Hafnium Test Thread

[Tassadar]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Lenalee nodded to Ren, and took the only chance to tease Edmund that he offered her. When he stumbled and had to roll forward to keep from ruining his dinner, she quickly quipped; "Really lookin forward to that jerky huh?" Despite her teasing, Lenalee didn't miss the somberness of the atmosphere, and of the extremely distant Edmund in particular, but she found that she didn't have the energy to try and break the atmosphere.

She left the group after Ren's absurd story, one that she found incredibly amusing despite how it struck the appetite from everyone else, and after successfully contacting the daemon she couldn't help but crack a small smile. "Sorry, didn't have any of that on hand. I could make a circle out of my blankey and call back if it'll make you feel better!" she replied jovially, glad to have a better opportunity to mock someone than Edmund had offered.

"I'm just trying to figure out a few things... Like what I'm going to be doing when I end up at Casilda's facility. You want to get out of that gem still, right? I'm going to need something specific on how to even the playing field between me and Casilda. What do I need to do?"

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine, Pregnant (Noticeable Baby Bump)

The daemon ended up choosing not to dignify Lenalee's comment about using her blanket as a summoning circle with a response, apparently. Instead, he chose to move straight to business. I don't believe you'll be able to truly even the playing field between her and you alone, the rasping voice inside her head responded simply. When I granted her my blessing, she had less raw power than you. Only, her heart was strong, and she took more than I ever intended to bestow upon her. Since then, I have been unable to seize it back in any quantity. No amount of preparation will make her an easy opponent.

But some steps can be taken on my end. The gem that serves as my prison is kept inside a clock in the top floor of the tower. She still expects me to aid in her defense should she be threatened, but when you come to fight her that call will go unanswered. I could strengthen your allies and you instead when you face her, but it will require that you open your hearts to my influence, he suggested, allowing Lenalee brief time to reply in before continuing. Her minions have taken pieces of my power as well, which will be their undoing. Should they attempt to intercede on her behalf, I can take back that which they have stolen from me, weakening them if not completely removing them from the fight. This would leave only those few humans who have survived her rituals and been reborn to stand against you at full strength, if you can get rid of them before the battle then she will have no aid.

As well, her mind is weak. The more days that go by, the more obsessed she becomes with the past. Her head is a whirlpool of bloodlust and vengeance for some thing done to her years ago. She slowly grows insane as it gnaws at her. Whether you will be able to make use of this information or not, I do not know. But there aren't many options that I can offer you directly, beyond seizing my gem during the battle and and becoming its new wielder.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Lenalee listened to the daemon's initial batch of words patiently, nodding along even though it had just basically told her that it wouldn't be of much use. She had no intention of giving it access to her mind and soul without a great deal of resistance on her own part, and expected much the same line of reasoning from those who fought beside her. An explicit location of the gem containing the daemon was useful information, but not something that the sorceress thought that she'd be able to use without first dealing with Casilda. As such, when the daemon paused as if to allow her a chance to speak, Lenalee simply said; "Go on."

What he added after the pause was marginally more useful. That he'd be able to eliminate the brunt of the demon's minions made Lenalee's life easier, as she'd much prefer to not have to cut through a swarm of lesser foes to get to an enemy as powerful as Casilda herself. The bit about Casilda's mind was useful as well, or at least potentially so, but it was something that she'd have to play by ear rather than plan for. If she was lucky, maybe she'd actually be able to get through it without a real fight, though Lenalee wasn't optimistic enough to actually hope for such an outcome. "Interesting... You wouldn't happen to have any more details on what's causing her to go nutso, would you? That could be useful."

Once that was answered, Lenalee had only one further question for the daemon before returning to her own body, which she asked fairly promptly; "So, after Casilda and her peons are dealt with and your prison is in my possession.... What happens then?" Once that bit of business was taken care of, Lenalee would happily return to her body and get some much needed sleep.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine, Pregnant (Pregger Belly, too)

No, the daemon replied plainly to the first question. Searching her mind that deeply is beyond my reach without alerting her. I am only able to tap into the emotions when they're at the forefront of her thoughts, and have told you all I know of them. I will see if I can determine anything else before you're face to face with her, but do not hold out hope for it.

Then I expect that you will live up to your side of our deal and search for the ritual necessary to release me from this seal, that I no longer have to rely on a mortal, or demon, again." he replied to her second question. Or perhaps you will fail, as the priestess has, I know not. I simply wish for freedom from this prison, regardless of who accomplishes it. Because of this, my offer to empower you will remain open until such time that I am free or you have fallen. He concluded, apparently content to leave the conversation at that if the sorceress was likewise accepting of it.

Following her odd meeting with the being in the gems, she would be left to fall asleep on the pile of blankets in the wagon.

~~~​

The sorceress woke up to find that the cart was already moving, apparently nobody having woken her up. Several bundles of blankets that had been used around the campfire were folded neatly beside her and stacked with quite a bit of care. Some of the tattered sheets were wrapped around objects that had seen use at their campsite that might have clattered or otherwise disturbed the sleeping mage. It was difficult to tell how long the cart had been moving while she had slept, but as best she could tell by the light it seemed that dawn had only recently arrived.

Ren was riding in the cart with her. The redhead looked at Lenalee occasionally, apparently checking on her, but didn't seem to immediately notice that the lightning mage was awake, and wouldn't unless the woman chose to stir. The reason for the healer being at hand was fairly obvious, in the form of Lenalee's belly. Her noticeable bump had become as round as that of a woman in her six month of pregnancy, at least. She would probably give birth by the next day, if not by the end of the night. Still, the mage probably had other matters on her mind at that point in time--ones that she could actually do something about, as well.

(Not my best work, but I must do better than a reply every 2 weeks even if the price is occasional awful posts on my end. You may spend ye XP.)

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

No worries! Sorry it took me so long to respond to it, I've been busy with irl stuff and have writers block.

For ye exp spending, Lenalee got +10 Mind and an instance of the Mage Feats Talent. She's gonna pick Metaphysical Hammer, Spell Control, and Empower Spell.

She upgraded her staff to be made of Anudrian Copper, buying a new one for 20 denarii and adding ye material cost for 30 for a total of 50. She then enchanted it to be a focus item using 50 denarii and her two edenhearts. She gave her armor another +AV enchantment for 45 denarii and bought an energy potion and a healing potion.

New status for easy copy pasta!
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine, Pregnant (Pregger Belly, too)

"Optimistic are we? Well that's always good. I'm..... Generally at least.... A woman of my word, so I guess we'll see what happens at the tower. I'm obviously not making any promises, but if I manage to set her properly on fire I'll see about busting you out, just like I promised."

~~~~~~~~~​

Lenalee awoke to find herself lying on her side in the already moving wagon, half curled around her heavily engorged belly. Her pregnancy had advanced greatly in the night, proving rather definitively that the child she'd conceived from the corrupted villagers would likely share part of their nature. Flitting her eyes up and seeing Ren, Lenalee let out a low grunt before quietly muttering; "Got anything to eat? A bit of water would be nice too." Slowly sitting up, the mage winced a few times along the way courtesy of her bloated stomach. "How long have we been moving? Did I miss anything?" she asked groggily, gradually bringing herself to full wakefulness.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine, Pregnant (Pregger Belly, too)

DG's first anudorian copper focus staff? Sweet.

"Ah, you're awake!" The healer proclaimed the obvious. "Not much better than we had last night, I'm afraid," she added in order to answer Lenalee's initial question. The rabbit mage rustled through her robes for a moment in order to produce a water skin, which she gingerly handed to the sorceress lest it be knocked out of her hands by the motions of the cart. From an unseen source, she produced some more of the trail jerky that they had eaten the night before and handed that over to the pregnant human as well. "Take as much as you need," she offered.

"We've been on the move for about a quarter-hour, half at the most. You, um, progressed pretty quickly overnight, and Lovisa suggested that the tower had better facilities for this sort of thing and more experienced midwives," she laughed nervously, never taking her eyes off of Lenalee. "Mari thought you'd want us to move on as quickly as possible anyway, and I think she was worried about you because she didn't know how to handle caring for someone in your condition. We've never seen this side of it before, you know. I had some lessons in the academy. The demons... they usually kept us unconscious for it," she added, a mixture of relief and sadness in her voice.

A strange mischief entered Ren's eyes shortly afterward, though. "If you'd prefer not to see this through in the middle of a bunch of demons yourself though, I think we can find a way to delay this trip a little. A mud slick here or there, a couple impassable roads, and we're not there until tomorrow," she added in a whisper, accompanying her words with a waggle of her fingers and a wink. "Otherwise, it's looking like we'll be there well before lunch."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

"It's better than nothing," Lenalee replied with only a tinge of regret at the food situation, having hoped for some better fare than the meager meal she'd had the night before. Still, she'd subsisted on worse in rougher conditions, and didn't blanch at the plain water and jerky that she was offered. The sorceress nodded along to the redhead's report as she ate, not feeling any particular need to offer reply to any of it. Everything added up as far as she could tell.

The mischievous spark that entered the eye of the bunny-eared mage initially drew a curious look from Lenalee, but that quickly became a grin at the girl's suggestion. "Oh you naughty little bunny you~" the lightning witch exclaimed with an extended giggle, allowing her just long enough to actually give thought to the girl's words. While Lovisa had proven trustworthy at least to her word, Lenalee knew enough about demons to understand that leaving herself in so compromised a position in their midst as a woman giving birth was an extremely stupid idea. The girl's suggestion had some merit, and while it could sour things with Lovisa if the demon knight found out, she believed that she could pass it off as harmless pranks done in a fit of hormonal rage if she really needed to.

"I shall have to think up suitable punishment for this.... After we've done some mischief~" Lenalee cooed following her giggles, keeping her voice low and offering Ren a fairly suggestive wink. Slowly climbing up to a seated position and being reflexively careful with her engorged belly, the mage quietly cautioned; "We'll have to be careful about alerting Lovisa, demons can generally sense magic to one degree or another and I'd hate to endanger that particular relationship. That said.... Where do we start?" A maniacal gleam was in the witch's eye, and while she wasn't inflicting violence or expecting to need to do so, she was going to be using her magic for less than wholesome ends, and that always amused her. Plus, she might get to abuse or annoy Edmund a little bit, and that idea alone was worth the effort.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine, Pregnant (Pregger Belly, too)

Lenalee's suggestive nature and overall acceptance of the plan earned a genuine smile from the rabbit mage. "Ah, but that's where you come in! If you can find a reason for our strong knight to be occupied or otherwise indisposed for a while then, well... Won't it be just our luck that the cart runs into a terrible and even downright unnatural patch of mud while she isn't available to help pull it out?" Ren replied with mock despair. "Jan and Edmund are strong but they're only two, and though Mari will help and the work will take her mind off of her worries, it will take them quite a while to get us past that. And who knows, something might come up for a few of them as well."

"Should they get us past that before you're in a better state to see our demonic hosts... It's a simple and rarely traveled road, I can't begin to imagine how many big trees have fallen and other obstacles that have blocked the way and will need to be cleared," the mage conjured a miniature illusion of a tree falling onto a road as if to express her true meaning. "Yes, I imagine our path will just be so much more unlucky than we expected it to be today. So long as Lovisa isn't around to make it any easier. We may even be so delayed that there will be no other option than to let you recover before we're in the midst of her kind."

"If you can preoccupy our other members well enough, I can see to our trip's bad luck such that we won't be there for another week, if need be," she finished with a soft smile, dropping her exaggerated pretense. "I don't suppose you have any errands for Lovisa to run? Something that might see her away for a few hours? Or perhaps a little prank?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Lenalee couldn't help but let out a giggle of delight at Ren's mischievous planning, though at the same time she couldn't help but wonder how exactly she'd go about distracting Lovisa long enough to delay their trip. It was a surprisingly difficult question, and while the sorceress' immediate response to that would be to seduce the demoness, but given her current state and that the seducee was a demon who would undoubtedly start leeching from her soul, ensuring that the encounter would be too brief to guarantee Lovisa's distraction, Lenalee realized that she'd need to try a different tact.

"Well, aren't you just the greatest little conspirator?" the mage said teasingly, reaching out to give the redhead's cheek a quick pinch. "Distracting Lovisa's not going to be particularly easy.... Though, unless you've got a better idea, I think we're not doing so well on food.... And I'm just so absolutely famished~" she said while retracting her hand, giving the rabbit-girl an appraising look to see if she thought the plan was solid. Lenalee wasn't particularly sure of it herself, and a bit more input on the rabbit girl's part certainly wouldn't hurt.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine, Pregnant (Pregger Belly, too)

"I played a few pranks in my academy days," Ren replied cheerfully following her pinched cheek. "Yes... we can hardly consist on a diet of jerky. There's not much in the way of edible, non-betentacled game around here though, so it would probably take her a while. And I'd imagine there's more alraunes in the forest than fruit by now," she added. "But just in case, how about we have her look for a rare ingredient too? Something so rare that it doesn't even exist should do," the rabbit mage winked at Lenalee. "She might be a demon knight, but we're the mages around here, right? We know what we're talking about. I only failed my alchemy courses twice!"

"However you want to handle it, when you're ready I'll go out there and tell her you've got a request, and I'll keep Mari preoccupied because she'll actually know what sort of ingredients and game that can be found around here," Ren concluded. True to her word, if Lenalee was feeling up to speaking to Lovisa and potentially lying through her teeth to the woman, the redhead would go out and fetch the demon knight, who would be there in short order to hear the lightning sorceress's request. Of course if the pregnant Badarian wanted to plot with Ren some more, the redhead would wait to hear out anything else she had to suggest and offer replies in kind.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

"Ahhh, I hadn't thought of that!" Lenalee replied in a whisper, enjoying the game of thinking up methods with which they might be able to distract the demon knight. Smirking somewhat nervously at Ren's admission to failing her alchemy courses, Lenalee replied; "Perhaps something imaginary is a tad too cruel though.... How about something to make a nice tea? Something rare but local? I never really took alchemy, so I'll have to leave it up to you, ahhh, expertise.... Don't poison me." With that, she would give Ren a nod and send her off to retrieve Lovisa, and while she waited the sorceress worked to adopt a pained expression, albeit one that would suggest discomfort rather than agony. The right balance was essential, as she didn't want to worry the surprisingly helpful demon enough to hurry her, assuming Lovisa bought the lie in the first place.

When Ren returned with the demon knight, she let the pained expression sit just long enough for Lovisa to see it before adopting a forced-looking smile. "Lovisa! I'm glad you're here.... It seems that we, or rather, I, have a bit of a problem... And I know that I've taxed your patience a bit lately, but I would deeply appreciate your help with it," she began, initially apologetic before shifting into a more neutral tone, being careful to avoid letting any of the mischievous mirth she was feeling show in her voice or expression while filling her voice with just enough discomfort that her ruse would be believable.

"My, ahhhhh, "passenger," seems to be sapping me a bit more than is normal for a pregnancy of this type. The magic is supposed to account for most of the growth, but according to Ren it's taking a much greater toll on my body than it should," she explained carefully, hoping that Ren would work with her scheme. "To be blunt, I need food, and an herb. What did you call it?" she continued, looking to Ren and allowing her to fill in the name and description of some local plant.

Once the rabbit-eared girl was finished with whatever explanation she concocted, Lenalee turned back to Lovisa and continued; "So, yes... I need some of that, to help numb that pain a bit. And protein. Uncorrupted protein, so that things don't start growing in places that they shouldn't. I'd consider it a big favor if you could do this for me. It might even save my life, if Ren's concerns are on the money."

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine, Pregnant (Pregger Belly, too)

"Oh, no worries about that! I majored in healing, after all," Ren replied with a smirk, making it difficult to tell whether she was simply playing with Lenalee or serious as she continued. "If you get poisoned, I can purge it from you! And besides, I passed them eventually. They were silly and antiquated, in my opinion. After all, nobody has suffered a hellworm infestation in hundreds of years so who can be expected to have committed the treatment recipes to memory?" The girl's smirk dropped as she donned a thoughtful look, perhaps entirely too soon after her comment about hellworm infestation, and added; "I think I've just the thing!" Before Lenalee could say anything or protest, however, the rabbit mage was out of the cart and gone.

The cart came to a stop a few moments later, and Ren reappeared with the demonic knight in tow. "Good morning!" The knight proclaimed brightly as she parted the cloth and spotted the lightning sorceress up and awake. "I'm told you have something that I can lend a hand with," she continued, more concerned than cheerful after she had noticed Lenalee's show of discomfort. Afterward, the demonic woman listened patiently to the Badarian's words, which were intersected by a nod from Ren as the pregnant mage made her claim about the additional draw on her body by the pregnancy, until it was Ren's turn to do a little bit of lying.

"Evening crocus, they're also called purple nymphs. It's a flower with six petals which are white at the base and a dark blue at the tips. There are a few other flowers that look similar around here, but you'll be able to tell between them because the petals close during the day and open at night, and it has pistils which glow in moonlight. If you can collect a few then I'll be able to mix a potion that helps with the toll that bearing life can take on a person," the rabbit mage said it all without a single break in her facade. The demon knight nodded in response to this, apparently buying fully into Lenalee's deception and Ren's straight-faced delivery. "I'll get on it right away, it's the least I can do since you've been so cooperative about meeting Casilda. Just leave it to me," the demonic woman offered cheerfully and without a moment's consideration, the casual slip that Lenalee's life might be in danger apparently being more than enough to convince Lovisa to undertake the task.

Unless the lightning sorceress had more to say, then the demon knight would continue by announcing; "I'll be back as soon as I can, so try to stay rested!" Without another word, she would step several feet away from the wagon, spread her wings, and take to the skies... at which point Ren began to giggle. "She'll be looking for hours. Those haven't been widely used in potions for years, but they're very prized as pretty hair ornaments these days. Well, I'll take care of the rest. You should probably take it easy today--protein deficit and all," she winked before she moved to leave the cart and return to the others.

Whether Lenalee had more to say to Lovisa or Ren before they departed or not, once they had she would be able to enjoy the rest of her day more or less however she desired, as long as they didn't involve too much walking as it might ruin her cover.

Spoiler

If Lenalee has any other plans such as talking to people, summoning the merchant, or anything within reason, she may pursue those. Otherwise my next post is probably going to be a timeskip to BIRTHING TIME and then maybe to the tower beyond that depending on how the post flows.

Also, gain 2 exp for outsmarting dat demon.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Hook, line, and sinker. That was how Lovisa took her ruse. Honestly, it couldn't have gone better, not in Lenalee's mind. When the demon was gone on her errand, the mage let out a deep sigh and smirked at Ren. "Good work, I owe you one! Now get out of here~" she said, and gave the rabbit girl a soft smack on the ass as she left. After that, Lenalee had a long and undoubtedly boring trip ahead of her, and so did the best she could under such circumstances; she went back to sleep unless called for.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine.

Ren gave a start when Lenalee slapped her on the ass, though aside from briefly rubbing at her rear and a look of combined indignity and a blush she did nothing in response. It would prove to be the last bit of excitement for the day for the bedridden -- or perhaps more appropriately cart-ridden -- mage, however, and her choice to simply nap through the rest of the day saved her from a lot of looking at an endless stream of trees and grass and roads with very little to distinguish them from any of their fellows.

~~~​

And she would awaken to a sharp pain and a gush of water from between her legs as she went into labor. From what glimpses she could see out of the cloth covering the wagon and offering her what little privacy she had, it was already nighttime and they still hadn't made it to the tower. But she was given little time at all to consider it, as her contractions began to build in intensity and regularity. Surprisingly, there was little outright pain, though it was likely due to the supernatural nature of her labor.

And as soon as the mage made a noise, Ren was with her, along with Mari. Jan and Edmund made an appearance but the rabbit mage waved them away. After several seconds of chewing on her thumb nervously and surveying Lenalee, the redhead moved into action. She hopped into the cart and placed a hand on the pregnant sorceress's knee, muttering something under her breath and immediately vanquishing even the small pains that the lightning witch had felt. "Okay, just... go with your instincts. Breathe with your contractions," she offered in a tone that sounded more like she was reciting something from a textbook than a particularly experienced midwife.

Still, the magical nature of Lenalee's coming offspring and the spells of Ren helped to make the experience much easier than if the Badarian had given birth to a non-magical child without the aid of a healer. And by the time the urge to push overcame the sorceress, Ren had hit her stride in guiding the birth along. The redhead kept Lenalee well numbed and comfortable, all while keeping track of her progress and even giving a stunned Mari odd jobs to do like removing the various items in the cart that were in her way. Of course, even with the other mage's help, the majority of the workload was on the lightning mage's shoulders.

And after what felt like hours, though given the nature of her child had probably not been nearly as long, the efforts of her struggle were rewarded with a squalling newborn, which Ren lifted in her arms and announced; "It's a... It's... both? Strange..." With a look of puzzlement she handed the babe to Lenalee to confirm that it was, in fact, a hermaphrodite. Beyond that, though, there was nothing odd about the reddened babe, beyond a set of eyes that looked to have hints of violet in them. And as the baby was placed into the sorceress's arms, it, along with the oddity behind the child's gender, seemed to remind her other two allies in attendance of the circumstances behind its conception, and they fell into an awkward silence.

Ren would eventually escape that silence by setting about healing Lenalee and helping her to recover more quickly from the rigors of birth than she would have naturally, though Mari apparently found no response that she felt was appropriate for the matter. How Lenalee might handle the whole situation was up to her, though surely Lovisa would be back soon and they'd find themselves at the tower before long. The birth had left her exhausted as well, even with Ren's magics, and despite the amount of sleep she'd already had more rest wouldn't be out of the question.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Awakened by unfamiliar but telltale pain and a gush of liquid from between her legs, Lenalee promptly cried out for Ren, who was beside her in short order. The presence of Edmund and Jan wasn't something she wanted while in so undignified a state, but it seemed that the rabbit-mage and Mari were smart enough to realize that and sent the two off to do something else, she knew not what. As they'd spoken Lenalee had managed to tug her underpants down to about her knees, but one of the other two would have to do the rest of the work in getting them out of the way, as she then just tugged up her dress so that it wouldn't be ruined by her own outpourings.

What followed was, while not as excruciatingly painful as the sorceress realized it could have been thanks to Ren's magic and the corrupted nature of her child, still an extremely uncomfortable experience for the lightning witch. It felt like it took hours of pushing and labored breathing before her child came out into the world, crying aloud as any natural child then. Lenalee was too busy panting in recovery, her legs splayed apart and her body wracked with aches, to make much outward reaction to Ren's announcement, but given the manner in which it had been conceived the mutant nature of Lenalee's child came as little surprise to her.

That said, as Ren handed the babe off to her, Lenalee was incredibly conflicted about what to do about it. A part of her wanted to simply kill the mutant, and Lenalee had certainly never been the motherly type. They were going into grave danger very soon, and she almost convinced herself that it would be a mercy to put the child out of its misery now. She couldn't leave it at an orphanage, not with its freakish anatomy, and she couldn't care for it herself. Then Lenalee looked into the eyes of her... Daughter? Son? Daughter.... Those stormy grey eyes, so similar to her own but flecked with violet, no doubt another aspect of her corrupted nature, and Lenalee simply couldn't combat her instincts and go through with it. Though it was a result of rape, unwanted, and calling it an inconvenience was something of an understatement, the child was her own flesh and blood. To give it up to death after the struggles she'd gone through to bring it into the world simply wouldn't be acceptable.

She held the mewling child as Ren healed her, restoring her body's health if not the energy she'd spent in giving birth. Both Mari and Ren were seemingly speechless, but Lenalee didn't think there was anything to say on the matter, not yet at any rate. A soft but exhausted smile creased her weary features as she held her newborn child, cradling it in a manner that came to her by instinct and memories of when she herself had been a child, cradled in her own mother's arms. Thinking of that brought up some fairly sour memories, but somehow Lenalee pushed them from her mind without even so much as a particularly difficult effort of will. "Thank you.. Ren.. Mari..." she said hoarsely, looking up at the two one at a time. She was exhausted, and despite the fact that she'd slept all day it seemed likely that Lenalee would be going back to sleep shortly, but she had felt the need to say that before she could allow herself to rest.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine.

"N-not a prob-" Mari started, but was quickly cut off by Ren. "You're welcome! Sleep as long as you need, we've got this all under control." And despite that the sorceress may very well have seen more sleep in that last day than she'd seen in the week before it, that was what she ended up doing.

~~~​

And somehow when she woke up it was morning again, and the baby was squalling as loudly as anything she'd ever heard. Although there might have been some exception in her allies who, from the sounds of things, were giving it a run for its money.

"By Naya's bouncing titties make that thing quiet!" Edmund ended up being responsible for the first line that the sorceress could make out.
"And your shouting is supposed to help?!" And Mari managed the second.
"Both of you calm down! Please! I think he's... she's hungry?" Ren took the third, though in a much calmer and more quiet voice than the previous two.
"Then it's out of luck until its mother wakes up."
"No, not necessarily. Jan, could you come over here?"
"Okay, Ren."
"Now, uh, pull down your shirt and..."

If Lenalee chose to get out of the cart on her own two legs, which was an option as the most noticeable stresses placed on her body by the pregnancy and the resulting birth had been very thoroughly healed by Ren, she would find Jan breastfeeding her child, but even if she simply chose to look out of the wagon she would find the same. It certainly seemed to be a learning experience for both Jan and the baby, though neither appeared to be complaining. Edmund seemed uncertain as to whether to look away or to stare, and Mari seemed a little uncertain of where her eyes should be as well. Ren was right with Jan and the child, making sure that no harm came of the feeding. The mind-wiped servant she had picked up after her battle with the inquisitor was present too, simply standing off to the side and staring off into space.

But somehow, the breastfeeding might not have been the most striking part of the scene she had either emerged or peeked out to find. The cart had been parked at the bottom of a hill, atop which sat a round tower that was ivory in color. It looked foreign in design, like it had been snatched directly out of some place far away from Donevrion. It was a far cry from the stone towers of most places in Badaria in that it was clearly designed for form rather than function.

The first floor was the largest in circumference, with the second floor slightly smaller than it, the third slightly smaller than the second, and the fourth floor still smaller. The space not used by each preceding floor in supporting the one above it was used instead for a wraparound balcony, complete with columns to support another above it with a set of stairs that followed the round of the tower and led between the balconies, which meant that while the space inside the tower became smaller with each floor, the space on the balcony of that floor became larger. The highest that Lenalee could see was the fourth floor, though it was fairly obviously that the tower was at least one level higher.

While she couldn't see any demons manning the structure, Lovisa was halfway up the hill, sitting in the grass and looking at the tower. The demon knight had apparently acquired a flower, which happened to be an exact match of the one that Ren had sent her to fetch, which she had placed in her hair.

As seemed to be a running theme with Lenalee's repeated awakenings, nobody had noticed her yet, which meant that she could choose who her most pressing business was with, if anyone at all.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Coming back to the land of the living only to hear the bitching of Edmund, and to know that it was mostly her that had caused it, was cathartic all by itself. She listened to the argument with a soft smirk, waiting until then to start her slow climb out of the wagon, her movements decidedly ginger following her first experience with birth. Ren's healing magic had certainly done the trick apparently, as it largely proved unnecessary to be careful for her body's sake, but it had a side benefit of ensuring that she went unheard as she carefully made her way out of the wagon. Nobody noticed her initially, allowing her to watch both Mari and Edmund looking very uncertain as to where their eyes were supposed to be while Jan breastfed her child. It was something of a surprise to find out that the mutated woman could do as much, but that surprise faded rather quickly as she considered what the woman had been through. Lactation was probably the least obvious of the aftereffects left by her corruption.

She brought her hand to her mouth and gave a brief whistle, glancing at the inquisitor slave she'd "acquired" from the man she'd fed to Magdalen and beckoning him over if he took notice. "You two, eyes somewhere socially appropriate! You're not the ones sucking on 'em currently!" Lenalee said briskly, having undoubtedly acquired some attention from the group following her whistle. Once her servant arrived at her side, Lenalee said; "Fetch my staff and then let me lean on you, I've got places to go today." Once she had acquired proper (and still unnecessary) walking aid, Lenalee strode over to the rest of the assembled group with a smirk. "So, judging by the toy fort, I assume we've arrived at demonland?" she asked, gesturing with her staff towards the tower standing at the top of the hill. Her gaze and voice both reflexively softened as she looked upon her child, unperturbed that it was Jan feeding the babe rather than her, and said; "Has she, ahhhh, been any trouble?"

Once that particular conversation had played itself out, Lenalee turned her attention to another matter, namely that of the demon knight seen sitting a short distance away, and gazing up at the tower. Approaching Lovisa cautiously, Lenalee stopped a few paces away and said; "Nice flower! It suits you. Did everything go smoothly while I was out?"

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine.

Ren would prove the most conversational of the group toward Lenalee's comments and questions, as Mari and Edmund merely mumbled their responses, the latters mumbling being something about how he wouldn't mind sharing, before looking away. The sorceress's new inquisition-trained servant did his work in silent, both fetching her staff and offering himself as a leaning post. "Yup! According to Lovisa this is the place," Ren offered, not quite cheerfully but not exactly deterred by the prospect of being in front of a tower full of an uncertain number of demons with an indeterminable amount of power. "Once we go in we're probably in it for the long haul, no turning back."

"She's been... Well, we're probably not going to get much sleep for a few days. But I think that's just part of caring for babies. It takes a village, or so I was told." Ren replied regarding Lenalee child. "I'm not sure what we'll do when we're inside though. It's probably not the best idea to take a day old baby into a nest of demons who probably have ulterior motives," she suggested aloud, though she didn't seem to have any particular solutions in mind for who might care for the child while they were inside.

When Lenalee had concluded her conversation with Ren, however she had done so, and spoken to Lovisa, she would quickly find that the demon knight wasn't her usual self. "It took much longer than I thought it would," she replied, staring off into space. "But you're here now, at the tower. With you we might finally fix our mistakes. Maybe Casilda will be able to return to the way she was." She had continued as if she had forgotten Lenalee was even present, but then she shook her head. "Sorry. Yes, the flower is quite pretty. A shame I didn't get it back in time to help you, but I'm glad that the lack didn't cause you any harm. Let me know when you're ready to enter and how many of your party you'd like to bring, I'm sure Casilda will want to meet you immediately. It's already taken us this long though, so I'm willing to wait while you get breakfast or take care of any last minute details."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

"Mmmmmm...." was Lenalee's only initial response to Ren's answers to her questions. They were here, but the baby was going to be a problem. Someone would have to stay outside to take care of it, or they would need to take it inside with them. Lenalee scowled darkly for a moment, neither idea particularly appealing. The ones she would feel fine about leaving behind, Jan or her mindless servant, would also be least qualified to take care of the babe. The ones she trusted most, Ren and Mari, would be more useful to her in the demon nest she was about to walk into than out here tending to her offspring. It was a complete mess, and again Lenalee got the sudden urge to simply smother the child and have done with the whole thing before her motherly instincts and overall humanity shot down that urge with a good deal of self-reprimand. 'By the gods, when did I become such a psycho? Gotta get a hold of myself here, gotta keep on my toes!'

She managed to gather herself as she headed over to Lovisa, and it was probably a good thing given the distance she displayed in her reply to Lenalee's questions. As the knight turned to her, the sorceress carefully maintained her smile and listened without interrupting, before glancing briefly at the tower. Looking back to the knight, she said; "Yeah... I guess I wasn't in as bad shape as Ren thought, and everything turned out alright! Thank you very much for getting it for me anyway, and doubly so for your patience. I suspect that Casilda would be willing to feed me, but I'd rather not meet her before getting something to eat. Don't want to be distracted for this meeting." She paused and glanced at her companions, before looking back to Lovisa with a smirk and adding; "I guess you'll be released from your oaths to me soon then... Giving you free reign to attempt to seduce me! I shudder at the danger I am putting myself in~"

While she hoped that that might shake the knight from her thoughts, Lenalee didn't honestly expect it to, and after a moment she comfortingly placed a hand upon the demon knight's shoulder, all too aware that it was possibly the last time she might do so without losing it and the attached arm, and quietly said; "I honestly don't know how this is going to turn out.... But I hope I can make Casilda better. As much for your sakes as for mine." With that she would straighten again, giving the demon only a moment to respond before artfully turning and limping back towards her other allies.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Hafnium Test Thread

Spoiler

Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine.

The demonic knight gave a quick nod at Lenalee's assertion that Casilda would provide her with food, though she didn't correct the sorceress in believing that the self-proclaimed priestess would want to meet with her before she was fed and that she'd be better off having breakfast before meeting with the woman. Lenalee might have been surprised, however, in that at her words Lovisa did revert back to her cheery personality, even if it wasn't in full. "Oh yes," she brightly replied. "I'm sure you'll rue the day that you left yourself open to my wiles! Soon you'll be wrapped around my little finger and unable to imagine a morning where you didn't wake up in my embrace~" She proclaimed her words dramatically right before bursting into a giggle fit, but while the knight might not have been completely serious there was a twinkle in her eyes that evidenced that she was willing to try to make a few of her claims a reality.

She didn't entirely lose her renewed cheer even as the topic turned back to more serious matters. "I hope you're right, for all of our sakes. If you succeed, maybe she'll remember why she was doing this in the first place and return to the person that she used to be. I don't imagine that I need to warn you to be careful, though," Lovisa added with some visible concern for the mage and more than a little trust in the human woman. Afterward, the knight allowed the sorceress to turn, with a bit of adjusting on the part of Lenalee's human walking aid, and return to her companions without issue, and to handle her business as she would, whether she truly desired breakfast, which she would discover to be a few hares that Lovisa had caught after her request for uncorrupted food that Mari would cook with help from Ren's magical fire (a fact which earned Ren several odd looks, to her confusion, and more still as she also chose to indulge in the meal) as soon if the lightning mage so requested it, or simply more time to plan.