The road to Gervasiel

As we play, occasionally we'll close a thread and open a new one to keep the size of threads (and relative complexity) down to a dull roar. Here's where we store the closed posts from the history of Errant Road.
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Porcelain Fish
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Re: The road to Gervasiel

Post by Porcelain Fish »

Maduin was feeling rather . . . intense as he woke and washed. His dreams had been vivid, and almost unconsciously he found himself choosing colors that matched his mood. He dressed in a robe of rich purple velvet, night blue slacks and a dark maroon shirt underneath, a dark blue sapphire ring on the middle finger of his left hand and a silver brooch in the shape of a hawk at his collar, its sapphire eyes glittering.

" . . . came twice before we even reached the bed."

Maduin's eyebrows rose slightly as he glided down the stairs. If there was one thing that Druisa was clearly untroubled by, it was inhibitions.

"Good morning," he said pleasantly as he entered the dining room, gliding between Rose and Druisa. "Ah, I see they have pancakes." He inhaled. "They smell delightful."
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Graybeard
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Re: The road to Gervasiel

Post by Graybeard »

A younger Rose Nuria might have been taken aback by Drusia's ... unabashed ... description of the night, but Major Rose Nuria-Lucas had commanded combat troops who not only were well versed in the explicit, but made a sport out of competing to see who could cause their unlikely female commander the most mortification. (Of course, to say that that competition would, one day, backfire, would be to understate it quite severely.) Still, Sister Rose blinked and paused while she was getting her breakfast. Strange reaction, that. Did she not understand what I meant by "felicitous"? And for that matter, what caused me to say something that unusual? The term must have lodged in my subconscious somewhere, somehow, and picked this weird moment to come out. Well, no point in dwelling on it.

The table was soon full of lodgers applying themselves to breakfast, with considerable enthusiasm; the place might look bucolic, but the proprietors certainly knew how to cook. Rose noticed with amusement that while the Handriels were bustling back and forth, bringing more pancakes, ham and other gastronomic delights, Zeb was nowhere to be seen. Sleeping off the night's exertions, maybe? Whatever the reason, his employers didn't seem to miss him.

One thing had to get dealt with, though, and a shocked expression directed at Drusia and her "indiscreet" speech would provide good cover for some mind-to-mind conversation to deal with it. <"Did you pick anything up from your boy toy last night that might shed any light on who he really is?"> she thought at the elf, around a mouthful of scrambled eggs. <"And do you think you said anything that might tip him off to who we are and where we're going? Because all else equal, I'd prefer they not know all the details...">
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Drusia
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Re: The road to Gervasiel

Post by Drusia »

<"Did you pick anything up from your boy toy last night that might shed any light on who he really is?"> she thought at the elf, around a mouthful of scrambled eggs. <"And do you think you said anything that might tip him off to who we are and where we're going? Because all else equal, I'd prefer they not know all the details...">

Ah. So Rose noticed it too. Good.

<"No, nothing came up,"> I reply, <"He was a fairly talented lover, but nothing out of the ordinary. No tattoos, no criptic remarks or strange scars as if from battle. I said as little to him as possible."> And I'm not one to leave any evidence out in the room. I even left the spirit gum on my ears so he wouldn't have any evidence I was an elf.

<"Once we'd finished, I politely suggsted he return to his own room,"> I add, <"So he didn't get to see me 'change' out of my costume ears. Hence the return of the hat.">

I very intently do not mention that there's now about a one in a thousand chance I'm carrying a half-elven child. He was clean, healthy, and not yet trying to kill me, at least not overtly, so... why not? It's not like anyone else here wanted the gig.

I return to the table with my food. If I look a bit smug, well, they had their chance. And it's not like shops closing up, if any of them have a change of heart.

Which reminds me... I may want to give Brad a talk about Lillith here at some point. If the boy's going to be her first, he should know what he's doing. It's only polite.

-- Drusia
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Drannin
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Re: The road to Gervasiel

Post by Drannin »

Argus walked up to the table at that point. "Looks good," he commented. "I'm hungry." Sitting down, Argus started helping himself. A slight intake a breath, and he opened his mind to Rose and Drusia simultaneously; an act that gave him a bit of a headache. <I don't suppose anyone's learned anything about the folks here. Something about this place just seems... off.>

More to the point, Harker had vanished - again- and Argus wasn't sure what the familiar was up to. The lack of an enraged female scream was somewhat unnerving.

(OOC: Curse writer's block....)
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Graybeard
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Re: The road to Gervasiel

Post by Graybeard »

Sister Rose wasn't quite up to simultaneous mind-speech to both Drusia and Argus, so she switched back to the spoken word, planning to steer the conversation into innocuous channels if one of the innkeepers happened by. "I have a hypothesis I'd like to test. It'll require a short trip out of our way, but that shouldn't be a problem. We should still make it to -- our destination by dark. I'll -- oh, good morning, Mrs. Handriel."

"Good mornin'," the older woman smiled as she brought more pancakes. "Be ye sleepin' good last night?" Smiles and nods around the table answered the question, and she continued, "I be seein' you be likin' the breakfast as well. Be diggin' in, there be more where these be comin' from." She turned to go.

Rose cleared her throat. "Is Mr. Handriel handy? I'd like to give him my thanks for the marvelous music last night. And Zeb, too -- he's an excellent dancer, and he's taken very good care of us as well. Is he up yet?"

The barest something flickered across the woman's face, to be replaced almost immediately by her usual bonhomie. "Oh, my husband be doin' the chores already, he be an early riser. And Zeb be goin' into town for some things." If she had other reactions to the "taken very good care" double entendre, she didn't express them. "I'll be takin' these dirty dishes for ye, thanks for helpin' with 'em." She went back into the kitchen.

"I really don't mind taking care of the dishes ourselves," Rose commented to anyone who would listen. And then she switched back to mind-speech to Drusia. <"I can only talk to one of you at once this way, so please pass this to Argus. I'd just swear that there was something about Zeb that she was hiding... and my 'hypothesis' fits with what she said, but it's going to have to wait until we're on the road. Let's finish here and get ready to go.">

[OOC: Yeah, I'm slightly blocked as well, but mainly waiting to hear from Lillith what she and Brad got up to after Rose turned in. Things will get lively again once that's "clarified" ... :twisted: ]
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Sareth
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Re: The road to Gervasiel

Post by Sareth »

Lillith gave a long, luxurious stretch before sliding out of the bed, feeling well rested. A smile played across her face. The dancing last night had been rather enjoyable, and Brad had been quite the gentleman after, seeing her to her room but not pressing when she hinted at not being ready for more... yet. He was a silly fellow, and a bit too taken with her, but perhaps when he had calmed down and become a bit more natural... Yes... that might be nice.

After dressing the girl padded down the hall and plopped down at the table, digging in to a platter of pancakes. "Morning," she smiled. "This is a nice inn. Such pleasant people!"
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Graybeard
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Re: The road to Gervasiel

Post by Graybeard »

[OOC: Ask and ye shall receive ... Thanks, and to get moving again...]

"They are," Sister Rose smiled back, and not insincerely; whatever (if anything) was going on beneath the surface at this inn, the guests were certainly being well taken care of. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, after all the weirdness that's happened to us on the road. "You and Brad made a pretty couple, dancing last night. He's more athletic than he looks, as you might have figured out when he did that hundred-yard dash to get your ice cream," she added puckishly.

Speaking of whom, where was Brad? She'd seen him outside at sunrise, up doing his early morning prayers just as she herself had been (albeit without the little side trip she'd taken to launch the parrot). He'd been walking around as though floating on a cloud, the same happy, lovestruck look on his face that he'd had ever since Lillith regained consciousness, and Rose knew he'd stumbled over one of the chants about the love of Luminosita. Well, he was entitled to that, and it was the thought that counted ...

Ah, here he came now, drawn to the object of his adoration like a moth to a flame. Something was different, though. He was puffing as if he'd run some distance, and the look on his open, expressive face was no longer just the usual rapturous one; Rose thought she detected ... suspicion?

"You won't believe what I just saw," he panted as he sat down to a plate of ham and eggs.
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Drannin
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Re: The road to Gervasiel

Post by Drannin »

Argus paled. "Oh, weave. Was it Harker? If it was, then what was he doing, so I know who to apologize to."
Porcelain Fish
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Re: The road to Gervasiel

Post by Porcelain Fish »

"You won't believe what I just saw," he panted as he sat down to a plate of ham and eggs.

Maduin held back an amused smile with an effort. Oh, this was bound to be good.
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Graybeard
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Re: The road to Gervasiel

Post by Graybeard »

"Calm down," Sister Rose said, and fetched her cousin a soothing cup of tea; in his current state, he certainly didn't need coffee.

Brad drank deeply, then shook his head. "The most amazing thing," he orated. "I'd just finished my prayers, and had, er, walked out to the trees down the road to -- think. I was standing behind them and the hired man came out, his name is Zeb, right?"

"Yes, Zeb," Rose nodded. "And lower your voice a little. You're almost shouting." Not to mention that whatever it is involving Zeb, I'd just as soon the Handriels not learn about it this way.

"Sorry," Brad said, and continued. "So I was just standing there and Zeb comes out of the inn. He looks around, as if to see whether anyone is watching him -- I don't think he saw me. And then --"

"Yes?" Rose prompted.

"It was the damnedest thing -- excuse my language," he apologized (to Lillith, of course). "He just blurred. And the next thing I knew, he was a quarter mile down the road. It was like time stood stiOOMPH..."

Rose's elbow in his gut stopped the sentence early, and spilled a bit of his tea. Damn ... I sure hope the Handriels didn't hear that...
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