Getsemiel

[Jack Rothwell]

"And yes, Desiree, I'm pretty sure they'd be happy for you to join them in the hot tub. You too. For these people, the more, the merrier ... but remember, they're still conservative Luminositans in many ways."

"Sure." Said Eli. "Except taking a bath with my hat on is liable to cause some comment."

His eyes flicked to the temple, an idea suddenly occurred to him.

"These... priests." He began tentatively. "Is there any chance they might have something stashed between their potions and 'herbs' to give us a hand against the threat we're facing?"

[Graybeard]

[OOC: This is going to be kind of long, but hopefully it's useful background. Thanks to Alberich for suggesting some of the ideas here...]

"Is there any chance they might have something stashed between their potions and 'herbs' to give us a hand against the threat we're facing?"

Sister Rose set down her glass abruptly. ("All natural spring water" or not, it didn't taste very good, in her opinion.) "That's an interesting thought," she said. "My initial reaction is that there's probably not, but if we think about it, maybe we can come up with something. Let me tell you a little about the history of the Calfornican Church..."

Her voice trailed off as she saw Sister Nymphaea -- it struck her as odd to call someone a good twenty years older than Rose herself "Nimmie" -- approaching with a tray of goodies. She smiled her thanks as the grapes, lotus leaves, etc., were passed around, everyone being sure to avoid the brownies just as Rose had suggested. "If you'd be so kind," she added, "would you take a little refreshment to the people we left at the town gate? They're -- expecting another traveler and are standing watch."

"Ooh, totally!" Sister Nimmie enthused. (Come to think of it, Rose considered, a sixty-year-old nun who talked like that, wore her blond hair long, and partook of the -- traditions of the temple might be more of a "Nimmie" than a "Nymphaea".) "'Cause we, you know, want our visitors to feel totally at home. I'll get something to your friends at the holy waters too." She ambled away, taking the brownies with her.

Rose picked up where she'd left off. "So back to the Calfornicans. When the Veracian Church reached this coast, it was discovered that it was hard to do magic here, even for the simple rites of the church -- in fact, particularly for the rites of the church. For some reason, the priests and nuns couldn't tap into Luminosita's Power for spellcasting. If Miguel was still with us, he could tell you more about the studies that were done on that, to figure out why, but it really doesn't matter. What matters is what happened next. The early settlers figured out that this climate was very good for growing -- I guess I'd have to say 'entheogens'. So this whole culture of worship sprang up that was based on -- biological enhancements of the worship experience rather than thaumatic ones. To this day, the Calfornican clergy aren't very good at magic. Between that and the fact that the worshipers seem to like the rituals they way they are --" she smiled and winked -- "I can't imagine why -- the Calfornican Church has stabilized in the form you see today. You won't find any magical artifacts in the temple that provide protection against instant death. Biological protections, now ... let's think about that."

She picked up a lotus leaf and nibbled daintily on it; despite the name, it was one of the products of the area that had no psychoactive effects -- unlike the brownies. Definitely unlike the brownies. Totally.

----------

Sister Nimmie, however, had been eating the brownies all her life (only on ceremonial occasions, of course, although the Calfornican Church found abundant reasons to have ceremonies...), and the fact that there might be something basically different about the brownies never occurred to her, not that her current mental state was all that conducive to analytical thinking anyway. On the other hand, she'd been very deeply indoctrinated in the need to be responsible to the earth, so waste not, want not. Besides, she wanted to be hospitable...

She floated toward the pool, where a rather nervous-looking Brad and a more relaxed-looking Lillith were just sliding into the water, and extended the tray toward the couple. "Here, like, would you like something to take the edge off your travel? It's all organic, no animals were harmed in the making of these brownies ... totally."

[Drusia]

"And yes, Desiree, I'm pretty sure they'd be happy for you to join them in the hot tub. You too. For these people, the more, the merrier ... but remember, they're still conservative Luminositans in many ways."

"So no orgies," I reply, eyeing the pool. "Got it."

"Sure." Said Eli. "Except taking a bath with my hat on is liable to cause some comment."

Eli asks Rose another question, but I have another concern.

"Eli makes a good point about the hat," I say to Rose. "What exactly is the... bathing dress code?" If this was Snamish, I'd go in naked. It isn't. I don't want to make any easily avoided blunders.

-- Desiree

[Graybeard]

"What exactly is the... bathing dress code?"

That took Sister Rose by surprise. Desiree uptight, of all people? It took her a moment to figure out the subtext.

"It's pretty much anything goes," she answered, then chuckled. "Or nothing also goes. They really don't care. They're also not the most observant people while they're under the influence of religious, uh, well ... just under the influence, I'll leave it at that." Another chuckle. "Kenny and I partook when we were here before, and nobody minded a bit. I'll probably take a dip myself, after we check in with Father Arnold." She turned to Argus, gently poked him in the ribs. "And I'll expect you to join me," she finished with a twinkle in her eye.

It wouldn't occur to her until much later that she might have been wrong, that maybe somebody had noticed those many years ago that one of the bathers had unusual ears. For the moment, however, her memories were focused elsewhere, and she didn't even realize that the familiar pain at reminiscing about her husband had been dulled just the tiniest bit ... for now.

[Drannin]

Argus coughed a little bit and flushed slightly. "Well, when among the Calfornicans and all..." he murmured neutrally. Well, he supposed it wasn't the first time an attractive woman had asked him to bathe with her-

Rose.

Bathing.

Naked.

Naked Rose.

Er.

Argus slowly started turning very red, and looked away, carefully sipping his water, hoping no one would notice the heat rising in his face. Naturally, Harker did, and sidled up to his master. "Actually, I really think you should take a bath. RIGHT NOW."

If looks could pulverize, Argus would be pulp. Harker was starting to lose patience.

[Porcelain Fish]

Bryce didn't scruple at looking askance at Brother Tim. It was one thing to share a saddle with Maduin, whose presence was physically gratifying (and who was was putting out to boot). It was another thing entirely to be expected to share it with another male that he frankly didn't find attractive. Besides, the hill really wasn't that tall, and truth be told, Bryce was of the opinion that Brother Tim was kind of a dick. He certainly hadn't asked politely, and Bryce wasn't all that enamored of the fact that he was here while Maduin was in the city in the first place.

In fact, he was just the slightest bit irritated, and trending towards genuinely dour. Still, he supposed could at least offer the possibility of amicability, just in case there was a guy who wasn't an entitled tool that seemed to expect others to defer to him hiding in there somewhere.

Bryce didn't crack a smile, just held out a hand and helped Tim up into the saddle behind him. "Hold onto the saddle."

It'd be a shame if the good brother ended up with a broken jaw from a backthrust elbow and a concussion from hitting the ground because he'd put his hands in the wrong place.

All purely accidental of course.

[Alberich]

"Right." Completely missing the subtext of Bryce's dour demeanor, Tim held onto the saddle. He didn't expect an enlisted troop to share his inner feelings with an officer he hardly knew. Given the nature of those feelings, it was probably just as well.

[Drusia]

"It's pretty much anything goes," she answered, then chuckled. "Or nothing also goes. They really don't care. They're also not the most observant people while they're under the influence of religious, uh, well ... just under the influence, I'll leave it at that." Another chuckle. "Kenny and I partook when we were here before, and nobody minded a bit. I'll probably take a dip myself, after we check in with Father Arnold."

Well, if the nun is planning to bathe naked, who am I to argue?

I turn to Eli. "I guess we're good to go then," I say to him. "Shall we?"

-- Desiree

[Graybeard]

Aww ... how cute, Sister Rose thought, noting the improbable color that Argus' face had turned. I've embarrassed him. She tried to suppress an impish smile, not altogether successfully.

"Really, it's no big deal," she insisted. "It's a religious thing, everybody will be well behaved. Besides, the pool is supposed to have medicinal powers. It might even help your shoulder. Give it a try." The impish smile escaped its confinement. "I'll look the other way when you get in, I promise." Wonder if he noticed that I said that with my fingers crossed? I ... think I hope so.

She looked like she was starting to say something else, but Father Arnold was emerging from the temple, now wearing the robes of his church and looking remarkably dignified and priestly, given that he'd been stark naked and dripping wet no more than five minutes earlier. Her attention restored to ... affairs of state, she made introductions, noting that something seemed to have caught Maduin's attention down the street. Well, there were plenty of handsome men in Getsemiel ... although there was only one that she particularly cared about at the moment.

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

The scary woman had seen airships before, but none quite like this. Yes, it looked like just the kind of thing a Tsuirakuan devil might use. As she completed a wide circle around the ship, she noticed two things of interest. First, a light shone from the cabin now resting on the surface beneath the great envelope. Second, a trail led away from the ship toward town.

So which way to go? Maybe Luminosita will give me a sign, she thought, although she really thought it would come down to a coin toss.

[OOC: Over to you, PF.]

[Jack Rothwell]

Eli smiled at Desiree and held out a hand.

"Just try not to make anyone's eyes pop out their head." He said.