[Eselberg Station] Dark Arts and Tea

[Glein]

Elenor looked at the tablet in her hand, confirming the address, then looking at the classic facade facing her. Owing the invite was from one of the foremost experts and an accredited Professor of the 'Dark Magicks and Arts', AKA, the usually taboo kind of magic and spells that society has done what they can to lock away, she couldn't honestly say she was surprised by the dark and dour exterior. It was sort of fitting.

Of course, the same couldn't be said really about the personality of the woman either. From what Elenor had heard, the woman was, while not chronically sunny, often of a positive attitude and demeanor, despite the material she taught and studied.

Still, standing at the yard gate like this was hardly appropriate, especially with the very round bump of her pregnancy present. Yeah, there were spells she could have done circles to cast and made it less obvious, but it wouldn't have made it any easier to get around. Since it'd still be there. So no point hiding it. Seeing the bell charm next to the gate, Elenor smiled as she pressed it, having opted to wear her own witch's attire, though the middle was strained (thank you Lucina for your tailoring).

Hearing the chime and watching the gate open, Elenor calmly strode the paved path, figuring either she'd be notified of anything she should be careful of by the owner or any staff she might have... Or be left to fend for herself since, after all, she'd only heard rumors, not hard facts.

“It's such a sunny day isn't it?” A pair of miss matched amber and Crescelia eyes said from a shaded corner of a stone awning. The only thing of the female voice's face that would be seen were those piercing eyes and her lower half that was clad in a traditional black and white maids dress. “My mistress has been waiting for you, she'll be waiting in her solar in the back of the manor. Would you like me to guide you there or can you find it on your own?”

"Guidance would be appreciated, thank you." Elenor said, smiling at the assistance she guessed. She was pretty curious how this would turn out. Discussing arrangements for the convention soon to be housed on her space station an entire star system away, well... This was probably one of the few persons she probably really needed to talk to before really moving forward on the whole thing. As it was, she wasn't sure how this was going to go.

A feline smirk formed as Lunaria emerged from the shadows and bowed her head to the witch. “Purr-lease follow me” turning on her heel the cat disappeared through the front doorway and into the manor proper. Inside the house was decorated probably unlike what Elenor was expecting. The place was warm, cozy even. Nicknacks rested on old wooden shelves behind glass fixtures, each most likely to be mementos of past adventures. Bottles, a skull belonging to some long dead sharp toothed reptilian no longer a dog's skull.

There was a velvet pillow with a golden chain necklace studded with various precious stones draped across it. In the corner there was a suit of armor at attention with an ornate sword resting in its hands. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted from wherever the kitchen was, while a cool breeze filtered through the house bringing with it the scent of spring. This place wasn't the gloom and doom of a witch of the black arts, but a home of a woman well traveled and learned.

Lunaria paused at a heavy dark oak door at the rear of the house, past the lounge of rustic looking leather chairs and a recliner by the hearth with a fire crackling in it's center.
“My mistress is waiting beyond, I will return with refreshments momentarily.”

Elenor smiled and nodded. The interior of the manor was certainly not what she expected. This was actually warmer and more welcoming if anything. Kind of like the little space she and Lucas currently shared on Eselberg. Still, she took a breath and knocked on the door before opening it. "Thank you for agreeing to see me." Elenor said, as she stepped into the solar, curious what would await her with how much of a dichotomy the manor had been with it's exterior and interior.

Somara looked up from her book and tea from where she sat at a floral patterned cast iron table. She pulled off her glasses and turned in her chair to see the pregnant Elenor approaching. She quickly stood and grabbed a chair from the other side and slid it out for the other woman to sit. “Come. Sit there's refreshments on the way and I won't be accused of keeping a pregnant woman standing.”

She brooked no refusal as she waited there til Elenor was seated and as comfortable as she could be before returning to her own seat. “So, what was it you wanted to talk to me so eagerly about?”

"I wouldn't say eagerly." Elenor remarked, smiling as she settled in. Sure, the pregnancy wasn't as hard on her as it *could* have been, but she chalked that up to Orias or Lucina giving her a little boost to help cope with it. "But I saw your message gem about joining the convention to be held on Eselberg Station. And I admit I had some reservations when I saw it." She said, giving a wan smile in the process.

"More due to the title and position than you yourself of course. My experience with those who trend towards the Dark Arts are rarely the sorts of people who are rarely rational or pleasant company. Mostly because they do tend to be trying to forcibly end my own to further their goals, whatever they might be." She admitted, feeling appropriate to lay her issue with the matter on the table early and openly. When one dealt with those seeking lichdom, mummy-dom, or the other kind of "Eternal life at the cost of others" sorts, or those who just try to mass end life in a region or greater... Well, one does tend to build up a stereotype and Elenor was learned enough herself to know that it wasn't completely fair to judge anyone and everyone who delved into the field as that sort. After all, she doubted a active practitioner would have earned a professor-ship at one of the biggest magical academies in the UNS.

“Oh please, I'd never do something so basile and droll.” Somara batted the not entirely accusations and assumptions away with a swat of her hand. “I study the black arts as a way to help prevent their usage and facilitate an understanding as to why we don't use them.”

Lunaria came in on a phantom breeze a few moments later, sitting down a new cup and saucer, a tea pot filled with steaming herbal goodness, and a platter of assorted cookies before retreating back to wherever she had come from.

“Eat, drink, my hospitality is yours to use. As for the conference, I can't really say much to the public til after the summit. I'm afraid most of my knowledge and information is under an NDA until it can be properly distributed. As for why I've decided to push this now, it's about gods damn time people learned how to defend themselves against black magic.”

"I see." Elenor said, smiling at Lunaria as she nodded and picked up the tea cup. "Well, I won't say that someone trying to teach why the Dark Arts are, well, Dark is bad. I just know how it can turn out on occasion." She mused, before focusing fully on the subject.

"Well, you hopefully don't have too much issue with some of the others coming to the Conference. We've a fair few of the more... 'infamous' witch covens coming as well, alongside other acreddited academies. I suppose Eselberg's status as true neural ground, enforced by both the Heavens and the Hells helps." Elenor admitted, smiling. "Spirits know how much headache and effort it took for me and my pacter to get that set up."

"As for the materials you're presenting, so long as it isn't actual first hand demonstrations of the Dark Arts, I personally can't see too much issue." Elenor said, giving a small nod.

“Oh please. I wouldn't perform any black magic in the presence of so many stuck up wenches as a demonstration of negativity or no.” She took a long sip of her tea and sat the cup down once it was drained of its dark amber liquid. “May the gods help you if as many of the ‘infamous’ ones are the ones I think they are.”

Her nose crinkled in disgust at some unspoken memory she had no inclination to share. “Answer me this, we do consider them dark arts, but why has it been so demonized to teach defenses? I remember days when someone with a crackle of dark power could send seasoned magic practitioners running because they had no knowledge of how to defend themselves.” As she said it an arch of lightning magic crackled across Somara's fingertips.

Elenor smiled. "Don't ask me. I never went to any academy myself. Mostly self taught witchcraft with a pact, and I 'lucked out' in being stuck with ritual circles for my magicks." she said, shrugging. "So I tend to rely on firearms for dealing with problems that'll take my magic too long to cast."

Somara smiled faintly as she picked up her cup and took another sip. “So Miss Elenor, would you like a tour of my home and collection so you yourself can judge if my knowledge is safe to be taught? For the correct purposes to be sure.”

"I'll trust you on this. Eselberg Station is true neutral ground. It helps that both sides of the divide were willing to agree to that. Having the Heavens and Hells not actively trying to cause trouble in one place is rather nice I think." Elenor replied, sipping at her tea. "It seems that most of those requesting to be present for the convention are doing so because of that status, meaning that so long as they don't breach that neutrality, the worst they may experience is some ugly stares their way."

“Well bless their hearts. If all I had to worry about was an ugly look I wouldn't be such a recluse.” Somara mockingly pouted. “In actuality I'm looking forward to this summit of sorts. It's going to allow me to put a few old crones in their collective places.” Somara wasn't at all lady like as she chowed down on a banana nut muffin sat out as a snack.

"Oh trust me, I get that feeling immensely. I'm still very grumbly about letting the Gingerbread bitches on the station. They bloody well earned that less than flattering reputation, and I would personally not have anything to do with them, unless it was to wipe the whole coven out. Buuut, I can't. One of the few downsides to the true neutrality of the station." Elenor said, grumbling a bit as she picked up a blueberry muffin and chomped down on it like it was a steak and needed the extra energy to rip a piece off.

"But I imagine we both have covens, circles and groups we dislike with a passion and only put up with because we have to." She said, trying to calm the discussion back down.

“Well if the ‘Gingerbread bitches’ are who I think they are then we can agree on that. I had their matron on her ass and a second away from being fried by lightning but her heir made the noble choice of taking my offer that her matron had refused.” She shrugged nonchalantly as she poured herself some more tea.

“You would think that some of these witches and covens would learn who not to mess with, unfortunately I've had to endure more blood duels than I care to count.”

"Well, until the news got around about Eselberg, I managed to keep myself nice and out of sight beyond taking on odd jobs here and htere to pay for food and such." Elenor replied, nodding. "And sounds about right with that coven. Personally, I'll admit, I kind of expected to come in and find someone who was mentally on the edge of sanity, and just one puff of air away from falling over into the pit of going on a mad spree." She opened up, figuring best to be honest now. Especially since it seemed she and Samara were more alike than she'd expected.

Somara scoffed sarcastically. “Oh give me some credit there pregger. Your more like to find a mentally unstable witch in one of the more indignant covens we will be reasoning with tomorrow. I'm not insane, I'm eccentric.” Her gaze fell to the bulging belly poking over the rim of the table. “Well darling who might the father be? I'm curious as the child's parentage.”

Elenor blushed rather heavily. "Promise not to laugh?" She asked, bringing a finger up to scratch at her cheek.

“I'll try to keep it professional but I make no promises.” She smiled deviously.

Elenor nodded, since that was probably good enough. "Orias, the Demon Queen who happens to be the one whom I am pacted to is in service to, though apparently he was unaware of it for a long time, and thus I was as well." Elenor admitted, ready to hear some laughter or snort or chortle…

Somara didn't laugh but she did smirk. “Somehow I should have guessed you were mixed in with that low life.” She was joking of course, Somara thought highly of the demoness but was prone to making a few humerous pokes at the old demon from time to time.

"Yes well, she kind of happened to hit all the buttons to drive me into a sexual frenzy with just her presence alone, which made the aftermath kind of... challenging between me and Lucas, the demon I'm pacted to." Elenor said, sighing slightly. "Though, admittedly, from what I've heard and learned... She's definitely a damned sight better than the one she replaced."

“An understatement. Perhaps you met her daughter too. Maybe not. Alma is a fickle and willful child. Much like her mother in that respect.” Somara sighed and took another long sip off her tea cup. “Do you know what your going to have? Boy or girl I mean.”

"Uhhh, a few. Kind of mixed." Elenor said, nervously chuckling. "And not a joke or euphemism either. According to Orias, I've a veritable litter in here of kiddos from her." She said, a hand now laying atop her rounded belly. "Which is going to be interesting since I haven't the slightest idea how raising a demon-born child is going to be."

Somara sighed and shook her head in exasperation. “So she knocked you up times several. Demon children aren't much different than regular mortal children, powers yes but until their a few years old they’ll probably wanna stay plugged up to your breasts.”

"Oh, well there'll be that. I'll be perfectly honest, this is my first pregnancy. So I've been trying to read up on things as I can between preparing for this convention and also continuing to do my normal work too." Elenor said, mildly grateful for the apparent discomfort of having to have to milk her overfull breasts had been a good thing. Somehow.

“If you need it I have a artifact that could help with the pumping.” Somara offered as she gestured to a dark stain forming on Elenors shirt. “Seems your milk has come in early, might wanna take care of that.”

"Ugh, really?" She grumbled, noticing the stains herself. "That's the third time today..." She complained, eaching into the bag she'd brought with her and started with assembling it. "Sorry, sorry. It's just been annoying how full I seem to get and end up leaking when I least expect it." She apologized, finishing getting the milking pump assembled and slotting the bottle into place.

“It happens El, we're women. Our bodies do weird shit during pregnancy.” Somara even gestured to her own breasts which were monstrous in volume. “At least when your milk is dry yours will shrink.”

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Elenor asked, pulling own side of her own outfit out of the way of the little portable pump and getting that fitted on properly before turning it on, the ethertek device barely making a noise as the bottle began to fill. "A side effect of the artifact?" She asked, wondering if that was the connection there.

“Well I've never been pregnant but I've known many women who have, and delivered a few children in my time.” But she shook her head. “No mine are all natural, I've often wondered about a reduction but why defile what the gods built for whatever reason”

"That is fair. Though, admittedly, I never expected to be dealing with this when I was growing up. Life has it's lovely little curveballs to throw to all of us at times." She said, smiling, but not further explaining. Still, she refocused as the pump beeped and winced as she pulled it away from the now dried teat, and began the process of doing the same with the other one.

"Guess I won't have to worry too much about needing to feed the kiddos when they come... If I'm producing this much regularly before they're out, Gods only knows how much more I'll be doing when they do."

“The body has a weird way of preparing you for the trials ahead. Just let nature take its course and everything should come out fine.” Somara offered a napkin to clean up any dribble. “If I were to produce any then there's no telling how many gallons you'd get from me in a week”

Elenor chuckled as she felt the pump get to work on the other tit now. "Yeah well, I'll be happy when they stop getting so full. It was kind of painful at first, now it's just annoying." She admitted, shrugging helplessly as she accepted the napkin and cleaned up the first tit before putting her clothes back into place. "Still, you seem to have things well in hand and quite together. Though I'm guessing not many suitors stick around once they learn what you do?"

“I don't take any suitors. My work consumes most of my time and my hands do just as good as anyone else's.” She mused as she sipped on her tea. “I thought I might take a suitor on day and perhaps a child but I'm well out of my child baring years. Safely to do so anyway”

Elenor snorted and smiled. "Case you forgot dear, we're magic users. I'm pretty sure we could extend our 'safe' years if we really wanted to." She pointed out. "Though, owing my soul and thus my life is in the palms of a demon that I'm very much in love with, I feel like mine will be safe for a rather long time. And no, it's not a silly thing like Princess Syndrome. Hells, he was kind of iffy about the dangers of us expanding our relationship from just a pact to something more for years, just as I was."

“Oh we could, but I don't know if I want to. Not unless the correct person comes along and so far they havent. Like I said I have other ways of expressing my bodily needs. There's a species of plant from a nearby world that mistake female breasts for their seed bearing cones which they Deposit and retrieve seeds from by sucking on them. Take your to off near one of them and they'll nearly take your nipples off trying to get seeds they won't ever get.”

"Fair enough. I'll have to make sure to avoid those then. Rather like having my bits where they are right now." She comments, though she looked down as the pump beeped, sighing as she removed the thing and cleaned up before putting her clothes back to rights. Popping off the full bottle, she set the whole thing back into ehr bag.

Somara shrugged. “I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel nice. Good pressure and they'll even wrap around your breasts to do it harder.”

"Guessing you get into some interesting stuff in your off time then?" She asked, kind of amused at how this conversation had basically derailed so hard because of her pregnancy. Of course, the rather nice setting around them made it feel kind of weird since it was not exactly the sort of place one would expect to be talking about sexual practices openly.

“Sometimes I do yeah. I've found a few species of plants that seem to have a like to the female form and are for the most part compatible with all of our bits and bobs." She smirked and crossed a leg suggestively

"Ah. Well, my pacter is pretty good at giving options, certainly. And my adminstrator is... Well, she's something alright." Elenor said, blushing rather brightly at the experience she had with Setsuya that one day... And the following talk with Klaus a day later.

“By the blush you seem to have no shortage of people willing to stuff your nethers pregnant or no.” Somara chuckled and sipped her tea again settling to leave the girl be now after working her up a bit.

"Oh, in her case it was me doing stuff to hers, but that's neither here nor there." Elenor quietly muttered into the muffin she'd picked up to take another bite of. "Anyways!" She said, hoping to shift the topic maybe a little bit. Don't get the nekomata wrong, she was usually easily drawn to the horny side (damn you Orias!), but she still had a fair margin of self-control. And she really didn't want to upset her current host after all.

Somara only smiled knowingly as she waited for Elenor to pick a subject to talk about. “Yes dear? Something new on your mind besides..well..ya know.”

"I was hoping you'd have something else for us to talk about. Cause I'm trying to avoid getting more flustered. And potentially insulting you." Elenor said, the last sentence nearly done in a singular word as fast as she said it.

“How could a pregnant little bunny like you offend me?” Somara tapped her hand in the table and smiled. “And flustered you is so cute. It's a shame to let it go so soon.”

"To be fair, cat, not bunny, but I'm just trying not to have this devolve completely into a thing about sexual activities is all. Because, well... It gets weird with me? Like, one hand, I'm kind of encouraged to explore, but on the other, I don't want to be completely unfaithful..." Elenor explained, raising a hand and giving it a little wibble-wobble of it as she spoke.

“Well I can understand that. If your SO wants you to explore though, perhaps get their consent beforehand and then jump into the pool so to speak. Probably best to wait til after the kids are born first though.”

"Yeah, probably. It isn't like it's hard for me to find out their opinion on the matter, being pacted to htem and all, but it still feels weird, since they were more than fine with me bringing our station administrator into things... If a little jealous, which is what got me worrying about going too far." She said, sighing.

“Perhaps that's something to bring up with them at some point so you know your boundary in marking and not after you've crossed the point of no return.”

"That's probably fair. I do know he... well, she currently, is really wanting to get me pregnant not long after I've had these." She replied, with an amused chuckle, and a rub of her belly at the thought.

“So what I'm hearing is a breeding kink, from one party or multiple.” Somara raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Very likely yes. But also, Lu being kind of disappointed that they didn't get to be the father of my first kids." She admitted, shrugging.

“Well from the sounds of it they can have the next knock up. I'd give it a few months before you allow yourself to be bred again, the body needs time to rest after such an event as creating life or in your case lives.” Somara chuckled as she pushed the plate of sweets over to Elenor. “Eat your fill your feeding multiple mouths.”

"Yes, yes..." Elenor replied, sighing as she picked up more of the sweets. "At least we can be certain that there will be more in the future. It's just a question of how messy things get between now and then." She admits, chuckling. "Especially with how we're becoming an apparent hub of so much stuff going on now."

“Well..Enough of that then.” She opened her palm to the door and a sheef of paper tumbled through the air and to her hand while a quill and ink pot came in as well and sat themselves within Somara’s reach. “If you dont mind I need to dictate a letter. I won’t be long” Instead of her writing herself she spoke in a language perhaps unknown to Elenor, but the quill was quick in its elegant scrawl filling three pages back to front before they folded themselves into a neat envelope and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Elenor quirked an eyebrow at that. She knew that various forms of magick had their own foibles and some even had their own languages. She wasn't entirely sure which one this was, but she wasn't going to pry. "Anything I should be worried about?" Elenor asked, lowering her eyebrow to avoid being too much fo a annoyance once the letter was done.

“Oh that? No no it's nothing of consequence. Just a correspondence with a colleague that was long overdue. I have some research papers that are being blocked by bureaucratic nonsense on the same grounds any and all black arts have been blocked. Nothing new, not to me at least. I’m quite used to having my time wasted by people without the higher intelligence to understand the goals in which I am trying to reach.” She shrugged. “Now, if you want that tour then we should be going. I have a meeting at four that I must keep.” Without further comment the older woman got up and headed for the door in which Elenor had been let in through.

She figured might as well. "Alright then." She said, smiling and soon working herself to her feet, a bit of a effort to be fair, but she was growing used to it at this point. "I wouldn't want to keep you from other obligations. So we should do this tour at a pace to let you can do to avoid being late." She admitted, smiling.

“Oh please, I hardly leave this place during the week. Most of my important engagements happen during the weekends when my colleagues aren't busy with seminars or workshop classes.” Somara flicked a wrist and the door swung open on a phantom breeze.
“What would you like to see first? My prize collections or the library?”

"I think the library would probably be best. IF only because I don't precisely have access to the most thrilling of tomes. Being independent makes it hard sometimes." She said, smiling, and following behind Somara. "Plus, finding grimoires on ritual circles that aren't antiques is a right nightmare."

“If you'd have grown up when I wad doing my expeditions you would have had your own fill of a private library. Most of the stuff you want got gobbled up a century ago.”

"Yeah, well, I wasn't born a century ago, so I was gonna miss out whatever we'd like to think." She said, laughing lightly as they walked through the house. "I forget how long lived mages and the like can get... And not show a sign of it." She teased, giving Somara a wink.

“It's a blessing in a curse when you think about it. I'll never really look older for at least another fifty years, but by then my child bearing days will have been long past. Enjoy it while you can.” Somara guided her through the main entry hall and display room and up the stairs to the private library.

Following calmly, Elenor nodded. "Well, I guess we'll see how things turn out for me, since I've my pacter to draw upon, and then his boss' interest as well." She quipped. "So, any particular tomes you're especially proud of having collected?"

“Well yes but it's a particularly nasty thing. If I showed you the book I would have to kill you, not something I want to do when it's company i've enjoyed.” She frowned and snapped a finger where a very old velum bound sheef of paper drifted over to Elenor's hands.
“That is one of the earliest known records of magic on this world, feel free to read it but do be careful with it.”

"My. Trusting me with such a priceless item." Elenor said actually mildly surprised by the act. But she handled it with a care that only those who practiced magic would have, especially 'older' magicks. "Trying to earn my favor that badly are we?"

Somara shrugged nonchalantly as she replaced a few older looking tomes back on their shelves, clasping a chain back over its spine to secure it. “I just thought it would be up your alley, not particularly for the purpose of kissing your ass.” She huffed at the very idea.
“I have never and I don't plan to. You can read it or not makes no difference to me”

"Never said you were, just trying to lighten the mood." Elenor replied, grinning as she carefully unfurled the scroll. "And 'my alley' is a narrow one I barely fit through right now bloated like a blimp."

“Big belly, big boobs, Yada Yada. I have one of those things and sometimes wish I didn't.” She waved a hand in dismissal as she plundered through her collection and pulled out another dusty book that looked as old as time itself. “I doubt you can read this one, it's in a language not even I know.”
She blew off the dust away from Elenor before handing it to her.

"Oh?" Elenor said in replied, rerolling the scroll back up and taking the book in question. "I won't claim to be a linguist, but I have learned that sometimes magic takes some odd twists and turns." She said, grinning as she examined it. It didn't look like anything she could read either, but maybe Lucas could? "And hey, ritual magic is hardly practiced anymore if it can be helped. Making the damned circles is the most difficult part of the process and it takes fucking forever. If I could, I would use a different medium, but, fuck my life, I got saddled with it. So I make do. But it also means I'm working on the old arcane tomes and such."

“That's almost unheard of today. How'd you end up being relegated to circles only?” Somara asked with a scrunched nose. Likely a pact of some kind if she had to guess but she was more than willing to sit and listen to one of these kinds of stories. They always made for interesting forays into the higher mysteries of magic.

"I mean, that's just what my pact let me do. I couldn't magic before pacting with Lucas, and well, now I can. But only through ritual circles. Not even Lucas knows why, and they're the demon I'm pacted to." She said, laughing in sad amusement. "So, I've learned little tricks to help me out for doing magical jobs... Pre-packed ritual circles needing just one line I can finish in a hurry on basically note cards. CAn't get the bigger and fancier spells that way, but a fire bolt or twenty is doable."

“Whats your medium for making your circles? Chaulk? Pen and paper? I might be able to help with the speed and size of spells your able to create on the fly.” She snapped her fingers and an ornate jewelry chest
materialized and plopped Into her hands. “It's a item I found on another world to dictate letters via a clerk. I don't see why we couldn't see if it works for circles.”
Inside the box was a simple fountain pen in a sapphire jacket in. “Take it and feed it a little magic.”

"Thankfully, it seems so long as I can draw the circles correctly, it doesn't matter the medium. Just drawn out in full." She said sounding quite grateful for that benefit. Still, she looked for a good spot to put the scroll and book down on first, before picking up the pen. Curious, she sought to feed some of her magic into it, curious to see what would happen.

The pen crew faintly luminescent and warmed to the touch, when it's magic hunger was sated it lept from Elenors palm and hung in the air waiting for instructions. “Think of a circle and it'll do the rest” Somara winked.

Nodding, she focused on a pretty simple spell. Summoning a potion of her own making. And soon she watched the pend begin the process of crafting the circle and soon she had to reach out to catch the bottle before it crashed to the floor. "Huh, impressive!" She remarked with a fair bit of cheer. And she hadn't had to review the circle, she'd just had the whole thing in her head and the pen had done all the work far faster than she could have.

Somara smiled softly, clearly satisfied with the work and the function of the pen. “It's yours if your promise to use it wisely and come have tea with a black witch every once in a while.” She stood and snapped her fingers, the tome and scroll flying back to their places on the shelves as Somara walked up a flight of steps to the next level of the library with the intent to show Elenor her most prized possession.

"Thank you, this will help immensely. I'll have to find a suitable gift to rival it." She said, smiling as she followed the Black Witch up the stairs.

“Think nothing of it dear, you will get much more use of it than I.” She stopped at a small alcove on the far end of the wall where in a glass box on a marble plinth a black mass sat suspended directly in the center of the case. It was slightly geometrical shaped and as black As a universe without light, it almost seemed to suck at the light that did fill this space and devour it.

"..." Elenor had been about to say something when she saw that egg. "Ah. I see you deal with the eldritch too." She said, a nervous chuckle. "Ever meet the Seamstress?" She asked, referring to the one eldritch entity she and Lucas had done work with before. Thing was such a strange one, seeing itself as a tailor of sorts, but using eldritch 'stuff' to do it. And was a Shoggoth to boot.

“I have. Sweet Lady that one. She made my household guardsman, Cedric, his new body. He was mortally wounded some years ago so we took his soul and bound it to a suit of armor. She supplied the means for his ‘body’ to function.” She said matter-of-factly. “She's one I count among my friends. She makes a killer set of lingerie too.”

"Yeah... Well, me and Lucas are still trying to wrap our heads around her reward for a job we did for her... It's currently trying to be a garter strap on one of my legs right now." She said, sighing. "It started as a collar."

Somara smiled softly. “Next it'll be a pair of panties trying to do things it shouldn't” She teased.

"Been there. Was also a bra doing the same. I swear, the stuff just can't figure out what it wants to be." She complained, sighing
in defeat on that particular subject. "Still, at least she's more friendly than some of the Eldritch I've heard tale about."

“Oh she's quite friendly once you get to know her. Don't you figure most beings like her get lonely when your..well a eldritch being who's older than anybody cares to wonder.” Somara sighed and leaned back against the railing overlooking the book stacks below. “I go have tea with her once a week to catch up and take her a case of confectionaries.”

"As long as you can get her to respect boundaries of course." Elenor said, smiling. "She keeps forgetting that mortals don't work quite the same as she does. Or that sometimes that we don't do the things she thinks everyone can." She added on, recalling her own experiences.

“That's not a problem really.” Somara looked down at her dress and brushed a invisible speck of dirt off her cleavage. “She often uses these for entertainment.” She looked at Elenor's set as well. “Likely she wanted to do the same to you?”

"Hard to say. Don't think like an Eldritch myself. Though she did say she wanted to know how we thought about the clothing after a while... She hasn't contacted us back for more work, and honestly, I'm content with her sense of time being vastly different from ours."

“Oh I'm almost positive that whatever passes for sense to her would seem like four dimensional chess to us.” She winced. “They say trying to understand an eldritch mind is trying to understand the cosmos itself. I don't know about you but I don't think I could stand the thought of knowing the infinite that intimately.” With a nasally grunt she pushed off the railing and lead Elenor to a alcove on the back wall, much wider and deeper than the other it held a couch and two chairs and a lectern for study. “Take a load off, I doubt your child wants to be standing for so long” She teased.

Elenor gave a sheepish grin as she walked over and settled into the nook provided. "Thanks. Hopefully we don't take overly long. I wouldn't want you to miss that meeting at four after all." She said in an amused tone, but knew they had time. At least an hour, easy.

“Take all the time you want to look, Crescelia will take care of your needs, for the time being I need to prepare and travel for that meeting.” She stood and gave Elenor a gentle pat on the head as her heterochromatic neko maid poked her head in. “Take care Mrs. Elenor and give the high witches a good report for me, if for nothing else my good hospitality.” She purred before a black wind swept through the room and the witch was gone.