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The Liandrils build up their mana enough to return home. They do so; the hotel charges Isabella a steep fee for the room service and the stay itself but not enough to break the bank and not enough to represent damage to the premises or anything.
They teleport away from their daemons, experience a moment of barely-there discomfort apiece, and keep them in a well-warded closet together where they will not be readily discovered or vulnerable.
The Liandrils report on the situation to some other mages.
Some other mages are... even more concerned than they are.
This Isabella character has clearly got to go, or at least be brought under some reasonable semblance of control.
What is the obvious way to do this?
Well, to these mages, the obvious way is:
They scry on her owl. He is having a rest in this tree, correspondence about obscure magic attached to his leg; he's not near her, but as they understand it, that doesn't mean there's no connection to exploit.
They come in a group so they don't need to linger longer than is necessary to seize the bird in three pairs of coordinated hands and then disappear again.
Miles away, in her kitchen, with a vial of safflower oil in one hand and a spellbook in the other, Isabella collapses breathlessly to the floor and convulses.
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dark_light
prodigal_miser
Adarin's asleep. If it wasn't for the dried blood and the strange sleeping location, he'd look perfectly normal. At peace.
Vern is snuggled nearby, just as peaceful.
Vern is snuggled nearby, just as peaceful.
dark_light
Isabella is kind of stiff from sleeping sitting up on a floor - albeit with a lap between her and the floor - all night. She starts stretching, carefully, one limb at a time, not interested in getting up nor waking her boyfriend.
prodigal_miser
He's kind of out of it. It's probably quite helpful that he sleeps like the dead.
No pun towards earlier murders.
(For practical reasons, he also needed this sleep. It helps with replenishing his completely drained stores of mana.)
No pun towards earlier murders.
(For practical reasons, he also needed this sleep. It helps with replenishing his completely drained stores of mana.)
dark_light
Isabella will, having stretched out and uncurled from around Path long enough to let him unfurl and refold too, stay put until Adarin wakes.
prodigal_miser
And so he does.
He makes a sound, shifts a bit, and mumbles, "Ow."
Sleeping on the floor as the lap/bed was probably not the best idea he's ever had.
He makes a sound, shifts a bit, and mumbles, "Ow."
Sleeping on the floor as the lap/bed was probably not the best idea he's ever had.
dark_light
She scoots off of him to the side that doesn't have Vern on it. "Sorry."
prodigal_miser
"Mm, no," he says, slurring a little and rubbing his eyes. "My choice."
He is really, really stiff, though.
He is really, really stiff, though.
prodigal_miser
He smiles at her, a bit. She gets a somewhat clumsy kiss, then he's going to try to get up to start a proper wake-up routine. He'd like to get more sleep, but he's... Stiff, sore, covered in blood. Sleep is probably beyond him, right now.
dark_light
Yeah, the blood is kind of an issue. Path's covered in it too. Isabella gets up and goes to give her daemon a bath - in the sink, so Adarin can have the shower. There's a little on her too, but not as much. Smears, almost kiss-marks of it where she touched it on Adarin or Path where it was sufficiently wet. Mostly not on her silks. She wipes it off while she's got the sink going.
prodigal_miser
Shower first, even before tea. He looks over his clothes, deems them a lost cause, and into the bin they go. He might be able to save some of them, but he doesn't feel the desire to. One absurdly long shower later, he gets to cleaning up Vern - blood is incredibly obvious on white feathers and she has a lot of it on her from cuddles after Adarin returned. When they're both cleaned up, he heads off to retrieve tea.
Vern is staying somewhat close to Adarin, but they don't stay in constant contact. The kagu-snuggles seem to have had no adverse effect on them, so that's at least something to celebrate.
Vern is staying somewhat close to Adarin, but they don't stay in constant contact. The kagu-snuggles seem to have had no adverse effect on them, so that's at least something to celebrate.
dark_light
Isabella has discarded her silks; she could replace them with another set but hasn't bothered.
Path hasn't left immediate physical contact with her the entire time.
When Adarin comes downstairs Isabella has already made him tea. She has a mug of it herself, cupped in both hands.
Path hasn't left immediate physical contact with her the entire time.
When Adarin comes downstairs Isabella has already made him tea. She has a mug of it herself, cupped in both hands.
prodigal_miser
He smiles at her, a little, takes the mug, and sits next to her. By now, he's used to her nudity, so he doesn't react to it.
Besides, he's worried about her. He doesn't know what to do, how to help.
"Hey," he says, for lack of a better idea.
Besides, he's worried about her. He doesn't know what to do, how to help.
"Hey," he says, for lack of a better idea.
prodigal_miser
Careful of Path, he wraps an arm around her shoulder. He doesn't think he should bring up anything involving yesterday, or the incident. It could hurt her, bringing up things she may not want to think about. So he doesn't.
He'll let it stay as silence and just hope that being here and being supportive will help. If he has any better ideas, he'll go with those. If she obviously needs something, he'll do his best to be sure that she has it.
He'll let it stay as silence and just hope that being here and being supportive will help. If he has any better ideas, he'll go with those. If she obviously needs something, he'll do his best to be sure that she has it.
dark_light
Path - hops onto his leg. Since Adarin is wearing clothes, this doesn't do anything instantaneously, but there he is in Adarin's lap, eyes closed, one wing extended to maintain contact with his witch. Isabella turns her face towards the side of Adarin's neck and makes a small sighing noise.
prodigal_miser
Adarin stares. He puts two and two together on what Path is doing.
"... Um," he says. "Path - Isabella, are... You shouldn't - feel like you need to because you touched Vern, or - or something?"
It does not click in his mind that Path might just want to be pet.
"... Um," he says. "Path - Isabella, are... You shouldn't - feel like you need to because you touched Vern, or - or something?"
It does not click in his mind that Path might just want to be pet.
dark_light
"It's not that," says Isabella quietly.
"I want them off of me," says Path.
"I want them off of me," says Path.
prodigal_miser
"Oh," murmurs Adarin. "Then - then if it - hurts in any way, or - if you want me to stop, or - or something, tell me, I don't want to hurt you. Either of you, I love you. Okay?"
But he holds a hand out to Path. He's not quite brave enough to just - pet him, but it's obvious that Path is now cleared for coming to him.
But he holds a hand out to Path. He's not quite brave enough to just - pet him, but it's obvious that Path is now cleared for coming to him.
dark_light
"I don't think it will," says Path.
And he stretches his other wing, clean and versed dry and soft as starlight, and lays it against Adarin's hand.
Isabella twitches, fractionally - then relaxes.
And he stretches his other wing, clean and versed dry and soft as starlight, and lays it against Adarin's hand.
Isabella twitches, fractionally - then relaxes.
prodigal_miser
He glances between the two, worried and concerned. To Isabella, he murmurs, "Are you all right?"
His hand stays where it is. If Path wants to keep touching him he is entirely free to, but he's too worried about them both to think about pets.
His hand stays where it is. If Path wants to keep touching him he is entirely free to, but he's too worried about them both to think about pets.
dark_light
"Yes," says Isabella clearly.
Path nestles himself under the provided hand.
Path nestles himself under the provided hand.
prodigal_miser
Adarin - doesn't know how to feel about this. But Isabella and Path seem to be enjoying themselves. That's the important part.
So he pets Path, ever so gently, like he's precious. (Because he is.)
Vern looks between all parties involved, and decides that she wants to cuddle Path, too. She drapes a wing over the owl, careful of both not touching Isabella and not getting in the way of Path touching Isabella. She murmurs, "We love you."
So he pets Path, ever so gently, like he's precious. (Because he is.)
Vern looks between all parties involved, and decides that she wants to cuddle Path, too. She drapes a wing over the owl, careful of both not touching Isabella and not getting in the way of Path touching Isabella. She murmurs, "We love you."