The Twofold Houses 5: Rebuilding

[UncleWolf]

Cessie's Forge

The question of "What Jezzy Wants" appears to be much harder to answer than Cessie might have realized. The former daemon sits there for a moment, a frown clear on her face as she contemplates. She's quiet, staring off at nothing, for a few long minutes before she finally answers. "I want to improve myself. I reached the peak of what I can do physically without magic or technology aiding me. I have plenty of skill and experience, more than my fair share even, but I feel this...pulling to continue. Now more than ever as I've lost much of what had empowered me. This had seemed like a relatively harmless method to replace what I've lost in part, but perhaps it was a simple impulsiveness carrying me away and I am wrong."

It seems Jezebel has come to a conclusion however and she simply begins to try and let the Aether flow out of her. "Thank you for the offer of help, Ambrosia, but perhaps it is too early for me to make such commitments yet. I think it would be best for me to take some more time to recover and push myself instead."

[Shadowcaller]

Cessie's Forge

"It wouldn't change her much at all really. Not in any visible way at least. At most she would enter this state once or twice every month or so." Ambrosia continues explaining as Jezebel is quietly pondering and staring off into nothing.

Cessie seems to be simply waiting for the former daemon to make a decision however.

"You shouldn't-" Ambrosia starts, but quickly stops herself and simply nods. "If that is your wish, Lady Tel'vree."
Cessie tilts her head. "And that's your final decision, Jezz?" She asks with a blank expression.

[UncleWolf]

Cessie's Forge

"It is. Primarily because even now I cannot say I am certain I should go for this or not. If I cannot act or choose with true certainty, I shouldn't do it. I do not wish to sit here all day in indecision. I'm not saying no permanently, but I should do other things first. Besides, I have to search for longevity and immortality now." Jezebel says with a small smile before getting up to her feet to stretch. "I enjoy this form and how it feels and how I think during it, it is true, but I should make a more informed decision about my choices rather than leaping at the first opportunity I see. Besides, nothing is preventing me from taking another elixir in the future, is there?" She asks with a small chuckle. "Though I would suggest one that's not as powerful or long lasting."

[Shadowcaller]

Cessie's Forge

Cessie suddenly smiles and nods, reaching up to wrap her hands around the other woman's neck. "You only had to say 'yes' or 'no', you know? I support whichever you take, Jezz." She then plants a light kiss on Jezebel's lips. "Sometimes, less is more."

Jezebel should feel the rest of the aether leaving her about now.

Ambrosia hardly seem to notice the two's exchange. She seems to be more busy looking at something that seems to just above Jezebel which seems to be invisible.

[Murkus]

[Molerat Mayhem]

The molerat seems more comfortable around all those people now and wanders over to Cassie to sniff her intently too. Then, however, Gwydion appears and the critter doesn't seem keen on being scooped up. He scurries off at surprising speed when the boy tried to grab him, in the direction of the house.

[Molerat Mayhem]

The two girls startle when the molerat suddenly runs and turn on Gwydion.

"You scared him!"

"See, you're scary!"

[Molerat Mayhem]

"A-am not! You were crowding him!" Gwydion cries, stamping his feet after he recovers from the shock of the molerat fleeing.

"Come on, Gwyd, don't argue with the babies!!" Says Cern, giving chase! Though who knows if he'll get into some trouble before the boys can catch him. Or the other babies. The little girl's doe legs have gota be quick!

[UncleWolf]

Cessie's Forge

Jezebel returns the light kiss as she shifts back to her normal human self, but what starts as a simple embrace quickly turns into her having to lean on Cessie for support. Her smile twists into a grimace, and sweat breaks out on her body, but she keeps the (now)oversized robe shut with a hand. "Okay. I think I need to go lay down now. It feels like my entire body is aching after a work out. Though, admittedly, there are worse ways to feel." She adds, reaching up to run her fingers on the thin scar on her chest. At least that, and her soul, was now repaired.

[Shadowcaller]

Cessie's Forge

The 'human self' with horns and a tail? She wouldn't be considered human in Hestopia, that's for sure.

Cessie gives Jezebel a quick hug as she feels her girlfriend is, well, shrinking. There was still a notably size-difference between them but this one was far less considerable.
"I don't you will have much to complain about soon, Jezz." Cessie remarks as she puts her hand on-top Jezebel's as she is caressing her scar. "Let me help you up there, you can take the master bedroom. I don't mind." It felt wrong to have her sleep in the guest room at this point.

She will attempt to lead the former daemon out of the forge and towards the keep.

"Miss Ithil, will you be leaving?" She asks as they pass by the scholar who quickly turns to the sorceress, having been preoccupied simply observing something.
"Oh, I will. Just need to clean up my notes and I shall take my leave. It has been a productive time here, lady Mithar. I'm grateful for the opportunity to help."
Cessie smiles. "I'm glad. Just send me copies of your notes when you're finished then. Garn can see you out."
"Of course, post-haste." She nods politely at the two. "But I wish you and lady Tel'vree a good day then."

And so Cessie and Jezebel head into the keep to get the former daemon some rest while Ambrosia will finish up some unfinished business...

[Morty]

[Molerat Mayhem]

The molerat will try to get into the house through the door or any kind of opening. Should he succeed, he'll quickly forget about running away and start scurrying about the place, fascinated by all the new smells and sounds. Any plants are going to attract his particular attention. There's not anything like that underground.

[Gullara]

[Molerat Mayhem]

Maybe one day the girls will be quick and graceful on their legs, but they're not there yet. The boys are certainly faster than them. But that's neither here nor there, the two let the boys run off, quickly getting distracted. "Look it's grampa!" "Hi grampa!" The two scamper over to the approaching treant, back from one of his strolls. His warm greeting rumbles into the yard along with him.

The molerat will conveniently find the door open! With supervision both inside and out, Sakura's left the door wide open so the kids can come and go as they please. As for plants, there are certainly plenty. Sakura doesn't just have her garden outside. Inside is littered with potted plants of various kinds wherever she can put them.

[UncleWolf]

Master Bedroom

Jezebel stays quiet as she's helped to the bedroom, but the moment the door is closed and she's anywhere near the bed, the former daemon slips her arms around Cessie with a smile and tries to fall back onto the bed with her. "I'm exhausted. I hurt. I'm sore. And there's little more that I want to do than sleep...but I'm not dead. If the most beautiful mage in the world doesn't mind, I'd like to stare at her adoringly for a bit and to leech off a bit of body heat to soothe these aching limbs." She admits, smiling wryly and obviously feeling leagues better than when she had arrived despite her current state. The bandages were off her body, and while there was a thin scar left behind, Jezebel felt whole again. Literally and figuratively.

[Shadowcaller]

Master Bedroom

Cessie had a sneaking suspicions something like this might be coming, but hadn't though Jezebel had the energy to pull this, so she is dragged into bed with her. "You're definitely not dead saying that. Sometimes, I think I'm in love with a teenager, other times a woman older than time." Cessie shakes her head as she puts her arms around the other woman. "But do you promise to rest afterwards? Since I know that you need it." She smiles. "You do look much better though, not shattered eyes for one."

[Morty]

[Molerat Mayhem]

The molerat is very interested in the plants, scampering and sniffing among them. He's not chewing on them... yet, but one or two threaten to topple over unless Cern and Gwydion can get to him quick.

[Murkus]

[Molerat Mayhem]

"Oh no!"
"Quick, he's gonna wreck the wrong stuff!"

The boys rush to pursue their new friend, but they really aren't a match for the molerat if he really starts to scamper again. And someone else appears that might set him off...

Namely Laela comes down the stairs between the twin boys and the molerat, giving them a reproachful look. "Hey! Are you guys trying to run me over?" She turns to look at the other sound... and lets out a very loud little scream! "Eeewww! What is it!" She half giggles, half mock-gags at the weird little creature.

[Morty]

[Molerat Mayhem]

The molerat turns sharply around he when he hears a new voice, accompanied by a new smell. Sharply enough, in fact, that his rear bowls right into some potted plants... which start toppling on him! Cern and Gwydion better act quickly.

[UncleWolf]

Master Bedroom

Jezebel closes the aforementioned eyes before burying her face into Cessie's chests with a sigh. "I swear I'll rest. I feel better, feel more like myself, but I did want to claim at least a bit of your time and presence before nodding off." She explains, visibly and tangibly relaxing in Cessie's embrace. "Don't let me sleep all day though. I've been asleep plenty and should at least be a bit more active this evening." She mutters before falling asleep unless the mage keeps her awake.

[Shadowcaller]

Master Bedroom

"It feels like we haven't been outside each others presence for the entire week." Cessie remarks as she let's Jezebel nuzzle into her, her hands placed on the other woman's shoulders. "And you do need your rest, normally people don't leave the bed for months after being stabbed in the chest like you were."
She is speaking softly, having no intention of keeping Jezzy awake longer than necessary.
Once she has fallen asleep, Cessie will gently tuck her into bed and make perfectly sure she is comfortable before leaving.

[Murkus]

[Molerat Mayhem]

The molerat turns sharply around he when he hears a new voice, accompanied by a new smell. Sharply enough, in fact, that his rear bowls right into some potted plants... which start toppling on him! Cern and Gwydion better act quickly.

[Molerat Mayhem]

It's the boys turns to scream. Cernunnos dashes in and slides on his belly, scooting the molerat out of the way. Unfortunately he's bopped on the head with a potted plant instead, which bounces from there to the floor... shattering loudly.

"Owww!" Cern cries, clutching the top of his head. Gwydion scurries forward to either help Cern or scoop the rat. Laela gives out a squealing giggle at their antics.

[Morty]

[Molerat Mayhem]

The molerat jumps up, squeaking, at the sudden noise of the shattering pot. Gwydion can scoop him up in the confusion if he wants.

[Murkus]

[Molerat Mayhem]

Scooped! Gwydion pets the poor thing and tries to calm him down, though he does squat down beside his brother. "Are you okay, Cern?"

"Nooo!" Cern whines, clutching at the top of his head. He looks ready to cry, but he's doing a good job holding it back.

"He's so weird looking!" says Laela, curiosity renewed, now a bit closer to her younger brothers. "Lemme see for a sec."

"No! He's ours!" replies Cern, hopping up. "I knew everyone was gonna wanna get our pet!"

"Come on, Cern, don't be like that," says Laela, teasing the younger boy. She sticks her hands out. "I'll be gentle. Lots gentler than you guys."

"No!"

"Gimme!"

Oh dear. Now there's arguing. And pushing. And wrestling. A couple more plants fall, and the children probably get dirty. Somewhere in there Cernunnos shouts to his brother, "Ruuun, Gwydion!"

So Gwyd scurries away. And here maybe the molerat was just starting to get cozy, what with Gwydion holding him and petting him. He runs upstairs if the molerat tolerates being held that long and dashes into one of the upstairs rooms, bowling over two more of his siblings as they play.

"And here's the horn, Russell. That's how you tell people that you're mad at them, jus like daddy," Lucy says, sitting with her brother inside a child-sized plastic car fit for two.

Russell makes a bland face.

"And you turn the wheel to steer. Like this," she goes on, turning it with a squeak. The car's wheels really move!

"..." says Russell.

"Don't worry, I can explain it again-- oouhf!" Lucy stammers as Gwydion hits the back of their miniature vehicle, rolling it across the playroom to hit the far wall with a 'bap'. The boy stumbles and drops his molerat, who might just end up on the back of the car as it rolls to a stop. Well this sure is a colorful place... There's stuffed animals and games and little action figures everywhere.

Lucy turns around to look, squeals, and scurries out of the car to hide behind a plush frog that's bigger than she is. Russell will just... turn around and stare. He narrows his eyes a bit, clearly very deep in thought. Hmmmmm.

"Sorry, Lucy. Sorry, Russell," says Gwyd, righting himself after hitting the car and approaching the molerat again gingerly.

[Morty]

[Molerat Mayhem]

The molerat seems to calm down as Gwydion holds and pets him, surprisingly enough. He even stays in his arms when he runs, only waving his chubby paws around. He lands on the car and scrambles back to the ground, then looks around the place. His beady little eyes aren't very good at recognizing colors, so this place doesn't look much different to him. He's faced with two new people, one of whom smells really nice and the other smells concerning. He steps back towards Gwydion uncertainly. This little two-legs seems reasonable enough, so maybe he needs to stick with him in this weird place.

[Murkus]

[Molerat Mayhem]

Gwydion bends down to pet the little guy's sides.

"So that's your new pet," says Lucy, poking her head out. It certainly wasn't eating Gwydion, meaning it's not a monster, so that was the only alternative.

"Uh-huh. And I need you guys help to keep him safe so Laela doesn't get him!"

And speak of the devil... still half struggling with Cern, Laela appears in the doorway, grinning as she looks at Gwydion. "Haha! Gotcha!" Her younger siblings were so silly. Such babies.

Gwydion gives out with a yelp and... looks to the miniature car. He tries to pick up the molerat again. "Scoot over, Russell!" he says. The rose-headed boy does so. In hops Gwyd with his pet. "Go, go go! Get us outta here!"

It seems Russell was paying attention. He turns the little toy car around with only a couple adjustments and speeds towards the door. Laela, having walked through to look at the boys skeptically, has to hop out of the way! Out they go! The car isn't overly fast, but it really shouldn't be outside of that play room given the potential for havoc. Russell drives them toward the stairs. "Wait! No, Russell, not that way!" Oh crud! He holds onto the molerat tight to keep him safe!

There's a series of thuds as they go down, a crash as they bounce off the corner of the stair case and dent the wall. Russell looks... mildly amused even as the impacts jounce him around, which would probably be a little concerning to any observers. Gwydion squeals with terror.

They hit the first floor at a skid and knock down a couple more potted plants. Russell drives them toward the front entrance, busting through the screen door and out onto the walk in front of the house. It seems their rampage might be about to continue when Adir stomps out of nowhere, having heard the exploding flowerpots. His boot lands on the hood of the car, stopping it cold.

Oh dear. If the molerat was getting a bad vibe from Russell, well... Gwydion quails beneath his dad's gaze. Russell manages to widen his eyes.

[Gullara]

[Disturbances]

The one downside to going to sleep in the early afternoon is that the kids are still up. Kids that are very good at evading Garn by now.

"Maybe she's in here." Bastion suggests as they're walking past the master bedroom. There's only a few places their mom is when Garn is watching them, and this is one of them.

"Let's check!" Cora marches up to the door and knocks. "Mommy? Are you in there?"

Jezebel will have at least had a few hours of sleep...

[UncleWolf]

Disturbance

Jezebel has not survived so long by sleeping heavily nor by being unable to act. The moment she hears the knock and children, she wakes up and begins moving. Covers are thrown back, a quick glance spots her folded clothes on the foot of the bed, and she quickly snags her pants to slip them on as she's getting to her feet. If she called out, there was a greater chance the kids would open the door sooner, so she quickly tightens the robe around her body, drags the covers back with her tail, and then has to stop when she sees the rest of her clothing. Think. Think, Jezzy. Trust your instincts. Where should this go? They'll enter any second...

It was not a good idea to stuff your underwear into Cessie's pillow case to hide it, damn it. Too late now.

Just because she was quick to act upon waking up does not necessarily mean all her decisions were smart ones when made in such haste. A handful of seconds was all it took for her to get "dressed" however, and she soon opens the door. "Your mother isn't in here. Is everything okay?" She asks gently.

[Gullara]

[Disturbances]

Both kids give Jezebel a bug eyed look when she appears behind the door. "What are you doing here?" Bastion asks first.

Cora wedges her way past Jezebel and steps into the room. Normally they're not allowed in here, but Jezebel is in here!

[UncleWolf]

Disturbances

The tip of Jezzy's tail whirls to be in front of Cora, a soft and likely entirely ineffective barrier to preventing her from going too far into the room. At the very least it might offer a distraction. "I was helping your mother with a project in her labs and after she let me take a nap in here. She isn't in here though. Were you looking for her?" She asks before tilting her head in thought. The kids seemed to be alone up here...

"Did you hiding from Garn?"

[Gullara]

[Disturbances]

Cora just wards off Jezebel's tail, as automatically as she'd fend off either of her siblings blocking her similarly. Though Jezebel could stop her if she's determined to. "We're not hiding." She declares as she goes to climb up on her mom's bed.

"Jillian stole our fort." Bastion isn't as distracted as his sister. They're here for a reason, and Jezebel is an adult that can help right?

[UncleWolf]

Disturbing Disturbances

"Now Cora, are you allowed on the bed?" Jezebel asks, quirking her brow to look at her skeptically. Her tone says that it isn't really a question. It didn't take a mage to figure out the kids shouldn't really be in this room without Cessie, and while Jezebel was willing to bend rules a bit, there was only so far she was going to let the two break them. "How did Jillian conquer and claim your fort? Do you need help making another?"

[Gullara]

[Disturbances]

"I'm not jumping!" Cora insists, a response that comes very readily. She grabs a bundle of Cessie's blanket in her arms and drags it off the bed. Thankfully the pillows go undisturbed.

"It's our fort." Bastion says firmly. "Come help."

[UncleWolf]

Diversionary Tactics

"Good deflection, but I didn't ask about jumping." Jezebel says as she slips on over to try and scoop Cora up before she can drag the bedding fully off the bed. "I very much do not believe you're supposed to be in here, but I'm definitely sure you're not going to be taking your mother's bedding to make a new fort." If successful, she'll just toss the girl onto her shoulder. "So, how can I help?" She asks Bastion. "Surely there's a closet full of spare linen."

[Gullara]

[Disturbances]

Jezebel can scoops Cora up, but it's not so easy. She clings onto the edge of Cessie's blanket, so it gets half dragged off the bed anyway. "Hey! Put me down!" Cora protests. "I need this."

"We want our fort." Bastion insists steadfastly. "You gotta help kick Jillian out. Come on." Bastion remains focused, despite the current power struggle between Cora and Jezebel.