Saige visiting family...

Saige blinks, surprised.

"Oh... I guess they didn't tell you. That makes sense, Basil was pretty mad about it..." She looks uncomfortable. "I uh, accidentally got turned into a vampire."

She pulls her knees up to her chest and rests her head on them.

"The friend that helped me get you out of... you know. He gave me a wish a while ago, and I wished to be able to make more friends. I guess I should have been more specific, because this is what happened."

She laughs nervously.

"But it's not so bad! Really."

Cassia wriggles his nose, shifting his glasses. "Basil did seem pretty upset about what you've been up to. And I don't know what a vampire is but you seem fine." Cassia sets his partially knitted sweater down and looks up at Saige. "I want us to go home. All of us." He sighs. "But they burned our home to the ground and it wasn't even to try to marry one of us!" His hands fidget in his lap. "What about all my friends that live in the woods? What about Deer Skull Man? And the others?! Do you think they are waiting for us to come home?"

Saige listens to him speak, then looks sad.

"They probably are. I miss them too. But everything is... complicated. I don't think we can go back yet." Saige sighs. "My friend built us a house in Seshtau. When I find Ginger, Laurel, and Clove, I'm taking everybody there. But maybe it won't be forever. I hope that we can rebuild our house and go back to our friends. It's just too dangerous right now."

Saige grabs his hands and looks him in the eye.

"I promise that I'm going to bring everyone back, and we'll all be together again." Her eyes start watering. "I'm sorry that I left, and that I wasn't there to help when everything happened. I'm glad you're okay though."

Cassia smiles at Saige. "I know you'll bring them home! Just like I knew you'd be back!" His eyes seem to cloud over and he looks down. "I just hope they're okay. I ended up locked up somewhere. What if they are locked up too? Or... Or... What if you have to find a monster and cut it open to get them back? That'd be sad. I don't want you to hurt anyone. Even monsters." He sniffles.

Saige wraps him up in a hug.

"I know it was hard. I was locked up too..." She holds him tighter, taking a deep breath. "None of us are ever going to get locked up again, I'm going to make sure of it."

She hugs him for a minute, then pulls back, but doesn't let go of his hands.

"They said they're sorry, by the way. The people who put you in a cell. They didn't know who you were, but now they do, and they won't lock you up again. Promise." She grins. "And you know I'm the best at making friends! I'll always try to make friends rather than hurt anyone."

She gasps, then spins around to reach for her bag. She pulls Aeos out, whispering for the spider cat to try and cheer Cassia up.

"Speaking of friends. This is my friend, Annihilator of Spoons and Eradicator of Soup, or Aeos for short. And you have to officially meet Storm too!"

She gets up and runs to the door, opening it and calling out.

"Storm! You can come in now!"

Cassia returns the hug just as tightly. "You can make friends with anyone, Saige. I know you can." He chuckles.

A moment later, Storm enters the room. She has a couple of feathers loose in her hair and she has a mug in her hand.

"The twins are... a handful." She says and holds up her hand, waving the mug. "They finally got me." She laughs.