Mădălena is not impressed so much as stunned. "Darkness above you really said that. Just...no. No. Are you not an educated daughter of nobility? How did you ever sneak those chapbooks by your chaperones?" It wanes into disinterest and she surveys the cosmetic damage to her robes, not really paying much attention to the smaller bat as she stands unsteadily. "And what would you do if I refuse to surrender? And...stop...waving so much..."
Quinn, seeing that the man bat is handled quite well, takes note of where Natalia and the other fell, while spraying down the flames. If it doesn't seem too far she will resecure her towel and head that way quickly.
The male bat only struggles a little, to show the knife-wielding ermine that he's not cowed so much as inconvenienced in the extreme. "As much fun as this has been, I really would prefer if you could remove your person from mine, I'm beginning to...react, you see, and I can't imagine anyone here but me would appreciate it. I promise on my name I won't get uppity unless you tell me to."
His grin is coprophagic, and he accentuates his request with a little buck of his hips.
Not cowed? Rosza's delicate sensibilities are offended! But she laughs anyway...
Not her most pleasant laugh.
"Your ?" The slippery ermine pours every ounce of vitriol and derision into that word she can muster. "But I don't know you! We've not been introduced, and at this moment, I've lost my patience for pleasantries."
The ermine props herself up on the bat's chest, sharp point twitching a bit beneath Nicuşor's jaw and the knuckles of her fist digging into his sternum as she places her weight on the hand holding the stiletto.
"I imagine you've realized by now that I'm not push-over Penny. But you're right, this isn't making a proper impression."
She turns slightly, beginning to glance towards Delroy, but it's apparently more of a feint than anything else, because her next action is to punch the bat in his pretty face with her off hand. She's doing him a favor! That bruise was making it look lopsided...
"That's more the impression I'm looking for. Delroy, could you kindly find me something to gag 'goodman Name' with? His mouth is displeasing to me. Not that I'm any manner of pleased by the rest of him."
The adrenaline that was carrying Natalia along was being to fade, but the anger over Madonna Mădălena's words and dismissal more than covered for it.
"Look, you necromantic bimbo, watch your tounge," Natalia retorts, begining to lose her patience. "You are injured, and I am not. If you persist in trying to continue to resist, it will result in your death. So do yourself and myself a favor, and please surrender before I lose my TEMPER and FRY YOU TO A CHARRED HUSK!"
As she speaks, the winds around her start to pick up and the smell of ozone fills the air.
"Oh stop, your temper is so unbecoming a cherubic figure like that." She does keep her appendages clearly visible, however. She may be pouring out bravado like a burst dam, but the Zvonimir heiress is not stupid, and you can see that even she fears death.
"Keep your elements in check, cousin, please. Let the Constabulary do their job." And indeed, you can hear some of the shouts of "official business" and more coming your way, and in a few breaths their just about swarming everywhere.
The boys and girls the burnt red uniforms of Triskellian's Constabulary are quite genial once they figure out who you are, and somewhat less impressed that the offender is also nobility, but do their jobs with aplomb. Sometimes it pays to impress the rich.
One particularly grizzled officer, a black rat with an incredible moustache and great taste in facial scars introduces himself to you as Madonna Zvonimir is lead away. "Captain Jacopo Ricciardi, though the men call me Jackrum most days, or Buccafurno when I'm mad, or Cimusaru when things aren't goin' well. At your service m'lady."
The bat reacts fairly nonchalantly to someone who just struck him and has a knife to his throat. "Mmmm, was that necessary? I did just surrender, after all. But since you asked, I am Signore Nicuşor Zvonimir, and your friend is chasing after my twin sister. And unless I miss my guess, you are the clever-fisted, leap-before-looking Rosza Juette de Vieuxpont Lissemanteau. There's only so many white-pelted jills running about with knives and no modesty, after all."
For someone with a knife at his throat he's not making a good case for keeping his windpipe functioning. Then again, who can afford more trouble with the Constabulary.
Speaking of the red-boys, you can hear a commotion downstairs as the staff seem to be attempting to delay entry of exactly that fine institution of law!
Delroy cracks his knuckles, "I fear the use of magic in this matter will garner you the attention of The Order, Sir. Open your mouth again and I will shut it for you, one way or another."
As Delroy's first method had already proven to not work so well, Del stressed the 'another' with a tearing of cloth from the burning curtains, which he threw to the ground to stomp out.
Now he has something to gag his new friend with.
"I do at least have the authority to defend myself against hostile users of the Art, and the best defense is preemptive." That last bit was said while twisting the curtains, charred edges and all into a skein, into the center of which he ties a bulky knot.
Although Natalia wanted to pull some of Mădălena hair out by the roots ('...and I'll bet they are dark roots too on that dye-headed strumpet...'), she restrains herself when the Constabulary arrive. Drawing upon her 'Noble reserve', Natalia acts very proper and modest (not the easiest decorum to maintain when one is barely dressed only in a tattered bath-towel).
"Thank you, Captain Ricciardi, I am appreciative of your offer of service," she responds. "Could you escort me though these streets to the Three Spears Inn, where I was so rudely interupted by that miscreant? I would feel so much safer."
"Oh, and can I borrow your cloak for a time? I seem to be getting a chill." she continues wistfully, and finishes with an unexpected sneeze.
"Surrender?" Rosza returns to her most derisive tone for a moment, lingering sardonically over the word. "How droll! The witch-finder is my witness this is the first you've uttered the word, Signore. I heard some pretext of swearing on an unknown name about not getting uppity... All the while struggling visibly, being uppity and threatening my chastity in rather ignoble fashion."
The ermine maintains the position of her blade, careful of her balance as she slips almost coyly to the side and off the bat. "I shan't argue the necessity of striking you, but my finishing hardly prepared me with the proper etiquette for dealing with an arsonist, thief, kidnapper and sorcerer interrupting my bath with such alarming suddenness." She shrugs, "Sometimes one must simply go with one's feelings when forced to improvise...felt perfectly fine to me. Sit up now, careful and slow, Signore, and without bringing an arm between yourself and I."
"No -- my powers work fine on good people."
;D
Javiera nodded, and sighed. "Trained for battle, one sees battles where steps take her. I suppose I need to realize that the social battles are not fought with weapons, rather with words, and ideals." She said, as she stared up at the ceiling. "I know, if I were indulging myself in some things, I wouldn't be bragging about it, like I had bested some creature in single combat. I do what I do not for praise, but because it needs to be done. I do it so that others will not have to walk this road, and that gives me comfort."
True to his word, Jackrum leads you right to the Inn's back entrance, the bathhouse just across the way. "Beggin' your pardon madam, but what exactly happened? We don't rightly know ourselves, just got this lad runnin' about tellin' the gatehouse up yonder about suspicious characters, and that blindin' BOOM to get us here."
Nicusor sits slowly then and keeps his arms right where they are. Keeping them is so much easier that way! "You do me such credit with those titles, but sad days they are when 'tis the lady, clad in naught but her forebears gave her, accosts the lord and yet it is still he threatening her chastity. Young raccoon do you think that fair, or even logical? I should think it is quite the other way around. She did, after all, blow me down in the midst of quite the altercation just to make her point."
The small tunnel and the congestion of people finally eases somewhat, and you find yourself in a rather larger room, with a higher ceiling, more decoration by far, and several tables with runners covered in finger foods, sweetmeats, and all sorts of (likely intoxicating) beverages. There are thin banners hanging from the ceiling depicting famous scenes in Triskellian's history, probably involving great patrons of the establishment.
Your attention is dragged away from the lavish display and the ladies descending upon it by the sound of a shouting voice...rough and stone-like.
Not a second later the male side of the baths enters the tepidarium in quite a furor, lead by the mountain-like tiger Quinn was speaking to earlier, who leads along Ceallach, looking much worse for the wear! Something has flash-burned part of his face, singing the fur that's left something fierce!
This of course provokes immediate mothering tendencies in Agnella, who rushes over to the wolf and gives him a great big hug as the gossips start their engines. There's a soft, subdued glow limning her for a moment, and the atavist's face is healed, though the hair is a little thin and the skin underneath looks bright red and smarting.
By this point some of the bathers have doffed their towels and entered the comfortably warm pool, drinks and eats in hand, and they don't even seem concerned that mixed company bathing is happening right here in this very room! Have they no SHAME?!
Quinn having drowned the fire is about to hop out the window when she notices a swarm of police catch up to Natalia. Seeing that she is no longer in need of any help, Quinn steps back from the window, preps a sliver of metal and watches over the bat.
Upon the bat's remarks to Rosza, "I am a foreigner and still I can plainly see your twisting of events, and your threatening of her chastity, you are perhaps mistaken about your skill of words. You are not in good position, your arrogant speech does no credit to you. Delroy, how is she?" For the last sentance, addressing Delroy, she nods at the pantheress.
Quinn, if she has time will refresh and prep water to mix with her metal sliver. If he tries anything funny she will unleash it upon him. When she has the hexagram ready she will suggest to Rosza that she can put on a towel.
Seeing as Quinn has taken over as the aid Rosza would need to keep Nick in line, Delroy handed the gag to the Tigress, and knelt next to the Panthress, "Let me see…"
He examined her as best as he knew how, looking into her eyes while shining his ethereal light directly into them. He then abruptly slaps her cheek. Firmly too. "HEY!"
The pantheress stares into the middle distance, making small, feverish noises of fear every few moments. She reacts to your light not at all, but the slap sends her scrabbling away a pace or so, to the corner by the doorjamb. Her mind has been inundated with fearful impulses of a kinda a proud predator type wouldn't normally suffer. It's definitely a result of whatever spell Mădălena Zvonimir cast, though what spell it could be escapes you.
Rosza Juette simply rolls her eyes at the bat's projection. "Your mouth is moving, sirrah. You should see to that before someone else does." Once Quinn signals that she's ready, the ermine carefully steps back away from the bat. "He's likely more useful alive, despite all evidence to the contrary. So if he moves try not to blast him into fifty pieces like the last one."
She moves to the far side of the bed from the bat before setting her blade down on the small night-table and stripping off a sheet which she carefully and primly wraps around herself, securing it by doubling a twist over and jabbing the stiletto through the knot to hold it. After this mess, they can curst well bill her for the sheet. "Besides, his sister would probably just dig up the bits and stitch them together again."
Rosza's ears flatten at the slap and she regards the scampering panthress pitiably. "Delroy, perhaps you and Madonna Ka-winn should escort the prisoner down to discuss matters with the guard? The poor thing is obviously terrified." She lifts the blanket, unfolds it, and tentatively approaches the frightened woman, lowering her voice and trying to be more warmly reassuring. "Easy now, girl...everything will be alright."
Delroy winced in sympathy, as what he had hoped would snap the Lady out of her state instead made it worse.
"Yes, Mi'Lady Perhaps in a fresh room she might feel better… Thank the light this place is built for relaxation. Once she's herself again I intend to apologize." He rises, and nods to Quinn, "If we're lucky she'll calm down in a few minutes."
"As for you… The Lady goes first, then you, and I follow. We're going to meet some nice Constables."
The panther keeps rocking and clutching her knees. Some disconnected mumbles of "The bad lady," and "Never...alone...screaming" and other choice cryptic frightful comments issue forth from behind the barrier she's made of herself.
It isn't long before a few of the men in red come tromping up the stairs to secure the situation...sort of. On paper. It's hard to tell just what species they are, given that they seemed to be armored to fight an invading force. Seems that random explosions set the guard on edge. "What's going on?! There was an explosion and...oh...um...you seem...to have the situation in hand. Well. Alright."
"It was a very fine party that Maistre Ilaire had thrown, when that horrible lady tried to hurt one of my friends in the baths, no less," Natalia explains. "She was using some sort of dark magic, and promptly vanished when we confronted her. So I and my friend set off to hunt her down, figuring that she had to be somewhere near. And so it proved, as we caught her and her brother robbing a guest room and tormenting the guest with her black magics."
"When we set upon them, that nasty woman tried to again attack us with her black magics, but we shook off their effects and continued forward. Her brother, seeing that we were not frozen in horror by his evil sister's foul necromancy, hurled a ball of fire through the window, destroying the property of the inn, and shouted that it was time to flee. One of my companions caught him before he fled, but that evil woman managed to get out. So I simply chased after her, and we tangled in flight, and fell to the ground, where you found us."
"And I do thank you for your help and aid in returning me here safely," Natalia finishes, and offers a nod of respect to the captain. "Is there someone who I should write a recommendation for you to?"
Having wrapped the panthress in the blanket, Rosza is on the point of trying to negotiate getting the girl upright and into some room which does not reek of blood and fire...And then of course, right on time to make a report, the Constabulary arrives. "Thank you for coming, Captain," Rosza straightens and resumes the poise she's been working to maintain since her initial arrival... That whole I am a noblewoman and I am going to overlook the fact that I'm not currently dressed as one, therefore it would be excessively rude for you to acknowledge the fact yourself mien. It seems to work somewhat better when she isn't half-tangled up in bat-wings on the floor.
"This caitif maintains that he is Signore Nicuşor Zvonimir, I know not and care not at the moment what titles attach to that...His behavior has proven him. I am Rosza Juette de Vieuxpont Lissemanteau, Écuyere d'épée, daughter of Léon de Vieuxpont, le Comte de Baudin." She raises a hand to momentarily flick the silver signet chained at her throat. "These are the Delroy Callidus and the Madonna Ka-winn of House Hiridereen...And, as I arrived late, they can better tell you what has passed here,"
"Most particularly the in his official capacity is better suited to describe the charges against this scoundrel and his sister, who has fled through the window with Madonna Natalia Ivanova of House Repense in aerial pursuit." Rosza looks more than a little worried about that.
"For my own part, I was relaxing in the calidarium when I heard what sounded like a muffled pistol-shot. Fearing assassination, I looked about for my companions, and found that they and the Madonna Zvonimir were absent. Onlookers pointed the way, and I was given further direction by a woman's scream, I suspect from this young woman, whose name I do not know."
"By the time I reached this room most of the fight was ended. The Madonna Zvonimir was crouched in that mess of blood there, this poor young woman was huddled against the wall crying in fear of her. The Madonna Ivanova had just cried warning that he," the ermine inclines her head disdainfully toward Nicuşor, "...had a ball of fire, and we should crowd him so he dared not hurl it without fear of it damaging himself. Trusting her judgement of the magical situation, I crowded him quite down to the floor, whence he hurled said magical ball of fire at the window, setting the building aflame and permitting his sister to escape...Which I fear she may have done. Nat...The Madonna Ivanova pursued, and I fear for her safety. We who could not fly accepted this one's parole of surrender...which included his silence at the request," she casts another steely look at the bat, "I imagine to prevent further ensorcellment of those around him."
"I dare say the is more familiar with any formalities that need to be concluded regarding the use of magic in arson of an occupied building and whatever else the Zvonimirs have been up to..." The momentary look she gives Delroy suggests he had better be. "At the very least, they have attacked this girl, frightened her out of her wits, and threatened the lives of not merely those in this room but others in the establishment by the hurling about of magical fires.
"I should prefer to remove her to some place in this inn other than the bloody and burnt scene of her assault."
"If you have further need of me, or her, after the has given his statement, you have my word that I shall not be leaving the building until you've agreed to it. Someone must inform Maistre Ilaire that his companion has been rescued, and there are representatives of the Cathedral downstairs who are better suited to tend her." The ermine doesn't mention the bruise on her own shoulder. Pff. She's had worse falling off tables in taverns.
Not that she's about to mention that, either. Better leave the Constable thinking about how many nobles are in this building, not to mention other highly-placed types.
Having made her absolute best effort to dump the difficulties of legal proof into Delroy's lap, Rosza curls an arm protectively around the blanketed panthress and steps towards the armored Constabulary, as if fully expecting them to clear her a path...Counting as much on her escort of the victim as her claim to nobility.
Besides, she was not nearly done with her bath.
The officers' eyes glaze over and their ears droop about halfway through the speech, and they let you pass without incident, looking to the others for guidance, or perhaps sense-making.
Delroy sharply saluted the officer, then grabbed at his towel before it threatened to bare his all. "Long story short, Officer, I am as The Lady said, and Licensed; My badge is downstairs. That Bat and his sister are very bad people and I can tell you all about it in very a detailed report, once we see if a meeting can be arranged with a Second from the Order. We want to make sure everything is done to the books, yes?"
The 'coon was stalling for a delay. He really did not want to write up a report tonight, after all. So he asked for Legal Council from the Order. Normally that's for when a situation like the recent scuffle ends with one of the noble suspects dead.
But the situation had been close, he had technically valid reason to call for Council. He just wasn't likely to get it. The Order is quite small. He hopes to have bought himself time enough to enjoy the remnants of the party.
"Um...I...yeah. You just...hand that nobleman over to us and we'll get it sorted out, right?"
Once the suspect had been lead away, a third constable leaned close and said "I hope whatever you've got against him is strong enough to hold 'im. Otherwise we're obligated to let him go this time tomorrow night, assuming he is blooded as he claims. Terrible business, but his family can probably pay for the damages and then some, and that's about all it'll take for the Inn to drop any complaint."
Assuming she doesn't run into anyone else along the way to take care of the panthress, Rosza is going to simply retrace her steps to the calidarium, where things are at least warm. No, she isn't going to drop the panthress into the pool, but she'll be perfectly content set the girl down beside it and talk to her gently and calmly while re-soaking herself until someone comes looking. "Such an awful night you've had, but it should get better now! I'm sorry but I don't believe Rouchardon did us the courtesy of an introduction?"
She would swear she had been just about completely relaxed. And without even being drunk.
Curst bat-sorceror-witch-things.
Del watched Rosza taking off with a bit of a pang, But he had his duty. When the other officer spoke to him, the 'coon nodded, "I would not dare call his ire upon myself if my case was not iron clad and steel shod with Hobnails, Officer. I hope to kick him in the ass with it. You have my thanks."
"Well, that sounds like a bit of a doozy, really. Black magic with arson and thievery? And if they're nobility like yerself...well, I hope there's some evidence to stick on it, because otherwise they'll be walkin' this time tomorrow. "Higher" law demands it, of course. And e'en if you do stick it on them, how many of their peers will do everything they can to keep them clean? No Madonna, don't go writin' a recommendation 'til we've actually done something that'll stick, I implore you. It'll just look foolish should they get away with it."
You can hear Constabulary inside the Inn, so it seems that everything's under control, of a sort.
"Wh-who? I...I'm k-k-Kaeva. Messer Carafa's ward. You're...I'm sorry, I can't remember, but...we just met an hour or so ago, didn't we? The Maître sent me to do...can't remember that either. Huh...are you sure we're not being watched?"
He tromps down the stairs and leaves with the rest. Has the Constabulary just done a particularly fast and effective job, or have they left quickly with the job half-finished to avoid offending those who want privacy more than justice?
At that moment Gwenn comes around the other bend, surreptitiously scampering over. "Is that it? I've never seen them out in force before...not as inspiring as I'd hoped. They made me put the weapons back though. Something about "having things under control, run along little girl." You know, the usual. Nobody takes me seriously without the uniform."
Then again, he was one himself! Perhaps it could be explained by rivalry…
None the less, Del keeps on talking, "I took you very seriously down there, Gwenn. You're quite a respectable woman! I think your box may be what nails this case wide open. We're going to stick this to them. Hard."
"If that's how you feel, my Captain, I'll follow your guidance," Natalia replies. "And I thank you again for your escort and loan of your cloak. I best get back before something else happens." She gets almost within the bathhouse door before reliquishing the Captain's cloak, and bids him yet another thanks.
She re-enters the bath, wanting to be clean. Falling into the mud was not what she had hoped for this night, and dealing with that woman just made her feel filthy all over.
Finally getting to the calidarium, she sees Rosza. Ignoring the patheress (almost as if she only saw Madonna Rosza), Natalia practically flies over and grabs onto Rosza's middle, hugging her and babbling...
"Ah Rosza, I was so scared! That witch tried to hurt us with her black magics, and then her brother tried to burn us all, but then you were there and took care of him, but that evil woman flew off and I didn't even think I just chased her, and then I didn't know what to do so I bit her, and we fell out of the sky into the mud, and even when she was hurt she still kept saying awful things about me, and then the Constabulary came and took her away, but there I was just in a towel in front of everyone, and I'm so glad you're safe."
(And all in one breath!)
"Well Kaeva, I am Rosza Juette de Vieuxpont. And just Rosza is fine so long as it's just us here." She reaches up from the water to offer the panthress a hand. Not bothering with anything like class distinctions when the girl's obviously still frightened. "I'm sorry Rouchardon didn't see fit to introduce us earlier. And no, no one is watching, I'm sure. You're safe here. I will protect you." She frowns slightly. "Though we might want to find out what Maistre Ilaire wanted you to take care of, in case it was important. Although, if it was important I dare say someone else can manage it until you are quite recovered."
And then a bat arrives and unexpectedly impacts the ermine. "Ayeh! Goodness, I was worried for you! You went off after that woman and there was no way we could follow to help. But here you are!" She curls to hug Natalia gently. "Oh pf. You said to get close to him, and since I was going to be close to him anyway, I just hit him. I'm sure I couldn't have done anything useful if you all weren't stopping him from magicking up the place. I didn't have a pistol or anything." She blinks, then grins broadly. "You her? You got her? And the Constabulary has her? How wonderful!"
"Ah, Kaeva, allow me to introduce one of my oldest friends, Natalia Ivanova de Repense, and unless I am mistaken she has made quite sure that other bat shan't be bothering you. And Natalia, your rescuee, Kaeva."
The ermine snugs the bat again, then disentangles herself gently to stretch over to an alcove and secure, yes, a bottle. There probably are glasses somewhere but at the moment she isn't going to worry about them.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, could either of you tell me just exactly what was going on? I sort of ran out and took Kaeva with me before Delroy could give his report to the Constables, but to be quite honest I just slugged that fellow and haven't a notion why save that you and Messer Callidus seemed to be engaged in some manner of magical dueling with him and Delroy was addressing him officially as a Witch Hunter." She waves a hand dismissively. "Well, not a duel, I would not interfere with a duel. A fight?"
She passes the bottle to Natalia. "Anyway, he was quite rude so I don't mind having hit him, but seeing that the inn isn't burned down and noone is pointing spears at us this moment I should rather like to know just what in S'allumer's name was going on."
Quinn decides to follow Rosza for the moment, thinking that her report can come later if they really want, which they probably don't.
She dips herself back into the water and smiles amusedly at Natalia's entrance.
She is playing with the magic sphere she made, not wanting to release it just yet, when Rosza asks her final question. "Well I was attacked by some sort of magic spell unlike any I've encountered before, and by a copy illusion of that lady bat. So myself and Natalia went in search of her, we heard a scream from upstairs and rushed there. We found the door ajar and the lady bat was holding Kaeva and threatened to kill her, however the pantheress got free, I believe with some help from Natalia, and then I blasted her with fire and water, only she somehow countered the magic and injured herself doing it. She then tried to cast some sort of spell, but she was appaerently too weakened and it failed to affect anyone. That's when you came in, so you know the rest." She lets the water magic fall into the pool and the sliver of metal too rest as a bracelet on her hand until it too dissolves, if it dissolves anyway.
From the direction of the tepidarium, you can hear a squeal, and some laughter, and a bit of a shouted argument. Kaeva immediately stands, unsteadily, as though she wants to rush ahead. "That's Maitre Rouchardon arguing...I should go to him!"
Rosza looks somewhat concerned at the way the panthress moves.
"Careful there...You aren't going to do him good if you can't even walk that far."
Mind:
Observation:
Del took Gwenn's hand, leading her back into the Party, though not before a deeply held breath to center himself. "It was chaotic, Gwenn, you did damn well despite the fact. The only thing you have to apologize for is missing when Lady Rosza tackled him down, not a stitch left on her." Before they get into the gathering, Del cautions, keeping his voice low, while he attempts to disguise with a bit of rubber-necking. "We don't want to mention the box until we're out of…" He smirks, the excitement of earlier settled in, bringing on a fit of giggles, "Spear's Reach."
Natalia looks a bit surprised seeing that Rosza isn't alone in the bath, and that both the pantheress and Quinn are there too. She blushes a bit from her childish behavior, and tries to assume a more modest persona.
"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Kaeva. I hope you didn't get hurt by that woman."
Mind:
Observation: ;
"I can be careful after I've gotten back to his side, uncle was very specific, I'm not to leave his side unless he asks me to. It's important."
The look on her face shows more fire than would be expected from someone still reeling from a terrible fright, but she attempts to make her way, wavering and wobbling but still upright. Doffing her party clothes, (apparently she never made it to the bath with everyone else) Kaeva finds a fresh towel before continuing toward the tepidarium.
Rosza looks after the wobbly feline and sighs. "That's quite the intriguing charge. I shouldn't say she was a bodyguard, and I don't recall him asking her to leave earlier when we were introduced." The ermine reclaims the bottle from the bat for a moment, draining a few swallows with absolutely no regard for the quality of the vintage before settling it back in Natalia's reach. "One wonders if we should join the others or wait until our host deigns to notice our absence." She sounds mildly miffed. "You would think he'd be seeking some explanation for fire, magics, blood and the constabulary in his own guest room but perhaps he has some other matters on his mind."
"Either that or such events are just one more normal night in the life of Rouchardon Ilaire, madcap merchant's son. In which case I don't see how he's survived this long."
She does keep her voice confidentially low while making these last few speculations. It wouldn't do to be surprised by someone sneaking up in the steamy calidarium while casting aspersions on one's host and erstwhile employer.
"Gwenn, my dear friend, would you not come to my aid? I would need you most of all should I be wounded where the Light does not shine."
Del turns his attention to the door, and just after opening it wide, he quips; "I dare say you're familiar with the area."
As the patrons began to lose their towels, Javiera kept her view at some of the artwork, and then some of the folks as they entered. Seeing Ceallach enter, looking like he'd challenged a fire to a headbutt contest didn't sit well in her book, and it gave her something to do other than avoid the nakedness.
So, she walked over to him and gave him a look. "Here I thought we were supposed to be safe here. What has happened?" she asked.
"You'd better watch it mister, those buns will be the death of you one day...PUNS! I said PUNS damn you!" Her tail joined in the red festivities too!
Mother Agnella's treatment had of course been a "bear hug" that would have broken the bones of lesser men, but all's well that ends well, right?
Natalia samples the wine, hoping to wash out the aftertaste of that hussy (and she only hoped that aftertaste was her imagination).
"Rosza, does Kaeva seem all right to you?" Natalia whispers to her friend. "I mean I don't know her that well, but I don't recall her being that...open? I mean, I thought she was quiet and reserved next to Rouchardon Ilaire, and she seems to have a different personality now."
With Natalia's words Quinn thinks back and considers what she remembers of the pantheress vs recent events. "Well we don't know her well enough to know what's normal for her. If something's off, is it wrong now, or was it wrong before?"
For the first time in his life Delroy did not have the impression that Gwenn's ire was a bad sign. Or that it was really ire at all. That was indeed good news to him. "Oh, but of course you did!" Del nods, "I heard it, bright and clear as a trumpet. Breast we get it out of our systems now…" He stamped his foot and gave Gwenn a light shove "I wasn't even trying, damn you! That's your fault, it is!"
Del had to stop and calm himself down again from the cackle of laughter that threatened to rise unbidden following that fateful udderance.
Rosza shakes her head at the bat's whisper, sighing. "First words she's said in my presence that weren't crying and babbling. With Rouchardon she was silent as stone." She looks somewhat puzzled. "I really don't remember Rouchardon sending her away when we were talking, though. And I was watching for it. You know, socially, to see if she were irked that he was paying attention to me or if she were, ah, businesslike." The ermine shrugs dismissively.
"I suppose it might not be bad to keep an eye on her, seeing the others won't know what she has just been through." The ermine sighs, but clambers out of the pool and finds a fresh towel.
...Taking her stiletto with her and tucking it out of sight once she has the towel settled. She pauses a moment, struck by a thought. "You'd said that other bat was using black magic? How do you tell someone is using black magic, anyway? I mean, as compared to other magic? In, you know...Those books, it usually involves all sorts of things with storms and demons and raising the dead, but all I saw was fire. It's probably beyond me isn't it?"
"Orders the Constabulary around for a treat, but he probably hasn't even got a security consultant, not the way this night's gone. As usual the ermine's brain is going in six twisty directions at once.
"That's hard to explain, unless you have some magic talents," Natalia tries to explain to Rosza. "The brother was using straight Elementalism, I could feel the element of fire in the spell. Different spells ,... well they just feel different."
"But that woman's spells felt like death, and the grave, and all sorts of horrors."
Natalia suddenly stops, deep in thought.
"Rosza, Kaeva just said she had to be by Rouchardon's side... does that mean we are supposed to be together with the men in the tepidarium?" A note of panic has entered her voice as she asks.
Gwenn fish-gapes. "My fault?! How is it my fault that you have wandering eyes? Ooooh I can't stand this anymore, let's just go find the rest of the crowd. At least then Mother Agnella can curb your unruly impulses!"
She starts down the hall without a backward glance, tail lashing in a high dudgeon.
Rosza finishes making half-hearted attempts to instill a bit more fluffiness in the damp fur of her narrow, black-tipped tail then straightens, leaning against the calidarium's damp-tiled wall while she waits for her companions.
"I would now say that I have all the magickal talent of a [i]stone, save that I was told once that there are some stones of vast magickal power...So in all sooth I have less magical talent than a stone." She nods. "Well, I did see the fire. I suppose the necro-mantic things are less obvious in than the el..." She pauses. "It strikes me that we did have that whole business of a missing, powerful fire elementalist at those sites. One who could fly in and out certainly would explain matters, wouldn't it?"
"Ah, yes? Yes. Oh. Oh, 'Talia." Rosza Juette exhales slowly.
"Look at thyself! Thou didst just chase down a fleeing death-magicker almost twice thy size and did it alone and brought her to heel." The ermine shakes her head. "How many of that silly lot in there can lay claim to a tenth thy bravery? They'll gossip about it as long as the night and then some, because they'd not dare do such things themselves."
Rosza slides slowly down the condensate-covered wall to sit by the poolside. "It's the matter with the towels again. One pretends that one is in the right, does so promptly and as haughtily as the Dona, and others perforce will be afraid to disagree, for fear of looking rude. They stand to gain by pretending to overlook, after all. It is more noble to not accede to such pettiness. That other bat, Nicuşor, may have noble blood, but is no gentleman. He not only insisted on calling attention to my state, but vulgarly accused me of arousing him."
She grins. "Half what I manage I do because those nobles too uppity to need to abscond with a bit of funding now and again daren't lower themselves to suggest that their less fortunate cousines do so...As it half-paints them with the same brush do they acknowledge the act."
"So thou needst must pretend thee art better dressed and appointed and above their station. Better, pretend it not but believe it! Shy not from looking them in the eye. Thou art the better woman!"
Natalia nodded to Rosza's words, knowing that her friend truly didn't understand her shame and fears.
'...if only I could be accused of arousing a man, instead of arousing only his pity or mockery...'
Another fear entered her mind, almost causing her to faint.
...what if...what if one of them speaks to Luigi, and tells him about me as a joke...I'd die if that happened...'
Never-the-less, Rosza was counting on her to continue, and surely if she fled now there would be laughter at her expense.
"Yes, I-I'll have to continue forward, won't I?"