Home 25: Still making mortgage payments

[Deathkeeper]

[Sam's Place]

"I found her and her servant food, shelter, and protection while they were on the run from Summer Court assassins. I never met the assassins, so it was honestly an easy task. But she was grateful. Nice lady, really." Sam says with a double-shrug. What he did to get it isn't important. What is important is that his reward was potent indeed.

[UncleWolf]

Sam's Place

Dorry takes the amulet, signalling that she has accepted the deal. "Have you ever wondered why you found my card in your pocket?" She asks, leaning forward again. "Did you think it was some sort of trick? Magicked away into it? The truth is that you were only the second person in your apartment to have made a deal with me. I secreted it away afterward, sensing that you might need help some day from someone with my particular set of skills."

[Deathkeeper]

[Sam's Place]

Sam scratches his head.
"You mean you went through my pants? Invasion of privacy, Dorry." Sam tries to joke.
"So that's how you've been monitoring her? Through another one of your marks? Fair enough. I guess it doesn't really matter to me." If what the first deal was matters, he's sure she'll bring it up. Otherwise it feels like prying to ask. Probably something about her father; Sam remembers Alexia was asking around for him.

[Earl of Purple]

Benedict's Manse

"Yes, you have a soul. And it's attached to your body." So she's not undead! Probably.

"Ah, yes. Of course, supper. Sara should have prepared something. I'll take you to the dining room." Benedict shrugs out of the robe, revealing a light muslin camisole underneath. On the way to the dining room, she grabs a loose green dress and puts that on for eating in, as well as a black bowler hat that she carries with her.

The dining room is a large room, a fine chamber with a big table sized for about ten or twelve people, though there's only four places made. The meal is a roast meal, with a chunk of roast mutton, a yorkshire pudding, parsnips, roast potatoes, courgettes and swede. Sara is already sat down, though she hasn't started yet. The other person at the table is a pretty young woman, about eighteen, with pale skin, large watery blue eyes and short blonde hair. She's wearing an ill-fitting blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. She's also under the effects of the contagious curse; if Miri finds her attractive, Miri will become male and possibly lose up to five years' physical ageing.

[Halae]

[Kathy's Shop]

Fayyaad can't help but see a flaw in the reasoning. What if the medicine stops working? Then again, replacing those arms can't be easy, pleasant or cheap. He presumes Kathy knows what she's doing.

"Thank you," he says, taking the wine and tasting it. "I understand, I think. Replacing those limbs must be an undertaking."

[Kathy's Shop]

"It is. It'd also lay me up healing for like a week at least, since it requires surgery," Kathy sighs, "But it is what it is. I'd probably also want to hire someone for protection while I'm recovering."

[UncleWolf]

Sam's Place

The Broker nods. "Precisely. So I can tell you that she was truthfully dead and gone for hours. As in her soul had gone on to the afterlife instead of just pining for the fjords. Except...someone brought her back. Not...completely. Even now I can feel her soul and psyche committing a civil war with itself. If it fractures too much, it is possible she'll die again or at the very least be driven to insanity. There is a way to bring it back from the brink however. Do you have the daggers and cloak she carried?"

[Deathkeeper]

[Sam's Place]

Sam nods and gets a box from under the bed, in which are Alexia's things.
"They were brought to me after Riverside by one of the soldiers. Nice lady." he muses, staring at the box. It's kind of hard to look at. He hadn't opened it since he got it.

[Morty]

[Kathy's Shop]

"If you ever do need a bodyguard, I'd be happy to lend my expertise." Fayyaad gives a somewhat exaggerated bow. "Once you're ready, we can try another dance. Or I can show you a performative dance that I've learned. It's meant for a single dancer before an audience."

[Recaiden]

[Benedict's Manse]

"Yes, you have a soul. And it's attached to your body." So she's not undead! Probably.

"Ah, yes. Of course, supper. Sara should have prepared something. I'll take you to the dining room." Benedict shrugs out of the robe, revealing a light muslin camisole underneath. On the way to the dining room, she grabs a loose green dress and puts that on for eating in, as well as a black bowler hat that she carries with her.

The dining room is a large room, a fine chamber with a big table sized for about ten or twelve people, though there's only four places made. The meal is a roast meal, with a chunk of roast mutton, a yorkshire pudding, parsnips, roast potatoes, courgettes and swede. Sara is already sat down, though she hasn't started yet. The other person at the table is a pretty young woman, about eighteen, with pale skin, large watery blue eyes and short blonde hair. She's wearing an ill-fitting blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. She's also under the effects of the contagious curse; if Miri finds her attractive, Miri will become male and possibly lose up to five years' physical ageing.

"Oh good."
Miri is probably looking at Benedict more than is polite as she gets into her dinner clothes.
But then she follows down to the dining room, eyes widening when she sees (and smells) all of the food.

And oh, this must be one of the prisoners? Or a new guest? Anyway, she's rather cute-
Pattern command becomes the other thing.
Miri's appearance loses focus, sheds polygons, and then reforms a little different. He's not any taller, his hair's still short, his chest is still flat, he still has the same antlers. But his shoulders are a bit broader, his jaw a bit squarer, his hairline a bit different. And he's, what, in his late teens? The dress that Sara went to such trouble to help her get on is ill-fitting again.
"What did you do?- says a voice that's a bit deeper, and then breaks into a train of thoughts. "-wait, no, I remember. By the river, underground, with the sword, and they thought that, what Donncha had-"
Really this just raises further questions.
"This is that curse you mentioned? Not part of the spell. Why?"

[UncleWolf]

Sam's Place

Dorry gives a nod before reaching down the front of her maid outfit and pulling out a pair of heavy gauntlets. They're mostly bone-white, almost organic looking in how the armor is formed, and they're both inset with deep blue gems. "And give these to her as well. I can't say for certain if they were her father's, but they match the description and were found in a skyside pawn shop. If anything can ground her, it'll be these and the box."

[Deathkeeper]

[Sam’s Place]

Sam nods and takes the gauntlets. He should have room for them in his big bag. Oddly enough, with the esoteric matters out of the way it’s time for much more simple questions.
”Okay. Give her the stuff. Be gentle on the psyche. I can do that. Uh.
Where is she exactly?” It’s something she hopefully has the answer to or this will be a lot harder.

[Earl of Purple]

Benedict's Manse

Benedict likes wearing smart clothes, but doesn't have a well-developed sense of modesty. He wears smart clothes because that's how she's comfortable and it garners an instantly more respect and courtesy from those around her.

"It is, yes. I can remove it in its entirety, or suppress it. I haven't yet had opportunity to see a transformation in the direction you shaped, and hoped it might assist me in becoming male myself. Alas, it was a bit of a last-minute thing and I did not have the opportunity to create a glyph to see the transformation take effect." He's lying, as it happens. He hadn't prepared his own magic, but Benedict has recorded it using a magical trinket hidden in the chandelier. She's hoping Miri didn't notice it because it's surrounded by magical light sources.

[Recaiden]

How are the other dinner attendees reacting, if at all? It sure would be something if Sara found this new young man attractive enough to spread the curse further.

"I guess you should probably take it off. But dinner first." He says, sitting down to the table.

When Benedict reviews the recording trinket, he'll be able to see that the the curse affected only a tiny part of Miri, probably behind the right ribs somewhere, and then her appearance blurred as the transformation already on her updated to match.

[Earl of Purple]

Benedict's Manse

Sara was looking down; she's not used to guests at meal times, and Benedict's usual rule is silence. The change in Miri's voice leads her to look up, however, and she also transforms. She's now a man, still much older than Miri in appearance, but in late twenties and not early thirties. "What... what happened? Um, oh." Sara realises the change and blushes.

"It's interesting. I don't think the curse affected you much at all. Nobody else reacted quite like that. They all changed quite suddenly, you... blurred. I suspect that was the transfiguring effect already upon you taking place." Benedict starts to eat. "You have excelled yourself as usual, Sara. Thank you."

The final individual at the table also starts to eat. She's had the same diet, but hasn't left her basement cell for a while. "Um, sorry for interrupting, but... if you can remove this thing, why haven't you taken it off me, yet? I... I miss me." Benedict ignores her, and just continues to eat.

[Murkus]

[Karaoke Party]

The crowd seems to sense at least two of the boys are pretty inexperienced, and they cheer the trio on, their voices swelling to raise their spirits. Div's voice breaks a little while while he adds his voice to this verse, making him shrink a bit, but he tries to sing through it! He even pushes all the way forward at the last, closing his eyes as he sings (just a bit off tune) with all his might!

Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak
Somewhere in the town
Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak
So don't you be around!

And perhaps they pump out the rest like that, with Div visibly sweating by the end of it. He looks so spooked! Even while wearing a smile.

[Recaiden]

"Looking good, Sara."
Miri starts eating the roast before responding to anyone else.

"Actually, you could prob do with just suppressing it here, if that's easier. I remember now, I used to be able to just...change. Man or woman. So once I remember exactly how, this won't be a problem." It's not something she has to remember, per se, so much as something she needs to have.

She shakes her head at the prisoner who was brought up here for the experiment. "You started out the same sex as Benedict must have, so you're more interesting." Plus, if the curse can be broken piecemeal, correctly, then there's probably a source of limitless youth in there. That's exciting to imagine, even if living forever is immoral. Maybe it could even keep you from decaying morally with age!

[Earl of Purple]

Benedict's Manse

"I could suppress the curse's contagion. Now I know how to do it, it's much easier. However, it isn't permanent. Removal is. Although it doesn't protect against the curse, so if I remove it and you bump into my guest, there, again I will need to re-remove the curse." Removal takes more resources in the short term, but in the long term it's cheaper.

"I was a man when Benedict bought me from Skyside, yes. Not sure why. He didn't know enough to plan having someone for experimenting with the curse. He wasn't affected by it yet." She doesn't know she was bought to drain youth from, to make Benedict young again.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Wenomir's Dream]

Cassandra might find a little more than she bargained for in Wenomir's dreams. For one thing, it involves her. It also involves Wenomir himself and another elf with purple skin - but far taller than Cassandra and with colourful hair. What the dream doesn't involve is any kind of clothing at all. Predictably enough, Wenomir and the two elves are engaged in vigorous activities of the curtainous kind.

[Wenomir's Dream]

The visiting magpie does a comically exaggerated double-take upon witnessing the contents of Wenomir's dream, shaking its head with embarrassment. She'd been planning to speak to Wenomir first; to warn him a little about what she's about to do, but instead she grabs him by the beak and attempts to yank him out of his dream hastily and unceremoniously, bringing him abruptly into the astral plane and towards her dreamshard.

Through the powers of plot convenience, though, it might take them a round or two to get there.

[Cass' Dreamshard]

Electra ignores the bit about Wren saying she's being rude. Cass brought her here, and as far as she's aware, is whose dreamshard this actually is. But...

"Our? I'm sorry, I'm not used to this, but....can you explain, please?"

[Cass' Dreamshard]

"I'm..." Wren hesitates for a bit, clearly looking for the right words. Hmm... how do I explain this. Cass would call me something like a mental construct. Or maybe a constructed identity. But I guess the classic way you'd describe it is a split personality." He says, giving Electra a shy, self-aware smile, though the twinkle in his eyes expresses something more like insolence.

"I wanted to say hi."

[Recaiden]

Well, it isn't Miri's job to explain things to prisoners. It probably isn't anyone's job. Prisoners don't need things explained to them.
"Anyway, being a woman isn't bad, you know."

"Why not leave it until one of us is no longer going to be at this manor, then?" Miri reasons, taking a pudding. Couple of puddings? How many is reasonable for one small guy to have?

[Earl of Purple]

Benedict's Manse

"Maybe I'd feel better about it if I wasn't kept in the basement so much. I'm kept in a small cell down there, I eat in it, sleep in it and don't leave. Except when a bunch of skeletons turn up and let me out before chasing me with whips." Which is the main reason why she's still in decent shape, with little muscle wastage. Benedict doesn't let the skeletons hurt her too much, the whips are mostly to motivate her in running around and exercising.

Theres only about six Yorkshire puddings on offer, so one or two is probably fine. Benedict takes two, but Sara only takes one.

[Halae]

[Kathy's Shop]

"If you ever do need a bodyguard, I'd be happy to lend my expertise." Fayyaad gives a somewhat exaggerated bow. "Once you're ready, we can try another dance. Or I can show you a performative dance that I've learned. It's meant for a single dancer before an audience."

[Kathy's Shop]

"Oh, a private dance for me? Now that sounds nice," she says, a sly grin on her face.

[Recaiden]

"Why don't we just keep her in the other rooms, Benedict? There are still plenty of skeletons around, right?"
Miri takes a second pudding, but seems unable to finish more than a bite of it.
She's realizing that these people really don't talk much at all.

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Cass' Dreamshard]

Electra looks a bit surprised, but seems to be keeping a hold of her emotions, if her attire not shifting is any indication.

"I....see," she says finally. "Have you....always been with Cass, then, or did something happen that led to you coming about?"

[Earl of Purple]

Benedict's Manse

Also a case of Earl getting distracted and being unable to focus on the post as much as he'd like.

"There are, yes. But there's also lots of windows and several doors. The skeletons are effective guards, but can be predictable. If I keep my prisoners in the basement, not only are they closer to the ritual chamber for binding demons, and also there are only two exits to guard by skeletons that don't move from their posts. And if I have a visitor that I do not trust there is less risk of my prisoners being discovered." Or 'guests', but Benedict isn't using euphemisms for it right now. Everyone around the table knows the truth, even if Sara doesn't like it. The unnamed girl also doesn't like it, but her dislike is more personal. "It's also easier to keep them healthy if I can have my skeletons take them on a run without worrying about them finding a hiding place and going to ground. Or trying to hold Sara hostage in the belief her life is somehow important."

Benedict, Sara is right there. She heard that, and doesn't look very happy about it. They don't complain about it, though; something they're very used to.

"Hey, your housekeeper is right there, dude. Be nice to her." The unnamed prisoner doesn't share Sara's reticence, however, and speaks up.

[Morty]

[Kathy's Shop]

Fayyaad bows with an exaggerated motion.

"What does one learn to dance for, if not to impress?"

He takes a step back and crosses his arms over his chest. He then begins to move, first his hips, then his upper body, as he raises his arms slowly. Every part of his body seems to move separately, swaying back, forth, left and right. His tail sways behind him to the rhythm in a hypnotic curve. He looks at Kathy boldly, gauging her reaction to the beginning of his dance.

[Karaoke Party]

Batu continues to go with Jim and Div's flow until the end of the song. When it's done, he actually bows to the crowd, who cheer and whoop to the trio. When they leave the stage, Batu will put his arm around Div and cuddle up with him closely. Seems that being fired up by the song has an effect on him.

[Recaiden]

Not that they aren't talking now, but rather, they have a history of not communicating.
Anyway, there's a lot wrong with this situation, but not getting making Benedict too mad is also a concern...

"Hey, if Sara weren't at least a little important, you wouldn't bother keeping her here." Even if it's merely Benedict's preference of having a living cook. Thinking that the prisoner already knows not to try taking hostages in an escape attempt, Miri doesn't mention that. Well, actually...she glances to the cook. "Has that happened before?"

"Anyway, it just seems to me that when you compare how many proper guests you have, with how many prisoners...uh...you know?" How often do you take an individual prisoner to the ritual chamber, after all?

[Deathkeeper]

[Karaoke Party]

Jim bows like a proper thesbian, and saunters over to the table, which he very nearly props his hooves up on before he remembers where they are. Still, he leans back in his chair at a mildly dangerous angle.
"Well, that went well. I'm proud of you boys." he says with a big grin.

[Earl of Purple]

Benedict's Manse

"She knows how to cook my food to the standard I expect using the ingredients I provide. However, that is a skill that could be gained within a few months." Important, but replaceable.

Sara accepts that. She doesn't particularly like it, but she knows that she was picked by Benedict at the slave market primarily for her cooking skills.

"Regular guests are rare. I like my solitude to continue my studies in magic. Prisoners... I usually need to replace my source of youth every four months. So that's probably about five prisoners a year, more if I have something that I want to study on living subjects. Hopefully it'll be less now, as I no longer need the youth." Unless the curse is broken completely before Benedict figures out how to extend the current, curse-granted youth.

"I've seen three total here. Me, the mute guy in the cell opposite and this heavily built chap that I'm pretty sure had a bronze mask bolted to his face. He doesn't recognise me any more." Sara also technically falls into that category, as she's unable to leave if she wants to. She generally doesn't, but more because she has nowhere else to be.

[Recaiden]

That's more of an indentured servitude than an imprisonment, though.

"Exactly. May as well use more of the manor for prisoners, except when real guests are here, right?"

"Anyway, what's your name, mostly-normal prisoner?" Miri inquires. May as well make some conversation.

[Earl of Purple]

Benedict's Manse

"There are... a lot of studies, reliquaries and libraries about my house. Quite a few ritual rooms, too. The basement is more secure, and I have several areas designed specifically to keep prisoners secure within them." In fact, I'm pretty sure every room Miri's seen so far has had a library in it, and many have also had magical artefacts stored within them. Except for the bathroom, anyway.

"My name? Arron. You're... The only person at this table who has asked me that." Benedict didn't care, and Sara isn't really supposed to talk to them- and has been here long enough to know how long Arron was likely to live, before the curse took effect.