"Ah, well...that makes more sense, I guess."  Jareth made to follow Valkyrie, interested in watching what she was going to do, but a nudge at his side made him jump.  "Ah!  Oh, hey Lya."  He'd totally forgotten she was there!  Ashamed, his cheeks turned red.  "And what's wrong with being a grease monkey, eh?  It's not like being a circuit monkey is any harder."  Still, he was more than happy to follow her just about anywhere.  "See you later, um...."  He realized to his chagrin that he didn't know the mechanic's name.  And she was immersed in her work anyhow.  He hurried to catch up to Lya.  "Hey, what was her name?  I don't think she said."

---

The blue flames that clung to Tsitua flared brighter, and she realized that they were actually visible now, instead of only in her mind's eye.  Power poured off of him, enough that she winced before adjusting.  She'd never encountered anything like him before -- well, save that one time, but it had been a reality that might have been, or the lingering effects of insanity twisting her perception.  As the man of fire leaned closer, she thought she could feel the heat spreading from him.  "So you stay with him and just...what, watch?"  Her brows drew together.  That sounded awful.  Able to see, yet bound to another's wishes.  The demon didn't seem upset by it, but she couldn't hide her shiver, nor the shift in her magic as she automatically started to defend herself simply because she'd thought of it.  A moment later and it was gone, smoothed away.  "How...how did he end up broken?  What happens to you when he is once again whole?"  Another thought sprang to her mind, something she'd not really noticed at the time.  "Oh...and what does it mean, that you serve death?"

---

"She's off today, but I can totally text her for you.  Just a tic."  Bart pulled out a cell phone and turned it on, quickly sending off a message.  "Royals...ugh, you don't mean that group with the nutcase, do you?  I heard he'd as soon rip you to shreds as look at you."  A ping announced Cera's reply.  "She'll be here in two shakes, and if you two are gonna talk business, I should scoot.  ...May have skipped out on the clock, I was pretty stoked to meet you properly."  The ghoul smiled, ducking his head.  "It was nice talking, Orion.  Thanks so much for the mask.  Come by again, yeah?"  With that, Bart put his phone away.  His kagune snaked out from under his shirt and shot up to wrap around the balcony railing, and he used it to pull himself upward and back over, and moments later he'd vanished inside again.

Cera was more than merely two shakes, but twenty minutes later she rounded the corner of the building.  "Hey, cutie, heard you were looking for me~"  The vampire favored him with a wide grin.  She had her shades on, and possibly some minor magic to hide her nature, for her fangs didn't seem as sharp as usual.  "So the prey bit back, and now you want to talk teaming up, huh?  I'm game, but not here.  Got somewhere better?  If not, the road is as good as anywhere else, and you could see some of the area while you're at it."

[@TheMinorFall]