. What does it matter to you?"

"Cassandra," Genevieve finally snaps, her voice cracking like an unfreezing river.

"Cassandra... it matters to me because you are my blood." She continues, moderating her tone.

Cass blinks, taken aback. "...eh?"

Geneviève looks her in the eyes firmly, staring her down with ice green eyes. It's... not ideal that Wenomir is in the room as well, but she'd rather not be distracted by the human for the moment. "When you showed me your research, you gave me a gift beyond imagining. Perhaps you think of it as a simple transaction, but I do not. I gave you my blood because it was the best gift I thought I could give you in return. The power that flows through your veins like starlight courses through mine like the heat of the sun. Whatever calling... whatever desires you have, I felt first. I cannot tell you what to think of me, but know that whatever guidance I give you - it is only because I wish you to shine with the radiance I know you can achieve. You will not extinguish your power with carelessness."

Cass stares back, flexing and unflexing her good hand, her face blank.
"...I'll think about it." She says, before turning abruptly and storming across the room and up the stairs into the next room.

[Cass' Tower - Unmasqued]

Cass gives Electra a shy smile. "If you like."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir watches the scene with growing confusion. That's... what did all of this mean? How is this Geneviève related to Cassandra? He doesn't know, but he feels he should ask the latter about it.

"...I'll go talk to her," he says. He's not sure what else to say or do. The older elf seems to be mostly irritated by his presence, anyway.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Geneviève gives Wenomir an impassive glance, and then turns to the kitchen, a few cupboards magically springing open as she does so.

The room upstairs is a cozy looking study and library, with one side of the room dedicated to a large study desk, strewn with journals and writing material. The center of the room is divided by rows of bookshelves, and the other side is a small faux fireplace with a big squishy chair and some cushions and a bean bag near it. Wenomir will find Cass lying curled up into a ball atop the beanbag, facing away from the stairs.

"Hi Wenomir," she says, without moving.

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

"Hello, Cassandra." Wenomir steps into the room and, after a moment's hesitation, heads for the chair. He sits down on it and puts the wrapped object next to him. Just what is it? Cass might find it oddly familiar for some reason. "I came here to talk, but I see there's a lot more to talk about than I expected. What kind of knowledge did you need that only a demon could provide?"

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass flinches as Wenomir asks his question, turning away so Wenomir can't see her face and curling up a little tighter.

"I told you," she says, her voice strained and flinty. "I had questions about magic. Demons know magic. I don't need you to lecture me and tell me how stupid I am."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir grimaces and flinches a little. Oof. Right, poor choice of an opening question. And she's right, lectures aren't going to help here. Not that he knows what else to say. Asking her about Geneviève would just feel like grilling her with more questions. There's only one other thing...

"That's not what I- never mind. You're right, lectures aren't going to help. What's done is done, we just have to deal with that. And while I don't know if this will help..." He extends the wrapped-up package. "I've brought something for you."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Silence. Cass doesn't move or make a noise, save for an occasional quiet sniffle, for an appropriately awkward amount of time.

"...you brought me a sword." She says, finally, sounding hoarse, but slightly baffled.

She doesn't move yet, though.

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir relaxes just a little bit when Cass finally speaks, after a long moment of tension and dread. Surprised is better than angry and depressed.

"Yes, but it's not just any sword. You might find it familiar, when you take a look. And more useful than a normal blade."

He doesn't unwrap it yet, hoping Cassandra will find it in her to do it herself.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass bestirs herself, sitting up on her beanbag and turning towards Wenomir. She raises her non-bandaged hand to her eyes, wiping tears away roughly, then shuffles forward a bit, rocking herself forward into a crouch.

"It's your old sword," she says, gingerly unfolding the cloth wrapping around it. "How did you lose it?"

She examines the length of the blade, her pale eyes shimmering as she reads over the runes.

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Cass' Tower - Unmasqued]

Electra looks thoughtful for a moment, before giving a small smile, closing her eyes and begins to sing softly.

o/~"I believe, the sun will rise one day,
And we'll come alive, and reach for something real.
I can feel,
The sun through darkest sky.
All the faith inside won't take away this fear,
But I'll be stronger than before.
And they can't bleed me, anymore.

I believe, the tired man when he said,
'Nothing here weighs heavier than regret.'
He must've known, someone just like me.
Well, I've fallen down, but don't give up on me yet.
'cause I'll be stronger than before,
And they can't bleed me, anymore.

I believe, in a Monday morning dream,
Of a rising star and a celebration of freedom.
'I believe the sun will rise,' some say.
With an independence day for every season, yeah
And I'll be stronger than before,
'cause they can't bleed me, anymore.

I'll be stronger than before,
'cause they can't bleed me.
Anymore...."o/~

She sings softly and slowly, but doesn't get very intense with the lyrics, instead opting for a soft tone that's a bit more calming. Electra opens her eyes when she finishes, blushing slightly.

"Not sure that one's much of a lullaby, but...my sister was always partial to it. Well, that, and 'Gimme More', but that one's definitely a different sort of bedtime tune," she says with a short giggle.

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

"I threw it at the scrying spell on top of the tower to disrupt it and bring the base down around the demons' heads," Wenomir explains matter-of-factly. "I thought it would be destroyed, despite the runes and the gift from the Hunting Grounds. But the runes were warped and changed instead."

Indeed, the runes aren't as Cass may remember them. Instead of the straight and angular markings, they are now more curved and smooth. Their nature and function has changed as well, from repelling magic to absorbing and channelling it. There's an imperceptible change in the weapon as Cass holds it, as if recognition and readiness.

Wenomir looks like he has more to say, but stops himself. Cassandra had this sword for a while, didn't she? Or was it really her? Maybe he needs to wait for her to mention that herself, and bring it up if she doesn't...

[Deathkeeper]

[Sam's Room]

"I don't know. Just chat, I guess?" Kathy shrugs. It's not exactly like she came here with complex motives - her entire reason for having come in is currently baking in the oven, "What do you do besides cook?"

[Sam’s Room]

Sam sighs with pleasure at a task done and hangs up his apron and gloves.
”You know, normal stuff. Games, reading, merc work, the rare being dragged into dangerous situations because of strange magical circumstances. Pet cats.” Sam plops onto the couch, with Pippin immediately jumping up and settling onto his belly.