On the one hand, it's good that Taylor sees it that way, if it makes her happier. And, in the end, it's up to her whether to get mad at awful things that happen to her.

On the other hand, this thing was very awful and it's not good that it happened! At all! Milani reserves the right to get mad at awful things on Taylor's behalf!

Deep breath. I see what You meant. We can trust the alien - this Administrator Queen, what a horrible pretentious name. Milani resolves to drop the "queen" part of that title in the future. Trust it to do as it's told, really. 

Abadar wants to talk to it. He thinks He can trade with it. Milani isn't sure Abadar even sees a difference between talking and trading. I said not until We thought it wouldn't hurt Our plans for it, but I do need to set Him loose eventually or I'll owe Him a lot of money. How long do You think I should put Him off? He's bound to learn from another source eventually, once Taylor starts making waves.

I'll handle Him, if You'll allow me Your proxy in this matter.  Pay attention to what You're doing right now.

Milani is happy to let Iomedae take over all the (regretfully necessary) talking-to-the-Law duties! Hey Abadar, I'm naming Iomedae My proxy regarding this alien, please talk to Her about it kthxbye.

How's Taylor doing? It's been almost a full turn for her now.

She's doing pretty well?

Though Ophelia has caught up to her and is chanting urgently as magic lays upon her --

She's probably just checking up on Taylor, or maybe trying to help her in case she's under attack. Divine power links aren't obvious from the outside, and most people don't really know how witches work anyway.

Milani will be ready to stop her if she has to, the moment her spell comes into focus. This is habit, more than real worry; Iomedae said the party could be trusted, and the obvious threat is the cleric, not this woman.

She turns her attention back towards (ugh) Nocticula. Iomedae told me She doesn't expect you to betray us. I have no idea how you convinced Her of that. I suppose I can at least hear you out, but don't expect much.

Well.  First off, she was here first.  Taylor was summoned because one of hers hijacked Deskari's ritual.  It'd be pretty stupid to sabotage her own weapon; if she needed Taylor dead for whatever reason she'd Kiss her, not do some roundabout scrambling thing.  Second off...

She points at a hex, woven into the structure of the putative patronage that she proposed.  What was it Desna said, even demons can dream of better things?

If, of course, they're given the right stimulus.

Milani really, really doesn't expect to be convinced. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say She doesn't want to be, because to be convinced of something by Nocticula is to have lost the fight.

Nocticula specializes in seducing and then betraying demon lords, and this continues to work despite them knowing this about her. 'Seducing', interpreted broadly, means enticing with attractive proposals seemingly in your own interest. The obvious way to defend against this is not to agree to any proposals coming from Nocticula.

She resolves to hear her out, and then turn her down gently. Iomedae doesn't want Her to antagonize Nocticula, and they'll probably have to agree to some of her proposals if they want her to help them, but granting Taylor a different power with who knows what trapdoors is really out of the question.

...But first She'll take a look at what She's being seduced with. If it's really dangerous, She can choose to forget about it later. And She's curious what Nocticula thinks would entice Taylor, or Herself.

This is quite an ingenious way to make a Cunning arcane caster into a Splendid one! Milani approves. She would gladly use this, if not for where it came from.

But why would Nocticula care that much about making Taylor stronger or more splendid? Milani expected her to care about Taylor's alien-granted powers, not those she might grow into. 

This 'package' would make complete sense if Nocticula were to grant Taylor power (She shudders), but now that Milani is doing it -

What's this special hex?

...

This thing is designed to make azatas fall.

Oh, sure, She supposes it could technically help a demon rise, or break an aeon's mind in half, but it's obvious who this was actually used on most often. Elysium is infinite and chaotic as well as Chaotic, but Milani has many friends (who gossip) and She hears of these things. For every formerly Evil outsider now happily drinking with Cayden, dozens of azatas went to the Abyss, distorted, tortured, made to torture - 

Maybe some of that sheer disparity is because the Abyss's succubi had this bloody thing at their disposal.

Why would Nocticula give it to Her, of all people? Now they might learn to counter it. Perhaps she doesn't care that much - her enemies are mostly other demons - and wants to win Her favor. 

She didn't frame it as a gift to Milani, though. What would this power do in Taylor's hands? Did Nocticula mean to empower Taylor herself, make her an agent of pure Chaos and the downfall of moral principles? 

(Nocticula said it was meant to be used on demons. Milani thinks it's an obvious lie and not worth further thought.)

Milani doesn't think there are some powers mortal woman was not meant to grasp, and She won't deny Taylor any choices - but She won't force a power She doesn't trust on her. Maybe one day they can prize this hex apart from the rest of the package, or give it to another ally. But not when Nocticula comes in at the last possible moment and forces Her to react and doesn't give Taylor a chance to make a choice.

Deep breath. Let her down gently.

Clearly you don't want Taylor dead. Equally clearly you care about your own interests, and not Taylor's. I'm not convinced this gift would benefit Taylor, I don't know why exactly you offered it, and Taylor has no chance to make her own choice.

So I'm turning it down. I'm sure you'll have many other chances to help Taylor, and Us, if you don't have any narrower goals than that.

...For what it's worth, this genuinely doesn't look like it would cause anyone to Fall or Rise that wasn't predisposed to, in some way.  Yes, it's built atop a Charm spell, but it's not a Dominate.  It cannot make you act against your nature.

Not that Nocticula actually knows that Milani is concerned about that.

I offered it because what you see in her, I see in her.  A strange claim to make, when I am a lord of seductive assassins and you a goddess of revolutionaries, but as much as the very structure of the Abyss itself would deny me compassion, I am the demon lord of subverting that order.  Nothing is allowed to enslave me.  Not even myself.

And so I offer this because the bright-shining weaver, assassin of gods and monsters, needs all the help she can get, and she has made friends and allies of enemies much more fervent - indeed, of monsters that before her none could even speak to.  She has toppled an adamant statue of oppressive tyranny, she has outfought a god of war himself, armed with only his crippled queen and mere wit and will.  It was her ability to turn the slings and arrows of misfortune - and what a wonderful phrase that is - against her enemies, once she'd suffered them herself, that truly brought down the mighty beast - for all that cunning and keen tactics got her to the point where she could try.  In another life she'd be a bard beyond compare, and to leave her with only a way to exploit the fruits of Cunning risks her loss as someone either of us - at least as we wish to be - would care to empower.  Even a heroic heart can break upon the coldest logic, and hers still bleeds.

Perhaps I offer this power for other inscrutable motives, but neither of us are Lawful gods - to be legible in Their way is anathema to Chaos, you know this.  Neither of us could do that if we tried.  Regardless, I do not usually lie to those who I am attempting to help, when their success is mine - as this is, because, again, I prefer not having Deskari rattling around in my realm.  To lie to you anyway would thus be blindingly stupid.

Closing the Worldwound is my honest goal.  Making that easier to accomplish is my honest motive.  Alushinyrra does not need, nor want Deskari.  (Alushinyrra does not desire Baphomet either, but he's harder to smack down with only control of the simplest sorts of vermin, despite the versatility of well-used coloxi.)

...There's more, though, that she is not saying.

Not that all of it is something Milani definitively will not see, or that some of it is even particularly hidden - but that it is something she wishes to not speak of.

That she saw in Taylor's memories a miraculously avoided death, and remembered a time when she, too, was weak.  Remembered the promise she made to herself that never again would that happen to her - or to others, had she the chance.  (She killed the demon lord who violated her.  Taylor managed to move past the bullies and betrayers that left her to die - in a sacrificial ritual Urgathoa would have been proud of - enough to convert one.  She's faintly impressed.)

That she has not been acting for Taylor alone, that the Cult of the Redeemer Queen, as tenuous as they are, speak a truth when they say that Nocticula plans to ascend to a much different portfolio than one following from the example of Lamashtu.

That one part of her intended portfolio is certainly outcasts and the abandoned, which Taylor most certainly qualifies as.

That another part is art and beauty and expression, and she saw Taylor make butterflies dance, saw the pride she took in spidersilk weave, saw the righteous passion at ill-treatment and ostracism that nothing truly extinguished and she too shares.

That she saw Scion die.  That it echoed in her core like the moment she slew the lord of invidiaks, the myth of Taylor resonant with her own, a sympathy deeply established.

That she saw Taylor, Skitter, Weaver, adopt a pack of feral supervillains, and lead them in carving out territory in her Brockton Bay so much akin to the way Nocticula has carved, from the fabric of worlds lost to ruin, her own demesne - the Midnight Isles.  That Skitter died protecting them.

That Nocticula has much in common with Taylor herself, if one looks carefully.

Nocticula's story is well designed to sway Her, which is not at all surprising.

It's true that this power is a better fit for Taylor than a cunning one. She could ask Iomedae and maybe Nethys if it does what She thinks it does, and She expects They would confirm it. Nocticula's isn't so stupid as to offer them a trap they could detect.

Casters always focus on that part of their mind which powers their magic. A Taylor casting from cunning will become ever more cunning, until it comes to dominate her personality. And while there's nothing wrong with cunning, She agrees that great force of will would suit Taylor better.

The only problem is that She, fundamentally, does not trust Nocticula not to have plans inimical to Taylor, even if they happen to be optimizing closing the Worldwound. 

She can't ask Iomedae for help here. Iomedae is willing to sacrifice people for the greater Good. And while Milani respects that, and gods She's done so too and really has no standing to complain about it...

She doesn't want to do it to Taylor. Maybe She can make it up to her later with a nice headband.

...also She promised Herself She'd turn down Nocticula and She can totally be legible when She chooses to! To Herself, if no-one else. So there.

I don't trust you with Taylor. Words are cheap. I'm sure you'll have many chances to prove yourself. And She firmly turns Her metaphorical back to Nocticula. What's that caster doing?

Panicking!  What did Weaver do?  Where did that flower come from?  What is happening?  She isn't a divine caster but she is definitely praying - albeit abortively, in most cases; the only prayers she sustains beyond the slightest flicker of contemplation are to entreat Iomedae and Nocticula for insight to see the right thing to do and cunning with which to do it - she can pray to Shelyn that won't reveal something to someone who doesn't already know there's something happening but she is unsure if Shelyn can help her with this it's mostly outside of Her domains - but then, roses are something Shelyn would know - Shelyn please help her understand, there is beauty on the surface but she knows not in the slightest if something ugly hides beneath -

(Iomedae does not have the energy to spare to communicate to Ophelia, even if she thought it would meaningfully help.)

Nocticula is quite able to communicate that this is Milani's fault, but she's equally sure that this would be unhelpful.  She just yells another thing at Milani instead, bouncing it off of Ophelia - sorry for the headache - How rich it is that You don't trust Me with her when I am the primary reason You have a her to "not trust Me with" in the first place, Bloody Rose!

Ow.  Useful, but ow.

-- what is happening here?

A tender, soothing glance through the mind of Her worshipper allows Her to see that Milani is doing something and Nocticula is pissed off about Her fellow flower goddess doing something unilaterally, presumably to do with the desperate prayer She received to understand this flower.

That looks like a familiar, alright.  Milani's work is impressive.

So Milani wishes to patronize this girl.  Nocticula, meanwhile, says she was there first, and - ought to be trusted with this one?

There is very little of the woman in question that is visible to Shelyn, mostly butterflies, armor of spider-silk and chitin, and a blonde in a purple-and-black catsuit, though other figures appear - and how strange it is, that this woman's mother is so reminiscent of a god that this Taylor knew nothing of - 

She'll need to ask, at some point.  To understand where someone is coming from is essential to the process of befriending them.

Still, She thinks that if Nocticula is this genuinely upset about Milani not doing something - and She has a pretty good model of the aspirant Redeemer Queen, nowadays, enough to tell - it's probably worth trying to smooth over the gaps and ruffled feathers.

She puts on her best bemused goddessly expression, and sends a message.

...Milani, dear sister-in-roses, why was Nocticula able to summon Your secret lovechild from the Dark Tapestry?

And now She's being more serious: I jest, but one of My worshippers was a bit panicked about Your sudden intervention, and while she has figured out what is happening, I've nonetheless found evidence of quite a bit of strife that I suspect is built off some sort of misunderstanding between You and another - one that need not continue to exist.  So, what is happening, here?  If You wouldn't mind sharing Your perspective.

Shelyn! Hi! I was definitely going to ping You about this as soon as I had a free moment!

So, um, apparently there was a Deskarite summoning ritual, and the Deskarites were infiltrated by Nocticula, and one or both were also infiltrated by Iomedae's people, and it ended in summoning Taylor here from - somewhere (She points) -

And Taylor had a Lawful Evil alien thing attached to her. They just killed an Evil god together and saved her race and a bunch of planets, it was incredible. But she had to use Lawful Evil tools to win, right, even though she hated it, and many other people hated her for it. I think they decided to kill her, just before the summons brought her here.

The alien - Taylor calls it a passenger - it's materialized, like a demigod, except it's way past the point where most demigods become baby gods, it's like it doesn't know how to ascend but it never stopped eating. It lets Taylor control insects, and insect demons, and one time humans but Taylor had to really hurt herself to fit some stupid loophole in the alien's Law about what powers she gets so she's not getting that again.

When Taylor came here, a lot of people started asking her to use her power, and she doesn't know anything about Golarion, or who to trust. So she prayed for guidance - for Good counsel. And I talked to her a bit and we liked each other, so I made her a witch and I'm sending her a familiar to give her advice. It's Rosal from the new garden colony, I don't know if you've met.

Only then Nocticula showed up and started complaining. Apparently she wants the Worldwound closed - that part's easy to believe, you just need to read it as "Nocticula wants to blow up Deskari and Baphomet's plans" - and she claims she wants to become less Evil and more purely Chaotic, and Iomedae trusts her not to backstab us for reasons I don't fully understand yet but I don't think that includes not hurting Taylor to help close the Wound.

Nocticula wanted me to give Taylor a different package of powers. A new one I haven't seen before. And it seemed like a good idea, which is how you know not to listen to it, it's Nocticula, right. And anyway she showed up too late and now there's no time to ask Taylor what she thinks about it. I really don't know why Nocticula's acting so upset, maybe I blew up a plan of hers but you'd think she'd hide it better.

So, um, You can tell Your worshipper it's all fine, and in a few rounds the familiar will be there and be able to talk to them, and hopefully we can keep Nocticula - contained - helping more legibly.

I will admit that I do not and have not spoken to her in sufficient breadth to know what Nocticula complaining looks like.  What I have seen of this does not look so much like complaining as much as inchoate frustration with someone's unyielding obstinacy, though.  ...Not that I can blame you, Nocticula does look quite suspicious when you can't see enough of her.  And certainly you have not - but, I've seen a bit more than I expect you have.  And I've seen her art.  ...She makes art, in case that was not obvious.

You can tell a lot about someone from the art they make.  And I think that what I have seen of hers is sincere, because she did it long before she expected someone to be looking.

And as for 'not hurting Taylor to help close the Wound' -

Aren't You more actively denying Taylor a choice, there?  Should that risk not be hers to choose to take, should it even come to that?  We are not even facing that sort of question.  Or do I misunderstand? 

I am hardly Iomedae - but I imagine that anyone who'd choose to - break herself apart, in that way - would be willing to learn from an unknown source, that has not yet hurt her despite ample opportunity, a power that will give her opportunities to turn enemies to friends, as - it seems she has done before, with even less external support.  And this may not be particular evidence either way as to what Nocticula has done with it, if she as she is now even can do anything with this power - but I have seen witches of a more fey bent with almost exactly these powers - albeit, oddly, with more focus on poking certain buttons in squishy mortal brains - before.  It certainly doesn't appear inherently corruptive or dangerous, for all that it's definitely Chaotic in inclination.

I think that if Nocticula were trying to entrap Taylor, you'd have seen the signs from a mile away.  They look like this.  (And here, Shelyn shows Milani a demon-sworn witch.  This is what damnation looks like.)

...I think, that she thinks, that she's helping.  With only the motive of 'getting in good' with the woman who's closing the Worldwound for her.  Whether that's true, whether she's deceiving even herself somehow, I can't say - but it isn't out of character.  Especially given that she chose my agent to enact the plan that has brought us here to begin with.

The thing I want you to see, here, is that - this is not Nocticula trying to hurt anyone, because she would not be using these tools for that purpose.  She has better tools for that, has left opportunities to use them on the table, and she's not using any of them right now.  Instead, she's being - vulnerable.  You could hurt her, with merely the true information that she talked to you.  It would be ugly, so I will not speak more of it, but - the possibility is there.  So I think she's - being genuine.  And trying to give what help she can, without tipping her hand too soon on certain things.

For what it's worth, I can see little of this mortal in particular, but insofar as I can, I think that the arc of her life would be more beautiful, if she cultivated her Splendour, than her Cunning.  It was her Cunning that led to -

The situation that you want to ensure will never repeat itself.

There are so many things Milani can say in response to that, but She valiantly bites Her metaphorical tongue and refrains.

...Next time She sees Cayden She's totally sharing Shelyn's thoughts on just how beautiful Nocticula is, if you get to see enough of her -

- ahem. So, Shelyn thinks Taylor would be more beautiful if she cultivated her Splendour a bit more - 

- to turn enemies to friends, start with a little bit of Chaos and a whole lot of Charm Monster -

...ahem!

This makes two Good goddesses who have sort-of vouched for Nocticula in this matter (and it's darkly hilarious that the one Good alignment that doesn't trust her is Chaos). Milani is capable of recognizing patterns, and what She sees here is that:

 - Nocticula has prepared her ground with Them well ahead of time; there are plots and secrets here that Milani is not privy to, and She respects illicit alliances enough not to pry;

 - This particular action of Nocticula very likely isn't a trap or betrayal, because she wouldn't lightly spend Their trust and good will (that must have been very dearly bought). If Nocticula maneuvers Iomedae and Shelyn into falsely testifying on her behalf, They will be terribly offended.

 - Fear of a trap, and the normally healthy heuristic of "not listening to the demon lord queen", was Her main reason for refusing.

...these powers are a better fit for Taylor. Milani still doesn't care for the Outsider's Downfall hex (as She has privately nicknamed it), but She can trust Taylor's judgement; having a power is not the same as using it. Casting from Splendour is a good foundation for Taylor to grow and spread her wings. And there's just enough time left to adjust the connection that a fragment of Her attention is busily forging in Taylor's soul.

Decision made, most of Her turns to look elsewhere, for the familiar spirit that will advise and help Taylor on her journey.

A long time ago, the story goes, Shelyn planted roses in Her divine garden-realm of Blossomheart in Nirvana.

The garden is still there, full of roses, and by now so is the rest of Nirvana. Roses who love beauty, and life, and above all the making of little roselings; and who, on being granted great wisdom, saw no reason not to fill the world.

When azatas from Elysium visit Nirvana, the roses are eager to welcome them, and guide them, and share stories; and sometimes the azatas take a cutting home, for the infinite wilderness of Elysium is a home to all who are Good.

Milani has a colony growing in her garden, now. She couldn't not, what with her holy symbol and that adorable way they flutter their petal-wings.

Sometimes a brave roseling, red with the passion of its youth and the Chaos of the soil, wants to visit the Material. They cannot make the journey on their own, which may be for their own good, if not for that of mortals. They are Good-leaning-Chaotic, and have only ever known a safe home, and yearning to see the world and to fix it runs in their sap.

Milani finds a likely thicket and, being a goddess, makes the offer to all of them at once.

Brave roseling wanted for exciting journey to Golarion! There will be adventure! Witches, demons, paladins! Magic and mystery! Your wisdom and Good advice will help guide a mortal through great danger and to the overthrow of a demon lord (bonus demon lady not guaranteed)! Death is not the end in this exciting adventure! Offer valid in the next six seconds! 

...I can only send a little one yea high, sorry Rosier, I know you want to, maybe next time.

To the most promising candidates She shows Taylor, everything She saw and guessed and learned from Abadar and Iomedae and Shelyn and even Nocticula, all up to the last moment when She has to make her choice - Rosal, you have my best wishes and my best spells, don't forget to drink a lot of water and avoid open fires, here you gooooo -