Pierce had a fairly busy day. When Helse tired out after a few hours, the cheetah was able to check on the rest of the salon - and was immediately recruited by the Nagas to help calm down a skittish Savanite by massaging her while they applied a tattoo to the inside of her ear. The slave's chaperone happened to be the wet-nurse Pierce had met on his first day at the salon, and she showed her appreciation for another hour.

Closing time came and Tulani hadn't returned yet, so Sephia took Pierce aside for some fun as well. Naturally, Tulani walked in on that.. and helped to hold him down for the Naga, clearly in a playful mood. When they finally started back to the Temple of Inala, the Sphynx explained what she'd arranged through Cricket: Damo Phizcarro would pay a visit to Slaves to Art sometime tomorrow and meet with Butterscotch (whom they would have smuggled in through the back way). If the Lapi agrees, she'll go with the Eee merchant who will get her back to Rephidim.

"/You didn't have to hold me down while that naga ... nursed on me,/" Pierce signs rather sharply to Tulani and even gives her a rather evil look as they head back to the temple where they currently live. "/But I am glad we'll be able to deliver the doe into hopefully friendlier hands. We aren't quite equipped to support someone and we make for dangerous companions these says," he signs, changing the subject, apparently content he got to say his peace about earlier.

"I just wanted to participate in some way," Tulani says, grinning. "I didn't have all that much fun today, after all, like some people. I should make you give me a massage before bed. When you spoke with Butterscotch earlier, did she seem pretty.. lucid? Do you think she's in shock?"

"I think she's still in shock. Likely repressing the memories of what happened to her. She didn't even ask how come she could talk again," Pierce signs. "Something I should probably explain to her ... and apologize for how Eeee treated her."

"I don't know that you need to apologize," Tulani notes. "She clearly knows nice Eeee if one was trying to rescue her before. But you probably can't explain things to her as Pierce. I got the impression that she's not that familiar with Silent Sign."

"I don't intend to. I intend to explain it to her as the real me. Y'know, the dashing and handsome Eeee, the betrothed of Draco County, and the greatest guy in all the world," Pierce signs, "My original form. Probably in a quiet place I can pull her into and Kaira can keep watch on to make sure she doesn't panic."

"Because Kaira is so sensitive to the psychology of others?" Tulani asks a bit skeptically.

"No. It's more that she can summon up a room full of pillows the moment someone tries to hurt themselves," Pierce points out. "Plus she's probably mad at me for not showing her enough attention lately."

"You're too popular for your own good," Tulani agrees. "So I can put off the massage until after the bunny business is sorted out," she offers magnanimously.

"Oh, so you're finally admitting I'm amazing?" Pierce asks silently and even smirks like a .... feline.

"/So you don't think I'm handsome? Then why do you keep me mostly naked?/" Pierce asks, grinning all the more/

"You don't understand, Pierce," Tulani explains. "Women should never tell their men they are impressive. Otherwise they won't feel the need to constantly impress the women."

"And you just admitted it!" Pierce signs, triumphant! "I won't keep trying to encourage Helse to try and buy me, then." His ears wiggle.

"Why would you do that?" Tulani demands. "Ah, you just want to put me on the spot, is that it?" she asks with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, if she likes me, we'll get to keep more of the profits, of course," Pierce signs, "On another note, she seems to really like the chain idea. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a common male slave fashion statement."

Pierce's ears wiggle at that. "Now, in all seriousness, why are you having me stay like this?" he asks in sign.

"Even as outrageous looking as you are with your jewelry and near-nakedness.. it's exactly those things that make you invisible," Tulani says. "Slaves can come and go on the assumption they are under orders. And nobody is going to associate a Savanite stud with a tattooed ghost-girl or a demigod of death."

"Well, I know you enjoy it, too," Tulani says, grinning. "I remember the spa in Olympia.."

"Then I don't feel bad about what I'll do to you for this permanent ring in my nose," Pierce signs and shrugs.

"It's not permanent, just pull it out," Tulani says. "Besides, you would have gotten one for Mave wouldn't you?"

"The grommet is. Sephia teased me about it!" Pierce signs, "And what I would do for Mave is beside the point!"

"I've got the plug for it, you know," Tulani says with a smirk. "Besides, you can have Melusine erase it later if you want, can't you?"

"I could, maybe. It depends on if she would actually do it. I can't make her do anything. I'm still a little worried she'll leave me naturally female," Pierce signs.

"She's your girlfriend," Tulani points out. "You should put your foot down, and tell her, 'Blobfriend, we're doing things my way from now on, and you're going to like it, or.. no more.. pudding!'"

Pierce laughs silently at that, then shakes his head. "Lets get back so I can really talk to the doe," Pierce signs as the tunnel back into the temple is not far ahead. "And we go back to the salon tomorrow, correct? Providing Butterscotch agrees to go, that is?"

"As long as we don't scare her more or make her think it's just another trap. She seems to like me in savanite-form at least. I'm not threatening," Pierce signs.

"Maybe I should leave you alone with her then," Tulani notes as they climb through the mountain. "I seem to make her nervous. She's probably not used to hybrids or mutants."

"I should probably be her companion, or Mave, yes," Pierce agrees as he follows where his leash tugs him to go. "Good thing I like being a cat, even if you are all deaf."

"Depending on how I use them, yes. They work great tickling someone..." Pierce teases. At least he's in a good mood, even after a tiring day. And no rest for the weary since hell be doing work in a dream world too!

Edge of Eternity
What does eternity look like? Would it be absolute nothingness? A world of no sight, sound, touch, or movement? Would it be a world of gardens and happiness? A place where old friends long gone reunite and everything that was lost is found again? Or is eternity different for each person; a place crafted to give them what they need most? Hard to say; just as this place is hard to behold. A floating fragment of an island where some unseen sun bathes it in light. Grasses and flowers grow out of fertile soil. Butterflies flit about here and there; landing on the occasional dew-tipped petal. Even a waterfall falls down from some unknown place above, feeding into the pool of water that itself feeds into the stream that cuts through the island. At the edge, though there is nothing. A vast expanse of darkness reaching out forever.

Life has been a nightmare for the young doe, Butterscotch. Endless days of horror and rarely any relief in her dreams. Then ... what seemed like a dream itself happened; she found herself free of her horrible bonds ... even if it was with a really strange and decorated savanite, a weird mutant feline, and a pale Eeee. At times she may have even wondered if it was a dream ... which begs the question of is this a dream in a dream? She doesn't remember falling asleep but when her eyes open, she finds herself lying in a field of dewy grass. The air is light and the scent is almost like after a rainstorm. The only think that immediately stands out from her vantage point is ... the sky is pitch black; no stars and no Procession.

The caramel doe begins to cry quietly. "I knew it," she says. "I'm dead. I've been dead all along and being tormented because of the time I ... well, I must have done something bad to deserve this.."

"You're not dead," comes a voice from somewhere nearby. "I happen to be an expert in such matters and I can say without a doubt that you are still very much alive. It was close, though. Your body was ... badly damaged by the time it was brought to me."

"What? Who is that?" the Lapi asks, looking around (and with those wide-set eyes, she doesn't have to turn much to see everywhere). "Do you mean I did die but ... got better?"

Where did that tree come from to her left, maybe ten feet or so away. Underneath its sprawling branches rests a black-furred Eeee (probably male, but it can be hard to tell sometimes). He's wearing simple, and a bit worn, pants and a loose shirt. A tattered hat also adorns his head, partially masking his white hair. It's pulled down to cover his eyes and part of his face. He also seems to be chewing on a long piece of straw. "No, you didn't die. Given another week you probably would have, though. The damage done to you made it nearly impossible for you to eat right," he comments.

"I remember that," Butterscotch notes, and turns to face the Eeee.. vagrant? She kneels down and adjusts her simple pullover sun dress. "Where are we?"

"You know, many philosophers have asked that very question. Come to think of it, so have many people who had too much to drink," the Eeee waxes poetic. He flicks the rim of his hat up just enough so that his silvery eyes shine in the shadows of the brim. "But I'll spare you a bunch of mysticism; you're dreaming. Controlled dreaming, but still just a dream. This is limbo, for lack of a better description; but I tried to make it welcoming. I didn't want to scare you; you've been through enough."

"But.. why am I here?" the doe asks, sounding worried. "How can you be here too if it's a dream? I never dreamed about anyplace like this or anyone like you before! Not even that time I drank all that booze as a coney. Oh, First Ones, there was so much puke and it just.. Would. Not. Stop.."

"For that matter.. who are you exactly?" the bunny thinks to ask, blinking at the bat.

"You're here because I brought you here. I thought you might have questions of me. Like ... how your body is all better now," the Eeee explains. He withdraws that bit of hay he was chewing and waves it like a low-budget wand as he continues to explain, "As for who I am, well ... I'm that whom guides souls across the threshold from life to death and even sometimes back. I am that which was born from Death. I am ... well, it all sounds terribly impressive and mysterious; I'm the Barsunala; the son of Death Herself. I prefer being called Alptraum, though. That's the name I grew up with, after all. I doubt you've ever heard of me."

The doe shakes her head. "I.. it's a Babel thing right? So.. you mean that all that horrible stuff really happened, and wasn't a nightmare? How did you fix me up? Do the Savanite and winged Khatta work for you? What happened after they took me away from the devil?"

"I wish it didn't happen to you, but it did," Alptraum says as he finally removes his hat and sets it beside the tree. "And I also understand if you cannot accept this, but I apologize to you on behalf of Babel for everything that has happened. My people have ... lost their way; fallen to the lures of an older evil. It does not excuse it, but I hope it in some way explains it." He pats another spot under the tree, near where he is sitting. "As for those two? Not directly, no. They just looked for help and that led them to me. You were in terrile shape when you were brought to me."

The doe timidly comes over and sits in the patted-upon spot. "But why did you.. or they.. or anyone bother to save me? My father.. he's dead isn't he? You aren't bringing him back?"

"No, I'm not. It is beyond my reach," Alptraum says and even bows his head. "I hope you can forgive me for that, too."

"I can't blame you, since.. I don't really understand what you do," Butterscotch says, fiddling her hands in her lap. "You're one of the Babelite gods, right? Like from a few years back? What.. Is there a price for all that you've done? How do I thank you?"

"I don't consider myself a god," Alptraum says as he looks up at the branches above. "I grew up a normal kid, then had all of this thrust upon me. And yes, there is a price; it's a steep one, too."

The doe swallows hard. "I see. What.. what do I have to do then? What's going to become of me now?" she asks.

"The price is I expect you to live," Alptraum says as he reaches out and stills her fidgeting hands with his own. "I want you to help others when you're given the chance; don't walk away if you can help someone or offer them comfort. Even if it's just giving someone on the streets a spare piece of bread you happen to have at the time. So ... I'm not asking you to go fight in a war, or lead a rebellion, or anything like books and fables always claim that God this and that asked for. I'm just asking you to try to make life a little better for those around you. If enough people do enough small things, then maybe the world would be a better place, no?"

"Yes," the doe says, relieved. "I used to read to people in Freedom Park back home. I don't know if that counts as helping but.. I never really thought about it. It was just something I wanted to do, and not everyone can read.."

"It counts," Alptraum says and lifts his hand away. "Those people may not remember your name, but they'll remember the act. Some of them may some day do something for others because of that memory and how it made them feel at the time." His lips draw back in a bit toothy, if amused smile. "I'm not quite what you would expect from a Babelite diety, am I?" he asks.

The doe shakes her head. "I wouldn't know what to expect, really. Will I be going home? I don't know what to do next. I want to cry really, but.. I feel like I used up all my tears. Like I'm full of air, and will blow away in a strong breeze."

"Your odd friends are trying to arrange a way to get you home," Alptraum explains. "And for your safety, you should not tell anyone in Babel you met me. I'm ... currently a target for some factions who want to make things worse. I have something with me they fear; and it is how I was able to heal you."

"No Life Mages were involved in the healing of this lapi," Alptraum says as he even eaches over and lightly pokes her side. "It was the power of Nala that restored you. I ... just guided it to the right places."

"The power of who?" the girl asks, looking alarmed at the poke, and then hugging herself and blushing. "I don't know much about the Babelite religion," she admits. "I was just along to learn the business. Dad was going to try and broker a deal to get food from Saskanar flowing into the city again.."

"Something this city needs," Alptraum says and sighs, "?which is why he was a target for the pirates .... which are just tendrils of the General. They want the unrest and starvation; it makes it easier for them to take over."

"Is the man who hurt me still going to be looking for me?" Butterscotch asks quietly. "I have to finish the deal my father started."

"No. He isn't a threat to anyone anymore. When he had to face me ... well, he went to pieces," Alptraum explains. "I'm not just here to help souls ... I'm here to try and heal the wounds in Babel itself. I'm here to fix things. To make my people into what they have the potential to be, not what they have become."

"And unfortunately, I may meet his fate too by the time this is over," Alptraum admits as he draws up his right leg and wraps his arms around it. "It's why I need others to continue to try once I am gone."

"But.. you're the angel of death or.. something, right?" the doe asks, touching Alptraum's shoulder. "You can't really die can you?"

"I can be destroyed," Alptraum answers in a quiet voice. "That which I must stop has the power to destroy continents. But, I will welcome oblivion if it means that the Demon could no longer threaten our world."

"Do you remember any of the, ah, clients of your former tormentor? Do you remember anything they told you, or gloated about?" Alptraum asks.

The doe frowns, and looks distant. "It was really horrible. There was.. uh.. someone important, I think. He was brown and pudgy and old, with graying blond hair. The others treated him like he was noble or something. He looked soft."

"I.. my ears were ringing a lot, and they were speaking in Babelite which I don't fully understand," the doe explains, looking distressed. "I think they called him councilman? Or mentioned a councilman. I remember talk of price-fixing and.. business. I know the business terms. Whoever he was, he was profiting from the scarcity, or the pirates were selling their stuff to him or something.. maybe."

"Why were your ears ringing?" Alptraum asks as he scratches his chin in thought. "And while that is not a name, it is useful. I have a description, and his contact points. I can find him with that."

"They were ringing since I got hit on the head when our ship was attacked," Butterscotch says. "I thought I maybe had a concussion, or brain damage.. I was pretty much waiting to die and be released from all of that torment."

"I don't want to know what they made you drink; I certainly know what it did to your insides," Alptraum admits quietly. "I fixed all your physical wounds ... but I cannot fix your memories; those scars remain. I hope you can forgive me for that."

"Forgive you for.. saving me?" the doe asks in confusion. "I'm a Lapi. We recover from mental trauma eventually, if it doesn't kill us when it is first inflicted."

"Forgive me for not doing enough," Alptraum tries to clarify. "You are safe now, and even though you're with that strange savanite with the numerous bits of metal and bone stuck in his body, you will remain so. I know he would defend you with his life, if need be. He's strange, but his heart is in the right place."

"He is fluffy," the doe admits. "I've never been that close to a Savanite before. Daddy didn't believe in slaves or servants."

"I'm fairly sure he enjoys being a slave; but then he seems to have kind owners for the most part," Alptraum says and shrugs a bit. "Even if they are a bit odd and like him wearing some really strange jewelry."

"Is he in trouble for taking me from the devil man?" Butterscotch asks, sounding concerned.

"I don't think anyone would be safe from that man or his associates," Butterscotch says, hugging herself again. "They were all horrible, even his wife."

"The wife is currently suffering more than you did," Alptraum remarks a bit grimly. "I saw to that."

"I.. don't know how to feel about that," the doe admits. "I'm happy to be safe and whole again. I don't even want to think of those people again."

"Don't take pleasure in the suffering of others," Alptraum notes. "What was done was necessary to send a message to those that thought it was all right to hurt people like you; it will no longer be tolerated."

This perks the doe up, so that even her ears rise. "So.. I was the last? The last one to suffer? That.. that feels good. I can feel better about having gone through it then."

"His 'empire' is no more. Fate that brought you to me saw to its end," Alptraum agrees and even nods. "And in a day or two, you will be with one of your father's associates. He will see to it that you get home. You'll just need to stay with the savanite a bit longer."

"That's okay, I like him," the doe claims. "It's fun trying to figure out what he's trying to tell me. Why are his privates chained up though?"

"Well, I may be wrong, but I think he's a 'brood stud'. Meaning he earns money for his owner by breeding with other slaves," Alptraum explains and shrugs a bit. "So the chain is probably there to make sure he cannot choose who he sleeps with and that he'll be ready when needed."

"I don't know," the doe says. "I'll think about it, and wait for an opportunity. He saved me, so.. I want to do something nice for him."

"So, do you like how all the jewelry looks on him?" Alptraum asks. "I don't quite understand why someone would allow that to be done."

"I've seen stuff like that in Rephidim," Butterscotch says, then admits, "I thought about getting my ears pierced too.."

"Maybe ask him about it sometime; he might be able to tell you if it's worth it," Alptraum suggests, then shrugs.

"Well, I'm sure you could tell if he was telling you if it hurt or not," Alptraum suggests, then shrugs. "And I have another question for you; have you ever wanted to have tea with a dragon?"

"That is a very odd question," the Lapi notes, ears up. "Is that a typical deity question? Is it a.. metaphor? I've heard stories about Faraon the Friend, and I wouldn't want to have tea with that dragon.."

"Well, nothing is a proper dream unless something really strange happens in it. I'm only semi-strange. I thought you might like to meet one of my friends," Alptraum offers. "She has a garden, and something called a gazebo. And she's a bit bossy."

"Bossy?" the doe asks, looking worried. "Well, if she's a friend of yours and you'll be there I guess it'll be okay.."

"She's rather like a mother. A very opinionated mother," Alptraum explains as he plots out how to contact Kaira and trigger the shift to her little garden. She needs a head-up after all to make sure his female-counterpart isn't there doing things not to be done in public, after all! Plus, Kaira can't yell at him about visiting if a guest is present, right...?