"Liam, Lucas... it seems we both have died in service to our goddess." Vixi said sadly. Lilith was supposed to be their alley... and instead of sincerely explaining that it was all a big misunderstanding, or that Circe gave her special permission... she'd used it as an excuse to murder.
"While I feel it best that Circe keep your soul close, I can provide you fine gentlemen with temporary housing for your spirits to continue your duties if you so wish it." Baba Yaga offered.
"That demon bitch killed us," Liam said.
"Yes, she did. And sadly she is too powerful for you to avenge yourselves. You will have to trust your goddess and allies... "
The two spirit of the lions looked at each other. "It's better than floating around doing nothing."
Baba Yaga conjured two life-size plush lions.
"Plushie? Really?" Lucas asked, wondering if staying dead until their goddess could provide a way back to the land of the living would be better.
"Yes. Plushies. No need to rest, eat, sleep, and such things. Able to move, speak, hear, and feel on your own. Perfect for the 'family friendly' side of Circe's park... AND!"
"And since you two will be inhabiting plushies, you won't be harming anyone, or laying a hand on anyone, or threatening anyone... since when has any rational or reasonable being been justified in calling a hug from a sexless teddy bear a threat?" Baba Yaga grinned. "If someone did, well, they'd clearly be admitting they were a paranoid loon who was making the whole thing up."
The two lions grinned back. Turn-about was fair play.
----
"Circe..." Baba Yaga said, now in her guise as an old woman. "Please don't do anything rash... Lilith WANTS escalation, she wants to be given more excuses to murder, and keep murdering..."
"Murder is bad. What I did was bad. I'm sorry I did it." said a bright pink fox girl with flowers behind one ear holding a sparkling pink vanity mirror, she just came to Baba Yaga's knee.
"Baba Yaga... WHAT is that!" Circe pointed.
"Oh? Lilly?" Baba Yaga gave the demon a grandmotherly hug. "We just spent several millennia watching Miyazaki, all of it, over and over. Me feeding her my own special brews, lots and lots of it. Listening to that new fangled 'J-Pop' these stupid youngsters listen to. Be trapped as night-light in a fairy community garden for a long time surrounded by innocent cheer and happiness."
"That... that would be TORMENT for a demon!"
"I scream REEEEEALLLY loud for a long time, but nobody could hear me inside my glass jar!" Lily said with a happy smile. "But I could hear everyone be happy around me, and all the fairies were super nice to me! And when I said nice stuff, they could hear me back! So I began to say nice stuff just so I could have someone to speak to!"
"I ruthlessly corrupted and brainwashed someone, utterly twisting and warping them until nothing of who they once were remained."
"And I totally deserved it! What I did was naughty!" Lily nodded happily.
Baba Yaga addressed Circe. "One of your children was attacked, we are allies after all, by the rules that Lilith herself invoked I was free to do with the shadow demon assassin as I pleased, I hope you don't mind I took the liberty of doing so for you, do you mind?"
"I... I do NOT NOT approve," Circe said the awkward double negative which made a positive. "I... I don't mind... Did you ever ask her about Lilith?"
"Oh, I didn't ask if her Lilith had sent her, that would be rude and likely break the contract between demon and contractee... so I just asked her instead of Merlin or any of his followers or allies had sent her, or any kitsune or their allies, or any employee or share holder of Disney entertainment...
"Nuh-uh! Wasn't any of them!" Lily giggled like a child playing 'I've got a secret.'
"I also offered my services to Lucas and Liam while I was at it... A little something for the park until you have the time return them and Vixi to the living world."
Two identical walking, talking, moving plush lions that couldn't have looked more non-threatening waved together.
"Hello goddess! Our took Baga Yaga's offer for some temporarily bodies so we can continue our services. Ready to HUG anyone who causes trouble or threatens any of our pack!" They echoed.
"I'd say something... but that is the most efficient way to close up the loophole Lilith abused."
"You're welcome."
Meanwhile, if Kellie was under any impression that Circe was any real friend of Lilith, it vanished with this murderous act. In a way, Lilith scheme had unwittingly backfired in one utterly unintentional way. Before, she'd been totally uncomfortable around Circe's creations... seeing them as unnatural, and her friends for being duped for becoming them. Vixi should could brush as a political chess match... but Liam and Lucas? That was meaningless murder.
NOW Kellie was tempted to try out being an animal creature herself just to spite Lilith! Sure, technically Circe hadn't been forced to promise to turn her back when she left the park, but at this point, Kellie was confident she could make her own choice.
"Hiding what happened to the three of them from their families is going to be near impossible. Murder is far more mundane than turning someone into a water fountain." Baba Yaga sighed.
Circe sighed. "And the police will be investigating who murdered them... they still have cousins, parents, children, nieces, nephews... Lilith random act of murder is a lot harder to clear up... She thought of them as random animals with no families... What a mess."
+++
"Go around naked surrounded by sexy naked women for an afternoon? And all I have to do is look like a character from a Dizney movie if it was biologically accurate downstairs? COOL!" Jack remarked looking at his free ticket to an early visiting of Circe's Amusements, including a detailed description of the park and a photo graph of various anthros grouped for the camera. Having been raised by three ancient witches, Jack had seen things to shatter the soul and melt the mind, for him, real life animal people were quaint. He wondered what pathetic trolls were having a temper tantrum when they saw it if not for the reality distortion.
"And Auntie Circe makes an entire commune of them? Well, it's really no different than what she did on her island only those she changes can still hold things. What a great way to spread our influence! And since it's a legally existing park, like Merlin's magic shop, Merlin and his followers can't touch it! This rocks! And getting Kellie and her friends to visit?! That's just perfect! I bet Auntie is gonna give them the royal tour, they'll be eating out of her hand in no time!" Jack said excited.