Kiyoka, Douaga and beyond

[Alberich]

Anfisa touched Desiree's shoulder with her cheek and traced a finger down her back - before she remembered that such displays might be noticed, and from what she gathered, not well thought of here. So she kept just a few fingers on Desiree's arm and whispered her answer to Desiree - "I want to go with you."

And get married, and lock you up in a magic cave with me. That she didn't say. It wasn't as if she had travel experience anyway, or any funds to take them anywhere, or support them when they got there.

[Graybeard]

The touch of Anfisa's hand on Desiree's back may have felt good to those two women, but to Therese it felt like a knife in her heart.

"I -- I'd better go talk to Rose and see what she wants to do from here," she mumbled. Well, at least if her potential for love wasn't going to be achieved in this group, her prospects for adventure still had an excellent chance to be...

[Drusia]

"Good news and bad news," she said. "I went and checked schedules at the warp gate and the airship terminal. The good news is that the gate here connects to several cities: Tsuirakushiti, Tsuirakushita and Kiyoka in Tsuiraku, Port Lorrel and Isabel in Farrel, and Salvus up north. So we can leave town any time we want to." She shuddered. "I don't think it's our kind of place."
"So where would you like to go next? And maybe more important, what to do when we get there?"

I clap my hands, thrilled. "I've always wanted to visit Tsuirakushiti!" I say excitedly. "It was built by half-elves, back in ancient times, and modeled on the Rinkai homeland." My mother has spoken of it often. I can tell it reminds her of her home. To actually go there... it would be like stepping back in time and visiting the city where my mother was born.

"I want to go with you."

I blink. "Well, of course," I say, surprised. "Why would you think otherwise?" I wouldn't leave my worst enemy here. This place is worse than Goriel - why rescue Anfisa from being a loved and respected Getera only to leave her here where she has no prospects. I think my attempt to send her to Santuariel has her skittish.

"I -- I'd better go talk to Rose and see what she wants to do from here," she mumbled.

"Huh?" I ask. "Oh, right, of course." Of course. Therese is traveling with Rose, not me. I keep forgetting.

Then again, after that meeting, I'm honestly not sure what Rose is doing now. Blaize is dead, the Convergence is just a weird name and some rumors, so really, what's it matter where we go?

Therese is heading off. I call after here "I'd still like to see your home!" And... I kind of think I'd like to show her mine. Anfisa... well, I still think Snamish might be a bit too much culture shock for her. Although if anyone could help her adjust, it would be Suriah. Hm.

-- Desiree

[Alberich]

Anfisa waited for Therese's return, or Rose's. She passed the time with soft talk and subtle touches. She said she'd love to hear what Desiree knew about Tsuiraku -- as she herself only knew that was where Dina's favorite "picture book" was from.

[Graybeard]

Therese approached Sister Rose and Argus discreetly, in silence. They seemed to be having a quiet heart-to-heart talk about something. The sight gave the red-haired woman another tug on the heart strings, but of a different kind than what she'd just experienced. They're in love, that's easy enough to see. And yet they're moving so cautiously, so -- I guess I'd say "shyly." And there's not much shy about either of their personalities. It's partly just because they're a little older, and if I understand it correctly, they've both lost someone they loved already. And they want to do it right this time around.

Just like with me and Melusine. Another tug.

Well, this was not the time to play Cupid. She was debating whether it would be rude to interrupt when she heard Desiree's call. "I'd still like to see your home!" That was encouraging ... She took the time for a brief nod back toward the other women, a smile, and a wink, before returning her attention to the older couple.

[OOC: Drannin, I think you can assume that Rose floats the vineyard idea if you want to, and respond to that; or not, if you'd prefer. Either way, but soon enough we need to figure out travel plans. Kiyoka seems like a reasonable next stop, either way.]

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Where did everybody go? I think we're basically done in Saus, so to move things forward:]

Her tete-a-tete with Argus done [OOC: D, please feel free to elaborate on what happened there as you wish, and also on what Harker has learned -- entirely your call on where to go with that -- /OOC], Sister Rose went looking for the others, particularly Therese, who had returned to the main group; it just wouldn't have done to interrupt that particular exchange.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get out of here," she said when she found them. "If we get moving, we can catch the next warp gate opening to Kiyoka, where I'm officially stationed. I've been asked to preside over some weddings there, and one of them is of a friend who's one of the Church's experts on cults. It might be useful to see what he knows about -- this bunch that we're worried about." It didn't seem quite right to mention the word "Convergence" in public, even on the temple grounds.

Therese nodded. "I would agree," she said, and left it at that. The fact that the Tsuirakuans might be a little more, well, understanding about -- relationships and religions had its attractions, too. She cast an eye back toward Desiree and Anfisa, making fleeting eye contact before turning back to Rose.

Rose saw it, but missed the context. They're still nervous about this. She put on her most reassuring smile. "Have any of you ever used a warp gate before? It's ... interesting, but also the most secure way of travel we know of."

[Alberich]

Tim, having been gathered up, was eager to go - and even more eager to see Desiree go, though he didn't say this again.

Officially, he supposed, the mission was over. But he suspected that Rose's superiors would be issuing more orders about this damned Convergence and that an extra pair of hands might be needed very fast. The men who were on the spot made the difference, as they had in Goriel, and he'd best be one of them.

And if Eli did manage to find him somehow...well, Rose, for all his problems with her, was the only human he could begin to trust on that subject, under the circumstances. So he didn't question in any way why he was still travelling with her, and was glad that no one else was asking that question just now.

[Drusia]

She put on her most reassuring smile. "Have any of you ever used a warp gate before? It's ... interesting, but also the most secure way of travel we know of."

"No," I reply, "But I've gated with my mother a few times. Is it similar?"

I smile brightly. We're using a warp gate - and this is the only town in Veracia with a warp gate. Ergo - we're leaving this stupid, backwards, jerk-face nation behind and going somewhere better!

-- Desiree

[Graybeard]

"But I've gated with my mother a few times. Is it similar?"

"Not so much," Sister Rose answered. "It's a bit more -- formal." There was irony in that, she thought; the Tsuirakuans were contemptuous of the rites and rituals of the Veracian Church (in some regards, with good reason, she had to admit), yet their own warp gates involved a great deal more pomp and hocus-pocus than was really necessary. Well, everyone had to worship something, and the Tsuirakuans chose to worship their own magic rather than Luminosita, on their head be it. I'm glad Argus isn't that way, anyway.

Therese, for her part, had an unexpectedly wide-eyed look. "I've never seen a warp gate in action before," she said. "The stories I've heard..."

Rose smiled and patted her hand. "So think of it as a new and exciting experience." They set off for the gate.

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

An hour and a half, six travel runes, and one loud WHHSSHHH later, the adventurers found themselves in a new place.

Rose stood at the door of the gate, taking in the aroma of the mountain air blowing in from the west (and, fortunately, not the odor of the waterfront and fish market blowing in from the east), and exhaled happily. "It's nice to be home," she said to Argus. And it was nice, and this was home, she realized. She'd been more comfortable in Kiyoka, as a foreigner and missionary (and... more), than she'd ever been in her homeland. Furthermore, the prospects of making a home here with the man were ... appealing.

A squeal of delight interrupted her reveries, as mini-skirted Sister Marilyn homed in on the party, a huge smile crossing her face. "Argus! Rose! It's so great to see you again..."

[Alberich]

Tim's eyebrows bounced only briefly as this strange apparation approached. He didn't approve but didn't think it diplomatic to say so right now. You didn't sell the Church to infidels by competing with them in that kind of leggy sensuality. You showed them it had something more serious, satisfying, and lasting to offer.