Senecio adn Tide II

[Mirach]

Senecio removed his make-up and washed his hair, then asked the room for one more cup of tea. Finally, when he felt calm and collected again, and a little drowsy, he got out of the bath and took a soft bath-robe. He left his clothes in the bathroom, since he could call for them, and headed to his room.

---

"It might be easier, but do you really want to do that?" Svarik asked. "You were worried about the lies between you, and want to approach him, for the sake of your children and for the third deal. So do you really want to tell him another lie instead of honesty?"

[VisAnastasis]

When he opened the door, he was immediately greeted by gentle flowery scents of freshly washed blankets - and a high layer of them, at that. Hans really kept his word to go all out with numbers. The base he built had layers of blankets, laid one over the other, and there was over a meter and a half of them, raising the floor level of the room so much that he had to climb on them to come in. Once he did, he could see the two Beings, working hard in order to stack up pillows and blankets to create big sturdy walls. Hans was mostly ordering around to make sure the structure didn't topple, while Tide was hopping around, lifting and rearranging pillows brightly, clearly looking forward to the final result with extreme excitement.

---

There was conflict and shadow on the creature's face, and embarrassment as if it was caught.
" I... really don't know, what is the right thing to do. That is why I hope for your guidance... as one of the people that knows the current him the best. If it will make his life better and if he wouldn't accept otherwise... I am ready to keep lying like I lied all the time I knew him. So I could keep our fragile peace. So I would not see the day, where White Gardener would be my enemy. I admit I have a bias... you know how it feels, to interact with such a gentle, pure creature... it would be really hard for someone warm like that, to look down on you or hate you. My heart would be quite hurt... but it is just my heart, after all, is it not? Can a heartbreak be compared to a loss of precious life? " The creature smiled frailly. " Every time he would send me gifts of bread, I'd grow hopeful... but is such hope not greedy? Is my heart being intact as important as Sil Simbel being well? Results are important. I also... would like to see it. That world, that you spoke of, " he whispered. " The world in which Bull is replaced with gentler, kinder Deity. The world where all souls are equal, a Lowlander, Highlander, Demon, Spirit... or a creature with no soul at all, like him. And I want, Sil Simbel, to see that world, too, after everything he has been through, being demeaned and deemed a lower life form by those damn bastards from the Spirit Kingdom, who barely even cared to visit him now and then, and even then, acted as if their visits was precious charity and not an insult. " he admitted a darker feeling more bitterly, clutching his hands in fists. " The current world is a world where too many look down on him, and deem him a half-baked, incomplete existence, as if it was his fault, the way he was born. The world where everyone is equal... I want him to see it. But he has to stay alive first, to be able to... "

[Mirach]

"Huh, this is definitely more than 300 blankets or your blankets are extra thick, making my calculation incorrect," Senecio said as he was trying to climb a layer of planket almost as tall as himself. When he did, he immediately sank into them, almost getting lost in the softness. "This is terrible for moving around," he announced from there. "Can you guys help me to get to you?"

---

"Well, if your ultimate goal it to have him accept the third deal as well, then I think we shouldn't lie about any of the other deals," Svarik said. "Just let me be a mediator between you, alright?"

[VisAnastasis]

Tide chuckled heartily, and waved with his hand - Senecio could feel creature's power of water bending used on his body. It was fairly distributed and didn't hurt, he just felt himself ever slightly being lifted, and gently pushed toward them, so he wouldn't "drown" in blankets.
" Come here, you handsome little invader of the Pillowland, " he proclaimed brightly. " You won't get anywhere aside from the main gate with the pace... Here. The foundation is firmer beneath the central part, so we don't all topple into a pile. For some reason, Hans believes the softest blankets are best toward the edges.  "
" Huh, amateurs. Everyone knows that a good castle needs a moat around it. Where have you heard of a truly great and cool fairytale castle without a moat? Of course, the blankets outside of the center are soft! You fell right into my soft moat trap! " Hans was laughing hysterically, wagging his tail in such a petty manner that Tide laughed even harder.
" What have the standards of trickster Gods fallen to, to call blanket moat a trap? You're getting sloppy, " he teased him, but Hans just scoffed and crossed his arms innocently.
" It's the best effort to success ration trap this glorious trickster God made, and you know it! " he insisted, dramatically pointing at the actor that was joining up. " Come on, be honest - Have I ever caught a more adorable pray? Senecio, back me up on this, " he winked at him. " What trickster God has ever caught someone cuter, really? With such cute trap, at that! "

---

Janus watched him intently. In the end, he finally nodded.
" To trust someone, is ultimately, a choice... so I will choose to trust you. Just please... do give your best to be assertive. Can you promise me that you will negotiate while keeping in mind the terror of the 1 percent chance everything goes wrong, unlikely as it is that everything goes wrong at once? That is the thing that keeps me anxious... Your tendency to trust in the goodness of enemies you don't know enough of to reasonably trust. You seem to overcorrect yourself in consideration quite heavily, so it leaves me at a loss of how to make sure you aren't too lax in your future preparations, " the creature responded quietly, and with a timid gesture, avoiding touching his hand directly, it shyly extended and vulnerably offered him the parchment with the highest quality runes. " I do not know how you plan to do negotiations... If you'll be talking through Eros back and forth since he can get your messages instantly, or wait until you get back to the capital... but take this. You'll need this, in case Simbelmyne wants to see how runes look before accepting the deal. Well... it's usually not the way it's done, the normal way, Runewriter is a craftsman you entrust your desires to and most such craftsmen are protective of their work since they don't want to give something dangerous to regular people by accident, but there's no reason to not make our chances better by being transparent, if that's what we are going for. People who aren't experts won't understand too much, but with little Zephir's help, he should be able to distinguish enough to see there is no twisted harmful intent behind them. And... I understand matters of trust are hard, so I really won't be offended, if he says he prefers Zephir to do it instead of me, even if it's an easier task for me. If Zephir does it, though, he'll need a blade strong enough to break the vampiric tough skin properly and make clean cuts for runes. I have a rune carving tool I use for metal, that can cut mithril, orichalcum, adamantine, and even densest Being bones, so... " he coughed shyly, as he held out parchment for Svarik to take. " If little Zephir is to do it, I can borrow the tool to you for a day or two... I can give you that much benefit of doubt. But you have to promise to return it as soon as you're done... I just can't let something that sharp stay among humans, you understand. Even if they can't replicate it, I can't inspire them to pursue such things. Besides, it's a tool I would need back, in order to make a sword for Erdel. Ego swords require very finely detailed runewriting. "

[Mirach]

"If by catching you mean "'willingly climbed in to get to you' then sure," Senecio chuckled, and sprawled on the more stabile blankets in the middle.

---

"I want to talk to him personally, not through messages. But I wasn't planning to return to the capital for a couple of days yet. You want me to be serious about this, so how urgent do you think it really is? Can it wait a few days, or should I get back right away?"

[VisAnastasis]

" A trap is a trap, even if you lure in your prey with dishonest means, like good snacks and softness, " Hans proclaimed brightly. He seemed to be in an incredibly good mood, extremely smug, feeling good about himself all the more. " Well, building materials aside, which we have plenty - you will need the main blanket to wrap yourself with as you listen to a story, once we are done with the building. Would you like to borrow this one? It's my favorite. Alpha built into it the softness of clouds and warmth of the summer days. What do you think? " his words were of tease, but a more free, timid feeling behind it was as warm as the blanket Spirit took from a side, and gently placed over sprawled actor. " Do you feel properly lured in and trapped now? "

--

The creature seemed surprised Svarik genuinely asked for his opinion on such a big matter. He seemed suddenly nervous, but he still nodded.
" It would be very easy for me, to wash my hands and tell you I don't want to be the one that tells you what to do either way... It is as I tell you. It is not like it's mostl likely to happen... but if something happened, he is too limited to defend both himself and vampires, so someone would die...  You saw with Demon Hunters... You can't fully predict it, not even if Eros and Death both looked. Chance is always cruel, and Hunters are quite good at evading future sight. If you still want to stay... I do advise you to seek Eros and Death to double-check the future, for at least a little reassurance. But as I said, future telling is, in my opinion, too unreliable art. I will tell it like this instead - if at least I make you shield and protective artifacts, and if Simbel is given back his sword, there are some more decent chances there. But I doubt he would accept the sword he willingly gave to Erdel back... he had to know what he was doing and still choose Erdel over himself. I... would be willing to borrow Erdel my flaming sword for a few days, if it would make him calm enough to give Simbel's sword back. So, in those conditions... I'd be somewhat calmer enough to have to stay at a side. The choice is ultimately yours, though. I.... only speak out of fear. I had to be overprepared and organize my movements and avoid patrols of Demon Hunters for thousands of years, so please, forgive my zealousness, when thinking about weaknesses in defenses Hunters usually exploit,  "the creature explained honestly. " To be honest, I do not know why you are so set on having a set schedule - of staying so firmly here for few exact days and treating leaving as such a final thing. With the bag I promised to borrow you, it only takes 4 hours and 10 minutes to get back to the capital... You could just take a long nap. And you have Eros to send you messages back and forth if needed, so lot of your paperwork that your boyfriend is secretly doing instead of you isn't as tied to capital as it would previously be. There's no reason not to have a more fluid travel schedule. Beings here... like you. They would surely love to see more of you, and a lot were terribly disappointed, not seeing you at the Ball after the play. And... children will like seeing you more often, too, Who would not like you, friend shaped as you are? " he sighed. " When I offered to buy you my bag for travel, I did not mean it as a one-time thing. You have plenty of space to sleep and nap in my temple inside, on the bed in it... You are just a little nap away from home. You could often finish your daily kingly work in the morning, take a nap, and travel - and be here for a few hours and play at sea, before Eros takes you back, so you can wake up at the capital, for the next work day. Likewise... well, your partner and Riversong wanted to start traveling in the morning, to come to sea? You could always, you know... be the one to surprise and pick them up, and spend nice four hours inside the bag with them, resting up, so that once they come you can be well rested when you show them the seaside. I am not saying you have to... but Eros did tell me that you longed to get back to see them yourself, but time constraints and your boyfriend's pleas worked against you, as you'd need too much time to go back and forth, that's one more reason why I gathered the courage to offer my bag to you. It would be sad for someone with so many friends across the land, like you, to be that limited by time constraints... it's bad enough you have to do kingly duties that don't suit your temperament. I am not saying you have to, but if you left for the capital... I'd wait for the children's birthday celebration, so we can share the cake... It just got dark, even if you take your time I can not imagine you not getting back here by noon tomorrow latest. Should you choose to go, that is. I am just a bit confused by your attitude of no fuilidity, of going or leaving having to be final things. I really can not tell by watching you, if you don't plan to use the bag much not to inconvenience me, or if you just don't like fluid schedules much... I could always travel fluidly between temples or traveled in the bag my priests would carry me in, for my safety, so I don't understand constraints  and mental toll of normal human travel well... Why horseriding or riding on flying Being, or walking is hard, I understand. But why spending few hours napping in a warm place is taxing, I do not understand well, especially since you need designated 8 hours to sleep anyway, and can overlap travel and sleep particually... it could be cultural differences... "

[Mirach]

"Completely trapped," Senecio said, curling under the blanket. "Unable to move at all. You will have to finish the fort without me."

---

"I did actually think it was one/time deal," Svarik admitted. "This changes the situation. When is the birthday party tomorrow? Maybe I can get to the capital and back before that."

[VisAnastasis]

" Small price to pay, for finally catching you... But still, it doesn't hurt to reinforce a trap, just in case, " Hans teased. Maybe after Senecio initiated hug and closeness before, and spoke of taking his family talk more seriously, the creature felt freer to initiate things without fearing they would be a burden to take in. Shyly,  as if testing what he can get away with, he tucked in the actor a little in the blanket, and then skillfully snuck in and placed a pillow behind his head, of the same soft material as a blanket, clearly made by Alpha too, with the same comforting elements. He made sure the actor was lying comfortably before he tenderly fixed a loose strand of the his hair. " Tide... you'll need to dry his hair before we continue our terribly hard manual labor first. We can't let our cute youngest catch a cold, " he just whispered, and the creature nodded fervently.
" Oh, I am sorry, I was too happy, so I did not realize it was wet, " it blushed, but right away, it left the blanket aside, and stepped closer, patting the actor's head gently, too, with more freedom, having done it often until now. As he did so, Senecio could feel air warming up more around his head, drying his hair slowly and carefully.

---

" Oh... goodness, no. Do you really think I am the kind of person who would pester you to pass me a whole law for adoption for Senecio, for a one time thing I insisted on, at that? Goodness... Why would you even agree to such a request, without complaining, or negotiating for more? At this rate, Beings that make deals with you may swindle you out of sheer curiosity of where you even draw the line, " After all the nervousness, the creature couldn't help but chuckle a little at the absurd idea, covering its mouth, as if embarrassed to make such an unsightly comment it couldn't help as it realized more. He coughed, trying to straighten out its expression to a more neutral one, but it held shy warmth. " I am not saying that normally if you wanted to travel every day we wouldn't have to do some planning to match our schedules, as I need bag while scavenging alone at open sea, to hide in case of danger. But if Erdel would agree to do the scavenging for a while... your schedule could be quite flexible. I admit my motive isn't pure generosity. If I am transparent, and if I generously give when it is possible.. I hope you will forgive me more easily, and not hate... or hurt me if the time comes when you ask for something I can not give you. If I let you borrow things reasonably, there's no need to covet them secretly, is there? As long as you only use it for travel, and no war or malice, and it is not at that moment needed by me for some life and death importance deal, you can borrow it. " he admitted timidly. " Naturally, I feel safer when I have it, and would feel unspeakably bad to lose it... so please, please take good care of it and return it when promised, or I'll lose faith in you. Normally, it would be hard deal to be generous with, as I said, as I'm always scavenging and travelling each day in search for food across the sea coast. But these days I am staying in the city all the time, and both Tide and many other stronger people are right here... So I should be as safe as others. I can adjust to your schedule... For that, and for a party, too. I originally was thinking of holding it in the morning, but I can wait to hold it at noon, so you can get back. Would that be alright? Oh... hmm... " he got lost in thought before he suddenly added more brightly. " When I think about it, Eros would only be the best choice since he can take the bag through fabric with him, and therefore save time by not traveling in one direction. But if you're going to travel both ways, anyway... How about asking Alpha, perhaps? " he suggested. " Alpha is faster as he bends time as he travels, but he has no flying form, so he finds it boring to run and jump around alone for long. So, you'd need to convince him, but if you do, you could shave off time quite a bit, as for Alpha, the running distance in one direction to the capital should be about... 2 hours and 41 minutes, instead of 4. It's just that Alpha's attribute is Creation mixed with Playfulness, so he quite dislikes things involving manual labor without creative results or things that bore him, so we always have to accommodate his need for fun or his love for Hans, while making deals with him, to motivate him. I have no capacity for fun, so when I make a deal with Alpha I usually do it with some extra things or favors toward Hans. So, you'd have to see if you can make a deal with him, but at least convincing him this once should make it an easier trip for you in both directions. Besides, Alpha is curious about how the capital looks nowadays after Thief is destroyed, so it might be a nice idea to bring him along anyway, so he can see for himself that it's safe now. The last time he was there, well... it was 300 years ago when they were rescuing Hans, so the city he visited was completely different to how it must look now. "

[Mirach]

"Thank you," Senecio smiled at him. "But better hurry now before I fall asleep because it's too comfortable."

---

"In that case, let's keep the party in the morning and I will travel afterwards, so that I don't get there in the middle of the night and have more time to greet Riversong back properly and speak with Simbel. And I know it was a deal, but thank you. This really helps with the limitations of distance between the cities, and makes ot easier to travel back and forth without having to make complicated plans and timetables."

[VisAnastasis]

" It is not fun if there's no arbitrary limit to make it a bigger challenge. Tide, hurry, we are running out of time! " Hans snorted bemusedly, waving away flamboyantly to the unused blanket pile.
" At your service, my cute tyrant, " Tide snorted, and indeed, he readily went back to the fort and began working on the walls, so they could finish the building.

---

The thank you managed to immediately draw an instinctive brighter smile upon the creature's lips, before he coughed, trying to straighten his shoulder and appear more professional, not quite successfully so, as his lips kept twitching upwards.
" Well... there's no point in telling you I'd like to see what kind of peaceful country you make, and intentionally make it harder where making it easier does not cost me much. That would be equivalent to me making up an elaborate fake quest just to test your virtue or something... I guess I do not quite fit a common image of a fairy tale Being, no more than an image of a God, do I...? I just never liked making it harder for people, in the name of empty tests of character, " he admitted. " Some say that in the worst hardship, people reveal their true nature, and many Beings like to see how people respond to despair so they are confident they are people that would stay moral in bad circumstances and are worthy of help, but in my opinion, judging people's character when they are at their lowest isn't wisdom, but arrogance. Why should I want to see how you act in despair, instead of protecting you from despair in the first place? It's Ungodly and Ungenerous, to only give the best to ones that pass extremely heavy tests, instead of to ones with the most capacity for Goodness, even if they may falter sometimes. I will only take back my offer if you disappoint me, and I see you're using my goodwill for destruction. I would often use my bag and temple system to transport food or medicine supplies in case of famines and floods, another reason why I was connected to new beginnings... so disaster relief is fine, too... Only not wars, assassinations, weapon and war ration distributions, things like that, " he explained shyly. " I admit, when I would do that, I would more do it in the guise of God's mysterious grace... No one before who would benefit from such help would know I am just using the pocket dimensions system to distribute things. I had to be mysterious and vague... because I had no support system, and the bag was my only line of defense. Every day, I thank fate and providence... I am so thankful, that the ancient king and my priests did not know it was not some Godly artifact only I could use, but a pocket dimension. I dread to think what they would have made me do if they knew its full potential. " he shook his head. " But now, I have Hans and Tide... I am not all on my own, with no backup. So, it is fine, that you know how the bag works... The possible benefits of using it for peace outweigh the danger of using it for malice, as long as you use it responsibly. Oh, and as long as you don't publicly reveal the origin of your incredulous quick travel speed. Talk with your friends, and come up with some appropriate lie. Bull's blessing or grace might be good excuse but you will decide best And if Beings ask, you can always say it is an item Solstice borrowed you. Solstice always covered for me, so strong Beings wouldn't be too interested in me and try to force me to make things. The weak are always in unfavorable positions if they do not have someone to stand up for them... That is why Death always stuck close to Riversong and heavily warned everyone not to ever dare to harm him. Riversong is the most famous case, of someone as powerful as Death in terms of uniqueness, usefulness, and strength of the soul... but someone extremely vulnerable on account of how weak in combat he is. Just like Hans used to be when he needed Tide's protection before he developed his Singing talent properly... If you don't have someone to cover up for you, you will only ever be used or in trouble. Establishing deal culture and engraving obligations of deals into Rules of the World Death greatly helped to reduce inequality, but there is still a general place for coercion, so it's wiser to stay low if you're weak and have talents people would covet. My situation is pretty similar to Riversong's, it's just that my talents aren't in my powers, but in knowledge. Solstice was always generous to cover up for me, like in the case of Death's sword. It would be really bad for me if the general public knew it was joint work... When they see the sword and desire it, and hear Solstice made it, they can just admire it and give up, not wanting to get in conflict with one of the most powerful Beings. But if they hear a big chunk of work was done by someone as weak as me... It would be dangerous. So, just keep the origin of the bag a secret. As I said, using Solstice's name is usually the easiest solution, because Solstice is famous for building things, so people Beings will easily believe you..."

[Mirach]

Senecio watched them from his comfortable position, ostentatively not moving even a finger.

---

"Understoond, if someone asks, it's from Solstice," Svarik nodded. He finished folding a rose that he was forgetting about a bit while they were talking, and put it into the box.

[VisAnastasis]

Hans wasn't being too active either, mostly making sure Tide was planning things properly, so nothing topples down. But he helped out more in the end, so they could finish building on time before Senecio fell asleep. They clearly built pillow forts for a long time, since they were skilled, and final result, even if huge compared to normal pillow fort standards, was very good and cozy. They in the end sat down at the center of the fortress, around Senecio, and all huddled in soft blankets of their own, close to him, and they turned off all the lights. To set the mood for the story, Tide created a little "fireplace" in the center of the fortress, made from his sparkles concentrated in one spot, being the only thing that illuminated the room. He made it cast light and gentle light, adjusting by their feedback, and he let Senecio join with his own sparkles if he wanted to make it together.

---

Creature smiled softer anew, at the gesture.
" I've kept you long past your bedtime... and long from your boyfriend. For taking your time, forgive me... and for offering to come to the children's birthday tomorrow... thank you. It is not something I would impose on you, as joy nor pleasure is not meant to be partaken in by force. Your offer to come is outside of our deal... so I appreciate it. Children will be really happy to see you there... it is good for them, to have some adults they can trust, after being dealt such a bad hand with all adults they ever met... their master, their work collegues, their healers... it is good that they have some adult to feel safe with. There's still plenty of roses to make, but you have a long day tomorrow, so please, rest up. I can call Eros and explain him the situation, on my part, if that will shave off part of your obligations tonight. Oh... and if you have no more questions to ask of me... please, take some, for you and your partner, " shyly, the creature took out a huge jar of cookies from his bag next, which was probably meant for refilling stocks of cookies in jars Svarik could see on the shelf at a side, for children and Senecio. There was a huge variety within this main, biggest jar, of cookies of all kinds and shapes, and pleasant scents mixed up, as the creature opened it. It had quite a timid, but protective attitude as it spoke, and something in its tone reminded Svarik of grandparents, stuffing children with tasty treats, as it seemed something closer to its true disposition, once it relaxed enough. " You're barely more than skin and bones, little one... Your constitution as a powerful Listener will always be against you, so you should feel free to snack whenever you can. You haven't drank any tea, so please take at least some treats. You're at an age for a Listener where it's not good to starve, so make sure you treat yourself plenty, so you stay healthy... it would be a breach of the laws of Hospitality if I gave you so many heavy thoughts and not once nice treat to make up for it. "

[Mirach]

Senecio sent a few sparks to mix with Tide's, and then snuggled closer to him and sighed contentedly.

---

"Oh, I totally forgot about the tea," Svarik chuckled. "I'm sorry," he said and took the cup, finding it very welcome after all the talking. He also took a few cookies and folded three more roses while eating the cookies and drinking the tea. Then he put the cup aside. "Thank you, I'll go now, Conrad will certainly be bored by now and he can't stand being idle, so I don't dare to guess what he found to occupy himself. I'll see you tomorrow at the party? Is ten in the morning okay? The shops will be closed by now, so I'll have to wait until they open tomorrow."

[VisAnastasis]

Tide was purring loudly, and Hans had to warm him to tone it down a little, laughing as he did so. Creature obliged, and huddled closer to the actor as he did so. Hans took it as a sign, and got himself comfortable - before he began his first tale. Indeed,  just as he claimed earlier, narrating stories fit his temperament and skills very well, and he was delightful to listen to, making tales really come alive, as he was incredibly good at imitating character voices and making them appear further from himself when needed, so much so that it felt like scene was happening before them if they would close their eyes to focus only on the sound of his voice.

---

" If you don't find something great, it is okay to just bring something symbolic and small, I won't judge your sincerity by your spending. Your arrival is most important ingredient. We will wait for you at ten in the gardens. Oh, and do not worry if you are a little late... We will wait. I do not do that fairytale trope of judging you if you don't appear at strike of a clock, either," creature reassured him gently, while standing up to escort him to the door." And of course, if you want to invite someone else to come, you are welcome to. Little Xia will come, too, and I plan to extend invitation to Erdel at very least as well, so he can see how they respond to the tree house. I did not want to ask Senecio, Hans and Tide, as tomorrow morning is important family bonding time for them, as they go to support Senecio during his first rehearsal, so he shouldn't have any distractions or regrets. Senecio and Hans will have rehersal at 9, but tomorrow is more for giving Senecio chance to get used to being on stage, so Hans ordered it to be with as little general staff as possible, to not overwhelm him and so he is less self conscious about it and gets more used to it anew, so no mechanisms will really be used much, and I labeled all buttons and button timing and sequences, so Rain will do whatever needs to be done in my absence. I will come later, anyway, to check how is Senecio is doing. So I plan to leave children and Xia to play after I give them gifts and share them cake and see they are playing well, so I don't burden they with my presence too much, and so I can be at later part of rehersal and make Senecio tea when I see things are hard. I did not plan to make too much deal out of my presence, as in general, I counted children will be plenty distracted by gifts, sweets and treehouse, so I wanted to give them space  alone to play without feeling I am looking over their shoulder. You look like a kind of person that would love playing in tree house, and I am going to built it lovely and spacious, so you don't have to fill in serious and dramatic adult role, either... You can just play with them as long as you like. I am also going to build a lovely swing from fairy talebook beside the tree, and side table beneath it for snacks, so it's going to be lovely playing spot, if I may be bold to say. I consulted only the biggest wish fulfillment children books to make it adequately whimsical for them and their playmates... "

[Mirach]

Senecio closed his eyes as he was listening to the story, letting his imagination draw him into it. But as he closed his eyes, he was getting more sleepy in the cmfortable position. He was too curious about to story to fall asleep during it, but as it ended, he didn't resist it anymore.

---

"I don't know if you will get the children to play freely. They were forced to grow up too soon, and might see it as childish. But I will try to draw them into a play. When it's not too childish for a king, then they can do it too, right?" Svarik smiled.  "See you tomorrow then," he said and went to find Conrad in the theatre.

[VisAnastasis]

Everyone really needed that little brake and moment of bonding and levity after all that happened. Hans was also quite sleepy, and even if he was better, he needed a lot of rest and sleep after trying to Sing, so after the story, he softly snuck to Senecio's side, and let Tide's light purring lull him to sleep. This time, Tide did not leave to do something else, even if he couldn't sleep, as his heart was full, and he was happy, watching over them and prolonging the memory. He made sure all windows were tightly closed and curtains were pulled properly, and the fort was secure, and he called for a book so he could read while the others slept. He let them rest plentifully, only planning to wake them a little before 9, so they could eat and go to rehearsal.

---

" I would not expect a genuine careless playing from them... Poor, crude tries are all right... Nobody is good at something on the first try. I merely must give them the best conditions, to increase their chances of developing some taste for joy. For increased chances your levity provides, my worries will be lighter too. Thank you, little one... Night wind will be heavy tonight, so stay warm on your way back. I will pray that no ailment reaches you, "the creature greeted him as they parted and it went back to fold roses.

As Svarik went to look for Conrad, he could indeed see that the man was bored while waiting. As the stage was prepared for tomorrow's rehearsal, pillars and thrones and fancy trees made out of crystals for background scenery were there, so he must have gone to observe the great craftsmanship from up close, but after a while when he was done with it, it seemed he decided to spend his time more practically, to pass the time. Svarik found him sitting upon the imposing Demon King's Throne, as it seemed to fit his temperament better than the delicate craftsmanship of Spirit King one's. He was sitting idly, with calmness and composure, as if it was a perfectly normal seating place for for him, and he was holding a heap of papers and browsing through them and writing something on one - probably using the chance to take care of some of the paperwork to send back home.

[Mirach]

Svarik smiled and sat down on the spirit throne next to him. "There are hundreds of comfortable plush chairs in he auditory, but I could have bet that I'll find you on the most extra one. Do you want to finish your paperwrk or hear about the deals?"

[VisAnastasis]

" Well, we can sit in auditory chairs any time we pay the fee, but when else are we going to get the chance to be Spirit and Demon King for a short while? Spirit throne, made for Being considered most beautiful in all the realms, suits you perfectly, my star, " Conrad grinned. He seemed in a good mood from the date before, and he also seemed to be thriving while working, especially now that he had the luxury of having updated documents in real-time, wherever he was, thanks to using Eros as a messenger. So, he really looked like he was thriving right now, with more empowerment behind his confidence. He shook his head and neatly began folding the papers, though. " I can always do more paperwork when we get back to the mansion while you sleep, but I can only listen to my dazzling Spirit King's voice when he's awake. So, my sweet little Spirit King, " not standing up, he just very lightly bowed his shoulders forward, placing a hand on his chest, in the pretense silly game of Being royalty meeting another. " What good tidings do you bring me? I was a very respectful Demon king, I'll have you know, and used no sinister means whatsoever to listen in on your dealings, so I await your news with extreme interest, " it was a quite dramatic way to say that, despite his overflowing curiosity, this time, Conrad did not try to eavesdrop on Svarik's conversation to monitor him or seek for imperfections in his deal, but truly let him do it all on his own, without trying to overmanage and overcorrect him or making a test out of it - so that his words about trusting him before would not be empty.

[Mirach]

Svarik smiled at the gesture and leant back on the throne a bit tiredly. "Well... first things first, we're going to a birthday party tomorrow and need to buy toys in the morning. But, about the more serious matters..." he told Conrad all about the conversation and the deals he was offered, about the backwards negotiations and the final agreement that he reached with Janus.

[VisAnastasis]

As Svarik spoke, from playful, Conrad's gaze grew contemplative and serious. He listened intently, with crossed arms. In the end, he nodded very slightly and was quiet for a moment.
" It is not like we can underestimate the weight of despair... The whole Being wars were started by the despair of two kings when they lost what they loved. Just because the story of White Eagle getting killed horribly by corrupted vengeful demons is one of the most famous war crimes stories, we can't underestimate the cruelty of Demon Hunters. Erdel told me about that Spirit, Malachite, at whom Hunters were wrathful for helping demons at the start of the war, and tortured him to force him to lure his Demon friends into traps to have them killed. If someone threatened Simbel or Erdel, and blackmailed me to force my hand against Tide... I can not with clear conscience say I would not yield. And not to even speak if someone threatened your life. I would be ready to have the world burn along with any morals, " Falcon admitted darkly, stroking his beard quietly as he did so. " It is hard to admit, but Simbel's change of disposition, along with the fact we are sheltering vampires and Erdel, does put us in an unfavorable position of needing aid. I am not saying there are not other ways of mitigating dangers for a while. You know, we could always send vampires here at sea for a while, to stay under Tide's care in some hiding place... Feeding them would be quite a logistical problem, but as long as we separate all three - vampires, at the secret place at sea, Erdel, to stay right next to Tide, and Simbel at the capital, without demons he would have to defend in case of attack - as long as rumors of Simbel's difference in attitude does not spread, it could be worst case prevention scenario to just separate them all cleanly... But I dislike it, " he whispered. " I know it is not right of me, to not go with a most practical optimal solution... But there is something you have taught me, about picking a brighter future, instead of the safest one. Sure, it would look bad on us if vampires suddenly disappeared without paying any dues to society - it would look like we either killed them, or let them off easily, whatever we say, so that's one, but not really what I mean... They were so lost, and despair and empty of any hopes and dreams, after we defeated them. They finally began to get some sense of purpose and belonging, and they suffer much less of hunger, in the pond's soothing presence, and you should see with what trust and wonder they look up to Simbel recently. They have been so sullen, after feeling abandoned by their God... to be finally accepted, and even taught and sheltered by the new God they found... I do not want to take it from them. I do not want, to take Simbel's wards away from him. I do not want to tell Erdel that he should stay here and not see us for a while... I do not want to break his heart, on account of safety. I can not break Simbel's heart, by sending away people he worries so dearly about far away, outside of his reach, either. If we separate on three sides, all sides will be weaker, and all on their own again. Sometimes most practical paths are more heartbreaking and lead to a sadder world... But I acknowledge the reality of Janus's worries, " he took a deep breath. " We have a heavy decision before us. As unfortunate as it is, I think we have to overuse his kindness, if we are to be properly ready. You know how Simbel is... Even at Long Night, he was mentally ready to sacrifice himself and perish, if it meant you would live. There is no doubt in my mind that he would be ready to do it again. He is unnegotiable when it comes to protecting others. So, we must not put him in a situation where he might have to sacrifice himself, for he surely will.... But I do not say, that you are wrong. I can not condone us working Janus nearly to death, either, even if it's of benefit to us. We must find a way to help the damn fool. Whether it is him or Simbel, " there was a grave but dignified look in his eyes, and an unexpected chilling tinge of righteous anger, fit for the one sitting on the throne of the demon king. " I acknowledge that Gods are made of different moral cloth and feel obliged to protect the unfortunate, but I will not permit either of those damn bastards to risk their lives for such sad reasons. "

[Mirach]

"Then we are in agreement," Svarik said seriously. "And with the new means for travel, we can have more control over things both here and at home. We will travel back right after the party, so that we can greet Riversong properly and can start figuring out how to help Janus. And have a talk with Lipka, rather sooner than later if it's alright with you."

[VisAnastasis]

Falcon took a deep breath, as if steeling himself, before nodding with the resolve of someone who had to make the heavy choice for a long time.
" I would never be the kind of man who would risk our people's safety just because I desired to go to the ball, no matter how much I personally may want it.  It was hard enough not to interrogate Janus right away, about what he could do about our defenses. Especially after what happened with Crow... I made such heavy preparations, always, and I trained everyone so well, to prioritise their safety... I dared to let myself believe that even if I gave myself some freedom to prioritize your health, Crow could handle things in my stead. Not forever... just to buy me some time, until you are well. But I could not foresee Anxington I thought I could reason with would strike so fiercely, so suddenly. I believed... all our years of cooperation.. meant at least enough for him to not cause open conflict. If Assassin's Guild did not get involved, there's no way Crow would die from such a small level of conflict, after we've lived through so much more brutal conflicts in the war. I always wonder if I could have been more prepared for hidden barely unlikely variables... I do not want to wonder the same for Simbel after he is gone, " he admitted heavily. " Do you really think.. I did not want to ask from the first moment and would be playing instead? It is just that Janus is so guarded, and it seemed like something we couldn't possibly ask before we gained his trust. All those negotiations... indeed seem backward, " he stroked his chin. " I am positively furious. Sure, there's worry and warmth in them... But the fear is too immense. It reminds me too much of Simbel, when we first met him... That damn attitude where he would give us all of himself, his flowers and warmth, and not even ask for food at the start, even if he needed it... where he would do anything, just to not be abandoned again. It might not be fear of being abandoned, but fear of being hurt, but it feels the same. Rather than a fair deal, it feels like we are mountain bandits to whom a poor traveler is offering clothes from his back, hoping we won't beat up and kill him if we see he's cooperating and gives everything he has, " man was frowning for a while, clutching hands in fists with anger. " I fully acknowledge our need for help... I would grovel, and beg for Simbel's sake no less than for yours. But I can not be happy about the situation. Sure, if someone told me that I needed to choose if I would stab you, or stab Janus, I would have to pick him - but we can not live life mourning the fact people who don't love us would naturally choose to save their loved ones over us. Let's just all survive. Let's just... let us get strong enough so that no Demon Hunter can force our hand. This whole thing is done backwards... I wished we got his trust first, instead of being treated like mountain bandits, but sometimes action is better than spending time saying nice things... we can always prove we are reliable by helping him as much as we use him. We have you, and Simbel, Riversong, Zephir, Ciel, Nameless, and Melody... We have a lot of knowledge to pool from to figure something out. I... You know I looked forward to the Ball... of course I did. But no Ball would ever be of equal weight as the lives we are trying to protect. Those are our people, " he looked up at Svarik, and watched him for a moment before he asked cautiously. " I understand my request to not return to the capital but stay here until the Ball ends was... not agreeable to you.  As a matter of practicality, it does make a huge difference in timing and ease of travel, to have Janus's bag into account, but I do believe Riversong would have been most motivated to rush here if we were all here in one place... I did believe at a time, given our circumstances, that it was best choice, to be here and resolve all Riversong's questions with both you and Death at once, so he wouldn't get cold feet and avoid confrontation until the end of time and lose everything. And to be honest, of course, in equal measure, I did not want to return to capital just yet... just a little longer. But you know that if you seriously pleaded, even if I would grumble, or think Riversong has worse chances without it... I would still agree. If I didn't manage to convince you it's the best choice to stay here and you chose to get back home... you do know I would yield and get back there with you right? Even if it ended our trip earlier than I wanted, I would have let you drag me to the end of the world... so it would be fine to get back to the capital, even if I don't personally feel ready to return. I don't want you to think you always have to compromise with my wishes to keep the peace. Even if after all the convincing I did, you changed your mind and secretly left the sea on your own to be there when Riversong wakes up, I would feel rather hurt, but I would naturally follow you. I do not want my pleas and love to become your shackles, and turn you into more miserable restrained version of yourself... It was not my intent... "

[Mirach]

"I know, and it would really be lovely to stay here for a few days longer and enjoy a break, but if the situation is as serious as Janus claims, it would be best to start solving it right now," Svarik said. "But that doesn't mean we're not going to the ball. It's not a day of travel anymore, so it's much easier to go back and forth. We will return in time for the ball together with Lipka and hopefully Riversong as well. I'm still feeling bad for not being there when he woke up, and I'd like to see him soner rather than later. And I hope that when we return for the ball, we will be able to bring some good news to Janus already. It really felt wrong, how fearful and vulnerable he was in his offers of help. I hate it, too. I hate that hes been hungry for so long, and I'm not able to feed him like Simbel."

[VisAnastasis]

Conrad must have thought they were returning to the capital for the foreseeable future, to stay there, because a bit of contentment and color went back to his face at the mention of possibly returning for the Ball, after all.
" I do not want to make it seem like I am petulantly insisting on that one extremely specific thing... It is just that it is more the Ball, for me. I will give up on it if it seems dangerous in any way to be away from home. Janus's bag isn't just useful for travel, though. You said he would use it to hide from Demon Hunters, which means they can't find demons when they are in there. " he noted. " Eros just can't drag the bag through fabric instantly, if souls are in the bag, but there're no problems of them staying in the bag for a bit when we're not traveling. If we think they are at risk while we are away, we can leave the bag at the mansion for a bit, have them enter their safety and hide Simbel's demonic wessel and Erdel, if he's there - and have them wait it out inside the bag until critical period passes. It can also offer us some security, as they can't discover vampires if they are not there. It had to be plenty reliable to allow Janus to play God for so long,  " he explained quietly. " So it's not like we don't have some security... if we had none, I'd never have accepted to return, if stretching ourselves thin would pose danger somehow. I did not hope for much... I just thought... it would be nice to have a normal relationship, just for a little longer. Going back home... will mean getting back to the time I will barely be able to accompany you during your days, again... Time when I won't be able to kiss you or hold your hand without restraints... Time when I again have to go through loops and hoops to do things, instead of just sending long-distance correspondence and orders in your name. And above all... we never had a proper conversation, of how secretive we plan to be. I tried to draw some information of what your intentions are with me the day you confessed, and I did get the bare minimum - a promise you won't dump me in case Lipka refuses this. That was the bare minimum I needed, to agree. But it is still not good for you if rumors spread that you;re either dating an underground leader or your nobleman host. So... smartest thing to do is to not tell anyone, and to act like nothing's changed... but the problem is, will I be able to do it? Will I be able to stop myself from smiling any time I see you, or stop my face from falling somberly when you are to go where I can not follow you? I feel... like a transparent sheet of paper. Like everyone will know how I feel about you, as soon as they see me. I was confident in many things in life... but not in this. Can I really hide my disposition properly, from people that know me? " as if indeed he struggled with a terribly hard ordeal, much harder than overcoming Long Night, the man put his hand over his mouth, as if trying to straighten his expression. " I just thought... having a few days to get myself together would help. To properly prepare, for one more long wait, like ten years ago, when I resolved myself for the long hard wait until I managed to put someone worthy on the throne. But for some reason, this time it feels much harder... I thought having a few days of experiencing what a proper normal relationship is like would help. That it would give me something to draw strength from, in time when I have to get back to deceiving the world anew. I thought... it might be nice to try to make a selfish decision, for once... to do something just because I wanted to, not because there was any benefit to the world for it. " he sighed, leaning back and sinking more somberly into the demon throne. " But I would never pick being selfish over helping someone out. Of course, I'd like us to help Janus. I thought we would need to win his trust first... but when we are at it, let's just swindle the bastard into doing everything possible to get healthier. If backward negotiations suit his personality, let's backward negotiate the hell out of him. We'll guilt-trip him into getting better if it's the last thing I do, I promise you, Svarik. " there was a serious solemn look in his eyes as he proclaimed biog words suitable for his temperament. " I won't let you experience anything that you hate, ever again... never again. I will make sure you walk the flower path, even if it means I'll have to plant flower by flower in front of you and remove all thorns by hand. If you hate to see him so starved, let's just figure out how to get him better, and let's feel him until he can't take another bite, okay? I refuse to believe we, the biggest most varied sum of people specialized in fixing and healing, wouldn't be able to do anything. We just need to approach it in our own way, like we always have. "

[Mirach]

Svarik smiled a bit sadly as he got up from the throne and took Conrad's hand. "You can understand how bad I feel about Janus starving, but you think I would let you suffer like that? Oh dear, I can see why you would like to stay here for as long as we can if you believe that's the only time we get. And why I don't see it as a big deal to leave for a bit, because I don't believe that. You think I'm going to try to solve all the problems of with demons, and spirits and laws and everything in the kingdom, and not try to solve the problem of how  can be happy together? You just said it. I also refuse to believe we, the biggest most varied sum of people specialized in fixing and healing, wouldn't be able to do anything. I didn't really want to discuss it in dear of false hopes and old wounds, but I think it's fair to talk openly so that you can contribute to the plan. After all, I've just recently given you a hard time about making plans about me without me, didn't I? I just... wanted to enjoy a few days of just being carefree together. Normally, you wouldn't plan for the future after just a day of a relationship, would you? But we have to, because of our position. So we will, and we will solve this problem like any other, okay? So, if you want to hear my thoughts about how we could do it and make plans right now, we can. But we can also save it for later, after the ball, and just enjoy ourselves until then. Just understand that I'm not going to let you plant flowers and pull out thorns in front of me, because I want you to walk me at my side. So either we plant the flowers together, or not at all. So what would you like better? Start making plans now, or take more time before that?"