Home 24: A house in this market?

[Lord Magtok]

Ithuriel's Demiplane

"Wow. All of this is for me?" There's a slight hint of a frown on his features for a moment. This doesn't seem particularly breakfasty. Maybe a dinner sort of thing, but not first thing in the morning, right? How long has he been out for? Has it really been an entire day? Does Ithuriel's demiplane even have a day/night cycle? How much time passed in 'the real world' while he was here curtaining? Has Ithuriel been giggling about him behind his back this whole time because he's been out for an entire day? Why is he so concerned with discovering he delivered a sub-par performance, as if he wasn't there and witnessed everything that happened behind the curtain himself? You did fine, Ambriel. Needs wouldn't have gone to all of this trouble if you were just going to humiliate yourself, and she wouldn't be smiling from ear to ear and delivering this three-course meal of a breakfast if you were a spectacular failure, right?

"...Just making sure, it's still October out in the real world, right?" Everything about Ithuriel and her demiplane has always been so Thanksmassy, it's a surprise Ambriel's only ever seen her in autumn. She seems like someone who would really enjoy the holiday season, doesn't she? Oh shoot, we better start thinking about something to get her; there's only about two months to find something, and while that might sound like plenty, the Nexus is notoriously fussy and inconsistent about the passage of time, and The Faction might need him for something important soon.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Ithuriel's Demiplane]

"Uh, no? I want something to eat too." It would be quite a lot for Ambriel to get through on his own! She hops onto the bed beside him, wrapping a wing around him and setting the tray over their laps. "But yes, I did get up, make a loaf of bread, hunt a deer, bring the deer back here, prepare it, cook it, and serve it with broth and bread in the time it's taken you to wake up." She gives him a little nudge in the side, "I'm impressed. I figured you'd be out for at least another hour." Well that's not directly saying "Yes it's still October", but she can't have taken more than half a day to manage all that, so Ambriel is probably in the clear.

Whether or not Ambriel feels like tucking in, Ithuriel doesn't waste any time in helping herself. "I, uh, hope you're alright. I had a good time. I hope you did too." There's a little bit of hesitancy in her voice. Hopefully she didn't scare poor ol' Wings off this time. Hopefully she can stop worrying about that soon. Just another half-dozen reassurances from Ambriel ought to do the trick.

[Lord Magtok]

Ithuriel's Demiplane

"Ithuriel, you have your own little cozy winter wonderland here, I've got breakfast in bed because you went out and hunted an actual deer for us, you're beautiful, easy to talk to and fun to be around, I've got my wings back now, I'm safer right here than I've ever been in my entire life...are you expecting me to say no?" The faux-angel hoists himself up to try to kiss her on the cheek.

"I mean, okay, I'm still not a hundred percent used to being the one getting pampered; usually the cyborg with all the money and power and infamy is the one doing that, but it's great. I can see why it worked for Magtok on all those other ladies," Ambriel admits, trying really hard to ignore the implications of what he just said. "I've just got to figure out how to ignore the voice in my head trying to make everything a competition and telling me to go take down an entire caribou with my bare hands, but that's an Ambriel problem, not an Ithuriel problem." Or maybe it's a caribou's problem, if that voice of machismo ever succeeds at goading him into trouble.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Lake Cabin - Private Party]

"It is cozy," Cass agrees. A bit smaller than she would have preferred herself, what with needing all that space for her magical research, but on the plus side the lack of space does come with a lack of stairs. So many, many stairs.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Ithuriel's Demiplane]

"Hey now, don't go making a big deal out of the deer. There's only so much space in my little bubble so I have to keep a close eye on the population of the little colony of deer I have here." The kiss is still readily accepted though. She can only be so modest, she did try to make a decent brunch-in-bed for him. "Besides, this is my idea of a perfect home, it's not all luxurious. If you want hot water you've got to heat it up yourself over the fire, the toilet is in a separate shack out back, and you've gotta hand-wash clothes in the tub outside." Very old-fashioned, very hands-on sort of lifestyle. Of course Ithuriel could always just poof out for a quick trip to the nearest laundromat to fix one of those problems, but the point still at least half-stands.

The urge to kill a caribou is a little worrying though. The implication that Ambriel might feel in some way threatened or like he needs to prove himself could be a little problematic in the long run, but she's not going to let herself be worried about it right now. Mostly it just comes off as kind of cute. Still, it does give Ithuriel a rather mischievous idea. "If you wanted, I could probably just perform some feat of strength you could never hope to match to silence that little voice in your head?"

[UncleWolf]

[Thad's Apartment]

"Waaait, Vivi, could you actually do that? That'd be very mean and definitely not a humble, innocent bumblebee thing to do!" Lucy huffs in Thad's defense, completely failing to actually look at all angry about it. "Besiiiiides, i-if you did that, I'd love my convenient rest-stop and you'd lose your easy way to get in contact with me, wouldn't you?" She grins mischievously, matching Vivi's gaze. "And then you'd never be able to fulfill whichever of those wild and unwholesome fantasies of yours I can fulfill."

Thad's Apartment

"Oh my, dear, whatever do you mean?" Vivi asks, not even moving when she's poked, instead turning those luscious eyes on Lucy again. "I'm as humble as a bumblebee. Most of the time. You and my young man here are just a terrible influence. Just look at how you're drinking!"

"While I have my guesses, darling, I think I'll reserve them for fear of conjuring wild and unwholesome fantasies for myself," She smirks, dabbing at one side of her mouth with a napkin.

"And what is a sugardaddy?" She looks at Thad. "Is that what Sarcadian is to you?" Oh my, her eyes almost seem to dance with wickedness.

Thad's Place

Thankfully for Thad, he can safely ignore most of the conversation but when a question is actually asked of him, he coughs and sputters as he was in the middle of taking a drink of coffee. He coughs for a few moments more, wiping his mouth on a napkin before fidgeting a bit. Thankfully the coughing hides the embarrassment from his cheeks as he's made to talk about this. "It's...ah...I like to think it is a bit deeper than that." He admits. "They're...uh...wealthy benefactors who pay others for companionship. And that's putting it a fair bit more properly than it usually is. I at least plan to stick around as long as you two can stand me."

[Recaiden]

Yes, fine work Koshal. You are required to show Mercy, and this might qualify. Although really you're intended to win the fight first, and then be merciful. You need not limit yourself in self-defense.
The thief is smashed on the head, and topples over.
He's trying, shakily, to get back to his feet, but isn't able to mount any counterattack quite yet.

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Lake Cabin - Private Party]

Electra nods at Fayyaad.

"It can get pretty cold up here, especially during the winter. But it's nice being so remote. I can focus my technopathy up here without being bombarded by lots of extra noise."

[Rebonack]

Trick or Treating

Endok smiles wide as he pats the wolf. Friend acquired! Olon tugs on his arm to get him to leave. Come oooooon Endok! We gotta go get more candy! She says, and Endok gives the wolf a last friendly pat before waving to Sophie. Bye! Thanks for letting me pat your wolf! The pair of dwarves hurray after Khannie.

Khannie is practicing significant self restraint right now.

She has ALL this candy, no adults around, and she isn't eating any of it.

Yet.

Her daddy told her that she had to wait until she got home to eat any of the candy. She's pretty sure that didn't count with the apple the nice pumpkin lady gave her, since apples aren't candy and it would have just stuck to everything anyway.

She looks up and down the street, trying to imagine which house would give out the best treats. Eventually, she settles on a nearby home and sets out!

"Hey! Where do you two live?" she inquires of the dorfs as she tromps through the yard of the next trick-or-treat target.

[billtodamax]

Trick or Treating

We live in Oshurfeb! Endok says happily, before Olon jabs him in the side.

Endok! She whispers under her breath, and Endok adds: Oh but we're not supposed to tell strangers that. But Olon that was from before we accidentally opened up that hole under GLoG and Dad built the stairs up so I think it's fine now.

Olon retorts: But Dad never said that we could tell people about it even after we made the hole so if he gets mad it's your fault.

[Rebonack]

[Trick or Treating]

"Oh... umm... sorry if I made you tell a secret by accident," Khannie says, her tone dire. "Secrets are super duper important. Like, there's a secret place I go to train at this rest stop Outside. And the last time I went there I met a guy with a cool dog!"

It was a super cool dog.

He said 'boof'.

"I live four blocks over that way," she says, pointing back down the street. "With my daddy and his familiar. My daddy is a sorcerer! A really powerful one. He and Zebes can sing a song and then make people teleport to wherever he wants! They don't get forced to go to the nearest PokeCenter, even!"

She smiles back at the dorfs.

"I think you guys are really cool. We should be friends! Then I won't be a stranger anymore and you won't get in trouble for telling me the secret about your house under that camp place."

Everyone knows about Camp GLoG.

[billtodamax]

Trick or Treating

This suggestion brings a pair of frowns to the dwarves. They turn to each other and huddle. There's some frantic whispering and the occasional glance back at Khannie before they break the huddle. Ok, we think that'd be fine. The would mean you weren't a stranger Olon confirms. So- Can your dad really do magic?! Endok blurts out excitedly. Olon gives him an angry look that he doesn't see or ignores. That's so cool! Noone at Oshurfeb can do magic, they don't have any books on it. ...that is really cool. Olon admits.

[Rebonack]

[Trick or Treating]

"Great! We're officially friends now," Khannie says, nodding her head in a very affirmative sort of way. "We can exchange gifts and stuff, and maybe go on adventures together, and trade things, and eventually we would be best friends."

There's a very definite process to making friends with someone, that's for sure. Well, making friends with someone is easy. But becoming best friends requires dedication.

She smiles a huge smile at the pair of dwarfs! "I can, too, just like my daddy! I only know one spell, but it's a super-cool one. Watch this!" Then she makes some very precise motions with her free hand and then begins whispering into her clenched fist.

A spooky, ghostly voice will echo out of thin air around the dorfs!

"OoooooOOOOOOoooh! I am the ghost of Spooktober!"

It is pretty obviously Khannie's voice, just projected and with some reverb added to it.

But it does sound kind of spooky.

[billtodamax]

Trick or Treating

Wooooooah! Cool! They say, looking around for the source of the voice. How did you do that! Olon asks, eyes full of wonder. Could we do it? Can you teach us magic? Endok is so excited. He's practically bubbling over with it. She did something with her hand. Olon says to Endok, as she starts moving her hand around in what she thinks is a very good imitation of Khannie's hand movements. It - predictably - does nothing.

[Rebonack]

[Trick or Treating]

Khannie beams with pride at that reaction.

See?

This is how she KNOWS that she's human no matter what anyone else says.

She can do magic just like her daddy.

"My dad says that some people are born with magic inside them," she explains. "Those are sorcerers like me and my daddy. Other people have to do a special ritual to get magic, those are wizards. I don't know how to do the ritual, though. I think you would need some kind of special magical wizard book to do it. And maybe a pointy hat with stars and moons on it. And maybe a big white beard, too."

She isn't totally sure how the whole wizard thing works, since she isn't one of those.

"But I think if you get a wizard book and do the special wizard ritual-" and maybe a beard and a hat. "-then I could show you how you have to move your hand around. Once you know it's for making ghost noises and holograms like R2D2 does then it's really easy and makes lots of sense."

It is neither really easy nor does it make lots of sense.

But because Khannie is a sorcerer and not a wizard, it just seems that way to her.

[billtodamax]

Trick or Treating

The dwarves look crestfallen. You mean we can't do magic? You have broken their little dwarven hearts Khannie. Aw. Completely distraught.

OK, I almost have a beard so we have that down, you go see Shuk when we get home and see if he'll make the hat, I'll search the library for a magic book. Olon resolves. They will get through this. They will learn the magic. And then Khannie can show us the hand bit! Follow your dreams.

This would probably be a pretty good time for someone to open the door...

[Rebonack]

[Trick or Treating]

"That sounds right," Khannie agrees. "I think the magic book is the most important part, though. Even if the coolest wizards all have beards and hats."

Khannie smiles at the two dorfs, then reaches toward the door-

Only to giggle, and performs the somatic components for Minor Illusion again.

This time when she knocks on the door, the sound is booming and ominous!

She might be showing off.

Just a little.

The foxes back at school don't get super excited over magic since they see magic stuff all the time.

It's cool being cool!

Now she just has to wait for the door to open so she can yell Trick or Treat!

[5a Violista]

Trick-or-Treating

A challenger appears!

Or, rather, she opens the door. It's Harley Zorzo! She bought a house a while back. She's wearing a mask, but that's a normal thing for her. Even if it weren't Halloween, she probably would've been wearing a mask.

This time, however, she's also wearing a fake mustache. (She didn't have time to change into her full costume that she's wearing at the MagCave Spooktober party so she just picked up the nearest thing she had on hand.)

"Er, hello?" she says.

[billtodamax]

Trick or Treating

Trick or treat! -or treat! Two dwarf children say, almost in unison. The younger (you can tell, because his beard is just a 5 o'clock shadow instead of the longer, fuller looking beard of his sister) is wearing a costume made of teal carapace, a slightly waxy consistency, with three googly eyes stuck on its head. The elder has a bone ribcage wrapped around her with patchwork feathers stuck to it, and a bone horn sticking out of her head. They're holding silken bags that are about a third full of candy, sticking them out to the open door.

Cool mask! Olon (the elder sister) says after a moment.

[Rebonack]

[Trick or Treating!]

"Trick or treat!" Khannie hollers, holding her little sack with a picture of pumpkaboo on the front out for candy deposits. The bag is juuuuust shy of half way full, probably because she started a little sooner than the two dorfs did.

She's dressed as a futuristic adventurer!

Her outfit is a hodgepodge of different parts (some of which still glow!) from outfits that look like they could fit in something like blade runner, hyper light drifter, or maybe magaman.

The hodgepodge nature is important, after all.

Since adventurers just cobble together all the best bits.

Sure that pauldron might look out of place, but it gives the best stats!

"I like your mustache," Khannie adds.

[5a Violista]

Trick or Treating!

Harley reaches to her side to grab the Halloween candy basket. It's full of offworld candy (full because not many people came by this house...), like Chocolate Frogs that come with cards that talk about great wizards on them. Don't ask how she got them, she won't rat out her sources. Gotta watch out, though, in case the frogs try to jump away.

"Thanks," she says, stroking her plastic mustache. "It took forever to properly groom this and find a matching mask."

"All of your costumes are really creative, too." She smiles and reaches into her basket and tries to hold two chocolate frogs at a time. She's got to get rid of them somehow before...nevermind that. She's just got to get rid of them quickly, so giving two to each child should be enough.

"For you, for you and....you." There, done. "Happy Halloween!"

[billtodamax]

Trick or Treating

That doesn't look like you had to groom it it looks like it's one of those fake ones. Olon says, perceptive as always. Endok meanwhile is more interested in the frogs. Hey! Hey Olon look! It says these have famous wizards on the cards! Endok turns his gaze onto Harley. Do you have know where a magic wizard book is? He asks her seriously. Wizardry is almost in reach, he can taste it!

[Rebonack]

[Trick or Treating]

"Thanks, lady!" Khannie says as she takes the pair of frogs. She stuffs the first one in her sack and then the second leaps from her hands onto the floor! "AH! They MOVE!" she practically shrieks, as much in surprise as in delight. She begins chasing the chocolate frog across the front law, hands outstretched and grasping, but every time she lunges for the animated confection it jumps away. After stalking the frog around in circles a few moments, she waits for it to hold still, steels herself, and then POUNCES!

Khannie belly-flops into the grass just as the frog dives between her fingers.

A incoherent snarl of frustration that sounds suspiciously like 'kangaskhan' escapes from behind her clenched teeth.

She hops to her feet, a grass stain now adorning the front of her costume, and assess the situation.

The frog is fast.

Really fast.

And she could be faster. But that might ruin her costume. She really wants to catch that frog, but she doesn't want her new friends to think she's a dumb pokemon, either. If only she had a butterfly net...

[5a Violista]

[Trick or Treating]

Harley is really serious about her plastic mustache. How could somebody think it's possibly fake?!? (Well...because it is.) Still a good disguise, though. If you wear such an obvious disguise like that plastic mustache, lots of people think they managed to see through your disguise so they stop paying attention.

"Maybe you could check a library?" Harley suggests. To be honest, she doesn't really like wizards. Real ones, at least. Fake wizards like the ones from the Harry Potter universe are alright, she thinks. "There's probably a couple of useful books there."

Looking through the doorway at Khannie, "Well, I guess I should let you catch up with your friend before she gets away."

Harley shuts the door, leaving the kids to continue going trick-or-treating.

Once the door is closed, she sets down the basket and sighs. She grabs one of the spare frogs and bites its head off before it has a chance to jump away. She then takes off the mustache but leaves the mask on, heading over to the hallway where the mirror is. They were pretty cute kids. Being alone here is boring, she thinks, as she practices covering the scars that peek out from the mask.

[Morty]

[Lake Cabin - Private Party]

Fayyaad raises his eyebrows.

"Focus your what, now? I don't think you've mentioned it before. Is it something about technology?" He puts his arms above his head and stretches. "It is cozy, though. I wouldn't mind cooping up here for the rest of the evening. We'd just need to get our things from the outside and get the fire going."

[Lord Magtok]

[Ithuriel's Demiplane]

"Hey now, don't go making a big deal out of the deer. There's only so much space in my little bubble so I have to keep a close eye on the population of the little colony of deer I have here." The kiss is still readily accepted though. She can only be so modest, she did try to make a decent brunch-in-bed for him. "Besides, this is my idea of a perfect home, it's not all luxurious. If you want hot water you've got to heat it up yourself over the fire, the toilet is in a separate shack out back, and you've gotta hand-wash clothes in the tub outside." Very old-fashioned, very hands-on sort of lifestyle. Of course Ithuriel could always just poof out for a quick trip to the nearest laundromat to fix one of those problems, but the point still at least half-stands.

The urge to kill a caribou is a little worrying though. The implication that Ambriel might feel in some way threatened or like he needs to prove himself could be a little problematic in the long run, but she's not going to let herself be worried about it right now. Mostly it just comes off as kind of cute. Still, it does give Ithuriel a rather mischievous idea. "If you wanted, I could probably just perform some feat of strength you could never hope to match to silence that little voice in your head?"

"Oh no, please don't. That'll make it even louder. No, I just need to find something small and unimportant that I'm substantially better at," Ambriel shakes his head. Filling out Ithuriel's Intersection paperwork online, maybe? Fixing the TV she doesn't own? Hovering endlessly over the ground without getting his wings tired? Wrestling caribou to the ground and punching them to death? Well...probably not that last one, I think. I imagine Ambriel would much prefer a more modern bathroom than what the angel has here, so maybe he can pride himself on being more civilized instead.

[billtodamax]

Trick or Treating

Gotcha! Thanks miss! Endok says. See ya! Calls his sister, and the pair waves to Harley before running off after Khannie. Even as frustrated as she might be with her speed the dwarves are definitely slower. For one, they're both younger than her. For two, they're dwarves. Not exactly known for their lithe agility. They certainly seem smarter than her, though - they kept a solid grasp of their chocolate frogs after Khannie squealed about hers escaping. They can't spend the time inspecting these acts of wizardry though, not with Khannie still gallivanting across the lawn.

You have to chase it toward us so we can catch it! Olon calls out, and Endok starts shuffling away from his sister so as to form a better barrier for the frog. Teamwork makes the dream work!

[Deathkeeper]

[Countryside]

Koshal stamps a hoof onto the thief's back to keep him from getting up.
"Now you're gonna give me my stuff back!" he announces triumphantly.
Hrm.
But he can't get his mail off this gremlin while he's standing on him. This is a conundrum...

[Rebonack]

[Trick or Treating!]

Oh no.

Her new friends think she needs help.

Khannie really likes her new friends and doesn't want them to think she's lame and can't catch a dumb frog on her own. But she doesn't want them to feel like she's blowing them off, either. "Umm... let me try one more thing first, okay?" she asks.

One more thing.

She glowers at the amphibious confection, sitting there in the grass with its throat going up and down. Who's dumb idea was it to make candy that runs away from you, anyway? What a dumb way to use magic.

What is she going to try? It had better be something good. Something that will work. Something that will really wow Olon and Endok! If only she had a box or something to trap it under.

"Oh!" she gasps, as a moment of inspiration comes to her. Not a box, but something that looks like a box! She quickly moves her hand in just the right way and then points a finger at the frog! Without a sound, a brown cardboard box about a foot across with little arrows pointing to the open, upside down end springs into existence.

On top of the frog.

Khannie takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and says firmly and clearly aloud. "It isn't a real box. It's just a figment." Then she tentatively opens one eye. Then the other.

The box now looks hazy and completely translucent, like it's hardly there at all. If Khannie's proclamation is enough to convince the dorfs, it'll be clear that the figment isn't a real box to them as well.

But the frog? As far as the frog is concerned the lights just went out.

Khannie begins sneaking up on the frog...

[billtodamax]

Trick or Treating

The dwarves are suitably impressed by the sudden appearance of a box, especially because it then becomes all wibbly and see through! Woah! Cool.

What's a figment? Endok whispers to his sister after a moment, who definitely does not know. I think it's a type of bird. She says. They're happy to watch Khannie wrangle the frog now that she clearly has it under control.