we have a complex relationship with our sisters and our cousins

[dark_light]

Amariah is starting a circle in her yard - minting and enchanting can pull heavier duty than witchcraft, and faster, too, but they won't scale unless she wants to hand out copies of her trump cards; novel spells will, since there are many witches across the globe.

And then Jane asks if she wants to be visited, by Juliet's Sherlock - Minus - and Amariah's reply is "Sure, I could take a break." Because she's been at this for a while now and was just about to wish a crick out of her back for the second time this afternoon.

She puts down her pitcher of oil and waits for him to appear.

Comments

[dark_light]

"Kas doesn't really have that problem, he's been more even-keeled about daemonless people from the start," says Isabella, reaching out to touch Kas's arm.

[truthwright]

He shrugs.

"It's just a different way to be people."

[dark_light]

Isabella kisses him.

[eversomuchfun]

Sherlock awws.

[truthwright]

Kas kisses back!

[dark_light]

As well he should!

Path says, "I wasn't very good at helping Steph be a daemon. Maybe Petaal could do it better."

[truthwright]

"I can try!" says Petaal, cuddling up to Path while Kas kisses Isabella some more.

[dark_light]

"If she ever comes out again," says Path gloomily, fluffing up and snuggling closer.

[eversomuchfun]

[dark_light]

"Maybe she'll feel better when you get home," suggests Isabella.

[eversomuchfun]

"It's possible."

[dark_light]

"...I don't want to exacerbate the problem, but it would probably upset Juliet if she found out Steph existed and she never got to meet her."

[eversomuchfun]

"No doubt it would."

[dark_light]

"Heh."

There is a knock at the window. A witch in a crown of live black-eyed-Susan-vine is hovering on her cloudpine there. "Yoo-hoo," she says, muffled by the glass. There's a pardalote daemon perched on her knee, who hops up and down in a friendly sort of way.

Isabella turns toward the window.

"...Hello, Tianetta Nimah!" she says. "I wasn't expecting you!"

"Just passing through," replies Tianetta Nimah. "Let me in."

Isabella hesitates, but she gets up and goes towards the window. [Sherlock, I am so, so sorry to ask, but if she or Hendasamon shows the least bit of interest in you - could you pretend that Steph was under the bed - I'm so sorry.]

[eversomuchfun]

Sherlock remains outwardly calm, but his response over brainphone is an extended snarl.

[dark_light]

[I am so sorry. I can't explain you to her - I couldn't even prove it if I did have to, not without Jane.]

Isabella opens the window, not enough to let the witch in, but Hendasamon is tiny and zips inside. He investigates Petaal and Path first.

"I'm so sorry, Tianetta Nimah, this isn't really the best time," Isabella says.

"I'll owe you a favor," says Tianetta Nimah lightly. "I don't want to have to come back, and I want to talk about those spellcircles."

"I..."

[eversomuchfun]

Steph commences existing under the bed.

Sherlock commences methodically shredding one of the fluffy sheeps on his pajama pants, a single fiber of fluff at a time.

[dark_light]

[I will get rid of them as soon as I civilly can.]

Isabella opens the window the rest of the way. Tianetta Nimah ducks and sails through and props her cloudpine up in the corner. "I saw one partway done in your backyard! Let's go look at it," she says to Isabella, and the witches go down the stairs.

Hendasamon finishes his inspection of Petaal and Path, and finds Steph under the bed in short order.

"I'm guessing the cat is Isabella Amariah's boyfriend's. Who d'you belong to?"

[truthwright]

Petaal changes into a large boa and drops a coil over the side of the bed.

[dark_light]

Hendasamon is briefly distracted. He hops out from under the bed.

"Has she been robbing the cradle?" he asks Petaal archly.

[truthwright]

"Nope," says Petaal, slithering into Kas's lap. He cuddles her and kisses the top of her head. "My sweetie's got like a year on her. We're just special."

[dark_light]

"So it would seem."

He turns his attention back to Steph. "I'm Hendasamon. We hadn't heard about there being likely to be anyone in Isabella Amariah's home apart from her boyfriend, so who are you?"

[eversomuchfun]

"Fuck off," says Steph.

[dark_light]

Hendasamon looks affronted. "My witch is a queen," he says.

"Come up here with us, if you like," Path offers tentatively.

[eversomuchfun]

Steph curls up and ignores Hendasamon.