The Twofold Houses

[Murkus]

[Bun in the Sun]

Adir could just about swoon right there from how cute his own kid is. And Calanthe is so good with her. Adir leans over to Sakura with his hand in front of his mouth and says, "She really is a miracle worker."

From there, the kids likely resume their play. No doubt the whole family will be headed inside in a little while to get some snacks from the freezer.

[Front Door --> The Garden]

Adir walks along behind the two children. When he spies the kids playing around Sarget, he dons a little frown. This might not be good. He'll try to position himself between the quartet by the tree and the two babies here. He's not sure what else to do, but he'll keep glancing back just in case they head this way.

He'll be quiet for now, otherwise. G'nichi seems occupied with the children.

[Woblin Sleepover]

The twin boys agree immediately and will follow Calanthe at an energetic trot.

"Do you know a lot of wizards?" Gwydion will ask Calanthe once they're a little ways from the house.

[Gullara]

[The Garden]

Lucy looks confused at Annie for a moment, not quite able to figure this person out. "Thank you! We work super hard on it. It makes our home beautiful and it feeds us." Lucy explains very proudly. This is definitely something Sakura has emphasized among the kids.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Big One Oh]

Wenomir's attack was exactly what Ambrosia had hoped to provoke as she lowered her blade towards the ground.
When they turn low, go high. An principle that she had been pretty sure he followed as well.
Her response is to take a step backwards, coldly calculating the trajectory of his swing. But while it just gets her just out of his reach she's also digging her right foot into the ground in the same movement. Firmly placing all her weight into it.

He was surely testing her now that he had overwhelmed her once so he was probably trying to see just how off-balance he had gotten her.
But how much of an counterattack was he expecting?
Since as he executes his quick chop Ambrosia slams her other foot into the ground which such force that a small cloud of dust fills the air around her as she launches herself forward. Closing the distance between them in but a moment while raising her blade upwards, ready to either parry or drive it into him depending on how much of a counterattack he was expecting.

[Rebonack]

[The Garden]

"It's sooooo pretty! And it smells nice. And I guess all the fruits and vegetables are nice, too," Annie retorts as she scoots to another patch of flowers, sits down, and begins admiring those, too. "Do all your hair flowers ever turn into fruit or do they just stay flowers all the time?"

That seems like a pretty important question to Annie.

Are the flowers just for show?

Or do they actually yield fruit like gaiads do?

In Annie's experience the deer plus tree look is a very particular type of spirit. But she's pretty sure Lucy isn't a spirit. Not really. She's made of flesh and bone.

[Keeper]

The Garden

G’nichi tries not to hover but he does position himself closer to the child he’s theoretically responsible for than the other group.

This may not help Adir’s plan of keeping them separated given that G’nichi is both a new person and an extremely visible one with his shiny green scales, wings, and exceptionally fluffy red tail.

[Arkhosia]

[Woblin Sleepover]

"Not especially," Calanthe admits as they travel. "I've talked to a fair few by now, but I can't say I'm anything more than acquainted with any." She looks back over. "Why do you ask? Are you interested in becoming one?"

[Gullara]

[Chitchat]

Cessie and Sakura are sitting together in the Keep's courtyard, perched on chairs on the steps up to the main entrance. They're watching the kids below at play, running around playing a game of tag.

"Hey Cessie..." Sakura begins after a lull in their conversation. "There's something I wanted to chat with you about."

[Shadowcaller]

[Chitchat]

"Of course, go ahead." Cessie remarks, gesturing at her friend. "You know that you can talk to me about anything."

[Gullara]

[Chitchat]

"Um, I don't know if I ever told you that I figured out I'm bisexual." Sakura puts emphasis on the word, for reasons Cessie has no reason to know. "Which is fine. It doesn't really matter, right? But Adir, um, caught me sorta staring at Calanthe and started interrogating me." She waves her hands. "Interrogating sounds too mean. He was just asking probing questions. And it ended up kinda making me realize I might have a crush on Calanthe? And I was just going to ignore it, but now I feel weird about it. I really like her and she's been great for us, so I don't want to make things weird between us. And I don't want Adir to feel weird either." Sakura puts her face in her hands. "This feels way more embarrassing than I thought."

[Shadowcaller]

[Chitchat]

Sakura was the what now?
Cessie wasn't quite sure what that term meant but thankfully it becomes clear once the dryad continued.
So she believed she was sexually interested in women? In fact, she was interested in her maid?
A woman that Cessie had barely spoken to.

"Erm, please don't be embarrassed. As I said, I don't want there to be any secrets between us and it's a good thing you've told Adir too. It was the most mature thing to do in that sort of situation. I'm sure Adir appreciated your honesty. I don't think I would have dared to do the same thing in your situation. Perhaps you should simply try to give it another month and see if things changes between you?"

[Gullara]

[Chitchat]

Sakura sighs and leans back in her seat. Yeah, I know. I'm sure it's just my brain being silly. It's just that now that I've actually thought about it I feel like I keep fixating on it. And I don't want to feel awkward, you know? I really consider her a friend at this point and it's just annoying."

[Morty]

[Woblin Sleepover]

"Natalie and Khannie are learning to be wizards," Tuskfang prattles as he follows Calanthe and his friends. "But they don't wear hats. Maybe you only wear a hat when you become a proper wizard."

[The Big One Oh]

Wenomir was expecting a counter-attack, but he wasn't prepared for its strength or its speed. Knowing he can't parry or intercept it in time, he tries to step aside, avoiding it and hopefully causing Ambrosia to overextend herself and lose her balance. If she sees it coming, though, she might get another opportunity for an attack.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Big One Oh]

Stepping aside is actually a pretty good counter in this situation. But as Ambrosia sees that he's not counterattacking she goes for a wide swing rather than a stab in hopes of still catching him. Either way she has left her back in a vulnerable position once she has executed her attack.
Ambrosia only need a moment to whirl around back to face him with a defensive posture before he can exploit it, but Wenomir had proven himself to be extremely fast so far.

[Chitchat]

"You could always ask Adir to dress up like her in bed." Cessie teases with a laugh but is quick to downplay that joke. "I apologize, I apologize, I'm being a terrible friend right now. However, acting something out might not be such a bad idea though. Like if I were her what would you tell me? I'm not saying that you should tell her all this but pretending that you are might make you feel better. Live out the fantasy for a moment if in words only."

[Gullara]

[Chitchat]

"Cessie!" Sakura protests. Everyone is being trouble about this!

"I don't know..." Sakura turns to face Cessie directly. "Um..." She shakes her head and covers her face. "Nope, can't do it. Way too embarrassing."

[Morty]

[The Big One Oh]

Wenomir twists his hips, Ambrosia's blade missing him by a hair's breadth. A less skilled fighter would take the full brunt of her strike - even Wenomir, in many cases. But this time his reflexes serve him well. Once he has avoided Ambrosia's strike, he closes in, trying to thrust above her blade towards her chest. It's a risky maneuver, as any misstep or miscalculation will leave him open.

[Wolfbane]

[Big Talks

Ariel gets a far away look in her eyes, imagining. She's practically daydreaming of everything. Finally having a sister, multiple sisters even, a second cool mom(maybe even cooler!), and more. A thought comes to her and she leans over towards her soon-to-be sisters. "Does...does this mean we're, like...double Ladies or double princesses?" She asks quietly, half joking but half trying to figure out what this means. After all, if she's already a Noble Lady, wouldn't even more Noble Moms make her even more so? For now, it was a mystery to her. Sergei though nods when Bastion makes his comment, having come to the same conclusion. A thought gives him pause though, and he's lost in more contemplation. His mom had already explained how Houses work, so what would they be called? What would the inheritances and roles be? He didn't think there'd be any cause for rivalry and neither did he think there was any real benefit or negative to it as long as he just acted like a good brother, but what if the others didn't think the same? The questions make his head spin and cause him to feel a little pensive, but he asks only one for now. "How soon?"

His mother smiles gently. "It'll take a bit of time to prepare, but it won't be too long. And don't worry, we'll make sure we won't leave anything behind at the manor." It will take a bit of time for Jezebel to figure out how to move all her armaments safely and store them safely however. She reaches out, taking Cessie's hand and giving it a squeeze, glad that it seems to be going well so far. "We'll need to figure out who is sleeping where and everything as well. I know it will be strange to not be in the city anymore, but you'll like it."

[Murkus]

[The Garden]

"I sure hope they don't start making fruit. I have to clean up enough petals as it is," Adir jests, crossing his arms and smiling down at the kids.

[Woblin Sleepover]

"Well, I..." Gwydion looks a little shy. He reaches across his body and rubs his shoulder.

"It's okay, Gwydion. It's cool," Cern assures him, nodding.

"Well," Gwydion brightens, "I've always really, uh... looked up? To Aunt Cessie? And I'd love to be able to do the kinds of things she does."

"Cessie is cool. It's not a bad dream," Cern says approvingly.

Gwydion laughs as Tuskfang mentions wizard hats. "Yes, I guess you would have to earn one!"

[Gullara]

[The Garden]

Lucy puts her hands on her head. "Grow fruits? Nuh uh, that's silly." Lucy giggles. "Why would my head need fruits?"

[Big Talks]

The three Mithar kids listen intently to what their mom says, and then to what Jezebel says. Even Cora is attentive for the whole time; they can tell this is something important.

"Wow, really? They're gonna live here all the time?" Cora asks with all the excitement of a kid learning they can spend a lot more time with a friend.

"Like family?" Jillian chimes in, starting to piece this together.

Bastion, who's been looking quite contemplative, cuts right through it all. "Are you going to marry Jezebel, mom?" After that all the kids are looking intently at Cessie.

[Big Talks]

Cessie nods to Jezzy in agreement with what she just said. "We believe that it would allow you two-" Her gaze shifts to Ariel and Sergei. "-to have more friends to play with considering how often the Frescots and other kids come to visit us."

Then her attention is turned back to her own children and she nods to them as to answer their questions. "Yes, yes and yes. We haven't really agreed on a date or much else for the wedding yet but it's our ultimate intention." She takes a deep breath through her nose. "-I know it might be a lot to handle at once but I think it will be great. Don't you?" Their mother smiles reassuringly.

[Big Talks

Ariel gets a far away look in her eyes, imagining. She's practically daydreaming of everything. Finally having a sister, multiple sisters even, a second cool mom(maybe even cooler!), and more. A thought comes to her and she leans over towards her soon-to-be sisters. "Does...does this mean we're, like...double Ladies or double princesses?" She asks quietly, half joking but half trying to figure out what this means. After all, if she's already a Noble Lady, wouldn't even more Noble Moms make her even more so? For now, it was a mystery to her. Sergei though nods when Bastion makes his comment, having come to the same conclusion. A thought gives him pause though, and he's lost in more contemplation. His mom had already explained how Houses work, so what would they be called? What would the inheritances and roles be? He didn't think there'd be any cause for rivalry and neither did he think there was any real benefit or negative to it as long as he just acted like a good brother, but what if the others didn't think the same? The questions make his head spin and cause him to feel a little pensive, but he asks only one for now. "How soon?"

His mother smiles gently. "It'll take a bit of time to prepare, but it won't be too long. And don't worry, we'll make sure we won't leave anything behind at the manor." It will take a bit of time for Jezebel to figure out how to move all her armaments safely and store them safely however. She reaches out, taking Cessie's hand and giving it a squeeze, glad that it seems to be going well so far. "We'll need to figure out who is sleeping where and everything as well. I know it will be strange to not be in the city anymore, but you'll like it."

[Big Talks]

"I don't think that's how it works." Bastion muses about Ariel's question.

"I'm not a princess anyway. I'm a sword girl." Cora stresses. That's way better than being a princess, no offence to Laela.

The kids are quickly getting distracted apparently, but thankfully Jillian is still paying attention. "Where are their rooms going to be?" She asks curiously.

"Oh! Yeah Ariel's room should be by ours." Cora suggests enthusiastically.

"Do Sergei and Ariel get there own rooms?" Jillian adds. Not that there isn't enough space for them to.

"What about Jezebel's room?" Cora asks too.

"She'll sleep with mom. They're getting married." Bastion answers, a touch of exasperation in his voice.

Cora furrows her brow in thought. "Wait, does that Make Jezebel our mom? And does that make mom Sergei and Ariel's mom?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Chitchat]

Cessie nods and gently squeezes Sakura's shoulder in a show of empathy. "Then I'm afraid the only advise I have for you is to wait and see. You can't control your emotions, Sakura. So at least you shouldn't be ashamed of them. Perhaps you could try to discuss it with her without admitting to anything? I'm not sure how that conversation would go right at the moment but we could always try to figure that out together if you want to." She argues.

[The Big One Oh]

Ambrosia had left her back exposed when she attacked Wenomir as she had moved past him through the momentum that she had built up. If Wenomir is going for a frontal attack however Ambrosia is more ready to counter it. She raises her ssangsudo and angels it diagonally just in time to parry Wenomir's strike.

But she felt like she had ended up on the back foot in this exchange as she was fully expecting Wenomir to continue this assault with a series of quick attacks which she would be forced to defend against until she couldn't keep up anymore. There was nothing she could do about it right now as her last attack had failed but perhaps Wenomir would slip up.

He had done so in his attack right now but she just hadn't had the presence of mind to exploit it. Next time though...

[Big Talks]

Cessie returns the squeeze and nods to Jezzy. "Yes-" She looks to Ariel and Sergei. "-and don't worry about the things you had in the manor. We will put them up in here somewhere. Wherever they will fit. Like the family portrait you have. We will even make a new one with all of us in it at some point."

Turning to her own children, Cessie adds. "So there will be rather messy in here the next months as we're going to be setting up Ariel and Sergei's rooms. We're going to make the play room on your floor into two rooms and that's where they are going to stay. As for what you should call Jezebel-" She looks to her violet companion. "-well, what does she prefer that you call her?"

[Arkhosia]

► SHOW SPOILER

[Woblin Sleepover]

"Natalie and Khannie are learning to be wizards," Tuskfang prattles as he follows Calanthe and his friends. "But they don't wear hats. Maybe you only wear a hat when you become a proper wizard."

[Woblin Sleepover]

"Well, I..." Gwydion looks a little shy. He reaches across his body and rubs his shoulder.

"It's okay, Gwydion. It's cool," Cern assures him, nodding.

"Well," Gwydion brightens, "I've always really, uh... looked up? To Aunt Cessie? And I'd love to be able to do the kinds of things she does."

"Cessie is cool. It's not a bad dream," Cern says approvingly.

Gwydion laughs as Tuskfang mentions wizard hats. "Yes, I guess you would have to earn one!"

[Woblin Sleepover]

"Are they?" Calanthe raises her eyebrows. "It sounds like you may in fact know more wizards than I do, Mr. Tuskfang. I would not say the hat has to be necessarily be earned, however - mine was, but it's really more of a fashion choice outside of certain circles." She smiles. "Personally, I think it makes one look rather dashing and mysterious."

Gwydion, meanwhile, earns a less offhand response. She regards him with genuine interest, nodding. "Cessie is a wonderful woman, and incredibly skilled. I do believe the source of her magical abilities are an inherited trait rather than something she could exactly teach you... but that does not mean you cannot learn how to be equally spectacular." Calanthe offers an encouraging expression."There are many other ways to conjure flames and rock from thin air, after all."

[Gullara]

[Chitchat]

"I dunno about that. Adir was actually uncomfortable when I admitted that, and like I blew it off at the time because it shouldn't mean anything. I think he'd be uncomfortable again if I tried anything like that." Sakura sorta shrugs helplessly. "And it's not like it would accomplish anything. I should just try and forget about it again."

[Shadowcaller]

[Chitchat]

The sorceress nods. "I'm so used to Adir having a cavalier attitude about most things that I assumed he didn't take this that seriously. But perhaps I'm the one not taking this seriously enough." She pauses, looking thoughtfully at her friend. "We've just been friends so long that I didn't think I could have missed this. But perhaps we don't even know ourselves as well as we think we do." She refrains from mentioning the most obvious person to use as an example here, herself. "Even in hindsight, you can't recall ever feeling this?"

[Gullara]

[Chitchat]

"Um, I don't think so? I don't know I guess. I mean I never really thought about it before recently. I mean I've never had anything like this happen for another guy. Maybe I'm more, I dunno, curious? It's like, Adir gives me everything I could want from a man, but he's just not a woman." Sakura blows out a breath and leans back in her chair.

[Shadowcaller]

[Chitchat]

"So what do you see in her exactly? Since it's obviously not every woman." A beat. "And this is just me being curious. I don't think I can actually help you more than this with your problem."

[Gullara]

[Chitchat]

Sakura laughs a little. "I mean it's okay. I just wanted to get it off my chest more than anything." Sakura puts her finger on her chin, thinking. "Um, well... She's so refined and ladylike. Like the way she dresses is so pretty and fancy, and like, how she carries herself? Even when she's working with the kids she's so, I guess refined was already a good word. Oh and the kids love her, and she's so good with them. I guess she's super nice to talk to, too. She's smart about a lot of things; I feel like I can talk to her about anything and she'll have something to say. Um... I don't know. Maybe other things. You kinda put me on the spot."

[Shadowcaller]

[Chitchat]

Cessie let's out a laugh. "She sounds a lot like me. Except perhaps being good with kids. I'm not sure about that one."

[Morty]

[Woblin Sleepover]

"I'm gonna be a shaman!" Tuskfang states with deep conviction. "Like my dad is. But I don't think they wear hats."

[The Big One Oh]

Wenomir does as Ambrosia had expected. He makes a low attack, aiming below her blade, but turns it into an attack from the side towards her arm at the last moment. He's testing her reactions as much as trying to score a hit.

[Gullara]

[Chitchat]

Sakura is about to open her mouth to push back on Cessie's latter statement, but that's when she actually processes the first part. "...Huh?" She blinks a couple times. "I guess she's like you in some ways..."

[Murkus]

[Woblin Sleepover]

"I don't really like fire and rocks anyways. Not that what Cessie can do isn't cool. But mom and dad said I'm like her, so she could probably teach me what she knows about... like... controlling it."

"Gwydion's an air gen... jen... nasty something. Gwen Nasty."

"Genasi." Gwydion punches his brother in the arm.

"He has a ghost in him."

"A spirit."

"It's super weird."

"Is a shaman like a wizard?" Gwydion asks Tuskfang, ignoring his brother.

[Rebonack]

[Garden]

"What's your head need flowers for?" Annie asks, her lack of head covered in flowers at this very moment.

Or flower petals, at least.

It gives a very rough idea of what she's supposed to be shaped like.

Or is maybe shaped like.

Possibly shaped like?

Faeries are weird.

Regardless of the answer, she begins padding around to the other side of the flower box, her chains dragging behind her. It looks she she's going to be pretty occupied with the flowers for the time being, giving Adir and G'Nichi time to discuss important GROWNUP things.