RPG Harlequin,Raiha and a cask of amontillado

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]Lifé picked at her nails quietly. Jenica and Vichante would keep this up all night. And if they both thought she was ignorant....the better off she would be in the long run. Jenica watched Vichante, fingering the edge of her slingblade slowly. She could agree, then again she could disagree and beg her elder brother/lover for aid. Of course...Ochkik Haddah wouldn't be eager to help just yet....maybe later when the blood was running faster.

Lifé stood up again and grabbed the jaw rope of Genitian. She swung him around and leaned on his neck.[/i]

Vichante: ....well?

Lifé: ......let him go. You have bigger fish to fry. Tam et tuvech leiar. Goss jachn reea.

Jenica: .....then go.

[i]The demigoddess stepped aside and held up her hand.[/i]

Vichante: ...what's the catch?

Jenica: When you see the Dragourets, do not harass them.

Lifé: I'm going with him anyways. He won't bother.

Vichante: ......if you think any goddess will be interested in our conversation, feel free to speak with them.

[i]A smooth hand descended on his shoulder, stroking the side of his face. Then a sultry voice whispered into his ears.[/i]

????: But we're already here....

[i]He turned to come face to face with Aerin Beastmaster. Behind her, he could see a glowing apparation that could've been Kai Mechery...and just beyond that Maeleani. She smiled at him sweetly and withdrew her hand.[/i]

Jenica: Welcome. Now that we're here, I think the mortals can leave.

Lifé: That we will. Come on you.

Vichante: .......bîtches.[/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]Aerin: You do want to get out of here don't you?

"Don't you?"

[I]Now that was Dhirak's style. Behind Vichante now lurked a few ominous figures. Dhirak, Iyachtu Xvim, Tsien T'sing and Habiek. And someone Vichante didn't recognise, but wasn't exactly a divinity. Dhirak proceeded to ignore everyone except his rather pissed off cleric.[/I]

Dhirak: I told you to get him for me, fool. Instead, you blundered into here, and forced me to take matters into my own hands.

[I]The other figure, who looked nearly as unhappy about the situation as Vichante, must be Ilmiwyrth de Ralquire. Former mortal turned reality manipulater. The only type of being capable of destroying that which was generally considered divine. Or anything else for that matter. That, of course, forced Vichante to take stock of the situation. His usefulness was fast coming to an end, and it was looking suspiciously like there was a rather nasty fight in the offing, one that involved participants that weren't exactly friendly towards him. Which left one avenue open really. Ilmiwyrth. Ilmiwyrth was probably thinking the same thing. Which was probably why he stepped forward and started talking.[/I]

Ilmiwyrth: Alright assorted entites, I believe that is enough.

Lifé: And who might you be?

[I]Ilmiwyrth smiled slightly, and the world around them seemed to explode. Instead of the forest, a flickering set of images surrounded them, all sorts of landscapes, many of them not found on this plane, much less this world. At last it flicked back to the forest scene, leaving everyone slightly uncertain about just how much of it was actually really.[/i]

Ilmiwyrth: Ilmiwyrth de Ralquire. Once a mortal, now one who dabbles in the manipulation of the very fabric of reality. Basically, I'm the person who walks in and screws everything up.

[I]Dhirak looked at him acidly a moment then turned to Vichante.[/I]

Dhirak: You two are going to get on surprisingly well.

[I]He was about to add more when Ilmiwyrth interrupted.[/I]

Ilmiwyrth: Before this goes any further, I suggest we do as previously mentioned, and promptly disappear.

[I]Dhirak spun to him, a motion copied by the rest of his coterie, but by then Ilmiwyrth had disappeared. So had Vichante and Lifé. Which basically left a group of pissed off dark gods in the same proverbial room as a group of pissed off gods who didn't particularly like them. Which was no longer Vichante's problem. In fact, right now, he was truly hoping that Dhirak had some very nasty, preferably aeon-consuming, things done to him. For Vichante was now completely empty in side. He raised his hand, focusing his will. Nothing. Vichante was now no longer a cleric. Which basically left him as nothing but an insane man with a track record of killing things. In a room with a person he didn't trust, and a person he didn't know. Both of which were probably capable of killing him.

Which was the next question. Where was this room? His room. The bloody inn. He looked at Ilmiwyrth, who was apparently happy about the number of dirty looks he had gotten today.[/I]

Vichante: You have a nasty sense of humour.

Ilmiwyrth: He did tell you we'd get on well.

Lifé: Both of you, shut up, now.

[I]Ilmiwyrth and Vichante gave her identical rakish grins. She sighed forlornly. Then they looked at each other. Then they sighed forlornly. Not only were they currently on the run from several annoyed divinities in the company of probably the strangest being in the multiverse, they were going to aggravate each other to no end.[/font][/color][/I]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]She slowly raised her shirt off over her head and threw it to the ground. As the others stared, she removed a thin needle from her chest and inserted it back into the handle of her willowblade. Lifé raised the weapon and sheathed it slowly. Then, in a simple movement, she returned her shirt to its former place and crossed her legs lazily.[/i]

Lifé: What do you propose we do....ex-cleric?

Vichante: I would appreciate it if you didn't call me that.

Lifé: Save it for a mammal that cares.

Ilmiwyrth: I'm a mammal that cares.

Lifé/Vichante: Shut up.

Vichante: What is there to do?

Lifé: Go see the Dragourets. And Kryas maybe....if we're in the mood for lunch and to visit with a deadly Dorobo Witch.

Vichante: Sounds lovely.

Lifé: And her red wine stores are most excellent.

Ilmiwyrth: This isn't the time for that!

Lifé: Lordess Beastmaster would be very angry if we interfered with their plans anyways....

Vichante: And you know what they are?

Lifé: Perhaps.

Ilmiwyrth: .....

[i]He stood up and slinked over to her, placing a hand near her body. She raised up her blade and screamed like a banshee. Instantly, the glass windows shattered and Ilmiwyrth clutched his hands to his ears. She stopped abruptly and sheathed the blade happily.[/i]

Lifé: Keep your dirty hands away from me.[/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson][I]Ilmiwyrth sighed, and turned to the window, replacing it to its former status.[/I]

Ilmiwyrth: I'll ignore that for now. What I would like to point out though is that your madam beastmaster is not exactly predisposed to the survival of certain people in this room, most importantly me.

Lifé: Then perhaps you should shut up and start walking.

Ilmiwyrth: I have no intention of walking anywhere. You have a horse, he had a horse...looking...thing, and I have a horse. Why the hell are we walking?

Vichante: Because my horse looking thing as you so aptly put it wouldn't particularly like to obey me right now, and would probably attempt to eat me.

Lifé: It would probably succeed too.

Vichante: Then start on you.

Lifé: With much less success.

Vichante: In keeping it down perhaps.

Ilmiwyrth: If you two were finished?

Vichante: If we were?

Ilmiwyrth: Then we take a turn at being horse thieves.

Vichante: Hardly a thrilling occupation. Or a novel one, unfortunately.

Lifé: Dhirak makes his followers steal their own mounts?

Vichante: I wasn't exactly a cleric my entire life.

Lifé: How long were you a cleric?

Vichante: About six months. It's actually the longest I've ever stuck to any occupation now that I think about it.

Ilmiwyrth: Well, you'll have a bit of success keeping fugitive for a while I imagine.

Vichante: Where do I get my risk pay?

[I]That didn't seem to require an answer. Vichante knew it, and sighed. He walked out of them room, wondering exactly where in this god-forsaken (he hoped) village he could find a creature stupid enough to end up with a crew like this.[/font][/color][/I]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]Lifé smiled broadly and started walking out the door. Her fingers snapped twice, and Genitian's ears perked. Within a trice he was standing at the gate, whisking his tail and purring loudly. She leapt upwards, did a full flip, then landed on his shoulders in the lotus position.[/i]

Lifé: Are you ready?

Vichante: I hate you.

Lifé: ...... ..... .....so what else is new?

Vichante: Nothing. Except this....Why hasn't he left you yet?

Lifé: He loves me. And he found me before I ever became sworn to the Angelorum.

[i]She stroked his mane and took out the cherrywood staff.[/i][/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson][I]At the sight of the staff, Ilmiwyrth and Vichante shot each other an amused look *That explains some things...*. Whether Lifé caught the innuendo or not was immaterial, considering she didn't wait for them. Ilmiwyrth and Vichante sighed, and took a last look around the stable, finding nothing remotely suitable, and started walking. Whether Ilmiwyrth particularly felt like doing something about this was a subject Vichante felt strongly needed broaching. Ilmiwyrth's reaction was anything but expected. He simply stopped. He looked angrily at Vichante for a long moment, then seemed to calm down. He sighed again, and a surprised Lifé and Genitian were suddenly beside them.[/I]

Ilmiwyrth: The reason what I do is so dangerous is because of how it works. Take that window back there. In replaced the window, all I did was recreate the matter that had formerly existed there. To counter this though, the same amount of matter ceases to exist elsewhere. So basically, someone else just lost a window. If I start making major changes, or start jumping us around too much, then certain things might cease to exist. The world for example.

Vichante: How so?

Ilmiwyrth: I shift to another plane. That means in effect I destroy this plane and the one I intend to shift to, and recreate the current one in the other one's place, and the other one in the current one's place. If I jump around a lot, then details start to slip. If I shift quickly, and thus recreate things quickly, then things don't take the pressure, and start to warp. Also, those beings not tied to this plane are aware of it, those with the knowledge anyway. So the reason I don't simply reorder the world to my liking is because I can't. Is that information enough?

Lifé: I knew there was something wrong with you.[/font][/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]Lifé rolled her eyes and spun her staff between her fingers slowly. Vichante shot her a deadly glance and she gripped it between her right leg and her elbow. Like one of the sages she was so familiar with, Ilmiwyrth stood and waited.[/i]

Lifé: ......Sometimes I wonder why I even bother.

Vichante: Oh yes, we're that pathetic aren't we?

Lifé: Not really. More like.....troubled, as in "The troubled prince of Verona."

Ilmiwyrth: Our life is not a fairy tale.

Lifé: It could be argued.

Ilmiwyrth: Save me.

Lifé: I could, eventually, but not now. Instead, I would much rather eat something at Kryas's house and drink red wine.

Vichante: I second that.[/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]Ilmiwyrth: You people drink wine?

Vichante: No, but I was willing to agree with the point.

Ilmiwyrth: I'll give you that.

Vichante: Wise decision.

[I]They somehow managed to keep walking while continuing that particular exchange. Lifé ignored it. Actually, after a while it started seeming like Vichante and Ilmiwyrth were ignoring it, considering how unconcerned with what was actually being said they seemed. It eventually died out, the silence being broken by nothing more than neccessary noise, which wasn't exactly a lot, being far preferable to random banter. They'd be there soon enough, and have the hot meal and beverage of choice. Or something along those lines. And then probably have to deal with certain ramifications. Which would probably involve bloodshed. The only question was whether it was physical or verbal. Vichante wasn't particularly concerned, he had a strange lingering feeling that he'd get a lot of both on this particular trip.[/font][/color][/I]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]The next village they came close to was quiet, calm, and was advertised as "Windflower." Lifé grinned to herself and held up one hand. Genitian snorted, then raised his head. Lifé dismounted quickly, removed the jawrope, and waved him down the road. He entered the village and was soon taken into a livery stable by a towheaded boy. She grinned, then stood back in relaxation. He would be watched for a very long time. Longer than she would be safe.

She turned to the others and smiled. Then she removed her cherrywood staff and leaned on it nonchalontly.[/i]

Vichante: And the point of that maneuver was...?

Lifé: He won't be coming our way. It's not suitable for horses of any type.

Ilmiwyrth: I wonder why...

Lifé: How many horses do you know that are capable of diving and swimming beneath waterfalls ringed with flame?

Ilmiwyrth: Not many.

Vichante: Case and point.

[i]She crouched, then leapt into the nearby woods, dodging around trees and ferns, moving faster than her horse ever had. The others kept up easily enough until she stopped in front of the aforementioned waterfall. She stripped down to knife, lingere, and belt, then leapt in without a backwards glance. They watched until her head appeared several feet away. She swung her hair around in a fan of water, then called for them to follow. [/i]

Vichante: Are you sure this is the only way?

Lifé: It's the fastest way. And the water's great!

Ilmiwyrth: Liar.

Lifé: ......oh really?

[i]She hauled back, then shoved a huge wave of water in his direction.[/i][/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson][I]As soon the water hit them, Vichante and Ilmiwyrth immediately threw one back. Lifé, without hesitation, sent another wave towards them. Vichante and Ilmiwyrth shared a quick, amused glance, then both dived in through and under the wave. Lifé looked around a fatal instant to long, before Ilmiwyrth and Vichante came up underneath her, grabbing a leg and arm each and flipping her, then pushing her down. They looked at each other over her submerged, struggling, but rather firmly held body.[/I]

Ilmiwyrth: Told you she was a liar.

Vichante: It's not that bad.

Ilmiwyrth: It is under there.

[I]They both looked down and shared a ghost of a grin, before letting Lifé up. She didn't seem out of breath, but she didn't seem happy.[/i]

Lifé: You know, I may have minded that, but I was wet anyway.

Vichante: We noticed.

Lifé: I noticed your noticing.

Ilmiwyrth: Were we going somewhere?[/font][/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]She flicked her fingers at them before wheeling around and diving deep, toes pointed severely. They followed until she dissapeared into a black hole type thing. Vichante and Ilmiwyrth paused until the whole place was illuminated with pale green light. From the entrance, they could see her, flicking ...fins? ....at them, then dissapearing down into the tunnel.

A weird sort of groan echoed through the water and she hissed for them to hurry. Dark shapes persued them; slowly, but .....menacing.

Several minutes later and several flicks later, they rose up and broke the water's surface with a splash and a gasp. Lifé's body returned to normal, and she jumped out of the water to the stone platform.[/i]

Ilmiwyrth: That..... .....is the last time......I.....listen ....to you.

Vichante: What was that?!? A jinni?

Lifé: .....no. It's a wakturn.

Ilmiwyrth: You bîtch.

Lifé: ......and your point is...?

Kryas: Welcome!

[i]A tall, older lady walked down stone steps to greet them. A heavy candle was in her hand and a gentle light flooded down on them. Vichante stared. She was vaugely familiar, but still mysterious. Her eyes didn't help. Weird, flat, shifting eyes....[/i]

Ilmiwyrth: ...... .....

Lifé: Kryas. We're being persued.

Kryas: Not anymore.

[i]She waved her hand and the lights were brought to full power.[/i][/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]Vichante: Here we go again.

Ilmiwyrth: The whole wannabe badass feminist hardcore more amusing than anthing else ***** thing?

Vichante: Yeah...I guess that's the one.

Lifé: As opposed to the arrogant, idiotic, self-deluded, unamusing misoginists?

Ilmiwyrth: Basically.

Kryas: How do you put up with these two?

Lifé: I haven't really decided whether I will yet.

Ilmiwyrth:We were initially nice enough to give her a choice.

Kryas: All right, that's enough for now. I assume you're here because you want a hot meal, some wine, and probably a bath?

Vichante: A certain someone was nice enough to provide the last one already.

Kryas: Whatever. Shut up, and do what you're told.

Ilmiwyrth: That's a rather blunt approach.[/font][/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue]Kryas: Considering the fact that you are no longer in the plane of mortals or otherwise....it would be wiser to obey.

Lifé: ...than be sacrificed anyways.

[i]The two men exchanged a glance before following the women up the long staircase. When they reached the doors, the lights were extinguished, save the candle in her hands. With a simple twist of her wrist, the doors clicked open and seemed to bow before Kryas. They entered her lair, calmly, looking around slowly.[/i]

Kryas: Welcome once more to my home.

Lifé: Looks the same as always.

[i]Ilmiwyrth reached out to handle the sword hilt resting on a credenza. The Dorobo witch turned slightly, eyes half open.[/i]

Kryas: Don't touch anything.

Lifé: ......the cursed blade of the Dragonhearts wouldn't respond well to a mortal's touch.

Ilmiwyrth: And I suppose you can touch it.

Lifé: Considering Kryas is my godmother.....yes.

[i]The lady led them through several hallways, twisting down dark passages and through empty rooms until they stopped in front of a huge marble bathtub. Lifé contained her excitement, stripped off her remaining clothes and weapon, than slid into the warm water. The bubbles rose from the floor, obscuring any view previously had. Vichante smiled slightly.[/i]

Vichante: Happy?

Lifé: Overjoyed.

Kryas: The towels are in the cupboard, along with fresh clothes. Leave the rest here, my servants will attend them.

Ilmiwyrth: Servants?

[i]But she had already gone.[/i][/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson][I]Ilmiwyrth walked over to the nearest wall, and absently started tapping it.[/I]

Vichante: The "don't touch anthing" rule?

Ilmiwyrth: Yeah, basically. Like hell any mere cursed blade would remotely even think of pulling anything bizarre on me.


Vichante: You could have touched it to prove that point, you know.

Ilmiwyrth: Yeah, but that probably would have involved nullifying it afterwards, and certain people might object.

Vichante: For someone with the power to manipulate quantam reality on the most innate level, you have way too much caution.

Ilmiwyrth: Which is probably why this multiverse is still intact.

Lifé: Would you two please just let me relax?[/font][/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]She mused inwardly, then let her magic nooses snake out of her hands and curl around their wrists and ankles. With a swift jerk, she sent them both reeling into the pool..... Lifé grinned, then laid back and chilled to the sounds of the forest outside. The glass roof was frosted over, but not thick enough to block out the full moonlight. The two looked indignant, until she let her legs and arms surface and twist backwards in a strange sort of stretch.....

No matter how freaky her movements were, they were still remeniscent of a strip tease. But she gave off a sort of "just try it" energy that served to both ward them off and entice them at the same time. Maybe it was the smell of moonflowers she was extuding.[/i]

Lifé: Having fun yet?

Vichante: Let me see....

[i]She roared with laughter until he ducked uder under the water. Far from being concerned, she simply grabbed him by the waist and dug in the nails.[/i][/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson][I]Vichante simply rotated his wrist, tearing her nails through his skin in a circle around his forearm, but rotating so he could grab her wrist with her hand. He resurfaced and grinned.[/I]

Vichante: I could simply pull you know.

[I]Lifé's response was calculated disinterest.[/I]

Lifé: Go ahead.

[I]Rather than simply pull her out of the water, Vichante pulled her and twisted sideways slightly, the flat of his other palm going into her stomach. Not hard enough to hurt, but it did allow him to flip her over him. Her nails didn't do a lot for his skin, but he didn't really mind. The water was a fair bit darker than it was, she'd probably opened a vein. He wasn't really concerned about that either. He rested the arm in the water, letting the warmth dull the sensation, slow the blood flow. He looked at the wound through the murky water....he'd be fine. She on the other hand...

Lifé had risen out of the water, only to have Ilmiwyrth absently sweep her legs out from under her. She rose up again, spluttering and swearing.[/I]

Vichante: Oh come now, you know you're enjoying this as much as we are. Think of the possibilities.

Lifé: I noticed you have.

Ilmiwyrth: We noticed your noticing.[/font][/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]She winked at them, then raised her hands up to the roof. Healing light flooded down on her body, erasing the cutting marks, restoring her skin to it's former lustre. She purred at Ilmiwyrth, then collapsed gracefully under the water. She resurfaced, after swiming through Vichante's legs.[/i]

Lifé: I love my life.

Ilmiwyrth: Why? You're a common whore, and a user.

Lifé: And.....that's bad.

Vichante: No, we already knew you were.

Lifé: My body is my own, to do with as I see fit.

Ilmiwyrth: You have no connections to the gods through it then?

Lifé: That's all up here.

[i]She tapped the side of her head lazily and smiled.[/i][/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]Vichante: Ah, the comments I could make to that.

Ilmiwyrth: Thus neatly removing yourself of a need to make them at all.

Vichante: Convenient, isn't it.

[I]Vichante absently leant back, stretching his arms. Lifé looked on with amusement.[/I]

Vichante: No, I'm not flexing muscles for your benefit.

Lifé: I doubt I'd be impressed if you were.

Ilmiwyrth: You're in a bath with two relatively good looking people. If I were you, I'd be pretty impressed with myself.

Lifé: I bet you are anyway.

Ilmiwyrth: That was uncalled for.

Lifé: My, aren't we less than openminded.

Vichante: Given that comment, I'm more than interested on just how openminded you'd get, all other things considered.

Lifé: Probably more than you.

Vichante: In certain areas, I imagine so. [/font][/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue]Lifé: I used to live in a place where rape was second nature, and the men were demonic....to say the least. Being with you two is like being on holiday.

Ilmiwyrth: .....demonic.

Lifé: Ever heard of the Ghosthunters?

Vichante: ....the ones who use semptasu and magic jars?

Lifé: Yep. I was their daughter for a time.

Ilmiwyrth: .....rape-daughter you mean.

Lifé: It wasn't really rape.

Vichante: Twisted.

Lifé: Listen to the pot calling the kettle black.

Ilmiwyrth: ....back to being open minded...

Lifé: I've ween it all. Back biting, black mailing, double crossing.....

Vichante: I suppose you're an expert at it too.

Lifé: Of course. But I never double cross those whom I've sworn myself to.[/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]Vichante: Now where did I here that last?

Ilmiwyrth: Oh?

Vichante: Dhirak of course. As a sidenote, he does have some [I]very[/I] interesting perversions, but anyway, yes, Dhirak, when I first ran into him on some business of my own, said the same kind of thing when I asked him exactly how a dark god amassed power when he couldn't really trust anyone.

[I]He fixed Lifé with an amusedly baleful stare.[/I]

Vichante: And I still haven't decided which of you is more dangerous.

Lifé: Me of course. I'm prettier than he is.

Vichante: I think it's more that you actually have a spine.

Ilmiwyrth: Oh?

Vichante: One of my jobs as Dhirak's head, in fact only, cleric was divine confidante. Let me tell you, it's a good thing he's immortal, because I somehow doubt he could work all those securities out in any one lifetime. He is really an adolescent godling who's just going through puberty and his voice his just starting to break, figuratively speaking. And I made sure he knew it.

Ilmiwyrth: How exactly did you last as long as you did as a cleric with that attitude anyway?

Vichante: By formerly not being expendable.

Ilmiwyrth: And now you are.

Vichante: And now I am.

Ilmiwyrth: Which leaves you what?

Vichante: An ordinary man with some bad memories, some strange experiences, and some even stranger travelling companions.

Lifé: So basically you're at a major disadvantage compared to Ilmiwyrth and I.

Vichante: You could say that.

Lifé: Well doesn't that add an interesting dimension to our previous conversation...

Vichante: Remember what you said before about it not being rape?

[I]When she affirmed, she sounded ever so slightly uncertain.[/I]

Vichante: Well, it's not rape when they fail miserably at doing anything as well.[/font][/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue]Lifé: ...they knew what they were doing.

[i]She smiled faintly, and turned around, exposing her back to them for the first time. Cat o nine whip marks, spreading outwards, forming the shape of a willowtree, complete with leaves.[/i]

Vichante: That explains the knife.

Lifé: A parting gift from them.

Vichante: You were afraid of them?

Lifé: Until I learned how to brawl....yes.

Kryas: Are you three going to chat down there all night? Dinner is almost ready![/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson][I]Ilmiwyrth waited a second or two, then spoke in a deliberately loud stage whisper.[/I]

Ilmiwyrth: She's just jealous...

[I]That good him a few strange looks. It wasn't a subject that really needed to be dwelled on. Vichante shook his head on concentrated on a fresh set of clothes. A simple set of soft black pants with a matching black dobuk. He shrugged and put them, they'd do for now. Unfortunately form fitting though. He sighed and turned back around, Lifé and Ilmiwyrth were already waiting for him.[/I]

Vichante: Tell me, is there some strange vegetarian thing going on here?

Lifé: Not to my knowledge. Why do you ask?

Vichante: Because one of the more unfortunately influences of Dhirak is that meat around you goes rotten. So it's been a long time since I've had a decent meal

Lifé: That explains the meals at the inn.

Ilmiwyrth: I knew there was something wrong with you.

Vichante: So did I...Can we go eat now, I'm actually hungry. And fairly confident that even if the food is poisoned, it'll probably only incapacitate me. Odds I'm willing to accept.[/font][/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]Lifé snorted into her palm, before reaching into her shirt and withdrawing two more of her needles. The one from earlier was inserted into her mouth and sealed inside the flesh. She handed the other two to the men.[/i]

Vichante: Blessed pins?

Lifé: ...yes. They work. I've tried them with snake poison, curses, and other such things.

Ilmiwyrth: .....why should I trust you?

Lifé: Tell ya what....if they do not work. You can rape me for free.

Vichante: .....You can't rape the willing.

Lifé: ....if you don't believe me, just don't hate me when you die from one of her soup dishes. She's been known to use poisonous fish and leave the spines on. Just to make it taste better.

[i]She sniggered and walked down the stairs again. Kryas's servants greeted them. Much to the surprise of the two men, they were twelve pairs of disembodied arms and hands. The hands pressed them all down into their seats and raised their napkins and poured their glasses of water.[/i]

Kryas: Welcome.

[i]She clapped her hands and her servants jumped to action, bringing forward steaming trays. Not one to stand on much ceremony, Lifé opened the nearest one and spooned the rice onto her plate. She grinned at the others and tasted it.

The men watched her warily. Well....she didn't turn into a toad, and she didn't frown....so it must be alright. They dug in as well, only to hear her voice echo in their minds.

"Do not touch anything she gives you by her own hands.....[/i][/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson][I]Vichante cocked an eyebrow at Lifé, and almost casually sent the mental message back "I'm more than willing to accept the advice, but considering I've eaten out of Dhirak's hand, isn't it a little unneccessary?"

Lifé glared at him. "I thought you couldn't do this kind of thing anymore" Vichante smiled back; "I can't really. It's all your fault.". He left her with that thought for a while, and persisted to enjoy the meal. He looked critically at the water a few times before one of the floating hands got the point, and it was replaced with ...something stronger. When he first tasted it, he nearly choked. It was very strong.[/i]

Vichante: I see someone is a creature of extremes. Either dead sober or stone cold drunk...

Kryas: You don't have to drink it...

Vichante: Asiding the fact that I have an acquired demon's tolerance for alcohol...it's still a challenge.

[I]He raised the glass, holding it in his thumb and middle finger only. He raised it to his forehead in a toast, then proceeded to drink it down, in one steady stream. When he was finished, he looked around owlishly, then blinked slowly once, and his eyes cleared.[/I]

Vichante: I've had worse. There's this little thing called Scurrd...

Ilmiwyrth: And we won't mention it any further.

[I]Vichante gave a short, nasty laugh. Everyone else just looked confused. Ilmiwyrth gave them all a look that plainly said it was best left untouched, and the conversation turned to other matters.[/font][/color][/I]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]Lifé ate her fill, drank the wine slowly, then stood and left, guided by the hands. Once in her room, she removed the pin and sat down on the huge futon bed. She removed her clothes slowly, and placed her blade on the table top. Hands folded behind her head, she laid back and thought over the events. Aerin wasn't angry, Mechery was fuming...as usual...probably sleeping with her snakes right now. Plotting revenge....

She shook her head. Their thoughts were growing larger, pressing down on her mind. She hissed and rolled over onto her stomach, stretching her spine out. Footsteps.

She made no effort to hide her lack of clothing and looked towards the door.[/i][/COLOR]