Lilith walked out of the house with paperwork filed and deed in her dress pocket. Her next order of priority was that information network. She could not neglect the matter because it would end in a similar surprise to that which caused her death. She would not underestimate Wyatt again.
The current pests she had under her control consisted of a few hundred mixed rodents, a small number of crustaceans and the occasional barnacle. She had attempted to recruit spiders and the like but it was incredibly difficult to pierce the creature with her fangs and not crush it. Barnacles in contrast were rather sturdy and thus there were a few that became slightly darker on the occasional ship.
Thinking about the matter meant she was unable to distract herself from the difference in their vision. Barnacles for example were especially sensitive to their environment. Looking through their senses was less using a spare set of eyes and more akin to having another extremely sensitive limb.
In contrast while the rodents had especially sensitive hearing their sight was no different than her own if slightly smaller and of course lower to the ground. The crabs were the most intriguing of them all however. Their vision shook with the wind and was comprised of a hundred or so different images that were smaller than her own eyesight, slightly blurry with only mild colour changes.
It was fascinating to her, seeing these various lenses to view the world. The topic had on a number of occasions already got her to think about what could possibly cause such visual distinctness when viewing the world through another being’s eyes.
Unfortunately she had more pressing concerns. Her current solution was the acquisition of a flight-capable familiar that is both discreet and unassuming. Her current largest contenders would be Baird’s sparrow and mosquitoes.
They each have their own problem. She arrives at the plaza after a short walk and the truly impressive display of people there distracts her. A pair of siblings in dirty clothes pass her with their dog. As soon as they walk into the crowd however they disappear in the bustle.
A group of 7 children hit sticks together, growl playfully at each other and some of them even swim on the pavement with fins made from cloth attached to their backs. Their tanned faces alight with smiles as their clothes tear and the various looks from wary to fond land on them from the adults passing by.
She had once read that judging a culture is often done by examining their children. While they do show an accurate representation of current trends she does not believe they represent society as a whole. For the other side of the coin she examines some of the adults walking by.
Specifically she focusses on those with the least valuable clothing and those riding in carriages. The former trudge along in their mud-covered boots smiles not strained but certainly reserved. She notices their calloused hands and built physiques. Their clothes are by majority overalls with small mud stains in the shape of a square nose dotted on the outfit and a front pocket bulging with something that appeared to be granular.
Other such individuals carried a rod and tackle along with them, dragging themselves and their gear along. Most faces were slack with empty eyes but there was the occasional sparkle at the bottom of the well. A hope and a prayer that this time, everything would change.
A carriage rolled up to one such individual and they did not hear it behind them. A loud crack of the whip returns the man’s focus and upon doing so he realises his predicament. With a swift shuffle he removes himself from the carriage’s path and the driver continues onwards. The man steals an envious glance that looks mildly hostile but does not act as the carriage passes by.
The fairly ostentatious means of transport has a number of similarities to the imperial carriage Lilith once took with her siblings. The emblem is of course that of a minor Baron under Douglas and the carriage does not display any form of celestial imagery nor is it nearly as comfortable looking at the vibrating tarp.
Despite that, she cannot help but recognise the basic frame and design she studied for years. The wheels are made from a soft light brown wood that almost bounces across the road. In this case, the wooden wagon for the carriage is painted a swampy blue to match the house colours. Inside said wagon was a similarly wooden frame covered in tarp of what she believes to be animal hide. Drawn along by a pair of horses on four wheels.
This Cressida standard model had very few custom alterations and it would be hard not to recognise it. Even the imperial family’s carriage was made by the Uranus subsidiary, the Cressida integram centrum was a technological innovation she studied during her early childhood.
The carriage continues down the street to the east as nostalgia consumes her but eventually disappears from her sight. Shortly following she looks around the plaza once more but swiftly decides she has delayed long enough. She follows the carriage’s path while returning to her previous thoughts finding it slightly hard to dredge them from her recently stirred memory.
Remembering a book on memory, an irony that is not lost on her, she focuses on the thoughts at the time and the memorable phrase flying familiars slots all into place smoothly. In terms of leading candidates currently available to her these would have to be mosquitoes and baird’s sparrow.
The former is both numerous and inconspicuous as well as having the bonus of being able to relieve her from hunting for others. The problem is their size and gathering places. They are smaller than spiders and thus similarly frail so she would have to be extremely careful turning each. That would take an extraordinary amount of time or skill.
Baird’s sparrows on the other hand are inconspicuous when found, nearly impossible to find in the first place and easily able to escape capture or termination. Despite this they do not flock together within a convenient time-frame given that it was currently August.
Her current need to be informed on Wyatt’s movements makes the sparrows an unfortunately impossible option for the moment. There simply is not enough of them for the duties required assuming she could find some at all. Despite knowing their habitat and general habits it is not as though they will conveniently show up in every such place she inspects.
She will still attempt to collect those she finds but there simply are not enough to enact her plan. She refuses to allow the grimace come to her face as she thinks about what that means. She is not particularly pleased about having to lower herself to being gentle with pests.
She walks through the noble district with the matter still weighing upon her mind. She knows this is the most efficient solution she will likely be able to think of. The question is whether she can accept the task or if she absolutely has no other option than taking another option because the action is so opposed to her current nature that it is no longer an option.
She imagines herself gently biting the mosquitoes and tries to focus on the idea of their kinship as fellow bloodsuckers. Even the idea that they will soon be familiars. She still suppresses the grimace but the fact that she did not immediately reject the idea as soon as she thought of it suggests it is possible.
To distract herself from that image and in an attempt to force her mind into thinking the idea positive she focuses on another topic. The first to catch her attention is her upcoming meeting with Darren and the property she just bought.
The former is rather simple. The latter however has a number of intricacies still to be given form, such as the individual who would be the face of such an organisation. The obvious candidate is Angie and that is the problem. By all accounts the girl is a natural born leader with a brain that is still observant even when dulled by lack of sleep, food and water.
Yet the first words the girl said came to mind and a snarl of distrust is the most prominent reaction. It did not matter much at the time. Now that she is a potential candidate for leadership and to be inducted into her immortality however, defiance is incredibly problematic.
She would not tolerate one of her lesser kin daring to challenge her but she also requires Angie’s skills and it would be just one more eternal problem that she would have to repress her nature for. The incident with the bear and Wyatt suggested that eventually that would not be possible and thus she did not want to add any more issues to repress. Once she figured this out that would be fine but right now…
She spots the mansion slightly further down as she thinks trying to either find a way to temper Angie’s interactions or ensure her nature does not come to the fore. The latter is a struggle she is far too aware of and currently incapable of resolving.
The former is perhaps a matter of time and perspective that she may be able to deal with in the future but she would rather not deal with such a problem for a number of centuries. It is better to force the girl to grow early so she does not require centuries worth of what is essentially maintenance before finally being capable of change. Even if it is going to be significantly more difficult.
As she thinks about the matter she sees a large bulbous membrane riding on tentacles in a skin-tight black outfit and it brings recent memories to the fore. Inside the membrane an orange glow spills onto the streets and her face as it passes. She recognises the marinefolk as Bob who they were introduced to upon entrance. The memory sparks an idea.
Angie seems mistreated. The other children and even the matron look relatively healthy but Angie is dangerously thin. The reason for such mistreatment could be enlightening. Even assuming it is not a problem Lilith can solve, it would be a good opportunity to analyse her character and goals.
If it is a problem she can solve however then it would be a convenient leash to keep her under control and content. Gratitude would not last for the rest of eternity with her character but it would make recruiting her significantly easier. It would also establish the matter firmly in her mind as her own choice and a beneficial arrangement.
The matter is decided as she walks up the stairs and opens the mansion’s double doors. Claire is bowing inside having been well-within both of their sensory ranges the entire time, given that the plaza is only a short walk away.
“Our guest shall be arriving shortly. I suggest you ask the man for lessons on servant etiquette during our discussion.” Lilith relays to Claire as she heads towards the guest room with the bloody locket. Claire nods and bows, standing next to the door so she may invite the guest inside.
Opening the light wooden door she walked into the room and noticed Claire’s efforts already bearing fruit. The windowsill no longer had a light layer of dust and she had taken the locket and stored it elsewhere shortly after leaving the room previously.
The walls were still bare of course and as she sat on one of the sofas as she stared at them. Perhaps she required a memento of her time here? The badger and bear were obviously not available nor would she take such crude trophies. Perhaps she could catch a single seagull familiar as such a trophy? Or if she ever manages to learn sailing and the related skills then perhaps the result of her training?
Pondering such thoughts, she stares at the table in silence and awaits her guest.
