First night!

[enhancomancer]

Calling Castle Roogna! Come in Castle Roogna!

Hey! Dummy mirror on the other side! Go wake up Dad! I know what time it is, but it's important! He won't smash you, I promise!

[It's wicked late, and sorry to everyone who didn't muffle and block their mirrors. She clearly didn't connect to where she wanted!]

Comments

[enhancomancer]

Neither! [Giggles!] Stanley Steamer's my dragon! He's my bestest friend ever and I told him the story of the Ouroboros, so now he likes to sleep in a circle around me, biting his tail. He's not big enough for circling the world, but it's his way of saying I'm his world. Sometimes he has to protect the Gap Chasm when Stacey can't, but I can't sleep in a new place without him.

Nuh-uh. Why not? The magic mirror should connect.

[serpentinthegarden]

Oh right, the dragon...

[ How had he forgotten? ]

It won't because the magic from your world doesn't work with the magic from this world. That mirror will only connect to the mirrors in the Kingdom.

[enhancomancer]

[She hadn't told him he was a dragon yet!]

That's dumb. Magic should work with magic.

Did I wake you then? I know demons don't need to sleep, but sometimes they do anyway since reality gets boring. I'm sorry if I did, I didn't mean to, obviously.

[serpentinthegarden]

[ There's a good reason! It was early and very easy to become confused in this story. ]

It should, but it doesn't.

And yea, I was... Here everyone sleeps, even demons. I wouldn't have needed to at home, not unless there was an incredibly boring century that needed sleeping through.

Don't little girls sleep where you come from?

[enhancomancer]

Yes. [With the slow and patient tone of someone repeating themselves to someone who doesn't know better, like a child; despite her being the child here.] But in my own room where the stones can tattle on me, or if I'm outside then with Stanley. Never someplace new without Stanley. And especially not without telling Daddy where I am if Hugo's parents had me stay over because it was too late to travel.

[serpentinthegarden]

[ Not entirely without those tender more human emotions he thought he picked up on a hint of something he felt instant sympathy for. ]

Have you ever been away from home overnight before?

[ Was she lonely? Scared? It did happen to ones as young as she looked. ]

[enhancomancer]

Yeah. With Stanley. At first we used to stay in the big Coven Tree. But otherwise only at the Good Magician Humphrey's castle or the Zombie Master's castle or with the centaurs. I've never gone anywhere without Stanley, I wasn't allowed. Dolph can pretend to be Stanley, but he's only five, so he's not nearly as strong. And Dolph and I never ran off together. He's not old enough to be as much fun yet.

Nobody would fight Stanley if they could avoid it. Not even other dragons or giants. He's very strong. And the Gap dragon. He's famous now that the Forget Spell wore off.

[Scared would require sense enough to understand danger. She does miss her dragon though!!! She's not kidding that she can't sleep without him. It's fine if she has other friends, but no, she's never been away from home ALONE anyway. And she's not really ever alone, seeing as even the inanimate is lively at home, and she has friends everywhere.]

[serpentinthegarden]

When you were kicked out of the bedroom did you bring a pillow or anything out with you?

[ It seems an odd question but there is a reason for it. ]

[enhancomancer]

Nope! It didn't seem useful. But there's a few out here!

[serpentinthegarden]

Hold one up to the mirror?

[enhancomancer]

[Grabs one of the couch pillows!] It's not as good as Mother's pillow plant pillows. I suppose because of both hers and my magic.

[serpentinthegarden]

[ Crowley snapped his fingers and the couch pillow she held grew in size and altered its form, becoming a very large and very cute looking giant dragon pillow large enough for a small girl to ride if she wanted to or at the very least snuggle up next to. ]

It's not alive, but it is the best I can do. Maybe it will help you feel a little more at home.

[enhancomancer]

GEE! Thanks!!! Is this you?

[She means literally, since that's how demonic magic works in Xanth.]

[So she gingerly pets between the wings, and indeed does snuggle up inside it, moving the tail to make a circle.]

[serpentinthegarden]

Do I look like a dragon? No, that's not me... that is the pillow you were holding. I just changed it's form.

[enhancomancer]

You changed its form, not your own??? Is that your magic, or because of here, or are demons where you're from like that?

In Xanth demons can just change their form. Like Dolph! But they can be inanimate objects too, not just living ones. And Threnody is only half demon, so she can transform, but it takes her a lot longer than any demon!

[serpentinthegarden]

I could do that back on Earth, it only took a little demonic interference. Here I did have to relearn the skill using their inferior magic...

What is the deal with these demons in your world? Why would they want to become a mirror or a writing desk or whatever?

[enhancomancer]

Earth... that's... Mundania. I didn't know demons still existed there. There's no magic... oh but maybe it's only for demons?

I dunno. Why not? Isn't it the same usefulness like you changing other things? Only it keeps them safe too. Demons can all fuzz out so nothing hits them. That's why Esk was looking for Hugo's Dad for an answer how to deal with Demoness Metria.

[serpentinthegarden]

I'm the only one on Earth, really, the rest generally stick to the basement.

You're demons don't have a 'basement' do they? They must do, otherwise why would they be demons... they would all be angels still. Say, why haven't you mentioned angels yet? If your world has demons then it must also have angels?

[enhancomancer]

No... I don't know what--

Oh!!! You mean Hell?

Never heard of an angel? You don't mean angles, right?

[serpentinthegarden]

[ He had been trying to avoid using that word, stupid really... that's what it was and the kid must have heard worse! ]

Yeah, Hell. You have heard of it then?

But never angels? Sanctimonious things with big white wings?

[enhancomancer]

[The other words are protected by the adult conspiracy, however demons live in hell, it's just a fact!]

Where demons live when they're not on the surface.

No? Is that what winged centaurs are called where you're from? Chex's wings aren't white though, they're iridescent. [Very proud of the use of this word.]

[serpentinthegarden]

No, never mind... probably doesn't matter. Maybe the demons won in your world.

[enhancomancer]

Huh?

[serpentinthegarden]

Like I said forget it. Just lean back against your dragon and close your eyes. Does some one usually tell you a story or do you usually go to sleep on your own?

[enhancomancer]

Stories are always great! Usually the ghosts talk to me and sometimes the tapestry illustrates the history of what they're talking about.