i might as well be the man on the moon

[truthwright]

Their Isabella having just gone to welcome a new Bell into the peal, Kas and Petaal snuggle up together and take a nap. They'll want to be well rested for the party.

When they wake up, she still isn't back.

[Jane?]

No response.

Kas teleports down to the Janepoint, Petaal wrapped snake-shaped around his shoulders.

The display reads: error 7788: lycanthropy

"...So that's new," he says.

"No shit," says Petaal. "Now what?"

He shrugs. She coils tighter.

"Hang around and wait, I guess."

Comments

[truthwright]

"Okay, well," he says, "this is my daughter. I made her by myself. I wasn't expecting her to be... anyone else's in particular. But I think she's a witch, and I've only ever been with one witch. So - I don't know - is there some way you could check...?"

[alicornucopia]

"How old is she?" Ranata asks.

[truthwright]

"Four months."

[alicornucopia]

"Then there's still time for me to put a birth blessing on her and see if it sticks, but I don't have all the materials I'd need..."

[truthwright]

"What do you need?"

[alicornucopia]

"It depends on which goddess I want to call down for her..."

[truthwright]

"Well, I don't know all the goddesses, so I can't help you there."

[alicornucopia]

"There are seven. Is there something in particular you'd like her to have? It's not guaranteed, but I can try. Isabella's was Evisa Iannakara; Mother was aiming for an art blessing but she got her protection from mind-affecting spells instead."

[truthwright]

"I don't know," he says. "How about - the goddess Isabella was named after? Just... because."

[alicornucopia]

"Amariah Lytess. All right. Then I need pine sap and white peppercorns, ideally I'd cast during the full moon, and it would be better if I worked outside."

[truthwright]

"Okay," he says. "Can you find the stuff? Is the next full moon soon enough?"

[alicornucopia]

"Yes, I can get it." She peers at the baby. "You really think she's - hers? Somehow? ...She does have Isabella's eyes."

[truthwright]

"I don't know who else's she'd be," he says. "If she's a witch, I mean, and I think she is - she's never cold, she likes moonlight..."

[alicornucopia]

"But how did this happen, I don't understand."

[truthwright]

"I don't either," he says. "I didn't think she was going to be anybody's. But I guess that's what I get for messing around with magic stuff." He cuddles the baby. "Her name's Helen," he adds.

[alicornucopia]

"If she's a witch she should have a second name," says Ranata.

"What's her daemon called?" asks Castarilan.

[truthwright]

"Kalavar," says Petaal.

[alicornucopia]

"Hi, Kalavar," coos Castarilan.

[truthwright]

Kalavar turns into a duckling again.

Kas thinks.

"Ianthe," he decides. "Helen Ianthe."

[alicornucopia]

"May I hold her?" Ranata asks.

[truthwright]

"Sure."

He hands over the baby.

[alicornucopia]

Ranata joggles her. "Aren't you precious," she coos.

"So cute," agrees Castarilan.

"If she's a witch," Ranata says, "she should be brought up like one."

[truthwright]

"What's that mean?"

[alicornucopia]

"Learning to do magic, and fly, and shoot and dagger-fight, and if she's Isabella's she's in our clan and should learn about that, and she'll need to separate when she's old enough, and - well, witches are different, dear."

[truthwright]

Kas shrugs.

"Sure," says Petaal. "Can we just bring her to you to learn all that stuff?"