Chapter VII - Healing Pains

[Karl the Mad]

"Cap'n," Charles said neutrally as he stepped onto the boat. He hadn't quite forgiven Sam for telling the truth about his ancestor when they first met, in so blunt a fashion that Jameson had felt the need to bodily knock him out. But he wasn't about to make a fuss about it now, of all times. Best to keep to himself, perhaps.

Herbert might pick up on the change in the old vet's mood, how he'd gone from champing at the bit to withdrawn rather quickly at the sight of Samigina.

---------------------------

"You're right, of course." Marius spared one more look at the city, then straightened up. "Well, shall we case the joint, as you put it? The Noise would feel ever so much better with some recon to do."

----------------------------

Privately wondering if he'd made a mistake, Preston carefully disconnected Archie's frame from the rat's nest of connections. "You. Wanna not get beat up? Go get Dork Number One, stick with us," he said to the idiot with the fire extinguisher as he switched off the motor and decoupled the riskier connections in the rat's nest. "You. Got a name? Gonna be Dark Archie if not," he said to the ghost in Archie's shell.

----------------------------

Mary followed along, of course, but when she caught sight of a small alcove partially hidden behind a man-sized vase, she grinned and gently snagged Eirean by the wrist. "I don't suppose I could steal a few more minutes of your time, milady?" she purred suggestively, indicating the alcove with a slight nod. "We'd both benefit from being nice and relaxed in that ballroom, I do believe..."

Her manner was amorous, but the grip on Eirean's wrist was light, and could be easily shrugged off if the Fae lady wanted to stay focused. Mary wouldn't be offended in the slightest.

[IamLEAM1983]

Billy gave Alastriona a somewhat cruel smirk. "There's threats by a dime a dozen, kiddo, and you'd think I'd have the monopoly on sensing stuff? Talk to the cops, why don't you - there's sensitives in their lot. Or why not Amazo? You're looking for someone who's got arcane clout, why not him?"

Lucian sighed, his tentacles flattening against his chest as he crossed his arms. "You're deflecting, William."

The rhino glared in response. "Of course I am, or else it's not fun! I'm no dryad or Archmage, all I get is basic vibes. Squid vibes."

Lucian shrugged at that. "My people have only been living publicly as allies to you and yours since Hell's assault on the mortal plane; it makes perfect sense for the general sentiment to not have finished shifting in our favor - the Loyalists aren't making it easy for us. Hope is, as ever, an outlier in this respect. We're given more trust here than anywhere else along the East Coast."

Billy rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, but it also means some of you aren't worthy of that respect! The whole let's do cults and brainwash 'em thing might've failed, it doesn't change the fact that the operative cell that made me has more of its kind, out in the open."

Vernon grunted slightly as he rubbed his chin. "Billy does have a point in regards to Amazo, however. We could also try and bring Aislinn back in the swing of things, in Tom's absence. I understand our original Amazo hasn't been restored to us yet, but the one we currently have has a similar backstory. His channelling via on the level of a dryad to briefly erect a protection sphere over Hope during the times of Elysium should suggest he could help you bridge the gap with Sophia's own network."

He then canted his head in allowance. "Just - with a different kind of flair than Tom's."

Astra frowned slightly at that. "I still don't understand why our world having two simultaneous Heirs of Solomon doesn't cause more problems...
- It's one of the smaller areas where the Architect's influence remains palpable. The Others would tear us apart, the Architect merely wants this Creation to live on. It is a twist on verisimilitude, but if the Court continues to be amenable to it - and in the absence of any claims of Amazo's to Meris' throne - contradictions are more or less effectively kept at bay."

* * *

Azazel couldn't quite hold back a small chuckle as he briefly hugged Hanako. "Domo," he said; I - I understand. I just..."

He then parted from her, smiling. "I'm okay. I'll be okay."

* * *

Considering Neasa's request, William found himself giving the pair an amused look. "You're in luck, then. I still am a Void Weaver, after all."

He then gestured towards Bucky and dispelled his Veil, leaving the Augur's robes to sit awkwardly on his Do-inspired chest. William smirked behind his tendrils, at that sight. "Debased fineries for dead gods, Shamus - just tear this right off, hm? I'll have someone else burn these safely."

As the Clank did as instructed, however, the former Paladin gestured, his tentacles lightly bobbing. The slight groan of straining metal was heard, followed by his red paint growing more lustrous and the few specks of rust that covered him disappearing. Checking his furnace's readout on his forearm, he couldn't quite stop his articulated eyebrows from shooting up. "Holy toledo - that's a complete refurb, you just did on me! There ain't a single pipe that don't read as clean as a whistle, now!"

Looking amused, Cuthbert then refocused on Neasa. "And as for you, my dear... Bend your arm for me, will you?"

Positioning one of the selkie's arms, he stepped closer and whispered in the White Speech. The far-too-revealing pieces of regalia began to shift around her, turning into a simple pair of black jeans and a black turtleneck, some unseen force bundling her hair up with a hair clip fashioned out of obsidian. The arm the Throne had her bend served as a hook for a manifesting overnight bag.

"You should find something that fits you, in there," he said, winking at her. "Now, let's get you fed. We managed to reconnect to a brine pool in the Pacific Northwest, so we have some good Sockeye salmon. We've also Spoken our own growing lights into being and have a few small fields, in the terraces closer to the cave wall. Fish, string beans and potatoes... It isn't much, but it's what the Lord provides."

* * *

As the group sailed into the Thames beyond, Herbert noticed but didn't comment on Jenkins' soured mood. As for Sam, he seemed to quite enjoy the opportunity to look like a toothier and mildly-inebriated Charles Bronson. They reached a sewer access point and tied the boat, Wormsworth taking notice of the obvious red baseball cap the bouncer was sporting, which poorly hid his pointed ears. A young Winter Fae, by the looks of it.

"Pride come a-knockin'?" he asked, hefting an SMG nonchalantly, as if he knew the Prince. Herbert opted to make a point by taking out his ostentatious smartphone and thumbing through it for a few seconds, before answering. "Yes, I thought I might dip a toe into contiguous Vices - starting with Melmoth's. My associate and I are regaling David Pryce, of Pryce Pharmaceuticals, to a bit of under-the-table tomfoolery..."

The youth held his ground. "I, uh, kilt demons, y'know. I'm a Redcap.
- You and the rest of the world's resistance, my boy," sighed the Prince. "I'm sure you have tales of daring-do to impart, but we'd really rather be underway."

The demon held his ground. "Y'know what Redcaps do, huh?"

The Prince of Pride rolled his eyes. "Ugh, seriously? Yes, yes, you're murderers and thieves going back to the Dark Ages, you dip you cap in the blood of your enemies to dye it - I've heard the stories. All they mean is you and your friends are going to be visiting my demesne in very short order, boy. Winter Fae with an excess of pride tend not to... thrive on the vine, if I may be so bold..."

He returned to his smartphone. "Let us pass, hm? There's a good lad."

Looking a little put off, the goon took a step back.

* * *

"Red," replied the overriding construct, "Call me Red. I'm still Archie in front of the others, but... You'll see. He needs me."

* * *

Shock turned to a bit of a pleased smirk on Eirean's features, and she put a hand on her own abdomen while placing the other one on Mary's chest. "Careful, Miss Jameson. I'm still a pregnant woman, after all..."

[TennyoCeres84]

Not entirely surprised by his response, Alex frowned thoughtfully, but didn't press her questions any further. She was still curious as to his state of supposedly being a separate person from Charles, but that matter wasn't her top concern.

Upon discussion of consulting Amazo, the dryad nodded. "He'll do. It also saves us from having to deal with a probably prickly warthog. Aislinn could probably use a break from whatever ordeal she's having to handle by herself."

She looked at the small gathering. "Once I'm able to patch through to Sophia's root network, I should be able to sense if there was any arcane warnings that occurred prior to our arrival," she noted, glancing at Vernon as she spoke. "If Yggdrasil or other local dryads were able to give any indication of something significant on the horizon, there will likely be something."

On the matter of there being two Heirs of Solomon, she hummed thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, having this many archmages in one area is actually pretty rare. That's a balance that's being maintained as well. Some of it may have to do with their respective origins. Meris had the more common Ascension, and you were aided by Sophia and this world's Amazo," she explained. "Aislinn's the youngest one because of the Hieros Gamos. If Merlin's still alive somewhere, this might be a record."

Then clearing her throat, she said, "Since we figured out our plan, we should get going. The sooner I can connect with that network, the better off I'll be, in case there is something afoot."

***

Hanako released Azazel with a faint smile and nodded. "Good," she said with a glance at the Fae Hounds and then to her husband. The angel offered his arm to the knight and headed in the direction of where the guards stood.

Seeing Hanako finish speaking with the former Scapegoat, Aspasia and Miranda went in the same direction so they could be led to the Great Hall.

***

Relieved to now be in something more casual for the time being, Neasa scoffed and smiled wryly at the Squid Throne. "Sounds delicious. I'm certainly not one to turn down seafood and vegetables as a meal, given how it was a childhood staple," she said.

Still, her curiosity was piqued by what garment the paladin had given her. However, she knew it was only a small wait until she could change and then finish the last length of their trip.

[Karl the Mad]

Charles stuck his tongue out at the redcap as they went by, and pretended to snatch at his hat. "Shoulda let me 'ave at 'im," he remarked with a laugh, smoothing the front of his heavily-loaded jacket. "Any time y' wanna dance, boyo, come 'n find me~"

------------------------

"Red, sure." He followed after Red, still wondering if this was a mistake. Soon enough the Dorks reappeared, and Preston mimed zipping his mouth shut and then pointed at his heels. Shut up and stick close, in other words.

-------------------------

Marius led the way in from the balcony, cutting through the crowd to rejoin the others. He assumed Three would be right behind him.

-------------------------

"I'll be gentle, I promise," Mary said in a throaty tone, leading Eirean off into the alcove...

[IamLEAM1983]

Vernon shook Lucian's hand and lightly embraced Astra. "We'll keep in touch. Hopefully, we'll be able to address what is keeping your husband's friend in the loop," he said, which made Billy mouth off his own words snidely. The rhino might as well have mugged in front of a wall, for all the rise this got out of the Winter Lord.

After a few more pleasantries, the pair were back outside, Vernon still anachronistically pulling his overcoat closer to himself and checking his gloves' fit before they proceeded towards Amazo's home a few blocks away. The Archmage's home had been almost completely razed during the war, but the local Void Weavers had extended their thanks in reversing the flow of time on the converted theatre. Hope's one of several smaller exhibits in the memory of the Silver Age of superheroes and also the local museum of stage magic, had thusly been restored. They ignored the main space and rang on the doorbell of an immaculately-finished oak door with a lacquered gold stencil on top that read Staff Only.

It had been some time since Amazo's batman and fettered djinn had made a public appearance, and Khadim Al-Malik looked as unimpressed as ever. Judging by the look he gave Alastriona, she might as well have been just another teenager come to gawk.

"Mister Quigley's public presence is limited to afternoons and weekends. There are to be no autographs, signings, blessings or ward applications before 2 PM. Kindly refer to our schedule on our website for further-"

Vernon slipped the tip of his cane in the space the ajar door allowed. "Good day to you, Mister Al-Malik. I may be no city official, but my business may very well be. I am here on behalf of my constituents, of Shield and of my own Lordship under Winter. I'd like to speak to Mister Quigley, please."

Khadim took a step back. "You're not unaware of my role in regards to the Second Heir's service, I presume.
- I know. I also know that you're likely to be bloody tired of your place of residence being blown to smithereens, so I presume you'll rein in your... displays in consequence. In that event - it might be simpler to announce us to your master."

Khadim sighed, looking bored, and closed the door to properly unlatch it. That done, he reopened it and turned away. "Mind your step; the master is perhaps as given to alterations of Spacetime as the Squids can be. You'll see."

As they looked, the long flight of stairs that led up to the Archmage's private quarters shrank down to four or five steps with the sound of wooden slats clattering. Lifting an eyebrow, Vernon started up and entered Amazo's seldom-seen apartment, which looked like a holdover from his days as a performance magician. The anthro cobra didn't have his full regalia on, with his starched shirt slightly undone and his waistcoat open, slowly pacing from his living room to his dining room with a book in hand. He gave the Fae Lord a sideways glance, which turned into a smile, his vestigial fangs showing.

"Lord Haskill - a pleasure. I gather you've brought your ward and our new dryad?"

Vernon took a step aside, beaming like a proud father. "May I present Alastriona, late of the Vanguard's Cradle and recently of Holden Hall's new solarium and plant garden. Mine and Eirean's daughter."

Amazo's smile changed, going for that rakish look that was familiar to Hope natives, but only vaguely recognizable to Alastriona. Her predecessor's root system and mycelial network probably remembered the original magician's actions during the events of 1975, but provided less details about the man himself. Still, he gently took Alex's hand and lightly bowed, briefly aligning his forehead with her knuckles.

"Charmed, miss."

* * *

The rest of the gathering re-assembled and moved along with the Knights, a fair bit of trepidation underscoring the general mood.

"What do you think, love?" asked Nereus of Meris, "are we aristocratic enough?"

He was obviously joking, but his almost boyish excitement was also hard to miss.

* * *

William seemed to notice Neasa's curiosity as he led the trio into Respite Point. The sense that the place was watched over with Celestial magic was hard to miss, seeing as the town seemed to grow a fair bit noisier the further away one walked from the docks. Once up to what looked like the town's main artery, nobody really seemed to whisper that much, and it was a bit surprising to see an architectural satellite of Dalarath without the main settlement's dour countenance.

"Busy place, huh?" noted Bucky, to which Cuthbert smirked.

"We have to be increasingly self-reliant, and we have an advantage Dalarath doesn't. We're not afraid to ask for or offer help, for one. Delmar would want us to care for those not blessed with the Speech or the stewardship of Reality, and that manifests in ways that are oftentimes far simpler than pushing against the Others and the Loyalists. Silence, for us, is more of a vow, now. All those who come here vow never to indicate which brine pool to use to reach us on a map of the network, or to waylay those who seek us out. We feel safest when we're left to establish our own connections, with Hope's allies being one of the rare exceptions. That frees us up to speak. Add the fact that Gabriel's convinced the Host to bring the Void Weavers into Heaven's mandate, and we're doubly protected. I'm freely authorized to dispense my blessings to one and all, in here - and being surrounded by so much stone offers me plenty of material."

The town's architecture combined Dalarath's flowing and organic shape with recognizable architectural styles, the group notably walking past what looked like a little Buddhist temple with its welcoming gate looking like it had been carved out of two stalactites that had somehow fused into an arch. A strange, floating orb seemed to stand in for the sun, offering UV light to a small garden of surface-world plants. "With a little ingenuity, we could even support a dryad," the Metal Throne announced.

He then refocused on the selkie, gesturing at the wrapped bundle. "I didn't want to go overboard; I know the Fae are protective of their haute couture. I tend to stones and lava flows, not to designer fashion," he said, his chipped tendrils curling as he smiled. "I thought it fitting to make a call-back to your pelt, in terms of texture and color use."

* * *

Eirean gave the departing group a look and then returned her attention on Marianna. "We're out of time for now. Here - something to tide you over until later today..."

Timing her movements with the precision of a supernatural being, Eirean waited for Marius and Three to be just a few paces ahead, and offered Mary the most delicious paradox in existence: a kiss that was barely a peck on her lips, but that would feel like an instant suspended in sheer bliss.

* * *

The Redcap made a face but let the three men past. "Welcome, gents - don't do anything your mother wouldn't do..."

Wormsworth didn't reply, but he did manage a smirk. Hard to abide by any sort of tutelary standards when you owe your very existence to Hell's own metaphysics...

Past the guard waited your typical underground casino - industrial spaces stolen from their intended purpose and hastily glitzed-up with tempered glass dividers, plush booths and ill-fitting drinks bars. As the goal was to work past the Redcaps to reach a Gate, Herbert began a long process of schmoozing and socializing, flitting and dancing from group to group while continuously making his way deeper inside. The incursions having transformed the tissue of Terrestrial society, he walked openly and freely advertised his nature, distributing cards and chancing pecks at the occasional female guest. Samigina's strategy was a little less refined, as he conjured coins and nuggets of gold from his pockets and gambled freely from game to game, making sure he came across as a slightly unhinged high-roller here to be seen, rather than to actively gamble.

They all soon reached the last baccarat table before the Security office, Wormsworth then taking a moment to ask the dealer for the manager. The poor kid froze, looking like he already feared his bosses.

"Is there something wrong, sir?
- Oh, not at all, your services are absolutely exemplary within the context of this viper pit, but I find myself in need of availing myself of your other facilities...
- The bathrooms are that way, sir.
- I'm afraid I meant your less-than-carnal facilities, young man. You know which one."

The kid nodded, looking ill-at-ease. "Right; except only the Redcaps use that Gate. All of us commute from around town.
- Well, then, it's good that I'm a demon, aren't I? My proverbial cap is positively gorged with the blood of the Goat's followers. That should be red enough, I'd say."

A voice with a light French accent then rang over the casino's din, close to the group. "I'll be the judge of that, I think."

Herbert turned, plastering a gooey smile on his features. Being the Prince of Pride, he likely recognized the woman. "Marie Comptois d'Estaing - our Bloody Mary as of the incursions - how wonderful it is to see you, ma chérie...

Marie looked fierce, in that way particularly driven women could be. She looked lithe and lean, her hair a straight cascade of golden-red framing an angular face and clear blue eyes, and she wore a crimson power suit with a design that liberally evoked either roses in bloom or blood stains, depending on how the light hit it. She looked beautiful in that uncompromising way so common to those in Morgana's demesne - and exuded danger. Charles wouldn't need much more than a quick glance to figure out she moved like a fighter and could possibly stand toe-to-toe with him.

"Herbert Wormsworth, one of Pride's peons who owed his meteoric rise to his mortal friends... You know my Redcaps don't have your compunctions about sending innocents to the Hereafter.
- Please, as if murder means anything in a world where a liberated soul can simply choose to walk back into the mortal realm after getting some paperwork processed. I'm not here to challenge you, my sweet; I would simply rather my friends and I used your Gate to London-Upon-Faerie. Crossing the Channel and finding a Gate would take so much more time."

She crossed her hands in front of her chest. "Give me what is owed and I'll let you pass."

Herbert rolled his eyes. "That was the Goat's pact with you; I'm not him! Your dominion over the Redcaps is uncontested as it is, why insist on being made an Archmage by force?
- You know why, now that you have his old crown. The English Fae took everything from me, and I intend to do much the same to them."

The Prince added a sigh. "We're expected somewhere, now is not the time or place to initiate what you have in mind, my dear. If I'm to channel power into you, it needs to be done properly.
- Then give me a time. A date."

Herbert checked his watch. "We truly are swamped - summon me later on and we'll discuss it under better conditions."

The woman's anger was palpable, but she held it in check. "Fine. One last summons. If you ignore me again...
- I won't, I won't, I promise - being a Prince and a lawyer is demanding work, truly. I apologize if I've neglected you.

Marie then sighed and stepped aside. "Par ici - you're almost out of time. I'll connect you to the Great Hall directly."

She then led the group past a door labeled Management and down a long corridor lined with steam and water pipes. Then followed a breach in the wall, the pipes bent past the opening's arch with ad-hoc PVC joiners, and down into a cavern that definitely had Pre-Roman roots, judging by the cave drawings that covered the sides of the entrance.

"Back when the Fae from Britannia and Gaul alike called their realm Albion, we used old Nexus points as thoroughfares, instead of channels. We hid entrances in cairns and dolmen gates - and in caverns like this one. An arcane turnpike - controlled by the Redcaps, the highwaymen of the other plane."

The only modern addition was a series of plaques bolted into the stone walls. One of them was simply labeled as L.U.P - Great Hall, and Marie gestured for it.

"Après vous, messieurs."

[TennyoCeres84]

The dryad had limited memories of the djinn and didn't recall any precise feelings from her older sister. His unimpressed demeanor didn't particularly bother her, as she mused she would eventually consider herself another of Hope's citizens in due time, albeit one with extra responsibilities.

As for the alternate Quigley, she did recall his efforts in creating a duplicate tree when Rendell was assaulting Centennial Park. His rakish interactions with Sophia also lingered in the archives of her mind. The teasing kisses traded for power requests in dire straits for a seemingly eternal bachelor.

However, even with these memories, any interactions between them would be her own. She would base her thoughts on Amazo herself.

As he rested his forehead against her knuckles, she smiled cordially at him and then turned her hand from one suitable for kisses to that of a handshake. "I'm pleased to meet you. You can call me Alex, Mr. Quigley? Or would you rather I call you Francis? I only prefer to use formalities if I absolutely have to."

That was a distinct difference between the Sophia of this universe and his own. The older tree spirit had given a death glare to anyone who had used Soph or Sophie for her. The teenager's choice to deliberately use a nickname in comparison to her official name was a stark contrast.

"Since I've only been in Hope a short time, I need some help. I've already picked up on some potential threats, and I would like to be able to have a wider reach through what's left of Sophia's root system. We were hoping you and Aislinn could help me with that. Tom isn't available, and he doesn't feel entirely trustworthy to me at this time."

"Additionally, the Choosing will happen later today. There's many important people there, and it wouldn't be unheard of that some fool decides to cause trouble during what should be a joyful event. There might be a chance some of the other Trees or even Yggdrasil sent out an alert that something bad might occur. I need to check that."

***

The selkie quietly snickered as she started to follow after the others toward the Great Hall. Even with all of the seriousness, she was glad to see him be light-hearted in spite of everything. "Of course we are. We're dressed in Fae haute couture and have our respective legendary lineages, even though the oldest diplomats would still consider us to be nouveau riche."

She shared his levity with the jovial twinkle in her eyes. "Even with all the tension, I hope you and I get to dance together like we dreamed about ages ago."

***

The oldest McConmara sister studied the familiar architectural styles and smiled pleasantly to see how the Throne had helped them to adapt the terrain they were given.

As he addressed the garment he had given her, her curiosity as a seamstress was piqued as she considered her pelt colors and how that might be applied through fabric choice and other sartorial details.

She chuckled. "You'll have to forgive me, Cuthbert. Even with working in Shield, I'm still drawn to the latest style designs, especially in an effort to circumvent fast fashion. A clothing nerd through and through."

[Karl the Mad]

Still a bit dizzy from the sudden lusty strike, Mary followed after Eirean, wondering where she could learn a trick like that. She caught Marius glancing back at her, scowled and looked away.

"Our friendly resident vampire hunter seems to be enjoying herself," Marius remarked to Three, smirking as he looked ahead again.

Farther ahead, Preston and the two dorks followed behind Red. The dorks seemed happy to follow orders, but Preston was conflicted. He didn't know who this machine ghost was, and that made him jumpy. But he didn't seem like a threat to the others, not yet anyway.

----------------------------

Charles gave an ironic bow to the Bloody Mary and made to follow Herbert, but stopped when he read the sign more closely. "Hol' up," he said sharply, stopping Herbert. "Is that a P or an F? We's headed fer London-Upon-Faerie, yeah? Not London-Upon-Pittsburg or wherever th' fuck."

[IamLEAM1983]

The anthro cobra looked surprised initially, but his mood shifted to amusement and approval once he noted how focused and driven this new dryad was. "Francis it is, then," he said, smiling and accepting the transition into a handshake. "I can appreciate a young woman who sets boundaries on our first meeting, although what I've got in common with your native Amazo is fairly antiquated roots in showbiz. You'll have to excuse the occasional flourish."

As they talked, the anthro's mood turned more thoughtful. "I could assist you in some respects, but I've always focused on Illusion magic. What forced me to get a sense for how the city's fungal network operates was Elysium, but arcane botanists tend not to have active applications. This should be interesting, at least - it's more or less the inverse of what Sophia and I shared. Not only that, but you wouldn't want to turn me into a permanent fixture, either. Your tree needs to hook into Sophia's root system and keep it alive ASAP, then."

Amazo started moving, pulling off his necktie and hopping out of his shined shoes after handing his book to Khadim. "How's your connection to your own tree?" he asked Alex. "If you're mature enough, you should have proprioception enough to sense every twig and every leaf; even from a distance."

* * *

The former Knight of Saint George chuckled. "You're quite absolved, my child. You'll find no greater apostles for sustainability than us Thrones, obviously."

They soon reached what strangely looked like a 3D-printed bungalow - Dalarath's stone-shaping habit adapted into a more workable shape - and entered it. Cuthbert's abode looked almost normal, if not for the fact that aesthetic accents were usually the inverse of what you would've found on the surface. Wooden boards broke up the monotony of stone, along with plants that grew along wooden rafters that were supported by what looked like miniature stars providing daylight to what likely was a miniature ecosystem keeping the rafters' plants alive. The rear of the house already smelled of food, the Throne having used his gift of ubiquity to have a duplicate of himself stay home and cook ahead of time.

"And here we are," he said, handing Sophia and Bucky a plate each, "I kept the portions small, I know you've got places to be." He led them into the kitchen and sat at his dining room table, his duplicate more or less melding back into him in a single, fluid motion.

* * *

Herbert gave Marie a look, who looked back to one of the Redcaps. One of the boys sighed, stepped forward, and worked a bit of magic on the sigh - turning the P into an F.

"Were you going to send me off to parts unknown after I agreed to see you, later?"

She rolled her eyes. "I've got better things to do than start a diplomatic incident."

Herbert's smile turned a bit rakish. "Smart woman."

He then proceeded onwards, spaded tail swishing as he carefully avoided showing any signs of concern. Sound reverberated oddly for a few moments, and they soon found themselves greeted with the castle's central hall, and Zebediah doing a bit of a double-take as the main group finally proceeded towards the reception area.

Sam grinned toothily. Water o'er a duck's feathers, aye... Although; I doubt the lass had it her t'provoke two demons and a career soldier..."

* * *

Three gave Mary and Eir a look. "Hm, good for her. These things are a bit stodgy and I haven't exactly known Jameson to go for this sort of stuff willingly. She's lucky the modern day's Fae are fine with entertaining other people, or else she'd have Vernon on her case as soon as he learns about this."

A little further ahead, Nereus started to tell Meris how excited he was, when something made him look past the Archmage with a look of vague confusion. "What're Wormsworth and Jenkins doing here?"

Past one last arch waited an immense hall, almost like a cathedral's if not for its even grander scope - and the sight of a strange set of immense glass-stained doors flanking the rear of the space, sending rays of several colors down into the space. The glass looked frosted or acid-etched in such a way as to make what stood beyond it a bit difficult to see, but Meris would recognize the telltale change in the air, something she and a variety of other practitioners in the attendance clearly felt. A Nexus was right past these doors, connected to a tree that would've made Sophia's abode feel almost quaint in comparison.

Nereus being more attuned to Meris' reaction than to the Nexus itself, a half-second longer had to pass for him to connect the dots. "Well, now," he observed. "That's either a powerful boast - or a veiled threat to anyone coming here with ulterior motives. The King and Queen of Faerie will be here, within just a few hundred meters of an active Nexus that's about the size of a large house... I'd certainly want to keep my spells for myself, considering..."

Silas, in the meantime, grunted faintly. "I don't like this, hon," he said, trying to remain polite as he had an arm slung under Aspasia's. "I know you can't feel this yet, but that's too much power, too close to people who really would like a crack at it - and the only thing holding 'em back is Oberon's Wild Hunt and the furor of us allied practitioners..."

As if on cue, Zebediah parted with a drunken little titter, somewhere in the back. "Oh, this is capital - they ought to rename this place Lich City!"

Irony would have it that a few other skeletons bearing eyelights were visible in the attendance, none of them showing Zeb's pointed interest in the Nexus. Least of all Coach, who had a working sense of decorum...

For now, it seemed as though the guests were expected to mingle and walk about, Fae musicians combining dancing and musical routines as they worked violins, violas and flutes through the assembly. In watching people move, Aidan spotted his first jiangshi, a stunning crescent-eyed beauty with a pair of ivory floral combs in her hair. He'd never seen an Asian vampire before, and noticed how her almond skin seemed to absorb the surrounding light.

Carrie slid into place beside him with a smirk. "Caught something, hotshot?"

The soldier sighed, putting his eyes as vaguely ahead as he possibly could. "Ten-thirty. Get a load of Flying Lotus, over there..."

Carrie repeated his trick of placing someone in her field of view without looking at them. "Yep. She's as undead as they come. If you were Soulborn like Anjali or myself, you'd smell her from over here.
- What's she smell like?"

Silva wrinkled her nose. "Plum syrup and bullshit. Upper balcony, top left? That's Li Si, the idiot still insisting people address him as Minister when the Qing dynasty's been done and dusted for millennia."

The man Carrie had referenced looked like someone trying to ape for a third of the superb and stature of someone like Shen Long, with an insufficient budget to go for it. "So that's what an energy vampire looks like," noted Drake. "Why bother with blood when you can bore someone to death, right?
- I wouldn't laugh," reminded him his girlfriend. "Remember how he mentally digested a few Vienna Council aides to quickly catch up on things? He could do that to anyone else here, pick up on skills, intent, motivations... Put someone like that in a place like this, he's a few handshakes away from becoming the most powerful man alive."

"My money's still on Marius putting him flat on his ass with a flick.
- Not if that flick gives Li Si the Cliff's Notes version of Marius Freaking Vlastos, idiot.

[TennyoCeres84]

The dryad considered him as he undid his tie and removed his shoes and then closed her eyes as she focused on her Tree back at Holden Hall. "I can definitely sense each of the leaves and even the smallest of its branches. I've been urging the roots to grow and reach as quickly as possible, since I knew time wasn't on my side once I returned to Earth. However. I also can't rush them, either."

"The Tree is still adapting to Earth's gravity, since the pebbles at the base of the trunk were still hovering a few inches above the ground when I last saw them. I don't think that should interfere with connecting to the root network, should it?" she mused aloud, looking thoughtful in a somewhat innocent way. Given that she was the only dryad to be raised offworld, Alex wasn't entirely certain how her upbringing might affect how her Tree would fully adapt to the new ecosystem in the immediate time.

***

Neasa took her plate and seated herself at the table, then beginning to dine on the salmon and vegetables. In between bites, Neasa looked over at Cuthbert. "Since there aren't any Gates nearby, where are we going to enter London at? If there is trouble happening, we don't exactly want to enter at the opposite end of the castle or something."

The selkie looked over at Aatxe and Apophis. "I assume you're following us to London, Aatxe. Carrie's most likely there already. I don't know what we're headed into, but I'm sure it'll be interesting, to say the least."

To the Animate, she asked, "What are your plans next? It'll take the Speaker a while to sort out the confusion caused by our ruse, but you should obviously be careful so as not to attract his suspicions."

***

The moment of joy suddently shifted for the Archmage when Nereus voiced his confusion over the Prince of Pride and the career soldier. "That's odd..." What was even odder is when she saw Samigina with them. "Okay, something isn't right."

After his observation about the immense Nexus, she sighed and said quietly to the Void Weaver, "Chances are that's Yggdrasil behind those doors. Sophia and Alex's progenitor. Any practitioner worth their salt wouldn't want to start using magic randomly in close proximity to a via well that strong. That's asking for trouble."

As she didn't want to draw the attention of the other guests, Meris reached out to the Marquis. He might be surprised to hear his queen's voice speaking suddenly in his mind. "Sam, what are you, Herbert, and Jenkins doing here? Something tells me you weren't on the guest list, and something else prompted your presence."

Meanwhile, Aspasia glanced over at Coach as he voiced his concerns. Given how risky the scenario was, she slipped into assessment mode, considering their surroundings, its threats, and weaknesses. To anyone unused to her, they would have assumed she was taking in the beautiful architecture.

Her eyes flicked to the glass doors and grimaced faintly, the expression indicating that would be the perfect way to turn this place into a massacre. All of that lovely, many-hued stained glass turned into mini dangers to slash them to ribbons....

Miranda wasn't one to assume the satyress was gawping at the pretty arches and stained glass. From early on, she recognized when her mother was checking out dangerous environments in that ever so subtle way. While it was more of a comforting gesture, she gripped Joyful Death's pommel to calm herself.

Aidan and Carrie weren't the only ones taking in the various jiangshi and the overall tense situation. The tall angel's arm looped around the nekomata's as they casually milled about the room near the group they had come with. Since they still worked at Wyvern, they had also gotten reports about Li Si's draining of the Vienna Council aides to learn more about the modern world.

"This is probably a PR disaster waiting to happen," muttered Hanako under her breath. "Party crasher or not, it's not like anyone could keep him from attending."

Matriel nodded. "Unfortunately, yes, but we still have our duties. Observe and aid where we can. Avoid him and only give the minimum of interaction, if possible."

[IamLEAM1983]

Amazo made a slight face. "No, it shouldn't be much of an issue, but the town's other local dryad might say your fungal network probably looks a little funky, a few decades down the line. That is, if we manage to recover him or to blow his head off..."

He gestured vaguely. "I know - ominous stuff to say to a young dryad; sorry about that. Jack's a male dryad based on pumpkin seeds, and our new neighbours from out-of-Plane really did a number on him. Now he's all edgy and problematic, like Heavy Metal music in the late nineties. But I'm getting sidetracked, Old Jack isn't your problem for now... Let's just say he's starting to give Riona's old digs a run for their money."

Now barefoot, Francis headed for a rooftop terrace, and specifically to a corner patch of soil that had been set with three small cedar trees and a small rattan sitting mat. As they stepped closer, Alex would sense that the patch had been seeded with magically-charged pebbles, in an effort to create a sort of node in the local via network - a micro-dryad, more or less, without its own sentient tree spirit. It'd be obvious to tell that Amazo was going to sub for one, in this context. As he sat down, tiny and faintly glowing tendrils worked out of the soil and quested for his crossed legs.

"Call that a bootstrapped, hacky approximation of a dryad's basic properties for someone who isn't one. It took me a lot of research; I wasn't going to stick mushrooms in a garden patch if getting them to connect with me could've triggered an allergic reaction. Anthro and human lungs and spores don't exactly mix..."

He fell quiet for a moment. "Yeah, your network is doing good so far, but it's obviously going to feel sparser around Pickman's Sound. You won't get a good connect closer to Buck Mansion if you don't collaborate with Jack but like I said, you've got other things on your plate... So, this is tying back to the other Machae?"

Vernon nodded. "He will challenge me in the Old Ways. I want to ensure conditions are optimal, considering what the city went through.

Francis nodded, eyes closed in thought. "Things look tight enough on my end - I wouldn't go Yule King off of your daughter's current reserves, though, so you can forget channelling your Mantle. I'd advise going at it au naturel."

* * *

Aatxe nodded in the affirmative. "I am. I will not rest until I have found my lady."

Apophis looked like he had his own concerns that mirrored Neasa's. "I will weather a few more passages, then commend my soul, if I possess one, to Mister Cuthbert."

The Earth Throne chuckled. "He's being dramatic, but what he means is he'll allow me to do what Tom and Aislinn did for Rhadamantus. It's a costly procedure, but I'm glad to carry it out for our best operatives."

Bucky cleaned out his plate. "You mean he's gonna change bodies, like Archie.
- Yes. I wouldn't caution this, normally, but some Animates who come to us are created with intentionally damaging traits, or various defects that condemn them to a short lifespan. Apophis' snake-like body was made too narrow for some of his human-like organs, especially those past the hip line. I'll fix him to the best of my ability."

* * *

While Samigina gave the outward appearance of delighting in the act of disgusting a few Summer Court aristocrats with a toothy and sleazy grin, the response Meris' received combined his usual mix of piratical laissez-faire attitude with a good bit of practicality.

"Me lass - so glad t'see you here! Ah, ye know our old mate Vassago, always sensin' things up in his spider-web of potentials... We all figgured Solomon's Court could weather a wee bit o' displeasure with the Fae if it put us in the proper position to lend a hand and, well... Herbert's Herbert. If ye were the Prince o' Pride, would ye want to miss out on a reception like this? Ruby-red wine for days, eager flesh by the armful..."

He chuckled along the telepathic link. "Never you mind me, Sire - I'll just find meself a pointy-eared doxie and stay well out o' sight until ye need us. You enjoy yer evenin' with your beau, now - you and Nereus soak in these golden moments. Whatever squall hits us, a'fore it does - we're about to see something beautiful, tonight."