Salvus and homeward

[Graybeard]

"Sounds good to me," SIster Rose nodded. She rolled her eyes and indicated the loud bar. "Preferably at some inn as far from that din as possible."

It didn't take long for the group to find such an inn, and settle in for the night. Therese noticed that Rose didn't do the sketchy, almost perfunctory rituals of the Veracian Church, that even she and her Reformed brethren generally did at nightfall where possible, before retreating behind closed doors with Argus. What's going on there? she wondered, but she didn't say anything before quietly closing the door to her own room -- hers and Desiree's.

[OOC: Where is Tamina during all this? I dunno; your call, JR.]

[Alberich]

[Query: Where's the group's likely next stop after Santuariel? I think I'll place Udo wherever that is, since he is not well designed for the reunion with Brad and Lillith. Though I will greatly enjoy reading that scene as it plays out.]

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC I really don't have anything to add atm. Feeling pretty drained creatively lately. If I don't put anything in assume Tamina ate a hearty supper and bedded down for the night to sleep off the cocktails./OOC

[Graybeard]

OOC: OK, as soon as Desiree is heard from, we can move on, either to morning or ... not. As for Udo, I'd actually thought of a way to get him reunited with the main group in Santuariel, by way of him being hired as "security" for people crossing the border to seek healing there, but that would require that he be sober, which he wasn't the last time we heard from him, so...

Anybody want to propose a name for the next village beyond Santuariel, where Udo is hanging out? It would presumably be somewhere in the boonies of northern Veracia, near the border, and would be the kind of place people would surreptitiously sneak away from, to get healing in Santuariel. I really haven't thought about what might be there yet, but Udo says there's a fortune teller in town...

[Alberich]

[OOC: For want of anything better, let's mash together some Irish place names and come up with...Corgal.

Since the senior guard at the Heretic Knowledge Vault, the one who was not so eager to chase Meji too fast, had an Irish accent, I figure that's appropriate. Starting with Sligo, Leitrim, and Galway, I had to throw away "Lego," "Legal," "Leeway," "Slygal," and "Galgo" before I threw in "Cork" and hit something I liked.

Maybe they've also got a famous but discreet little distillery. Though they should not be the true home of Swoggle's, which I believe should be in Farrell.]

[Drusia]

she didn't say anything before quietly closing the door to her own room -- hers and Desiree's

Let's see. In the past couple of days, Therese has asked me to go home with her, then asked me to join her on an epic quest to seek out Compassion and possibly revolutionize both of our faiths - which, it now seems, are the same faith. Also, I've kissed her quite firmly. And she disguised me in makeup that was somehow more intimate than the kiss.

We probably need to talk about this. We've shared so much already, been intimate in so many ways, and yet, we haven't yet made love. That feels very backwards to me. I've wanted to sleep with her since almost the moment I met her - because she was beautiful and strong and interesting. But now she's also a friend. In some ways I feel closer to her than any friend I've had previously, and in other ways she's still... distant from me. And the thought of being alone with her, finally - with sharing a bed with her, finally - makes me... nervous. Not in a bad way - more like in that moment before I begin a performance ritual, when there's that tension. This feels like that, and yet not. I have often used sex to give blessings, to be a channel for the goddess. It was my job for years. It is my default feeling. This... this isn't for Anilis. This is for me. And, without Anilis to channel, without someone (like Anfisa) to help, to bless, to heal... I have never felt so naked.

Oh. Right. Naked.

As Therese turns away from the door, I let my dress fall to the floor. She's seen me nude before, but this is different. I stand next to the bed without the mantle of Anilis, without the duty of a priestess. Just... me.

I want to say something witty or charming - something to break the ice or calm her or myself - but the words escape me. So I just stand there, naked before her, waiting for her.

Is this love? I... I think it might be.

-- Desiree

OOC: Damn, I should've posted this on White Day. Would have been more approprate. Ah well.

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Hoo boy, is it ever tempting to ignore rule number four... but being a forum admin, I suppose I have to be a good example. Well, that and the fact that I'm not very good at writing sex scenes anyway. ]

Therese could do nothing but gape, at least at first, but then she found her tongue. "Oh, Mothers," she gasped. "You're so beautiful..."

And her own clothes tumbled to the floor as things faded to black.

[Drusia]

Therese could do nothing but gape, at least at first, but then she found her tongue. "Oh, Mothers," she gasped. "You're so beautiful..."

Some time later, I lay awake in Therese's arms.

She's asleep. I can tell from her breathing, and from the fact that her nose is making a little whistling noise that it didn't when she was awake. She's happy.

I'm... trying to be.

You'd think I'd be use to this by now. Usually I don't mind - it is my job after all. My calling.

But... tonight was supposed to be about us. I set Anilis aside and went to Therese as myself, just me.

... and she called me Mel.

I don't even think she realizes what she did. I didn't let myself react to it. I mean, it's not like I'm used to being a proxy for someone else. Usually Anilis, but sometimes people have used me to connect with a lost love. I sought the same after Kenny died. Sometimes people need you to be someone else. I mean, if she'd asked, I would have been fine doing that for her.

But she didn't. She called me beautiful.

I close my eyes and try to concentrate on sensation alone. I try to focus on the aftershocks run through my body, to feel Therese's body against me, to let it calm me. This all feels perfect, just like it should. I'm warm and sated. I should drift off to sleep in her warm embrace.

... but I can't sleep.

-- Desiree

[Graybeard]

None of this was known to Therese, now peacefully snoozing in Desiree's arms.

If anyone had been in a position to mention it, she'd have reacted with complete astonishment, and a little indignation, at the observation that in her moment of glory, she'd shouted "MEL! MEL!" rather than something more ... appropriate. She certainly hadn't been thinking about Melusine at the particular moment. She hadn't been thinking about much of anything at all, in fact, just letting passion and nerve endings do their work. And the thoughts she'd been having right up to that magic moment, and then beyond it, were definitely of Desiree. Unfortunately, none of that could take back what she'd exclaimed at that one moment of time-that-was-not-time. Therese's religion had no specific Satan-like figure as a manifestation of evil -- the Sisterhood recognized that there was enough evil loose in the world that it didn't really need one -- but if she'd been conscious of Desiree's wakefulness, she'd have realized that she had the devil to pay for that involuntary gasp from the past. However, she wasn't, so she didn't.

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

In the room next door, Sister Rose had heard, but had not understood, and not simply because the walls were solid enough to have muffled the details. The inner dialogue she was having had nothing to do with events in the adjoining room, either.

Years earlier, she'd disciplined herself to make love quietly, after some ... embarrassing ... moments with Kenny under conditions where they were separated from the troops in her command by walls less substantial, and less sound-deadening, than those of the inn. As she snuggled against Argus, she gave silent thanks to Luminosita that he too had been, well, careful, and that he was as deep in the grasp of slumber as Therese was next door. She let her own breathing become slow and regular to match his ... but the argument going on inside her head wasn't so well synchronized.

So why haven't you told him yet? It's going to be obvious soon enough, after all.

All in good time, Conscience. And right now certainly isn't that time.

I'll give you that. But why not while you were out looking for the road to Santuariel? Nice and private, a family moment, just the right time to drop that kind of news on him.

Snort. Before we ran into those two young women, when we were both still on high alert? Or after, when we were both so happy about the news from Brad and Lillith, and the prospect of seeing them again, that it was all we could do just to walk back to the inn, not dance?

After, of course. It would have been the perfect addition to his own happiness, and you wouldn't be stuck keeping a secret.

But... do I know for sure that he is going to be happy when I tell him?

Of course he will. He loves you.

He does. But the consequences...

You'll be fine. The whole family will be fine. And as for those who won't approve of developments, screw 'em. You've never cut your jib to other people's opinions of what's orthodox and proper, girl.

I'll give you that in return... The second inner voice realized when it was beat, and finally gave up the argument so that she could sleep.

[Jack Rothwell]

Poor Tamina, on the other hand, had woken up next to no-one and with nothing but a cocktail based hangover to console her. The humanoid dressed and preened with none of her usual perkiness that morning. Perhaps it was the climate of the area, maybe the alien landscape had her missing the warmer surroundings of the southern continent. Alleece and Riiki would've led her people to newer territory by now; there'd been no way the tribe could stay in the wake of the battle which had claimed it. Although if Tamina had been completely honest with herself she would've admitted that part of her current state of grumpiness came from the solitude that Drusia had left her in back at Port Lorrel. There was nothing like being surrounded by couples to rub that in.

Under a dark cloud, the kobold went in search of breakfast.