GLoG 93: Something something something babies

[Ironsmith]

[The Woods]

"The tunnels are bigger than you'd think. We might be small, but we like having some space." Brinika then stops and blinks, her ears twitching. Arthfael's sudden question took her by surprise. That, and his being mildly enthusiastic about something. "Well... my sister and I were going to stay here until evening, then our parents would come pick us up and take us back."

[The Woods]

Khannie is pretty impressed!

Arthfael seems to actually be interested in seeing Underside!

Gunna be frank Khannie kind of wants to see Underside, too. But that isn't a decision that she can just make on her own. After all, she's just a kid.

"I can call my dad and ask if it's okay for me to have dinner at your house?" Khannie suggests.

It could be fun!

She could see Brinika and Cheasadh house! And their room! And lots of goblins and giant beetles!

It would be cool, definitely.

In the mean time they can keep having fun in the woods. Or at least she and Brinika could keep having fun while Arthfael keeps complaining about everything.

[Woods]

"I don't really need permission. My uncle will be busy working anyway, and he'd appreciate that I'm with f..." Arthfael stops, not entirely sure if "friend" was the appropriate word here. After all, he liked spending time with these two, but he didn't really know either of them. Better safe than sorry.

"...Folks. Spending time with folks." He says finally.

If Khannie decides to start up the game again, Arthfael will be just a bit more of a participant, scoring their adventure with his flute.

[Shadowcaller]

Moonwell

Pathfinder claps his paw-like hands with a smile to break the tense moment and to draw attention. "Then it is decided. As we all seem to be in agreement for this Jaccalish to be spoken to, I will place a safeguard. Debate can be had then, plans worked out, and I can at least use something less than predatory to protect this place." He explains as he draws a flint and bone knife from his waist with one hand and a handful of seeds from a pouch with his other. "Oh, if you're shy of blood, I recommend looking away." He warns before dragging the knife across the palm holding the seeds without flinching. "The way of a shaman is learning that life, death, and spirits are all one big cycle of giving and taking. And sometimes, you must give a little." He clenches his hand tight and kneels down to place the bloody seeds against the ground to whisper. There's no big flash of light, no weird omens or the like. He simply kneels there and whispers. Seems like it might take a little while.

Moonwell

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Diplomacy isn't really Dom's strong suit.
He does flinch at the blood-drawing but not because he's squeamish. Doesn't that seem really unnecessary? There's so many places you can cut that bleed without bleeding as long and as painful as a palm-cut. Maybe that was the point? The ritual needs it to be a sacrifice so it has to be painful and impractical? Seems unfortunate to him.

Moonwell

"What are you-" The imp-lord stares at Pathfinder as he drags the knife across his palm. "Okaaaay..." He appears a little disturbed as he turns to adress Sophie. "We're out of here then until you guys have talked things over." By this point it looks like the other imps are already booking it. Dealing with blood spirits was not in their job description.

"Hey, come back here! Hand them the sign first!"

The imps recculantly stop and after glancing at one another for a moment one of them flies over to Sophie and hands over an unusually shaped pebble. It looks like a raindrop with a hole in the middle of it.

Should she accept it the stone starts projecting a picture of a imp-sized house, more of a manor really, which is in a loop of being constructed from nothing before disappearing again. Next to the house are big bright letters spelling out what seems to be an ad.

GOT AN IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT? NOTHING IS IMP-POSSIBLE FOR US!
-Use this token to contact the Improject. We work for FREE (No money required) and can be reached at ALL TIMES (Imp-ossible Times Excluded). For more information please ask POLITE (Imp-oliteness Free Guarantee) customer service which can be reach by this sign.

The imp will then fly back to their comrades and the whole lot of them will quickly disappear from the glade.
"That should be all then. So unless you got any questions..." The imp-lord will wave and then his projection will disappear too.

Anika puts her hands on her hips. "And don't come back." She declares as the imps retreat back to wherever they came from.
She gives the others two thumbs up. "Great job everyone, we sure showed those demons we should not be messed with."

[Morty]

[Moonwell]

If Sophie is surprised or disturbed by Pathfinder's bloodletting, she doesn't show it. In truth, it does disconcert her, but as everyone involved might realize by now, her ability to remain composed and on-track is downright superhuman. Her bright blue eyes notice the energy drawn towards the shaman. Interesting...

"We resolved the situation and I didn't have to shoot anybody. I call that a success," she says as she peers at the projection. "Even if it didn't otherwise go as I'd expected. There were... more entrepreneurs than I had anticipated."

[bc56]

Watching the Daycare
While the children are out playing, someone is watching wistfully.
A young, demonic-looking woman watches from afar, mostly daydreaming. Sekhmet may be a queen in another world, but her mind is on more earthly things. Children. She wants one. Or two. Or several. But in light of recent revelations, that's more difficult for her than just spending time with her husband and hoping.
She sighs.

[Morty]

[The Woods]

Brinika's ears move up an down in thought.

"Can humans eat the same things as gnomes? Some goblin food isn't very good for humans. But we can figure it out, I'm sure. And I think I know where to find some beetles. They stop by at the place where our dad works sometimes." She waves her sword idly through the air. "And in the meantime there's adventure to be had."

[Recaiden]

[Watching the Daycare]

While the children are out playing, someone is watching wistfully.
A young, demonic-looking woman watches from afar, mostly daydreaming. Sekhmet may be a queen in another world, but her mind is on more earthly things. Children. She wants one. Or two. Or several. But in light of recent revelations, that's more difficult for her than just spending time with her husband and hoping.
She sighs.

Out in the woods, the dim and alien mind of the young hive responds to its Sekhmet's musings.
Children, yes! Several! Many? What kind?

At about the same time, someone is arriving at the daycare. Well, a few someones.
One is dressed in a very wizardly (if bright pink) robe and hat and staff, who has some important business to see to later today.
The other are two little dragon hatchlings, who are being delivered to daycare; they're too busy squabbling with each other to notice much else.

[bc56]

Watching Daycare
Fiendling children. Like, uh, I was. I want to, uh, make them myself. Don't get your hopes up, hive. Sekhmet's pretty set on carrying a baby to term herself; it's just the fertility bit that's the problem. She observes the baby dragons being dropped off with no more real interest than in any other unusual children there, like that shadow girl, or the plant kids, or that weird girl that knocked on her door in full silver armor demanding to know if she was a witch.

[Recaiden]

Yourself? Why haven't you? There's a hint of concern for Sekhmet's health.
No fiendlings here? Normal? It asks, to sort of confirm that Sekhmet doesn't need anything from it other than the normal level of fiendish power flowing back and forth.

As for the weird children, they pay no more mind to Sekhmet than to any of the other weird adults.

[bc56]

Watching Daycare
Mother did something to my body to make me incapable. Of, uh, you know. The hive didn't help when they made their own changes. Only magic can fix it, uh, probably. Some Sufficiently Advanced Technology might suffice too, but Sekhmet doesn't really understand technology. Anything that didn't exist when she grew up is magic as far as she's concerned.

[Recaiden]

Well, it doesn't know, but if Sekhmet thinks it should know, it'll probably pick up on the idea.
Oh, yes. We can fix, when better/bigger/older?
Sekhmet can feel a hint of an idea from her hive, a plan. After all, what the hive did, they could undo, and where Sapphira's changes intersect with a living body, they can probably deal with.

[bc56]

Watching the Daycare
Honestly, Sekhmet doesn't trust the hive enough to let them make changes to her body again except in an emergency. Later. When you're bigger. She sighs aloud and goes back to wistfully watching the children.

[Recaiden]

This part of the hive only listens to her, so Sekhmet doesn't have to worry about ulterior motives. Unless there were subtle changes before she even got the creature. Which is probably possible.

The mother doesn't feel disappointed that she can't help her queen. Solving demonic magics isn't really their responsibility in the first place. She simply is aware of Sekhmet's decision and goes back to normal concerns: growing taller, hatching workers, clearing out trees that are in the way, etc.

Sekhmet's right after all; this is no emergency, she has tons of time to figure out children.

[bc56]

Watching Daycare
With that conversation over, all Sekhmet can do now is watch and wish.
She's pretty absorbed in her imagination for a while.

[Rebonack]

[Woods]

"I'm sure it probably can't be that bad," Khannie reasons as she grips her MIGHT STAFF and goes tromping off across the flowery field, swatting a few large seed pods as she goes and sending a cloud of windborn seeds swirling away like a cloud of startled pixies. "Whatever you've got will probably be great."

It probably beats pokemon food.

Hey guys guess what we're having today?

BERRIES!

barf

"Okay so yeah our adventure! So I was thinking there would be this monster that's rampaging through the forest and we have to trick it back into a cave and then Brinika can use her magic sword to seal the cave," Khannie says, making a lock-turning motion with her staff. "How does that sound?"

At the far end of the meadow there's a granite boulder sticking out of the earth with a conspicuous crack running through it. It's patched in lichen and bits of dried grass where weather and time have eaten little shelves into its surface. Here and there, clinging tenaciously to the stone face, are small bubbly leaved succulents oblivious to the fact that plants have no business growing on patches of barren rock. Sticking out of the crack is a stunted, crooked old pine tree all gnarled and twisted and bent.

[Ironsmith]

[The Woods]

Brinika's ears move up an down in thought.

"Can humans eat the same things as gnomes? Some goblin food isn't very good for humans. But we can figure it out, I'm sure. And I think I know where to find some beetles. They stop by at the place where our dad works sometimes." She waves her sword idly through the air. "And in the meantime there's adventure to be had."

[Woods]

"I'm sure it probably can't be that bad," Khannie reasons as she grips her MIGHT STAFF and goes tromping off across the flowery field, swatting a few large seed pods as she goes and sending a cloud of windborn seeds swirling away like a cloud of startled pixies. "Whatever you've got will probably be great."

It probably beats pokemon food.

Hey guys guess what we're having today?

BERRIES!

barf

"Okay so yeah our adventure! So I was thinking there would be this monster that's rampaging through the forest and we have to trick it back into a cave and then Brinika can use her magic sword to seal the cave," Khannie says, making a lock-turning motion with her staff. "How does that sound?"

At the far end of the meadow there's a granite boulder sticking out of the earth with a conspicuous crack running through it. It's patched in lichen and bits of dried grass where weather and time have eaten little shelves into its surface. Here and there, clinging tenaciously to the stone face, are small bubbly leaved succulents oblivious to the fact that plants have no business growing on patches of barren rock. Sticking out of the crack is a stunted, crooked old pine tree all gnarled and twisted and bent.

[Woods]

"Trite and cliché." Arthfael replies, lowering his flute. "Also, not particularly well thought-out. What kind of rampaging monster would be stupid enough to go into the cave with a convenient lock on it, instead of, say, continuing to rampage?"

He wasn't wrong. Even a dumb animal would need to be lured in with food or something. This was starting to sound an awful lot like one of their "heroes" was about to get eaten, and he didn't like his odds if it came to that. He might not be enjoying the game, but he'd be damned if he was going to "lose".

Watching Daycare
With that conversation over, all Sekhmet can do now is watch and wish.
She's pretty absorbed in her imagination for a while.

[Watching Daycare]

As it turns out, Sekhmet wasn't the only demonic woman in the area, watching the children. A certain enchantress who was up to little-to-no-good happened to be nearby, as well. And while she hadn't exactly overheard the prior conversation (such was beyond even her considerable abilities), she could guess well enough from the wistful sighs and sorrowful stares what it was Sekhmet wanted. And as it happened, she might have the ability to provide it.

Of course, they'd need to have a little talk about that.

As Sekhmet watches the children, a thorny vine slithers down the trunk of a nearby tree, stopping just shy of the demon queen and giving her a playful tap on whichever shoulder was further back from the daycare.

[bc56]

Watching Daycare

Getting tapped on the shoulder breaks Sekhmet out of her reverie. She turns around, wings rustling. "Uh, who's there?" She's a little on edge because of the surprise, but GLoG is a safe place. She'll be all right.

[Ironsmith]

[Watching Daycare]

As soon as Sekhmet is aware of what's happening, several more vines drop down from the branches of the tree, quickly twisting around to try to entangle Sekhmet. Should they succeed, they'll promptly yoink the unfortunate demon queen up into the branches, where Braon sits waiting, laying languidly against the trunk. She'll smile mischievously at Sekhmet and put a finger to her lips, quietly telling her not to make a scene, despite the impromptu abduction. "Hello there."

[bc56]

Watching Daycare

"Eeep!" Sekhmet shrieks as she's pulled into the tree. She fumbles and grabs onto branches with her hands and tail, trying to keep herself from falling out of the tree. "Who are you? What do you want?" For a queen, she doesn't retain her composure well. Of course, Braon may not be aware just who and what she's snared.

[Ironsmith]

[Watching Daycare]

"Hm... you know, those are both some really good questions." Braon says with a smirk. "I mean, really, do any of us know who we are?" She deposits Sekhmet on a nearby branch with a little giggle. "I'm just teasing, of course. You can call me Braon. Braon Hexenborne. And as for what I want... well, that's secondary, isn't it?" She taps her horn idly as she talks, subtly calling attention to them. "No, I dare say this is more about what you want, your highness." There's a bit of a mocking tone in her voice, implying contempt for the title that she was, for the moment, restraining with some difficulty.

[bc56]

Watching Daycare
Sekhmet looks unimpressed. "No one in their right mind comes looking for me just to give me what I want." She doesn't consider cultists to be in their right mind. Or succubi and incubi, most of the time. And those are the main groups throwing themselves at her. "So why're you here?"

[Ironsmith]

[Watching Daycare]

"Nobody in their right mind would seek out a newly-crowned demon queen and proceed to do whatever they can to curry her favor?" Braon chuckles. "You must be operating on a very different picture of sanity. But, then again, you aren't quite wrong." A few of Braon's vines desposit themselves in her lap, which she strokes like a small cat. "That's not the way we do things, is it? I'm not giving you anything, no. More... quid pro quo, as the saying goes. I give you what you want..." She gestures towards the playing children. "...and in return, you give me something I want. Simple."

[bc56]

Watching Daycare
Something about the way Braon indicates the children makes Sekhmet's blood run cold. "What are you suggesting? No word games." If she harms one hair on those kids' heads, she'll see why Sekhmet has the title "Fiery Protector."

[Ironsmith]

[Watching Daycare]

Braon smirks. "All right. Straight to the point, hm?" One of her vines comes up and strokes Sekhmet across the chin, the thorns leaving light but distinctly uncomfortable marks where they touch. "Rumor has it the queen has a bit of a problem with... fecundity. Which is a shame; I understand you royal types are rather big on heirs." She smiles and lets the vine fall into her lap. "Fortunately for you, I happen to come from a clan with rather the opposite problem. Forget your blackroot powder on the wrong day, and before you know it, you're a mother of five." She taps her horns again, her grin turning truly devilish. "And, oh how lucky you are, that's not a quirk of biology. My secret can be yours... for a reasonable price."

[bc56]

Watching Daycare
Sekhmet doesn't flinch from the vines, but looks distinctly uncomfortable at the touch, until she flicks the claws on her right hand in an attempt to sever it. "So. What do you want?" Currently, this seems too good to be true. There's no guarantee it would work on Sekhmet's rather unique nature, and something about the tiny bit of explanation given so far seems odd. If it's not natural to them, it must be something they take on, but the mention of blackroot powder suggests that it's not intended for fertility's sake. Not to mention that there's something just suspicious about Braon. Sekhmet doesn't exactly advertise her presence or her title, which means this woman must have done some digging. And she must have some reason to stay hidden. If this was an innocent conversation, why wouldn't she just talk to Sekhmet in the open?

[Ironsmith]

[Watching Daycare]

"I'm getting to that." Braon runs her fingers along one of her vines. "There is a... ritual, that members of my clan undergo. First as a coming-of-age ceremony, and thereafter as a means of bolstering one's power." She clenches her fist. "You find someone. Anyone will do, but ideally, someone you know well. A friend, a lover, a rival, your bitterest enemy, it doesn't matter. On a night of a full moon, you bring them to a sacred site; a place prepared beforehand by someone who knows how. Like, for instance, yours truly." She leans in. "While speaking the words of power, you take this person, you reach out, and you put your hand on their chest, like so." Her clawed fingers gently caress Sekhmet at the appropriate spot, just below her sternum. "...And when the incantation is done, you tear their heart from their chest, and eat it." She clenches her fingers, simulating the motion but making no attempt at harming the demon queen. "...If done right, you will gain quite a bit from the ceremony. Strength. Arcane power. And fertility. The more passionate your relationship with the victim, the more you stand to gain." She smiles. "And my price? For helping you perform this ritual, all I ask in return is that you do the same for me. An even exchange."

[bc56]

Watching Daycare
Sekhmet's eyes flare with anger, and her hands with fire, just for an instant. "No." She strikes Braon's hand away, her tail uncoiling into a defensive posture, a bead of venom dripping out of the wicked sharp barb on its end. "I'm not the woman you take me for." She's not actually much of a combatant, but she can at least look scary when she needs to.

[Ironsmith]

[Watching Daycare]

"...Oh." Braon shrugs. "Fair enough. It's something of a hard sell for anyone who didn't grow up with it, I suppose." She slithers over to Sekhmet's side. "Then, if you want to be boring, there's another, much more mundane option to consider." She leans up against Sekhmet, uncomfortably close. "If you aren't too attached to having this heir be a blood relative, then, as I said before, my clan is very fecund. I'm sure you would find surrogacy to be much more 'tasteful' in comparison."

[bc56]

Watching Daycare
Sekhmet pushes Braon away none too gently. "No. I don't want your help." Anyone who considers casual murder a normal part of growing up can't be trusted. Plus Sekhmet is sure that for any heir to qualify for her throne, they would need to be of her own essence.

[Ironsmith]

[Watching Daycare]

Braon slides back from Sekhmet's push, her expression finally breaking from blithe and more into being a little hurt and offended. "...Just... gonna reject my help wholesale, huh?" Braon sighs, clicking her tongue against her needly teeth.

"...Screw it. I never was cut out for this whole temptress shtick." Braon leans back in the branches and allows her vines to recede back into her. "...Okay, highness. I'm just going to put my cards on the table here and hope to Adea you understand." She gestures down to her legs, which were still broken from her fateful encounter at Verdant Heights. "In the past week, I've been beaten halfway to death, had part of my soul stolen away, led a failed goblin raid, got my ass handed to me by a pair of adventurers who didn't think I even merited the use of actual weapons, learned my bastard uncle is still alive and subsequently got what was left of my soul crushed, and of course, rejected entirely by both societies I'm supposed to be a part of. So, you know, the usual." She leans in. "I don't... really want any favors in return. I just need a win. I want to help in any way I can. Unfortunately... those are my two best options. Everything after that is just menial."

[bc56]

Watching Daycare
This is an abrupt change. Sekhmet doesn't know what to make of it. She's not sure Braon's telling the truth. "If you really want to help, there are, uh, other things I need. But I don't think I can trust you." But she absolutely, absolutely will not let Braon anywhere near any hypothetical children unless she shapes up.