A beautiful, crystal city locked in eternal night. The life here buzzes with activity-- it is very much a New York City kind of place, but kept scrupulously clean by its army of servant robots. This is not a magical place, but one would not think so by the sight of its spike-shaped crystal skyscrapers. It sits on the edge of a vast forest, bordered on the west by ocean and the north by tundra.

---

Niven Ai

---

When Ting appears, she stands inside a translucent, gleaming blue box similar to a telephone booth. A small black device, much like a CB radio, sits on one side.

Outside, throngs of vaguely cat-like people - much closer to Ting and Dewei in shape than Felina - meander about their daily lives. Some carry blue briefcases - as blue seems to be the style here - and wear suits, while others hustle about manual labor jobs in the glimmering, beautifully-lit Evernight.

A rapid, though gentle, beeping and flashing sounds from the radio receiver.

Spot opens her eyes. Wow...trippy. She's not in techy cities very often. Pretty? Ear twitches at the sound of the radio. Looks down at it. Blinks. Pokes the radio.

The button she pokes turns a small LCD display green, lighting it up with black inscriptions in Common and another script similar to Persian calligraphy. The letters scramble before coming together.

"Orr, G. A.," they read.

"Ai?" A silk-sweet voice purrs through the radio. "Ai, is that really you? Pick up the receiver!"

Ting tilts her head. Oh, man. So she has to disappoint someone else. Cringe...but yes-no tells her which one is the "receiver," and she picks this up. "Um...hi?"

"Hi, Ai! Oh God, that sounds like one word. Hello, Ai! I never thought you would actually come." The voice on the other bounces and chirps like Mara's, but there is *such* a Dumeni prettiness to it.

Cringe. "Um...actually I'm not Ai. I'm Ting. Ai's okay but it's a reaaaally long story?"

"You're not Ai? Poop. Um... so why did the book-signal go off I'm confused."

"Because it's a reaaally long story." Spot nods emphatically, though CB radio doesn't translate this well. "Um...to cut off the very end of it, trouble stuff right now Ai and kinda everyone I know is kinda sealed off in this maze thing? And they're safe but I wasn't and her dad gave me the key in a big big hurry and told me to use it in the fuzzy red book."

"... I see. Okay! I have decided that you are officially cool enough to take Ai's place until further notice!" A quiet titter sounds on the other end of the line. "If you peek out the side of that cool blue box you're standing in, you'll see a really tall building that looks kinda like an inverted icicle. Mosey up the front steps, smile at the door hop and ask for Miss Orr's room and ride the hella-vator!"

"Ahh..." Ting looks that way. "Hokey dokey! This place is kinda weird." This as she gathers up the radio.

It beeps three times, loudly.

"Ah! You can't take the radio, this is a com booth! Public property! Miscreant! Bitch! Okay, you're forgiven."

"Ack!" Freeze. Snicker. "I told you so." Puts it back down.

"Just cross the street. And look out for cars! Up the stairs, and don't worry! C'mon c'mon!"

"Alright. Bye bye." Ting breathes out. Looks for the book. Book? It's supposed to come with her, right?

Of course! The book lies on the shelf next to the radio.

Outside, it would appear to be a normal night. The lights shine bright enough that almost no corner of the place goes unlit, and people go about their business with an apathy to others typical of big city types.

The door guard, a thick-armed, barrel chested and utterly scrumptious kitty-mutt, stands next to a quad of revolving doors leading into De Lux Apartments.

Ting eases her way across the street, book clutched to her chest...this is a thoroughly frustrating process. She doesn't understand the concept of "crossing signals," so she struggles through and finally gets stranded on a median...and then a whole group of people looking at her funny just trotted right on by about twenty seconds later. Blah!

Still...even under the circumstances, she has to try really hard to not turn on the "flirt" with the door guy. He's kitty-ish, almost just like her, and he's hot to boot!" She smiles at him, scampers up the stairs, and starts to go inside...then pauses. Looks at him. "Uh...can you tell me how to get to Miss Orr's room?"

The door guard looks down at Ting, considering her odd clothes and accent. "Tourist?" he inquires in a strangely high-pitched voice. "You can take the outdoors elevator. Miss Orr is on the seventy-fifth floor." 

Sure enough, a set of glass-walled elevators crawl up and down the surface of the building -- literally, crawling on spider legs.

"Tourist," Ting giggles. "Thank you!" And hops over in that direction.

The door guard waves. Just about the time Ting leaves, he levels a darkly-spotted fellow running the elevator, whipping a radio from his belt.

"Same guy," he calls into it, "freaking stalkers. Send some people down to haul this prick off."

The elevator opens for Ting. An older couple already stands inside, waiting for the doors to close as a cool breeze howls through the plaza.

Ting smiles a bit at them--although she always feels kinda weird around old people, since she's usually older but doesn't act it and wont' be treated it--and sees the buttons right after stepping in. Uh...seventy-five. Printed right there. Yay simplicity! Pokes that button with a claw.

The elevator begins its surreally rapid transit up the side of the building. The older couple regards Ting with interest.

"Seventy-five? Are you a prostitute, dear?"

The lady elbows her husband, to a gasp of surprise.

"Forgive him," she purrs in a doddering old way. "He's kind of an idiot."

Ting blinks, then giggles. "Nah, I'm just a tourist. Seriously. Do a lot of loose ladies head up there, then?"

"All the time," the old lady nods. "At least one a day."

Spot blinks. "Wow. Someone has fun!" Giggles.

"Well. The rumor is," the old lady, obviously full of such things, begins, "Miss Orr pays them to spy on folks. But that's only a rumor."

The elevator clanks to a stop outside the seventy-fifth floor. An air lock opens in the building, revealing a massive lobby, but only one room door. It's marked "G.A. Orr".

Ting just beams. "Maybe both?" Snickers. "Nice meeting you!" And she hops off in that direction. G.A....? Huh. Well, she trots over, and knocks on the door.

The door beeps twice, and slides open to the tune of that silk-sweet voice purring "Come in!"

Inside, it's practically a lapdance parlor. Rose, red, pink and black dominate the color scheme against white walls, and there are plenty of pillows, comfy porn couches, and reclining chairs. A few windows peek into the Evernight above and to the sides, and three clear hallways are set off by, of all things, beaded netting. A television screen fits into the far wall, and a sound system already plays slow, moving jazz.

One wall, however, is dominated by a display case bearing a beautifully decorated guan dao - a weapon of war somewhat unfit to the surroundings.

"Be just a sec," that voice calls again. "Have a seat, I'll be right out!"

"Ah'kay!" Sways a bit to the music...that's kinda cool, it is. Ting beams, looking around. Heehee. Yeah. If they are spies, it's so both. She wanders over to something soft-looking, suddenly remembering how tired she is--and quite a bit of a mess to boot, she had been caught in a collapse earlier today after all--and yawns as she settles in, still clutching the book. As far as she knows, it's her whole chance of ever seeing her family again, after all.

A little while later, two women emerge from behind one of the beaded nets. One of them stands a solid 6'1'', the other a modest but lovely 5'4''.

"Now," says the shorter one, a mint-haired Persian-esque with solid black eyes, a thin nose, and a smooth, soft figure, "you remember what I said. Don't say a word to anyone, or you can't come back."

The tall woman nods, and just heads out of the apartment, skintight black dress hugging a very cut frame.

Miss Orr faces Ting when the prostitute leaves. She smiles a wide, thin-lipped smile.

"Hi. I'm Glory." Holds out a hand, shiny with a tight-fit gold bracelet that matches her deep violet and gold beledi dress. "Glory Anthem Orr. Ai's sister."

"Hi!" Ting smiles a "trying to shake off almost just falling asleep just now" kind of smile, though it hints at her bubbly personality, and takes the hand. "I didn't know Ai had a sister!"

Glory grins at that smile, dark eyes sparkling pleasantly. "Well. Neither does she. Would you like something to drink? And maybe a bath? Not with me. I don't think? Were you gonna ask? Oh, well, I blew it. Next time!"

Ting has to giggle. Yay, another Mara! "I wasn't, but maybe next time when I'm more awake." She grins. "Sorry I'm such a mess in such a pretty house, by the way. I'm...hm. Long day, yus!"

"You did say it was a long story." Glory sits primly on one of the fluffy red porn couches, crossing and kicking her bare legs. "But I'm willing to listen when you feel like telling it."

"Hee..." Ting nods. "Well...hm. See, there's this. Uh. Trying to figure out where to start. Well there are these Armageddon wars? And Ragnarok so I guess Argmageddnarok? But before that this goddess lady Pretender was trying to get everything ready so the status quo kinda stayed intact but another goddess lady thought the same thing and so they kind of killed Gabriel even though of course he never stayed dead he never does and then Stasiel she's the queen of hell she started to get involved and everyone started to recruit everyone and things blew up and then the general guy Amhersch came and took Yue who's a woman but has a penis and...ugh? You know what, I'm really really bad at telling long stories, I mean like I make everyone's brain explode because I think too fast or something and lose me? Can I touch your head?"

"Sure!" Glory lowers her head a little bit. "Be gentle though. My mind's a virgin."

Ting titters, and sets her fingertips gently to Glory's scalp. "That's okay, I have cures for that!"

That said, she ponders where to start and then, over the course of seventeen seconds, Glory knows everything that Ting knows starting from all of the events leading to this whole mess, starting with Moorn coming back, trailing through the things with gods and devils and conspiracies and mazes. Just as Ting had seen it through her eyes, just as Ting felt though a slightly muted version of the mutt's chaotic emotions, finally ending with today, Xen'tal, bringing Moorn back, and him giving her the book.

Ting breathes outs, and flops backward. "And that's the whole story of why I'm sleepy!"

Glory leans back. She gazes into her light bulb for a minute, mind sorting out Ting's thoughts and feelings.

"That sounds so cool," she almost whispers. "My dad gets killed so often! Scary drow guy, though. And who was that homoerotic hotness in the goth gear?" This in reference to Makyon, of course.

Ting titters, though there's a sadness behind it. "That's Makyon! He was my best friend before all this started and my mom's apprentice. Except he betrayed us and maybe he did but maybe he didn't and I don't know. But I really don't know. He didn't used to dress like a masochist, either."

"It looks good on him. Only thing is he's so big, it's only fitting that he be the bitsh!" Glory titters too, and covers her mouth - just like Ai - with one hand. She gives her hair a toss, displaying round, human ears. "Well. Ting is welcome to stay with me until something can be figured out. Dad wouldn't have given you the key to that book if he didn't really trust you. And you're cool! So go take a bath. We're pretty close to the same size, right?" And they are!

Ting beams sleepily. "I think so, yus. Thank you, Glory. You're lickably sweet!"

"You have no idea," Glory titters. "Tub's in the back! It's sparkly. Also, I have two guest beds. You should not sleep in the one shaped like a heart." A smile crosses her lips, mischievous, but serious at the same time. "It's a centerpiece and hard as a brick."

Ting grins. "Noted, yes. Ugh. That means said Ting has to get up, doesn't she?" Finally kicks her feet and ends up standing on them. Wobbles. "Whoo! Cocytus is not for us pussies."

Glory slides to her feet, hands quickly setting to Ting's arms. "Are you okay, kitty?" she quietly asks, features soft and serious. Like Ting, she's not all goofball.

"Iyam!" Ting smiles at her. "I'm just sleepy. Your dad kept anything bad from happening to me while I was over there anyway, it just sapped my energy. And!" She beams. "Xen'tal's got a physical body and your dad doesn't. So the same thing will happen to him and he'll be beating him around like a lil bitch soon like." Purrs, literally.

"Probably. It's hard to keep my dad down. He doesn't like to give people the satisfaction!" She lets go of Ting. Smiles again. "Clean up, dirty girl. Then sleep. Then we hit the bar and figure things out!"

She gets a nose-scrunched grin at that. "That I can drink to! Uh...a lot to!" Giggles. "Thanks, Glory, really. You're great." She's got a lot on her mind, anyway, and wanders off in the indicated direction to clean off the layers and layers of dust.

Glory's smile vanishes when Ting walks away, but not for lack of pleasure at a new friend. It's just not her sister.

Ting, meanwhile, finds the bathtub in question--along with a few...creative...things to rub on your body--and sets to scrubbing the many layers of dust and orc cooties off herself. What a long long day. Long long. She wonders if she'll see her family again anytime soon. If they'll be okay. If Ai'll be okay. If Moorn will.

But then, Ting can only worry about so much. Eventually, she shuts down, and scrubs, finally wrapping herself in a soft, fuzzy, sizeable towel and heading back out into the apartment to find a bed.

One room, again set off by beads, reeks of a guest room. Its adornments are much more pedestrian, almost rustic, and the bed sits in plain sheets with a memory-foam mattress. pair of furry red pajamas and a business-like black pantsuit sit to one side.

Ting can't help but smiles at the PJs. They appeal to her Ting-ness...furry! Cuddles one, before dressing in it...and is really too tired to do much else, curling under the covers and falling asleep almost instantly, red velvet book wrapped securely in her arms.

Glory looks in on her once she's sure Ting's soundly asleep. It's midday here, but tough to tell with Evernight above. Satisfied that this could work out well anyway, she dons a pair of red furry pj's and hits her own bed, perfectly intent to sleep the day away for once.

---

"C'mon furry butt, up and up!" Glory's voice calls to Ting from another room, along with with the scent of boiling blueberry oatmeal.

"Ughmom?" Ting opens one eye. "Hey, how did you know I have a furry butt, peeper?" Yawns. Oh, pajamas. Right. Hee. Still! She yawns another kitty-yawn, and sits up, feeling worlds better for the sleep. Yesterday had thrown her energy off-kilter and Cocytus had drained her physically...since her psychic energy hadn't made out too horribly, she's quick on the recovery.

"Because I have one too!" Glory announces, stepping inside still pajama-clad. "I ordered breakfast for us. Do cute kitties eat oatmeal or eggs?"

"If I see one, I'll ask," Spot manages to chirp, starting to wake up. Grins a bit. "But other kitties smell berries or something involved somewhere, and vote for whichever that is. Like we discussed with Makyon last night, fruit is a good thing!"

Glory snickers a little bit. She's had plenty of coffee already - work days don't cease for visitors, anyway. "It's midday again, so late breakfast. But you seemed like you needed the nap."

Ting snickers. "Sorry...I sleep a really long time if I'm really drained. Not so bad this time, though! After I first met Makyon, I had to burn off, like, almost all my energy? And I had to stay in bed for three days and spent most of the whole next week sleeping. Gaaah...I almost went crazy. My brother kept sedating me."

"Creepy brother!" Glory heads to the kitchen, waving at Ting in a come-hither kind of way. Breakfast is going to get cold, and there's much to talk about.

Ting snickers as she follows along...she's actually adoring being clad in the fuzzy red pjs, it feels just so...fuzzy, warm, light-hearted, and normal. "Oh, we're all pretty creepy. Oh! Said brother is dating Ai though. They're like...pretty much engaged. He's your dad's apprentice, too! Or was until he got killed the angel time." Scritch.

"Well! When I meet him, he'll have to go through my checklist." Glory pulls out a chair for Ting, and one for herself.  Sliced bananas and apples have been set out along with two still-steaming bowls of lightly sweetened oatmeal. Two enormous tumblers of some sort of tart fruit juice await, as well.

"So Ting," the only-sorta-resembling-Ai Orr begins, "when are we going back?"

Ting blinks as she munches banana. "We? What's this 'we' stuff? Your dad would kill me."

"Hey," Glory waves a spoon at Ting, "I met a cool new friend yesterday, and that's rilly cool. But I was s'posed to meet my sister, and I wanna do that too!" She nods authoritatively, and sticks her spoon into the oatmeal. "Besides. I think you guys could use some help!"

"Well, yeah." Ting pokes at her oatmeal. "I don't know what would help. Xen'tal is so strong it's silly. Sillier than me. Makyon said he wanted to get that angsty Hael chick to open up the maze, but even if he's telling the truth I don't see how he's gonna do it without getting them both killed...and I don't know if we can have anyone who can fight Xen'tal even if he did. I used to think my mom could do anything, and I dunno, maybe she can, but...dude, she's like four and a half months pregnant. Out of seven. That doesn't help fighty-skills."

"Well. Didn't you say my dad took this Xen'tal guy somewhere?" Glory munches an apple slice.  "Mmmff ummf." Swallows. "We can kick the butts of people who would try to hurt said angsty chick."

"I think so...I suddenly didn't feel 'em. I don't know where, though, even though back to Cocytus was a good bet because the summon thing was fresh and it would've been a lot easier to get into than to leave." Munches an apple thoughtfully. "Shigoriath, Calay, and Makyon are all still out. If Creepy's not really on our side, every one of 'em is really dangerous."

"It could be fun, then. Dad wanted Ai to be his little peace lily, but he taught me how to fight and I never get to fight!" Glory spears an apple with her fork. "I want to fight."

Ting blinks, then titters. "Poor apple. It insulted your mother, right? It insulted your mother."

"Bet your pj'd butt! I always poke mom-haters with forks."

"While mom lovers get their own websites!" Ting beams as she finishes up her oatmeal. "This mushy stuff is pretty good. What is this?"

"Oatmeal," Glory attentively answers, "for oats."

"Huh." Ting nods thoughtfully to this. "I didn't know that I was an oat. How long have you known I was an oat?"

"Since I met you," Glory explains as though such ought to be obvious. "I have an oat running around here somewhere... hang on." She rises, primly dabbing her lips with a napkin. "C'mere, Oat!"

And a beige cat leaps onto the window sill from the corner, looking around as though Glory's just rung the dinner bell.

Ting blinks, then coos. "Awww...what a hottie he is! Hi, fuzzy!"

The cat regards Ting with wide "oh hell it's a stranger hide the needles" eyes. Slinks along the wall, head bobbing deeply. Stops. Regards Ting. Licks himself, eyes snapping back to Ting now and again.

"He's an exhibitionist," Glory notes.

"My kind of guy!" Ting, though, is fiddling absently with the key to the book. Trying to decide what should come next. Damnit, she's not supposed to be the decision person.

"Well, anyway," Glory notes, a touch irritated at Ting being somewhere else this quickly. "Got the book? We'll go back in half an hour." Hey, someone has to make things happen.

"Huh?" Ting looks up quickly. Wonders at the sudden negative feeling in the air, to a slight ear wilt. Wonders what she did, but nods. "Yeah. Are you sure you want to go, though? It's going to be dangerous, prolly worse than dangerous if Xen'tal is back, and your dad will be really pissed at both of us."

"A'course I wanna go! You obviously do, too." Glory smiles at Ting, a sweet, and sincere, smile. "I don't wanna hold you up, and besides, Xen'tal sounds like a prick. Unless you don't want me to go with you? I know we just met but I feel like we met a while ago 'cause you remind me of me and that's always a good thing!"

Ting smiles a bit. "Of course I wanna go. It's my family. She nods. And I like you too! But that's why I don't want you to get hurt."

"It'll be my family if Ai marries your brother, y'know." Glory grins a fangless grin. "Then what? Guess what? Sisters!"

Ting grins. "Point. Your dad's still gonna kill me."

"Nuh-uh. Dad's dead again." Glory beams. "And what kind of Orr just sits back and lets a prick rule the world?"

Ting blinks. Knowing Moorn's history... "A self-enabler?" Snickers. "Sorry, hadta." She smiles a bit at Glory. "Ah'kay! Saving the universe in furry red PJ bottoms it is!"

"Exactly wrong!" Glory beams. "C'mon. We're gonna look hot if we're gonna save the world. Fishnet gloves and belly dancer outfits! For me anyway."

"Fishnet is good!" Ting grins a bit. "All right. I'll go get dressed and stuff. Need any help cleaning the breakfasty stuff up?"

"Nah." Glory grins. "I have hookers do that."

Spot snickers. "Yay hookers! Ahkay, see you soon." And wanders back off to the guest bedroom to magic her clothes clean and mended.

Glory heads off to dress in an outfit that's a little more practical than her usual fare-- in that she's wearing shorts beneath the half-skirt instead of bikini bottoms. 

At some point, the doorbell goes off again and Glory invites some provocatively dressed women inside. One of them is the tall lady from before, the other a medium-build brunette.

"Hey, girls. I'm gonna be gone for a few days, but you know the drill." She jerks her thumb towards a card-reader on the wall, and the ladies slide plastic cards through them. A few beeps, and Glory smiles at the both of them.

"Good week's work," she nods. "Go inside and get some breakfast. And the kitty mutt is with me."

That said, Glory snags her guan dao and a heavy-looking, fat-chambered sawn-off shotgun from behind the TV screen.

She waits.

Ting trots out not a minute later. Her hair's un-ruffled now and she's wearing all white with just a few touches of black...lots of white fishnet though nothing quite so revealing as Glory's garb, some furry trim involved because now she's in the mood for fuzzy things, and that high-collared white coat over it. She's not visibly armed--she rarely is, after all--but the book is clasped in her arms. She beams at Glory. "Hiya! All ready?"

"Of course!" Glory gives her oddly Ting-like punk-cut a stroke of one hand for emphasis's sake. "We just have to go see to things with angsty chick."

"Yus! But we needta be careful just in case. Can you hide your energy and all that good stuff?"

"A'course! I can hide it so well even I can't find it."

Ting purrs. "Alrightee, then! Should do that like, before we even step through." And pulls out the key. "So that we dont' get beat up for at least twelve minutes!" Grins.

"Gotcha." Glory blinks once, and her energy signature shrinks to a pinpoint. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"Dunno. Don't know how to be specific with the book! Niven Ai maybe. That's where Ai lives, and where it was before." Ting slips the key in, and turns it.

The cover pops open just like before. The page flicks, just as before, as well.

Glory slips the gun into her belt, and the guan dao shrinks to the size of a cigarette. This she puts behind one ear, beaming at Ting.

"Cool. Whenever you're ready, then, we'll kick some butt!"

Ting grins, and turns the page. Glory's cool.