Santuariel, Compassion, and the banshee

[Graybeard]

[OOC:

You're married (right? - I was pretty sure you were) - you've never had to help your sig-other find bras? :p

My wife is curiously shopping-phobic. When she shopped in stores for stuff like that (which has all but stopped in the Amazon era), she'd almost make furtive dashes into the store to get exactly what she wanted, no looking around, and escape as soon as she paid. My "help" on that kind of shopping would have been profoundly unwelcome, and now, what "help" is needed for clicking an Amazon button?

Therese, remember, is quite tall and slender, and outside Refuge-Nouveau, dresses so as to de-emphasize what curves she does have -- although Desiree would obviously have a pretty good idea what's underneath the clothing. Figure A or small B at most.

Not necessarily true. My wife sports a pair of Ds, but she can play a very convincing man when she wants to. She just binds her chest (basically a tightly wrapped Ace Bandage instead of a bra). It flatens and broadens, giving her a fairly masculine shaped chest. Of course, it does nothing for her face, but that's what makeup is for.

Point taken. Honestly, I'd just never worried about Therese's cup size. But in my mind's eye, she's not big. I just don't know what "not big" translates to in cup size, etc. (Incidentally, one of my sons fenced for a while as a kid. I understand your anecdote about your wife.) So anyway:]

"I think I missed something - why are you interested in this Master Melkumyan person? Aren't we supposed to be leaving with a caravan and making sure Zlata's 'spirited nature' doesn't get her eaten by bears?"

Therese thought about it for a minute, then nodded. "You're probably right. Melkumyan himself will be okay; traders don't like it when rapes or murders happen in their caravans, it's bad for business. I was more worried that there would be someone else in the caravan who was from Goriel, but if there was, Zlata would already be in trouble -- probably kidnapped and packed back to Goriel, or worse. But that hasn't happened, so yeah, I think we can wait for the dance." She cocked an eye at Desiree. "So what instead? Zlata can take care of herself against most kinds of natural threats, and cave bears don't really eat teenaged girls anyway. She's as safe from threats of nature up there as she would be down here. It's the human threats to her that worry me more ..." Her voice trailed off.

[Drusia]

Therese thought about it for a minute, then nodded. "You're probably right. Melkumyan himself will be okay; traders don't like it when rapes or murders happen in their caravans, it's bad for business. I was more worried that there would be someone else in the caravan who was from Goriel, but if there was, Zlata would already be in trouble -- probably kidnapped and packed back to Goriel, or worse. But that hasn't happened, so yeah, I think we can wait for the dance."

I somehow missed that this Melkumyan guy was part of the caravan. The caravan Master, perhaps? Got distracted by the idea of chaperoning Zlata, I guess. Okay, so what is this 'compound' of this then? His wagon? A circle of wagons? And that's where this dance is? Apparently.

She cocked an eye at Desiree. "So what instead? Zlata can take care of herself against most kinds of natural threats, and cave bears don't really eat teenaged girls anyway. She's as safe from threats of nature up there as she would be down here. It's the human threats to her that worry me more ..." Her voice trailed off.

Do cave bears only like fully grown women? I'm pretty sure the one we ran into the other night planned to eat us. But, if Therese thinks that Zlata can take care of herself, who am I to argue. And anyway, I'm more baffled by what she meant by that last sentence.

"Which human threats?" I ask. "I doubt anyone will be up near the Banshee site after everything that happened - other than Zlata I mean. And, if you mean in the caravan, then you're worried about someone other than Melkumyan, I take it?"

Therese is obviously worried about something. I'm just not sure quite what. I would worry that she isn't confiding in me, but she obviously hadn't finished thinking the Melkumyan thing through, so she clearly hasn't settled on something specific yet. I seem to be helping a bit by being her sounding board, so I might as well keep it up.

-- Desiree

OOC:
My wife is curiously shopping-phobic. When she shopped in stores for stuff like that (which has all but stopped in the Amazon era), she'd almost make furtive dashes into the store to get exactly what she wanted, no looking around, and escape as soon as she paid. My "help" on that kind of shopping would have been profoundly unwelcome, and now, what "help" is needed for clicking an Amazon button?

Huh. That is not something I have previously encountered. Or, rather, not that one specifically. My wife is mildly telephone-phobic (due to having to work with them extensively - it isn't really a phobia so much as a loathing). Anyway, our main trouble with bra shopping is that D-cup bras A) never get the cutest/colors patterns and B) are always sold out. My wife has much bitterness about my undergarments being way better than hers. I, meanwhile, reserve my bitterness for the fact that I can't pull off outfits that require clevage. We both think we'd be way better off with Cs.

Point taken. Honestly, I'd just never worried about Therese's cup size. But in my mind's eye, she's not big. I just don't know what "not big" translates to in cup size, etc.

Time for a visual aid! The following link is a NSFW page of Flipside.

http://flipside.keenspot.com/comic.php?i=788

Bern is an A cup.

Maytag is a C cup.

Unlike SOME comics (cough Drowtales cough), Flipside does a fairly good job of accurately portraying this realistically.

But anyway, if you based her physical appearance on Bern, then Therese is likely an A cup.

(Incidentally, one of my sons fenced for a while as a kid. I understand your anecdote about your wife.)

Fencers are so damn cool. ^^

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Thanks for the "visual aid." I would not go so far as to say that Therese is "based on" Bernadette, but there's a not-entirely-coincidental resemblance, for reasons you will recall. I think of Therese as a bit more "well-endowed" than in that frame, so say small B and go from there.]

"Which human threats? I doubt anyone will be up near the Banshee site after everything that happened - other than Zlata I mean. And, if you mean in the caravan, then you're worried about someone other than Melkumyan, I take it?"

Therese nodded as she listened, then answered. "Right. The banshee site will be avoided, except maybe by people trying to figure out what happened to Padre Glim. But if they weren't up there when Zlata was there earlier, I don't think they will be today or tonight. The ones in town that bother me are the damn thugs we ran into at that sleazy bar. Truth to tell, she's probably safer from them up there at the banshee site than she'd be with us." She didn't look happy at that last observation.

She was going to say more, but there was a soft, polite, almost deferential knock on the door that had slammed shut behind the disappearing Zlata just a couple of minutes earlier. Brad responded, to reveal a small, thin man, fully human rather than half elven to all appearances, dressed in an outlandishly colorful tunic and wearing a hat like none he'd ever seen before -- a fez, maybe? He'd read about those without ever seeing one. "May I help you?" he inquired, pleasantly but formally; he'd been around Lillith (not to mention Sister Rose, Argus, etc.) long enough now to have gained some social sensitivity.

The little man bowed deeply, but in the direction of Therese and Desiree rather than to Brad. "Have message Master Melkumyan for princesses," he said in halting, broken Veracian as he extracted an envelope from his tunic.

"Prin--" Therese started to sputter, but choked it off, it might be best to wait this one out. Brad was showing signs of a similar reaction, but Lillith got that abstracted look on her face that Therese had come to associate with the use of mind-to-mind communication. (I sure wish I could do that, she thought ruefully; unfortunately, the skill that Lillith and even Brad had picked up so easily from Rose and Drusia had proven entirely beyond her, despite hours of trying to learn from Rose.) Brad stopped before his first word was formed, flushed beet red, mumbled "yes, dear," and subsided.

The little man didn't seem to notice this breach in decorum, but just handed the envelope to Desiree. "Is -- how you say -- inviting from Master M. Your Bignesses --" it was his turn to flush as he corrected himself -- "Highnesses invite to big dance tonight at caravan, big dance-dance, big drink-drink, big make whoopee if want. Master M is hope much Your Highnesses come." His prepared speech completed, he looked from Desiree's face to Therese's and back again.

[Drusia]

"Right. The banshee site will be avoided, except maybe by people trying to figure out what happened to Padre Glim. But if they weren't up there when Zlata was there earlier, I don't think they will be today or tonight. The ones in town that bother me are the damn thugs we ran into at that sleazy bar. Truth to tell, she's probably safer from them up there at the banshee site than she'd be with us." She didn't look happy at that last observation.

"You think they'll be back?" I ask doubtfully. Actually, in retrospect, I'm still not sure why they were chasing us in the first place. All we did was mention a prophesy which apparently was hot air in a bar. Leaving town quickly is probably for the best, all things considered.

"Have message Master Melkumyan for princesses," he said in halting, broken Veracian as he extracted an envelope from his tunic.
"Prin--" Therese started to sputter, but choked it off.
The little man handed the envelope to Desiree. "Is -- how you say -- inviting from Master M. Your Bignesses --" it was his turn to flush as he corrected himself -- "Highnesses invite to big dance tonight at caravan, big dance-dance, big drink-drink, big make whoopee if want. Master M is hope much Your Highnesses come." His prepared speech completed, he looked from Desiree's face to Therese's and back again.

Princess, eh? That would imply that --


OOC: Crap. I just realized I can't remember if Desiree knows she's Duravsky's daughter. Hell, it took me the better part of a hour to find the clan name alone (and I'm not even 100% sure on that one). Gray, you are much better at remembering this stuff than I am. Did this ever get established either way? If so, link me? I will edit this message once I know if she had that piece of information or not (or if it was ambigious).

[Graybeard]

[OOC:

OOC: Crap. I just realized I can't remember if Desiree knows she's Duravsky's daughter. Hell, it took me the better part of a hour to find the clan name alone (and I'm not even 100% sure on that one). Gray, you are much better at remembering this stuff than I am. Did this ever get established either way? If so, link me? I will edit this message once I know if she had that piece of information or not (or if it was ambigious).

Good question. I spent a fair bit of time this morning going over the Goriel threads, without finding a clear answer either. However, at no point that I have seen did Desiree ever react in a reeling, I-can't-believe-this kind of way that I would have expected after Drusia-the-elf gave her that news. So I think we (you) can play it either way, but if in doubt, I'd lean toward her not knowing.

EDIT: I did find a reference to Dru saying she was going to tell Desiree, but now wasn't the time, and then they didn't see each other again that I have been able to find. So apparently no. Same observation still applies, however: play it however you wish, with the default being that she doesn't know.]

Princess? Therese thought, then her face contorted as though she was struggling to hold in boisterous laughter. If so, she succeeded, and her expression now held a neutral, slight smile -- "cordial" would fit as a description. "Thank you," she said rather formally. "Please inform the Master that we will be honored to accept this invitation." She said this without having opened the envelope.

That was all the garishly bedecked man needed to hear. "Yes, Your Highnesses, I tell Master Melkumyan, thank much." He bowed deeply again and retreated to the door, through which he passed while still facing forward into the room, as though it would be impolite to show his retreating posterior to royalty.

Whatever laughter Therese had been stifling was threatening to break out again, but surprisingly enough, it was Brad who took the next, practical step. "Could I see that, please?" he said to Desiree. Without waiting for a reply, he mumbled something involving Luminosita, and magic flared around the envelope. A few seconds later, he nodded, and the magic disappeared. "No traps or curses that I can see," he announced. "I'm not as good with that kind of thing as Rose or particularly Miguel, but I still have a little detection magic and I think I'd notice anything obvious." He looked up at the two women. "But what was that all about?" Therese still looked like she was about to split a gut holding her laughter in.

[Drusia]

I think about it. And then I think about it some more. That strange evening when he called me in just to look at me. I was expecting him to sample me, but he didn't. Of course, he wouldn't if -

But how could he be sure? Hm. Well, the stories were pretty specific about her being his personal getera, so it wouldn't have been anyone else - not unless she was cheating on him, which is possible. I didn't look much like him, but then I don't look all that much like my mother either.

"Please inform the Master that we will be honored to accept this invitation." She said this without having opened the envelope.

Wait. If he knew, why did he let his men have me? If I'm supposed to be a princess, then shouldn't he elevate me above getera? Or... maybe not, since getera is a position of great honor. I suppose at that point I wasn't exactly mariage material, so that was likely the best a deflowered princess could hope for. But, if that's the case, why would he advertise? Did he make an announcement? And what about the fact that I stole one of his getera and vanished into the night? Or, well, he doesn't technically have proof of that - Therese's the one who actually stole Anfisa. I left with all due ceremony. Still, he must suspect that my mother and I had something to do with that.

"Yes, Your Highnesses, I tell Master Melkumyan, thank much."

Still, even if all this is true, how would this random caravan master know me by name? And how would he know I'm here? Therese's right, this does merit investigation. We need to know who this guy is and what connection he has to Duravsky. The last thing I need is a bunch of bounty hunters on my ass trying to 'rescue' me and take me 'home' to Goriel.

"Could I see that, please?" he said to Desiree. "No traps or curses that I can see," he announced. "I'm not as good with that kind of thing as Rose or particularly Miguel, but I still have a little detection magic and I think I'd notice anything obvious." He looked up at the two women. "But what was that all about?"

"I'm Duravsky's daughter," I reply, deftly cracking the seal on the envelope. "My mother posed as a getera there during a mission. They had an affair - which was the basis for some famous getera legend I kept hearing by the way - and then she left... and I was her parting gift. Although, since Duravsky isn't a king or a prince, I'm not technically a princess. I'm not actually sure what you would call a daughter of the head of house - Therese, do you know?"

Before Therese can answer, I open the letter and begin to read.

-- Desiree

OOC: If it isn't obvious, that last paragraph where Desiree actually talks is meant to be delivered in an absent deadpan. Desiree is fairly shocked and overwhelmed, so her emotions haven't quite made it to the surface yet, buried as they are beneath her analysis. Still, feel free to play this for laughs - oh, and do let me know what Desiree finds in the letter.

[Graybeard]

[OOC: The intent was for the letter to be exactly what the minion implied it to be, a formal invitation to the dance from Master Melkumyan. But if you want it to be something else, it certainly can. And no WAY is Therese going to play this for laughs after what Desiree said ... very much the contrary.]

Therese didn't hear most of what Desiree said, including her question at the end. Indeed, her brain had pretty much locked up after the first thing Desiree said. "I'm Duravsky's daughter" ... that would do it, all right.

"You are what?" she queried, through teeth suddenly clenched hard.

[Drusia]

The invitation is fairly straight forward. It does indeed name me as being of the Duravsky clan, so my guess appears to be right. Well...

"You are what?" she queried, through teeth suddenly clenched hard.

"Duravsky's bastard, technically," I muse. "I mean, my mother certainly didn't wed him. I didn't think bastards got to be called princess, but then since Duravsky's not a price, I think there must be some sort of misnomer in here anyway."

I'm babbling. I try to stop, but Therese's obvious anger spikes my adrenline and I panic. "This doesn't change anything, you know. Yesterday, I had no idea who my father was. It could have been anyone. Just because I'm related to your enemy, it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't." Tears are sliding down my face and I don't even remember starting to cry. I can't breathe and breakfast feels like hot lead in my stomach.

It's times like this I wish I knew the trick of fainting on cue. Sure, I can faint, but it's never something I do intentionally. This seems like a lovely time, but I just keep standing there, breathing too fast, hoping I don't throw up.

-- Desiree

OOC: Actually, I was more wondering what exact formal title the letter used for Desiree.

[Graybeard]

[OOC: MUCH longer response, including the answer to your salutation question, coming soon, but one thing to clarify first:]

Therese's blood pressure was still through the roof, but she'd had lots of practice functioning under high-stress circumstances ... although the reasons for the stress weren't usually this personal.

"Yesterday, you didn't know who your father was," she said as neutrally as she could manage. "Today you do ... so what changed? Is it just this?" She waved the letter, still unread by her, around in the air, as though repelling a disagreeable insect.

[Drusia]

"Yesterday, you didn't know who your father was," she said as neutrally as she could manage. "Today you do ... so what changed? Is it just this?" She waved the letter, still unread by her, around in the air, as though repelling a disagreeable insect.

I manage to take a breath.

"Yes, mostly," I reply as calmly as I can. "This... explains something strange that happened while I was serving as a ghetera. Duravsky called on me. I thought I was going to service him, but he just... looked at me. For a long time. And then he sent me away. I thought it was weird at the time, but with everything else going on... it didn't seem important. I knew my mother had an affair with him, but she has lots of affairs with lots of people. But the letter... that means that Duravsky has recognized me as his child - whether or not I actually am - and the only way he'd have any idea who I was is if my mother confirmed for him that I'm his daughter. So yes, the fact that the letter exists - the fact that I've been recognized since we were in Goriel - means that Duravsky got information from my mother - information that she didn't see fit to share with me - to make him confident enough to publically acknowledge me. Maybe my mother was lying to him to protect me - as far as I knew, she didn't know who my father was, so either she was lying to me then or to Duravsky - or maybe she felt she owed him something. I don't know."

I stop. Breathe. Wipe away some tears. "Do you think I was lying to you, Therese? Why would I?"

-- Desiree