Kiyoka, Douaga and beyond

[Drannin]

Argus looked around. "Wow. Been a long time."

How long had it been? Weeks ago, he had been an alcoholic wretch crawling from one wine-sink to another, doing gutter-magic for coin, and now...

Now he had his dignity back. Rose and he were making plans for the future. Incredible how things could change so dramatically.

(OOC: Seriously, it's been, what? Four years, now?)

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Yep, four amazing years...]

Sister Marilyn enveloped Argus in a typically energetic Marilyn hug, causing Sister Rose just a momentary pang of jealousy. It passed quickly enough, however; after all, Marilyn's own fiance had given her a big hug before he left Lorrel for Kiyoka a few weeks earlier. Speaking of whom...

"Where's Miguel? We need to talk some -- business with him," she said, as soon as introductions were made. Tim looked mildly uncomfortable at the notion of a nun wearing an outfit like that, but that was hardly a surprise. Therese was entirely cordial, if a bit reserved. As for Anfisa and Desiree ... well, it would be interesting to find out what they thought. [OOC: Hint, hint. /OOC]

"He's back at the temple," Marilyn said, giving exactly the answer Rose was expecting. "Somebody from back home asked him to do some research on a cult. I don't know any of the details, and I didn't ask." That was reasonable enough, Rose thought, in view of the young woman's own past ... But maybe the higher-ups were showing a little more interest in the Convergence than she'd thought. I may have underestimated Amalric -- again. "Funny you should say that," she replied, "because that's what we want to talk to him about, too." Marilyn raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, and together they all headed for the mission that Argus had repaired, what seemed like half a lifetime ago.

[OOC: Incidentally, if anyone else here reads the Sister Claire webcomic and is wondering about a connection, Marilyn and her twin sister are NOT based in any way on Rosalie and Marie there. I didn't even know about that set of twins when I started to write for this one. There are a few resemblances, though.]

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Where did everybody go? A short thing to at least get a response to work with:]

As the group trotted briskly toward the mission (Sister Marilyn did everything briskly), Marilyn pulled alongside Argus. "So the rumors are true? You're going to make an honest woman out of Rose, if you haven't already?" She elbowed him gently in the ribs, with a broad smile and a wink.

[Drannin]

"Well, we've been talking," he said quietly, a faint smile on his face.

Indeed they had. Rose had idly made a few suggestions to Argus, which didn't sound at all bad. A way to keep tabs back home, without necessarily spending all of his time in the floating city. It was tempting...

Still, there were things to take care of beforehand. Rose's sister should really be found. And they needed to have a long talk about certain personal matters before diving headlong into remarriage. Still, no reason not to enjoy the day, right now.

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose wasn't totally sure how she was going to respond to that nonchalant remark that Argus had made, followed by the questioning look that Sister Marilyn gave her. In the event, she was spared the necessity, because a novice was hurrying in their direction from the temple. "Sister Rose, ma'am!" he puffed as he reached the group. "Father Red says he needs to talk to you and -- the brother right away." He glanced over at Tim, obviously grappling for his unfamiliar name.

"Father Red?" Rose said, puzzled. "I don't think I know a --" But then comprehension dawned. "Father Redmond," she corrected the boy. "The new Abbot, right? I think it would be better to use his whole name, don't you?"

The boy flushed but held his ground. "Yes'm, but that's what everyone calls him, and he says it's okay, in fact he likes it. Anyway, he needs to see the two of you. He didn't say anything about anyone else." He scanned the group anxiously.

That's odd, Rose thought. At the very least, she'd expected that Argus would be included. Well, it wasn't like he didn't know his way around here. She turned to Argus. "Why don't you get yourself and the other women settled in at that inn north of here, the one where you were going to stay earlier? We'll be along soon."

[Alberich]

If anyone had been focusing an empathy spell on Tim, that person would've seen a flash of anger at Argus' noncommital (in more than one sense!) response. From what the Tsuirakuan mage had said before, Tim well knew that he and Rose had started "living in sin" the night they almost pranked him out of his own virginity. And now as always he was having second thoughts! Damn his heathen ways, and the Good Lord pardon Rose for being deceived! That is, if she really had been deceived and not just indecisive and easy prey, like so many women before her.

He walked along with Rose to their appointment in silence. There was no point in sharing his thoughts. Doubtless, if she thought about it, she'd be able to guess his opinion anyway, and a scolding from him would carry no weight. If she'd let herself be deceived or seduced, or had rushed into a fool's paradise willingly, she herself would know best, and if Argus didn't keep his commitment to her, she'd get her penance from the right source. No, better to concentrate on what came next...and talk about what they learned after they'd actually learned it.

Anfisa stuck close by Desiree on the way to the inn. Understanding that the Tsuirakuans were more freewheeling about certain matters than the Veracians or the Gorielians, she interlaced her arm with her lover's and prattled gaily in her ears about the lovely sights in this city, pretty things in the shop windows, pretty dresses on the girls, the birds perched on a shop sign, the gracefulness of a squirrel running up a park tree -- the ground squirrels in Goriel were nowhere near so agile -- and so on.

[Graybeard]

"So you're SIster Rose," the tall, red-headed, freckled priest smiled at Rose when she and Tim entered the temple. "I've heard a lot about you, all of it good, of course." Miguel's right, thought Rose at first meeting the man; this Father Redmond ("Please, call me Red"), new Abbot, was going to be an easy man to like.

He gestured to the pair to sit down at a table that already had a tea service set up, steam coming from the teapot. "By all means, help yourselves," he said, waving at the cups. "I'll have someone fetch Miguel from the library. I'm puzzled, though: why didn't your boyfriend come? I was looking forward to meeting him, too. He sounds like a good man."

"Well, I certainly think he is," Rose smiled gently back. "We thought you wanted this session to be just among us people of the Church, though. He's off helping our other fellow travelers get settled in. We can send for him later if you wish."

Red nodded. "I'll do that. Miguel had all sorts of good things to say about Dr. Cleiviein too." A wry smile. "You've always managed to surround yourself with people who are both interesting and good, decent human beings ... even if a bit out of the ordinary."

Rose giggled quietly and nodded; no point in denying that one. Red turned to Tim. "So how did you come to join this motley crew? We don't have many Orthodox priests at this mission."

---------------

OOC: Stuff for Therese, etc., follows in the morning, but if you want more about the inn they're settling into, start here; it's called the Happy Wanderer, and it's a reasonably high-quality place.

[Drusia]

So this is Tsuiraku. Not the floating city, but the lands beneath - the ones once settled by the Rinkai. I expected to feel different here, but... it just seems like any other town. A nice town, with some interesting Luminosans certainly - I can't help but admit the good sister's very nice legs - but just a town none the less.

I hope we go to the main city while we're here.

But, for now, this is more than enough. I feel like I can breathe here.

Anfisa stuck close by Desiree on the way to the inn. Understanding that the Tsuirakuans were more freewheeling about certain matters than the Veracians or the Gorielians, she interlaced her arm with her lover's and prattled gaily in her ears about the lovely sights in this city, pretty things in the shop windows, pretty dresses on the girls, the birds perched on a shop sign, the gracefulness of a squirrel running up a park tree -- the ground squirrels in Goriel were nowhere near so agile -- and so on.

Apparently so does Anfisa - I haven't seen her this relaxed in... ever? Maybe brief flashes, now and then, in the zenana.

Rose and Tim are doing temple stuff.

-- Desiree

OOC: Edited. New post upcoming.

[Alberich]

[OOC: If I understood Graybeard's other post, Argus and the non-nun women are together, with Tim and Rose alone at the temple.]

"So how did you come to join this motley crew? We don't have many Orthodox priests at this mission."

It occurred to Tim that he didn't know just how much of Rose's mission was known, or ought to be known, to this Father Redmond. Presumably he knew about her Elite Battle Angel status, so if it was not proper for him to know more, then he'd understand.

"Rose was passing through my town on her mission, Father," said he. "And our senior priest, Father Arpad, ordered me to join her, so that's what I did."

He didn't express or show his suspicion that, this mission being over, he ought to be getting back home. He had a presentiment that something was going to happen, something that mattered, and that he needed to be there for it. He preferred a quieter sort of life. But he didn't think that what he preferred was what mattered.

[Graybeard]

"Arpad," Father Redmond breathed thoughtfully. "I think I know that name... Arpad... Ah!" His face brightened, which Sister Rose deduced was not a rare occurrence with this man. "Assistant Abbot at Umbertiel, right? I've met him. So you're from there? Nice to see some Orthodox people taking an interest in the way we evangelize out here in the rest of the world, not too many of your branch look for postings here."

That was true enough, Rose knew, and she found it interesting the way Red was putting a positive spin on it. Truth was, it wasn't just coincidence (nor a bow to the fact that Reformed people tended to be overrepresented in Special Ops...) that contributed to the preponderance of Reformed priests and nuns in Kiyoka. Emerylon had always required at least a token Orthodox presence at the temple, but finding Orthodox priests or nuns who were willing to function in such an alien, godless(!) place for long wasn't easy. With the regular Abbot having been "called back for consultations" and never having returned, about the only Orthodox clergy she knew of here were the prissy (and, in her opinion, generally useless) music master Brother Jerald, the resident "artist" Sister Elsa, and the senior nun, Sister (Mother) Margaret. Margaret, of course, was another Special Ops veteran, with all that implied, and she satisfied the offical requirement for someone senior here to be Orthodox. As for the other two... well, Rose rather doubted that they'd ever ventured more than fifty meters outside the mission, to be exposed to the godless infidels.

Red interrupted her internal ruminations. "Anyway, Brother Miguel asked me to fetch you so he could talk to you about some project he's got going. He says he can't tell me everything about it yet." He rolled his eyes with a wry smile. "You military types and need to know... But it's okay, I --"

He was interrupted as the selfsame Brother Miguel appeared through the hallway leading to the library and communications room, his face knotted in concern. Uh, oh, thought Rose. That doesn't look like the cheerful man we sent home to marry Marilyn. What's going on here?

Well, they'd find out soon enough. "Great to see you again, Rose," he said with a curiously abstracted look. "Hate to lay this on you, but something's come up. Father, Rose, Brother Tim, if you'd join me in the library..."

--------------

[OOC: Correct, Argus went with the women to the inn, at least for the moment. It's an acceptable place called the "Happy Wanderer Inn;" Argus has stayed there, and it's well known to Rose (who taught a piano lesson there in disguise, early in the game) and several others at the mission. Incidentally, there's stuff in the wiki about Kiyoka, with more to be added. So:]

"I've certainly stayed in worse," Therese said, surveying the Happy Wanderer. It certainly looked more comfortable than that cloister in Saus, and than the deplorable "public" lodging available in Goriel too. The travelers were soon checked into four rooms, singles for herself and the absent Tim, and doubles for Argus (it wasn't clear whether Rose would be sleeping with him or back at the mission, but space wasn't lacking) and ... Desiree and Anfisa.

Crap, she thought as the two younger women started unpacking in "their" room.