Home 24: A house in this market?

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Place]

”Challenge not the whims of the Gods, Young Vallarm. Do you want to go on your adventure or not?”
For a moment he considers if reverse psychology would actually work. No, that would only hold her for a few minutes even if it did work at first.

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Place]

Khannie look sat the not-dog.

Then at the safe.

Then she gives an exasperated sigh.

"Alright, fine, I'll take him. I still don't like pokemon, though," she finally concedes. "But I really REALLY need to go save daddy. That's way more important."

Just...

The MOST important thing!

It's weird, though. She's not totally sure why this adventure is so important.

Just... that she HAS to go. The only other option would be not doing ANYTHING and if she's not doing anything then what's the point of playing? It's one of those choices that isn't really a choice at all.

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Place]

”I have heard your words, Young Vallarm, and they shall bind you. And don’t think about breaking your promise or you shall invoke THE WRATH OF THE GODS. Have fun!~” and then the light and the smell and the jewelry on Commissar are all gone.

There’s also suddenly a piece of paper on the floor with...the date of Khannie’s birthday?

[Rebonack]

[Jace’s Place]

Khannie stares at the note.

Then stares a little harder.

Then slaps her forehead with an exasperated "UGH!"

Her birthday!

Why hadn't she tried that?

Though it'll probably be a good idea to get better at opening locks anyway. All the best loot is always stashed in the locked chests.

That's what she's learned so far, anyway.

She tries the combo on the safe. Hopefully that'll open it?

"You had better be helpful, houndour," she informs the not-dog. "'cuz this is going to be a super dangerous mission. And I don't know if you'll be able to keep up with me since I'm a real superhero. But you better not do any slacking."

[Reinholdt]

[Sagittarius Towers - Day]

"Oh, oh yeah! ****, Rein, sorry. Come on in." Fettina will guide him inside. The lobby is a stone path set into a tiny artificial moat, where a stone nymph on a pedestal dominates the center of the room and feeds the waters from a cracked pitcher. Stairs lead up into the apartment proper, a crescent around the Towers central spire, a lavish setting covered in lush rugs and curvaceous furnishings. It's a mess. Tina even has an AI to clean the apartment and still, it manage sot be a mess. Especially right now, with how down she's been. "So this must be like a regular day at the office for you, h-huh?"

[Sagittarius Towers - Day]

"I dunno, this is way nicer than my place." Reinholdt says, sounding impressed by the luxurious setting. More than the mess at any rate. "The kind of place I'd normally break in to rob." That's... Comforting? I think he intended it to be.

"Oh wait, you mean the curse?" Obviously. "Well, I don't know about regular day. Mayyybe more like a monthly audit. You know it's coming and you know you gotta put up with it, you just don't know when and it's a real pain sometimes." Reinholdt shakes his head and shrugs.

"But when it turns out well, you get a great icebreaker and a funny story to look back on. Once you're back to drinking and *******, you'll get to look back on this and laugh with fondness. It's uh, like a new appreciation type of thing. Yeah." Rein doesn't even sound like he believes his own positivity statement.

"So give me some details. Someone made you this way. How? Like, did it happen in your sleep from afar, they personally gave you a poisoned apple, they mail you the wrong hat? Give me the nitty gritty and don't leave anything out."

[Shadowcaller]

[Tieflings and Vampires and Sneks Oh My]

Astrana blinks, getting completely thrown out of the loop. She knew Val hadn't communicated with her parents as much as she should have lately but she hadn't though she had left that much out. "Val, you have to at least give them some warning. I might not know a lot about parents, but I'm not sure just dropping everything on them like this is wise. At least tell them you have a big announcement you want to make in person before they get here."

[UncleWolf]

Norael's Place

"I don't mind." Tellysandra remarks. "I just though you would considering- well, just make sure to stop by so I can make sure that you won't explode, or worse. I saw what kind of angel you've become."

Norael's Place

"Or worse? Well, that's ominous. Alright, I'll be on the way shortly." Norael will hang up after that but take a few moments to get dressed in a sweater and bellbottoms. Flying high undoubtedly meant cold air and she'd rather not get too chilly. Even though her wings and hair felt strangely warm for reasons she could guess, there was just going to be too much fast-moving cold air at high altitudes. Once dressed she'll grab her wallet, phone, and keys before flying off from her window towards her boss' place.

Kinda convenient to be able to fly, really. Now she wouldn't have to worry about locking herself out.

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Place]

The lock clicks open and the dog gives a fierce salute with a paw.
”Yes! Protect!” he barks.

Whoops.

[Rebonack]

[Jace’s Place]

Apparently dad's pokemon can talk now.

Well...

Maybe Khannie doesn't hate it quite so much anymore. But it isn't really a pet if it can talk, is it?

Regardless, she goes straight for her amulet. There's other stuff in there, but she isn't supposed to mess with it.

...technically she isn't supposed to mess with her amulet either, but this is important!

She slips it over her neck, breaths a sigh of relief, and focuses. Ribbons of power envelop her, resolving into a pearlescent egg-like covering before shattering in a dramatic flash of light! One magical girl transformation later, she looks older! And her clothing is a bit more stylized and colorful! Not that it matters TOO much, since she's dashing outside to the shed to fetch her super hero outfit.

"You wait out here, okay?" she informs the houndour. "I need to change into my hero stuff, then we'll be ready to go."

Into the shed! Thankfully she hid her gear well enough that it hasn't been discovered. A few minutes later a tall, athletically built woman emerges wearing a form-fitting suit of dark greys and purples, a lattice of little hexagonal patterns spread over its surface. Thicker armor protects her vitals and extremities, though not nearly enough to appear bulky or confining. It's an elegant sort of carapace, smooth and flowing. A mantle covers her shoulders and a hood her head, her face obscured behind a featureless bone-white helmet with five points of blue-green light suggestive of eyes.

"Alright. While I'm in costume you call me 'Ghost' okay?" she informs the 'dog'. "It's important that you don't use my real name."

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Place]

When Khannie returns, Commissar is wearing a hat. There’s no indication of where he got it, but it fits his head and ears perfectly. COMMISSAR is written on the copper dragon-like emblem on the front over the brim.
”Yes! I love you!” says Commissar, who is clearly not intelligent or verbose enough to keep up a coherent conversation. He leans into Khannie, even though he knows she will never let him show his affection. Dog slobber isn’t good for costumes. Especially when it’s flammable.

[Rebonack]

[Jace's Neighborhood]

Ghost regard the dog skeptically.

She has no idea how he'll possibly be useful to have along, but who knows? Maybe gods have some idea of what they're talking about sometimes. Grandfather Koi seemed pretty cool. Does he count as a god? She really isn't sure.

Regardless!

"Come on, we need to get to that big tower that miss Veronica was talking about," she says as she starts off down the sidewalk. "Gosh I wish I had a flying motorcycle or something..." she mutters. "Maybe I should look for one of those next. It would make getting around WAY easier."

Sure she has that super jump trick of hers, but she wouldn't be able to take the dog with her then.

"We need to go straight to where dad is. No distractions along the way."

"HELP!" someone wails from two blocks in the wrong direction.

Ghost hesitates. "Okay, well, maybe ONE distraction. I wouldn't be a very good super hero if I didn't help people in need."

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Neighborhood]

Commissar just looks up at Khannie expectantly. He’s not making the calls here. He’s not smart enough to be making calls here.
If he was, he would think that there’s a better chance of him evolving today than Khannie making it to the Palace before sundown.

[Rebonack]

[Jace’s Neighborhood]

Ghost takes off at a sprint. Thankfully she can keep this sort of thing up for a long time.

She's been working out!

She rounds the corner and-!

There's a family of humans locked in their car with a werewolf stalking around outside snarling and stuff! Judging from the scratch marks they're trying to get inside. And considering that wild look in the werewolf's eyes, he probably isn't planning on sharing some cheese and crackers with them.

"HEY you big fuzzy jerk! Over here!" Khannie yells.

The beast's head immediately snaps toward her as he pulls back his lips in a snarl.

"Okay, we got his attention Commissar, now what?" Khannie mutters as she draws baton off her belt. She gives it a sharp flick, causing it to unfold into a sword-like device with a pair of long parallel tines rather than a blade.

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Neighborhood]

Commissar leaps into action to defend Khannie.
Namely, his hackles raise as he steps in front of her, and bellows an incredibly loud noise from deep in his throat.
HOUNDOUR used ROAR!

[Recaiden]

Fel's House

Violet pushes the last bit of her steak into her mouth as Fel talks about her hands. Damn those were large. She ruminates for a moment before standing up.

Ok, hangovers gone. Weird frog guy I'm gonna need you to be gone by the time we're done so I can pretend you didn't listen to anything. Violet walks over to Fel, reaching up to try and grab her hand and start towing her to where she thinks the bedroom is. Now you, we gotta make up for lost time. Come on.

Reginald continues to be a very good floof, sniffing around for additional steak.

Fel noms some biscuit.

I tend to prefer fingerish foods usually, sometimes I’m I’m eating with utensils around others it makes them nervous for some reason.

Prolly the size of the knife.

"It is a knife." The lizard guy begins.
Then she has to just laugh and laugh at Violet.
"Whatever you say, right? Depends when my useless friend finally shows back up."

[BC's HQ]

Oliver shrugs. "I said what I thought you wanted to hear. I assumed bad people could do good stuff, and that's what was going on here." The first sentence isn't a lie, the second one is debatable, as all that he's heard about how good this group is comes from people in the group.

"And I must presume you're still saying what you think I want to hear." The figure hops onto the next stepping stone, drawing some sort of weapon.
"You must think very little of us."

[Rebonack]

[Jace’s Neighborhood]

RAWR!

Khannie winces a bit.

Geeze was that ever loud.

Unfortunately, there werewolf appears to have taken that as a challenge and is now charging headlong toward out heroes! Oh no!

Khannie braces herself, lightning arcing along her sword. This isn't so bad. She's faced way nastier monsters than this before!

Her legs aren't shaking at all. This is... this is easy compared to all those goons and robots she fought on her first night patrolling.

Easy peasy.

The werewolf leaps, claws extended and jaws foaming!

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Neighborhood]

Don’t be worried, Khannie.
It’s just a three hundred pound apex predator that can infect you with a horrific curse if it injures you in any way.

Commissar decides to combat the threat the way any person of his station is expected to do.
He opens his mouth and sprays the creature down with a jet of red-hot flames, straight from that expensive TM his previous master shoved onto him.

[Rebonack]

[Jace’s Neighborhood]

Oh cool.

Now it's a werewolf that's on fire.

That's way better.

Ghost leaps toward the flaming werewolf as it pounces at her, suddenly becoming misty and indistinct. She passes right through it! The beast is momentarily disoriented, just long enough for the once again corporeal Khannie to whip around and smack him with her baton!

ZZZORT!

The werewolf howls with frustration as its body ceases up, muscles contracting uncontrollably.

Which makes it hard to fight back.

Ghost grits her teeth behind the mask, shoving her baton harder against the monster's back until it finally collapses, smouldering.

And also kind of on fire.

Zip ties probably won't be very helpful here, so she pulls out her pistol and freezes the wolf to the ground under a thick coating of ice. Which also puts the fire out! Everyone wins.

Then she hurries over to the car. "Are you guys alright?" she asks.

"Oh, thank you!" one of the people in the car says. "Things are going crazy out here. Are you one of those super heroes with NERD?"

"Um. Yes. That's exactly who I am," she says after a moment's hesitation. "Ghost, at your service. You citizens should get inside and lay low."

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Neighborhood]

Commissar sits down and looks cute, panting happily.
Until the citizens are safely out of earshot. Then he looks mildly disappointed in Khannie.
”Lying.” he grunts at her.
That’s right, Khannie has already begun DECEIVING the good people of this city? When will her path to villainy end?

[Rebonack]

[Jace’s Neighborhood]

Khannie is feeling pretty great about how that went!

She saved those people, restrained that werewolf without killing him, AND didn't get hurt!

Then the dog accuses her of lying.

"I did not!" she objects. "I was going to join that super hero team, I was! But then dad grounded me! So... I'm sort of a member kind of. I want to be one!"

That's...

Not really the same.

But she figures it is close enough.

[Gullara]

[Tieflings and Vampires and Sneks Oh My]

Astrana blinks, getting completely thrown out of the loop. She knew Val hadn't communicated with her parents as much as she should have lately but she hadn't though she had left that much out. "Val, you have to at least give them some warning. I might not know a lot about parents, but I'm not sure just dropping everything on them like this is wise. At least tell them you have a big announcement you want to make in person before they get here."

[Tieflings and Vampires and Sneks Oh My]

"I know, I know. I'm not going to totally blindside them. I just gotta figure out how to do it is all." She looks down at Maha. Introducing this one is going to be interesting too, but they're going to need to be properly introduced to all the girls anyway. It's not as though the kids know their grandparents yet.

"Honestly, it'd be easier if..." Valerie purses her lips, trying to work up to something. "I want to... physically transition. I'm just thinking of my parents coming here and I want them to get used to the new me, and it's just going to be harder if that needs to happen twice. I've been sitting on this for ages and I wish I talked about it sooner. It's just scary and I don't know where to start and I don't know if you'd even be attracted to me the same way and that's scary." Valerie stops herself and bites her lip before she rambles any more.

[CosmicHobbit]

Oliver sighs. "Boy who cried wolf, eh?" He discretely puts a hand in his pocket, gripping his knife. "It's less that I think little of you and more that I think little of your methods. I'm sure you think whatever you're doing is right, it's just that kidnapping can't really be right, unless it's under specific conditions."

[Recaiden]

"So you are a man of a couple principles. Well, well, tell, tell me about those circumstances."
He sits down on the stepping stone, and waves that Oliver could approach.

[Deathkeeper]

[Jace’s Neighborhood]

All of Commissar’s god given smarts give him the perfect counter argument.
”Nope.” Brilliant work, boy.

Then he goes back to happily waiting for orders and directions.

[Rebonack]

[Jace’s Neighborhood => Starting Quests]

It's Inside!

Except not Inside.

Because Rebo already has, like, a million scenes there already.

Anywho!

Ghost makes an irritated snort in response to the dog and keeps walking. "I'll be part of a super hero team eventually, just you watch."

She doesn't make it much further, though.

Why?

Because she comes across a ransacked caravan! It's an absolute mess, with damaged wagons and injured caravaners everywhere! She quickly hurries over to their aid.

"What happened here?" she asks of the first conscious person she can find.

"Goblins... goblin raiders attacked our caravan... They went... they went that way," the injured merchant says, pointing to a nearby... collection of caves?

Why is there a collection of caves near their house?

This seems awfully stereotypical...

[Arkhosia]

[Sagittarius Towers - Night]

"Aw, c'mon Cantie. You don't know me all that well yet if you think I'm honest," says Tina, dropping her gaze and blushing. "But you're a decent kind of girl. You're all... bright. Makes me look shiny too. Probably everyone looks a little better to you." Fettina laughs.

"So are you gonna tell me what the hell happened?" She looks down where Cantie's injury used to be.

Sagittarius Towers - Night

It's Cantata's turn to giggle as Tina downplays her personal and moral attributes, putting on a sly little smile. I don't think, I know, dear. She pauses for a second, trying to determine the best way to respond - though her hesitation is definitely not as much as she was having before when it came to the topic of feelings. I'm A beat. Well, I'm a minor empath.

I haven't used my powers or anything on you, of course, I promise. She reassures quickly. I just... well, I can't help but get these tinges and senses of how people feel at the moment... and I certainly haven't sensed any malevolence or duplicity from you.

[CosmicHobbit]

Oliver doesn't move. "For example, if doing so would prevent a murder, or worse, from happening. Or, if the kidnapped had already done so and it was the only way to bring them in for evidence, incarceration, and other such things." Oliver is being completely truthful now, as he's seen that two out of the two people he's met who are part of this cartel can see straight through his lies.

[Purple Eagle]

Felandria beams with pride.

Why, thank you.

I worked really hard on it, the magic to make it able to be the right size and everything.

And I picked out most of the furniture.

Only shame is lack of a pool.

"You have very good taste and design sense." Rosalind continues, taking a seat on the long couch and crossing her legs. She subtly pats the spot beside her, as if inviting the redhead to take a seat. "So, crimefighter. Tell me some of your adventures, Fel." The harpy asks, removing her glasses in anticipation of something happening.

[Recaiden]

"You're alright, kid. I say you're in, though we'll have to clear it with the big boss when she gets back."
"Now come on up here and get outta the dark."
Their hands are empty again.

[Deathkeeper]

[Starting Quests]

"We super team." Commissar wimpers.

That's right! They're a team! And teams stick together.
Even when the leader is being so incredibly mean.

And then goblins! Oh no!

"Be careful, Khannie! This might lead into a Dungeon!"