Home 24: A house in this market?

[Reinholdt]

[Sagittarius Towers - Day]

Rein's head tilts and he leans a little, kind of following Tina with his quizzical and confused stare as she makes herself smaller. Was this some kind of costume... No. That probably wouldn't warrant this reaction. Unless she was embarrassed by such geekery? He doesn't know Tina well enough to know if she's an avid and, uh, thorough cosplayer. Does she do the, what was it? Lorping?

"Um, is everything alright? Should I come back at a better time?" A few hours should give Tina the time she needs, right?

[Gullara]

[Tieflings and Vampires and Sneks Oh My]

"I don't even know where to start..." Astrana remarks as she attempts to sooth Maha by slowly rocking her in her arms.
But she will eventually start explaining what happened at MERC and how she had gotten involved in the moon wells and what the snake god had wanted them to do while attempting to calm the baby.

[Tieflings and Vampires and Sneks Oh My]

Maha does calm as Astrana explains the situation, settling into her arms and closing her eyes. Valerie wears a perturbed look for most of the explanation. What a mess... "So this snake god thing wants there to be more gorgons, or something?" She shakes her head. "You know what, I don't care about that. As long as it's not going to be a problem again."

Valerie watches the baby for a moment. "It's all so unbelievable, but she looks just like you. You know, aside from the snakes." At least those are still right now. Valerie sits down on the edge of the bed. this is so overwhelming. "Okay, okay. Can I hold her?"

[Murkus]

[Sagittarius Towers - Day]

Rein's head tilts and he leans a little, kind of following Tina with his quizzical and confused stare as she makes herself smaller. Was this some kind of costume... No. That probably wouldn't warrant this reaction. Unless she was embarrassed by such geekery? He doesn't know Tina well enough to know if she's an avid and, uh, thorough cosplayer. Does she do the, what was it? Lorping?

"Um, is everything alright? Should I come back at a better time?" A few hours should give Tina the time she needs, right?

[Sagittarius Towers - Day]

Tina sighs and slumps. "Hell, I wish you'd tell me when a better time is gonna be." She looks to him. "You probably know what's up with this kind of thing. I got cursed. My friends have some enemies and they decided I looked juicy. Then they decided it'd be funny if they made me... this. Can't feel things. Can't really drink. Can't have fun. Can't have sex!" She straightens up, pulling at her hair - presently a sheen of silvery metal and solar orange strands. "It's a nightmare!"

[Recaiden]

Oliver has an idea, and begins hopping across the stepping stones. If there's any foreseeable end, he'll maneuver to as close to the middle as he can, and face back toward where he came from. If, however, there's no end that he can see, he'll simply go out far enough for a person to see him but not far enough so that he becomes indistinct.

It looks like the stepping stones are slowly forming a spiral, winding down towards a broad round patch of stone.
So Oliver can get halfway there, no real trouble.
His pursuer is in the room at this point, standing at the top of the stepping stone path.
"Who's there?" they hiss into the void.

[Shadowcaller]

[Tieflings and Vampires and Sneks Oh My]

"It won't." Astrana promises and then nods as she will attempt to slowly hand over Maha to Val. "I just don't know what to do now, honestly. I'm being manipulated, and it also feels like I've betrayed you in a way. I thought you would get far more upset honestly, this is a lot to take in."

Norael's Place

Telly pauses on the other line. "'kay, let's us both chill a moment, Nora. I'm going to try to explain what went wrong, it wasn't the power of your spell that was lacking, in fact that you caused all this in the first place is nothing short of amazing, its the way it was designed. You had it break down walls, yeah? Well, now you were trying to break down reed with a sledgehammer when you should have used a spade to pull out its roots first. It's a common mistake, which is exactly why I have designed my spells like that. Too many spellcasters just try to smash something with overwhelming force without analyzing it first. For what its worth, I'm sorry that you got involved in all this. It honestly was just a stunt I pulled to impress AMEN of all people." The archwarlock let's out a sigh. "I'd say I was young and dumb if it hadn't happened like a month ago."

[Gullara]

[Tieflings and Vampires and Sneks Oh My]

"You never did anything to betray me. You were just trying to help someone." Valerie replies, bouncing the baby gently. She's quite for a moment as she watches Maha. "Does she have to cover her eyes like that? I know about gorgons... in theory. There were myths about them at home, and I guess they just exist here. But... she's just a baby."

[Arkhosia]

[Sagittarius Towers - Night]

Fettina grabs Cantie, presses her cheek into the songstress', sticks her tongue out, and flashes two raised fingers for the camera. Even adds a little wink. She's clearly very photogenic. Fettina takes the opportunity to give Cantie all her relevant social media details.

Fettina just blinks. That was not what she expected Cantie to say. "...Some, sure. Not a ton, but I could name a few songs... why?"

Sagittarius Towers - Night

Cantata looks just a little bashful before replying, as if she's about to divulge a slightly embarrassing secret. Well, you se- that part gets swiftly deleted as she composes a more elegant way to say what she means. Remember how I said I was a singer? There's a pause. How the hell can she put this without sounding a little narcissistic? Well, I might have a couple old videos of my performances tucked away somewhere.

I've never played them, much less shared them before... but I think A pause hangs in the air as Cantata tries to wrap her head around the emotions that are making her say this, struggling to put them into words. there's something about you... I feel really comfortable being around you, enough to share them with you trust you. Enough to want to open up to her, even though they've only known each other over the course of two nights and maybe a few series of text messages. She takes a deep breath to calm the nerves that built up from simply trying to say that, and puts on that winning smirk of hers. Besides, you told me about your divine dilemma; it's only fair I let you in on something personal in return~

[Reinholdt]

[Sagittarius Towers - Day]

Tina sighs and slumps. "Hell, I wish you'd tell me when a better time is gonna be." She looks to him. "You probably know what's up with this kind of thing. I got cursed. My friends have some enemies and they decided I looked juicy. Then they decided it'd be funny if they made me... this. Can't feel things. Can't really drink. Can't have fun. Can't have sex!" She straightens up, pulling at her hair - presently a sheen of silvery metal and solar orange strands. "It's a nightmare!"

[Sagittarius Towers - Day]

"Well... To be fair, you are kinda juicy- CAN'T DRINK?!" Reinholdt looks mortified! That is a nightmare. "Oh man, I'm sorry." Rein runs his hand through his hair. "I used to get transformed a lot back when I did nothing but adventure. You should have seen me as a catfish... Actually, we're probably both better off if you didn't," Reinholdt says, trying to lighten the mood.

[CosmicHobbit]

Oliver calls back smugly. "A man with motivation."

He's sitting halfway to the stone, legs and arms crossed, with a look of complete satisfaction on his face. "I would like to join this cartel, yet nobody I've talked to offers me your motivations, and often claim I have none. Hence, I have come here to prove that I am motivated, and to ask what this groups are."

[Recaiden]

"And what is your being here supposed to prove? You look lost."
They hop effortlessly over to the beginning of the stepping stones, but they're listening.

[CosmicHobbit]

Oliver stands up. "I heard in order to join this cartel, I must share your motivations. However, the person I heard this from refused to tell me what your motivations were, claiming I didn't have enough motivation." He gestures around him as he says, "My being here is meant to prove that I am motivated enough to hear your reasons for doing what you do.

[Murkus]

[Sagittarius Towers - Night]

Fettina thinks Cantata is just adorable, and it's hard to keep the sentiment off her face. She claps her hands together. "Babe, babe, say no more. I would love to see them. Show me. We can even put them up on my TV." She nudges Cantie's shoulder with her own, giving a wink. "I don't know why anyone would trust me, but I feel like I can do the same with you, babe, if that's worth anything."

[Sagittarius Towers - Day]

Rein is rewarded with an abrupt outbreak of giggles. Fettina covers her mouth with her hand for a scant moment. "Well, you're probably better off. Personally I would have loved to see that." Fettina peers at him. "Transformed all the time, huh? What'd you do to fix it?"

[billtodamax]

"It's pretty neat. You could cook the steak longer next time."

Neverest is one of those awful people who wants meat well-done.

She rotates an eye towards Violet.
"For something this size? I suppose you eat pizza with a fork too?"
Humans are so weird.

Once she gets down to it, she offers Reginald the last bite of her steak.
What a good fluffy little guy he is!

Reginald nibbles the steak joyously.

Pizza?

With a fork?

Even the big floopy slices, you fold up and eat.

Yeah well <fight>ing pizza duh you eat with your hands. Violet says, waving a piece of steak on the end of her fork around as she makes her point. She stuffs the piece of steak in her mouth before continuing: Pizza doesn't have <feet>ing... blood and <shoes> on it.

Get <ship> on your hands. She mumbles as she cuts into the steak again.

[Reinholdt]

[Sagittarius Towers - Day]

Rein gives a light smile. "Well, time solved a lot of it. Dying fixed some of the rest. I, uh, got better." Supposedly.

"Only two things really stuck. One of which was kind of sort of a bargain on my part? That one's complicated. The other is the only one I would actually consider a curse though. I've lived with it because it was very incomplete and didn't end up inconveniencing me." Incomplete curses can be really wacky.

"I can give you more details, but not from this doorway."

[UncleWolf]

Norael's Place

Telly pauses on the other line. "'kay, let's us both chill a moment, Nora. I'm going to try to explain what went wrong, it wasn't the power of your spell that was lacking, in fact that you caused all this in the first place is nothing short of amazing, its the way it was designed. You had it break down walls, yeah? Well, now you were trying to break down reed with a sledgehammer when you should have used a spade to pull out its roots first. It's a common mistake, which is exactly why I have designed my spells like that. Too many spellcasters just try to smash something with overwhelming force without analyzing it first. For what its worth, I'm sorry that you got involved in all this. It honestly was just a stunt I pulled to impress AMEN of all people." The archwarlock let's out a sigh. "I'd say I was young and dumb if it hadn't happened like a month ago."

Norael's Place

"I'd say the issue is trying to impress AMEN in the first place rather than everything that happened after." The angel says dryly, even though that was probably the truth of the matter. "But now the question is how to fix this. I assume that it is a matter of time before this sets in even more permanently and that both Tina and I will require to be present for you to undo this, but I can assure you that she's not going to go to you willingly. Nor will I force her to, which leaves a scant few options I'm guessing." Despite calming down a bit, the explanation of the curse being designed like this definitely aggravated Norael. It shouldn't have mattered whether the spell was strongly fortified or made to bend, which meant that it was herself that had blundered somehow. She'd have to do more research into this.

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

"Uuugh!" Khannie grunts as she shoves her math homework aside. Normally it helps calm her down. Math makes sense. It has rules and structure and it always works the same way.

Math is reliable.

It grounds her.

But being grounded is exactly the problem!

Ever since her foray into costumed crime fighting she felt like she was doing something important. But then dad got home way earlier than expected and it was all ruined.

No necklace. No secret identity.

And worst of all is that stupid feral pokemon dad brought home.

She can smell it. Like gross egg farts. Reminding her that she's stuck here and she'll have to wait years before she'll ever be able to save someone again.

It's in the hallway now. Just around the corner. Being terrible.

"I hate pokemon," Khannie mutters. "Why won't dad get rid of it?"

Dark thoughts intrude in her mind. Maybe she should just get rid of it herself?

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace's Place]

Did someone say pokemon?
Oh boy oh boy.
Commissar wanders in hearing Khannie's distress, tail loudly thumping against the door as he stares at her with pleading eyes, pleading with her to allow him to be useful.

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

Speak of the devil and he will appear.

Khannie scowls at the houndour.

"NO!" she yells, pointing accusingly at it. "You aren't allowed in my room. Get out. OUT! Bad pokemon!"

The puppy eyes are met only with spite.

And possibly a thrown math textbook if he doesn't move fast enough.

Doesn't anyone know that feral pokemon can be contagious?

She doesn't want that thing anywhere near her. What if she loses her mind?

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace's Place]

The dog looks at her with droopy ears and tail, whimpering. But when it's hit in the face with a book, something changes. It looks at the door, and closes it slowly with one paw. It goes over to the window, and seemingly checks it for anyone nearby before strutting slowly back to the front of the room. There's a sudden smell of incense that wafts through the room. Commissar coughs, growls, and lays down with a paw under his snout like a king on a futon. His eyes glow a piercing gold.
"Is this where we've gotten, Young Vallarm? You throw insults and books at my servant, when you were so kind to my last one? Cruelty is unbecoming of you."

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

That doesn't seem like a thing a pokemon would say.

Even if the pokemon suddenly stopped being feral.

Khannie decides to summarize her feelings on this turn of events.

"What."

She's very eloquent.

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Place]

The dog(?) chuckles.
”Now that’s more of what I remember. Jackal’s got your tongue, my dear? I thought I would announce myself. You seemed like you could use some advice and you earned yourself a favor with your offering, freely given. So here I am. In the body of this poor servant of mine and your father’s, whom you have so harshly chastised for existing. he chides her.

[Rebonack]

[Jace’s Place]

That explains...

Basically nothing.

Offering?

What?

"I don't know who you are or what you're talking about or why you're possessing my dad's stupid pokemon but I'm going to call the police," Khannie warns.

Do the police respond to people's dogs being possessed by strangers who talk weird?

Khannie isn't sure, but it sounds like a reasonable threat.

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Place]

‘Commissar’ groans.
”Children. No sense for theatrics. Behold mortal, for I am the great god Anubis, here in the flesh (of your dad’s stupid Pokémon) because you gave me delicious salted meats.” it says drily, waving its paws as it rolls its eyes.
”Is it too much to ask for mortals to be a little impressed when I show up? I don’t expect bowing and scraping like Uncle Sobek. Set wouldn’t be dealing with this you know, but that’s because he’s a monster. I just came here because you sounded like you’ve been having some troubles you can’t talk about with anyone else. I’m a good listener you know. Anpu and I listen to Morne talk about guns for hours. He could talk about guns for a year straight if we let him.”

[Rebonack]

[Jace’s Place]

"I've never heard of anyone named Anubis," Khannie points out.

Or at least no one that she remembers.

She grew up in a pokemon world.

Her first grade equivalent didn't have a unit on Egyptology. Why would it? There are, like, one maybe two pokemon that are Egyptian themed.

Then Morne is mentioned and it all makes sense.

"You were that weird dog I shared my salami and cheese with," she gasps.

Or at least the anima of said dog.

Which is now in her dad's stupid pokemon.

Okay. Now this is making a little more sense. Which means Khannie relaxes a bit.

Just a little.

This is still weird.

She slumps and frumps. "I'm having troubles because dad won't let me be a super hero AND he got a pet pokemon. I hate pokemon."

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace's Place]

"Well that's an odd thing for someone to say, who wears an outfit that looks like one. Who was more than happy to become one simply to persuade Morne into surrendering loot. Who would be one, were it not for a little stone around her neck. Why do you reject this part of yourself? Of your father?" Anubis asks her, idly scratching at the golden gorget around his neck.

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

Khannie shifts uncomfortably.

She doesn't like probing questions.

"Everyone knows humans turn into pokemon when they go to the pokemon world. That's how all the stories go," she argues. "If I hadn't been snatched away I would have been human, too. That's the way things are supposed to be. Grandfather Koi just helped me make it right."

Hah.

There.

See?

Perfectly understandable.

"If it weren't for pokemon, I wouldn't have ever been stolen from my dad."

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace's Place]

The god-dog stares at her impassively.
"Oh, Young Vallarm. How you tell yourself these things. But you have cast hate on others over what you cannot yourself accept:
it is only because of Pokemon that you were born at all. Or do you think your father lied about how you came to be?"

[Felandria]

Fel And Rose

Felandria opens the front door and escorts Rosalind inside.

Care for a beverage?

[Arkhosia]

Sagittarius Towers - Night

Cantata's cheeks glow a little, and she pantomimes a titter. I fear I can't access them at the moment, I never moved them off of an external storage... but it does give me an excellent reason to invite you to my place, no? That cocky little grin resurfaces there. And don't sell yourself short like that! She adds with a chastising little nudge of the elbow. You're candid, honest, and just so infectiously full of life- just being around you makes me feel a little more bright and alive, and it's certainly not just the usual culprit. What part of that isn't worth trusting?" Her smile turns reassuring, almost encouraging, and that telltale glimmer flits across her pupils.

[Recaiden]

[Fel's House]

Reginald nibbles the steak joyously.

Pizza?

With a fork?

Even the big floopy slices, you fold up and eat.

Yeah well <fight>ing pizza duh you eat with your hands. Violet says, waving a piece of steak on the end of her fork around as she makes her point. She stuffs the piece of steak in her mouth before continuing: Pizza doesn't have <feet>ing... blood and <shoes> on it.

Get <ship> on your hands. She mumbles as she cuts into the steak again.

"Aww, what a good little floof he is."
Wait.
Was there something going on besides Reginald?
Right.
"'Blood and <ship>'? Neither does steak once you cook it." Neverest retorts, taking another bite and getting grease all over her mittens.