She gives her friend a tired smile, "Of course I don't mind." She gets the things down and puts them on the table along with a plate of her home made cookies, "Please, help yourselves. Celine and I made those cookies just a couple of days ago." She says, pointing out the chocolate chip, the strawberry filled, and the oatmeal spice cookies with chocolate chips in them.
Once the water is ready, she pours it in two cups and adds the tea bags. After a couple of minutes she takes the bags out and takes them over to the table where she adds the honey, lemon, and sugar to both of them. She hands one to Toni before sitting down and sipping on her own with a chocolate chip cookie.
Looking over at Toni she asks, "So, what can I help you with?"
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Jin eyes the cookies even though she just ate breakfast. They just looked so good. Reaching out she takes one of the oatmeal ones. Taking a bite, she closes her eyes and hums happily while in cookie bliss.
Coming in the kitchen with the puppy following her, she sees one of the ladies eating a cookie. Going over to her mommy she looks up, "Cookie mommy?"
Arista bends down and kisses the top of her head, "Not right now sweetie. You can have a cookie after lunch, now go play please."
Celine sighs sadly as she looks at the other ladies gathered there at the table. Looking from them to her mommy she stretches up on her toes and puts her hands prospectively on her mommy's belly before looking back at them, "My mommy, my baby. Mommy stay."
Sighing she picks up Celine, "I'm sorry, she's been like this all day." Making sure Celine is looking at her she says, "Mommy is not leaving Celine, but you need to share mommy. I don't just belong to you sweetie. Now, go play with Honey and let mommy talk to her friends. I'll be in to check on you soon." Giving her a hug and kiss she puts her down and watches her go back to the living room with her puppy.
Looking back at Toni as she sits back down she says, "It was cute the first couple of times, but I don't want that becoming a habit. I don't want her competing for attention when the baby comes. Konstyntyna helped me figure that out. So...what's going on with you."
When they get back to the house, Gashka opens the door for them before going inside. Going to the kitchen she sets the food on the table before going to check on Chris.
"I'm wondering if you know somebody named Solomon. His hobbies include brainwashing people, just so there's no confusion," Toni says.
Chris is still asleep on the couch with Renard curled up against him.
Laenid remains quiet. Evidently, Arista didn't remember her.
Barclay looks at Derika and Vishanti. "Do you have a friend named Jerrica?"
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She gets a surprised look on her face, "We did....we were clearing out a haunted keep together. We finished the job, went back to the Inn to rest, went to sleep....and when we woke up, we were in a town surrounded by ghouls. Why?" Where could he have possibly heard her name from?
"Apparently she's here and was wanting to see you again," Barclay says. "She's eating with some of her companions right now."
She nearly chokes on her tea, "He's definitely a bad guy. For one, he's a necromancer that seems to be made up of worms....just icky really. He showed up when we were fighting Straub in Utopia, talked a bunch of crap about the masks and what the original thirteen wizards stood for and how they worked for Malfeliax and stuff, then he gave a friend of ours a mask which we haved since destroyed. We met him only the one time, but suffice it to say....he's a real creep. I'm almost afraid to ask why you're asking about him."
Taking a moment to study Laenid's face as shed let's what she saidc sink in she asks az little curiously, "Laenid? Is that you?"
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Laenid smiles nervously. "Yes, it's me."
Toni furrows her brow in thought.
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Gashka feels bad about waking him up when he'd had only about six hours of sleep. Sitting carefully on the edge of the couch she softly runs her fingers through his hair and says quietly as she leans closer to him, "Chris? Do you want to get up and eat?"
Arista gives her a smile, "I'm sorry that I didn't recognize you right away. If it's alright for me to say though, you look much happier. I'm glad to see you....you know, as yourself. Does that make sense? I'm sorry....I'mjust really tired today."
Derika gets a huge grin on her face, "Really? She's really here?! I thought....that traveler guy with papa said that both mine and Gashka's world was destroyed...so...so I thought Jerrica was gone too." She looks at Vishanti, "Maybe she was saved somehow too." Looking back at Barclay she says, "Could we go see her?"
Barclay nods. "I don't see why not. She's at the Common House."
"It's alright," Laenid says. "I'm glad to be myself."
Chris slowly opens his eyes and smiles at Gashka. "Mmm, yeah...food sounds okay."
"If you need more sleep, you can lay back down after you eat. I just didn't want it to get cold. I brought it from Hadrinn's." She says while rubbing his back lightly.
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She gives her love a hug, "Great! Let's go see her then. And then, once Chris has eaten and had enough rest...I super duper promise that we'll finish wiping out those stupid spiders."
She nods before looking back at Toni, "So....what has Solomon been getting up to, and how does it involve you? What's going on Toni?"
"Thanks, Gashka," Chris says, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Anything interesting happen while I was sleeping?"
"I'm not entirely sure what the plan is, but apparently Solomon wants my Summoner powers," Toni answers. "He's brainwashed some people...Inquisitors of Blackcrown, he calls them. They showed up in town and started some trouble at Yulia's. Some of them are being held at the fort, but they don't seem to recall much since they aren't being influenced anymore."
She thinks for a moment as her mind goes back to what Amareth had said about the inquisitors, "Would you mind waiting until Sadhana gets here so you can tell her about this? It might be important for them to know since they're heading north. All I know for sure, is that it's definitely not good, especially since he's involved. We've heard of these Inquisitors and they sound like pretty bad guys too. We definitely won't be letting them get their grubby little paws on you."
Looking up after enjoying the cookie she says, "Oh, we're here now. Well, almost all of us and there is no way that anyone is going to be doing anything to Ms. Toni. If anyone has set up shop in Blackcrown that doesn't belong there, they are going to be very very sorry."
"Well...apparently some friends of Derika's and Vishanti showed up. I guess they're gonna go see them before we go back to the mine. So, you just take your time getting up and eating. If you need to lay back down for a little while after you're done eating, that's okay. I'm not sure how long they will talk to their freinds though." She says while thinking about it out loud.
Chris nods. "Sure. Let me eat in the kitchen. I don't want to ruin the couch."
Barclay comes up to Chris as he gets up and produces a key. "I needed to talk to you. We have a vacant house and I figured you and Eldan might like to share it. It'll give the ladies a bit more room and you won't have to sleep on a couch."
Toni sips her tea. "I don't mind waiting around. It's not like I have plans outside of talking to Rajni about a camping trip."
She shoots Toni a look, "You're gonna go camping? With that....that walking slimy worm wandering around? What...what if he comes after you again?"
"Like Jin said, I've got plenty of people to look out for me," Toni answers.
"We'll take it," Eldan says, walking up behind Barclay.
"I...I don't know..." Chris says, looking to Gashka.
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She was happy that Toni had such protective friends, but she wanted to make sure that Arista knew that nothing would happen to Toni, they wouldn't let anything happen to her.
Reaching a hand across the table she puts it on top of the nervous looking Aasimar's hand before looking her in the eye and giving her a little smile, Ná bíodh imní ort féin ar a sábháilteacht. Laenid, Hitome, agus mé ag dul go léir léi agus beidh ár n-eidolons le linn. Tá a fhios agam nach féidir liom a bheith cosúil go leor, ach níor chóir dom a rá nuair a thagann sé chun cosaint mo Szef ... go maith, tá sí ina chara chomh maith .... chomh mór sin. Ní chuirimid in iúl go bhfuil drochthionchar ar bith ag Uí. Toni, tá mo phobal sollúnta agat."
Her tone takes on a sweet honeyed quality as she convinces Arista not to stress over Toni's safety.
Arista's mouth falls open in surprise as she tries to figure out a response, "But...how...what....you speak Celestial? Okay...OKay...I'm sorry, there's just been a lot of stuff going on and lots of deadlines to meet and I'd feel better knowing that creep was in the ground for good....but I know you have good people with you." She says, looking at Jin a little curiously.
She felt reassured by what the petite summoner said, but she was still surprised that she spoke to her in her own tongue and so easily.
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Giving her a smile she says, "I studied many things from an early age, I'm also pretty observant. It doesn't take a genius to realize that you have celestial heritage, so I guessed that you would speak the language. I just thought it sounds more soothing and maybe if you knew that the people that are with her are capable, that you would worry less. You obviously have your hands full enough here at home and don't have need for outside worry. I actually speak eleven languages including common and even though I'm not that great of a fighter, I have other abilities that make up for that....so really, please try not to worry."
She nods, "Okay." She didn't really know what else to say. A little part of her would always worry for her friends, she really didn't know how not to worry....but with these people, as well as Rajni with her....no one would dare try to do anything....unless they were very very stupid.
Gashka takes his hand and gives it a supportive squeeze, "I think you should take it. You deserve your own place, and it's just another house, not another country. I'll still see you and this way we can properly date. Maybe I should ask Papa for some advice afterall." She says with a giggle.
Hearing what Gashka says she just smiles.
Chris smiles. "Alright. After we deal with the spiders, Eldan and I will head to the new place. Is that alright, Barclay?"
"Sure, I'll just leave the key with you for now and I'll show you and Eldan the house when you have a chance," Barclay says.
She looks up at Barclay, "Thank you Barclay."
Chris takes the key and tucks it in a pocket. He turns to Gashka. "Have fun visiting with Derika's friend."
He gives the half-orc a smile and a quick peck on the cheek before going to the kitchen to eat.
A little surprised by the kiss she follows him into the kitchen, "I...I didn't think she would want me tagging along with her to go see her friends. Did you want some coffee to go with your breakfast?"
"Yes, please," Chris says, sitting down. "Well, I didn't think you'd want to hang around here and do nothing. You have a...restless spirit sometimes."