[God Quest] Here Kitty-Kitty

phoebe Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you, and annoint you It had been an...interesting journey, learning about the Sear Cats. But it had been good, invigorating even. And she had managed to make some kind of amends with Remi...which in and of itself was worth it. So she came to Frey and Rae's shrine feeling lighter than she had in a very long time. "Frey, I have done all the things you asked." she said as she set a small basket of honeysuckle and peaches on the alter. "The Sear Cat Onma asked that I bring you this, and tell you she says 'Yea.', too." she added as she placed the glittery, bright blue stone upon the alter. Learn about Sear Cats from a local seeing a man about a cat Observe a Sear Cat/Feed a Sear Cat a Hel oh me, oh my, oh onma says hi Catch a Hel untangled all the strings

Here kitty-kitty indeed.

"How quick you are when you want something." The god muses. Their lips are tilted up in a disarming smile, a brow cockily raised as they stare down at the midwife. Arms folded across their broad chest, they reach not for the plump peach nor the stone, but for the Hel that Phoebe absolutely brought with her. Petting the dead bird, Frey gives Phoebe a mischievous smile at the mention of Onma. "Talkative old thing, isn't she? But my, the tales she could tell." They chuckle. "That's the thing about Sear cats...it can be hard to tell them apart from regular cats, so many-a secret is said in their presence without anyone knowing."

FREY

phoebe Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you, and annoint you Phoebe simply smiled and shrugged at Frey's teasing. It was good natured, she had learned, and part of their charm. "I've...nothing else to be doing really. Why not focus my energy on this?" she said with a small smile. Like always Frey appeared as a muscular man, tall with dark hair, but otherwise indistinct - kaleidoscopic eyes shifting in an array of colors, features never quite settling on any one image though still decidedly very handsome. Perhaps it was a sign her heart was mending, rather than chasing after someone else in a sad attempt to fill her soul. She laughed a little as Frey spoke of Onma, watching as they brushed the feathers of the Hel that she had definitely brought with her. "Is she a friend of yours? She seemed to know I was coming on your behest." Phoebe said. She considered their description, nodding in agreement. "I suppose if I hadn't known she was one, I would have simply written her off as a very large regular cat." she said, realizing the sort of implications that came with that.

"Friend?" Frey shot the midwife a look. "Such a human thing to think." Tsking under their breath, they left the question of Onma's foreknowledge (or not) up in the air. Such was not for Phoebe to know, after all.

Nodding at that, their point proved exactly, Frey suddenly tore the head off of the Hel. Inhaling from its neck, the god breathed out a plume of lavendar smoke onto the ground. It formed roughly into the shape of a kitten in midair, struggling and flailing as it wafted towards the ground. Solidifying into a plume of hair with legs and a tail, the kitten looked around skeptically for a moment before emitting a rusty-mewl.

FREY

phoebe Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you, and annoint you Phoebe only laughed a little and shrugged. "I am human." she said, really the only response she could ever give when Frey commented on her humanity. She was human, hence why she did and said very human things. But she tucked it away - friends perhaps was not the right way to describe how the sear cat and the god interacted. But she gasped a little in surprise as the god ripped off the head of the Hel. She watched in awe as a smokey kitten began to take shape, flopping and flailing about. The mewl made her giggle, as it looked and sounded a bit like and old man. But the blonde knelt, holding her fingers out to the little thing. "Hello there. Aren't you a handsome little thing?"

'But I'm not. Nor is Onma, my flower. You'd do well to remember that." Frey gave Phoebe a look at that; if the midwife had one lesson to learn, it was to stop forcing her views onto those she met. She did it with men and with gods, and though Frey wouldn't fault her for it, they did think she'd be a good deal happier if she simply allowed the world to exist on its own.

Actually...that gave them an idea...

The small kitten trotted towards Phoebe. His hackles were raised and he ftt ftt ftttt in her direction despite seeming happy enough in her presence. Perhaps he was getting used to life, or perhaps he was a bit of an ornery thing. Only time would tell.

"As a midwife...your services might be better used in Torchline. There was one a brothel, but its been...well, ignored. But that doesn't mean its workers have. Not all are female of course, but then midwifery isn't limited to just delivery babies, now is it." Frey expected Phoebe to be surprised perhaps by this suggestion. After all, though she wasn't a prude anymore, a brothel was a far cry from the white-walled college of medicine she'd set up for herself. Even so, it might be just what she needed. A world that didn't much care for how she wanted things, people who needed her without the addition of judgement or Phoebe's feelings...

FREY

phoebe Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you, and annoint you Phoebe frowned a little and looked down, easily chastised by some clipped words and a look. "Right...I will work on that more." she said with a soft sigh. It was hard, getting outside one's own head, viewing the world as others did. But for Frey to insist as they did through their chiding meant it was an area she needed to grow in, and so she would try, difficult as it was. And besides, it was rather difficult to sit there and be unhappy in the presence of an adorable ffftt fffftt ffftt-ing kitten! She laughed lightly and gently scratched the top of his head near his ears. "It's alright, little one. There is nothing to be scared of here." she cooed gently at it. Phoebe's head snapped up in surprise though, lips parted slightly as she stared with wide eyes. "A...brothel?" she said, the shock etched on her features as clear as the surprise in her voice. Of course, she had intended to ask Frey for guidance on what she ought to be doing but...they apparently had thoughts of their own on the matter. "You...want me to go look after the brothel?" she said, repeating it a bit both to wrap her mind around it and make sure she wasn't losing her mind.

Scared? It wasn't scared. The way the kitten continued its entirely unfrightening display, hissing into Phoebe's face with its small scraggle of a tail sticking straight up. At least until...oh...well she smelled rather good. And her eyes were so nice and big...

..hmm..With narrowed and suspicious eyes, the kitten tried on a sly purr.

"A brothel. Did I stutter?" Frey mused, a brow raised. "Oh no, don't be silly." They chuckled with a wave of their hand. "I don't want you to look after it. I want you to run it. Make it a success and care for its workers." Frey's chiseled jaw tilted as they looked down at Phoebe with an amused smile.

FREY

phoebe Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you, and annoint you Phoebe couldn't help but laugh lightly at the kitten as he continued to sputter and spit. "Oh-hoho, very brave too I see!" she cooed, venturing to pick the little thing up as he began to settle and pur. "There, see? Isn't this much nicer?" she said, holding the kitten with an expert hand - Phoebe had had cats before you see but never one this special. Already she could feel the bond growing, the twisted labyrinth of the cat's mind so much more complex than what she gleaned from Pim. "Now all you need is a name..." "Brrrrrrranbast." he purred, though the look in his eye indicated that should have been plainly obvious. "Oh I see! Well Branbast it is!" she said, wondering if sear cats all named themselves. But of course, these antics did not distract her from Frey- oh no, quite the opposite. It was giving her time to think. "I just...it was unexpected." she said, biting her lip lightly as she considered. There were a lot of implications. She would have to leave the college...move...but...Torchline was much nicer than the Grounds in many ways...and she didn't even seem needed on the Council. That Frey specifically mentioned caring for the workers...suddenly it made sense. "I suppose it is a place you'd have a vested interest in." she said with a smile. A house of pleasure? Exactly Frey's sort of venue. "But...if no one is caring for them now..." Oh now there were implications. Big ones, ones she was more than prepared to treat and cure. More importantly Frey wanted her to do this. How could she deny them after all they had done for her? She nodded suddenly, a determined look in her gaze. "I will do it. For you and for them." she said, smiling at them warmly. But a thought came to mind as plans and ideas began roiling up in her brain. "Though...Frey...I wonder..." she paused, considering exactly what she was getting after and why before continuing. "I would want to look put for those who come to the brothel as well as thoae who work there. And...well if there are other people like I was out there, then I would want a way for them to feel comfortable just trying new things." She looked up at Frey and tilted her head slightly. "You gave me a potion to make someone feel that sort of calm for myself but I still have it...you said it only has three doses but...could you make it bottomless? So I can offer it to people in a similar position?" she asked.

'They care for each other of course, but some do not lead the easiest lives. They are the necessary and needed, but the forgotten as well." Frey agreed with a nod, something like sadness wandering into their voice.

Raising a brow as the midwife continued, Frey's expression turned to one of thorough approval as they caught the gist of what it was Phoebe was trying to say. "I absolutely can, poppet." Reaching forward to cup one of Phoebe's cheeks, they smirked. "A wonderful idea..I trust I need not mention that taking it should be voluntary, mmmm?" Oh, they knew she knew, but still. Some things ought to be said.

"When you fix up the brothel...all you need do is make a special system through which the liquid could flow. With the push of a button, a gas will be released with your potion."

FREY

phoebe Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you, and annoint you When you had nearly 20 one on one threads with visited Frey as often as Phoebe had, certain things began to stand out - like the hint of sadness creeping into their voice. She smiled at them warmly, a hand rising to cover the one they had placed on her cheek. "I can help every prostitute in Caido, but you can rest assured I will make sure the ones in Torchline aren't forgotten." she said, a hint of determined steal coloring her tone. This would make Frey happy - and she owed that much at the very least. "Of course!" she said, nodding at their clarification. Consent was the first and most important thing. From there...well a little something to take the edge off wouldn't hurt. She blinked though, momentarily confused by what sort of device Frey meant. But it clicked quick enough. "Oh! Like a perfume bottle?" she asked.

Indeed sadness was a rare emotion for the god. It indicated a level of care and attention that Frey wasn't normally known for. "I don't doubt it, honeybee. And I'll be happier to know that it's you watching over them." They agreed.

"A bit like that, but much larger. Think of it more like...the hoses used in your greenhouse. How they emitted a mist from the ceiling." Depending on what sort of engineering-minded Torchers Phoebe got to help her, the construction might be a disaster. But no matter, Frey would clean it up once it was built.

FREY

phoebe Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you, and annoint you Phoebe smiled at Frey warmly, much like a flower that turned towards the sun. Her devotion to the god knew no limitations. Knowing how important the care of the workers was filled her with more determination than before. This was likely one of the very few things that she could do that would make Frey happy - truly, happy to their divine bones - that went beyond the face value for which they were known. "Oh!" Phoebe said, recognizing what Frey meant. It was an...odd concept, having never considered applying such a thing to people before, but she could imagine it at least. "Yes, I can have something like that made." she assured with a nod.

"Alright then. Off you pop sunflower. I'll come and find you once everything is complete." Reaching forward, Frey pressed a kiss to the end of Phoebe's nose, their hands tangled luxuriously in her hair. Quickly they disappeared, leaving behind the sultry scent of woodsmoke and honeysuckle so that the soon-to-be-madame could get better acquainted with the newest creature to share her soul.

~FIN

FREY