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]

Kas sits on the floor.

[alicornucopia]

"Well, I can teach her to be a witch. I did it once and Isabella turned out beautifully."

[truthwright]

Kas giggles.

[alicornucopia]

"If she's a witch," amends Ranata. "But it sounds like she is. Somehow.'

[truthwright]

"Yeah. It does."

[alicornucopia]

The next day, they fly to the Olympic clan's enclave, and Ranata collects her materials, and under the light of the full moon she casts an elaborate spell calling the blessings of Amariah Lytess down on Helen Ianthe.

It sticks.

Ranata gets help from a cousin to cast the spell to see what it actually did, and concludes: "It's about Kalavar. Daemons are in Amariah Lytess's portfolio. Helen will have an easier time of separating, when it's time, than most people. Kalavar will be stronger than she looks, too."

[truthwright]

Kas cuddles his daughter.

"How 'bout that," he says.

[alicornucopia]

"Helen isn't a very witchy name," says the cousin.

[truthwright]

"Didn't know she was a witch when I named her," he says. "It's hers until she says different."

[alicornucopia]

"How could you not know your baby daughter is a witch?" says the cousin.

[...I haven't explained that she's my granddaughter,] Ranata tells Kas. [I don't know what to say instead, though.]

[truthwright]

Kas switches sex.

"'Cause I'm her mother," he says, "and I'm not one."

[alicornucopia]

...The cousin blinks at him. Her potoo daemon squawks. "I want to know what's going on," she says.

[truthwright]

"Yeah, don't we all," says Kas.

[alicornucopia]

"Where did this baby come from?" asks the cousin.

[truthwright]

"Me."

[alicornucopia]

"Then why is she a witch? What is going on? Are you from some other world?"

[truthwright]

Kas shrugs. "It is what it is," he says.

[alicornucopia]

"The clan is entitled to know what Ranata Ekamma has brought into it," says the cousin, pointing at Helen.

[truthwright]

He shrugs again.

[alicornucopia]

Ranata sighs. "Can you keep a secret?" she asks.

"From the rest of the clan, absolutely not, we should all know! From everyone else, of course."

Ranata looks at Kas.

[truthwright]

[She's not here,] he says. [It's up to us. What do you think?]

[alicornucopia]

[The clan probably should know. I'm just worried it will leak beyond that and Helen will have more attention than she should.]

[truthwright]

[Make really sure that doesn't happen,] he says. [If she gets too much attention, I'll just keep her away from whoever's bugging her.]

[alicornucopia]

"I'll explain to the queen," Ranata suggests to the cousin.

"Fine," huffs the cousin. "As long as this doesn't stay something mysterious you've cooked up with this mortal."

[truthwright]

"Watch who you're calling a mortal," Kas snorts.