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FF Fanatic 80 
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1708
(8/5/05 20:29)
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 Re: the computer is staying!
Not up for a rousing game of drunkard poker, Stephan makes his way over to the bartender, noting how attentive she seems to be about the place.
"...so, what can a bloke like myself order up here?" he asks her.
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Kai 
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 503
(8/5/05 20:39)
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Re: the computer is staying!
Myrnal grabbed a table near the bar and waited for Stephan to figure out what he wanted.
"Well," the bartender said. "Ah don't know. Ya lookin' for dinner, or are ya lookin' for something to drink?" She smiled. "Because Ah can help you out with whatever ya need. We like to make our customers comfortable."
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1709
(8/5/05 20:40)
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Re: the computer is staying!
"The drink's tempting, but I'll settle for something solid for the night." Stephan tells her, "Anything special?"
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 504
(8/5/05 20:48)
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Re: the computer is staying!
"Well, we had a slow couple of weeks, so we've got a special on our house steak and salad. Got to get that steak movin' if we want to make any kind of profit on it." She smiled again, definitely working for a nice tip. "If Ah were goin to recommend anything to ya, it'd be that. Course, if you'd like somethin else, like chicken or pork, that wouldn't be a problem either."
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1710
(8/5/05 20:51)
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Re: the computer is staying!
"Steak and salad sounds good enough." Stephan nods to her, "Anything to drink?"
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 505
(8/5/05 20:59)
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Re: the computer is staying!
She yelled back into the kitchen through the door by the bar. "Steak and salad, hun!" She turned back to Stephan with one of those 'it's my job to like everyone' smiles. "Well, we've got your basic ales and hard stuff, anything ya might want, really. If ya want somethin special, Ah can mix it up for ya from what we've got here. Then we've got some tea, some coffee, that kind of thing."
She gestured to the wall behind the bar. It was covered in various display bottles. The Breakwater had several varieties of whiskey and rum, along with the requisite beer and ale. It looked like they also carried some hard cider and several varieties of red and white wine.
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1711
(8/5/05 21:02)
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Re: the computer is staying!
No matter how far he was, or how much he resented parts of his homelands on occasion, there was one trait from his past he couldn't ignoe.
"...tea would be good." he nods to the waitress. He slides a few extra gil across the counter, adding, "Preferably with fresh water and a long boil, if you please."
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 506
(8/5/05 21:06)
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Re: the computer is staying!
The bartender covered the money with one hand and gave Stephan a slightly more genuine smile this time. "Ah think ah can handle that. Mah name's Bethany. If ya need anythin else, you be sure to shout out up here and Ah'll take care of it." With that, she slipped the money into a pocket and went back into the kitchen herself to see to Stephan's tea.
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1712
(8/5/05 21:08)
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Re: the computer is staying!
With the ordering out of the way, he heads over to where Myrnal sat herself, taking a seat across from her.
"I don't suppose you'll be getting anything to eat, then?" he asks her.
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 507
(8/5/05 21:16)
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Re: the computer is staying!
She shook her head. "I don't think so. Not yet, anyway. If I get hungry I'll eat something at Gunnir, even though eating at that school will probably be the most dangerous thing I do all day, up to and including eavesdropping on Dawn and Kei," she said with a smirk. "Though I may go wait for the bartender to get back so I can get myself some whiskey. James got me thinking about it, and I didn't have any the last time I was in Riva."
She pushed her chair back from the table. Heading to the bar, Myrnal passed the card-table and a couple of the guys nudged each other. The man closest to her turned around and grinned at her. "Hey, sweety. Get me a beer, willya?" He topped his request with a friendly slap to her behind. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment... but only a moment. The man's hand had hardly returned to his cards when Myrnal grabbed him by the collar and he found himself against the wall with a knife point under his jaw.
No one else in the bar seemed to take notice of the impending barfight, but there was a full second in which the only sound in that corner of the room was his chair tipping the rest of the way over and clattering to the floor.
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1713
(8/5/05 21:19)
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Re: the computer is staying!
...and Mid says I start trouble too fast in these places... Stephan thinks to himself, moving to the edge of his seat.
He watched the other men at the table, getting ready to move if it seemed like they planned on interrupting the little 'discussion'
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 508
(8/5/05 21:27)
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Re: the computer is staying!
"Apologize," Myrnal growled at him.
He stuttered for a moment, trying to get a look at her weapon. "S-sorry!"
"I'm sorry. Ma'am."
"Sorry... ma'am..."
She shoved him back over to his table. His friends laughed. "Ouch. Burned. She kicked your ass, man."
"Shut up and deal, Mitch," the jilted poker player replied.
"...kicked....your....ass."
"Shut up."
Myrnal looked at Stephan and swept her arm toward the card table in frustration. "What the hell? This is why I don't bother with guys. Chicks just don't pull shit like that. Even my friend Quinn has a little more tact, and she's a freaking succubus. Now I really need a drink."
She shoved her way over to the bar as the bartender peeked her head around the kitchen door, taking a belated look to make sure nothing was amiss in her bar. Myrnal ordered herself a whiskey and brought it back to the table.
"Well. That was awesome. I think they'll behave now, though."
Edited by: Kai at: 8/5/05 21:28
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1714
(8/5/05 21:36)
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Re: the computer is staying!
"Oh, you'd be surprised. I've met a few women just about as bad as that bloke." Stephan comments, a slight smirk on his face as he adds, "In fact, they seem to get more determined when they found out they... lacked certain things I was interested in."
He waits for Myrnal to come back with her drink, then continues to speak.
"At the worst, we may get a workout out of the evening. That and thrown out of the village, likely."
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 510
(8/5/05 21:45)
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Re: the computer is staying!
"Pfft. I don't think they're going to want a fight. He's been emasculated enough for the evening."
Myrnal sipped her drink. She thought for a moment and gave Stephan an appraising glance. "I guess women can be pretty bad. Usually I don't mind when a woman acts that way," she said with a smile. "It's just that some guys assume that because I'm a female I'm there for them to put things in." She tipped her glass back and finished the drink. "They are sadly mistaken."
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1715
(8/5/05 21:52)
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Re: the computer is staying!
"Eh, you run into that sort anywhere." Stephan comments, "They just assume, if you're their type, or show even the slightest hint of what they consider 'interest', you're theirs for the taking."
A smirk once again sneaks onto the normally scowling face.
"Course, the threat of having certain organs detached by a blade tends to shut them up pretty bloody quick."
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 511
(8/5/05 21:59)
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Re: the computer is staying!
She grinned broadly and laughed into her glass. "You know, it's the damndest thing. I've discovered the very same method of dissuading them. I'd give it a toast, but I seem to have finished my drink."
With a raise of her eyebrows and a demonstrative lift of her glass, she headed back up to the bar for a refill. She returned with the bartender in tow, who was carrying Stephan's order on a tray. She'd included, in case he wanted them, some sugar and some cream for his tea.
"Ah made your tea just like ya wanted, and here's your steak and salad. If you two want anythin else, ya'll know where to find me." She carried her tray back up to the bar.
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1716
(8/5/05 22:08)
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Re: the computer is staying!
"Thanks miss." Stephan tells her, wasting no time in getting some sugar into the piping hot liquid. He starts cutting a bit into the steak, as he continues speaking with Myrnal.
"You sure you're not gonna eat anything?" he says, gesturing to the glass with his fork, "That stuff can be rough on an empty stomach, trust me."
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
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Posts: 135
(8/5/05 22:18)
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hm
"So..." said Lym, biting his lip and looking up at the ceiling. "Any suggestions?"
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 512
(8/5/05 22:24)
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Re: the computer is staying!
"Eh. Probably should." She sighed and got some bread at the bar. Literally a small loaf of bread. She returned to the table and tore a piece off.
"Last time I drank I was trying to turn my head inside out, but I don't think that's probably the best idea right now. That was a rough night, I think. I vaguely remember talking to some friends of mine, and then puking. Don't know what I said, don't know what they said, but damn was I ever gone." She tore off another piece of bread and chased it with a little more whiskey.
"Ah, fuck. I think this'll be my last one. I mainly drink ale, but this whole thing must be getting to me. I only go after real liquor when something's bothering me. Last time my friend was missing. Now it's this... thing with the kids. Seeing Joss kind of made it worse."
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NebulaQueen
VACANT
Posts: 2937
(8/5/05 23:42)
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Re: the computer is staying!
"I recall that he also had a student, named Sakhiel I believe," said Kei. "He came to an, ah, unpleasant end after trying to doublecross him."
Pausing for barely a moment, she then asked, "By the way, do you know when we can speak with the Archmagus Lee?"
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Archmage144 
Hyper-scientific Bishounen
Pharmacist Brian
Season III!
Posts: 3896
(8/5/05 23:50)
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Re: a post before the computer goes away
"She was intrigued, apparently, from what Archmagus Silvar tells me. She joined Elaith in his mad quest to conquer the world a few months back when the necromancer was seeking a set of powerful artifacts devised to enslave extraplanar dragons." Wray paused momentarily, frowning. "If she seeks to revive him, the consequences, should she succeed, could be terrible. He was stopped before, but Archmagus Silvar tells me that before he died, Elaith grew in strength several times, realizing some sort of deific lineage that tied him directly to Reshtaha. It explains, to say the least, his propensity for necromancy, not to mention his 'curse' that brought death to anything he touched."
"So. Archmagus Malachi Lee. You might be able to find him on the other side of the campus, in the psionics wing. If you get lost, ask a student for directions. Most of them know these hallways quite well. Unless you have further questions, feel free to seek him out, so that he might prepare you better to handle a confrontation with Ms. Valerian." Archmagus Wray, without any further explanation, snapped his fingers.
"DAMNI...oh." James, who had continued attempting to shout futilely despite the silence spell placed upon him, suddenly stopped his protests when he realized that words were once again able to escape his mouth. "Yeah. Very informative, Archmagus Wray. Aside from your propensity for insulting me and shutting me up, I suppose there's a lot to respect about you. Thanks for the information." Another of James's trademark insolent wing flicks conveyed, at this point, more than words ever possibly could have. If he were not so deathly afraid of a cosmic backlash, the half-incubus might have continued talking, but even the son of Hakaril Silvar has to have a grain of restraint buried somewhere within him.
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 136
(8/6/05 0:01)
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moo
Lym stood, smiling all friendly-like at the elder mage.
"Thanks for allowing us a little of your time and knowledge, Archmagus. Sounds like we ought to be on our way."
He looked down and scratched his coarse chin thoughtfully. "You know, I wonder how the other two are doing."
He closed his eyes briefly to concentrate and sent Myrnal a message.
How's it going over there?
Edited by: Magnus de Silentio at: 8/6/05 0:06
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 513
(8/6/05 0:11)
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Re: moo
Myrnal rolled her eyes, which was luckily something Lym was not privy to, but was more for Stephan's benefit.
"It's Lyminali."
We're fine. We're getting dinner. How 'bout you guys? You haven't killed each other yet, have you?
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 137
(8/6/05 0:15)
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Re: moo
Nah, we're in Archmagus Wray's office at the moment, about to go talk to Archmagus Lee. I'm assuming you talked to Joss. We can get you before we talk to Lee, or tomorrow after a good night's sleep. What's your preference?
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 514
(8/6/05 0:20)
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Re: moo
Wray? I think I've met him. It was right after I died. No idea who Archmagus Lee is, though. I'm not sure if Stephan wants to stay here, but I hate Riva. Every time I'm here something pisses me off.
She addressed the man across the table from her. "So. You want to head out after you finish your food, or you want to stay the night and leave tomorrow?"
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1717
(8/6/05 13:30)
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Re: moo
Stephan had the feeling, leaving was a bad idea. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he thought he should at least spend the night here.
"Whatever the old geezers at Gunnir have to say, I can find out from the others anyway, I'm all for spending the night." Stephan comments, taking a quick bite of his steak before continuing, "If you wanna head off, that's fine with me."
Edited by: FF Fanatic 80 at: 8/6/05 13:36
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 515
(8/6/05 13:42)
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Re: moo
Myrnal sighed and drummed her fingers on the table thoughtfully. "No, I'll stay. I'm sure they have rooms around here somewhere." She laid a hand over her knives protectively. "Last time I was in this region an innkeeper stole all of our weapons. Took my knives. I should be fine as long as the good village folk don't try to run us out of town."
She finished up her bread and polished off the whiskey.
Lyminali. It seems we're staying. Pick us up tomorrow.
"S'posed to be in groups anyway," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1718
(8/6/05 13:55)
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Re: moo
"Point." Stephan responds, taking another quick bite, then sipping down some tea, "I'll go ask the 'tender there if she knows any good places."
He gets himself up and heads over to the bar, looking for the red head.
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 516
(8/6/05 13:59)
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Re: moo
The woman was wiping down the counter of the bar when Stephan approached.
"Hi, there. What can Ah help you with?"
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1719
(8/6/05 14:18)
Reply
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Re: moo
Stephan nods his head in Myrnal's direction briefly, then asks, "We were wondering, if you happened to know a place some folks can crash for the evening."
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 517
(8/6/05 14:23)
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Re: moo
Bethany the friendly bartender thought for a minute and then pointed off to her right. "If you go that way down the street, ya'll will hit the Whiterock Bed and Breakfast. It'll be on your left. Mah brother owns it, so Ah like to send people his way," she said with a wink. "Ya'll might want to check there, see if they've got some room for the night. Ah'm sure they do."
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1720
(8/6/05 14:49)
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Re: moo
Stephan nods, leaving an extra gil or two on the counter, "Thanks a lot."
Then he heads back for the table, speaking to Myrnal.
"Guess her brother owns an Inn up the road from here. Good a place as any I guess."
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 518
(8/6/05 15:02)
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Re: moo
Myrnal pushed back from the table. "Yeah. Sounds like a plan to me." She got up from her chair and started toward the door. She glared at the guy who'd hit on her before, and his friends laughed again, all of whom were happily drunk by this point.
"Hey man," one of them said. "Your girl's leaving. Wanna give her a goodbye kiss?" This was followed by lots of kissing noises from the other players.
"Shut up, Mitch."
Myrnal put a hand on her belt and the laughter died rather abruptly. "Stephan. Let's go. The booze is good but the company here's a little lacking tonight."
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 138
(8/6/05 17:10)
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rarr
Lym shrugged, not for the benefit of anyone in particular. "Looks like Myrnal and Stephan haven't been cooked, and they'll be staying the night in town. We'll get 'em tomorrow. So, I think we ought to go talk to Archmagus Lee now..."
He politely opened the door and waited for Eve, James and Kei to file out.
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NebulaQueen
VACANT
Posts: 2938
(8/6/05 20:45)
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Re: rarr
"Indeed," replied Kei. "We can fill them in tomorrow." She then stood and said to the Archmagus, "Thank you for your time. You have been a great help to us."
After that she walked outside the door and waited for the others.
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1721
(8/6/05 21:14)
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Re: rarr
"Hopefully our luck will improve at this other place." Stephan says with a shrug, as he heads out of the building in search of the Inn.
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 519
(8/6/05 21:38)
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Re: rarr
The inn is just where the bartender described it. It, somewhat unlike The Breakwater, veritably screamed reputable establishment. It was clean, quiet, and had little window boxes with flowers in them. There was a sign above the door proclaiming the building as the Whiterock Bed and Breakfast.
Myrnal followed Stephan out and over to the inn, passing a knife from hand to hand as she walked.
~~~~~
Eve followed Kei out the door with a wave to Archmagus Wray and stood next to Lym, waiting for James before she headed after the nekojin.
"I've only been here once," she said. "So I don't know where Archmagus Lee's office might be. Think we'll have to take Wray's advice and ask around. If we find out exactly where it is on campus, I could just take us right there." She grinned. "Haven't done this much teleporting in a long time. It's not as easy with as many people as we had before, but it's good to be moving again."
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Archmage144
Hyper-scientific Bishounen
Pharmacist Brian
Season III!
Posts: 3897
(8/7/05 1:36)
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Re: rarr
James shot Wray once last obviously agitated glare before stepping out into the hallway with the others, not bothering to acknowledge the wizard verbally any further. Being the last out, he shut the door behind him, prompting an oddly satisfied-sounding creak from the door's hinges. "Knowledgeable, but self-important," quipped James, as if providing some sort of critque of Archmagus Wray. "A very familiar pattern of behavior among wizards."
"Let's go see what information Archmagus Lee has to provide regarding psionics," continued the half-incubus. "I must admit that I have some curiosity regarding the field. My father never seemed to be dreadfully interested in it--in fact, it always struck me as though he might have some vague distaste for it. I never did quite understand what that was all about. Perhaps it had something to do with Dawn..."
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 139
(8/7/05 1:58)
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student roulette! Again!
Lym grabbed the first not-obviously-stupid student he could find and interrogated him/her/it for the directions to Lee's office.
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1722
(8/7/05 8:42)
Reply
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Re: student roulette! Again!
Stephan wastes no time in coming into the building, getting a good look around before going to find the owner.
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 521
(8/7/05 12:07)
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Re: student roulette! Again!
Lym found a young woman in green robes who wore her brown hair at least as short as most men. She had several books under one arm and the end of a small loaf of bread in her other hand. "Archmagus Lee..." She pointed down one end of the hallway. "Take your second left, and then take the first right. Even if his door is closed, you'll be able to tell it's his. He's got a real shiny doorknob. You know how psionicists like their crystals."
~~~~~~~
When Stephan walked in, he didn't see much except for a front desk and two hallways extending back into the building on either side. There was a young man sitting at the desk sorting some paperwork. He had sandy blonde hair, but his mustache and goatee had a significantly reddish tinge to them.
"Hello, sir! How may Ah help you?"
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 140
(8/7/05 13:26)
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wawesome.
Lym thanked the student and led the group to Archmagus Lee's door. Upon arriving and seeing the very shiny doorknob, he gave it three knocks.
As he did so, he chanted to himself under his breath: "Do not get sidetracked, do not get sidetracked, do not get sidetracked."
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 523
(8/7/05 13:43)
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Re: wawesome.
That doorknob literally seemed to sparkle in the slightest bit of light. When Lym knocked, the knob pulsed several colors in rapid succession. It turned, and the door opened on a man in red robes sitting on the floor of his office. He had very long brown hair tied at the neck to keep it out of his face, and he was sifting through a pile of crystals of various colors and lengths.
It looked as if this man were sitting on his floor because not only was his desk covered in scrolls, rocks and crystal fragments, but so was his chair. There were also several pots of what might have been ink, but it shifted and roiled slightly in its small bottle in a way very uncharacteristic of normal pigment.
The man stood abruptly, spilling multicolored crystals onto the floor. He glanced down briefly and shrugged. He could take care of that later. For now... visitors!
"Hello. I'm Archmagus Lee. Are you looking for benediction? Because a lot of people forget the extra flight of steps and end up here."
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 141
(8/7/05 13:49)
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eggs benedict
"No," said Lym, "We were looking for you." He put out his hand in a fashion he at least imagined to be very polite. "Lyminali Eddress," he said, pointing at himself with his other hand. "Eve," he pointed at her, "Kei," he pointed at her, "and James." Point.
"Archmagus Wray said you might be able to help us. We're looking for information on a very dangerous student who studied psionics here for a short time -- a Dawn Valerian."
Edited by: Magnus de Silentio at: 8/7/05 13:55
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 524
(8/7/05 14:07)
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Re: eggs benedict
"Oh! Well... I'm glad you've come," he said as he took Lym's hand. He shook it very briefly before taking his hand back to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "Though I wish it were under better circumstances. Dawn. It's really unfortunate what happened. I had hoped she might replace me when I retired in a couple of decades. I thought that she was no longer living? I heard she'd joined up with that necromancer. Hm."
He picked his way over to the bookshelf behind his desk. "I apologize for the state of my office. I'm trying out a new organizational scheme, but as you can see, I haven't quite gotten there yet." He pulled a book off the shelf and opened it. Skimming down the page, he circled a phrase with his fingertip. There was a faint ghostly whispering noise as the crystals strewn on the floor were swept into a corner, looking very much like a glassy woodpile.
"There. Sorry about the lack of seating. I can clear off my chair if anyone wants it. It's just that the theater department borrowed my chairs two years ago and are probably still using them. Oh well. It's so seldom I get visitors who actually need my assistance! How can I help you? What kind of information do you need?"
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NebulaQueen
VACANT
Posts: 2948
(8/7/05 17:31)
Reply
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Re: eggs benedict
"I do not mind standing," Kei said. "As for what we need...perhaps you could tell us a bit about her weaknesses, as a student?"
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 526
(8/7/05 18:19)
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Re: eggs benedict
"Dawn? Oh... she was a wonderful student. She didn't get along all too well with the mages who ended up here by mistake, but she was always attentive to her studies. In fact...." He pauses to rummage in his desk. He pulls out a slim bound volume. It reads, "Application of the Hilbert Transform to the Athabascan Variation." Underneath the title is the name D. Valerian.
"She was very interested in the Hilbert Transform, which as some of you may or may not know is what allows a psionicist to meditate more efficiently by ignoring small fluctuations in the neural pattern in favor of what we call the 'envelope' or overall trend. She applied this to the fluctuations in a person's aura due to emotion. Specifically, the Athabascan variation, or changes due to deception. You.... right. Anyway." He puts the book down on a pile of crystals on his desk. "But her research detected all but the most careful prevarication! It was very interesting!"
Lee stopped and sighed heavily. "She showed such promise. She substituted for me once. Everyone did their homework. It's been so long since a student showed such... singleminded interest. She wasn't very impressed with most mages, which is why I found it so odd that she took an interest in Thenswick's work. Maybe it was the necromancy... She did occasionally visit the kids in the basement." He chuckled and shook his head. Gunnir's population of goth kids was notorious for their nocturnal 'research' in Gunnir's partially animated basement.
"I have to say, I'm painfully curious as to why you're so concerned about a former student of mine. She dropped out nearly a year ago, and is deceased to boot."
Eve spoke up. "...She's alive."
He blinked. "Oh. I... oh. But that's.... oh my. I didn't think it would be possible to revive her at this point. It would take some kind of divine intervention. I wonder..." He wandered back behind his desk and shuffled some more papers and crystals around thoughtfully.
"So... what's she up to, then? Making more trouble?" he asked sadly.
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1724
(8/7/05 18:19)
Reply
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Re: eggs benedict
Stephan approached the desk, thumbing back in Myrnal's direction, "We both need a room for the evening, have any open?"
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 142
(8/7/05 18:28)
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Re: eggs benedict
"Well," said Lym, "Let's see... she's using a bunch of kids she's manipulated -- without psionics, I might add! -- into being her own little squad of arsonists. This is somehow related to her plan to revive Thenswick, so he can take over the world and fill it with zombies, for which reason she will also attempt to replace the personality of Eve here with a copy of her own so she can sacrifice herself to bring Elaith back without actually dying!"
Explaining this just got better every time. "So, we came here looking for information and assistance. If nothing else, we need to know that, should Dawn succeed in putting the Mind Seed whammy on Eve here, we can bring her back and have one of your people fix it before things get too far."
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 527
(8/7/05 18:58)
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Re: They love their crystals.
"Well, sure. Ah've got plenty of vacancies. Will ya'll be wantin' two separate rooms, or can Ah get you a suite?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Archmagus Lee stared at Lym. "Oh, Gods." He put a hand over his forehead and leaned against the wall. He shook his head. "Was that the point of her research? To.... Wait! Did you say without psionics?" He turned around and pulled a book out of the middle of one of the piles on his floor. He continued to speak as he leafed through it.
"So, she has access to mind seed. That means that... I see. She's... Hm. I could potentially fix it, but I should warn you." He glanced at Eve with mild pity and raised eyebrows. "Eve may not allow you to bring her back to Gunnir, depending on how far along she is at the time. However, there are protections you could put into place beforehand."
He put his current book back on the shelf and snapped his fingers. A crystal about the size of his hand lifted off of the desk to float near his face. "Where is the volume on transparency? ...Of course. Thank you."
He picked his way across the office to the corner where he'd put the pile of crystals. The one he'd just addressed remained floating in the air. Archmagus Lee pulled a sheaf of papers out from under the pile. He bent back the first few pages and traced his fingers across the page, line by line. "Ah. I thought so. The spell Protection from Evil will serve, but it doesn't last very long. However, if you hallow an area it will tie that spell to the circle, and it will hold for up to a year. The only problem is you have to stay in the circle. I don't know how viable that is for you."
Eve shook her head. "No way in my right mind could I stay in one place that long. Time passes too slowly when you're stuck."
He nodded. "That's true. It is a bit of an inconvenience. However, the fact remains that she would not be able to enter, and she would not be able to affect you with that power. It's your choice."
"I can't do it. I can't just sit there for Gods only know how long."
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FF Fanatic 80
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Posts: 1726
(8/7/05 19:03)
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Re: They love their crystals.
"Two rooms, if you have em." Stephan responds.
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 528
(8/7/05 19:20)
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Re: They love their crystals.
The innkeeper flipped through some papers at Stephan's request. "All right," the man responded. "Ya'll can take rooms 105 and 107. Down the hallway to your left. Total price of 140 gil. Ah presume that'll be 70 from each of you, and Ah do accept Doman or Rivan gil, but if y'all have some other kind, Ah won't be able to exchange it, so ya'd need to figure somethin' out. What'll it be?"
Edited by: Kai at: 8/7/05 19:30
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NebulaQueen
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(8/7/05 19:29)
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Re: They love their crystals.
"Is there any other way to keep her safe? Something a bit more mobile, I think."
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FF Fanatic 80
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(8/7/05 19:52)
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Re: They love their crystals.
Stephan nods, then turns to Myrnal.
"You going to be all set there?" he asks the fellow merc.
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
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(8/7/05 19:55)
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Re: They love their crystals.
"Oh yeah. No problem. Knock if you need anything." She laid her money out for the innkeeper, who took it with a smile and handed her a key.
The innkeeper smiled at Stephan. "And you, sir?"
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FF Fanatic 80
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(8/7/05 20:21)
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Re: They love their crystals.
He quickly removes the gil necessary, placing it on the desk.
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Archmage144
Hyper-scientific Bishounen
Pharmacist Brian
Season III!
Posts: 3898
(8/7/05 22:10)
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Re: They love their crystals.
"Hallow," noted James, "is a bit of divine magic--clerical spells. Unfortunately way outside my specialization, so there isn't any way I could cast it myself. On the other hand, it might be possible to acquire some sort of mobile artifact, such as jewelry, that emits a perpetual 'protection from evil' effect. That might be sufficient, if such protective equipment could be found, and it would be highly mobile by comparison, seeing as how moving a magic circle of that nature is out of the question."
"So, if all we need to do is prevent that sort of curse from being cast by using the appropriate wards, we effectively neutralize Dawn's trump card. What else might she be capable of, as far as you know? Because if there is any other particular vulnerability she might have, or strength she might use against us, I would personally like to know."
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Nakibe
Mmmmm... Chaos Sandwich. ^_^
Posts: 933
(8/7/05 22:45)
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Re: wawesome.
"Pardon me, Archmagus Lee..."
A rather tall dark-haired man, looking a bit sleepy as if he'd just spent the night working on a report suddenly walks into the office from a space beside the shelf of crystals. Damian's smile, half-closed eyes, and easy demeanor almost make one miss the interest with which he looks over these odd visitors to the Archmage's office.
".. I was wondering about all this that I'm hearing about children being used by this... Dawn person." That being said, he turns to the Archmage with a slight frown. "I apologize for barging in on you like this, but.. err... I couldn't seem to locate the book on Interdimensional Gateways."
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Archmage144
Hyper-scientific Bishounen
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Season III!
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(8/8/05 13:15)
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Re: wawesome.
James quirked an eyebrow. "You know, ordinarily, I'd suggest that an intrusion like this is more than a little rude, but technically speaking, you probably spend a lot more time here than I do, and far be it for me to displace a man from his own home, or whatever analog he might have."
"If you've overheard us talking about Dawn, you probably know more or less exactly what we do. I'm primarily curious about why you're curious, at this point."
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 530
(8/8/05 13:39)
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Re: wawesome.
Malachi Lee threw his hands up in resignation. "I know I put that volume back there!" He turned again to the crystal floating patiently over his desk. "Where did you say it was? ...Oh! What would I do without you. ...Probably. Something like that. I'm sorry Damien. I... seem to have lent it to a student researching psychoportation." Lee was apparently oblivious to the idea that the recent controversy over Dawn Valerian was edging on classified. "I'll see if I can get it back from him when he's done with it. I'd completely forgotten."
~~~~~
The innkeeper took the money and handed Stephan a key. "Now don't either of you hesitate to pop on down here if ya need anythin'. Ah'll be here all night."
"All right," Myrnal agreed. "Stephan? See you in the morning." She headed off down the hall to her room.
Edited by: Kai at: 8/8/05 13:39
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FF Fanatic 80
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Posts: 1731
(8/8/05 14:03)
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Re: wawesome.
"Take it easy..." he mentions to Myrnal, then he heads for his room. He attempts to unlock the door and head in, getting a look around at what he's got before heading to bed.
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Nakibe
Mmmmm... Chaos Sandwich. ^_^
Posts: 934
(8/8/05 17:26)
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Re: wawesome.
With a quick shrug, Damian dismissed the revelation. "Don't worry about it, Archmagus Lee. I've got lots of time for that. Now..." He turned to James, a slight scowl starting to darken his features. "As to your question, I'm merely interested in offering help to your group if at all possible.
"Besides, its better than sitting here on my hands while I wait for my payment." he finished with a slight chuckle, digging his hands into his light robes. Of course, another part of him wanted to say Yeah, and a bit more than passing interest too... but it was a good thing that that part was easily quieted with a mental SHUT UP.
Sometimes that sort of thing made his head hurt.
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Magnus de Silentio
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Posts: 143
(8/8/05 19:20)
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Re: wawesome
Lym shrugged amiably. "I'm sure we can find a use for you, as long as you don't make a nuisance of yourself. What kind of special shit can you pull?
"Now James, you were saying we could get a mobilized form of protection for Eve. Think we can get that in Gunnir?
"And Archmagus, my companions are very invested in the idea of a peaceful solution to the problem of the children. Since we want to kill, essentially, their cult leader/mommy, I'm not thinking that's likely to happen, but I'm making a point of asking everyone in sight. I'd feel real stupid if there was some secret 'painless solution to everything' power available to anybody who asked."
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Nakibe
Mmmmm... Chaos Sandwich. ^_^
Posts: 936
(8/8/05 20:28)
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Re: wawesome
"Eh. I do a few things that anyone else probably could." was Damian's somewhat evasive answer. ... and a few things they probably can't. Apparently he didn't feel now was the time to talk about that, instead turning his mind towards ways to seperate Dawn from the children. Without many of the pieces, though, it didn't turn up much.
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
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(8/8/05 21:32)
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Re: wawesome
Archmagus Lee thought for a moment. "Well, as far as the mobile protection... I'm sure we've got something around here. It doesn't seem like an unreasonable item, and if anyone has it, Gunnir does. I can talk to some people and see if I can get it for you... possibly by morning? Will you be staying? If not, I could probably have it sent to you."
"Children," he mused. "I have to wonder. Why children? Well, I suppose that's an easy question. If I were to make my job easy, I'd dominate people who won't really fight back." He sighed. "Dawn... things could have been so different! She could have been a wonderful teacher! But her... way with her pupils seems to have gone in a different direction than I'd hoped. Veritas," he said, addressing the crystal once more. "Do you have any ideas? .........Hm. I didn't think so either. He says that if they're staying without psionics, psionics won't get them away from her. If this is a cult situation, which I guess shouldn't surprise me, you'll have to find a more personal way of pulling them out."
Eve commented, "The only problem is, I don't get the impression that any of them have somewhere else to go. She's..." she winced. "She's all they've got. I think that's her main hold on them."
Lee pulled his ponytail around and stroked the end thoughtfully. "Oh. Hm. Well... if they're arsonists... knowing Dawn... I suspect they're pyrokineticists. This means that they're psions. This means... Interesting. I wonder if we have room here. I'll look into it!" His eyes veritably glowed with excitement.
~~~~~~~~~
Stephan's room was rather unremarkable. It was, however, clean and comfortably furnished, with a bed, an endtable and a larger rounded table with a couple of chairs to match should he have company. He could see the stars through his window, as the curtains had been left open the last time the room was cleaned.
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(8/9/05 9:03)
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Warning: Sappyness ahoy =[
In the Ivory Horn, Midoku rolls over on the bed in his room, placing his reading material for the day on the small nightstand. As he rolls back over, musing at the story of a spy trapped as a royal family's pet cat for nearly six years, he finds himself looking out into the star-filled night sky.
He felt helpless without Stephan there, a thought that if said aloud, would often bring forth a long and loud rant from the swordmage. He always insisted that Midoku try to do as much on his own as possible, to reaffirm that the mage was capable of taking care of himself. And perhaps, Midoku sometimes mused, to reaffirm for himself that the mage would be alright on his own, if... something were to happen. It is somewhat ironic in that case, he thinks, how violently overprotective the man would get, if anything threatened the mage while they were together
As he lay gazing at the night sky, noting constellations here and there, some ranting from Hakaril popped into his mind from long ago, when the ArchMage decided to give him a brief introduction to astronomy. It quickly became a very drawn out lesson, however, with Mr. Silvar's comments dragging it on for nearly two hours.
"...now this one is called, let me recheck my chart... Oh wait... Oh come ON, 'The Nimble Bison'? Might as well call it 'The Dancing Cow' with how abstractly it resembles that name. Honestly, they could at least pick something that may actually get concensus from other observers, such as..."
While not entirely the most pleasant of Hakaril's lessons, there was one thing he recalled fondly about that evening. One constellation in paticular caught his interest, one known as the "Lovers of the Night Sky". As he watched it, while Hakaril continued to interject his own thoughts into the lesson...
"... I mean, honestly, what a rediculous reason to start up a war over. One person comments that both figures appear to be woman, obviously in a CERTAIN frame of mind, yet enough people believe him to start this whole conflict over it. Really makes you wonder about people sometimes... although... now that I look at it, that's not an entirely bad way to view it..."
...it inspired the mage to do something. The next day, he would be heading into northern Riva to meet with a contact, while Stephan took care of some 'trouble' in the southern region. He was nervous about being alone again, something he knew the swordmage shared feelings about. But there was no way around it, not without either loosing their contact, or risking unwanted interference from certain parties. So he wanted something, anything to give him some sense of reassurance while they were apart. And this seemed the perfect idea for it.
So he told Stephan the idea, about looking into the sky to wish one another a good night's rest. He vaguely recalled the dumbfounded look on the other man's face, and some choice words about the 'sense' in doing it. But he promised to try it, if only for the mage's sake.
Midoku wasn't sure how much it would actually help him sleep that first night, as he lay alone for the first time in a long time. But as he looked out into the stars, wishing Stephan a good night's rest, he felt oddly at peace, easily drifting off to sleep. Once they were back together, the swordmage confessed that he, too, had a much easier time resting after doing the same. So Midoku made a habit of doing so, each time they were seperated for long periods. It helped him to stay at ease, knowing he could 'tell' the other his feelings when they were apart. And sometimes, Midoku swore he could hear the other man's voice answer.
"...Goodnight Stephan." Midoku wishes to the stars, closing his eyes, "...love you..."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
It isn't exactly the best Inn he ever stayed in, Stephan thinks as he surveys his dwelling for the night. But at the least, it isn't a dirty, cheap, rat-invested hellhole. So he starts to get himself ready for bed, taking off his armor and equipment then placing them into the corner in a pile. As he gets ready to remove the rest of his clothing, however, he realizes he'll be alone for the evening. So he puts a stop to that, no longer seeing a point to it.
He tries telling himself it wasn't the first time he and Midoku slept apart, as he crawls into the bed and lies down. There were jobs in the past that required they act seperately, in order to get them done more efficiently. But it still felt wrong, to roll over and not see that familiar, beautiful face laying beside him. To speak with him about the goings on of that day, and other things on his mind. To stroke his cheek, and hear that tiny purr erupt from his throat affectionately...
...but dwelling on it would not help him sleep. And he would certainly need all he could get for the coming day. So he turns himself toward the window, gazing out at the stars. He's reminded of something Midoku asked long ago, the first time they had to stay seperated for a good while. He asked Stephan that before he slept, to look out into the stars, and wish him a good night's sleep. He promised that wherever he may be that night, he would make certain to do the same.
Stpehan vaguely recalls telling him it's silly, that they both already knew how the other felt. But as the years went on, and the situation repeated itself, he slowly realized why Midoku asked him to do it. It wasn't just to reaffirm their feelings for one another. It was a way to help them feel 'somewhat' normal, even while apart. Even with the other far away, one could say "I love you" into the night sky, and know the other would 'hear' it and say the same. Maybe it didn't make much sense, but it was always enough to get them both through the night.
...And sometimes, on the loneliest nights, Stephan swore he could hear the other man's answer.
"...goodnight Love." Stephan tells the stars, as he allows his eyelids to slowly drift shut, "...Love you too..."
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Archmage144
Hyper-scientific Bishounen
Pharmacist Brian
Season III!
Posts: 3903
(8/9/05 12:04)
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Re: wawesome
At this point, James had two new pieces of information to absorb. A completely random stranger had popped in and decided that he wanted to help fight Dawn, and it was clear that he had voiced his intentions without fully understanding the risks or the precise details of the situation. In addition, Archmagus Lee had just suggested that the Gunnir Academy essentially had room for an uncounted number of psionicist orphans.
"You mean you're just going to take them in? There isn't an entrance exam to see if they qualify or anything, some means of testing their potential to see if they're worthy of Gunnir?" The half-incubus was astounded. All these years, he'd been convinced his father had attended a school with prestige.
"Great Lord Agnostic, I can't even begin to imagine how Gunnir maintains such high standards as a center of arcane learning and development if it'll just accept a huge crowd of orphan children into its establishment." He frowned, as though clearly disappointed, but found himself trying to rationalize Lee's suggestion. "Perhaps the fact that they're part of Dawn's 'army' already proves their value and justifies their admission. That, and in this case, to do anything else would be highly uncharitable. Therefore, I suppose they aren't truly untested, and the last thing Gunnir needs is a reputation for abandoning children."
Having reached a satisfactory conclusion for the time being, James nodded resolutely and turned his attention to other matters. "Right. So, you want to help us? Do you have any idea how dangerous that's going to be? Because the success if this mission is critical for the sake of the world, and the last thing I want to do is leave everything hinging on a complete stranger who may or may not know what he's getting himself into."
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Nakibe
Mmmmm... Chaos Sandwich. ^_^
Posts: 937
(8/9/05 20:39)
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Re: wawesome
James' rather forwards question only managed to get a slight chuckle out of Damian. "Lets see... some sort of powerhungry madwoman of one or another sort is recruiting orphaned children with pyrokinesis in order to get assistance for some plan or another. I take it that extreme methods had to be used to return this Dawn person to life by the way that Archmagus Lee here reacted to the news that she's still kicking. I also take it that by now she's convinced these children that she's the best thing that ever happened to them as well, and that their powers...
"... wait, pyrokinesis?" A sudden thought strikes Damian, one that leaves him with a very, VERY sick feeling. "... none of this had anything to do with a place known as the Jade Dragon Inn, did it?" It was just a hunch, nothing definite at the moment, but if he WAS right...
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Archmage144
Hyper-scientific Bishounen
Pharmacist Brian
Season III!
Posts: 3906
(8/9/05 22:52)
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Re: wawesome
"As a matter of fact," responded James, "these kids are the ones responsible for burning the place down. I have to say that any crime that deprives the public of places to get quality alcohol is an unforgiveable transgression. I have plenty of other reasons to have a certain...animosity...towards Dawn, but this particular issue simply cannot be ignored."
The sorcerer looked Damian up and down, obviously appraising him. "So. You're a psionicist? Seems like I'm surrounded by them, lately."
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Magnus de Silentio
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Posts: 144
(8/9/05 22:58)
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Re: wawesome
Lym laughed. "Yep, we're everywhere these days...not that I don't understand any nervousness on your part. Outside of relatively harmless specialists like Eve and myself, I honestly find the majority of us downright creepy...pathology seems unfortunately common in our discipline."
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Nakibe
Mmmmm... Chaos Sandwich. ^_^
Posts: 939
(8/9/05 23:19)
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Re: wawesome
Damian's almost sleepy look drops away immediately, turning towards a slight scowl. "I'm not a psionicist, though I have some experience with them. But I'd really like to know what happened to that innkeeper and the children she's been taking care of," he smoothly asked. "None of them were hurt or taken from the inn, were they?" ...because if something happened to them...
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Magnus de Silentio
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(8/9/05 23:38)
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Re: wawesome
Lym frowned back. "You're a real charmer, you know that? You walk in without any introduction to speak of and start demanding information like it's your gods-given right to know. How about you explain who the hell you are, and we take it from there?"
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NebulaQueen
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Posts: 2960
(8/10/05 5:56)
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Re: wawesome
"Nobody was hurt in the fire," interjected Kei, afer shooting a quick glare in Lym's direction. "However, an introduction is in order, at the very least."
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Nakibe
Mmmmm... Chaos Sandwich. ^_^
Posts: 940
(8/10/05 14:57)
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Re: wawesome
A sigh of relief escaped Damian's lips, and gave a small nod to Kei. "Thank you. And I suppose this wasn't the best time or place to introduce myself, but I thought... eh, nevermind that. My name is Damian Smith. Currently a bit of a mercenary, I'm afraid."
Trying and failing to find a space on the wall clear enough to put his back against, Damian settled for standing near the back doorway. "I didn't mean to be rude with my question but... its just that the innkeeper there, a Dia Rai by name, has been taking care of a child for me. As to what I could do for you, I have a small bit of power over shadows. And I guess you could say I'm good with my hands, " he finished with a bit of a chuckle.
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 534
(8/10/05 18:21)
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Re: wawesome
Throughout all this discussion of pathological psionicists, Archmagus Lee managed to restrain himself from saying anything. He settled for frequent frustrated glances at Veritas.
As Damian was introducing himself, Lee became more and more preoccupied by whatever the hell was going through that man's mind. He hit himself in the forehead with one hand. "Of course."
He began furiously rummaging through his desk, literally tossing things over his shoulder as he burrowed deeper into his hopefully-soon-to-be-organized possessions.
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Magnus de Silentio
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Posts: 146
(8/10/05 20:27)
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Re: wawesome
"Well, that was about as informative as a dancing, shrieking monkey," Lym muttered beneath his breath.
"So, Archmagus, um...what's up over there?"
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 535
(8/10/05 21:40)
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yeah, yeah, fine.
"Weellll..... while you were talking about having problems with most other psions -which I might add I resent just a bit- I remembered an interesting item I keep around mainly so that my students can't get hold of it." He cleared out another corner of his office and pulled out what was surely constructed to be an umbrella stand. It currently held ten or twelve shafts of crystal, each between four and five feet long. He pulled out a yellow crystal and displayed it to the group.
"Dawn is a telepath. If you drive the sharp end into the ground, it targets powers from the telepathy school. If they're used within the radius of this crystal anchor, as it's called, the manifester's higher brain is essentially put into a state of stasis. The effect ends only if the person who began it chooses to end it. It can also be dispelled."
He pointed the razor sharp tip of the crystal anchor at the group, sweeping it past them all to ensure they knew he was talking to each and every one of them. His expression was abruptly very serious. "If you don't return this to me, or if you use this anywhere near me, you'll find out what happens when I can't decide whether to use psionics or magic to teach you manners. That being said..." he shook off the glare of warning and held out the anchor to Kei. "Use it wisely. I'm sure you'll need it. If you'll be staying here at Gunnir for the night, I'll try to find the protective item you requested and have it to you by morning or at latest, early afternoon."
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NebulaQueen
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(8/10/05 23:41)
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Re: yeah, yeah, fine.
Kei took the crystal, and after muttering something under her breath, placed it gently inside the pouch that hung off of her belt. This device was the perfect way to stop Dawn! Now if only they could get close enough to her to use it...
"Thank you very much," she said. "For everything."
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Magnus de Silentio
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Posts: 147
(8/11/05 0:31)
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Beeeautiful.
Lym's eyes lit up immediately. "What's the range on that thing, sir?"
He had an idea.
Well, actually he had a fuckton of ideas.
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Archmage144
Hyper-scientific Bishounen
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Season III!
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(8/11/05 1:57)
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Re: Beeeautiful.
"That," whistled James, "is one badass anti-psionic weapon. I think you may have just provided us with what might arguably be Dawn's worst nightmare."
The half-incubus flicked his wings and assumed a thoughtful expression, chin on his hand. "On second thought, if Dawn's idea of 'completely awesome' is the resurrection of a necromancer and the covering of the planet with zombies and blight, I'm not entirely sure that I want to know what constitutes a 'nightmare.'"
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 536
(8/11/05 13:07)
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Re: Beeeautiful.
Archmagus Lee wiped his hands on his robes. "The range is about thirty feet. Now, you need to be aware, she more than likely knows other powers as well. Very few psions are so specialized that they know nothing beyond their discipline. Also, while I'm giving you the standard disclaimer... be careful with it. Discreetly planting a five foot long spike of yellow crystal in the ground may not be the most practical plan... but you'll have to. Remember she was one of my students. She's been in my office, and she probably knows what these are."
The floating crystal near Lee spoke up for the first time. It didn't have any discernible means of expressing itself verbally, but nonetheless it offered an opinion. "We're not kidding. Don't use that here. Not near us."
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Magnus de Silentio
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(8/11/05 19:29)
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shiny
Lym flashed his teeth, canines and all. "That won't be a problem.
"We'll be staying the night here, I think. Can you arrange rooms for us, or direct us to the person we need to speak with on the subject?"
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Nakibe
Mmmmm... Chaos Sandwich. ^_^
Posts: 941
(8/11/05 20:16)
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Re: shiny
Mmm... that WOULD be a pretty useful weapon, thought Damian, but something still nagged him.
That'd be a really nice item to put into one's living room, you know. A couple of chairs, a fireplace What? Oh be quiet you. he thought. His shadow seemed to move slightly, almost as if chuckling at him. But despite this usual source of nagging for him, one question still bothered him.
"Excuse me for one second, but I assume you people have a plan to take care of the kids? I doubt they'd be idle while any plans come to completion."
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Magnus de Silentio
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(8/11/05 20:37)
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HAHAHAHAHAHA
"Welcome to my Hell," groaned Lym. "You would assume incorrectly. Although I've got a few new ideas now, I think I'd like some sleep before I slam my head into the brick wall that is this group's squeamishness again."
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 538
(8/11/05 21:43)
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Re: HAHAHAHAHAHA
Archmagus Lee nodded. "I can get you all space in the dormitories, if you don't mind. I'll get in touch with the proper authorities and whathaveyou. I can have that done before you get there. One of the lovely aspects of telepathy. Damned convenient. Damian, are you staying as well? How many rooms will you all be needing?"
Eve pointed to each person in the room, skipping Lym. "James, Kei, Damian, and me. That's four if Damian ends up needing a room here too."
Edited by: Kai at: 8/11/05 21:46
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 150
(8/11/05 21:52)
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Re: HAHAHAHAHAHA
Lym blushed.
He didn't say anything.
He didn't twitch an eyebrow or move his head.
He didn't squeeze her hand any tighter.
He just blushed.
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Nakibe
Mmmmm... Chaos Sandwich. ^_^
Posts: 942
(8/12/05 17:05)
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Re: HAHAHAHAHAHA
Damian's eyebrow raised just slightly at Lym's newfound blush, but he felt it best to say nothing. "Yes, I believe I shall stay here for tonight... Unless, of course, more of those students are going to have another party. MY head STILL aches from two nights ago."
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Archmage144
Hyper-scientific Bishounen
Pharmacist Brian
Season III!
Posts: 3908
(8/14/05 22:23)
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Re: HAHAHAHAHAHA
Without further ado, James nodded at the group, acknowledging the fact that they would be spending the rest of the evening at Gunnir. He decided, for the most part, that this was not a problem--in fact, spending a night at his father's alma mater would be a potentially enlightening experience. Tonight, however, James did not feel that it would be for the best for him to participate in the kind of festivities that his father claimed were the highlight of his education. In any other circumstance, he would have taken every opportunity to drink himself silly in the company of other wizards close to his age, hoping that at least a few of them might be intellectual or refined, but right now, he instead felt a strange, impalpable disappointment that he felt would be difficult to explain.
To say the least, James was proud of his father's accomplishments, despite the fact that he would never openly admit it. His father had gone great lengths in the war against Dawn and Elaith, and, like anyone else, he had made sacrifices. But being overshadowed the, being constantly thought of as "the son of General Silvar," had put a serious damper on his advancement in the world. On one hand, in a world as war-torn as James's, the ambitious youth had no real opportunity to make his mark on the world. There was no more belief in heroism, no more passionate drive to accomplish anything, no room for a young wizard with the drive of the Silvar bloodline.
But this was his chance. He had volunteered for this mission for a reason, and that reason was...uncertain, now. If he succeeded, he would leave no mark on his world, the world of the future--but he would leave his mark on the past, and whether history had a right to speak of him or not without fear of paradox, an entire world would owe its preservation to him. He was, quite bluntly, interested in saving the world for remarkably selfish reasons--he wanted to be remembered, wanted to have the same reputation for greatness that his father had achieved. His godfather had quite possibly sacrificed his life sending him back to this past, and an entire world, knowing or not, relied on him to save an entire timeline. And somehow, he had come back to the place where his father's entire legacy started. He had come back to the Gunnir Academy.
He was not entirely certain that he belonged here, and he was starting to become equally uncertain as to whether or not the Academy was really the source of brilliance his father proclaimed it to be. But Archmagus Lee had been helpful, and his information and tools would certainly prove to be a great aid in his fight to save the future. Would it really be enough? Could James and his allies from the past really overcome Dawn? Despite all his bravado, James was constantly filled with uncertainty.
Can I really live up to my father?
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 542
(8/15/05 14:27)
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Re: telepathy for fun and justice
"Four rooms it is, then. If you don't mind the intrusion, I'll just show you where you'll be staying telepathically. I find that it's the most memorable way to receive directions. Very few people get lost that way."
With that, each person in the room (except for Veritas, who presumably already knew this, being a very smart and experienced little floating crystal) received a mental image of the Gunnir campus. There was a star labeled "You are here" over Lee's office, and a red line led to the appropriate lodgings. Eve gritted her teeth a little at the experience of people putting things into her head, but Lee seemed well-intentioned, so she dealt with it.
When Archmagus Lee was sure everyone had gotten a chance to absorb the information, he spoke again. "I'll contact you when I've gotten that item for Eve. It will probably be late morning or early afternoon. Feel free to sleep in if you want. It's not as though you have classes to attend." He laughed. "I, however, have lesson plans to put together for tomorrow, so if you'll excuse us, Veritas and I have to get back to work."
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 151
(8/15/05 17:07)
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How convenient.
Lym said a polite "good evening" to the room at large and led Eve to their room. As they walked, he wrapped his arm around her waist and stroked her side affectionately.
"Sorry about all the telepathy going around," he said as they arrived at the door. "After this mess is over with I promise to take you somewhere nobody feels the need to poke your brain." He turned the knob and let them both in.
"Why don't you get ready for bed, honey? I need to do a little work real quick..."
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 543
(8/15/05 17:16)
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Re: How convenient.
Eve smirked a little at being called "honey." When she stepped inside the room she replied, "Sure. Go ahead. ...And it's not the telepathy itself that bothers me. He seemed harmless enough. It's just weird still. I have this knee-jerk response to spray acid at something.... which probably wouldn't have done us much good when the poor man's just trying to be helpful."
She tossed her bag on the floor. "I'm probably going to turn in now. I've... had a day."
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 152
(8/15/05 21:59)
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Muahahaha...
Lym was endlessly curious. He was, it was fair to say, obsessed with learning things. There was a habit he had started long ago. A little evening ritual to make all the learning a little easier.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, hunched over so that his elbows rested on his knees, and closed his eyes.
He asked eight questions -- enough to expend almost all of his remaining power for the day.
1. Are any of Dawn's children telepathically focused?
2. What is Dawn's daily schedule?
3. What is the precise location at which Dawn sleeps?
4. What security precautions does Dawn have in her home?
5. For what reasons would the children accept a sudden departure by Dawn explained only in a note?
And then, some fun stuff:
6. What is Eve's favorite sexual position?
7. Who invented sliced bread?
And, finally, because it'd been a while since he tried this one...
8. What is the meaning of life?
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 545
(8/16/05 12:20)
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Take this, biatch.
1) Yes, though there are very few of them. Some of them are further along than others, and most of the children are pyrokineticists, but there are those who show more talent in telepathy.
2) She wakes. Bathes. Dresses. Eats breakfast with the children and her lieutenants. Leads the children in morning devotions. Meets with her lieutenants to discuss any problems or concerns they may have, or to potentially give them orders for the day.
Lunch with the children and her lieutenants. Afternoon devotions. Individual meetings with the children to discuss any problems they may have or to potentially give them orders. The afternoons don't follow a specific routine.
After that is dinner, free time for the children, and bedtime at a reasonable hour depending on the age/maturity of the child in question. Dawn usually goes to bed last. She's a light sleeper, and would rather stay up late than manage to get to sleep and be disturbed.
3) She sleeps in her private chambers in a compound on the mountain range between Inustan and the Forbidden Plains. Lym knows where this compound is, but the gamemaster doesn't feel like giving map coordinates. She also occasionally visits the estate for specific rituals, sometimes for a day or more at a time.
4) She has a personal bodyguard, as well as the children and their guard as well. Her guard is a Yuan-ti named Glinss't. The children are guarded by a pixie named Danwn. Her house is also protected with various mechanical safeguards, more for tradition's sake than anything else. Who knows. Maybe it's a habit she picked up from her master, but in any case, it's not a safe location for people who are there without her consent.
5) They wouldn't. She would either tell them herself, or leave word with Glinss't or Danwn. They would pass on the message before devotions, which are led by Glinss't in her absence.
6) Eve switches around a lot, which shouldn't be surprising considering her general dislike for staying in one place for extended periods of time. Variety is usually much more important than the positions themselves.
7) People were slicing bread for years before several Enchufans created a machine that could do it mechanically. However, the machine is still in its developmental stages, so bread must still often be sliced manually.
8) Figuring out the meaning of life.
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Magnus de Silentio
You Tazered bear!
Bear takes 1 damage.
Bear eats you!
Posts: 153
(8/16/05 16:05)
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Re: Take this, biatch.
Lym chuckled heartily. "Oh man...that's great. Guess I've got proof now that the universe has a sense of humor." He stored the new information in the back of his mind and -- first removing his shirt and other extraneous items -- quietly climbed into bed with Eve. He wrapped an arm around her waist and, with his other, cradled her head, affectionately stroking her hair.
"Good night," he murmured.
Pretty soon, lying in such comfort and depleted from the rapid use of so much power, he dropped off to sleep.
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NebulaQueen
VACANT
Posts: 2974
(8/16/05 17:54)
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Re: Take this, biatch.
"Goodbye, and goodnight," she said to those remaining, before she walked to where her room was supposed to be.
What a day, Kei thought to herself, as she opened her door. She walked in, and began to set her things against the wall near her bed. First came the sack she carried on her back, followed by her bow. Last came her two swords, her ancestral katana and wakazashi that she kept with her at all times. She held the smaller sword in her hands, looking at it fondly while remembering its original owner.
Father...I swear, I'll make you proud.
This too was set aside gently, along with its brother. After this was taken care of, Kei finished her nightly preparations and clambered into bed.
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 548
(8/16/05 20:26)
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Re: Take this, biatch.
Everyone made it through the night all right, from Stephan and Myrnal over in Riva to the group at Gunnir.
Stephan is awakened in the morning by a knock on the door to his room. It was not painfully early as the sun was up in its customary location in the sky, but it did seem like an odd time to be paid a visit.
Those at Gunnir wake to the sound of Archmagus Lee's voice in their heads. "Come on by whenever you like. I have an amulet that should do the trick, but it'll be waiting in my office with Veritas since I have to be in class in a few minutes. Good luck, and remember to come back when you've managed to fix this whole mess."
Eve groaned and rolled over, clearly not interested in doing anything suggested by a voice she heard in her head first thing in the morning.
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Archmage144
Hyper-scientific Bishounen
Pharmacist Brian
Season III!
Posts: 3909
(8/16/05 20:57)
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Re: Take this, biatch.
James caught the tail end of Lee's message in his head during his waking period, but the opening bit managed to worm its way into his subconscious while he was still in the midst of a very personal dream about a girl he had once known, resulting in its ending being a much happier invitation to visit her at his whim as opposed to the more accurate suggestion that he take his haughty, arrogant ass someplace else. As such, due to Archmagus Lee's completely inadvertent intervention, the half-incubus was in a much better mood than he might have been normally. If he ever learned that having a telepath around could potentially guarantee pleasant dreams in which he always came out ahead, he would probably completely disregard everything his father had ever told him about psionicists and go out of his way to make friends with a few that would be willing to ping his subconscious at completely arbitrary times during his sleep cycles with ego-boosting imagery.
James was, on the whole, a pretty awesome guy, and despite his aggravation about whether or not he would live up to his father's legacy, most of his difficulty with the idea was because he generally thought he deserved the recognition. Nevertheless, having someone around to constantly remind him of how amazing and brilliant he was would never be refused.
He sat up in bed quickly, stretched out his entire body with a loud crack, and flexed his wings to their utmost limit before fluttering them rapidly to test their condition. Satisfied that they were functioning properly, he stood up, grabbed his clothes off the bedpost, and dressed quickly. It seems like Archmagus Lee's procured that protective amulet for us. Excellent. One less trick up Dawn's sleeve that we have to be concerned about, thought James as he rubbed gunk out of his eyelashes. He turned, looking over at the full-length mirror mounted on the dormitory wall, and grinned fangily, as if reassuring himself that he was still terrifyingly handsome.
Somehow, no amount of tossing and turning in his sleep had managed to disrupt his hair. How that was possible would remain his personal secret.
As James opened the door and prepared to leave, he glanced back at the bed idly, whispered a few arcane words under his breath, and waved a couple of fingers at the unmade sheets. Invoking a minor cantrip, he laundered, folded, and tidied up his sheets before heading out into the hall and closing the door behind him.
The day was full of possibility, and the first on James's list of "things to accomplish" was to take one more step toward saving his world.
Edited by: Archmage144 at: 8/16/05 21:02
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Nakibe
Mmmmm... Chaos Sandwich. ^_^
Posts: 944
(8/17/05 0:55)
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Re: Take this, biatch.
"UGH"
Damian reflected upon a time when voices didn't awaken him by yelling into his head early in the morning. A much better time, yes... That time never existed, you know. Shadows in the room move slightly, with one forming into the shape of a young child of about 10 or 11, laughing at the pitiful sight of a man trying desperately to get more sleep.
A man can dream, can't he? Nope! Not when there's things to kill in the morning. Another groan, much louder than the first, and Damian slowly sat up in bed. I should kill YOU first, that'd be a great start to the day. Yeah, but then who'd get to poke fun at your internal monologues? That's EXACTLY why I should.
At least he wasn't bothered as much while he went about his morning meditations, slowly getting himself ready for the day. As usual, his shadow kept inserting lewd or distracting comments, making it quite hard to keep his concentration. Or his sanity. But at least it was easier to think when he stopped his meditations and moved on to his morning excersizes.
Aren't you gonna go down there? In a bit. One of the others can handle getting the item if it comes to that. A bit nervous about what you might face, eh? Giving no answer, Damian just continued doing his pushups.
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FF Fanatic 80
Imposter Brit
Posts: 1744
(8/17/05 21:09)
Reply
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Re: Take this, biatch.
...please, not them too...
....for God's sake you already got me... NOT THEM TOO!
...THEY HAVEN'T DONE A BLOODY THING.... ...STOP DAMNIT DONT DO THIS.... PLEASE! NO!! NOOOOOO!! DAMMIT!! NOOOOOOO!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
DAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Stephan sits up with a start, dripping in sweat as the knocking continues at his door. His eyes dart around the room frantically, as he slowly starts to realize where he is, and what just happened.
He had been dreaming, he was sure of it now, as he held onto the sheet in his hands.
But the dream... Gods... it was just a dream, right?
He brings a hand up to his face, feeling the two damp trails of tears down his cheeks. As another round of knocking echoes off the door into the room, he wonders if his screaming came through into the waking world as well, just like his tears. Quickly wiping away said tears with his sheet, and coughing away the late-night gunk in his throat, he approaches the door.
"W...what is it?" Stephan asks, somewhat unsteadily.
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Kai
The Mysterious Priest
Posts: 556
(8/17/05 21:19)
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Re: Take this, biatch.
The voice that stayed politely on the other side of the door belonged to the innkeeper.
"Ah'm real sorry to bother ya like this, sir. But Ah would appreciate it if maybe I could talk to ya before ya'll head out. Ah'll be at the front desk."
Without waiting for a reply, the man's footsteps made their way down the hall and back to the front of the inn.
Edited by: Kai at: 8/17/05 21:21
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