There wasn't much to say about a city that didn't change a whole lot from day to day, morning to morning, and evening to evening. Truce and its inhabitants had pretty much settled back into a stream of normality after the events of several days prior, with no further shadowed assailants having presented themselves in the time passing since. With the arrival of Deacon and his intent to assimilate the Cleft's existence into his recordkeeping schematic, and the subsequent issuance of the wood elf woman, Zen, who would be performing this reconnaissance, things retained a minor level of interest associated with them, and sometimes, 'minor' was the best kind of interest.

Still holding onto the one secret she hadn't opted to tell Haut, Jillian fussed over it and the consequences of such a thing in her own ways, but those concerns were small in the general span of things; Erim's lack of ability ensured that she would not be a danger to anyone, as far as she knew, and after their engagement and the words exchanged therein, she had to trust that the woman had no intentions to the contrary, should Jillian's decision to let her sister leave prove to be a problematic one.

The late afternoon hours gradually transitioned into evening ones, and on this particular day, Jillian found herself tinkering with some small toy-like puzzle at the kitchen table of her and Haut's home, following dinner; it was a minor thing of no importance, but one that had tagged her amusement, as these things sometimes did. Mero, the bat-winged, silver-eyed spirit of darkness hung ever-close at her shoulder, its wide iris peering down at the toy in Jillian's hands as she considered its solution, perhaps attempting to help her in his own way.

The sound of a curse reaches the dining room from the garage attached to it, followed shortly by a 'thunk' and then a sharpened rod of metal embedding itself part of the way through the wall. A slightly louder curse follows this, before the door opens to reveal Haut. He had managed to get a shower in, and even some sleep after passing out on the couch as bad movies played, but since then (barring a break to cook and eat dinner) he'd been hard at work.

The result had been cursing, the occasional pulse of negative mana, and now this. He wrenches the rod from the wall, leaving a small hole in it leading out to the garage before sighing. "Sorry, turns out the spring was too strong." An underhand toss lobs the weapon back into the garage with all the auditory grace of a falling pipe, and Haut leans against the frame rubbing at the bridge of his nose.

"Good news, almost ready to go. Got the internals mostly figured, just need to do another pass on the armor. And get the power source hooked up."

Sticking mostly to the shadows cast by the taller buildings, Merciviant walks at a steady but fairly quick pace to the street it was expected to visit. Its five-legged companion energetically kept up, tiny hooved feet making a distinct clipclop sound as they did.

Something felt off today. Inbetween the odd encounter in its home and the strange tension in the air, something definitely doesn't seem right.

What is this anxiety building up? There is nothing to fear, not now. I need only retrieve the silver, return to my room, and conduct the ritual...so why doesn't this feel right? Why can I not shake this feeling of impending dread? ...I may have stepped into a situation I full well should not have. Ah, well. I shall carry on and see what happens.

Stopping for a moment at the fountain, it lowered its fingertips to the water kept them there for a moment while Buer lapped happily at it from the fountain's rim.

Hydration should help. We just need to calm down. That is all. And then...just finish this.

In spite of the rationale, it was visibly tense.

...Perhaps a bit longer. If only to calm my nerves.

The sound of clanging, clinking, and cursing ('the three C's,' as Jillian had affectionately referred to them) were mere background noises to her nowadays, and if the volume of any one of the three got particularly loud, she would have looked up to at least see if anything expressly-volatile followed that she needed to be concerned with, but it was a general rarity. Even the thunk of some errant metal missile penetrating the wall did little to pull her attention away from the simple toy she was focused on, but the door opening was enough for that.

She turned her head to one side as Haut stood in the door and retrieved the object from a place it (probably?) didn't belong, and while the description of his progress doesn't give her a whole lot to go on (she's tried to listen and understand, but there's just some things that are her forte, and some what aren't), she listened and was supportive as needed, hoping that would be enough and that she wouldn't be quizzed later. "It sounds like you've made a lot of progress in the last day or two, at least," she offered. She opted to say something else, but an odd thought clipped her mind at that moment and distracted her. "They really will put the concept of 'Dracula' just about anywhere if it means making a few gold, won't they?" It came from out of nowhere, but to her, it was as valid a question as any other.

"I mean yeah, big scary names really sell it. At the same time though, no one ever really has to worry about Dracula himself showing up to tamp down some dude looking to make a little scratch. He's too important." The concept of talking to Jill about Dracula always kind of amused him. She actually knew the guy after all. He never really understood the whole tiers of relationship thing though.

"Cutting back to just the arm really let me focus down, so at the bare minimum I'll be ready to rock any time." He pauses for a second, before fishing through a pocket and stepping over to the table. On it he deposits a phial with a pair of weird looking little shaped plastic lumps. "Also, got a pair of these ready. They're earbuds, keep 'em with you."

Jillian liked presents. She didn't hesitate to make sure people knew this about her, either. She sets her unfinished puzzle down and picks up the cylindrical container, peering at them for several moments before her curiosity reaches her tongue. "'Earbuds'?" she asks, clarifying. "Do you mean 'earplugs'? Are we going to be expecting some loud noises once you get your project working?"

Its nerves just a bit steadied, Merciviant rises from the fountain and gestures to Buer to follow it, which it happily does so.

See? Nothing is happening. It is in our head, and nowhere else. Well, so to speak.

Turning onto the street Haut's house was on, it slowly walked up to the door and after some brief hesitation (and buer scrambling up its cloak to sit on its shoulder), it knocks and waits.

"Nah, plugs would stop all sound. These are tuned to only stop the frequency for the new generation of screamers I've got. I don't wanna hurt you with them too." He opens his mouth to say something else, but freezes as there's a knock on the door. Jill's seen it before, that look that crosses his face the moment something outside his expectations happens. A mixture of fear and anger that has, admittedly, lessened with time. But it's still there.

The house pings, checking the presence before it as it uses various cameras to check against a registry of known visitors. The callback rating shows as neutral on friend or foe, and Haut relaxes just a bit. The trip to the door was quick, and peeking out the peephole reveals a familiar seeming gourd at the very least. Finally, a solid ten seconds after the knock the door opens to reveal Haut, who looks mildly less like shit than the last time it saw him. "Ah, there you are. Still looking for the goods?"

Jillian listens as Haut explains the device's purpose, figuring it was something of that sort, but the actual explanation helps solidify things for her, at least. The doorbell ringing, despite that abrupt look on Haut's face that she has, actually, come to expect when pretty much anyone comes to call that isn't her, doesn't phase her in the least; she remembered the company they were expecting today, and as Haut departs to answer the door, she pushes her chair back and leaves both earbuds and puzzle behind, only casting a side glance to make sure Mero is still on her shoulder as she crosses the kitchen and makes to follow a distance behind him, a presence without a voice at that moment.

Before Merciviant could respond, the strange little kitten mews loudly at Haut instead. Merciviant's eyelight aims at the little devil before looking back to him.

"Good day, I am indeed. I hope I am not too early, nor imposing."

The light in its eye seems to occasionally dart about in a way it didn't seem to before. The five-legged kitten keeps its golden eyes on Haut, though it seems to simply be interested rather than on guard.

When Merciviant's presence is made in the door, there is the barest trace of disappointment on Jillian's face, but it is just-as-quickly gone.

Haut nods as he eyeballs the 'kitten', and he beckons them inside. "Here, pop a squat for a sec. Given you need this for a ritual I wasn't sure if you needed it in a certain condition or something, so I just kinda left it as raw as I could." After showing Merciviant to the dining room table of what actually appears to be an entirely normal living room, Haut disappears for a moment into an adjoining room.

The clanking noise is short lived this time before he exits the room carrying what looks to be an entirely normal muffin tray. In fact, that's exactly what it is, though when he places it before his guest there isn't a delicious treat inside. Instead the somewhat oxidized surface of fresh silver stares back, shaped like the bottom portion of the tin. "Cleaned up as requested, you didn't lose too much mass."

Merciviant picks up the silver chunk and examines it all over.

"Yes...yes, this is ideal. Thank you very much for this. I do believe they shall appreciate it, and it will make a fine seal."

Putting it in a small pocket in its cloak (though not before Buer seems to greedily stare at it), it looks to Haut again.

"I wonder if there is something I can do to repay you? Between this and the welcome I've received to this world, I feel that I owe you both that."

Jillian watches Haut depart and return with the inedible (and, to her, extremely dangerous) metallic nugget, smirking broadly at the manner of presentation he chose for it. She looks like she was about to make some sort of smart comment about it, as she was occasionally prone to doing (snarking was a love-language in this household, she decided), but something... stops her, and melts that smirk off her face quicker than any silver lump ever could. She glances past Merciviant, and offers a simple "Excuse me a sec, sorry," on her way past them, her lean frame allowing her to mostly slip beside with the exception of her chest probably giving the pumpkinhead a considerable squish against the gourd on her way past.

The succubus pauses just outside, peering off toward the westward direction and tentatively putting a hand on one of her hips, an odd mix of concern and curiosity embedding itself on her pale features.

Haut, meanwhile, fixes Merciviant with a confused look. "How am I gonna ask you to do something when I more or less volunteered to do this for you?" The tone seems to indicate that he'd consider himself an asshole for asking anything from the pumpkinhead, but before he can elaborate Jill is on the move. The look on her face says it's not a trip to the powder room either.

Wordlessly he follows her, his expression turning serious as he first looks west, realizes there probably isn't shit for him to see, and then instead he turns to look up to Jill to try and read her expression. "That something we need to worry about?"

The back of her mind nags at her just slightly for ignoring or putting out a guest in their home, but also, the feeling she's getting isn't something she's inclined to just ignore until it's time to bid them adieu. She glances at Haut out of the corner of one eye as his presence draws near, but remains facing toward the west, with a slight southwestward tilt. "I'm not sure," she said. A small glow begins to take place in her right palm, priming a spell without having the intent on releasing it yet, as Mero floats up and off her shoulder to hover a few feet away, its large silver eye also fixated on something unseen. "Give me a moment."

Merciviant stands up and steps out to where its hosts are, wondering what bothered them seemingly as much as it was earlier.

Buer was visibly agitated, their fur on end as it stared to the west.

Something IS wrong. I should have paid better attention to this feeling. At any rate, let us see what it means

It retightened its grip on its grimoire as it watched and waited, anxious to hear what Jillian would discern.

The curiosity portion of her expression teeters, gradually giving way to full concern as a frown forms over most any other feature that could be placed there. "... Again? Fucking..." she spits, as the glow in her palm grows swiftly in intensity, that spell she was preparing being to manifest. "Get behind me. Both of you. Right now." It wasn't a request, but it wasn't a demand, either; it was a very strong suggestion, implying consequences outside her control if they did not heed her.

Merciviant wordlessly complies, scooping up Buer in the process and immediately opening its grimoire in preparation. It doesn't cast anything, standing on guard instead.

If nothing else, the validation turned the worry into usable tension.

Haut isn't the kind of person to say no when Jill says something, but he also isn't going to just do nothing. Getting behind her, he draws a collapsible rod from one of his jacket pockets, the thing coating itself in runes as he readies himself for what's about to come. "Stick behind us. Jill, swap if it breaks."

Jillian's spell completes, then, and as she brings her sparkling hand forward, Mero's eye dilates considerably, something apparently jarring him pretty hard, too; a dense, beehive-like barrier suddenly forms in a vertical dome-like shape in front of her and the others, gleaming brightly with a white light before the visual of it, but not its protection, fades from sight. Jillian herself tenses, eyes locked on the horizon as she braces for... something unseen. The rest of the city around them doesn't seem to notice, and in truth, it doesn't look like there's anything wrong. Just a tall, pale woman having an anxiety attack of some kind, to anyone else looking on. "I thought that's what it was, the first time, but I wasn't sure," she said, quickly. "Someone's pissing him off, and we're going to end up as collateral damage if it goes too far." Her tone is not optimistic, and anyone picking up on the subtleties would detect that she doesn't actually know if what she's doing will even do them any good or not.

"...shall I call for Lord Asmodeus? I hardly have any desire to be dead weight if there is danger incoming. Assuming the source of your concerns is even something that can be fought, that is..."

Merciviant already had the book open to its powerful ally's page, but that was it. There were too many unknowns and the summoner had come to understand quite readily in recent days that there is a good deal more to this realm than it seems.

With at least one dangerous group of gods, unfamiliar demons and countless monsters abound, all of which with their own continuing feuds and complications...

But then, I am a resident here as well. And we are not the type to sit idly by when action is in the cards.

"I mean he might be good for a laugh but-" Haut hated this. The idea of just hunkering down and waiting. Of relying on Jill who was worried herself. And here he was gripping a stick that might not even work against a large scale magical outpouring of energy. "If you can help protect, do whatever you can. Hopefully the kid gets his shit sorted soon."

If nothing else, all this made one thing abundantly clear. It was dangerous for him to just be wandering around like this. More than that it seemed like he couldn't control himself. But if the Sinistrals weren't controlling him then what was causing this? Why had everything been calm for five fucking years and now Jill's been worried about the city blowing up twice in the span of a fucking week?

More things spun in Haut's mind, but that's all he could do right now. Think, as the people equipped to deal with this situation did so.

There is a long, arguably-painful delay as... nothing happens, and then nothing continues to happen, despite the unrelenting tension on Jillian's face. Mero, himself, floats a little further away, but his own single-eyed gaze remains rooted in the same direction that Jillian happens to be watching.

Roughly 50 seconds or so pass, before Jillian's body finally relaxes, and she straightens up fully, letting out a significant sigh from both nostrils. "Well," she said, shifting her gaze toward Mero briefly. "Zero for two, I guess. Good news, but not helpful news. Sorry about that, Gourdy."

The snark just... fell out of her mouth, and her eyes widen as she realizes that she just said that without meaning to. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She turns, just quickly as anything else and puts her hands together apologetically. "I didn't mean that, it just kind of... happened."

Merciviant tilts its head, apparently confused.

"Hm? Ah, my head. I get it."

While its face couldn't change, its tone seemed a bit lighter.

"I am surprised I have not been called that before. No worries, however."

Clearly amused, it closed its book and relaxed.

"Still, though...with this energy...the timing is good. Right now, right here, I could conduct the ritual with guaranteed success. The air is crackling with the right energies, a fine mix of it. It is...invigorating. Almost intoxicating."

Its voice is lower than normal and even its way of speaking seems far less rigid than usual. It reopens the tome and flips to a certain page while withdrawing the piece of silver from before.

Haut rides the almost minute out with that same kind of stress and tension as before, only minorly relaxing as Jill drops her stance. The snark though, that hits him entirely off guard, as the cackle of almost surprised laughter will attest to. Despite Merciviant taking it well, Haut only manages to taper off into some snickering after a little bit.

So much so that he actually misses everything that it says. When it begins to mess with its book and the silver though, Haut doesn't exactly call things to a stop. The HoA was already trying to skin him, what's a little demonic summoning ritual on top of that.

Feeling much better, he stashes away his collapsible rod again, the runes on it simply fading away as he gives the pumpkinhead a little space. And also gives Jill a good natured shoulder pat to show his appreciation at least of the snark. He felt proud, actually.

She seems relieved that their guest didn't take offense to her quasi-racist remark, and as Haut commends her in one way or another (or both), her attention returns back toward the western direction, and Mero floats back on over to her, too. She frowns just a little bit, but it's not of concern, this time; just uncertainty. "I wonder," she muses, possibly to herself, but loud enough that anyone else could hear it, "what our obligation is or isn't, in all this. I know we talked about this before, but knowing that he's actually out there, do we just... let it ride itself out?" Again, she didn't sound inherently worried, but more like she was just trying to ascertain something.

"I already asked you this. Your answer then was no, we figure out what's going on. 'The kid is here' doesn't tell us that, just that he's here." Haut keeps his own eye on the ritual, casually interested in what he could pick up from it and also maybe keeping an eye on that hunk of silver. "Besides, if something is fucking with him hard enough that he's triggering you twice a week with bomb scares, I'm not going to get any proper rest. Not to mention the fuckin' property values."

He shakes his head, gets maybe a little distracted from the ritual by checking out Jill from behind, all while still delivering his thought on the matter. "We gear up, head out there, and figure out what the fuck is going on with the kid. And if we gotta rescue him from some shit or bap him a good one and tell him to watch his shit, we'll make that choice when we get there." He pauses for a moment, before sighing. "And his mom would probably like to know he's okay too."

Merciviant during this time had been drawing a circle around itself with salt, from what looked like a crystalline bottle. It was meticulous in the way the circle was drawn - it carefully redid parts that were slightly off, and with a speed that made it clear it is used to these adjustments. Perhaps it was a requirement of the rituals, or perhaps it was compulsion on the summoner's part, but the end result was well-made and clear despite its grainy source.

Four letters also in salt were drawn at opposing spots on the outer rim of the circle, but more distracting was the strange, beaker-like shape in the middle with an odd pattern consisting of small circles connected by short lines in a zigzag fashion. Near it was a cross with broad points.

Merciviant stepped back, careful to not disrupt the work it had so carefully done, and withdrew the chunk of purified silver, setting it on the circle's center. It then withdrew a small vial full of red liquid, which it undid the cork on and let a bit flow out, tracing the shape of a star with it around the silver. It finally rose again and stepped away from it all, its raised slightly as its echoing voice spoke.

"Across space and planes, I reach to you. In this land which I have prepared for you, I call to you - In the name of Merciviant, the invitation is sent: please accept this offering and seal and appear before me now, Marquis Shax."

With this incantation made, a dark green light surged around the pumpkinhead and the circle alike. It did not move from the spot it planted its feet in, and the increasingly high pressure of abyssal magic from said circle was palpable.

Jillian is silent for a few moments following Haut's commentary, possibly thinking about prospects and consequences, depending on what sort of situation they did find themselves in, if they happened to run into Ambience. Judging from the distance she felt the energy, it wasn't anywhere near as far away as the previous one. It felt... was it Tonoe? The lowlands? Oreyndur? The location was rough, but it was decidedly nearer to them than the previous, which meant that...

He was headed their way.

Her attention is ruptured somewhat when Merciviant begins chanting, though, forcing her to turn partways around so she can witness the ritual taking place. She'd seen plenty of situations not unlike this one in her time, given the company she kept, and they were always interesting to see what resulted from each one. The expression on her face still belies her uncertainty elsewhere, but at least for the moment, it wouldn't do any of them any good, so she'd see to that later.

The green light enveloping the circle shifts to red, then white, then finally begins to fade as the silver begins to melt down. Quickly, the molten remains seem to evaporate into a thick cloud of shining wisps, which begin to shape themselves into a figure.

It is tall and lean, at first looking like a person in a cloak - but it becomes clear it is more a birdlike being with winged arms folded like a cape. Covered in a mix of black and white feathers, growing in a vaguely checkerboard pattern, a green feathered cap on top of its head being the only piece of clothing it wears save for a pair of golden anklets on its taloned legs. It resembles a stork, overall - at least the bits that look more like a normal bird's. Its long beak stays closed for a while as red eyes peer out before it.

In one of its clawed hands dangles a long string, with round beadlike charms attached. They look like marbles at first, but it is clear on closer inspection that they are eyes, all different colors.

A forked, snakelike tongue slithers out from between its beak and licks from one side to the other. Looking straight at the summoner that invited it, it finally speaks.

"Well now, here I am. Your offering was quite fitting, little root. But is your ability up to snuff? Allow me to see you at length..."

"No."

"Beg pardon?"

The demon was stock still at Merciviant's response, almost as if commanded.

"With all due respect, Marquis Shax - until this contract is settled upon or rejected, you will not leave that triangle."

"Trian- ah. Oh, goddamnit. Clever little bastard, aren't you? I didn't even notice."

Sure enough, one section of the blood-red star remained, and was in a triangle around Shax's feet.

Sighing in frustration, it held still while looking around.

"And you have an audience. Was this meant to be a bloody humiliation party or somesuch?"

Haut had seen a lot of things in his time, but full on summoning a demon was not one of them. Of course, that said, he had also kind of expected more from the experience. The acrid feel of abyssal magic made him wrinkle his nose as the bird bastard shows up, and while he could agree with the attitude some part of him couldn't help but assume this thing would be trying to rip them all apart of it hadn't been sealed properly.

Which made the pumpkinhead's meticulous work earlier welcome. Still, he'd been mentioned specifically so he might as well give his two cents. "Don't look at me, I'm just the homeowner. But if that shit stains the concrete I'm going to send you a bill for the pressure washing." If there was one thing he didn't have to worry about, it was some birdnerd looking ass demon who was bound in a ritual seal.

"My, the gumption on this one! How quaint. We'll see if you can keep those threats up when I'm properly manifested, you crass ass-"

"Marquis Shax, please. I did not call upon you to trouble you. I genuinely seek a pact with you."

The demon seemed further annoyed at Merciviant's interruption, throwing its arms in the air and sighting loudly...which sounded oddly like an angry goose honking.

"Yes, of course, it's always that, isn't it? And you didn't even have the courtesy to let me have a bit of fun, sealing me up in advance like this. Rotten little root.
...but I'm here now, and you've gone to the trouble, I suppose. I might as well hear you out."

"My thanks. If you will have a look here..."

Merciviant steps forward now that the tension seems to be off, showing the birdlike demon something in the grimoire and apparently going over terms. It mostly listened to the summoner, nodding with a vaguely disinterested energy on occasion.

Meanwhile, the other demon in Merciviant's employ roams around aimlessly, occasionally looking up at Haut and Jillian, the same curious expression as before.

Haut snorts derisively if that's all it takes for the grilled chicken demon to call out 'threats' or label him as 'crass'. Before he can really show his stuff though, Merciviant draws him into the negotiation phase of things, which is probably bad to interrupt. Even if the bird was a bitch.

He meets Buer's gaze again, looking at the weird lil dude before bringing his attention to Jill, interested to see if this guy was one of her way less impressive cousins or something. At the very least if he were the summoning type he knew which he'd go for.

Having witnessed many abyssal summonings in her vastly-considerable lifetime, this ritual wasn't anything new to Jillian. What was new to her, however, lay in the backtalk involved in the summoned being toward Merciviant. Most of her lords and superiors would have extinguished them on the spot for anything outside of instantaneous fealty upon their arrival, under the circumstance that seeds of dissent sown that early in the master-subservient chain were grounds for higher problems at a later time. Then again, from what little she knew of the ways and means that current-era 'summoners' called forth their followers, it was unlikely that the situations were similar to what she was used to. Asmodeus, on the other hand, received a pass because he was a lord, himself, and someone of his stature being brought to kneel had to have been a considerable blow to his pride; as was mentioned to them before, demons did have their own hierarchy, and even though Jillian was, by all accounts, 'free' from this chain, she was still mindful and respectful of it. Succubi did not often rank high among the rest, and while she and Asmodeus would have belonged in the same 'circle' of demon heritage, she was a great many steps lower in the hierarchy. Concubines and general-task slavery were to be expected for ones such as her, in the broad spectrum of things, which at least explained her disposition toward inferiority.

As Buer happened by within reach, however, she did not hesitate to scoop the feline-esque demon up and cuddle it unabashedly, holding it close but not tightly within her arms such that it would have the opportunity to leap away if it felt unsafe or too proud for such attention. She eyes Merciviant and Shax but doesn't poke her nose close enough to eavesdrop, thinking to herself about the nature of the former's 'pacts' and how they functioned, but saying nothing of it. Instead, she glances at Haut. "I don't want to make it sound like I'm pressuring, because it is anything but," she said, conversationally, "but do you have a rough idea on the length of time still needed for your current project, Haut?" If he'd already told her, which was entirely possible, she'd since forgotten. It happened with frustrating frequency, actually; demons were not prone to having better or worse memories than any other creature, but hers seemed to occasionally be sub-par.

Buer very clearly enjoys and appreciates the attention, purring and squirming around happily as he's doted on. He is very warm, like he's just been sleeping in the sunlight for hours. He's clearly comfortable with Jillian in particular, though whether that's due to being held by a fellow demon or simply taking to her isn't entirely clear.

Merciviant and Shax seem to be finishing their terms, with the birdlike demon more invested in what the summoner is saying than before, a curled talon under its beak as it nods along to what Merciviant is saying and showing it, eyes wider than before. Just barely, some words can be made out.

"And so...as more of you...continues to grow, I..."

"Yes...with that speed...very possible. Intriguing..."

They seem to reach an agreement as Merciviant offers its hand to the demon, whose talons clasp and shake it. It speaks a bit louder now, as the private part of the conversation seems finished.

"Very well, I accept. Consider me at your service from here on, good little root. And my apologies about the rudeness from before."

It then looks to Haut.

"To you as well, good man. Everything else aside, this is your home, and called or not I did barge in."

Between him and Asmodeus, it seems demons of this group are either highly fickle or prone to extreme mood changes. Regardless, its words sound genuine.

The acquisition of the feline-ish demon doesn't really shock Haut. The thing looked like it was actually a lot of fun to pet. But, he's got questions to answer here, and the pumpkin and bird sure weren't gonna answer for him. It does, however, make him think about the project in question. After having condensed fully down to just the arm and power unit, the structural framework was mostly done. He'd even managed a few redundancies, but he wasn't about to actually rely on any of them. Much more important were the actual features. A launcher was built into the forearm, a non-disposable screamer output in the underside of the wrist, he was proud of the work even if most of it was just upscaled variants of things he'd already made. Of course, telling any of that to Jill, along with any of the actual details behind them would result in some very polite nods. He loved her, but she wasn't here for tech.

So, as for the actual question. "If you need us on the road as soon as possible, give me thirty. That'll get tack welds in. It'll be ugly and I'll need to upkeep it later, but we can be on the road. If you need it sometime today, about two hours. You're the one who knows where we're going, Jill. Just lemmie know when you need me." He finishes off just as the pact itself is made, looking back over to the speaking demon in question, raising the eyebrow of his functional eye. "It's fine, I made no specific arguments before it. Besides, I'm-" Haut pauses for a second, where his face slides to neutral as an unbidden thought enters his mind. It's something he doesn't want to consider in the slightest, but it doesn't change the fact that it's there. Just as quickly though, he clears his mind forcibly, turning his attention to Merciviant. "Not actually upset. Though, I might need to take you up on that favor we spoke about later sometime. Just as sort of a, last ditch scenario kind of thing."

Semi-retired or not, he couldn't escape the urge to make contingencies.

Haut's response wasn't quite what she had in mind, but for a different reason. Still, she doesn't let her concern get in the way of the scritches being afforded her five-legged feline friend, and continues to grant the fluffy abomination with no small amount of comfort. "I don't want half-assed hastening," she said, not roughly, but plainly. "I want you to finish what you're planning to do in its entirety, including making sure what is supposed to work does work, before we go anywhere. The last thing you or I want to happen is some small unforeseen 'oops, I forgot that part' to befall us when we need it the least. We'll stay until you're satisfied with the conclusion, and then we'll go." She glances at Merciviant briefly, then the bird creature, and then back at Haut. "That will also give me some time to figure out how, actually, we should go about this, since we only have a general direction, and little else."

She pauses in thought for a moment, then adds, "Or whole-assed hastening, for that matter."

Haut's eye flicks to Merciviant. "Try to go quick to make a lady happy, and this is what you get."

With a completely-serious look on her face, Jillian drops one more, because she can. "I've never been one for things finishing too quickly," she said. "That should be obvious."

Merciviant nods and begins walking towards the two. With a snap of its bony fingers, Shax takes a bow as it and the circle it arrived in fade rapidly into particles of light.

"Of course. With each pact I make, the more I 'grow'. It is good to use this power constructively as I go forward."

It stopped to watch Buer getting pampered with apparent amusement, both at the tiny demon's joy and the quip from Haut.

"This one as well. You shall see him in his true form before too long, I imagine.
For now, I have much ahead of me to do. I will need to convene with Lord Asmodeus as to which path we take next. Something has not sit right with me since this morning, with a strange encounter in my home, and it has left me even more driven for these preparations."

Jillian tenses at the vagueness given by the phrase 'a strange encounter,' considering what kinds of strange encounters they'd been prone to lately, both good and bad. "Malevolent, or...?" she half-asks, with a side glance at Haut. "And was it shadow-based, by chance?"

Merciviant thinks carefully on the ominous event from before.

"Shadows...no, there was very little happening, visually. It was a presence, as well as a voice - I could not hear them very well, but they were asking for help. I attempted to call them to my location with a lesser, more subtle type of summoning spell...but it would seem that this did not help.

They were trying to evade another presence, from what I could tell. I do not know for what reason. I felt images forcibly entered into my mind, which was disorienting to say the least. I likewise do not know which of them sent that, if any. But I can say this: the second presence was likely malevolent on some level. The tone of it, as well as the desperation of the first, leads me to feel so at least."

Jillian sighs, brushing her fingers loosely against the side of Buer's neck. "When it rains, it pours, I guess," she said, a bit flatly. "Guess we'll have to keep eyes and ears out for similar things like that, then, too. I'm glad you brought it up to us, at least. Gotta say that I'm not a fan of things being inside my head, after what's happened in recent weeks."

Reluctantly, Jillian bends over so she can let Buer down, knowing that despite her desires, the cat already had a home, and that she'd have to get her own if she wanted a pet that badly.

Haut crosses his arms as the discussions of shadows and malevolent forces passes by, not having much to add in considering his own complete lack of experience with the matter. But, it makes Jill a little pensive so he's probably supposed to be not the most happy with it. When she does release the demon-cat he pats her back, comforting her for the lack of animal.

Clearly this was the greatest takeaway for him here at the moment. That they needed a hamster or something.

Jillian straightens, reaching up to push a bit of hair out of her eyes and behind one ear, one little horn peeking out a little further from that side of her temple in the process. "Just be careful on your way back," she said. "You know where we are if something comes up, and though we might be planning a trip in the near future, we'll let you know before we leave so that you don't come banging on the door of an empty house during that time." Her spaded tail flicks loosely. "You said you were staying at that tower on the path to Rocket Town, if I remember correctly, right?"

"Yes, in the toychest there. It is wonderfully peaceful, all said."

Merciviant kneels to pat Buer, who had been staring up at everyone expectantly, before continuing.

"I do appreciate that, also. I shall likewise be training myself more so that my allies can manifest more of their power.
...I do not like feeling like dead weight in such situations, after all."

It grew silent, in thought.

I have no interest in heroics. But I do wish to follow the pull of this line I have found myself tracing. Especially if Lord Asmodeus is sincere.

The succubus nodded agreeably. "Everyone has contributions they can make, usually," she said, with just a trace of dismissiveness. "Sometimes they're just not super obvious, right out the gate. But all the same, we'll look forward to our next meeting, Merciviant." Her lips twitch as she uses the pumpkinhead's given name, recalling the name she'd dropped on it earlier and having to force herself not to giggle over it, embarrassing or otherwise.

Haut nods when Jillian passes judgement. He knew first hand about not being the most likely candidate to do a thing, but contributing anyways. After all, some dumb cunt had decided his plan was the best when it came to dealing with the Sinistrals, and while he still stood by his choices it was kind of hard to see him approaching anything near being the proper person for the job.

"We'll see you again, Merciviant. If you find any more silver you need cleaned up, lemmie know." The executive choice to not teach it about smelting is made quickly. He didn't know how quickly pumpkinheads burned, but especially if it's just kinda renting where it lives he wasn't gonna put that place down to being a fire hazard.

He had enough people on his back.

"Very well. Thank you again for that, and should it come to it that you need our aid - you have it."

With that, the summoner and the little demon bid the couple farewell and began heading home, at the tower to the West.

Are you quite sure that's all you want from them? Do you not know how valuable generous allies are?

A familiar voice was sending it a message.

I shall not exploit others so easily, Lord Asmodeus. I do not wish to continue that cycle.

And so you will simply continue to live like this? Existing on, having the occasional pleasantry, forging more pacts - to NO discernible end?

It stopped in its tracks.

...I do not know what end, true. But even so, I-

Enough. Hear me, witch. I am prepared to make an offer to you outside our our agreement. I am quite the scout for potential - and if you are wanting better power, to find your own place among those in this world with it...I will help you attain it. Your own power, not that which you borrow from us.

It did not answer as it began its walk again. But the worried looks its catlike friend gave it were clear as it continued.

Jillian watches Merciviant and the two demon compatriots until they're well out of sight, and even when they are, she remains there for a time longer, her attention then shifting toward the west-by-southwest-ish, but she doesn't say anything, letting the agitated waving of her tail speak for her.

Haut watches the pumpkinhead move for a little longer, doing a little silent judgement of his own. It was a weak claim to a favor, but one he could press. Assuming Merciviant didn't burn itself out in the process of all this pact making. If Jill was any indication, demons held a lot of potential for being surprisingly driven. He didn't know how well a journey to the west style gathering would go, but he wasn't going to be the person to step in the way of someone else's ambition. He just hoped there'd be something left for his backup plans later.

That was kind of like caring, in his own weird way.

With the group departed, Haut sighs and looks to Jillian's waving tail. "Twelve hours, and then we're clear. I can't think of anything else that I'd need, and that's an overestimation. In all likelihood, sooner." The welding wouldn't take more than four, the implantation would be maybe five minutes, throwing some extra storage on, maybe extra power in a few just in case he did need to run something extra. The Scraper. Anything else could just be thrown in a backpack.

"We'll find him, and we'll figure out what the fuck's going on. And then we'll solve it." Simple as, in his mind. Same as it always was.

Unfortunately, Jillian had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't going to be that easy, this time. Problems could be solved, sure. Haut was definitely no slouch in that department. If there was a solution to something, he'd find it, whether it required a tactical or physical approach. It was one of his more-endearing qualities, she felt, in that she could relate to what it was to be a stubborn asshole about certain things.

But what if, behind the curtains, there was something more than just 'a problem'? Erim being around was a major wrench that had the potential to be thrown into any 'solutions' they might need to come up with, because even though she had no means to bring the Sinistrals to their doorstep now, it didn't mean she couldn't later. And, at her own admission, whether she wanted to or not. At least, for now, as long as she was just meandering along and keeping to herself, it would be fine. If they could find Ambience and isolate him, maybe even figure out what his part, if any, in all of this was, they could then turn their attention to Erim, herself, and figure out why she was back and how it related, then, to Ambience. Keeping the two of them separated was probably the most important thing, right now, which meant that they needed to find him before she did.

For more than just one reason. It was pretty clear Haut had no love for either of them, and putting that much unintentionally-antagonistic fuel into a single fire may have consequences she might not be able to handle at the time.

"Twenty-four, then," she said after a long moment of silence following Haut's encouragement. "I want to make sure you have time to sleep before we go, too." She eventually turned to face him, and her eyes had no small amount of concern, but among them was no shortage of conviction, either. "We'll give it a full day, maybe two, depending on circumstances and troubleshooting needs, as well as time allotted for working on it and any other interruptions that may come our way between now and then. At the very most, we'll leave two days from now. That should be plenty quick enough without wasting a lot of time in the process. Is that okay?"

Haut, in the face of that concern and conviction, smiles. A sweet smile is a strange expression for him to have, but the one he gives her is this all the same. "Fine with me. I'll get the work done, have a nice little rest, and make sure to eat breakfast." His hands settle on her shoulders as he gets a little serious too, his eye looking over her with a measure of that same concern. "But you also need to rest. I can't be the only one coming at this 100%. You know things tend to go a little off track when I'm in charge." She wasn't a monolith of mystery to him, and he could tell things were eating at her. Specifically what may be a different question entirely, but if she wasn't talking he wasn't prying.

They both had their secrets. He just had to trust her with hers, and when she felt safe enough to let them out, they'd work through them.

She looks back into his face in silence for a moment, then breaks into a grin and pulls Haut in close, holding him loosely but firmly against her chest. "I'm aware," she said, lowering her voice to match the moment. "That's why I'm giving us extra time. I trust you to do what we need, in order to be successful, but I also trust you to listen to me when I may have an opinion that goes against your own. We're a team, and I promise to rely on you when I have to, as long as you remember to do the same." She exhaled through her nose, but her grin didn't fade. "Fair?"

Haut's hug is a little firmer, but he's clearly relaxed as she bargains for a leadership position he's already earmarked her for. "I promise. You need something, you just gotta say it. I'm yours." He wanted to spend longer like this, just in her arms and enjoying life like normal people. But beneath everything he knew the world wasn't done with them yet. So, he gives her a little squeeze before releasing the hug.

"Right, I've got a bead to lay and ripples to make. Lemmie know when you're planning on laying down, I'll make that bedtime, yeah?"

She nods and steps back slightly as well, putting one hand on her hip in a familiar stance. "Sounds good to me," she said. "Won't be for awhile yet, but I'm definitely feeling like tonight will be a good time to rest for all involved. Who knows? I might even sleep!" It was probably a joke. Probably. The grin still on her face made it sound like it could have gone either way, really. She remains more-or-less in the doorway, though, which has still been open this whole time, and her tail can still be seen occasionally flicking itself about her backside, a bit sharply at some times, and less-so in others.

The silver-eyed spirit at Jillian's shoulder, having been mostly inactive despite his presence the whole time, casts a small side-glance in Haut's direction, but then resumes its 'peering around the room at random' sort of stance that it is inherently known for whenever nothing major is going on.

With a little snrk of amusement Haut makes his way over to the garage door and, with one last little grinning look back at her just because he can, Haut disappears back into the mass of scrapped parts and tools he calls a workshop. Double and triple checking things wasn't exactly his usual build quality for this kind of project, but she was putting extra emphasis on it.

There were a lot of things he'd do for her, and even the really boring part of things is one of them.

Jillian watches Haut go, keeping her grin up all the way through until he's gone back to his work, but then turns back to the doorframe once more, that same grin slipping just a ways. They needed to focus on one thing at a time right now, because too many problems to solve made it difficult to solve any of them, let alone all of them. One at a time. She would thank Mero later for doing such a good job at not spazzing out in front of Haut, given that it was definitely one of the more difficult things for a spirit like him to contain when bad news hit.

But, if Sylvan was really gone, did that mean...?