Chapter 13-383: Topping Things Off (1/2)

“We were fighting over it,” the Cohort admitted, “but we ended up taking Courtier to combine it with Diplomacy, and Daisy took it.”

My eyes dipped, an eyebrow rose, and they smiled even more widely.

“Very fair,” I admitted, as they were borrowing from Daisy all the time regardless.

“You’re using the Powered to take the Versatile Performers with Minstrel or other Class Levels,” I noted, and they nodded in acknowledgement. “Doubling up the Skill Ranks, good play. So... Candace took VP/Dance, for Athletics and Flight, and Maria stacked on that, I’m guessing?”

“Yes,” Candance replied in her firm British accent. “And I took Mastersmith-” “so that I could max Weaponsmithing and the other smithing Skills!” Jill Peters added on eagerly, clenching their fist. She was also a very physical person, who got on well with Candace, and was incredibly enthusiastic about smithing in downtime, whenever they didn’t have to be moving about.

“I took VP/Song,” Nicole spoke up, “so Lillabelle will cover both Bluff and Insight as well.”

“You’re getting into the spirit of things pretty quickly, Georgia-girl,” I mused to them.

“Ah, ah heard a recording of you singing at Morninglight’s wake. Ah met her once... ah want tah be able tah Sing like that...” Lillabelle replied, blushing again.

I was pretty sure Ranks in Singing were low on the base scale, so she was probably swapping her other Ranks in default living skills they already had for more in Singing at the rate of a point a day, stacking on top of whatever Legion’s default was, probably 3 or 4. Still, as a skilled back-up singer, she could probably get them to 21 even if she didn’t gain a Level... and gaining Levels at Three wasn’t exactly hard.

“Well, you’re going to be working with Trudi, because the Sublime Chord is music AND magic,” I reminded she. “Let me know when you’ve got 12 Ranks, and we can start practicing while riding.”

“Yes!” she agreed eagerly. She wasn’t going to be a back-up singer anymore; she was going to be a Singer nobody on the planet could compare to!

“Anything else?” I asked.

The other members of the Cohort involved chimed in quickly. It only took one Human Level to get the appropriate Skill to Four if it was part of the Legion Set, and with several of the Powered taking Skill-Combining Feats to double things up, it was even easier.

---

Sleipner headed for the east coast of Africa, me helping run the Allegiance while seated behind Legion as they chatted up some of the lazy and dozing Place Spirits we were passing by.

“By the way,” Legion said softly, “you know we have more lovers than you, yes?”

I snorted into their comfy shoulder, watching the landscape scroll by, and cataloguing So Much Stuff. The mineral wealth I knew about would bankroll Heavenbound Hall for millennia. “Could any one person possibly satisfy your sex drive and all your different attractions?” I thorked their head... lightly, so I didn’t break a nail.

They exhaled in some relief. “Thank you for not being judgmental.”

“Instead of entertained?” I had to laugh. “Seriously, my whole family?”

“You can blame that on Azaia. She shared our kisses, and they all wanted ones of their own.”

“And they are all very magical and extremely good-looking.”

“That is so very, very true!” they acknowledged with throaty cheerfulness.

“And I suppose Sama and Briggs were the ones that heartily encouraged the Courtesan Ranks to push the Night Rose along...”

“Your family is very delicate. Briggs and Sama, not so much. Very competitive, and determined to enjoy themselves,” they nodded emphatically.

“And The Mick and Amaretta?” I asked archly.

“Sama made a mention to Amaretta about the way a nereid touch sets the blood on fire. What started out as a magical discussion soon progressed to examples and testing...” they trailed off with a smile.

“Ah, dammit. Now you’ve got me working on it from that angle...” Blame the magic-hungry thoughtstreams, jumping on the fact.

“I’m sure the two of them will welcome any input you have for all the levels of the spell they are trying to draw up. I think they’ve almost got the I Valence worked out,” they half-laughed.

“It’s basically a weaponized Charm. It totally bypasses most magical forms of Charm avoidance or resistance. I would imagine it works on any living creature made with water.”

“Yes, it sends most creatures right into the mating mindset. With only the lightest touch of Wrath from Land or Green, it works on plants, too.”

“Am I sensing dryads in your future?” I inquired, still amused.

“The Fey are quite fickle. A guaranteed way to negotiate with them is quite valuable, yes?”

I couldn’t disagree with that.

“We have an odd idea. It deals with the level of Strength you have been pushing us to achieve. Sama brought it up, and we wonder if it is truly viable?”