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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rolzup" data-source="post: 3035794" data-attributes="member: 10105">Interlude: The Incredibly Sad Story of Not-So-Innocent Calliope and her Hapless, Priest- Abused Addict MotherThey steal through the alleyways away from the burning ruin of Maison Chatons. The House of Kittens is no more. They walk quickly in a near-silence punctuated only by cries for the fire brigade and the soft voices of a numb little girl and a wise monkey speaking."That's what you mean by 'play'.... little Calliope?!", exclaims Dr. Wu, his tails darting between his legs, which Kenji and Meiji immediately recognize as the Varana gesture indicating extreme embarrassment or fear of the Thunder Spirits. "No, no, no, a thousand times no. I do *not* wish to play with you. Wait... do not look so sad. You are a most beautiful blossom. And you are a most pleasing.... height."At this point Dr. Wu realizes that everyone else is staring at him. With the poise of a scholar on trial for heresy, he continues."I wish only to help you. And perhaps.... ask some questions"."Like the Shirac man did?" says Calliope."Can't you let her be!" interjects Joachim, Acolyte Priest of Kreutzel of the Immovable Feast.Wu ignores him. "Like the Shirac. Wait... there was no touching... yes?""He brushed his fingers across my forehead.""Most intriguing, a use of their Wu, no doubt"."Then he asked me about my mother. Her name was Harmony. She's dead now.""Most sad... rest assured that her spirit has...""Been eaten"."Pardon me?"Joachim states daggers, or perhaps unusually sharp shrimp forks, into an oblivious Dr. Wu."My mother always said that when she died the bad bishop would catch her soul and gobble in up like a sweet tart. He ate up all his favorites. Only left the bones, and he cracked them open and sucked out the marrow."Wu shakes visibly, in the manner of his kind, lacking the ability to turn pale.Calliope continues. "People think the Bishop only <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />ed children. But he did more to his favorites. He'd start with little play-bites. He hungered in so many ways. He was always hungry, in his secret place beneath the orphanage.""Orphanage?" asks Wu in a breathless and empty voice.Joachim answers in an equally spent tone, "She means the old monastery that Han Oi Xian bought in Little Ajakhan, the one that King Daikon is using as a farmer's market. It was an orphanage then. And Sebastien Babulaba was never a bishop. The news of his crimes broke right before he was elevated".Joachim has trouble looking Calliope in the eyes, but does so. She has no trouble meeting his gaze. "Child, I know that evil man hurt children, but there was no evidence that he..."Before he can complete his sentence, Calliope says, "Because he 'et them. They never found his secret place. He killed all his favorites before the CITY watch got him. Everyone except my mother."Joahcim says dumbly, "The authorities would have found out. The CITY Watch used Shirac mind-witches.  It was a well-publicized scandal. Eveyone *knew*. "Not like my mother. She got away and she hid. In wine. And opium. And singlemind. And Phorphyre threads. And men..."Wu looks up, eyes bright with curiosity, "Ahh.... that might hide her from Shirac witches." Wu hurriedly says, "Ah, young misused flower, I think that's enough for now.""Do you want to know what the Shirac man asked me?""Yes, very much so." says Wu, obviously forgetting what he had just said."Nadir asked me if I'd ever met a spirit. I didn't what he was talking about, but then he touched my head, and all I could think about was the nice genie in Reverend Donatello's wand. Don is nice to me. He gives me beer and honey cakes, and then his genie makes the hurt go away. She's nice too. Her name is Salomalle.""She's always hungry, too. But in a good way. She's hungry for the things that hurt me. Like remembering a bad night or a bad men. Or when I start to like what I do.""Enough child. Quiet now", says Wu. He says in Imperial, "No wonder Han Oi Xian felt restless spirits in that accursed place. It is no wonder he bound the Shu of the Air into paper lanterns. That was the correct action. But I doubt it was enough."Meiji has been listening intently to the exchange, with his expression turning progressively grim. When Dr. Wu finishes, Meiji asks in Imperial, "As Little Wushu say - what the <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />?! Who is this Babulaba bastard, and can we blow him up?""Sadly, no, Meiji", says Joachim. "Sebastian Babulaba was found guilty in the Courts Absolute and executed twenty years ago. All that remains is the home for children he built. And, if this child's speaks truly, what lies beneath it."</blockquote>

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