But I don't want to be the Overgoat!

[Tale Swapper]

Sunlight dappling my face pulled me from sleep, and I rose from the nest of blankets, pillows, and furs Cobalt had laid out for me the night before. Trotting downstairs, I found Cobalt coming back inside, shaking a little snow off with a flick of her wrist. "Captain was willing to let me go for the day, and now I'm hungry." She ambled past me, moving to the kitchen. "Gotta make some black brew, then we can eat."

"Want me to cook?" I asked, already up and awake, "and any requests if you do?"

"Bread, meat, something hot, and I'll make the brew." She mumbled, heaping a collection of dried fruits and herbs into a small metal cask, setting a pot of water on to boil. "Gotta have meat and bread to start the day."

Nodding, I set about making an omelet with a side of toast, using what I had available to make it flavorful as possible.Thinly sliced veggies, some venison, and hints of trout. It wasn't exactly hard, especially with Grogar's memories and magical cooking skills mixed in, and soon, two plates of piping hot omelets were on the table, a glass of water sitting at my plate as I awaited my new friend.

Cobalt dug in, and as we ate, she looked me over. "So, are we going to make any stops before we leave? The market is open, and there are a few shops around."

I nodded, "Markets are a good idea, shall we?" I chirped, walking out into the city.

The markets were filled with… fishmongers, mostly. Cobalt explained to me that the local lake was filled with fish, and divers during the summer had discovered colonies of fish living in the cave networks beneath the lake, living off the algae thriving in the hot water vents in the deep mountains. During the spring and summer, the fish came to the surface to spawn and feed more openly, and were harvested by the town.

Besides fishmongers, local farmers were also displaying their wares, and I took the time to pick up fish, veggies, and grains to add to my pantry. I was only somewhat disappointed by the lack of what I considered to be staples; no sugar, tea, coffee, or chocolate. Those wouldn't grow in the north; I was more disappointed in the lack of modern technology, to be honest.

"You have to buy that sort of stuff directly from the traders, and they often trade it by weight in crystal." Cobalt remarked as she led me into the gemcutter's district. "A lot of what we mine is saved and traded to other settlements for their use; but the remainder gets traded south in exchange for luxuries and other stuff." She motioned to a nearby shop. "Cut jewels are lighter and easier to transport, so a lot of shops do the working here to get a better deal."

"Gotcha. I'm only really scanning for items of magical note, I don't think I need gemstones for any experiments right now." I replied, magical senses lightly fluttering about the market district. As I reached out, I frowned slightly; most of the district's gemstones seemed dull to my magical senses; not inert or even weak, but dormant.

Cobalt snorted. "The crystals with active magic go into the communal stock, and the rare ones tend to end up at Gleam's shop. You might find a few interesting stones which slipped her gaze, but I wouldn't bet on anything that won't need more enchantments." She paused. "Did Grogar do that sort of thing?"

"His armor was personally enchanted by him, and it withstood the full might of two ascended demi-goddesses. Yeah, he did enchantments fairly often; it's why I'm scoping out the district, he had an eye for potential." I replied idly, magical senses lingering on the few notable stones. I walked towards the closest one, inspecting the gem; a dark gray stone with a blue swirl.

The gemcutter looked up from his trays. "Ah, that's durolite, good lady. Not very pretty, but it's good for durability, so they say." I nodded absently, my scans confirming his words; the stone would increase the potency of any repair or durability enchantment channeled through it by a small but significant margin.

"How much for it?" I asked curiously, taking my eyes off the gem and looking the cutter in the eyes, my face neutral; I'd rather he didn't know how much I wanted it, it was better to just pretend to be mildly interested for now.

"Stone like that?" He named a price about the same as a pair of fresh fish, and I barely contained my surprise; how the hell was it that cheap? Oddly, he raised his hands. "I know, but times are hard, my lady."

"Here." I said, placing the correct amount of current on the counter and nodding pleasantly at him. "A good day to you, sir. Best of luck with the rest of your day."

With that, I turned to walk away, only for Cobalt to pull me in a one-armed hug. "Do you know he cheated you, right?" I frowned at her, as she continued. "You probably could have had that rock at half the price."

"Ah, apologies, where I come from, haggling is largely a thing of the past." I replied, "and I personally thought it was absurdly low; gemstones were rare in my land. A Diamond that size would have been a luxury for kings and queens."

"...right." She eyed the snow-packed food bags. "How about I handle the haggling from here on out, okay?" She looked back at the market. "Anything else catch your eye?"

I reached out my senses. Four more durolites pinged within easy reach, along with four stones which felt like heat and a similar number which felt like purity. Two stones felt… fluid, without a better word, which from my memories indicated mutability and change. Finally, my senses brushed on a single stone which almost 'shone' to my senses; it smelt of magnification and cold.

"There are a few items of interest." I giggled, leading Cobalt back into the market towards the shining stone, intent on checking it and the mutable stones out; the mutable ones might be useful for a long term goal, and a magnification device might be useful too. While I figured Grogar might have more stones in his lair, it never hurt to check what was available.

The mutability stones turned to be aquamarine, which didn't match the simple pale blue stones of my old memories; instead these were more like Water Stones from pokemon, with a heftier tag attached. I happily let Cobalt haggle for one; I needed to study it, and I did have a vault I had yet to totally comb through.

The last stone was actually mixed in with several similar stones in a mixed bin of crystals. An interesting challenge. I looked at the one selling them, my passive senses running over them for magical activity; if the merchant didn't know what she had, it may be better for me. The merchant looked up and gave me a wave before going back to their work. I blinked twice at the red-haired woman.

Despite the gemstone in her forehead marking her as an aether aspect, my senses read Dagger magic etched deep into her pores. The disguised Changeling hummed as she went about her business. Interesting; the plot thickened. An infiltrator, or simply one fearing persecution. "Excuse me ma'am," I coughed, nodding towards the Crystal bin, "Would you mind if I pulled a gem from there to inquire about purchasing it?"

She gave me a funny look. "It's what it's there for." She nodded at the sign, which indicated that any three stones could be bought at the cost of half a fish. "It's mostly fragments and cast-offs in there, good for little settings."

I pulled the magnifying gem out, placed it on the counter, and began to scan her a little more actively Dagger, Note, and Crown working in harmony to get a glimpse as to why she was here. She looked down at the stone, then her brow furrowed. "Erm… Just the one?" Everything I read about her read as confused, not suspicious.

"This is what I was looking for at your stall, yes." I said, smiling, "Though I must admit," I continued, lowering my voice, "I was not expecting a Dagger when I arrived, however." My voice was soft, questioning, and yet, no suspicion was present, a simple statement that I knew what she was and held nothing against it.

The woman blinked twice, then looked me in the eye. "Umm…" She paused. "...that's nice?" For a brief instant, her face flickered, blue eyes replaced by solid silver ones before they changed back to normal. "Why that stone in particular?"

"Worth more than you think." I said, "It has a quality that amplifies magic, the only one that shone to me like a beacon from halfway across the market."

She looked down at the minnow-sized fragment. "Really? I got a lucky stone?" She reached over and plucked it up. "Hmm, it just seems like tuning quartz to me, but I've never really done much work with enchanting materials." She moved over to her bench, and began boxing up her things. "We should go see Hidden Gleam. She'd know this better than me, and then I can give you a fair price; or a little better, for your honesty!" She smiled guilessly.

"So we shall, miss…?" I asked, trailing off intentionally.

"Ah, Copper Scale!" She grinned back at me, stowing her trays into a chest, which she secured. "And you are?" She asked, standing up.

"Pneuma. If I could ask you some private questions later, Copper Scale, I would be most grateful." I replied, following her as we walked towards the more settled shops. Copper nodded as she led me to one of the few glass-fronted stores in the square, one with a golden sign upon the door reading 'Hidden Treasures and Gleaming Jewels'.

As the door opened, a brusque voice sounded from within. "Please hold any questions until I finish this cut, please." Entering, I found myself in a workshop-cum-showroom, with jewels and jewelry laid out in clear crystal boxes on the walls. At one end, an actual aether-aspect worked over a small table, her head-gem gleaming as she worked on an eye-sized gemstone, cutting tiny runes all over its surface.

I waited, recognizing a master at work, and slowly and respectfully looked around the room, my magical senses fully passive; I would not interrupt or inspect her work. It would be massively impolite and stupid. After a few minutes, Gleam looked up from her work, letting it rest on a small cloth sack. "Ah, Copper. Here to pester me again?" The woman's face was passive, but she seemed at ease; more amused than annoyed, as she leaned against her workbench.

"Um, yes ma'am. Ah, this is Pneuma!" She motioned at me. "I think she's a mage, and she said she found something in my bargain bin!"

She looked at me. "Hmm. Honest, then." She gave me a nod. "Thank you for respecting my junior, Miss Pneuma."

"It was no trouble; I have funds, and I will not cheat someone out of their product." I replied respectfully, "Unless they have proven a cheat or liar in the past, then all bets are off." I continued blandly, eyes twinkling in amusement, "I do not know what the stone is, but it practically shone to my senses. Amplifier, if I'm correct."

"Really?" She looked at Copper, who dutifully set the gem in question in her hand. Peering at it, Gleam's eyebrow quirked. "Hmm. I suppose this one doesn't come up too often." Handing it back to Copper, she began. "What you have there is something which used to be a different stone- tuning quartz, I believe- before it was exposed to elemental energies." she explained to the three of us. "Over time, the magic 'condenses' in the innermost portion of the crystal formation as the natural crystal properties restore themselves. Most of the time, the crystal purifies entirely; but sometimes the core instead warps, becoming something more. Something which resonates with the resulting energies, allowing it to magnify and alter magic which passes through it." She nodded to the crystal. "It has many names, but Magicite is the most common. Inelegant, but it works."

My mind worked furiously; Grogar's memories indicated the existence of Magicite was well-known. Grogar preferred to use either rarer materials… or harvested Aether head-gems. Disgusting fellow, Grogar. "Well, Copper Scale, I do believe I'll be purchasing that gem from you. Cobalt, would you mind handling the usual? I wish to ask Lady Gleam some questions before we depart, if you do not mind?"

As I spoke, Copper blinked. "Umm. Gleam? How do I price this?"

Gleam shook her head. "Magicite is quite rare, but this is not a huge piece. It's about the same as a firkin of warming crystals, at this size."

Copper's eyes went wide, even as Cobalt's shrank to pinpricks. "...that much?!" They blurted out at the same time.

"Amplifiers are fairly rare, and Magicite is a decent one." I said, having expected such a high price, "There are better, but some are horrifying to contemplate, and others would be worth a literal king's ransom. No, it's a fair price, and it'll give me a focus that will give all my casting much more oomph, especially with frost spells."

Gleam nodded. "A ring made from this stone and properly set would quadruple the price. If you'd like, I could buy it from you, then-"

"I'll make my own focus, thank you." I said, cutting her off gently but firmly, turning back to Copper, and pausing. "Cobalt, how much would market value of that many warming crystals be?"

"Enough to live comfortably for a full year and a winter." Gleam remarked, leading Cobalt to nod.

Copper's face scrunched. "...three gold per four on that price." She leveled the look at me. "It's more than I'd expect to make this season, by a long shot."

"That seems fair to me, though my companion has the final say." I remarked, already muttering about alloys under my breath, plans upon plans racing through my mind, "Ugh, too much to do, so little time to accomplish it all."

Cobalt gagged. "Look, I know you're rich, but…" She looked askance at the little stone. "It's your money. And I know you'll do something awesome with it, but I'm not used to those sort of transactions." She winced, then set her shoulders. "Come on, Copper. Let's do this."

As the two of them sat to one side, offers crossing the table, I looked back at Hidden Gleam. "May I ask what level of skill you consider yourself to hold? I have yet to meet another mage-smith, and I wished to compare non-secret notes if possible."

Gleam's eyebrow rose again. "Mage-smith? If you count yourself as one of those, you're either delusional, or far beyond my skill." She motioned at her work. "I am an enchanter, one Schooled in the arts of Bow, Axe, and Runes. But my skill in Hammer is middling, at best; I can make no arms or armor, and my craft does not touch the integration a Mage-smith might reach."

My eyes widened slightly, "Damn it all, of course the old goat was actually that damn good." I muttered, though I winced as I said it louder than intended, "Apologies, I have not had another to compare my skill to, and I quite frankly could be considered to live under a rock." I continued, slightly bitter, "I suppose I theoretically could consider myself a Grandmaster Mage-Smith, but I have no works wrought with my own two hands. Colbalt know the why and how of that explanation, I would share if you desire to know, but suffice to say all my skills are inherited rather than earned, something that… I have complicated feelings about."

"Inherited rather than…" Gleam's brows knit. "Hmm. Not something I've heard of…" She looked up sharply. "Or rather, that sounds like a botched ancestral recall. Trying to inherit the skills of a lineage often goes poorly."

"No, I have every memory of that horrible man, and I will likely have nightmares of the horrors he committed till a Fae curse shredded his soul; leaving his body open for my recently displaced one to become one with, to my dying days. Grogar was his name. And no, if I had botched an Ancestral Recall Ritual, I would be a husk of a person." I continued, eyes glassy, "Though my circumstances are the result of a botched resurrection ritual, one which the aforementioned Fae curse interfered with."

"...Grogar?" Gleam hissed. "Hold still." Her headgem gleamed. My magical senses went onto full alert, but the bone-deep sensing spell which pulsed from her gem saw no response from me. After a moment, Gleam sighed. "A tinge of blood and darkness, fading. Raw soul-wounds." Her eyes narrowed. "No threat, I think. But you're awfully cavalier about the name of the Butcher of Emerald Creek."

The name evoked… passing familiarity within Grogar. He'd led his forces on a raid to claim a gem shipment from the Empire, and in passing sacked the village to gain some fresh 'recruits'. It had been almost inconsequential to him. And yet, two millenia later, the results still carried here.

"It's a coping mechanism, and a desire to not conceal myself. Should I have been found keeping such a thing a secret, I'd either shatter my friendships or be regarded no differently than before, depending on the strength of my friendships." I said brokenly, "Cobalt does not fully believe me, at least, that is what her reaction said to me initially. Now, I am not so sure. But…" I looked Gleam in the eyes, "I can spit on his name by using his every skill for good, not evil. And that is why I choose to acknowledge where they come from, to spite a long dead man who I never knew existed."

"Hmm. Honesty in act and deed… not the most prudent course of action, but a respectable one." She nodded once, her eyes shifting from suspicion to interest. "Good may come from sharing your skills. If you wish-"

"No conning lessons from my friend!" Cobalt yelled.

"It would not be conning, more a chance to test her acquired skills." Gleam replied tartly.

I giggled wetly, "I would not mind. Teaching will let me understand my crafts better, if nothing else."

"Absolutely terrible at negotiations." Cobalt murmured, before she stood up, plucking a piece of paper from the table. "Alright, we got the price down to about three-fifths, with the caveat that you agree to helping her with an expedition down the road."

Copper nodded. "If you want good gems, you have to head out to the old mines or the caverns. What comes out of the new mines gets picked over pretty thoroughly. If I had an escort or sensor, I'd be able to dig out some great stuff!" She paused. "Is that okay with you?"

"That's fine Copper. As for you, Gleam; I'm headed to a portal nearby; one that'll take me to another continent. If you want lessons, I'm gonna have to get some books."

"That is fine. I have a commission backlog I must get through, as soon as I finish this eye." Gleam motioned to the gemstone on the table. "So, how will you be paying?" Her question trailed off as I opened my pack, letting a small tithe of the changeling treasure spill onto the floor. "My word!"

 

[Flutters Is Shy]

"I have many coins. I hope you'll find some of them... *satisfactory*~."

 

[Isiri Pudireach]

"I have many coins. I hope you'll find some of them... *satisfactory*~."

Click to shrink...

"Sir we no longer accept tokens at Chuck E. Cheese."

 

[Tale Swapper]

Cobalt blinked as I finished our third teleport, looking askance at the weathered stone pillar covered in snow. "Umm… I thought the portal would be more impressive. And glowy."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? I'm sure modern ones are, but I'm schooled in the ancient ways; which aren't necessarily better." I remarked, setting about connecting to my home. A quick tap on the pillar, and the now-familiar gateway spun into being.

Cobalt looked through the gate and swallowed, hitching her gear and bags up around her. "I'm getting horror movie flashbacks. Not that I don't trust you, but…"

"All good." I replied, stepping in, going first as a gesture to reassure her. She nodded, stepping through, close at my heels.

As soon as I entered, a new window popped up on my screen.

Unidentified Sentient
Your command, Mistress?
(Purge/Detain/Eject/Set Guest/Set Admin/Ignore)​

Groaning, I press "Set Guest" for now, amused by Grogar's lack of Moderators, "Gotta change that later…" I muttered to myself, waving Cobalt in.

She paused moments after I set her guest access, blinking twice. "Umm, I'm apparently a registered guest. And the system is telling me I should be thanking you for your great mercy." She tapped something I couldn't see. "Really?"

"Grogar had no sense of humor at all," I deadpanned, "I have got to change the settings on the core later…."

"Right." Cobalt muttered. "So, where should I put this stuff?" I directed her to set the food bags down, then tasked the unseen servants to haul the stock off.

I motioned at her to follow along. "Come on, I'm gonna set up a room for you; haven't inspected the apartments yet, and I need to do some stuff anyway. Gonna warn you that the throne room is gaudy though."

"How gaudy?" She muttered as she followed along. "I mean, this place seems pretty subdued…" She trailed off as she rounded the corner, blinking at the sight of the goat-emblazoned double doors. "Okay, that's a bit egotistical."

"That was my first thought too~" I chirped as I pushed the doors open, resolving to do a lot of redecorating later. Perhaps let Cobalt do it, to be frank. She probably had a better sense of interior design than I did.

The woman in question whistled as she beheld the throne, her brow furrowed. "Nice chair, boss. Now look, I may be your new minion, but if you ever ask me to bow in front of this thing, I'm going to haul your ass over it and spank you until you quit." At my shocked and flustered look, she glanced back at me. "Well, why are we here?"

"To- to adjust settings" I stuttered, unwilling to let her know that I was into what she had just said, pushing the impure thoughts back as I sat down, manipulating the menu deftly; I needed to create a room NOW, otherwise I'd be tempted to offer her my bed. This time, when I called up the display, a new series of options opened up.

Sanctum Master Terminal
Development Screen

…all new room designs loaded.
Integration of external structure complete.
[View Layout]
[Upgrade existing rooms]
[Build New Rooms]
[Power Management]​

From over my shoulder, Cobalt's eyes went wide. "Oh wow… it's like the Crystal Palace."

"Huh, so that place was like this too then," I mumble, doing my best to hide a blush. Deftly, I browsed the layout of the apartment rooms; the list of options contained everything from bare bones barracks, to luxurious apartment complexes like mine. I hastily tapped past the 'Harem Quarters' though not fast enough to avoid Cobalt's snickers.

Deftly, I pressed one that caught my eye, a nicely furnished apartment that I thought would be tasteful; a kitchen for her, a table, and a soft, comfortable bed. Of course, an attached bathing suite, containing a shower and bath. I watched as a small portion of my horde of Mana Shards were processed to construct my new rooms.

"Oh, you're giving me my own rooms? That's nice of you." She blinked as the whole sanctum rumbled slightly. "And… how long will it take to finish building?"

"Should be on the screen." I stated, browsing through the various other buildings I could build, seeing if any of my current rooms needed updating; and if any needed to be removed completely. Like my dungeon. Many of the rooms had 'recommended upgrades,' which I took the time to apply. As I was browsing, I frowned, noting that my apartment had a significant number of quality upgrades Cobalt's new apartments wouldn't have.

I ensured I would update Cobalt's new room now, mostly because she actually was going to use it. At least, as soon as I could. Returning to my browsing, I muttered to myself, looking for anything that looked like hard science or other things familiar from home. Assessing the rooms, I frowned; while there were a few interesting rooms (including a blueprint for a 'High-Energy Clockwork Lab') most of what I found was strictly based on magic.

I decided to ignore the rooms for now; nothing exactly seemed useful, and it would take some time to update the rooms anyway. I turned to Cobalt, asking "Anything you want to do in particular? I know you expressed interest in visiting the vault, but anything else?"

Cobalt crossed her arms as she stared at the layout of the sanctum. "Nothing I need to see with my own eyes. I am wondering what all the 'damaged' structures are." She motioned to the recently added external rooms of the ancient outpost, which glowed a dull red on the hovering screens. I frowned, I hadn't seen those before, and deftly, I manipulated the screen, showing me exactly what was wrong; the kitchen, gathering place, and apartment were in ruins, and the rest of the locations needed maintenance from disuse. I did, however, pretty quickly order the garden plots be filled with appropriate seeds; flowers, if only because it would make it prettier.

"That should take care of that, I'll set the Sanctum to repair what it can, and I'll sort out the rest personally." I said finally, sorting out the various items I needed to take care of with the externals, paying special attention to the barracks; hammocks sucked, and I could do better than that. Bunks for the win!

"Cool. How did it get like that in the first place?" She eyed the map as the outside temple slowly turned yellow. "Didn't think Grogar would let his stuff break down like that."

"This Sanctum was in a pocket dimension before; I pulled it into reality by anchoring it here." I held up my hand to forstall questions, "Not on impulse, I thought about it. I'm trying to build a nation, frankly, and ruling a nation from a pocket dimension just doesn't work. For me, the ups outweighed the downs. I intend to eventually turn this outpost into a wonder rivaling the Crystal Palace or Canterlot Palace, or even the Evergreen Palace. And I can't do that if my Sanctum is in a pocket dimension."

"You told me you wanted to start brokering trade deals… but I halfta ask. Who's going to live in this new nation?" Cobalt asked after a moment's thought. "I mean, I'm happy to have room and board, but not everyone's going to want to hang out in… where are we, anyway?"

"It's a goal that will take centuries," I said softly, a wistful note in my voice, "But I want to do it, to build a legacy that will last long after I inevitably die. As for where we are; the Twilight Woods, the Third Home, and the supposed home of the curse that drove the tribes out. Windigos stalk the land, or they did, once upon a time. I extinguished the one remnant left out with basic Note Magic, combined with Sign. If there are more, it's… honestly a simple matter for me to purify them."

Cobalt blinked. "Wait, we're in the Wailing Woods?" She tapped her foot nervously. "I guess you wouldn't be too distressed to be hanging out in a cursed forest, but that'll make immigration a hard sell."

"Not cursed," I corrected gently, extending my magical senses around the forest as far as I could, confirming for myself if my words were true; they were. Well, mostly.

There wasn't an actual 'curse' on these lands. Nothing Grogar would recognize as such. But there was residual negative energy from both the tribes infighting and the Windigo incursion; a feeling of cold and violence, like stepping into a tense room. Blanketing the whole region, the effect would likely scare off anyone who wasn't strong willed.

Granted, the way to resolve the issue would be simple; more people living, loving, and being happy would break the effect. And so I told Cobalt so gently, "Magic is about intent, and the land, to a point, is steeped in the events that happen upon it. The negative energy left by the violent infighting, the incursion of negative spirits, and all the events that followed has left a feeling of terror to those without a strong will. The effect will lessen with each and every being who floods this place with positive energy, and though I don't know enough about Note to say this with complete confidence, but it was what drove the Windigo away in the end, and I would not be surprised if it could be used to help purify the land of residual negativity."

"Oh. Huh." Cobalt shook her head. "Learn something new every day." She looked at the doors. "So… arsenal?"

"Of course, follow me." I replied, leading my new partner towards the vault, deactivating the protections to let her in, and warning her not to leave before I deactivated them again, and letting her explore, simply standing beside her and watching what she did.

The first thing she did was approach the heap of battered armor in the center of the room, eyes roaming over the remnants of Grogar's gear. "...okay, that's the armor of a villain. I mean, you told me you'd inherited his stuff, but…" Her voice trailed off.

"It is. That armor tanked a hit from the Elements of Harmony; I'll be trying to see if I can reforge it into something else; hopefully utilizing a bit of Grogar's legend in the process. I haven't exactly figured out how to do that though. And yes, it's a lot to process, Cobalt, take your time. I certainly still am dealing with it." I whispered, my eyes locked on the armor I had initially cast aside; the difficulty reforging it and the negativity attached to it driving me away. But now? Now I wanted to turn a symbol of tyrany and terror into a symbol of peace and acceptance.

Cobalt nodded, then turned, eyes passing over, then heading back to the chests of gold. "...raw gold? Unenchanted?" She walked over, studying the bins. "Huh, you've got enough here to make some coins, I think." Her eyes passed over the nuggets, then fixed on the minted coins. "...oh wow." She dug through the coins, pulling out several set with red, green, blue, and purple crystals. "Empire Rupees. These are worth… a lot. To collectors and as currency."

"Collectors then, for those. What is the standard of currency here? I can't imagine it's gold, not with how common it is." I asked from behind her, the wealth of information she was providing as a native far more precious than my entire library; so many of my preconceived notions were meaningless or outright wrong here, so it was good to know.

"Gold is still used; it holds the anti-counterfeiting enchantments pretty well. Most coins are either enchanted with bits of High Magic, or incorporate a little bit of magical material; the crystals in these are paired with enchantments from the Empire mint."

I nodded, "hmm, not exactly what I meant, but I suppose the Gold Standard from where I come was a relatively short lived and new idea while it was used…" I shook my head, clearing the wool, "Want to move on?"

"I want to see the rest of the stuff." She turned, walking over to the array of gear laid out in the cases. Her eyes glanced at a crystalline staff, silver metal spiraling around green stones. "Imperial style, but I don't recognize it." She walked down the line, eyeing all the gathered items. "...Grogar scrapped with just about everyone, didn't he?"

"He wanted to conquer the world." I said, "And in a way, so do I. But… a different method; unify the world through peaceful means." My words were whimsical as I trailed off, a melancholic smile on my face, "I wonder what they'd think of me now…"

"...ah, who? Also, might want to not use the c-word. You know. Just some advice." Cobalt tapped her fingers together as she turned to look at me.

"Yeah, conquest isn't something I'm interested in. Sorry, the grief I've been putting off dealing with is hitting me now… I had loved ones, partners. I miss them dearly…" tears stung my eyes, but I refused to show them, a quick glamor hiding my face from Cobalt effortlessly. I was not going to deal with this now, not with the first person I had interacted with. In that direction lies a crippling dependency. I needed to work through what I could on my own first.

"Jeeze." Cobalt crossed her arms. "That's… I suppose that makes sense." She looked at me awkwardly, then spread her arms. "Need one?"

I shook my head, touched, but I needed to deal with the initial portion myself, "For now I'm fine. I will let you know later if I need one, okay?"

"Alright." She turned, looking back over the gathered material. "So, have you looked through all this for some proper armor yet?"

I shook my head, "I was in a relative hurry to establish a mana-tap; my Sanctum was completely cut off, and its mana was far too low for my comfort. I only managed to get a coat; one that I forgot to put on." Pausing, I took a peak at the shelves upon shelves of items, smiling sheepishly, "And this was rather daunting to work through."

"...okay, new rule. You are not allowed to leave the sanctum without checking with me first." Cobalt swore. "If you left your armor behind, even as you ran tits first into unknown territory, then you're seriously overestimating yourself, or underestimating the dangers out there."

I nodded, "I know I made a mistake. I'll check, if only to ease your mind." My reply was fairly quick; it wasn't if it was that much of an ask, and I had made a rather large blunder. "I'll have to apologize to the mace I got as well… poor thing got left in my room."

"...your mace talks?" Cobalt shook her head, glancing over my fur-lined leathers. "I want to see your armor and gear. There's a lot of interesting stuff in here, but nothing stands out as being better than my new halberd, and I get the feeling most of it should be burned or consigned to a museum." She gave another look at the collection. "And you don't have any firearms. That's proof enough that this place is old…"

"How recent are firearms, anyway?" I asked idly, "you guys on semi-automatic firearms yet?"

"I don't know what you mean." She murmured as I led her into the hallway and towards my chambers. "As for how old guns are… pretty old?" She frowned. "Grandma told me she remembers when folks still used old-fashioned wands and not the modern version, and my gun is an older model; so I guess they've been around for four hundred years?"

"How in the actual fuck do you not know what semi-automatic means…" I muttered, "Are your firearms breach or muzzle loading?"

Internally, I was starting to become suspicious; stagnation like this didn't happen naturally, and someone or someones with a lot of power was being very naughty if four hundred bloody years of tech development hadn't eclipsed Earths, even considering the lack of wars.

She shook her head. "What… I mean, the catalyst is fixed in there when it's constructed. It conducts mana up the shaft. I'm no mage, but I can still keep it charged." She blinked. "Or do you mean an alchemical firearm? Those things are hard to maintain, I don't know anyone who uses one."

I twitched visibly, "Does gunpowder mean anything to you?"

"Is that another term for blasting powder? I know people use it to fuel the other kind of gun, and we use it in the mines all the time. Never heard it called 'gunpowder', though."

I hummed, "Alright, sorry for the random questions. I assumed something based on my original set of memories, and I was wrong. I am still going to have to pummel some idiots, but I'll withhold judgment till I can actually see the technological progress people have made since Grogar's time." Pausing, and breathing out a sigh, I continued, "anything else you want to see?"

"After your chambers? Not here. I would like to see the lay of the land outside, though. If you're serious about immigration, I want to see where we'd be building out of."

"Of course." I said softly, pushing the door open to my chambers. "Sanctum, is there a safe location to hatch and store the egg?" I asked, feeling a tad silly for doing so.

Cross Referencing 'Egg' Subclass 'Changeling'
Current Options:
Mage Labs (Specimen Containment)
Kitchen (Larder, Cooking)

Possible Upgrades:
Bestiary (Hatching)
Nursery (Children)
Hive Chamber (Changeling)​

I groaned audibly, taking a look at each chamber. I was not sticking my newfound daughter in a larder or laboratory. After a second more thought, I crossed Bestiary off the list as well. The nursery or Hive Chambers would do. The Nursery seemed like a standard child-rearing center, though the amount of different 'themes' were bewildering, and some of them seemed concerning. The 'Hive Chamber' room, on the other hand, seemed to be a changeling-specific and highly modular room, which made use of synthesized hive goop to act as bedding, furniture, and a dozen other purposes, including secure prisoner containment.

For now, I would pursue the Nursery, browsing through each option to find a not horrifying one, and finally settling on one that had an warm, home-like vibe. An invisible servant, wards to notify me on condition changes within the room and child, and various other nick-nacks such as toys and storage for baby food. I didn't think Grogar knew any spells to induce lactation, and on reflection, I wasn't exactly sure what changeling hatchlings ate.

My mind regurgitated the answer, a mixture of Grogar's memories and the implanted ones from Hawkmoth: changeling children could be fed on either emotional gel processed from other changelings or on a mixture of blood, milk, honey, and… literal happy thoughts. I shrugged. There'd be plenty of those if I was right about my desires; I had wanted children for forever, and…

I furiously shook my head; I was not having that breakdown today, at least, not until I could break down sobbing in private. Right, make concoction for changeling child soonish, finish showing Cobalt around, and then I'd do something else, I didn't truly know what.

"Mind if we drop the egg off in the new nursery, Cobalt?" I asked permission, realizing I'd been spacing out for a hot minute.

"I mean, sure, but-" She blinked as the wall beside my apartment flexed, a new door coated in white paint and decorated with little butterflies filled the inexplicable gap. "-what the fuck." She turned, face ashen. "Erm, can you do that all the time?"

"No, the Sanctum is doing this. It also has to have the materials stockpiled to do so. Come in, I need to put the egg in a safe spot." I replied, walking into the door and looking around. The room was very different from the other rooms thus far, the basic template I'd chosen was decorating the insides with cream-colored walls spotted with colorful insects. The furniture and accouterments were still fading into existence, but my special purchase was one of the ones which manifested first. I stepped over, placing the egg gently onto a cushion before the incubator's crystal panes sealed shut.

"Okay, this is neat." Cobalt spun, taking in the room. "A bit much, maybe. But neat." She glanced at me. "Also, what materials?"

I frowned, "I genuinely don't know. I need to study the sanctum more, to be honest. I also do know it can expand beyond its current bounds now that it's on the physical plane." I paused, shaking the wool aside and stepping over to the other door in the room with a final look at the egg, "Regardless, my chambers?"

"Huh, you linked them? Alright, then." Stepping through the doors and into the apartment, Cobalt's eyes widened slightly. "Okay. Now this… this is what I pictured a villain's lair to be. Really went all in on the red and black." She walked in, gaze sweeping around. "Dammit, I bet most of this furniture costs more than my whole house."

"His tastes are rather gaudy, in my opinion," I said dryly, "But all of it is actually really comfortable. You're welcome to take the bed or bathing facilities in here, or both. I don't actually care that much where I sleep."

"I prefer my rooms with less… black." She glanced up at one of the wall hangings. "Besides, this is your space. You're building me my own." She then turned back to me. "So, where is your armor? We should probably put your clothing in a wardrobe or some drawers, too."

"On the coat rack. And I'll do so, give me a moment." I replied idly, walking over to the table and, once more, asking the kitchens to surprise me. "Want anything for lunch?"

"Um, maybe something light? We had a good breakfast. Oh, but with meat. Gotta have protein." She responded absently, only to stop as she peered in the corner of my room. "Huh, by coat rack, did you mean armor rack?"

I looked up to see my armor, instead of being hung over a rack, was instead properly mounted on a dummy, cleaned and ready. "Ah, right, unseen servants. And I suppose I did. I'll get you something light with meat, then." The request was sent through, and with a small smile, I stepped toward the baths, "Mind if I go take a bath? You're also welcome to join, but I'm not sure if you'd have any hang ups with that."

"I'll pass, thanks." She inspected the armor, walking around it in a circle. "This is good stuff. Why the hell did you leave it behind?"

"I am stupid when I'm excited." I said blandly as I began to strip, hidden behind the door, "As for other stuff, it can wait."

"I'll keep that in mind, Pneuma." Her voice came through the door. "And this mace… Ow!"

"Don't touch the Fire-Aspected Mace bound to me, Cobalt. Grogar killed their former owner, a Kitsune, and the spirit within likes me, so they let me use them." I chuckled as I briefly gazed around at the facilities within; Grogar had gone with a dark slate and bone theme for the room, with actual ivory as a primary source of white and cream colors. I sighed as I walked over and turned the nobs to run hot water into the tub; Grogar didn't have the room set up for showers.

"I won't touch it again." She grumbled. "I'll leave you to it. You don't mind if I keep exploring, do you?"

"Go right ahead!" I replied, "Just come back to the room when you're hungry; your meal should be sitting on the table then!"

"Thanks!"

I slipped into the water, letting the warmth soak in and carry off the grime and sweat. So far, things were going well. I wasn't going to say that out loud, though…

 

[Elderlichlord]

Cobalt blinked as I finished our third teleport, looking askance at the weathered stone pillar covered in snow. "Umm… I thought the portal would be more impressive. And glowy."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? I'm sure modern ones are, but I'm schooled in the ancient ways; which aren't necessarily better." I remarked, setting about connecting to my home. A quick tap on the pillar, and the now-familiar gateway spun into being.

Cobalt looked through the gate and swallowed, hitching her gear and bags up around her. "I'm getting horror movie flashbacks. Not that I don't trust you, but…"

"All good." I replied, stepping in, going first as a gesture to reassure her. She nodded, stepping through, close at my heels.

As soon as I entered, a new window popped up on my screen.

Unidentified Sentient
Your command, Mistress?
(Purge/Detain/Eject/Set Guest/Set Admin/Ignore)​

Groaning, I press "Set Guest" for now, amused by Grogar's lack of Moderators, "Gotta change that later…" I muttered to myself, waving Cobalt in.

She paused moments after I set her guest access, blinking twice. "Umm, I'm apparently a registered guest. And the system is telling me I should be thanking you for your great mercy." She tapped something I couldn't see. "Really?"

"Grogar had no sense of humor at all," I deadpanned, "I have got to change the settings on the core later…."

"Right." Cobalt muttered. "So, where should I put this stuff?" I directed her to set the food bags down, then tasked the unseen servants to haul the stock off.

I motioned at her to follow along. "Come on, I'm gonna set up a room for you; haven't inspected the apartments yet, and I need to do some stuff anyway. Gonna warn you that the throne room is gaudy though."

"How gaudy?" She muttered as she followed along. "I mean, this place seems pretty subdued…" She trailed off as she rounded the corner, blinking at the sight of the goat-emblazoned double doors. "Okay, that's a bit egotistical."

"That was my first thought too~" I chirped as I pushed the doors open, resolving to do a lot of redecorating later. Perhaps let Cobalt do it, to be frank. She probably had a better sense of interior design than I did.

The woman in question whistled as she beheld the throne, her brow furrowed. "Nice chair, boss. Now look, I may be your new minion, but if you ever ask me to bow in front of this thing, I'm going to haul your ass over it and spank you until you quit." At my shocked and flustered look, she glanced back at me. "Well, why are we here?"

"To- to adjust settings" I stuttered, unwilling to let her know that I was into what she had just said, pushing the impure thoughts back as I sat down, manipulating the menu deftly; I needed to create a room NOW, otherwise I'd be tempted to offer her my bed. This time, when I called up the display, a new series of options opened up.

Sanctum Master Terminal
Development Screen

…all new room designs loaded.
Integration of external structure complete.
[View Layout]
[Upgrade existing rooms]
[Build New Rooms]
[Power Management]​

From over my shoulder, Cobalt's eyes went wide. "Oh wow… it's like the Crystal Palace."

"Huh, so that place was like this too then," I mumble, doing my best to hide a blush. Deftly, I browsed the layout of the apartment rooms; the list of options contained everything from bare bones barracks, to luxurious apartment complexes like mine. I hastily tapped past the 'Harem Quarters' though not fast enough to avoid Cobalt's snickers.

Deftly, I pressed one that caught my eye, a nicely furnished apartment that I thought would be tasteful; a kitchen for her, a table, and a soft, comfortable bed. Of course, an attached bathing suite, containing a shower and bath. I watched as a small portion of my horde of Mana Shards were processed to construct my new rooms.

"Oh, you're giving me my own rooms? That's nice of you." She blinked as the whole sanctum rumbled slightly. "And… how long will it take to finish building?"

"Should be on the screen." I stated, browsing through the various other buildings I could build, seeing if any of my current rooms needed updating; and if any needed to be removed completely. Like my dungeon. Many of the rooms had 'recommended upgrades,' which I took the time to apply. As I was browsing, I frowned, noting that my apartment had a significant number of quality upgrades Cobalt's new apartments wouldn't have.

I ensured I would update Cobalt's new room now, mostly because she actually was going to use it. At least, as soon as I could. Returning to my browsing, I muttered to myself, looking for anything that looked like hard science or other things familiar from home. Assessing the rooms, I frowned; while there were a few interesting rooms (including a blueprint for a 'High-Energy Clockwork Lab') most of what I found was strictly based on magic.

I decided to ignore the rooms for now; nothing exactly seemed useful, and it would take some time to update the rooms anyway. I turned to Cobalt, asking "Anything you want to do in particular? I know you expressed interest in visiting the vault, but anything else?"

Cobalt crossed her arms as she stared at the layout of the sanctum. "Nothing I need to see with my own eyes. I am wondering what all the 'damaged' structures are." She motioned to the recently added external rooms of the ancient outpost, which glowed a dull red on the hovering screens. I frowned, I hadn't seen those before, and deftly, I manipulated the screen, showing me exactly what was wrong; the kitchen, gathering place, and apartment were in ruins, and the rest of the locations needed maintenance from disuse. I did, however, pretty quickly order the garden plots be filled with appropriate seeds; flowers, if only because it would make it prettier.

"That should take care of that, I'll set the Sanctum to repair what it can, and I'll sort out the rest personally." I said finally, sorting out the various items I needed to take care of with the externals, paying special attention to the barracks; hammocks sucked, and I could do better than that. Bunks for the win!

"Cool. How did it get like that in the first place?" She eyed the map as the outside temple slowly turned yellow. "Didn't think Grogar would let his stuff break down like that."

"This Sanctum was in a pocket dimension before; I pulled it into reality by anchoring it here." I held up my hand to forstall questions, "Not on impulse, I thought about it. I'm trying to build a nation, frankly, and ruling a nation from a pocket dimension just doesn't work. For me, the ups outweighed the downs. I intend to eventually turn this outpost into a wonder rivaling the Crystal Palace or Canterlot Palace, or even the Evergreen Palace. And I can't do that if my Sanctum is in a pocket dimension."

"You told me you wanted to start brokering trade deals… but I halfta ask. Who's going to live in this new nation?" Cobalt asked after a moment's thought. "I mean, I'm happy to have room and board, but not everyone's going to want to hang out in… where are we, anyway?"

"It's a goal that will take centuries," I said softly, a wistful note in my voice, "But I want to do it, to build a legacy that will last long after I inevitably die. As for where we are; the Twilight Woods, the Third Home, and the supposed home of the curse that drove the tribes out. Windigos stalk the land, or they did, once upon a time. I extinguished the one remnant left out with basic Note Magic, combined with Sign. If there are more, it's… honestly a simple matter for me to purify them."

Cobalt blinked. "Wait, we're in the Wailing Woods?" She tapped her foot nervously. "I guess you wouldn't be too distressed to be hanging out in a cursed forest, but that'll make immigration a hard sell."

"Not cursed," I corrected gently, extending my magical senses around the forest as far as I could, confirming for myself if my words were true; they were. Well, mostly.

There wasn't an actual 'curse' on these lands. Nothing Grogar would recognize as such. But there was residual negative energy from both the tribes infighting and the Windigo incursion; a feeling of cold and violence, like stepping into a tense room. Blanketing the whole region, the effect would likely scare off anyone who wasn't strong willed.

Granted, the way to resolve the issue would be simple; more people living, loving, and being happy would break the effect. And so I told Cobalt so gently, "Magic is about intent, and the land, to a point, is steeped in the events that happen upon it. The negative energy left by the violent infighting, the incursion of negative spirits, and all the events that followed has left a feeling of terror to those without a strong will. The effect will lessen with each and every being who floods this place with positive energy, and though I don't know enough about Note to say this with complete confidence, but it was what drove the Windigo away in the end, and I would not be surprised if it could be used to help purify the land of residual negativity."

"Oh. Huh." Cobalt shook her head. "Learn something new every day." She looked at the doors. "So… arsenal?"

"Of course, follow me." I replied, leading my new partner towards the vault, deactivating the protections to let her in, and warning her not to leave before I deactivated them again, and letting her explore, simply standing beside her and watching what she did.

The first thing she did was approach the heap of battered armor in the center of the room, eyes roaming over the remnants of Grogar's gear. "...okay, that's the armor of a villain. I mean, you told me you'd inherited his stuff, but…" Her voice trailed off.

"It is. That armor tanked a hit from the Elements of Harmony; I'll be trying to see if I can reforge it into something else; hopefully utilizing a bit of Grogar's legend in the process. I haven't exactly figured out how to do that though. And yes, it's a lot to process, Cobalt, take your time. I certainly still am dealing with it." I whispered, my eyes locked on the armor I had initially cast aside; the difficulty reforging it and the negativity attached to it driving me away. But now? Now I wanted to turn a symbol of tyrany and terror into a symbol of peace and acceptance.

Cobalt nodded, then turned, eyes passing over, then heading back to the chests of gold. "...raw gold? Unenchanted?" She walked over, studying the bins. "Huh, you've got enough here to make some coins, I think." Her eyes passed over the nuggets, then fixed on the minted coins. "...oh wow." She dug through the coins, pulling out several set with red, green, blue, and purple crystals. "Empire Rupees. These are worth… a lot. To collectors and as currency."

"Collectors then, for those. What is the standard of currency here? I can't imagine it's gold, not with how common it is." I asked from behind her, the wealth of information she was providing as a native far more precious than my entire library; so many of my preconceived notions were meaningless or outright wrong here, so it was good to know.

"Gold is still used; it holds the anti-counterfeiting enchantments pretty well. Most coins are either enchanted with bits of High Magic, or incorporate a little bit of magical material; the crystals in these are paired with enchantments from the Empire mint."

I nodded, "hmm, not exactly what I meant, but I suppose the Gold Standard from where I come was a relatively short lived and new idea while it was used…" I shook my head, clearing the wool, "Want to move on?"

"I want to see the rest of the stuff." She turned, walking over to the array of gear laid out in the cases. Her eyes glanced at a crystalline staff, silver metal spiraling around green stones. "Imperial style, but I don't recognize it." She walked down the line, eyeing all the gathered items. "...Grogar scrapped with just about everyone, didn't he?"

"He wanted to conquer the world." I said, "And in a way, so do I. But… a different method; unify the world through peaceful means." My words were whimsical as I trailed off, a melancholic smile on my face, "I wonder what they'd think of me now…"

"...ah, who? Also, might want to not use the c-word. You know. Just some advice." Cobalt tapped her fingers together as she turned to look at me.

"Yeah, conquest isn't something I'm interested in. Sorry, the grief I've been putting off dealing with is hitting me now… I had loved ones, partners. I miss them dearly…" tears stung my eyes, but I refused to show them, a quick glamor hiding my face from Cobalt effortlessly. I was not going to deal with this now, not with the first person I had interacted with. In that direction lies a crippling dependency. I needed to work through what I could on my own first.

"Jeeze." Cobalt crossed her arms. "That's… I suppose that makes sense." She looked at me awkwardly, then spread her arms. "Need one?"

I shook my head, touched, but I needed to deal with the initial portion myself, "For now I'm fine. I will let you know later if I need one, okay?"

"Alright." She turned, looking back over the gathered material. "So, have you looked through all this for some proper armor yet?"

I shook my head, "I was in a relative hurry to establish a mana-tap; my Sanctum was completely cut off, and its mana was far too low for my comfort. I only managed to get a coat; one that I forgot to put on." Pausing, I took a peak at the shelves upon shelves of items, smiling sheepishly, "And this was rather daunting to work through."

"...okay, new rule. You are not allowed to leave the sanctum without checking with me first." Cobalt swore. "If you left your armor behind, even as you ran tits first into unknown territory, then you're seriously overestimating yourself, or underestimating the dangers out there."

I nodded, "I know I made a mistake. I'll check, if only to ease your mind." My reply was fairly quick; it wasn't if it was that much of an ask, and I had made a rather large blunder. "I'll have to apologize to the mace I got as well… poor thing got left in my room."

"...your mace talks?" Cobalt shook her head, glancing over my fur-lined leathers. "I want to see your armor and gear. There's a lot of interesting stuff in here, but nothing stands out as being better than my new halberd, and I get the feeling most of it should be burned or consigned to a museum." She gave another look at the collection. "And you don't have any firearms. That's proof enough that this place is old…"

"How recent are firearms, anyway?" I asked idly, "you guys on semi-automatic firearms yet?"

"I don't know what you mean." She murmured as I led her into the hallway and towards my chambers. "As for how old guns are… pretty old?" She frowned. "Grandma told me she remembers when folks still used old-fashioned wands and not the modern version, and my gun is an older model; so I guess they've been around for four hundred years?"

"How in the actual fuck do you not know what semi-automatic means…" I muttered, "Are your firearms breach or muzzle loading?"

Internally, I was starting to become suspicious; stagnation like this didn't happen naturally, and someone or someones with a lot of power was being very naughty if four hundred bloody years of tech development hadn't eclipsed Earths, even considering the lack of wars.

She shook her head. "What… I mean, the catalyst is fixed in there when it's constructed. It conducts mana up the shaft. I'm no mage, but I can still keep it charged." She blinked. "Or do you mean an alchemical firearm? Those things are hard to maintain, I don't know anyone who uses one."

I twitched visibly, "Does gunpowder mean anything to you?"

"Is that another term for blasting powder? I know people use it to fuel the other kind of gun, and we use it in the mines all the time. Never heard it called 'gunpowder', though."

I hummed, "Alright, sorry for the random questions. I assumed something based on my original set of memories, and I was wrong. I am still going to have to pummel some idiots, but I'll withhold judgment till I can actually see the technological progress people have made since Grogar's time." Pausing, and breathing out a sigh, I continued, "anything else you want to see?"

"After your chambers? Not here. I would like to see the lay of the land outside, though. If you're serious about immigration, I want to see where we'd be building out of."

"Of course." I said softly, pushing the door open to my chambers. "Sanctum, is there a safe location to hatch and store the egg?" I asked, feeling a tad silly for doing so.

Cross Referencing 'Egg' Subclass 'Changeling'
Current Options:
Mage Labs (Specimen Containment)
Kitchen (Larder, Cooking)

Possible Upgrades:
Bestiary (Hatching)
Nursery (Children)
Hive Chamber (Changeling)​

I groaned audibly, taking a look at each chamber. I was not sticking my newfound daughter in a larder or laboratory. After a second more thought, I crossed Bestiary off the list as well. The nursery or Hive Chambers would do. The Nursery seemed like a standard child-rearing center, though the amount of different 'themes' were bewildering, and some of them seemed concerning. The 'Hive Chamber' room, on the other hand, seemed to be a changeling-specific and highly modular room, which made use of synthesized hive goop to act as bedding, furniture, and a dozen other purposes, including secure prisoner containment.

For now, I would pursue the Nursery, browsing through each option to find a not horrifying one, and finally settling on one that had an warm, home-like vibe. An invisible servant, wards to notify me on condition changes within the room and child, and various other nick-nacks such as toys and storage for baby food. I didn't think Grogar knew any spells to induce lactation, and on reflection, I wasn't exactly sure what changeling hatchlings ate.

My mind regurgitated the answer, a mixture of Grogar's memories and the implanted ones from Hawkmoth: changeling children could be fed on either emotional gel processed from other changelings or on a mixture of blood, milk, honey, and… literal happy thoughts. I shrugged. There'd be plenty of those if I was right about my desires; I had wanted children for forever, and…

I furiously shook my head; I was not having that breakdown today, at least, not until I could break down sobbing in private. Right, make concoction for changeling child soonish, finish showing Cobalt around, and then I'd do something else, I didn't truly know what.

"Mind if we drop the egg off in the new nursery, Cobalt?" I asked permission, realizing I'd been spacing out for a hot minute.

"I mean, sure, but-" She blinked as the wall beside my apartment flexed, a new door coated in white paint and decorated with little butterflies filled the inexplicable gap. "-what the fuck." She turned, face ashen. "Erm, can you do that all the time?"

"No, the Sanctum is doing this. It also has to have the materials stockpiled to do so. Come in, I need to put the egg in a safe spot." I replied, walking into the door and looking around. The room was very different from the other rooms thus far, the basic template I'd chosen was decorating the insides with cream-colored walls spotted with colorful insects. The furniture and accouterments were still fading into existence, but my special purchase was one of the ones which manifested first. I stepped over, placing the egg gently onto a cushion before the incubator's crystal panes sealed shut.

"Okay, this is neat." Cobalt spun, taking in the room. "A bit much, maybe. But neat." She glanced at me. "Also, what materials?"

I frowned, "I genuinely don't know. I need to study the sanctum more, to be honest. I also do know it can expand beyond its current bounds now that it's on the physical plane." I paused, shaking the wool aside and stepping over to the other door in the room with a final look at the egg, "Regardless, my chambers?"

"Huh, you linked them? Alright, then." Stepping through the doors and into the apartment, Cobalt's eyes widened slightly. "Okay. Now this… this is what I pictured a villain's lair to be. Really went all in on the red and black." She walked in, gaze sweeping around. "Dammit, I bet most of this furniture costs more than my whole house."

"His tastes are rather gaudy, in my opinion," I said dryly, "But all of it is actually really comfortable. You're welcome to take the bed or bathing facilities in here, or both. I don't actually care that much where I sleep."

"I prefer my rooms with less… black." She glanced up at one of the wall hangings. "Besides, this is your space. You're building me my own." She then turned back to me. "So, where is your armor? We should probably put your clothing in a wardrobe or some drawers, too."

"On the coat rack. And I'll do so, give me a moment." I replied idly, walking over to the table and, once more, asking the kitchens to surprise me. "Want anything for lunch?"

"Um, maybe something light? We had a good breakfast. Oh, but with meat. Gotta have protein." She responded absently, only to stop as she peered in the corner of my room. "Huh, by coat rack, did you mean armor rack?"

I looked up to see my armor, instead of being hung over a rack, was instead properly mounted on a dummy, cleaned and ready. "Ah, right, unseen servants. And I suppose I did. I'll get you something light with meat, then." The request was sent through, and with a small smile, I stepped toward the baths, "Mind if I go take a bath? You're also welcome to join, but I'm not sure if you'd have any hang ups with that."

"I'll pass, thanks." She inspected the armor, walking around it in a circle. "This is good stuff. Why the hell did you leave it behind?"

"I am stupid when I'm excited." I said blandly as I began to strip, hidden behind the door, "As for other stuff, it can wait."

"I'll keep that in mind, Pneuma." Her voice came through the door. "And this mace… Ow!"

"Don't touch the Fire-Aspected Mace bound to me, Cobalt. Grogar killed their former owner, a Kitsune, and the spirit within likes me, so they let me use them." I chuckled as I briefly gazed around at the facilities within; Grogar had gone with a dark slate and bone theme for the room, with actual ivory as a primary source of white and cream colors. I sighed as I walked over and turned the nobs to run hot water into the tub; Grogar didn't have the room set up for showers.

"I won't touch it again." She grumbled. "I'll leave you to it. You don't mind if I keep exploring, do you?"

"Go right ahead!" I replied, "Just come back to the room when you're hungry; your meal should be sitting on the table then!"

"Thanks!"

I slipped into the water, letting the warmth soak in and carry off the grime and sweat. So far, things were going well. I wasn't going to say that out loud, though…

Click to shrink...

FIRST!!!! Also so very glad to see another chapter. I hunger and thirst for more! FEED ME!!!

 

[Isiri Pudireach]

I honestly can't wait for that inevitable Celestia meeting. There are so many was it can go depending on the circumstances.

FIRST!!!! Also so very glad to see another chapter. I hunger and thirst for more! FEED ME!!!

Click to shrink...

Just so you know, its generally considered poor form to quote the entire chapter. At least unless you break it down to comment on every little part. And then its polite to put it in a spoiler so it doesn't take up too much space.