Listen to your guests.

There you are--Demon King, sitting upon a throne, garbed in nothing but a blue bath robe and adorable slippers. At one side is a succubus clad in what's effectively lingerie, and at the other, a beautiful insectoid like they may have never seen before. Your guards become pincered by Mipa and Bek as they split apart, though despite their height and there being only two guards present, there's something about the atmosphere of the room that strikes fear in their hearts. With your Kitty Sense, you can tell they wouldn't dare try anything funny.

The man who leads them is also the most well-groomed. He has a smooth face and head, besides a short black mohawk straight over his scalp, as well as a nasty scar over his right shut eye. After clearing his throne, he speaks up. "Demon King Warren. We appreciate you not just killing us at the gate."

You cross one leg over the other and lean back in your seat. "Is that the reputation I have?"

"Not exactly, but... Well, nobody really knows much. I've heard rumours, but most of what's said comes from the king, who I fucking hate. We know better than anyone that only hearing about someone through someone else is useless. Me and the others have been surviving as best we can, but that ass of a king has reduced the rate of crime pretty effectively. Can hardly steal some bread to eat anymore."

"It's not like I wanna be stealing bread!" shouts a woman beside him. "The whole system is a joke. How else am I supposed to survive?"

The man places a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. "This is the Demon King we're speaking with. I doubt a bunch of cutthroats need to explain themselves."

A lot of people probably see me as some kind of diabolical mastermind, or a criminal, or a murderer, or anything along those lines. Though I think they can relate to that. I don't know what they've done, but a lot of people on the streets are just trying to live. Sounds like King Thadius is their enemy as well as mine.

"So what exactly did you come here for?" you ask.

Their dwarf speaks up next. "A place to hide."

The man raises his hand. "Don't sound so fishy. We didn't do anything horrendous. It's just that we used to at least be able to survive in or around Avana, but with recent changes, it's been a struggle. Venture too far out and you deal with monsters. Stay too close and you deal with the king's weird new guards."

"New guards?" you ask.

"Yeah. I mean first, he increased funding to the guards, so there are way more now, and they got better shit. But we started seeing some weird stuff recently. Constructs, made from metal balls, and I've heard rumours of other stuff. It pisses me off. The amount of money spent on all that could have actually fed his people."

"Fuck the guards!" shouts a bunnyfolk girl from behind him. "Fuck the king!"

"So now you're looking for refuge," you say.

He runs a hand back through the bald side of his head with a long exhausted grunt. "Over time, a bunch of us gathered together to try and survive the wilderness. We got tired of dealing with goblins, slimes, gnolls, and other creatures--" He stops for a moment as his eyes slowly trail over to Mipa. "N-Not all goblins, of course."

Mipa slams the tip of her axe against the ground and leans against it. "It's okay. Most goblins are little monsters. Dressed in leathers, wielding crude weapons, running at you like RAAAAH!"

That's just you...

"Right." He clears his throat. "Well, after we got tired of that, we slowly ended up closer to the mountains. That's when we started talking. We knew the Demon King resided there. We also knew he never truly did nothing to nobody. I mean, no invasions. No attacks. I've heard of Demon Kings in other lands, and how terrifying they can be, but you just seemed to be vibing out here. I even heard rumours that the famous adventurer Lady Tesgella supports you."

"Ah yes. Nyllia is a mighty, beautiful paladin."

"They're on a first name basis!" screams the bunnyfolk from before.

They aren't exactly being detailed about what they want, but that's probably because they don't truly know. They're ****. Hungry. Afraid. That being said, I can't just let anyone live here, especially if they could be a danger to others.

You tap your fingers on the armrest of your throne and peer down at them. "Any who oppose King Thadius are at least somewhat on my side. A darkness has infested Tivera, and it isn't me. You're right not to trust him. However, I can only welcome those who are willing to work with the rest to provide a safe and comfortable place to live. If you can help out, we can provide you with food and shelter. I will not tolerate any foul play. We live as one here. Do I make myself clear?"

"... That's more than I deserve," says the man quietly. "It's been so long since someone has welcomed any of us anywhere. I've done stuff I'm not proud of to survive, but if you give us a chance, there won't be any foul play, no sir. Isn't that right, fellas?"

"Give me a hammer and some nails and I'll work on anything ya want if it means being able to live within these dark, stone, badass walls," says the dwarf. "If you're against Thadius, then my life is yours, Demon King!"

"Fuck yeah!" the bunnyfolk shouts.

A younger man speaks up next. "I can't speak for everyone, but I'll gladly fire my crossbow in the name of Demon King Warren. If the other king won't give us a place to live, then his loss, right? I hate stealing. Honest. It feels so shit, but my stomach just aches so bad sometimes."

"And look at that," whispers a catfolk lad. "Is that an insectrin? And a succubus? Ohh man. They're so beautiful. I can't even look at them."

The dwarf smacks him on the back. "Get a hold of yourself, lad. They're so skinny. Get yourself a gal with muscles bigger than your head, and then you'll be happy."

Bek points his finger forwards and shouts, "Exactly!"

"I like it somewhere in the middle," says the woman from earlier. "Strong, toned body, but not like, massive muscles. That's the gal for me."

As they speak to one another, Linzeri makes her way closer to the throne--even moreso than Luna actually. Her ass, barely covered by nothing but panties, presses against the side of the throne and therefore partly against your arm as well. There she sits back with arms crossed as she examines the brigands before you. "This may have quite the positive effect on our goals, Kyle, whether you've considered that or not. If word gets out that Castle Phoenix is a refuge for those against the king, you'll have a lot of criminals at your door, though that only bolsters our strength against both him and Elok Daven."

"And it's quite kind," says Luna. Unlike Linzeri, she remains standing, though she reaches a hand out and gently runs her fingers back through your hair. "There are many who have no placed to go. Criminals or not, you'll hopefully gain the support of any misfits in Tivera. I was one as well. Remember?"

The brigands watch you with a certain envious awe. They know they can't have what you have, yet they admire and respect it more than any feelings of hatred. That's the vibe you get anyhow, between your Kitty Sense and general intuition.

"Welcome to Castle Phoenix," you say in a powerful voice, to pierce through their rabbling and once again command attention. You wrap one hand around the side of Linzeri's midsection and give her a tug. "Let it be known that if any wish to flee the Empire and find a safe place to live, as long as they're willing to live together as a peaceful community, the gates will be opened to them. There will be no more stealing, especially not from innocent citizens. It's specifically Thadius who is our enemy, and a certain other foe you may or may not know. All will be explained in time. For now, we'll get you clothes. We have an amazing, gorgeous seamstress. Meanwhile, our lovely chef Summer will prepare something warm to fill your bellies. While we don't have tons of empty homes yet, we'll still find a roof to put over your heads. The important thing is you'll be safe."

Linzeri's tiny wings flap, and she strikes a powerful crimson gaze down at your arm, and then your face. "Commanding. In-control. I like it.... Almost as much as I like you beneath my heel."

"Don't get me too excited. All I'm wearing is a robe."

Her smile widens at such boldness. With a grin, she snickers quietly and shifts her attention back to the crowd.

Luna giggles. "Amazing and gorgeous, hmm?"