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[bc56]

Mouchabière Residence
"Aww, that's sweet," Sekhmet replies. "Prumathe and I might adopt another when Mary's out of the house, but, uh, I'm a little worried about they would, uh, not be part of the line of succession. It's, uh, adopting a child into a royal family is a, uh, bit different." Mary got around this because she literally needed a new body, so one that was of royal blood could be created; that's a story Sophie should know.

[Halae]

[Mouchabière Residence]

"I'm afraid I don't have any good advice for handling something like that," Trick says, smiling a little helplessly, "aside from using rituals to make the adopted child be of your blood, anyways."

Which is what happened to Mary, after all. It's fine.

[Morty]

[Mouchabière Residence]

"Adopting children into a royal family has always been fraught. Doubly so if the royal family in question is infernal. Mary was... a special case." Sophie will let Sekhmet divulge as much as she wants to Trick. "How is Mary doing these days? I haven't really spoke to her much."

[bc56]

Mouchabière Residence
"She's turning into quite a troublemaker," Sekhmet admits, "She's really taken to her succubus heritage. Dressing provocatively, seducing boys, and all that. I, uh, don't think she realizes just how much I know about what she does off at school." Sekhmet is only disappointed, not angry. "I, uh, understand it's what I should expect from a teenager."

[Meowmai]

[Harpy Hassles]

A new morning arrives, and with it comes sun, creeping through the gaps in the curtains and through to the bed in a small apartment room. A figure lies on that bed, under the covers, beginning to stir as the light filters through her eyelids. She groans, shifting about as she slowly begins to awake.

She stretches out one leg to ease the morning cramps, only, something unusual happens. Riiiiiip. The sound of tearing cloth reaches Kestrel's ears, and this finally gets her to properly wake up. She jolts up, trying to pull her foot back, but something is immediately wrong. She tries to tug her foot back, but it catches on the fresh hole in the sheet, and it feels weird. She can feel... feathers... in her hair, brushing against the pillow. And as she tries to adjust herself, her arms feel wrong. They don't bend right, and they're warm, and feathered...

It's at this point that she finally forces her tired eyes awake, and looks down at herself.

Kestrel promptly screams.

Her arms- they're not even arms anymore! They're wings, bending at the wrong angles, and to her horror and shock she finds she has no hands. Just claws, little talons on the bend in her wings. And her legs are different too. From a sprouting of feathers that had not been there when she had gone to sleep last night came... what could only be the legs of a bird, weirdly scaled and ending in talons that now pierced through her bedsheets. For a moment she stared in shock, before closing her eyes. No, no, this had to be a dream. Open her eyes and she'd be back to normal, in her normal body, and everything would be fine.

It was not a dream. Kestrel opens her eyes again, and finds things to be exactly the same, which is to say, very different from what they should be. Panic starts to rise up within her- what is going on!? She tries to swing herself out of bed, stand and rush to the mirror, but she stumbles on unfamiliar feet, dragging the quilt down with her as she trips and collapses with a nasty thunk into the bedroom wall.

Now she was really starting to panic, and in her desperation, finally remembered that she wasn't alone. "Reuma!?" She calls out, while slowly pulling the sheet over herself as if hiding it would make this all go away. "I... I don't know what's happening and I- I need help!"

[Shadowcaller]

Disasters

Jim takes a long breath. It’s funny, doing that in a dream. But real lungs or not it makes him feel a little better.
”Okay. I understand. It’s better than paying ten years of my life or something, right?”
Because that’s the problem with relying on other solutions.
”I’ll be okay. Probably. I mean some horny dreams are nothing new to most guys right?” He’s just saying that of course. But he has to say something to make this all seem less like a terrible idea.

Disasters

"I think we both know you're not 'most guys', Jim." Jaahlyn smiles and takes his hand. Giving it a squeeze before she turns back to Baphoreth.

"I don't any more objections."

"Then let us begin." Though the fey will for Jim to give his affirmation as well before gesturing for him to come closer.
They reach out and place their human-like palm gently over his head. It's is rougher than Jaahlyn's and large enough to easily encompass his entire scalp. Baphoreth's fingers curling into a resting position at the back of his neck.

Then Jim's lucidity fades as the dream turns back into a series of sensations and mental images. Few that he will be able to recollect. But there are flashes of clarity thrown through the experience that gives him some semblance of a narrative. He sees what seems to be a younger, more human, version of himself standing in the middle of a ritual circle with a bloody knife. His hands, like the weapon, are dripping with blood that he somehow knows is Baphoreth's. That's when he sees a image of the fey's left eye before him. Glowing in a sickly green.

Then overlaying the vision of the eye he sees himself standing in his bedroom looking at the screen of his phone. But he's different. He has horns and hooves that he somehow knows are those of a bull. He's also taller, brawnier and as he turns around reveals even a short tail belonging to the same animal.

The reason he turned is because Jaahlyn enters and the way they're both dressed suggest that they're having a intimate moment. Words he cannot recall are exchanged and he sees himself turn into Jay. Though this is the more bovine version of Jay he can tell that her changes aren't as extreme as he recalls them being when he last was her.
This is his fate should he choose to take Baphoreth's first offer.

This vision as well as the one of the eye of Baphoreth fades and so does his lucidity.
The younger bloodied dream of himself in the circle going back to whatever he was doing before the vision occurred.

A second moment of lucidity occurs as he sees himself as he is now somehow running underwater. His feet carried by what seems to be a powerful stream. He's bare naked and screams in what sounds to be sheer joy. But suddenly he stops as the vision of Baphoreth's middle eye appears before him. Glowing in a sinister purple color.
Projected onto the vision is himself, though it isn't clear what self, staring at what seems to be the same woku that cursed him. They are in a place that he knows is familiar to him yet he cannot recall any details about it besides this fact.

He and she exchange words which he cannot recall other that she sees to offer some kind of deal. But before any actual resolution can come the vision fades and he's returned to his joyous run through the ocean.
This is his fate should he choose Baphoreth's second offer.

The third and final moment of lucidity comes as an older version of himself, probably around fifty years of age, is sitting in what seems to be a garden filled with lusciously green hedges. His hands are folded together, his expression suggesting deep though. He's looking at what best can be described as a human-sized outdoor chessboard populated by both strange creatures which he cannot recall the exact details of and people in various stages of undress.
Each of them are standing alone on a square of the board. Either facing or facing directly away from him. On the other side of the board floats Baphoreth themselves. The two seemingly engaged in some sort of bizarre game together.

That's when a vision of the fey's final right eye appears before this older Jim. Glowing fiery red.
It projects his current self, completely free of the curse, talking to someone, or someones, whose appearance isn't clear. He knows why he's here however. He wants to prevent further curses from afflicting him.
Since Jaahlyn, who he isn't sure is there or not, took it from him willingly and her appearance changed because of it. To of what isn't clear as she isn't included here. Just Jim's own internal dialogue.
It's clear that it isn't hindering her at all however and that they're working to have it undone completely. Something she claims will be much easier for her than for him.

Then the vision and the eye fades. The older Jim returning his attention to the game as lucidity fades once more.

Jim gets the feeling that they finished it, whatever it was.

Then lucidity returns again. For good this time it seems.
Jim finding himself staring up at a blue sky. Though his vision of it is obscured by the ground on all sides. As if the ground was about to swallow him whole. Though the even sides of these walls of dirt and their rectangular shape suggests there's something else is going on.

He's laying in an open grave.

That's when a shadow peers down at him and offers her hand. It's Jaahlyn.
"Need a hand?" She inquires with a smile. She seems to be in some state of undress as she isn't wearing her usual coat or even anything underneath it.

[Shadowcaller]

[Skye's Apartment]

Skye smiles, "I've found I can channel my power through my arts. It's purely physical expression, no chance of corrupting hearts."

This is great news! maybe she'll stop being so worried about it all the time.

"I wouldn't mind a sparring session, however."

[Skye's Apartment]

"I would love to see that." Ava turns to look around Skye's apartment. "But do you have enough space for us to spar properly in here though?"

[Keeper]

Disasters

Jim does his best to mentally take notes despite the scenes flying about in a most disorientating way.
His first option makes things not unpleasant at all. But he won’t be the same him anymore.
His second option does at least involve him catching the woku, but he can’t verify anything good actually comes of it.
His third option MAYBE works out but it still requires Jaahlyn take his misery for a while.

For now, he smiles and reaches up for Jaahlyn to pull him out. He’s not dressed any better than she is. He’s sensing a pattern with Baphoreth.
”Yeah, thanks. How much of that did you see?” he asks her.

[Shadowcaller]

Disasters

With a grunt of effort Jaahlyn pulls him out of the grave. Revealing that they're in the middle of a large well-kept graveyard.
And the satyr is in her underwear which is more clothes than Jim might have expected from her. He might note that her scythe is laying on the ground near the grave he just climbed out of.

"I was mostly just there at the start. B gets a bit too intense for my taste." She replies while brushing off her knees. "But I did get the three visions." She pauses, taking a deep breath. "So what do you think?"

[Halae]

[Mouchabière Residence]

"Ah, budding sexuality and hormones. Yes, that sounds like a teenager. You know, in my homeland, noble teens were given a minder because they aren't considered in their right mind until they're twenty-five?" Trick lets out a little laugh at that memory, "Really though, have you spoken to her about it?"

[Skye's Apartment]

That gets a grimace out of Skye, "I suppose not. I think there's an empty lot we could try in nearby, but the apartment is for certain too small, barring breaking something."

[Keeper]

Disasters

Well, frankly since Jaahlyn is a pyschopomp Jim is surprised it took this long for this kind of imagery to pop up. Jaahlyn has been very considerate and mostly kept him out of her work stuff after their mostly successful trip to the underworld freaked him out.

Jim tries to dust the dirt from his hands and backside, though he's fairly dirty as he was laying in a dirt grave. Good thing it's not real dirt. He looks down at Jaahlyn and gives her the lopsided grin he gives when he's trying just a bit too hard to look like nothing's wrong.
"Well, as much as I think I looked kinda hot as a bull, it's not really going to solve the problem in the long run? That fey can just come back later and hit me again, can't she?" But it's true that the first vision was the only one where they were definitively happy.
...he might be convinced if Jaahlyn thought those two looks were good on him.

"The second confirmed that no matter what, we can catch her. But no proof that I'll like the terms she gives me. That's about it. Honestly I'd love to get back at her. I just don't know how it actually goes.
And the third...well it could be really simple. Didn't your pony-boss punch your fey rules right off you? Think she could punch this? Maybe you could take it for an hour and that would be that. Then I see if Sticks can make me a ward.
What's your take?"

[Morty]

[Mouchabière Residence]

"Teenage hormones are quite enough on their own. My mother had her hands full with my siblings and I. Believe it or not I was popular with boys when I started growing up." Sophie waggles her eyebrows in an exaggerated expression. "When you add a succubus to the mix... I can see it being explosive. You came to your nature as a succubus pretty recently, I think. Mary was hit with it along with puberty."

[bc56]

Mouchabière Residence
"That's not a bad idea," Sekhmet chuckles at the thought of assigning someone to watch Mary. Unfortunately, most of Sekhmet's available subordinates are also succubi. "But it would be frowned upon here." She nods to Sophie's point. "I'm a little worried she won't be able to handle it. That she'll do something she'll regret. I've talked with her as much as I can, but she resists anything that seems like she's being told what to do."

[Aurora Alchemi]

► SHOW SPOILER

[Harpy Hassles]

A new morning arrives, and with it comes sun, creeping through the gaps in the curtains and through to the bed in a small apartment room. A figure lies on that bed, under the covers, beginning to stir as the light filters through her eyelids. She groans, shifting about as she slowly begins to awake.

She stretches out one leg to ease the morning cramps, only, something unusual happens. Riiiiiip. The sound of tearing cloth reaches Kestrel's ears, and this finally gets her to properly wake up. She jolts up, trying to pull her foot back, but something is immediately wrong. She tries to tug her foot back, but it catches on the fresh hole in the sheet, and it feels weird. She can feel... feathers... in her hair, brushing against the pillow. And as she tries to adjust herself, her arms feel wrong. They don't bend right, and they're warm, and feathered...

It's at this point that she finally forces her tired eyes awake, and looks down at herself.

Kestrel promptly screams.

Her arms- they're not even arms anymore! They're wings, bending at the wrong angles, and to her horror and shock she finds she has no hands. Just claws, little talons on the bend in her wings. And her legs are different too. From a sprouting of feathers that had not been there when she had gone to sleep last night came... what could only be the legs of a bird, weirdly scaled and ending in talons that now pierced through her bedsheets. For a moment she stared in shock, before closing her eyes. No, no, this had to be a dream. Open her eyes and she'd be back to normal, in her normal body, and everything would be fine.

It was not a dream. Kestrel opens her eyes again, and finds things to be exactly the same, which is to say, very different from what they should be. Panic starts to rise up within her- what is going on!? She tries to swing herself out of bed, stand and rush to the mirror, but she stumbles on unfamiliar feet, dragging the quilt down with her as she trips and collapses with a nasty thunk into the bedroom wall.

Now she was really starting to panic, and in her desperation, finally remembered that she wasn't alone. "Reuma!?" She calls out, while slowly pulling the sheet over herself as if hiding it would make this all go away. "I... I don't know what's happening and I- I need help!"

[Horned Harpy Hassles]

What follows the screams and cry for help is a flurry of motion from the room across the living space. Of course, with the doors closed, it would be hard to tell exactly what was going on, but the sounds made it easy enough to trace the path of carnage. First, there is the sound of desk chair wheels slipping, then a clatter, likely the heavy gamer chair of the nerdy pronghorn taking a heavy clatter to the ground. There is a scratching sound as the faun, probably having fallen asleep gaming post stream, scrambles to her feet. A twang and static burst from the speakers in her room signals the end of a tether as the wired headset is forceably released from it's confinement in reuma's computer.

Then there is the rapid thumping and the bang of her room door being thrown open to run towards kes. In, perhaps comfortingly so, true Reuma style, the running thumps skip a moment as there is a trip, followed by a loud THUMP and groan as the pronghorn's face meets the door. There is another several beats of pause, before the faun manages to get the door open, and enters. "Wha... whazzappening Kes? You alright?"

Blearily, the pronghorn rubs the sleepiness from her eyes, a dim aura of confusion around her horns in a faint yellow-red hue. This morning, the pronghorn was in a state of relative mess, her hair in a lazy braided bun, loose locks everywhere, while she herself stood in worn out combat cargo pants, and a grey tank top which showed a few stains of some drink or another. Her headset hangs loosely from one of her horns, the extra long cord trailing behind her and into the living room like a ribbon in an interpretive dance. This relaxed outfit was fairly revealing with no belt on, waist of her pants hanging cockeyed and low on her hips, and one strap of the tank sagged lightly over her shoulder as the outfit settles after the run. What a mess of a nerd in the morning.

Finally, she gets done rubbing her eyes, wide hazels opening with a few blinks to settle on Kes's bed. And soon, those eyes got wider. "Woah, Kes, what the fuck happened to your fee-" There is a pause, before the awkward gal blinks and rephrases. "I mean, I'm here for you, what happened and how can I help?" The pronghorn steps closer, trying to act like they nailed the doctor bedside manner.

[AshenAmbrosia]

[Fayyaad's Place]

Fayyaad is at home, sitting at his kitchen table and looking uncharacteristically downcast and uncertain. He's looking at the door, obviously expecting someone.

[Fayyaad's Place]

Thankfully, it's not long before he gets a knock on the door. It's Cass, of course, and, having picked up on Fayyaad's mood, he's got a bottle of wine with him. It's a merlot - full-bodied and strong - from Camlar Vineyards, with a vintage that indicates it won't be planted for another 12 years, though that's pretty normal for Camlar.

"Hey."

[Meowmai]

[Horned Harpy Hassles]

Well. She woke Reuma up, there's no mistaking that. Kestrel's eyes follow the trail of disaster through the walls as her flatmate approaches, wincing as she hears a particularly nasty thump at the door. Ouch. Kestrel desperately hoped her would-be rescuer was okay- and that there was no dent in the door. Bills are hard enough to pay without dealing with the landlord's complaints.

...Though Reuma's health was more important than that of course!

Fortunately, it seems her roomie was okay, as soon after the door swung open. Truth be told, her last few rescuers had been a lot more stylish in their arrival then this. Reuma looks a hell of a mess. Despite this, and her own current predicament, Kestrel found her eyes lingering, and a faint blush rising to her face. Was Reuma aware just how much her outfit was starting to slip?

Reuma's voice snaps her out of her staring, and she looks up at the pronghorn, shifting uncomfortably beneath the blanket and feeling extremely self-concious. "I... I don't know. I went to bed and everything was normal but then I woke up, and, and I don't know, everything was different and my body was like th-this and I don't know what's happening or how it happened or if I'm dreaming or- oh my gods what if theres no way to fix it!" All of this came tumbling out of her mouth in a panic, with no room for breath, while she tried to do her very best not to look at her feet. At least the quilt was hiding most of it- but that was probably going to cause issues if Reuma wanted to help. The pronghorn would also notice that feathers now sprouted from the birdgirl's hair, and they seemed to turn almost a bit pinkish- a colour that wasn't present on her normal feathers.

[Shadowcaller]

Disasters

Well, frankly since Jaahlyn is a pyschopomp Jim is surprised it took this long for this kind of imagery to pop up. Jaahlyn has been very considerate and mostly kept him out of her work stuff after their mostly successful trip to the underworld freaked him out.

Jim tries to dust the dirt from his hands and backside, though he's fairly dirty as he was laying in a dirt grave. Good thing it's not real dirt. He looks down at Jaahlyn and gives her the lopsided grin he gives when he's trying just a bit too hard to look like nothing's wrong.
"Well, as much as I think I looked kinda hot as a bull, it's not really going to solve the problem in the long run? That fey can just come back later and hit me again, can't she?" But it's true that the first vision was the only one where they were definitively happy.
...he might be convinced if Jaahlyn thought those two looks were good on him.

"The second confirmed that no matter what, we can catch her. But no proof that I'll like the terms she gives me. That's about it. Honestly I'd love to get back at her. I just don't know how it actually goes.
And the third...well it could be really simple. Didn't your pony-boss punch your fey rules right off you? Think she could punch this? Maybe you could take it for an hour and that would be that. Then I see if Sticks can make me a ward.
What's your take?"

Disasters

"I think that's the case with both the first and third option, Jim." Jaahlyn replies as he expresses his concern about the woku getting back at him. "And I've dealt with fey like her. It's all a game to them. Something they just do for fun. She might continue to mess with you either way until it stops being funny."

She gestures to him. "So its about how you feel. Think you can handle being a cow until we can talk to Sticks or the princess? Or would you prefer if I take it and they just get it out of me instead if they can? Since it's probably a good idea to deal with the cow stuff first before we go after the woku either way. In fact, I think the visions hinted at that." Since Jim wasn't a cow when he met the woku, right?

[Skye's Apartment]

"These older apartments usually have basements that are used for storage. I did spot a door which I think lead down into one. We might be able to do some sparring down there? They're pretty spacious. I've seen people using such spaces to set up entire businesses or gyms."

[Keeper]

Disasters

Aw, Jim was kind of hoping Jaahlyn would play along at least a little with the bull comment.
The second vision was frustratingly unhelpful when it came to Jim's condition during his confrontation.
"Well, the second vision didn't seem clear to me on what I was at the time. But I guess I need to ask...are the visions mutually exclusive? If you take the curse from me, does that mean we can't also succeed at chasing the woku? Because to be honest, I don't even know how Baphoreth would help with that, but I don't know how I'm going to catch a magical, super-fast fey that doesn't want to be caught without help."

He seems hesitant, looking around.
"I mean...I meant what I said. I don't feel right, making you deal with my problems. Even if you are offering and the visions confirmed it would be a lot easier for you to deal with." Which certainly makes it a lot more tempting to let her do it, but that's still just forcing someone else to deal with it.

[Aurora Alchemi]

[Horned Harpy Hassles]

"Hey, hey... calm down. Take a step back, and let's think about it a little." Finally, it seemed like Reuma's brain was waking up, as the pronghorn spoke calmly, and sat down on the edge of Kes's bed, that little fur puff of a doe tail fluttering gently to try and distract the upset bird for a moment. At least, that was the hope; Reuma knew Kes occasionally watched something back there, she just assumed it was the tail. It's always the tail. Then the faun reaches out, one hand settling on Kes's chest and glowing gently blue, a calming feeling rushing over the birb, while Reuma rests her other hand's back against Kestrel's forehead. "Let's see here... nothing's bleeding, not even my nose, surprisingly! Your temperature is a little hot and you look a little flushed, but you aren't clammy or anything, so maybe that's just the covers keeping you toasty. Even though things are different, I still count four main limbs and a head, so you are better off than some of my old battle buddies... Humm.... How do they feel? Can you move your limbs? Are any of them numb?"

There, finally, was the really nice side of Reuma. Kind and caring, speaking in that easygoing, distracting way as she leaned in a little, so that Kestrel didn't have the pronghorn's panic feeding into her own. There is a careful examination occurring as well, the pronghorn's eyes drifting here and there while her fingers pull calmly at the weave, checking the nature of this change in Kestrel. Certainly, as of yet, she didn't expect to find any glaring curses or injuries... Could just be a sidegrade! Well, maybe there was a teensy bit of nervousness under Reuma's social mask, but she wasn't gonna tell Kes that! "Is it ok if I pull the quilt away and check your reflexes and mobility, hun?" A pause and a mild flush. "And uh, now would be a good time to tell me if you... need clothing. I know some folks sleep naked, rather than passing out in front of the computer like an idiot satyrlyrri!" There is a soft laugh, the pronghorn trying to divert awkwardness with some self deprecation.

The nurse of the moment then reaches her hand up from the forehead, and gently brushes fingers through the feathers, curiously examining where the feathers meet the girl next to her. It's soft, and careful, pulling away if Kestrel shows signs of unease or distress, but at the same time the pronghorn knew that sometimes extra care had be taken with how wings and feathers and the like worked. She didn't want to accidently fumble a feather, and have a bleeding kestrel panicking even harder. "You know, there's something pretty about you-" A pause, and then a fumble to morph the last word into a longer word. "-r... your new feathers hue. It's real pretty. Reminds me of a flower." Cough. Nice save, nerd.

"Do you need anything to eat or drink, too? I haven't cooked breakfast yet."

[Morty]

[Fayyaad's Place]

"Cassandra. Thank you for coming." Fayyaad smiles despite his troubled mood. "And your taste in wine remains exquisite."

[Meowmai]

[Horned Harpy Hassles]

Even tried-and-true techniques sometimes fail, unfortunately. Despite her moment of definitely-not-gay-panic on Reuma's entry, Kestrel is a bit too preoccupied with panicking to be calmed by the little movements of Reuma's tail. Fortunately, Reuma has magic for that! Kestrel's breathing begins to slow, evening in pace, as the calming aura soothed her. To the birdgirl's embarrassment, her friend seemed to notice her blush, although thankfully she misattributed that to merely being warm. "Um... I c-can move them, just fine, I think... but they feel, uh, different... Obviously.

"Uh, yeah, that's fine, um, I d-don't sleep... y'know..." There's a pause, before she mumbles in addition, "and don't call yourself an idiot..." She looks up, as if to say something further, but then Reuma traces her hand through her hair and feathers, which is equally just as soothing as it is panic inducing. She freezes for a moment, before relaxing somewhat, slumping down while she blushed and mumbled. Reuma's save was barely a save. She was still basically calling her pretty, and even Kestrel couldn't miss that! "Th-thanks, u-um..." She stuttered, before seizing on a useful new topic of conversation. "Y-yeah, breakfast would be... it would be nice, I think."

[Shadowcaller]

Disasters

Aw, Jim was kind of hoping Jaahlyn would play along at least a little with the bull comment.
The second vision was frustratingly unhelpful when it came to Jim's condition during his confrontation.
"Well, the second vision didn't seem clear to me on what I was at the time. But I guess I need to ask...are the visions mutually exclusive? If you take the curse from me, does that mean we can't also succeed at chasing the woku? Because to be honest, I don't even know how Baphoreth would help with that, but I don't know how I'm going to catch a magical, super-fast fey that doesn't want to be caught without help."

He seems hesitant, looking around.
"I mean...I meant what I said. I don't feel right, making you deal with my problems. Even if you are offering and the visions confirmed it would be a lot easier for you to deal with." Which certainly makes it a lot more tempting to let her do it, but that's still just forcing someone else to deal with it.

Disasters

She did smile a bit but now that Jim has a moment to consider it, it appeared as if she was glancing away at something else. Or more accurately someone else as Baphoreth's hand suddenly comes into view from behind as they gently place it upon Jim's shoulder, and some of his upper arm considering their sheer size.

"Jim, if I may..." The fey gives him what probably is meant to be a reassuring squeeze but the touch comes with an odd warmth that spreads throughout his body.
The fey then floats fully into view and let's go of his shoulder. "Trying to catch a woku is like trying to catch a squirrel in a forest with your bare hands. It's not going to happen. However, perhaps the deal you were making was not a deal but a challenge? Since woku, like satyrs and other vettir, are known for entertaining themselves with that sort of thing."

"Oh yeah, like the Akryllic games!"

Baphoreth nods. "Indeed. In fact, I suspect this entire thing is but a game to the woku. To see what you will do in response. They consider this to be 'pranks' which they trade among one another. What to you is an awful curse is to them a innocent tease. So posing some kind of entertaining challenge might lure the woku out."

Jaahlyn strokes her chin. "Right, since what good is a prank if you don't see it happening? So the woku is probably watching us in the waking world." And laughing she imagined, something which made her frown.

[Keeper]

Disasters

Jim considers this, but that explanation feels strange to him.
"I mean, are you suggesting that she's at worst mildly annoyed, and the hit squad of psychopomps and the whole screaming insults and talking about pain and such was just an act to sell it?"
That seems...well...
He supposes that if you're friends with a bunch of fey getting a bunch to come prank a mortal isn't as much of a feat as it sounds on paper.
"What kind of challenge could I even pose to someone like that? The curse makes my head feel fuzzy; I don't know if I could really use my magic. I could maybe still play music." He sighs, a thought occurring to him.
"Ugh, the cow mask would probably be the most embarrassing and therefore the easiest to draw her out. Maybe the only winning move here is not to play."

[Shadowcaller]

Disasters

"The fey you've interacted with so far are more of the exception rather than the rule, Jim." Baphoreth replies. "Jaahlyn, her friends, the angel, they have all had duties. Jobs as you mortals like to think of them. But most fey have more what you would think of as 'hobbies' but take those to a completely different level than mortals do."

"Unless they're seriously loaded." Jaahlyn adds with a hint of bitterness to her tone.

Baphoreth makes their goat-lips into what seems to be another attempt at a smile. "That's not a bad comparison actually. Think of most fey as extremely wealthy mortals in terms of how they engage with the world. Which is, as a giant playground. The resources they can spend to accomplish the smallest of feats is something that turn other mortals mad."

Then Jim starts considering what sort of challenge he'd engage the woku in.
"What do you mean, Jim? Are you saying no to the idea? Since that's fine."

[Keeper]

Disasters

"Well, it's just...the vision only showed that I did manage to draw her out. It didn't say she makes a challenge I can win. Or makes the challenge 'spend three more years as a cow.' Or that the terms are good.

And what happens if I win but she finds it hilarious so she does the whole thing again in a month? I'm just not sure it's a great idea. Maybe it is better if we just ask your boss Sunder for help breaking the curse off you or me and then get Sticks to make me a few wards and call it a day. At least I can be reasonably confident that will work."
Jim doesn't like considering the option of making Jaahlyn take the curse but she's offered quite sincerely and he doesn't really have a reason to think Sunder could fail if she could punch ten thousand year old bindings on Jaahlyn.

[quillpleasant]

Chateau Xilo

At first glance, Atya's Chateau might come off as a little old fashioned, with its steepled roofs and sandy brick walls. But drawing nearer, it's not hard to tell that this place has been carefully modernized- at least as far as security is concerned. A watchful observer might notice the cameras mounted under the eaves, or the reinforced bulletproof glass making up the windows.

Also notable is that this seems to have been created as a mini paradise for birds. Multiple feeders and baths are set throughout the yard, and birdshouses festoon the trees. All sorts of avians flutter and hop here and there, from mottled songbirds to oversized corvids, squabbling over seeds or preening in the baths. Two stately peacocks wander amongst the others, looking like the royalty of this little kingdom.

The left side of the house seems to have been made into a combinations greenhouse and aviary, and the birds come and go at their whims. It's all very well kept and maintained, which implies the existence of a groundskeeper, since Atya's certainly not spending her days changing bird feeders. Not really the type.

A heavy brass doorknocker in the shape of an eagle's head is mounted on one of the double doors, but there's also a more modern looking doorbell on the wall next to it, complete with camera. It seems nigh impossible to approach this place without making one's presence known- but judging by the heavy iron gate that stands open at the end of the driveway, a guest is expected.

[Reinholdt]

[Chateau Xilo]

Arriving on foot may be old fashioned as well, but Reinholdt never seems to be late when he walks to where he's going. Besides, driving is just awful. It's not healthy for anyone!

Today he walks up the driveway to Alice's Chateau, whistling lightly to himself as the house comes into view. For someone who had escaped scientific experimentation, she sure was doing well for herself. Reinholdt had imagined a more modest living. But then, she had mentioned some of her chemistry hobbies. Perhaps those extracurricular activities more than paid for any extravagance. Should he have dressed up? Atya didn't seem the type to get fancy for this, but looking at the place he now feels maybe he should have gone a little nicer than his usual choice of leather and leather.

His thoughts are extremely distracted by the many birds. The many, many, delicious looking, pretty birds. Reinholdt's mouth waters a little and he lingers longer than he should as he stares at them flit about. So free. So helpless. It is with a great effort that Rein forces himself to continue onwards, trembling a little from either hunger or excitement. When he reaches the door, he chooses the doorbell purely to avoid any implication of what grabbing onto the eagle might mean.

The cameras haven't escaped his notice either. This target... was pretty worthy of getting cased and picked over. If he ever got exceptionally bored and stupid. And he's always one of those at any given time.

[Aurora Alchemi]

► SHOW SPOILER

[Horned Harpy Hassles]

Even tried-and-true techniques sometimes fail, unfortunately. Despite her moment of definitely-not-gay-panic on Reuma's entry, Kestrel is a bit too preoccupied with panicking to be calmed by the little movements of Reuma's tail. Fortunately, Reuma has magic for that! Kestrel's breathing begins to slow, evening in pace, as the calming aura soothed her. To the birdgirl's embarrassment, her friend seemed to notice her blush, although thankfully she misattributed that to merely being warm. "Um... I c-can move them, just fine, I think... but they feel, uh, different... Obviously.

"Uh, yeah, that's fine, um, I d-don't sleep... y'know..." There's a pause, before she mumbles in addition, "and don't call yourself an idiot..." She looks up, as if to say something further, but then Reuma traces her hand through her hair and feathers, which is equally just as soothing as it is panic inducing. She freezes for a moment, before relaxing somewhat, slumping down while she blushed and mumbled. Reuma's save was barely a save. She was still basically calling her pretty, and even Kestrel couldn't miss that! "Th-thanks, u-um..." She stuttered, before seizing on a useful new topic of conversation. "Y-yeah, breakfast would be... it would be nice, I think."

[Horned Harpy Hassles]

"Different is fine. I can't always fix what isn't there any more, but if it is, I can usually find a way to muddle our way back to the right place. Lemme go get your breakfast." The faun skitters away from the bedside, and gives the flustered birb a few moments peace and respite. As she enters the main living area, she starts to softly sing a little morning song, speaking in some strange language that had the melodic qualities of irish folk music to it, and moving through gathering things for the pair to eat. For a moment the faun considers eggs.... and then things better of it, instead getting some pancakes and bacon ready. She used thick slice bacon, and used the fat to cook the pancakes until they were fluffy and golden. Quickly she fluffed butter together with brown sugar and cinnamon, and heated some maple syrup for toppings. Last of all she gathered some fruit, making a quick fruit salad, as well as a tall pair of ice cool orange juices. The singing and slight dance goes along with her efforts, the faun happy to continue her way through the efforts.

As she did, she focused on calming herself enough that the Satyrlyrri shifted into her faun form. It was a calculated move; mostly because by now Kestrel would know Reuma only took that form when she was very comfy, and also because it would give Kes a way to see that changing forms sometimes didn't have to be a big panic inducing thing. Carefully, she clip clops around the kitchen, humming to herself, the baggy pants now showing just a hint of very soft doe fur around her hips, and making the change fairly inobtrusive. As she begins to pull the bacon off and let it drain of grease on some paper towels, she calls. "Alright deer~ Come on out and get some breakfast. I made a little more of the fruit salad, since I know it always goes missing from the fridge after I make it!" Then she gives a soft chuckle under her breath, laughing at the deer pun, even if she knew she wasn't a deer. Dork.

[Halae]

Mouchabière Residence
"That's not a bad idea," Sekhmet chuckles at the thought of assigning someone to watch Mary. Unfortunately, most of Sekhmet's available subordinates are also succubi. "But it would be frowned upon here." She nods to Sophie's point. "I'm a little worried she won't be able to handle it. That she'll do something she'll regret. I've talked with her as much as I can, but she resists anything that seems like she's being told what to do."

[Mouchabière Residence]

"Teenage hormones are quite enough on their own. My mother had her hands full with my siblings and I. Believe it or not I was popular with boys when I started growing up." Sophie waggles her eyebrows in an exaggerated expression. "When you add a succubus to the mix... I can see it being explosive. You came to your nature as a succubus pretty recently, I think. Mary was hit with it along with puberty."

[Mouchabière Residence]

"It doesn't help that being a teenager is when kids are learning to develop on their own, away from their parents. I think the best advice I can give you is that if you want to have a better handle on what she does and where she goes, don't try to stop her. Just give her advice and point out when she's doing something stupid; that'll allow her to make her own choices and mistakes while still allowing you to know what's going on and step in if necessary."

Trick doesn't explain why she knows this.

[Skye's Apartment]

"These older apartments usually have basements that are used for storage. I did spot a door which I think lead down into one. We might be able to do some sparring down there? They're pretty spacious. I've seen people using such spaces to set up entire businesses or gyms."

[Skye's Apartment]

That gets a smile out of Skye, "Ah, of course. Let's go, then?" she seems quite eager, already standing up to move towards the basement.

[Shadowcaller]

Disasters

"As I explained to you, my visions change once they're seen by those with the will and means to change them." Baphoreth chimes in.

Jaahlyn nods hesitantly. "Her highness could probably break it. But any wards that will keep the woku away will probably keep me away too is the problem. So I think either way we'd have to confront her."

"We could drown her in the deep realm." Baphoreth suggests for what them seems to be a casual tone.

Yet this suggestion causes Jaahlyn to pause and look to Jim. As if seriously considering it for at least a moment. "Eh, no. Pretty sure that would be worse than death."

[Skye's Apartment]

Ava gets up and briskly walks after Skye. Since Skye would have seen the door going to the basement each time she walked up the stairs to her apartment.
But before they can leave for that Ava has a reminder. "Just make sure to bring your staffs, I didn't bring mine with me." And she usually didn't like using it for practice since it was magical.

But assuming that Skye has that, Ava and her will soon be down in the basement. This is where the washing machines are for those living here that don't have their own. Well, in the apartment next door at least. So she'd have to walk over there.
This one only seems to only be used for storage. But as Ava suspected, there's plenty of space here and no one else around.

Ava takes off her coat and folds it before putting it down on the floor with her hat soon resting on top of it. Then she takes up positions. "So it was a while since we did this." The last time they did, Skye looked rather different.