Clovius and beyond

[Drusia]

"I'm sorry," she said to Desiree. "I don't think this disguise is going to work. Let's try something else." She reached into her traveling pack and rummaged around the kit that she used to help refugees from Goriel, finding a bag of powder. "This will darken your hair temporarily," she continued, "and we can work from there on something that will give you more of a 'local' look." She reached to remove Desiree's veil so that she could apply the powder, well aware that in different circumstances, this gesture might have ... other ... implications.

There's something very suggestive about the way she unveils me. I'm not sure why, but it certainly seems to make Therese blush a bit. I'd kiss her again, but I don't want an audience - particularly not Tim.

"Yeah. I'm sorry too," I tell Therese. Since Tim and Rose seem occupied, I add quietly, "I've always been scared of Luminosans. Serious ones like Tim anyway. You know, when I first met him, I found him terrifying. I thought he was going to ritually murder me. Now that I know him better, he mostly just annoys me. I mean, he can be sweet sometimes - and he explained that smitings aren't deadly, just painful, which is still pretty frightening and messed up, but at least not life-ending." I'm babbling. I stop for a moment and try to figure out a way to explain better.

I also check again to make sure neither has overheard me. Tim mostly seems relieved that I'm changing - and intent on his discussion (argument, whatever) with Rose. At least they're both still occupied. I don't want to hurt either of their feelings. Roses in particular (even if I'm pretty sure she agrees with me on most points).

"It's like... did you ever disguise yourself as someone from one of the really scary houses in Goriel?" I ask her. Considering the vivid descriptions of torture that Anifa shared with me, I'm pretty sure my father's house qualifies as one of the really scary ones.

... my father's house. Huh. That's still a bit of a weird concept - to think that I have family outside of Snamish. I'm not sure what I think about that. I never even thought to ask Anifsa about his other children. I have half-brothers and sisters living in Goriel.

-- Desiree

OOC: Desiree is being VERY careful to not be overheard by Rose and Tim (in case I wasn't clear enough). She's not necessarily paying attention to others - Tamina, in particular, wouldn't concern her (since Tamina is very much not Luminosan).

[Alberich]

[OOC: Did Rose ever give the impression the trip to look at the temple resulted from the classified parrot? It didn't, and she had an interest in the temple before the bird ever showed up, an interest that would have intensified when she heard Tim's description of what Tovah Dragonslayer thought of the place.]

OOC: Yes:

"So let's go take a look at what has befallen this temple in town, from a safe distance. That's not our problem any more, if it ever was, but they do want an assessment of what Tim is up against if his request to take the call here is approved."

OOC2: Implication is that "they" -- i.e., the Church back in Veracia -- "want" an assessment that includes this temple visit. Especially in context of "That's not our problem any more..." -- implication is that "we" (Rose & Co.) don't even want to do it but "they" (Veracia) want us to.

* * *

Since Rose, Therese, and Desiree seemed to have abandoned their desire to commit further sacrilege involving the vestments of the Church, and Rose was moving to a far more cautious version of her plan, Tim let the rest go and did not argue anymore. He still believed it would be better to stay away from there completely, leaving him to learn about this particular problem discreetly over time. And he still disbelieved Rose's claim that "they" (as opposed to "she") wanted this. To his mind it was not the first convenient lie she'd told him about the hierarchy.

But there was no point in pressing it. Given her status -- however much she had soiled it -- the only recourse he could really have against her was to complain to the Inquisition. He didn't want to do that. If she'd persisted in the sacrilegious dress-up game he might've gone that far anyway...but since she wasn't, he'd let it lie, and even her disgraceful role as the nun-mistress of an atheist Tsuirakuan would be passed over in silence.

Tim did not know that the disguise had been Therese's idea, and naturally put it down to Rose. He imagined that, if Rose had had half the modesty a nun ought to have, that Therese would never have even approached her about lending her vestments for such a wicked purpose. He'd never seen Therese take any joy in insulting the Church, whereas Rose had been ready and eager with an out-of-context scripture quote to justify it, and the whole scheme reeked of Reform "sophistication." Not that he gave it much thought one way or the other. What really mattered to Tim was getting it over with so that Rose could get ready to leave.

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina had followed most of the conversation between the church members despite her unfamiliarity with the subject matter. Bad men at a bad temple needing 'vestigation' was easy enough to understand. The kobold took the pause in the dialogue to raise a volunteering paw.

"'scuse me Rosie, Tim." She began. "Is there anything you need a Killikah gah to do? Could do the sneaky-sneaky if you like."

She dismissed the idea of requesting to wear a nun costume herself. It was obvious from the Brother's declarations that playing dress up would draw unnecessary attention to the group, not to mention likely give the young man an anurism.

[Graybeard]

[OOC: If you check the sequencing, Rose wanted to check out the temple before getting the parrot ... but it really doesn't matter. Can we FINALLY move on? To that end:]

"It's like... did you ever disguise yourself as someone from one of the really scary houses in Goriel?"

"We had a policy of not doing that," Therese answered. That wasn't exactly what Desiree had asked, of course, but some questions were better evaded. "The really scary houses are extremely tightly structured. They know their own people in excruciating detail, and may the Five Great Mothers help you if you're recognized." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "They're not like ... well, like him." She didn't move a muscle beyond her eyes, but those she flicked unmistakably in Tim's direction.

She would have said more, but there was a knock on the door. Argus, who didn't have much to do while the others were busy with their respective "discussions," answered it carefully ... and gaped at the corpulent, flamboyantly dressed man doing the knocking.

"Argie!" Dess Marson bellowed, in a voice that might have raised the Mountain King. "Just imagine meetin' you here again! So did I hear right, that there's folks here lookin' for a caravan south? 'Cause if that's so, then I'm your man..."

[Alberich]

[OOC: If you check the sequencing, Rose wanted to check out the temple before getting the parrot ... ]

[OOC: I know. That's why Tim thinks Rose is lying. It's so convenient that she wants to do something, which from his point of view has nothing to do with her mission and ought not to be done at all...and then suddenly she starts claiming that the Church has ordered it.]

[OOC2: I see Dess showed up in the Umbertiel thread but apparently before the group went to Umbertiel. Two questions: (1) Is he Veracian, as it appears by the accent you were giving him, and (2) is it reasonable that Tim would recognize him as having traded in Umbertiel?]

[Graybeard]

[OOC:

[OOC2: I see Dess showed up in the Umbertiel thread but apparently before the group went to Umbertiel. Two questions: (1) Is he Veracian, as it appears by the accent you were giving him, and (2) is it reasonable that Tim would recognize him as having traded in Umbertiel?]

(1) We never settled on where he came from, but the most likely answer would be either Farrel or the Northern Confederacy. He knows Argus from their days painting Kiyoka red, or in Argus' case, sickly green. That's not something a Veracian, or at least a Luminositan, would do, Kiyoka being part of Tsuiraku after all.. (2) Very unlikely. Umbertiel would be too "respectable" a place for the likes of Marson; he'd be more at home in somewhere like Nautkia, where he was headed when first encountered. To push this a little farther along:]

"Uh, so what brings you here, Dess?" Argus said weakly, while trying to organize his thoughts. (Sister Rose took the cue and paused to listen, doing her best to stay in the background.)

The trader grinned broadly. "Oh, y'know, just makin' a living. Turns out there's a market down south for dragon scales, folks think they're magic." The grin broadened. "They ain't, o' course, you know that well as I, but people still pay good silvers for 'em, so why not? Folks here get 'em from the trolls, I do the rest."

His voice dropped conspiratorially, and he put his hand over the side of his mouth away from Argus before he continued. "Truth to tell, though, the real money here's to be made over at the Holy Rollers." The smile grew wider still. "People in this town don't know how to gamble worth a damn."

[Alberich]

Tim fired off a quick mental message to Rose. If he can describe it for us, then we won't have to go there at all.

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC Anyone going to answer Tamina's question? /OOC

[Graybeard]

[OOC: I hear and obey, JR. ]

<"If he can describe it for us, then we won't have to go there at all.">

Is he scared of going to that place? Sister Rose wondered. She didn't answer directly, but leaned over to Tamina and whispered in her ear, taking the opportunity to make sure she had no Luminositan insignia showing. "Nothing sneaky, but let's go have a quick, quiet look at the temple, just the two of us." Then she turned to Argus, with as wide-eyed a smile on her face as she could manage. "Tammy and I are going souvenir hunting, dear. Why don't you go ahead and negotiate our transportation? We won't be gone long." She planted a quick kiss on Argus' bearded (and blushing) cheek as she and Tamina swept out of the room.

Meanwhile, Therese paused in her own attention to Desiree's hair and whispered in her ear. "Do you know this guy?"

[Drusia]

"We had a policy of not doing that," Therese answered. That wasn't exactly what Desiree had asked, of course, but some questions were better evaded. "The really scary houses are extremely tightly structured. They know their own people in excruciating detail, and may the Five Great Mothers help you if you're recognized." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "They're not like ... well, like him." She didn't move a muscle beyond her eyes, but those she flicked unmistakably in Tim's direction.

I give her half a smile.

"Yes, I realize," I tell her. "I just meant... I spent years terrified of the Luminosan church. Particularly the orthadox church. Dressing up like one... it's like dressing up as something out of a nightmare. I'm sure it would've been fine if there weren't any of them here, but these hill people are scary enough without people thinking we're attacking their religion. And then shooting me for the same."

At that moment, some weirdo arrived. Apparently he knows Argus. 'Kay.

Meanwhile, Therese paused in her own attention to Desiree's hair and whispered in her ear. "Do you know this guy?"

I shake my head. "Nope."

-- Desiree