Private Finished An eye for an eye

The title of stage magician and “little girl” bothered her a whole hell of a lot less than the other “W” word did, but nevertheless, the only reason Tilly excused such flagrant disrespect is because she might have felt a teensy, tiny, ity, bitty, small bit guilty for what she’d ended up doing to her eye.

Her father had hobbled her, deprived her of the ability to use magic, which confirmed the suspicion she’d had. She wasn’t necessarily willing to drop her guard on account of that, but some of the tension in her shoulders relaxed when she realized that she was now in safe spellcasting range. And, as if sensing her discomfort decreasing, Caissa closed the distance between them.

She was not comfortable letting the daughter of paimon hold one of her magical tools, nor was she comfortable letting her within spitting distance. But her offer kept her enthralled, and for all the dislike she had for this woman, she couldn’t help but listen to what she had to say.

She stayed silent for a moment, considering. She’d done favors for supernatural beings before, and they’d rarely been pleasant. She’d stayed out of outright murder or anything morally reprehensible, but some of the things that she’d been asked to do bothered her conscious to this day. It would likely not be pleasant work. And yet…

She knew full well that Caissa wasn’t exaggerating when she said all magic.

”...What kind of spells?” She asked slowly, her tongue running thoughtfully across her teeth in an involuntary gesture. Her posture relaxed again, into something much more businesslike.

She considered the demon’s words carefully, eyes glazed over. By this particular Demon’s own admission, wording was very important when making deals with Demons and Fae. Teleportation sounded easy enough, but who, or what, would she be teleporting, and where? Scaling objects up and down seemed innocent enough, and she noted that she’d said objects, and not people, which made her feel a bit better.

What could she mean by that last one, though? It sounded like mass hypnosis, or maybe telepathy? Imparting a suggestion upon a crowd? Or did she mean to directly convey her magical knowledge to another?

Her mind raced, and she was dimly aware of Caissa’s hands upon her shoulders. That should have been sending up red flags. This was putting off serious “Hope you guess my name” vibes, and all the common sense that she had was telling her to just say no. She could practically hear Grandma Blackstone in the back of her mind, warning her against such a foolish pact.

“Don’t let this demon sink her hooks into you. Do not become indebted to one who clearly still bears you ill will. Send her off with a matching set of missing eyes, and get your power a more honest way. You have all the time in the world.”

And yet…

All of the magical knowledge in the world, at her fingertips… To surpass her grandmother would have taken centuries of diligent study, and while she had many long years ahead of her, why should she pass up such a golden opportunity? To think of all the good she could do with this power…She wanted to ask her more specifically what she intended to use her magic for, but…

Maybe she didn’t want to know.

”You drive a hard bargain…” She sighed, her gaze turning slowly towards Caissa, shoulders slumped in resolution. ”I don’t even know your name.” She chuckled, her gaze turning back to the floor in discomfort. She closed her eyes, considering hard, before finally becoming resolute.

”Let’s talk terms.” She said, barely more than a whisper.

If her goal was to knock Tilly off balance, it was certainly working. She'd never, ever, allowed anyone in Manta Carlos this close to her. Honestly, she knew better. But the siren song that Caissa was singing, unfathomable power, limitless knowledge, was too sweet for her to ignore.

She made her offer, and the part that worried her was that she was to cast spells no questions asked. Why feel the need to include that if she wasn't up to something?

Still, her offer was excellent. Fair, even.
"I like your offer. I have just two additions. I don't want my magic to result in the harm, death, or entrapment of an innocent." She began. "-I also want whatever history we have to be forgotten. I apologize for the harm I caused you, sincerely. I didn't think I could hurt you, to be honest. But I want all of that to be forgotten if we're going to work together."

She hadn't expected herself to say that last part, actually. Ot surprised her. But she did feel guilty. She hadn't known Caissa was a student, for one thing. For another, she hadn't expected her to not just kill her right there and then.

"Why me?" She heard herself ask involuntary. Honestly, it had been in the back of her mind since the offer was made. Why would Caissa seek her out specifically for this offer?

Letting Caissa touch her again was probably a bad idea. Just minutes before, she’d struck her throat hard enough to send her sprawling, choking and gasping. Even on good terms, Tilly was uncomfortable being touched, in part because she was still pretty sure that Caissa wasn’t bluffing about the Mengele thing, and also because girls made her very stupid. She knew enough not to blink, not to shy her gaze away. Her stomach was doing a little breakdance routine, but her poker face was pretty good. She was definitely flushed, and she didn’t know which particular source of discomfort was causing it.

She swallowed, trying to shake off the succubus routine, and Caissa’s next words certainly sent a chill down her spine and woke her from her stupor. She had been watching her. She’d expected that, too, of course, but she’d assumed that Caissa was like her father in that she was very busy and hoped that she’d forget about her entirely after a time. She’d made her escape bracelet with the sole purpose of readying herself for her vengeance, but after a year, yeah, she thought it was behind her.

Did she just… Brush her hair behind her ear?

”I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say that about me.” She frowned, averting her eyes once more. She was good at facing down monsters or sorcerers without flinching, but Caissa’s touch wasn’t a threat she could justify throwing a fireball at. Well, not anymore. ”You know, I expected a lot of things to happen if we ever met again. Old Testament stuff. I know that’s not your wheelhouse, but you know what I mean.” She piped up, eyes on the ground. ”I definitely did not expect you to offer me exactly what I wanted the first time, and more, and make a pass at me while you do it. Seems too good to be true.” She commented. Her tone wasn’t accusatory, merely quizzical. She wasn’t so naive as to think that Caissa hadn't already found a flaw or two in her wording, but in truth, she’d expected no less. Whatever she had to do, the power that was being offered to her was worth it.

Tilly was somewhat thankful that Caissa backed off. It gave her a moment to collect herself. She considered Caissa’s words, unsure of what to say. For all the subtlety and wit that a wizard has at her disposal, her powers over conversation were somewhat lacking. Mercifully, she was able to get her bearings and quell the incessant burning on her face. A little bit of space to breathe did wonders for the tension.

Letting go of the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, she lowered her staff, tossing it through the door on her left, and onto her bed. If, on the off chance Caissa was just toying with her and still about to come at her again, it wouldn’t really do her much good anyways. Her staff was for dispelling magic, and Caissa couldn’t use magic anyways. She was comfortable enough with her guard a bit low right now, anyways. If Caissa wanted to hurt her, she should have done it when she couldn’t cast a spell. She moved across the room to the couch, one slippered foot in front of another, and noting with a small touch of relief that she was still within reach of the cup of magical rods resting on the table. She was more comfortable now, but Caissa had an energy that made her, well, uncomfortable.

Speaking of which…

”Needs?” She asked innocently. She hadn’t exactly meant to say that out loud, and her eyes averted Caissa’s almost the instant she said it. Gods, why was she so ineffectual? She ran a hand through her hair involuntarily, then jumped on the next chance she had to change the subject.
”Uh- Fine by me. If I never have to trade a firstborn to a faerie again, it’ll be too soon.” She said, crossing her arms. ”Do you want me to make a communication charm or something? Phones don’t really like me, and you probably don’t want me summoning you while you’re in the shower again.” She asked, reaching for an old jewelry box she used to store the cheap bands and bracelets she tended to use for enchantments.