cinaed

Session 113: Days 27 through 29 of Veksdan (6/16)

The group wakes up in their respective beds, almost unused to the peace.

Az wants to drag them all immediately to a tailor’s, knowing that they are guests of honor and that five days isn’t enough time for a custom order. He gets everyone’s written requests and then considers where he can get fast orders completed in time.

Meanwhile Audacity goes to Lucky and gets recommendations for foot jewelry for Hava and Diana to wear to the ball. He shows off the jewelry to Hava, who asks if this counts as shoes. Audacity laughs and says probably not, but they’re pretty.

While Az is getting everyone’s clothing orders, Yolov goes shopping, commissioning the statuette for his Contingency spell and a purple glass pseudodragon figurine to help restart Collie’s hoard.

Meanwhile Hava watches Maeve go around town, doing a few odd things before giving her 50 gold from the cut of Loren’s job. Maeve tells her that they’re not taking any more jobs at the moment, at least until they get back from Striog. They’ll be on the straight and narrow, at least until they can come back to get Hava.

Hava is confused, asking what she means. Maeve says she’s coming with them, isn’t she? Hava says slowly that she didn’t realize she was invited. Maeve says of course she is, they’re going to get Aria back and then get their boat in Upper Crescent Port City and come to fetch Hava.

Hava asks if they discussed this before, and Maeve says no, but she just thought now that they were back together, they wouldn’t want to be apart again. Hava says that makes sense, but she’s kind of in the middle of something.

Maeve says that right she’s busy being a hero.

Hava says it’s not just that. She owes people, including her friends. Maeve says they could come along as well, it would be great to have a larger crew again. Hava says she’s not speaking metaphorically, but she thinks Az would rather eat glass than become a pirate. Hava tells her that this is a big decision, she can’t make this for her.

Maeve quietly says she just thought they could be together now.

Hava says that’s a very big decision for her to make. She has to think about it.

Maeve says that while she’s thinking about it, know that she’ll always be on the sea. Hava says that sounds really nice. Maeve asks if she didn’t come to talk about this, then what did she want.

Hava explains about the ball and needing nice clothes at short notice.

Maeve says she’s heard about the Crestianas’ party and tells her that she doesn’t have to wear shoes. It’s her party after all. What can the nobility do, kick the Hooligans out of their own party? Maeve also adds that she has a contact with someone that has very nice, very expensive fabrics. She could get those fabrics as an incentive for the tailor to work quickly.

When Hava says that sounds like a good idea, Maeve tells her that’s why she needs a pirate sister. As Maeve begins to sweep her out of the room, Hava glances over her shoulder as the door clicks shut. She sees that Travesty’s stuff is no longer inside.

Hava asks where he is, and Maeve pauses. She says that Travesty is headed south first. Hava can tell that Travesty is going there first, but there’s an implication that there’s something more there. Maeve says that they’ll see him in a few more days. If not, she’ll climb another mountain.

They end up at a shady warehouse, where everything is set up like it is a professional fabric store. Hava gets a bunch of fabrics and hands them off to Az as Yolov returns from his own shopping.

Yolov reaches out via Sending to Careful and tells him that they have an unexpected ball and Az would like to hire him for the clothing. Careful says he will disarm the traps. He also reaches out to Asa, who says Az is welcome to use her circle to get to Nestling.

Yolov and Az teleport to the magic house and Az goes from there to Asa’s to Careful’s shop. A little disoriented from three teleportations in a few minutes, he hears the quiet sound of porcelain clinking above him. Armed with his bundles of carefully wrapped fabric, he goes upstairs.

River, who is a very short, thin vampire, is finishing setting out tea. He looks up as Az enters the room and immediately launches into a spiel about the complicated order process for quick orders, and that Careful wants to talk to him.

Az offers him the fabrics, saying that they’re to help restock since he knows they’re throwing a lot at them. River makes some appreciative noises over the fabrics before he says Careful will be down shortly. Az says his friends did offer some ideas and hands Audacity’s sketch and some papers.

River asks him if he realizes two of the papers just say whore. Az sighs and says he should’ve read them before he handed them off, realizing Galowen and Hava are the culprits.

A few minutes later, Careful descends the stairs and greets Az, asking how the last few weeks have treated him. Az sighs and says he has many stories to tell, and Careful says he has a few stories of his own.

Az briefly laments over Diana and Hava’s aversion to shoes. Careful advises him to figure out a Disguise Self and have them appear to have hooves. No one can tell people with hooves to wear shoes.

Az says that’s a thought, but he was also hoping to figure out a way to conceal his facial scars. Careful says he thinks the scars are ruggedly handsome and that Az should tell everyone he got the scars from fighting a dragon. He coaxes Az into practicing the lie, and after a fumbling start Az claims that the scars are from killing the dragon and even goes far enough to mention that his firbolg companion is unscarred.

Careful claims to believe him, though Az isn’t sure that he was actually convincing. Then Careful accepts all the instructions, including Hava and Galowen’s whore requests. He quickly does sketches and explains that these won’t be produced necessarily from whole cloth, but instead from previously made pieces to rework and resize.

Az says he’s sure everything will be wonderful, and adds that these fabrics are for Careful as well. Careful asks how much these clearly expensive fabrics cost and looks dubious when Az says nothing. He says he doesn’t believe that, and Az explains that it was from a woman who they helped.

Az clucks his tongue again over the poor people trying to put together a ball in a week. Careful tells him it’s because they want the Hooligans to fail, that the nobility is pretending to be grateful while hoping the party embarrasses themselves by looking ragged. Az says he suspected as much, but the queen will be there as well.

Careful asks that Az has Yolov Send to him and tell him if Princess Kalia is at the party, since he heard that she went up the mountains again this morning without her private guards. Then he shoos Az away, telling him that he has work to do and then asks that he come by the morning before the ball for a final fitting for the group.

Az returns to Asa’s shop. He is about to head back to Little Nest when he realizes he has a chance to see Mixie. He heads off to find her instead.

Meanwhile, Yolov seeks out the people in the house, planning to check in on Marcus, Zorash, Soul, and the others. He can see that the house has been cleaned, with new art on the wall, the fireplaces are well stocked, and the library has been reorganized.

When Yolov goes into the kitchen to speak to Soul, Zorash is making lunch and looks excited to see him. Soul is also excited at the prospect of making lunch for Asa and Yolov. Zorash tells Yolov that everything is great, but he has about forty-five seconds before someone will be very disappointed in him.

Yolov is puzzled for a few seconds before Taion bursts into the room, shirtless. As soon as Taion realizes it is him and not Hava, he looks disappointed.

When Taion’s face drops, Yolov says he’s here to bring Taion back to Radiscune once he’s finished with a few things first. Taion immediately starts waxing poetic about Hava, talking about desiring her and missing her, knowing she’s had a hard few days and wanting to comfort her in many ways. Yolov looks uncomfortable and glances at Zorash who is staring into the corner and sighing that Taion’s been like this the entire time.

When Taion says he’ll go pack and asks if he needs to bring anything, Yolov tells him about the ball and asks if he has an outfit. When Taion says confidently he has clothes to wear to a party, Yolov realizes he is a wild elf and his ideas of a proper ball outfit are probably very different than the elite of Avisrune. He knows that Az is already stressed out over Diana and Hava’s refusal to wear shoes, and quickly suggests that Taion might want to wear a matching outfit to Hava’s, convincing him to go to Nestling and get an outfit commissioned as well.

Before Yolov brings Taion back to Nestling and then to Radiscune, he goes to the garden to speak to Bloom. He compliments it on the garden, and then asks if it can adjust the fountain. He shows Bloom art from his sketchbook of the fountain with a stone fox and a raven in repose together, wanting to honor both Valen and Amara.

The fountain shifts to match, and Yolov watches as a few vines begin to curl around the base of the fountain, where Yolov notices a divet in the stone where the bottom of his staff matches perfectly. He instinctively puts his staff there and watches as the fountain opens up a little to reveal a small stairway.

He descends, knowing that while Valen was her first love, Amara’s second love was this garden, her child. Inside he finds a bunch of preserved seeds and other gardening tools. It’s spotless, as though one day she walked out and never returned. He continues through the time capsule. There is embroidery and cross stitch that she worked on herself and bought from others adorning the walls.

Eventually he reaches a little room buried deep within the fountain. Yolov knows even before he looks inside what he’ll find. They’ve seen every other part of the house and never found where Valen died or where Amara was buried.

Engraved on this plain wooden door, which is closed, is an overflowing garden growing up towards the sky and deep down into the earth, the trees heavy and laden with fruit, and the image of a fox curled underneath a tree and a raven perched happily above him in the branches.

He hesitates for a moment before he opens the door and looks inside. There are tapestries hanging edge to edge around the room, telling what looks like the story of Valen and Amara’s lives together done in tapestry from beginning to end. It is the story of two young, brilliant people who met while Valen was studying outside and Amara approached in a large sunhat. There are images of them sitting together, dancing together, studying in a library together. An image of a quaint and sweet proposal done in a garden that isn’t this one but brilliant all the same. There is a wedding, the acquisition of this house, the moving in, the learning and studying together, there’s him writing at his desk while she knits.

The last tapestry is her in a bed while he reads to her, both still looking very young.

In the center of the room, there is a single stone tomb. The lid is slightly ajar. There is no sign of a body on the ground, which is what Yolov had quietly feared, that an elderly Valen would not have the strength to get into the tomb to lay beside Amara in death.

Yolov quietly uses Telekinesis to close the lid firmly and then closes the door to let Valen and Amara rest in peace.

Once the door is closed, one of the tapestries blooms a flower from the house in gratitude. Yolov takes a very deep breath before he returns back to the sunlight of the garden.

Meanwhile, Audacity shows Diana the foot jewelry and she tells him he’s wonderful and asks what she can do for him in return before she gets distracted wondering how the ball will accept Adrin. Audacity reminds her that Adrin fought alongside them and she is invited too.

Elsewhere, Galowen goes to the Magnificent Mango and gets a tourist gift before he goes to hang out with Rian, who is very firm that he’s looking for something casual and nothing serious. He’s down for hooking up, but he doesn’t want a relationship.

The night of the 28th, when Galowen swings by his office, there is a small conglomeration of people around him. He has a stack of books that he’s pointing angrily at and says that it’s not fair and not right. If they got enough people together, they could force the administration to listen to them. He knows it will be a lot of hard work, but by working at this school and at least attempting to make changes, everyone is just exacerbating the problems.

He cuts off when he sees Galowen and explains he was just having a discussion with friends, people who work there and some who are professors. He explains that the school has always been run by Segwins and Farrs, and everyone wants to bend down and lick their boots and no one wants to challenge them.

He’s heard that the Previdian princess doesn’t even attend classes, and yet she’s passing with flying colors. She doesn’t show up, and she doesn’t have to attend ethics classes, and it isn’t fair that she gets to pay her way through school.

Galowen says it isn’t. It sounds like an athlete thing except there aren’t any athletes there. Rian says that they do have mathletes, and Galowen says that Yolov was probably the captain. Rian snorts fondly and says that Yolov was always the biggest nerd and he means that in the nicest way. Galowen says that he said it, not him, but adds that he thinks Rian and his friends might be able to change things.

Rian says he hopes so and then introduces Galowen as the guy who killed the dragon. Galowen is immediately swarmed by his intrigued friends.

Audacity explores Radiscune. Stagheart was filled with uppity, pretentious people. While there are those types of people here as well, it is mostly a college town filled with wizard students. He encounters the kids again, including Tommy, who looks up at him and says that he doesn’t exactly need Audacity’s help, but he does know Audacity is really good at climbing things. He asks Audacity to come with him because even though Tommy can do it, it’s pretty dangerous and will be less dangerous for Audacity.

Audacity is amused by the emotional manipulation and agrees. Tommy leads him to where the other kids are hiding behind a tall, well-maintained tree that is uncomfortably close to a one-story house. Tommy says they were going up on the house and then up into the tree to rescue a cat.

Audacity can see a small black cat high up on the tree. When Tommy adds that no one has already tried and fell, Audacity knows he’s lying. He spies a scraped knee but no major injuries. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s pride, so he climbs up the house instead of just running up the tree.

He can hear all the kids curse and whisper in awe among themselves as Audacity skillfully parkours himself up the house and onto the tree until he reaches the tiny black kitten, just bigger than Audacity’s hand. He tries to coax it over to him before finally scooping it up and dropping out of the tree.

Tommy immediately rushes over asking to see the kitten and exclaiming how small it is. He cradles the kitten and says they saw it up there and he doesn’t know why it was going up there, but they were going to call it Don.

Audacity says that’s a good name. Tommy says they thought about Donnie and maybe Az, but they thought that might get confusing so they thought Don was a nice compromise. He invites Audacity back to their hideout.

Audacity says that he’d like to see it. Tommy says they got caught stealing from Genesis, and so they didn’t stay with them, but they have a little hideout. Audacity knows that Genesis isn’t mad at them. While they show off their small hideout and feed him cold soup, he quietly drops a few coppers and silver around the space for them to find later.

He tells the kids that Genesis isn’t mad at them, but would probably like to teach them ways to keep from getting caught stealing. He offers to go with them to see Genesis, and Tommy agrees to go with him.

Diana wanders about town with Adrin. They haven’t had a chance to chill since before they left Stagheart. As she’s walking, she hears Collie’s gentle voice behind her calling her name. Diana turns and says hello.

Collie says that she saw her leaving and had a question for her if that’s okay. She says she heard there is going to be a very fancy party coming up and she’s really excited about it for her and the others. She did hear through the grapevine, which is one of her favorite things to do, learning about humanoids, that a few guards were talking in The Silver Captain. They were retrieving a drunk guard, but she heard them say that the ball was going to be in the Avisian grand hall, in the palace itself.

She says that she knows she’s asked a lot from the party already, even if she hasn’t done anything for them really. Yolov even got her a little glass pseudodragon. She shows it off and Diana says that’s very nice but she does have a question.

When she asks where the grapevines are, Collie is confused before she explains it’s a saying in Common. She meant she eavesdropped. They briefly discuss how boring a grapevine’s actual conversation would be, since it stays in one place.

They briefly talk about different plants and how they would be as conversationalists as Collie veers them towards a very nice park with a community garden that they can walk through. Adrin has relaxed now that she knows it’s Collie with the dragon smell.

Collie says again that she and her friends have all the right to say no to her request, and Diana says she probably won’t.

Collie says her friends have been nicer to her than she deserves. She asks Diana to talk to someone at the palace on her behalf, or at least slip a note into someone’s pocket. Diana says she could do both. Collie asks if she wants to know what the note says, and Diana says she would like to know just out of curiosity.

Collie explains that Rhys has been struggling since everything happened and there is someone he was very close to who will be attending the party who didn’t understand why Rhys didn’t want to talk to anyone after the Sworn Edge incident. They got into an argument and Rhys is really upset. She wants to pass along this note so that Rhys can see this friend again and they can make up. Rhys has gone through a lot because of her and she wants to do this for him.

Diana says given that Collie has given them a place to rest, she’s happy to do it.

Collie gives her a nice, warm hug.