Goriel and beyond

[Graybeard]

"You're practically glowing. And your spirit..." Lillith's eyes narrowed a bit in a friendly focus. "Yes, you definitely got laid."

"Well... um... er..." Sister Rose groped for a response, but none would come out. After a few seconds she simply gave up.

"Well, come with us. We need to be ready to -- fly in about two hours." They headed for the temple; there were things to do there before the airship lifted.

Besides, it would let Argus talk quietly to his daughter.

-----------

How did she know? Elke asked herself. She was only two months along, and the baby bump shouldn't be showing yet. Apparently the girl just had some kind of sixth sense that allowed her to home in on whatever would be most annoying in a conversation. Anyway, she went on.

"The mark's name is Blaise -- Father Blaise of the Veracian Church," Elke said. She showed Jamie an image. (Rose and those with her would have been most interested to know where that had come from, but they weren't around to see it.)

"He's not in town any more," she continued. "Got out on an airship last night, before we could stop him. But we know where he's going, and we've got another airship to get you there." She smirked. "Unfortunately, I don't think you're going to like Goriel very much..."

[Drusia]

I wake up with my face pressed against a pillow.

Right. Cried myself to sleep. Go me.

I get cleaned up, put my dress on, and get my things packed. Then I head out to find some breakfast. Maybe I'll treat myself to that nice place I went with Rose last night. I head out and -

Is that Lillith and Brad?! What are they doing here? I mean, other than walking towards me with Rose and Argus.

I start to run forward to hug Lillith, but after a step I stop myself. What am I doing? Lillith hates me. I've never really understood why, but... I'm probably the last person she wants a hug from.

I probably should dislike her more than I do. I just find it hard to hate people. I thought I hated Rose for the longest time, but then I actually met her and... well, whatever I feel for her, it certainly isn't hate. And Lillith, she really hurt me, but... I mean, that was a pretty intense scene back in Snamish. I don't see how that has anything to do with Lillith and I, but... she does. I can understand that, I guess. I just... wish it didn't have to be that way.

So I just stand here as they approach. As they pass near, I give Lillith and Brad a little wave.

"Hi," I say softly. I open my mouth to say something else, but I can't think of anything that doesn't sound odd, so instead I turn to Rose and Argus.

"I trust you two had a good evening," I say to them, smiling. It feels good to smile. I haven't had much cause to recently.

-- Desiree

OOC: ... well, I feel silly. I've been refreshing the old thread for two days, wondering when the link to the new thread was going to appear. Today I thought, huh... maybe I should check on the main page. And there it was. ~.~;;

[Sareth]

"Hello, Desiree," Lillith replied. She gave the girl a smile. "How are you?" Then Lillith arched an eyebrow. "Where's Eli? It seems like you two are inseparable."

****

"I don't think Goriel is going to like me all that much." Jamie grinned.

Elke winced. She was sure Jamie was just being flippant, but Jamie being Jamie it was probably all to true a statement.

Jamie carried on, oblivious. "Besides. I have a plan. What's the airship?"

[Drusia]

"Hello, Desiree," Lillith replied. She gave the girl a smile. "How are you?" Then Lillith arched an eyebrow. "Where's Eli? It seems like you two are inseparable."

"Ah," I say, my smile faltering. Well, at least she's speaking to me. "Eli... spent the night elsewhere. As of yesterday, I think we're pretty well... separate." Well, that was awkward. I probably could have phrased that better, but... well, no, maybe I couldn't have.

"Otherwise I'm... good," I say. Anilis, help me.

"How are you two doing?" There - finally, a question not rife with awkwardness.

-- Desiree

[Graybeard]

[OOC: If it's OK with you, please insert this before Desiree's response to Lillith; had problems getting it out of this computer. The conversation seems to be converging, anyway. /OOC:]

"Very enjoyable, thank you," Sister Rose twinkled at Desiree, with a not-particularly-subtle smile in Argus' direction. "Very enjoyable. We're sorry that we had to leave you to take care of -- the fourth at dinner." Just in case anyone from the temple was in earshot, she didn't want to imply that Tim had been in no condition to get back to his room by himself. "We owe you one." An observer might have noticed that she'd moved to first-person-plural mode for this part of the conversation.

She tried to change the subject. "Where have the guys gone? Have you seen any of them?" [OOC: Going once on Maduin and Bryce having "wandered off somewhere," going twice...] Then she heard Desiree's answer to Lillith's very similar question ... and she winced, wishing she hadn't asked.

---------

"Besides. I have a plan. What's the airship?"

"Privateer outfit, called the Bonny Read," Elke answered. "They've done some work for us in the past. We weren't expecting them in town, but they're here and looking for work." She snickered. "The privateering business isn't as lucrative as it's cracked up to be, apparently. Solid enough ship, but the crew is ... interesting." [OOC: See the Airship Pirates thread for corroboration of this statement...]

[Sareth]

Desiree's answer brought a bit of a frown to Lillith's lips. She stepped over to the girl and pulled her into her embrace. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Are you doing alright? Is there anything we can do?"

Behind Lillith, Brad shuffled his feet a bit awkwardly. He turned to his cousin. "Uh, well, I don't know where anyone else is. You're the first people we've seen since we arrived at this tiHERE."

****

"Great!" Jamie grinned, though her eyes weren't any warmer than they usually were around Elke. "Interesting I can work with. I just need to scoop up Tammi and I'll get right on it. I'd hardly want to overstay your welcome, your dictatorship." With that, Jamie stood up and glanced over to the man who'd brought her here. "So, where do I find Tamina?"

[Graybeard]

"So, where do I find Tamina?"

"Bruno?" Elke asked. "You got anything there?"

The large hood guffawed. "Dunno, but I know where she's gonna be. We fixed it so they's a bunch that's gonna take on those slavers. Oughta be an even fight, so's almost everyone gets killed. Solves two problems at once, takes out th' competition and OOF!"

The sentence ended early as Elke reached out with surprising speed and slapped him across the face; pregnant and a "manager" or not, she was still a badass who could more than handle herself in a fight. "What were you doing, you idiot?" she hissed. "You don't run operations without my permission! You know that!"

The smirk returned, with a little heat in the man's eyes. "Well, I figgered with you in that state and everthin', might be time to take some initiative, if you know what I" BANG!

Even a silenced handgun makes a fair bit of noise, and Elke's and Jamie's ears rang as one was used to create a neat hole in the middle of Bruno's forehead. The big man dropped in his tracks as Elke returned her piece to the desk drawer. She turned to Jamie. "Good help is so hard to find," she sighed. "I suppose we'd better bust up that fight, or at least make sure the right side wins...."

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

OOC: Rose won't have anything to say (except smile ambiguously...) until somebody else does, or until things get stagnant.

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina and Udo had arrived at the meeting place shortly before the half-elf had. Now the pair watched from a dark corner as Eli hailed the approaching Brother Tim. There was half an hour to go.

"Shouldn't trust him." Tamina hissed side-mouthed to her 'stout protector'. "Keep an eye in case he uses the bad magic. Draws bad people in, makes them worse. Power hungry."

In her mind the Southern Continent native recalled a dangerous moment which had taken place a week ago involving an enormous centipede-like creature which had been summoned into existence by people who were using the same magic she suspected the half-elf now had. From her hiding place, Tamina watched as Eli sketched a symbol almost absently into the wood of the crate he sat on with the point of a knife even as he exchanged pseudo-pleasantries with the man in front of him. She shuddered, but turned to her companion and manged to give him a smile

"Thanks for coming with me. Been scared to go alone."

[Sareth]

"Nice shot. He never even saw it coming." Jamie grinned. "So, yeah, if Tamina is heading into that mess we'd better get going. Rescue sex is the best sex." Jamie pulled out a pistol and waggled her eyebrows.

[Alberich]

"Shouldn't trust him." Tamina hissed side-mouthed to her 'stout protector'. "Keep an eye in case he uses the bad magic. Draws bad people in, makes them worse. Power hungry....Thanks for coming with me. Been scared to go alone."

Okay, maybe he was a little stout, but he could still handle a battlemage staff --

Udo smiled back and gave her a reassuring pat -- oh wow yeah yeah yeah -- and whispered breathily, figuring her lovely big furry rubbable ears could pick up the lighest of whispers. "Right. Won't get drawn in. Won't turn my back on him. Won't let my guard down. And we look out for each other." His face added an exclamation point that his tone couldn't.

* * *

Tim was forgetting the shame, the humiliation, the pollution of last night and this morning - he really hoped Eli would not mention the "D" name just now -- and was glad to keep focused on the fight ahead. "At least they didn't send an advance guard. So do we hide? Surprise could only help."

[OOC: "Rescue sex is the best sex." What a great forum quote that would make!]