My BABIES

The trees crown was above her now, less and less moonlight filtering in specks through the fluttering leaves. Here below, everything seemed quiet and somber: The Sun realised for the first time something more tangible than mist and air stood between her and herself up above now. She dimmed a little as a new feeling came over her: Isolation- different from the loneliness she had felt before she suddenly realised, the total absence of evidence of the warmth she gave this world. She could not even hear the slightest echo of her own voice now: The creatures around her were crawling and flying and scuttering all around, but the absence of herself was deafening. Panic shout through her, threading bursts of light through her branch-like limbs, causing the darkness to be lit as by a sputtering fire. She could not hear anything but a mute roar deafening her, could not see anything but her own pulses of frantic light. The air around her began to unravel with heat.

A single magpie had had a dreamless night, as every night had been back then. Thus, when a picture of a sunlight forest rudely stole its way into its sleeping mind, it awakened with a coarse sound. The magpie was halfway through the motions of taking off from the branches it has nestled itself in, when it saw something very odd. It instinctually knew that it should be dark right now. But it was in fact very bright and warm and getting brighter by the second. Now, the magpie had known fire before and so every instinct in it screamed for it to fly away: Fire, generations of ancestors had burned into its veins, was dangerous and bad. But in this moment, the magpie also had its first thought of itself. It realized with a huge shock, that it was one creature in a world of others. It realized that one such creature was in front of it now, and that that creature had a sense of self that was separate from the magpie.

It was a lot to take in in a split second. The magpie sat still on the branch as the air grew hotter, trying to bring its new sense of identity into accord with all its past thoughts and behaviors. The Being of light in front of it it convulsed and the magpie felt panic- but not its own, earlier panic. This was the panic of another being! It was very proud of its realization (it had felt pride before. But never at itself. It liked this new feeling), but it also wanted the panic to stop. The panic was hurting it as well now, heat singing its feathers.

It cawed, loudly.

The Sun heard a new noise, one that she had never heard. The space that had always sat empty between her and the creatures she sustained was very good at shielding them from her loudness- but in turn, she had been deaf to their voices. When she had been with the tree, the noises had blended into the background. But now something made a noise at her. Something that was, she realized, in pain.

She, who had always given life, was about to take it from this creature, this creature that could leave, but did not. The tree had been powerless to retract from her unstopping heat. But this creature: Its wings were reflecting her golden light in blue and green, fluttering and almost opening but never leaving. Its beak was opened slightly still, trying its best to dissipate the heat. Its body was braced against its instincts, screaming at it to leave.

Love! Love, that she had only ever experienced from a distance! It cooled her off, made her dim a bit, made the panicked tremors subsided as the birds pearly dark eyes watched her warily. As she cooled, she felt something swell within her, the feeling that had led her down in the first place: She wanted his bird to keep choosing her forever. It would stay by her side, be the companion she had wished for, a twin soul burning with her. She would learn its feelings, its thoughts, its mind until she understood everything about it. She would fly with it, bathe with it, eat with it. She would stroke its feathers, iridescence transforming her colors and making something new.

Her form transformed- she grew wings, a beak, did her best to imitate its feathers with tendrils of light. She made a little heart in herself, made it beat in tune with the birds. And she flew away with it. But, as she had to learn soon, birds were not like her and the trees. They moved through the world quickly, and they moved through time equally quickly. When she took the magpie into her, burning its feathers to ashes, she felt its memories- she felt a life that had truly begun, another that had already ended, when it had first layed eyes on her. She felt the life it would have had without her.

She made her way through the atmosphere and felt herself changed- It was the first time she had ever felt atoms that did not belong to her. There was some resistance as she pushed through and then she saw evidence of herself: When she passed through the cloud cover, she spotted a ray of light- a soft, weak echo of what she had been, even of what she was right now. She ran her fingers along it and felt it passing through them, an echo of her own voice quietly whispering to her, asking her what she felt. She knew she was not powerful enough to send her own feelings of wonder, mixed with apprehension at the strangeneds, the denseness of this place back. If she was, the world would be incinerated: It was a small price to pay.

Only a short distance below the clouds she had passed through, one of her rays fell onto a lush green spot inside blue. She knew that this was where her light fell more often: Even in her full form, she was not powerful enough to reach the depths of water around it. She had seen this isle before, from a distance that seemed unfathomable now as she watched the intricacy of the boundaries between the land and water.

As she went further down, keeping to the familiar ray, now gilded by the atoms around them, she began to make out the details of the tall trees below. The leaves were impossibly intricate and so solid- she finally came down enough to touch one, and was surprised and happy when she realised that it offered resistance. She pushed through it and felt it passing through her, dragging at her substance and then-

She felt the tree responding. Not in words, not yet, but for the first time on earth, something communicated with the Sun. The Sun had touched something on earth and even though she was but a shadow of herself, she had many thousand times more power than herself from so, so far away and she pulled herself away in horror as the tree protested against the intrusion, but it was too late: The leaf had dried out, shrivelled to nothing from her insistent touch.

She felt the trees questions: It had just now understood many important things: That it was a tree, in some way. That it was, period. And that something it had never ever in its comparably long life had experienced before, had just happened. The Sun was scared to touch it again. But she could feel the tree reaching out to her, slowly growing towards her and it would take many days before it would reach her- but it was insistent. And she knew then that harm was not the worst thing that could happen to a creature and that maybe, she had not done much damage.

So she reached out again, more gently this time, and touched another one of its leaves. And her careful caress was successful: It gave life, instead of taking it, the leaf glowing a more vibrant green, the tree humming in the simple pleasure of a new, good experience. And the Sun hummed back and she herself grew strange limbs, like the branches of a tree with glowing leaves. She imiated the capillaries she could feel and the rough bark and made it all out of the light she had. And she stayed right there for many days, feeling her own soft rays fading to red, then only feeling her own reflection from the moon on her back and being basked in the familiar, yet strangely powerless light once again when morning came.

The tree, she realised, yearned for the Sun when it was not there. But it also rested during that time, it's humming and thoughts growing less active- but not as quiet as the other trees, for she was still here, in her new form, caressing its green crown and flitting through its shadows.

But as she stayed, and played, and tried to coax as many feelings of happiness and pleasure and content from her tree (for she had decided that while all the trees loved her, and thus she loved all the trees, she knew and loved this one more than all others and so it must be hers in a way- not just the one of herself in the sky, but the one of herself here and now), she noticed that the tree grew tired. It responded less to her, its leafs lost some of their newfound vitality and then some more and it longed for- it longed for the Sun to be gone. It longed for rest, like its companions rested.

And the Sun understood something else: The creatures were not used to her constant presence- they knew her to be gone for half the time, and while she herself always simply Was, they were different from her.

'All this life I create and sustain', she thought to herself, 'but I will never get to feel it as they feel my warmth. I will never know what it is to reach out to another creature, to truly touch it without destruction, to feel it's coolness against me.' And she cried for a thousand years and all the creatures her light sustained felt a strange sadness over their senses like a veil. It changed something in how they interacted with each other. But there were no words yet to give this feeling, and so they went on and generations came and went, and most had never known life without this feeling and it became normal and the sun was still weeping.

But then, one day, the sun had a new thought- she was so old, that this happened only very rarely and for a while she glowed brighter with pride. And on down below, the oldest trees and corals stretched and straigthened and realised that something was once again as it had been in their earliest days. Soon, the Sadness had been forgotten, because memory was still a precious thing only reserved for very important things.

The Sun worked on her idea in the meantime. She would take a piece of herself, carefully release the atomic stitches holding her together in all places. It would be a very small piece of herself, barely noticable to her. She would give this piece some of her conscience, make it anew, give it only a few memories of what had come before. And then she would send it down, down, down. To all the creatures that loved her so (She felt the love like a breeze around her sometimes- she feared it was what had made her lonely in the first place, and she despised and adored the beings down below for it. She did not give the small piece of herself any of the hatred she felt. She felt, rightly, that even a small piece of her eons-filling spite would ruin the tiny form forever.) And she, for she would not ever know that she was only a small fraction of something larger than she could ever perceive, would experience what it was to live among others. And then, and she made this the first oath ever uttered, she would return- return to that bigger self and share her new memories and allow herself to bask in the ghost of touches and exchanged feelings. And she would glow brighter and fill all the creatures down below with the eternal happiness and peace that she did not know herself yet.

And so the Sun set out towards earth: She had been newly torn from her body, had felt a billion stitches slowly coming apart slowly but surely she had become separate. Now she was her own being, like herself before but infinitely smaller and colder-but that was the same to her. And before she set out on the long way towards the green, she turned around and looked at herself. And she saw herself as like no creature has ever seen her, and how no creature ever will, for everyone except her would be incineratated, evaporated, utterly destroyed much before they got this close: She saw herself everywhere, taken up all the space she could see. Glowing bright and fiery and so all-consuming it was hard to believe that anything in the whole universe could be other than her. That anything could be far enough from her to not be engulfed, to be its own.

She almost stayed there forever- close to herself, because how could she ever turn away from eternal, neverchanging light and toward the strange, cold darkness of space? But she had done well with filling herself with the desire to be held, and unbounded love from the creatures below. And so she turned and flickering, she stepped on a sunbeam and started moving down.

It was very diffcult at first- she did not let go of anything easily, and her pull was strong. Like her own voice coaxing her to still, warm rays stroking down her back and lulling her in. She would only need to stop, rest and she would fly back to herself, the slowly torn stitches repaired. But she went on- one step after the other. And the warmth slowly faded.

May is one of The Thirteen on the Green. She is one of the most powerful Fey Spirits on the Island and one of the most interested in humans.

She is a spider on a cold, wet winternight and is obsessed with emotions and relationships (between humans and/or mirror folk) and has collections all over the country: Groups of people she finds to be especially interesting and keeps under close observation for new, interesting feelings. From time to time she interferes or makes deals with people, mostly to get leverage to get them to stay where there are always accessible to her.

While she understands that her actions cause pain and accepts that as a price to pay for her fascination, she isn't actually cruel. When she has a new collection assured she mostly treats them well and is fiercely protective (and isolating) against outside influence, especially other Fey. She is extremely possessive over her new aquirements and does not want anything else to disturb the dynamics she observes and shapes.

From time to time, May becomes obsessed with a single human and enters into a romantic/sexual relationships with them. This usually goes hand in hand with a gradual possession of that persons body by her mosses and plants.

May is a fairly short humanoid with glassy white skin under which green shimmers through where her organs/veins should be. From time to time one can see green shoots growing under her skin like young plants. She has whispy thin, white hair, no eyebrows and pointed, long ears and her lashes fall sticky and long like spidersilk over her green eyes: Her whole eyes are green, not just the iris and out of the corners of her eyes, as well as her nose and mouth moss grows. Her lips are whitish-green and not very distinguishable from the rest of her face. Her touch skin is cool to the touch, almost to the point of feeling damp and very smooth. Her fingertips leave moss behing on the skin of her partners. Her eyes are often half shut and she looks half-bored or seductive (depending on your interpretation).

Anita-The Infamous (Thirsty Sword Lesbians)

She is a girl in a frilly pink skirt with a lopsided blonde bob who carries a huge ass greatsword and has one fatal character flaw:

She is really, *really*, into villains. Like, romantically.

Her ex-girlfriend was a genuinely horrible person who she killed people for (as one of her henchpeople) and she is still trying to atone for this, while also being hindered by the fact that she constantly has crushes on horrible women and then really wants to follow them blindly.

When she met an extremely hot, morally gray pirate she was in luck: The woman was not interested in making her a helpless plaything, but rather gave her and two of her newer friends a task: She realized too late that it ended in defeating her evil ex girlfriend and made it through, finally freeing herself from her past (a bit).

Alpha 3

A humanoid robot who is genuinely kind and really trying to be helpful while also having a hard time grasping human emotion.

It was an archeology/art history research robot before it decided it was being treated too badly, killing one of the security guard robots to get another posting.

It often ends sentences with ' ..., yes?' to confirm with humans that it understood correctly. It is extremely interested in science and would LOVE to do its own science, this time on its own terms instead of others.

Its main understanding of humans is that they like other humans and feel kinship to them, the same way it feels kinship to robots- This is why it might suggest executing a human for another human because that is 'worse' than a robot killing a human. It still feels regret about killing a robot

However it also doesn't show loss in quite the same way as humans do: When it adopted Anubis only for Anubis to be killed, it seemingly did not react to that at all- instead it simply disconnected part of its artificial brain, feeling an absence of feeling. It still grieved in its own way and was very relieved when Anubis came back in the end!

Two of my favourite moments with it:

When it got extremely unpleasantly teleported, showing only a blinking red error message where usually where was a screen showing a fairly reailistic human face and terrified one of the engineers.

Contains Spoilers so just for the one person who might be reading this DON'T

For a few seconds she sat completely still. Then she got up again and checked herself in the mirror again. She had chosen one of the few dresses still left from her time at the royal court: Dark blue silk, buttoned all the way down like a robe, with a high collar, no sleeves. The fine silber embroidery had reminded her of Anuschkas blouse the other day. No jewellry except for her rings, because she was already helplessly overdressed. But the dress made her feel safe.

Her blue eyes were staring back at her, brighter than usual tonight. Must be close to a new moon.

Selene walked back to the sofa and sat down. Staring at the door made her itchy. She shuffled the papers on the couch table and skimmed through them.

She had taken a lot of care to summarize her ideas and findings in a somewhat coherent manner and knew exactly what to say.

Double checking that nothing new had mysteriously and suddenly made its way onto the pages still made her feel better.

The direct view of the door was making her itchy and her eyes water.

She sat in her favourite chair again. Better, for about 10 seconds. Before she could consider her next spot the bell rang next to the door.

Selene jumped up, scattering the papers on the floor around the table. Didn't matter, she would do it when she came back. She walked to her coat at the side of the door in purposefully slow, measured, inexcited steps (Who knew how good Anuschkas ears were) and took her soft black coat from the hook. Taking a last, deep breath, she casually opened the door. Anuschka was smirking at her. She was wearing a deep purple suit with gold-bronze detailing, her eyes matching the fabric, her hair the metal.

If Selene tried to embody a moonlight night, Anuschka was a breathtaking sunset today. The one you want to last forever. The one you watch on a cliff, overseeing the ocean on a warm summer night.

"You look gorgeous tonight, Selene. I brought a gift."

And Anuschka held out her left hand. Selene put hers into it. Everytime she was surprised by the roughness of Anuschkas fingers.

Anuschka leaned forward slightly and began tracing something onto her skin. Selene recognized it as a rune- something transforming, illuminating. Her skin felt cold where Anuschka had touched it.

She looked back into the mirror. Silver flecks of light had appeared in her eyes, matching the embroidery on her dress. Anuschka was looking up at her.

"Do you like it? I can change it, if you'd like."

"No it's- very in line with my personal style. What a pretty little trick," she grinned, "hope you didn't work too hard to impress me?

Anuschka bit her lip and smiled: "Don't worry, it was very simple. And it is actually a hit with many ladies. Wouldn't have thought you would be as easy."

"I can only return the compliment. I would say these are really your colors but I have a suspicion you could make every shade I can imagine yours."

"Say the word and I will try, darling. But not tonight- I haven't brought a change of clothes I fear."

It had taken her 9 days to master the magic inscribed on it. Selene could not remember a time something had taken her 9 days.

At first, she had found no connection to this strange, new thing. It was nothing that, on first inspection, looked super interesting. Just a simple rune carved into a dark, smooth stone.

But the magic on it. It was different. Selene could feel it when she touched the rune- a shiver of something strange, almost otherworldly. Of something fey. Of something that reminded her of Anuschka, standing close to her, fluttering her eyelids.

It was beautiful and terrifying. It had been many years since Selene had had to tap into something unknown and touching the rune made her feel like a young elf again, eager to explore the cosmos laid out in front of her. She spent almost a whole day with her eyes closed, fingertips on the rune. After the first day of not coming out of her room to eat, her cook had gotten worried enough that he came personally to bring her food.

The third day, her housekeeper had dragged her out of her room to take a bath and relax.

The seventh day, a friend came by and checked up on her, worried she had disappeared, or gotten herself killed. She send them to get some more books from the library for her.

On the ninth day, sometime during daylight (she hadn't bothered to keep track of time after day six) Selene put her fingers on the rune. There were five open books on the desk, two piles of discarded ones in the corners. Feywild magics, feywild creatures, feywild gods, the divine networks, arcane centers in the humanoid body. Each one had multiple sections underlined- she would have to remove her annotarions afterwards to avoid a hefty fine. A half eaten cherry pie stood on the feywild creatures book. Two cold, half filled tea cups were inbetween loose sheets of notes.

Selene concentrated. She focused on Anuschkas magical signature. She felt the familiar carved lines of the runes underneath her fingers. The magic prickling. She tapped into her own. Formed it until it resembled that of the rune and felt something, rushing into her like cold water.

The smell of the forest after rain. Cold grass below her feet. Gold threads pulling on her fingertips. Shadows wrapping around her in a familiar, yet strange embrace. Selene leaned back in her chair and stared against the ceiling.

A new form of magic at her control. Something every wizard dreams about, something that comes along maybe once in a century. Probably less often. And she had figured it out.

The ceiling seemed strange. She reached out to touch it, before she realized she was sitting in a chair and her ceiling was 3 and a half meters high.

She looked at the wall above her desk. The eyes of the painted angel coming down in blaze of radiant, silver light stared back. Had she ever truly looked at that painting before? She touched the stone again. It was unchanged. Her own hand felt strangely detached from her body. Her silver rings were suddenly too tight, restricting on her fingers. Her dresses high neck was smothering her. The pin in her hair was tugging uncomfortably on her curls. The world was getting away from her, further and further, pulling away from her hands in fear of what she could do, pushing Selene out into the coldness of isolation. The silence was droning in ears now, her neck was starting to hurt. She could feel every silver piercing unnaturally cold through her skin. She felt her breathing getting quicker, her chest was too tight to take a deep breath, her eyes were unfocusing.

She called out. She took her magic and hurled it at the world, hoping it could still reach reality. The silence was unbearably loud now. She closed her eyes and pressed her hands against her temples, hoping it would stop. It did not.

She couldn't breath properly.

She needed to move.

She couldn't move.

Calloused fingers grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands gently from her temples. A calm, familiar voice was saying her name.

Selene looked up into pale, yellow eyes.

Her voice was weaker then she would have liked.

"I did it. I- I don't feel real anymore."

Anuschka kneeled and held out her arm.

"Here. Put your fingery on the stitching on my blouse. Try to trace the lines."

Selene was well aware her hand was shaking. She could feel her heartbeat in her fingertips. The embroidered yarn felt rough.

"Good. Now feel the leather of my vest."

"The silk of your robe."

"The metal of your rings."

The nausea faded, slowly. Selene felt slightly drunk. Or maybe she has just woken up. Her neck and shoulders were stiff from nine days of deskwork.

Anuschka was still kneeling next to her, looking calm, but attentive.

"Is it getting better? You look exhausted. Might just be the all the work."

Selene blinked. The walls were coming back, reality once more welcoming her.

"I though- for a second I thought it was a side effect of the magic. I thought this plane was rejecting me for controlling something not ingrained into the weave of reality. But-"

She blushed. Now it almost seemed like an overreaction. Anuschka must have gotten a call akin to someone blowing their biggest warhorn straight into your face, while you are sleeping.

Anuschka looked at her with furrowed brows. She seemed confused.

Selene clarified: "No no, I was wrong. It- it was much simpler. I must have simply- well. Panicked."

Anuschka opened her mouth, than closed it again.

"Look, I'm sorry for disturbing you. I'm sure that call was unpleasant. I just- it was a big deal, and I got oberwhelmed suddenly. You can leave now. I'm fine. I will contact you as soon as I have written down my observations in a semi-understandable manner."

There was a short pause and Selene was almost annoyed, although she was not sure at whom. Then Anuschka spoke.

"So. What you are saying is- you controlled the magic like your own?"

Selene narrowed her eyes. Then nodded.

"Obviously. That is what you wanted me to study, no? The strange magic on that rune and a way to control it. But I don't know how reliable my control is yet. I might need a few more days."

Anuschka closed her eyes. When she opened them again they were filled with something that made Selenes positively giddy.

Anuschka bit her lip, then a slow smile spread on her face.

"You controlled the magic in the rune after working on your own for *nine days*."

Selene felt a grin on her on face as the words sunk in. Pride filled her.

"Yes. I'm very sorry it took so long."

"Oh, no problem at all. I got it much faster of course- But still, you know. For someone with that little awareness of her surroundings-"

The adoration in Anuschkas eyes betrayed her. Selene wanted to kiss her. Instead, she grinned even wider, leaning forward only slightly.

"Well, for someone like you I would be very disappointed if it took you any time at all. After all, that magic is in your blood. You were born with it. It should be absolutely trivial."

"Yeah yeah, of course. How many years did you study the arcane again? Because for me it was, hmmm", Anuschka looked up, counting on her fingers, then looked back at Selene " oh yeah! No formal education whatsoever. All those books? I guarantee you I haven't read a single one of them. But of course, for me it must be very easy. Not like the leading expert on the topic."

"I will have you know this is *not* my topic of expertise. How ignorant, do you think because someone studied the arcane that is just- all the same? I had never studied divine magic before, and even less the arcane of the fey."

Anuschkas mischievous grin made Selene realize she had won the battle but lost the war before the other even spoke.

"And in spite of that horrible ignorance an total lack of knowledge I still got it faster I fear. Also, I didn't want to say anything, but I'm worried about the integrity of your bed now. So."

Selene turned around. Rain was pouring in through her open windows.

Shit.

The dropping curtains and soaked bedsheets qere really undermining her impressive success.

"Still," Anuschka continued, making Selene turn back, "I hope you reconsidered working with me. How about I give you a day to recover, get yourself all pretty and presentable and maybe take a bath and then I take you out tomorrow evening to celebrate?"

Selene blushed. She felt slightly nauseaus again, but in a way she had missed for a while. A strand of Anuschkas blond hair had fallen in front of her face, begging to be brushed behind her ear.

She resisted the urge and settled for a hopefully friendly, but not too excited smile.

"That seems like a very reasonable timeframe. We can discuss our observations then."

Anuschka smiled back, and withdrew. Only now did Selene realized her hand had rested on her knee. The spot seemed cold now.

"I will see you tomorrow."

She stood up, brushed her vest, and seemed to hesitate. Selene hoped she would say something more.

Anuschka went to the door. Doorknob in hand, she turned back around.

"Selene? Just to be clear- if you'd like. It could be a date. It doesn't have to be but- it could."

Selenes stomach vaulted. Her chest widened.

She had been busy of course. Nothing to make life exciting like a mysterious, mildly dangerous stranger who promised to come for you.

And, of course, her efforts had been rewarded. Anuschka Birdsong, changeling, daughter of a feywild god. No wonder that magical signature had been so strong. Selene wondered if she had actually defeated a half-goddess or if just maybe Anuschka had not been trying her hardest.

The thought bothered her.

But there was more: For almost twenty years Anuschka had simply vanished. No trace of her. Selene wanted to ask her about it, but would that be admitting weakness? Better to keep her questions close to her chest.

She had arrived at the door to her home. It was a beautiful apartment in the second-to-lowest floor of Ludritz. The floor of the wealthy and powerful: Selene had managed to amass quite the fortune over the last hundred years. And she liked living comfortably, and safe.

The living room the door opened into was dark and Selene didn't bother turning on the light as she took of her midnight-blue coat and hung it onto the hook to her right. In the moonlight shining through the open windows the room looked truly like home. The rich velvet of the chairs shimmered silver, the dark, polished wood of her furniture almost shone. The smell of salty ocean air filled the room.

In a few steps Selene crossed the room and looked out of the window. The waves were crashing against the rock about 10 meters below, a noise usually soothing. But today she would like silence. She needed to concentrate. She still wanted to find out how Anuschkas magic worked- the more she had looked into it, the more baffling it had become.

She didn't understand it. It had been very, very long since Selene truly had not understood something. Even after researching it.

She turned to her bookshelf and pulled out the three books she had gotten from the library today. On feywild magics, the gods, and the interaction between the feywilds and this planes arcane magics. For the last one she had needed to pull quite a few strings. Restricted knowledge apparently. But her name still carried influence, and her charm spells, while not her specialty, were solid enough work. Better than Anuschkas anyways.

She sad down in her favourite chair, spread the books on the table and started cross referencing. Trying to find more information, or at least sources for this research she could uncover.

Anuschkas magic had been a truly weird mixture of feywild magic and this worlds arcane power that she had never seen before. And after two days of very intense research into a topic in which she had once been the countries leading expert she had still not found a single documented case of this.

There was also not a single other case of a feywild god having a child on this plane which was curious.

Then, suddenly, she found something. Maybe- Her heart began beating faster. Yes, that might be something. Just a throw away sentence in the third book- but combined with her research into creating new spells, new focuses of magic. It might just be something. It might just be the key to everything.

She would have to check out a few new books tomorrow. Her head was swimming with ecstasy. Oh, Anuschka would be impressed. Now she felt anticipation at the next visit of the woman in yellow- or maybe she wouldn't be yellow the next time.

As in a trance, Selene walked to the kitchen and drew a glass of water. She walked up the stairs to her bedroom, her thoughts realms away from this mortal plane. Stepping into her bedroom she put the glass down on her desk and began unbuttoning her deep blue silk dress.

Someone laughed behind her. A pretty laugh.

Selene turned around in an instant, getting ready to cast a defensive spell. But Anuschka was just sitting on her bed, crosslegged, with an easy smile on her face. Still yellow. A horrible muddy color in the moonlight.

"I'm not saying I'm against that turn of events but maybe let me take you out for that drink first? Also, we really need to work on your awareness on your surroundings. Imagine if I had actually tried to sneak up on you."

Selene stepped towards the bed. She realized she should be more upset about this. Coming into her house, into her *bedroom* uninvited was very rude. But also, impressive. Quite a lot of magical barriers to bypass. And- her most important wards were still active. None who wanted to cause her harm would have been able to come through.

"Anuschka Birdsong. I didn't expect you tonight. It took you long enough to escape- I was almost getting worried I had overestimated your capabilities."

Anuschka smiled at her. It felt condescending.

"I hope you realize that I escaped precisely after you got your paycheck. I didn't want history to repeat itself. After all", Anuschka got up and stepped off the bed, towards Selene, "you bested me last time. I wasn't keen on getting sent to prison again. It is always such a hassle."

Selene narrowed her eyes and looked down on Anuschka. She was very close now.

"Did I? Best you, I mean. I would expect more from the daughter of Keiros."

Just maybe, Anuschkas smile faltered for a split second. Selene would mark this as a win. So she had gotten more than she should.

Anuschka took a step back, walking behind her. The thought of not having eyes on her made Selene itchy. The wards would not have let her in. She stood still.

"Well, sometimes a little uncertainty is exactly what we need. But that is not what I am here for. You are obviously very capable- and top easily bored. I can offer you a job that wouldn't bore you."

Selene turned slowly. Anuschka was leaning against her desk, arms crossed. Selene stepped closer.

"I'm not usually in the business of making deals woth criminals."

"And I'm not usually in the business of working with rich people. Seems like we both have our reservations. Still", she drew something from a pocket by her side, "I have something that would be of interest to you. Have a look at this. And if you want to learn more, I'm sure you know enough about me to contact me."

And with a swift step, Anuschka was in front of her again and took her hand. Her fingers had curious callouses. Selene opened her palm. Anuschka placed a smooth, round stone in it and closed Selenes fingers over it.

Then she looked up and straight into Selenes eyes. It would be so easy to lean forward, just a little bit.

Anuschka winked at her. Smiled. And waited.

Selene bit her lip. Too much, too fast. Too many Unknowns.

She broke the eye contact and withdrew her hand from Anuschkas.

A step back, so she could breath again, speak again.

"Of course. You are very easy to find. And please- try not to commit anymore crimes I have to solve. It would be such a hassle to catch you every time."

Anuschka smiled and bowed dramatically.

"I will try to behave."

She had been assigned to the case of a missing artefact from the library in Ludritz three days ago and the work had been nothing but boring. Whoever had been behind this had been a bloody beginner- obviously unaware that a changed appearance would not change your magical footprint. The changeling had taken the form of one of the library staff and simply taken the artifact.

A solid first step, sure. But no effort whatsoever had been put into erasing the signature of their charm spell on the lady at the front desk. They probably hadn't even thought of it.

Selene had simply spent the rest of the two days at the market, waiting. Whoever is had been would need to get food at some point- and their carelessness hinted that they probably were not expecting to be caught. Almost too easy. Now Selene was once again thinking about switching professions- she had been an adventurer, a professor, even a priest of sorts. Nothing had been able to keep her entertained for more than 20-something years. And now, not even 6 years into her new call as a private detective in Ludritz she was getting restless again.

And so, when she spotted a familiar magical signature from an individual in the crowd she was almost disappointed.

Selene got up, sighed, and watched the woman. She was human, dressed in all yellows and browns, with honey-blonde hair. The color coordination would have irritated her if the woman wouldn't be wearing it so strangely well- as if she was designed for this outfit. There was something intriguing about her- every movement was smooth and confident, reminding Selene of an ex-girlfriend that had been a dancer for the royal court. She had been wonderfully kind, but (to her great pain and regret) Selene had gotten bored of her.

She hadn't mean to. She had really tried that time- tried to stay at the court as a royal advisor, tried to find the butterflies again she had felt in the beginning, tried to continue without that honeymoon love. Then she left at night, after a long talk and many tears. She had inquired about her not long ago- her ex had moved on, was happy with another woman, had beautiful little kid. Selene had been relieved she hadn't broken her heart beyond repair. After that there had been no more long-term girlfriends. She didn't want to hurt anybody else like that.

But now, she was watching that woman. The longer she did, the more she wanted to know about her: There was something fascinating about the way she looked at people, the way she talked to them. As if every conversation was a battle she was currently winning. What a shame she would have to turn her in- what a shame the woman hadn't gone about her business with a little more discretion.

Lost in her observation of the little things Selene realized the bigger pattern just a second too late.

The woman hadn't bought any food. She hadn't even approached any of the stalls. She had just been weaving throught the crowd and now she was too close for Selene to get away without raising suspicion- and looking directly at her.

A million possible reaction raced through Selenes brain. She settled on feigning igorance, then smiling as the womans gaze caught her eye. The woman didn't reciprocate. She just narrowed her eyes. Confrontation would be hard to avoid- better get the first word in. In her best careless sing-song, Selene started the fight:

"Hello! Anything I can do for you?"

"Yes. I don't care for such watchful eyes on me, no matter how pretty. At least tell me who you are?"

Mmh. Surprising. Selene willed herself to blush.

"Oh- oh. I'm sorry, forgive me! I didn't stare maliciously, just in admiration."

A small smile crept on Anuschkas face.

"Look, you're beautiful and smart. Usually I would enjoy this as much as the next gal. But I'm here on serious business and you are dangerously close to getting in my way.

A small movement caught Selenes eye. The woman had drawn a dagger out of the leather holster on her leg. How crude. As if they couldn't destroy each other without blades. And how disappointing, once again, for her opponent to show her cards so quickly.

Then again, admittedly, she had let herself get snuck up on. The womans talents seemed extremely isolated. She sighed and weighed off her options. Not fast enough it seemed.

"Quick, darling. I'm busy. You are lucky I bothered to show up at all- but you seemed competent enough to pose a problem if left unattended."

Selene closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"You are completely right. No need for this out in the open. Where do you suggest we do this?"

"Don't worry about it, I know a place. Nice and secluded. No one will see us, hear us or be in harms way."

As she looped her arm through the womans, Selenes heartbeath quickened. They went through the crowd, the woman leading the way. She surprised Selene again when she spoke up, her voice impressively casual.

"My name is Anuschka. I hope you don't take offense when I say that you really need to work on your surveillance work- I could have spotted you from a mile away, even if I hadn't spotted you from a mile away."

Selene snorted: "Well, your magic could use a little work. That charm spell was shoddily executed and you didn't even cover up your work? I was disappointed, really. Thought the person who stole the amulet of the wise would be a little more. You know. Wise"

Silence. Anuschka seemed to thinking about her words. Then she looked up at Selene with her pale yellow eyes. An unnerving colors for human eyes to be.

"You criticize my work without even introducing yourself. I would have thought someone who worked for kings and high priests would have better manners."

Shit. So she had underestimated her opponent. Selene hoped Anuschka didn't notice her heart skipping a beat. She really had kill her now- No, or bring her to court. Anuschka had managed to make some rich enemies- by the time she would get out of Selene would be long gone. A new job, a new life, new distractions.

Anuschka fluttered with her lashes and smiled. Fuck. An answer, and fast.

"It seems you may already know my name- but very well, in the interest of preserving my courtly manners. You may call me Selene."

Anuschka turned towards her, still looking into her eyes.

"A beautiful name. Well Selene, we have arrived at our destination. Very sorry about this."

The glint of the blade had almost escaped her. Would have been stupid way to die. A quick muttering and Anuschkas dagger glid off the magical barrier.

Selene flicked her wrist, blue ropes appearing on her targets feet and wrists. For a blissful second they seemed to take hold of the woman.

Then Anuschka pulled her hand up and they vanished into a glittery dust.

A second dagger appeared in her other hand

"Nice try. But I've got my own. Freeze"

Selene had not been expecting a magical attack. The second daggers as distraction- of course Anuschka knew how to cast her own magic. Selene had known she had charmed the guard and still.

It only took her a few seconds too shake off the shock and magical effect but by that time, Anuschkas dagger was dangerously close to her throat already.

Somehow she managed a smile as she looked down to Anuschka.

"Well, let's not be hasty. Remember, murder is still punishable by death."

"Ah, yes of course. But only if someone catches me. And the only person who ever came close is in a very precarious position right now. Seems I still got it.

Now, I would like a few answers first. Who put you up to this?"

Selene swallowed. Technically, she wasn't doing anything illegal if she talked. The money was long gone anyways. But talking felt an awful lot like losing.

And were was the thrill in living anyways if you didn't take a gamble on death from time to time?

"You know, Anuschka. I would rather have it that you drop your weapon and surrender to me."

This time she had managed to surprise her. And her magic charms would hold on much longer. The daggers clattered to the ground.

Selene had won. Right as it had gotten exciting again.

Anuschkas eyes were filled with shock, anger and then, after a second, respect.

"The records didn't lie, you are good. Go on then, turn me in."

She offered up her wrists to Selene. Too easy.

Selene took her into the police station. As she turned to leave, Anuschka called out to her.

High in the air, wrapped in soft silks, Anuschka waited. Every slow beat of her heart was a measure of time. The silk was getting damp in her sweating hands. Every muscle strained with the graceful pose she was holding. She was smiling earnestly at the ceiling up above. Down in the shadows, her lover was waiting for her. Just as focused.

The music was swelling now. Seconds, then every carefully calculated movement would have to come together without a thought. The thrill of death just one wrong grip away. Anuschka took a last, deep breath.

The music stopped.

And Anuschka fell, fell down, silks unwrapping, her head spinning too fast for her eyes to follow. She grabbed the silks. Her foot found the loop in the unraveling fabric.

Her hand slipped.

It happened too quick to see anyones reaction- But as her other head hit the floor she could hear the gasps. Then silence. And then, as she didn't get up- as the crowd realized she would not get up, and smile, and laugh and show them she was quite alright- the screams set in. Chaos broke out in the room, people rushing to get to her, others to get help from outside.

In what could have been only three seconds, hands found her. Hot breath on her skin, a voice murmuring a prayer to her goddess. A relieved call to the rest of the room as calloused fingers found her pulse. She opened her eyes, slowly blinking with blood soaked lashes. Her green eyes met blue ones- a young dwarvish woman hatten gotten to her first.

Anuschka parted her lips but no sound came out. The woman filled the silence:

"Are you alright? Can you breath? Gods, I thank the heavens you are alive. I send my friend to get a healer- no, don't strain yourself! You shouldn't get up you are losing too much blood."

Anuschka tried again. A raspy voice that didn't sound familiar to her ears came out of her throat: "Please- just not the healer. The gold comes out of my paycheck- my daughter. She can not afford to pay it. They will make me pay it. And no more shows for no, I don't- I can't-"

The blue eyes filled with shock, then anger and pity. The room had quieted before but now the murmurs started again. Check.

"Please, help me sit? I need to see..."

Her voice sounded shaky and out of breath now. The dwarvish woman shook her head. Anuschka sat anyways. The woman rushed to support her while voicing her worry. One quick look through the room- now that she was out of the spotlight it was easier to adjust her eyes. Her lover was nowhere to be seen. Check.

Anuschka winced in pain and slumped into her helper.

"Too- early. I will lie down now. Sorry. Please, no healer"

Her lashes fluttered and the worried voices rose again. She ignored them all and let herself fade into the darkness.

---

As the music stopped Astarion couldn't help but look up, if only for a split second. Then he moved, the dagger pulled swiftly from its sheath. As the only person he had ever cared about hit the ground, his blade found its target.

The woman froze. Turned her head ever so slightly. The metal cut into her purple skin and she hissed. Astarion smiled as screams erupted around them.

"Hello, darling. Ignore the cries and follow me, if you care about keeping that blue blood on the inside."

---

The aftermath was easy to handle. Anuschka let the healer patch her up. She asked for some peace and quiet, lacing her voice with desperation. She left the elaborate pin that had held her hair on stage with a note apologizing for her lack of money. And as she climbed through the window, green eyes and soft features made way for her preferred form, all sunshine yellow and sharp angles.

After assuring herself no kind hearted soul waiting at the temple had noticed her swift exit, Anuschka made her way to one of the better guesthouses in town. She and Astarion had rented a room together and enjoyed a few days before their mission- afterwards there would be no time to linger. That seemed to a recurring theme in their adventures nowadays: A few days of quiet, the storm and a quick disappearance in the aftermath. But, assuming everything went well this could well be the last adventure for the time being.

The Tiefling woman had been a mystery for some time now. Her name had been easy to find: Aurora. Her profession similarly- a trader of mysterious goods. But her location had been a well hidden secret. Until tonight, when the trap had finally snapped shut.

How lucky that Anuschka was such a talented circus artist, only available for the elite to see, in a place by the rich for the rich. How lucky that Aurora had never been able to escape the draw of the mysterious and exclusive.

As Anuschka rounded the corner the back of the guesthouse came into view. One single window was opened, the curtains drawn. Not unusual- people preferred their privacy here for quite a diverse number of reasons, most of the more harmless than what was hidden here. She sang a small tune to make herself known and climbed through thw window.

Inside, Astarion is standing at the wall, arms crossed. He smiles as he sees her, fangs bared and gestures to their prisoner.

"All yours, love. If you need someone to back your threats, I will be waiting in this dark corner."

---

Barely any blood had to be drawn for a contract to be made. Despite Auroras strong dislike for vampires, Anuschka managed to convince her to hand over her ring of sunlight-walking for the mere price of ownership over the freshly ruined establishment of the evenings performance.

---

At the break of dawn, Anuschka got down on one knee for her lover.

"For an eternity in the Sun?"

The Entertainer-Ramin Djawadi

Cherry Bomb - The Runaways

[Hello Daddy, hello mom/I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb/Hello world I'm your wild girl/I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb]

Just A Girl - No Doubt

[I'm just a girl, guess I'm some kind of freak/ 'cause they all sit and stare with their eyes]

Ice Reign - Princess Chelsea

[So start being civil/Corteous too/Or it will be off/With your head]

Run Boy Run - Woodkid

[Run boy run/They're trying to catch you/Run boy run/Running is a victory]

Caeser on a TV screen - The last dinner party

[No one can tell me to stop, I'll have everything I want/Anyone and everyone will like me then/ Everyone will like me then]

Everybody loves me - One Republic

[Oh my, feels just like I don't try/Look so good I might die/All I know is everybody loves me]

Killer Queen - Queen

[Caviar and Cigarettes/Well versed in Etiquette/Extraordinarily nice/She's a Killer Queen]

Immortals - Fall Out Boy

['Cause we could be immortals/ Just not for long, for long/Live with me forever now]

I want to break free - Queen

[But I have to be sure when I walk out that door/ Oh, I want to be free/Oh how I want to be free]

Unstoppable -Sia

[I'm unstoppable today/Break down, only alone I will cry out loud]

Barracuda -Heart

[Whisper game/And if the real thing don't to do the trick/You better make up something quick]

Emperor's New Clothes - Panic! At the Disco

[I'm taking back the crown/ I'm all dressed up and naked/I see whats mine and take it]

Power and Control - MARINA

[Power and Control/I'm gonna make you fall]

[We give and take a little more/Eternal Game of Tug of War]

Only happy when it rains - Garbage

[I'm only happy when it rains/I only smile in the dark/My only comfort is the night gone black/I didn't accidentally tell you that]

I can't decide - Scissor sisters

[My heart feels dead inside/It's cold and dark and petrified/Lock the doors and close the blinds/We're going for a ride]

Little Dark Age - MGMT

[Oh-oh, forgiving who you are, for what you stand to gain/Just know that if you hide it doesn't go away]

Primadonna Girl - MARINA

[Primadonna girl, oh-oh/All I ever wanted was the world/ I can't help that I need it all/The Primadonna life the rise and fall]

Are you satisfied? -MARINA

[Are you satisfied with an easy ride? Once you cross the line, will you be satisfied?]

Never Enough -Loren Allred

[All the stars we steal from the nightsky/Will never be enough/Never be enough]

Race: Harengon

Class: Pact of the Tome Warlock of Dao Trian