Home 24: A house in this market?

[Recaiden]

Strains of song begin to be heard at the back of one's mind. The earth trembles with the impact of dozens of tremendous legs. It must be that Hunter has come to visit. Leah will need the help of a proper animal expert. And up the road from the friendlier woods come a single unicorn with a cloaked rider. They figure a proper mage will be needed for the weirder creatures, so Anchor was invited as well.

And what all do they have to work with?
A yol, almost sufficient in its own right.
A monarch butterfly. Travels very far for such little creatures, and has excellent wings.
A little tern. The furthest-traveling of creatures, following the sun across the world.
A salmon. Strong. Magnetosensitive.
A sea turtle. Probably too different to be useful, given its aquatic lifestyle, but perhaps something can be gleaned from it.
A highly suspicious reindeer, which is good; her in-laws aren't really reindeer at all, but how did it come all this way?
A gogoat. Empathic abilities, and photosynthetic. Very interesting. Very complicated.
A pichu. Makes everything static-y. Very annoying, but could be useful.
A hummingbird, which really are amazing.
A nekomata of some sort, which is probably too magical to involve.
A jackalope. Antlers keep coming up, don't they? Shame it's not a skvader or a full wolpertinger. But it will still do nicely.

Plus all the weird animals of their own: the three-headed jaguars, the blind pterosaurs, the tiny tiny foxes.
Plus the ones they've come across: the conductor, the wurm.
Plus the ones they've borrowed: the potato drakes, the wraith-eaters, the shining wasps.

The three sisters set to work. They're going to come up with the best animal ever for Koshal.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Unmasqued]

Cass throws an arm Electra, snuggling closer to her on the bed.
"A different sort," she agrees, dozily, nuzzling against Electra's shoulder.

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass nods. "I found it in the woods," she muses, tracing over a rune with a finger cautiously. "Just after...-"

She cuts off, looking up at Wenomir slyly. She rocks forward, rolling the rest of the way from a crouch into a kneel, and ducks under the sword, wrapping her arms around Wenomir's legs and resting her head his lap.
"Clever." She says, closing her eyes and squeezing him.

[Halae]

[Sam's Room]

Kathy nods, "Fair enough," She'll stretch herself out over the couch as well, "I mostly stay in, play mechanic with things. Running a cybershop is surprisingly lucrative."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

This was unexpected. But after some brief surprise, Wenomir smiles and puts his hand on Cass' head, running his fingers through her hair.

"They do say I'm smarter than I look. Or... some say that. I suspected you'd had it before. And I do want you to have it now. It deserves a wielder, and that can't be me again. I threw it away, replaced it and have no magic to channel through it anyway."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass hums contentedly as Wenomir strokes her hair, closing her eyes and nuzzling into his lap. "You'll have to show me how to use it."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir quirks his eyebrows. This is certainly a shift in the mood, but one he won't complain about. And yet, he knows it can't stay cozy like this forever. He and Cass have a lot more to talk about.

"I can show you how to use it as a weapon, certainly. I don't know how its other properties work, but I think you'll need to use it as a weapon, even when channelling magic. Just... a feeling I've got."

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Cass' Tower - Unmasqued]

Electra snuggles up close to Cass, and tucks the covers over both of them, putting her arm around Cass's waist, and giving her a gentle squeeze and a soft kiss on top of her head, humming quietly again to herself, not the aimless tune from before, but one she knows. She's getting sleepy too, eyes drooping, but still, she manages a few soft notes and words, sung quietly and slowly.

o/~"...and I wonder, when I sing along with you....if everything could ever feel this real forever....if anything could ever be this good again...the only thing I'd ever ask of you...you gotta promise not to stop when I say when..."o/~

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass nods, letting the moment draw out silently for a moment.

"The demon is upstairs," she says quietly, without looking up. "It's bound to me."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir is silent, then sighs deeply. They had to broach the subject sooner or later and if anything, he's glad Cass was the one to do it.

"Bound, but not in the way you hoped it would be, I understand," he whispers back.

[Deathkeeper]

[Sam's Room]

Kathy nods, "Fair enough," She'll stretch herself out over the couch as well, "I mostly stay in, play mechanic with things. Running a cybershop is surprisingly lucrative."

[Sam's Room]

Sam leans back, folding two of his hands behind his head.
"Yeah, I imagine. I've seen the price tag on some of those things. I'm certainly not investing in anything advanced like that on a cook's salary. Though maybe one day I'll get something I can drive. I'd probably need to get a license first though..." Sam is pragmatic enough to know that even though Inside plays fast and loose with things like that, he'd rather not crash a vehicle the day he gets it.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir is silent, then sighs deeply. They had to broach the subject sooner or later and if anything, he's glad Cass was the one to do it.

"Bound, but not in the way you hoped it would be, I understand," he whispers back.

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

"I failed to bind it myself after I summoned it, but before it could break free, another demon... intervened." Says Cass, staring intently at the inside of the chair. "A more powerful demon."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

It takes a few moments for Wenomir to piece it together. Or rather, make a guess. He does know a thing or two about demons and binding them.

"And the stronger demon bound the two of you together. But on its terms and for its purposes."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

"Something like that," Cass says. "It said that I was far too... 'valuable' to be wasted. But valuable for what purpose...?"

Cass slides out of Wenomir's lap, sitting back on to her legs.
"Myrddin..." she muses, rubbing her injured hand. "A demon of secrets, pleasure, and magic. And not one I'd ever heard of before."

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir sighs. He prefers demons that howl for blood and want to build thrones out of skulls. But then, such a demon would just eat Cassandra, so he can hardly complain, can he? Whatever this one's plan is, at least it gives her... gives them time to work it out.

"Probably some long-term plan or other. What does it expect you and the other demon to do?"

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

"I don't know." Says Cass, bluntly. "It didn't give me any task, or tell me anything else. I have no idea what it wants." She says, unhappily.

Though, that's not totally true. She can feel... something. Like a flame, resting deep in her chest. A shadow lurking in the back of her mind. She doesn't look at the tome-shaped package that was left on her desk.

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

"It must have some long-term plan." Wenomir sounds about as happy about it as Cass is. "Which at least gives us time to find out more and try to foil it somehow. Though I'm far better at dealing with demons I can slice in two."

Wenomir doesn't notice the package. Or rather, he doesn't think it's anything he should be paying attention to.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

"I'll add it to the list of individuals I don't know who have mysterious designs on me," says Cass, scowling in the direction of the staircase. There's no one there, of course, but Wenomir might pick up on who she means, regardless.

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

"At least you can count on me being as straightforward as a longsword." Wenomir then glances at the staircase as well. This rather conveniently leads to questions he needs to ask. He lowers his voice. "Right... her. Who is she? She said you're related by blood somehow, so... did she help you get this body somehow."

[Murkus]

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.

[Fettina's Place]

The kiss is allowed. Tina's lips don't feel so cold. There is a warmth underneath all that metal. The returns the embrace rather tightly before accompanying Cantie to sit. "Aw. Girl, you're too sweet. For real, though! The planning will be fun. And I get to mess with so many people."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass nods, slowly.
"I tried creating a mortal body on my own, using conjuration techniques I studied from alchemist texts and some tomes on the nature of demons, since they can create physical forms of their own from the void." Cass explains. "But everything I tried was... unstable. The bodies began to degrade or rot. Not pleasant."

"I went to Geneviève since she was skilled in conjuration magic, and she helped me refine my spell. Using blood as a base for the demonic energies we were harnessing to build on. Her blood."

She frowns again, troubled.

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir listens in silence, then nods. It all makes sense now. Except for one key part he will need to ask about later. He's grateful to Cass for putting things in simple terms for him.

"Yes... I see now," he says in the tone of a man for whom something is clicking into place. "That explains why you're an elf now. And it seems she treats the bond created by her gift of her blood more personally than you expected."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass scowls again.
"I don't need a... mother," she avers, bouncing her leg restlessly.

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir is silent. He doesn't know a lot about Geneviève. Or anything at all, really. But she does seem to be trying to be a stabilizing influence on Cassandra. And she probably needs one right now. He needs to phrase it carefully, though.

"I don't want to be presumptuous," he begins. "I've only just met her. But she is offering to help with something you've struggled with and got in trouble as a result. And now you're up against two demons. I think you might want to at least consider her help."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass glowers at Wenomir, looking for a moment like she wants to say something very sharp. That moment passes though, without such things being voiced, and she sighs.
"I suppose," she says, glumly. "I will think about it, at least.

She peers up at Wenomir.
"Did you come only to give me a sword?"

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Perceptive as he is, Cass' unsaid harsh words don't escape Wenomir. What did she react to this way? Doesn't really matter now, he supposes.

"Now only for that, no. I wanted to talk... we do have a lot to talk about, after all. Though you've already cleared up one thing when you told me how your body was made."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Cass blinks, taken aback.
"Why would you need to know that?" She asks.

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir himself looks surprises by Cass' reaction.

"I wanted to understand it better. Understand you better. How you came to be who you are now."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

"Uhm... okay." Says Cass, still clearly confused, though choosing not to dwell on it. "What else?"

[Arkhosia]

Fettina's Place

The woman nods, pressing affectionately against her chrome-skinned companion. Yet another reason to look forward to it. It'll be quite a memorable means of introduction, she types with humor. Cantata isn't entirely sure it will be the wisest way to make a first impression - but all the same, she seems genuinely eager to meet the members of Fettina's social circle.

[Morty]

[Cass' Tower - Wenomir]

Wenomir is silent for a few moments. This... isn't easy.

"Last time, before we... had sex, we agreed to take things slowly and see where it leads us. And, well, here we are. I admit that being here, talking to you... it feels natural, more so than it should be with someone I've only met recently. But I don't know if there's a connection here of if I'm imagining one. Does it feel the same to you?"