"I am Elthariel Edasseril, second of that name. For the sake of sanity, I go by Ariel. Greetings to you as well, Cai'nan and Lady Andosana. As for your inquiry, Aurealia, Mother has raised six daughters," explains Ariel. "The first two were the twins Attica and Setsuna. Sister Atty now resides in Nirvana as the herald to the Classy One. But alas, Sister Setsuna was killed during the war to stop Runelord Karzoug. Sadly, Mother has never been able to bring her back."
The chatty blonde points at Shiloh, who waves happily at everyone.
"Sister Shiloh would be the third. As Grandmother Ryli would say, she recently took a ride on the Wheel and is now a gnome. There was quite a gap between her and the twins. The fourth was Sister Honey. Alas, she too is no longer with us. A shame really. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about dear Honey."
Galatea waves awkwardly when her younger sister points to her. "Sister Gali is the fifth."
Ariel circles back to herself.
"And finally, I am the sixth. Now enough about my family," says Ariel as she turns toward Eugeni's students. "You three studied under Archmage Silva, yes? How fares your studies? If I am not mistaken, you Jaya use transmutation to fight in close quarters, you dear niece invoke evocations to make your foes explode, and you Aurealia are practicing enchantment?"
"I did spend some time in Sandpoint under Master Silva, yes. However, you've made mistakes aplenty, dear. I am the transmuter. Jaya explodes things. Your niece is the enchantress," Aurealia says, motioning to Kallie's curves. After correcting Ariel, Aurealia crosses her arms over her flat chest defensively.
Why am I so jealous? I'm acting like a child. But they are all so pretty. Who would ever love a bat-girl freak like me?
Kallie's face is full of mixed emotions while her aunts are identified and her mother mentioned. But she brightens when Aurealia sets the record straight about their various specialties. "That's right. I'm the charmer." She giggles and casts a glace at Cai'nan.
She gives the druid a wink. "And don't worry about feeling underdressed. You could be wearing less and I won't mind."
Aurealia rolls her eyes. "Waiter, Andoran whiskey, double!" she calls at the nearest waitstaff.
Cai’nan tried to keep up with the introduction, but knows he is failing miserably. His concentration is interrupted at Kallie’s comment, which causes him to blush furiously. His eyes dart from one pretty woman to the next (Aurealia included), and he smiles and says ”Well...pleasure meeting you!” he adds as he scoots his chair up to the table.
He looks at Aurealia ordering a whiskey...and considers joining her in another glass, but ultimately holds back for now.
Croc opens the door, hollers to Aurealia, "Ooooh, I changed my mind. Can you get me an Onyx Stout?"
Then turning to the room, "Oh cool, the crowds are already coming in! Get ready yall, tonight's gonna be an EPIC SHOW!!"
...and with that she ducks back into the dressing room.
Jaya raises her eyes to the heavens at Kallie's blatant flirtation before she can stop herself, but doesn't bother to chide her friend.
After all, she had much more important chiding to tend to. "Evocation is far more than simple explosions. More than any of the other typically recognized schools of magic it concerns the very nature of consciousness and the mutability of the planes! Most spells simply change what already exists, or move it from place to place. Every evocation by their very nature creates matter and energy from just a thought and perhaps some symbolic aids.
"What better expression could there be of the power that ideas hold to create new worlds?
"That's why evocation is a primary focus of my studies, but honestly my studies are interdisciplinary. Even in evocation, I seek the way these energies can be shown to be fundamentally interchangeable."
When Kallie's cider is finally brought to her, she takes a sip to keep it from spilling over. Then she plays with the rim of the mug while her eyes dance. "That's cool about Evocation, but Enchantment is all about the mind. Expanding its perceptions, reducing it to jelly, forcing it to arrive at conclusions you dictate, and even outright taking control of someone else? I mean, creating matter and energy is nice and all, but what if no one bothers to notice?"
Jaya shrugged, "But it's not about The Mind, it's about humanish minds. That's why there are so many sentient creatures that are essentially unaffected by an entire school of magic. I mean, look we've talked about this before, Enchantment definitely has usefulness, that's why I've studied spells from it too, but it's just changing things that already exist.
"I mean look: you can change someone's mind without a spell, so it's just a matter of degree. But no matter how hard I stare, I can't pick something up across the room without some kind of magic." A twinkle began in her eyes, mostly hidden by the dark green of her glasses, but she kept her tone even and conversational, "Even some of the most powerful enchantments like Feeblemind can sometimes be recreated by your natural gifts and a low neckline, right Cai'nan?" As she finished she grinned broadly, folding her hands beneath her chin and above her own demurely covered chest.
"No, no, you've both got it wrong," Aurealia says, slamming her whiskey and placing Croq's stout on the table. "It's not about mind or matter, it's all about change. Matter is constantly changing, so are minds. Harnessing change you can become anything. You can do anything. Without transmutation, you'd never be anything other than what you were born as."
Aurealia gets to her feet. "And, I will take the final word on the subject for now, friends. I believe it is time for the show!"
She goes to the stage and waves everyone to some semblance of quiet. "IT'S TIME! What you've all been waiting for. Ladies, and gentlemen, let's hear a proper roar for the most metal band in Varisia, Croquelle and the Scalehearts!" Aurealia shifts into bat-girl form, her canines elongating into huge fangs. She tilts her head back like a wolf, and roars at the ceiling as loudly as she can before leaping off the stage back into the common room floor.
As though changing were something only restricted to spells and magic. No wonder she demanded the final word if that argument is her bes- Jaya blinks hard at Aurealia's sudden transformation, narrowly suppressing a shiver of discomfort by reaching for her wine glass, and entirely derails. I **cannot** get used to that. It's not as though she's any less pretty while chiropteran, but... the shift is hard to watch.
By this point, Audrahni has rejoined your ranks, taking a seat next to Aurealia. For now, the lanky elf seems to have come up short with her search for Sir Roderic's maps. However, she reassures everyone that she has a promising lead.
Audrahni starts enthusiastically applauding when Biscuit trots out with the rest of the Scalehearts.
Cai’nan had tuned out the conversation several moments ago. Topics regarding magic were always lost on him, a point he knew could be quite infuriating. Then Jaya said his name, and he snapped his eyes up from the table and said ”Huh?” He had no clue what was said, but the look Jaya was giving him made him blush and wish he hadn’t paid more attention.
”Sorry, you all lost me about four or five six-letter-words in. Magic isn’t a topic I’m able to keep up with in a conversation,” he adds before mumbling ”a point some find very annoying,” before speaking up again, ”but what I do know of magic comes from the world itself. It-“ he stops when Aurealia goes to introduce her sibling. He wasn’t as shocked by her shifting...it wasn’t all too different than what he had seen shaman in Mwangi do.
He gives Jaya another glance before turning in his seat to watch the performance.
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As the crowd applauds, Croquelle steps up onto the small stage and suddenly the Creekside Tavern feel a little grander. She’s in full crocodile form--a thick, scaly, muscular arm and fist upraised--and has on heavy black makeup and a black leather top and pants.
Behind her (familiar to other townies) are halfling Olbert Underhill on violin, halforc Felicia Brown on guitar, and the band's newest member: Biscuit.
With a crocodile smile, she growls, ”ARE YOU READY...TO...CROQ?!?!”
She pounds out a beat on her war-drum with Drumstick and begins to chant and howl. As she does, eerie blood-red lights start to dance over the stage, and Biscuit--now wearing an oversized, studded black leather collar--starts to howl along with her.
The band covers several orcish songs from Belkzen--loud, banging songs that Shalelu and many other town elders don’t care for, but that has the Cove’s youth up out of their chairs and singing along--and then Croq pauses.
”Thank you! Thank you! For our next song, I want to try out something I just wrote today, The Ghost of the Cove. I hope you enjoy it!"
The new song is slow at first, and then faster and faster, and those who were there recognize many frightful images from their morning woven into it. As she sings, Croq falls into an ecstatic fury--spit flying from her mouth as she chants and howls--and the band and much of the audience follows in step.
Suddenly, as the song crescendos, Croq and all who’ve joined her in her frenzy find actual spirits--which the party recognizes as refracted parts of Roderic and family’s restless souls--swirling about them and howling, ready to fight on their behalf. Croq and the Scalehearts seem as surprised as anyone in the audience, but the band follows Croq’s lead and they bring the song to a rousing, pounding end.
As it ends, the spirits fade with the frenzy.
Kallie watches the show from the back, rising up on her hooves to get a good view, but doesn't join in the dancing. Centaurs don't dance. They don't play music of that sort, either. The Thunderhooves had their own style of deep-voiced singing, using their large lung capacity to good effect. They'd sing long, mournful dirges and melancholic hymns to their ancestors. The dissonance between Croquelle's music and the music of her herd made her strangely homesick.
Despite wanting to stay and show support for her friends, Kallie slips out of the tavern, hugging her shoulders against the night air.
Jaya enjoys the Scalehearts' music more at first than at the end. The performance was excellent, bringing her out of her chair and into the dancing, carefully twitching her skirts out of the way of stomping feet, but when Croquelle's ecstatic frenzy begins to overtake the crowd, she couldn't help but shrink away into her seat, profoundly uncomfortable with the level of emotion on display. The ghosts were far less problematic.
Aurealia slams another double whiskey before getting into the dancing. She goes wild when the music reaches its peak, moshing into everyone around her, flashing her teeth and howling. She emerges from the set bruised, drunk and very sweaty.
"Jaya! Drink, be merry, for tomorrow we face our dooooooommmmmmm!" The sloshed batgirl looms over her seated friend, wobbling slightly.
Jaya purses her lips in amusement, and produces a handkerchief to offer Aurealia. "It looks like you've gotten merry enough for the two of us."
She stood carefully and offered an arm to the swaying batgirl. "I'll tell you what, let's head to the bar, and each get the other one a drink."
The various associates of the group have a variety of different reactions to Croq's performance.
Audrahni enjoys the performance and spends the whole time cheering on Biscuit.
Shiloh absolutely loves the whole thing. She spends the entire time dancing with the smaller folks of the crowd. It would appear that the Scalehearts are very popular with the local gnomish community.
Having been raised on (artificial) decades of Kyoni high culture, Ariel appears baffled by the whole experience. She stays largely with her contingent of Silver Sentinels, who remain ridiculously professional and act like nothing is happening. She keeps asking them questions; in particular, Galatea's full elf sister seems dead set on figuring out how a dog can "sing" so well!
Yulia Rockne is the only Silver Sentinel to really get into the performance, though she ultimately does little more than bob her head along and maybe dance a bit in place. After all, she is sworn to protect Galatea, so the blonde bodyguard has to stay somewhat alert of her surroundings. Speaking of who, Gali eventually starts enjoying herself. However, when her niece heads outside, Kallie's weird aunt is quick to follow.
Once again, Galatea somehow sneaks away from her guardian!
"Hey. I know I'm not... your favorite person to be around, but with all these bickering gangs and vicious monsters on the streets, I just want to make sure you're safe. So... everything alright, dear?"
Kallie sighs when she hears Gali's voice behind her. She turns her head over her shoulder. "I'm fine, and perfectly safe. Thank you. Just a little surprised that there's a whole Kailani family reunion happening that I wasn't aware of... But am I? A Kailani? Really? And then you get to play make believe as the fifth daughter of Jeevika and meanwhile my mother remains dead. So, yeah, everything's great."
She pauses, clearly trying to discern how to address the second set of Kallie's points.
"...You can be a Kailani if you want. I consider you one. So do Shy, Mom, and Ariel. Honey did. Your aunts, grandma, and I love you very much, dear, so if you want to make things official, it could happen," Galatea answers. "Kallie, I know I haven't handled this situation well. I have... ideas about making things better, but I'm concerned that... they might not be sufficient."
Kallie groans and rolls her eyes as she turns around to face her. "Of course they won't be sufficient. I don't know what could be at this point. Believe me. I ask myself this every day. What do I want from you? What would make it better? Except, there's nothing. I can't think of anything."
She runs her hands through her hair and looks away. "You want to talk about this. I don't, since I think I'll hurt you so much that you won't want to see me anymore."
Cai'nan watched the whole strange show with confusion. It reminded him of the tribal drumming of the Mwangi...but somehow not as elegant. He ultimately decided the musical style wasn’t for him. When Jaya and Aurealia moved to the bar, he stood and made his way back to it shortly behind them.
”Mind if I join you? Or...is this a beautiful ladies only meeting?” Cai’nan asked with a smile.
"Kallie, if you think I need to hear something, please tell me," she finally replies. "I'll listen."
"Join away, Caimmam," Aurealia replies, slapping him too hard on the shoulder. "Thas funny. There's only Jaya here who's beautiful. Buy me a drink, funny man?"
Jaya gave a half smile and a full roll of her eyes at Cai'nan's flirtation, At least this is in a bar instead of a dungeon, but she nodded along with Aurealia's invitation even as she gently swatted her friend for her self-deprecation.
"Please do, Cai'nan." But behind Aurealia's head she mouthed WATER at him.
”Sure,” he says as he sits with the ladies, and signaling the bartender. ”Three of whatever the ladies want.”
He then turns back to them and adds ”So...what are we talking about now?”
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Kallie clutches her stomach as her hoof stomps the ground. "No! You wanted to talk, right? I didn't! Remember, this is something you wanted to hear."
She walks around in a circle, wringing her hands and her tail tossing agitatedly. When she comes back around, her eyes are full of tears. "When I didn't grow, I didn't feel like a centaur. I wasn't complete. I waited to grow up. I watched brothers and sisters grow past me, take mates, and have foals of their own. Something was wrong with me.
"I always believed it was because of you. I always thought you loved me so much that you held me back from being something that you weren't. That I was so a part of you, that I couldn't be a full centaur."
Her tears are falling freely now, but her face is twisted in hurt and anger. "Can you possibly imagine how I felt when I found out you *left* me? With them?" Her whole body trembles. "So there's nothing. Nothing you can do to make this better. Unless you can go back in time and take me away so I didn't waste seven *years* of my life pining and wishing and hoping I'd grow up. And building a fantasy that definitely wasn't true."
Jaya winced. This was going to be so much easier when she was ordering for me and vice-versa.
She quickly scanned the bottles behind the bar before alighting on something Skaldish and suitably clear.
"Two brannvins and a water."
I think she's sloshed enough for me to swap them. Too bad I can't talk about it. Even drunk she has ears like a b- Jaya colored for no apparent reason.
"Quickly please." She smiled to take the sting out of it before turning back to Cai'nan.
"Well... we were talking about drinking and doom. I was wondering how common it is for what must be half of the entire Kailani clan to descend on a random village in the middle of nowhere though."
"...Mom didn't bring me back immediately. She initially decided otherwise; Shelyn told her that bringing me back would only lead to suffering," she says softly.
"Mom only lasted a few months. I mean, she had the Scroll of True Resurrection laying around in her bedroom and the power to use it. She knew that I could be brought back. I'm surprised Mom held out so long..."
She takes a deep breath.
"I never made it to the Boneyard, Kallie. And unlike you, no higher power saved me. While I was dead, for many months, I existed in some dark void. Oblivion. The entire time, I felt my soul slowly decaying into nothing," Gali whimpers.
Galatea takes a moment to compose herself.
"According to Mom, when she brought me back, I was screaming in pain and terror. Her magics stabilize me for about a year, but eventually, the soul decaying flared up again. Meanwhile, I... wasn't well. Mentally. Even though I lived in paradise, something felt wrong with the world, Kallie."
Your mother looks at you.
"Toward the end of that year, I realized it was because you were missing."
Admitting that fact proves to be a struggle.
"I understand why Mom decided to let Ryli raise you. My 'beloved' great-grandmother took to you like a fish to water. Meanwhile, you clearly loved her very much. In Mom's mind, it would've been cruel to separate you two."
Galatea fiddles with her ring, seemingly trying to stop herself from activating it and running away.
"I used my powers to find out what happened to you. Since Lorthan was the only one around who had also met the Thunderhooves, I spoke with him, and to my shattered sanity, he didn't paint the best picture of them. So I got the bright idea that Ryli had stolen you from me and that you were in imminent danger."
Galatea sighs at her foolish thoughts.
"When I found the Thunderhooves, I was prepared for the worst. I had all sorts of crazy, insane plans to 'rescue' you, Kallie. Thank the gods I never got a chance to act on them."
At this next part, your mother smiles fondly.
"As I was hiding in a bush, seconds away from... doing something regrettable, a little ball rolled up at my feet. Not five seconds later, a tiny but healthy and happy centauress trotted up to retrieve it. Guess who it was?"
Her tears take a decisively happy turn.
"I don't think you remember, but I decloaked, and we talked. For a few moments. That was all we really had. And I finally saw that you were happy, healthy, safe, and loved. And then I realized just how... broken I was. I handed you back your ball and promised to return when I was well."
Galatea gulps.
"I never got that chance, Kallie. A month later, Mom's magic could no longer hold off the decaying of my soul, and I died a second time. She brought me back. A week later, I perished a third time. Mom brought me back again and promptly cast every restorative spell she knew. I barely lasted a day. Each time, I kept going back to that horrible black void..."
She takes a deep breath and continues.
"I didn't want to die, Kallie. I wanted to come back. I wanted to see you again like I promised. Maybe... raise you if Ryli let me. So when Mom tried a fourth time, I answered her call... and died halfway through the ritual."
Galatea stares at the ground for a long moment.
"At that point, poor Mom briefly lost her mind and gathered all her treasure from Xin-Shalast. Every last gem and copper piece. She then nearly bleed herself to death via Blood Money. All as fuel for one massive Miracle. Her final words before passing out were her begging Shelyn to save me."
Galatea finally works up the nerve to look at you again.
"You know the rest; Shelyn was so tired of Mom suffering that she stepped in and used the Wheel to heal me for good. I was reborn as an infant, albeit with most of my power gone and my memories oddly intact. From there, we all just... needed time to recover, Kallie. Years of therapy and magical healing. In hindsight, Mom should have done with me what she did with Ariel, but... hindsight is twenty twenty for a reason."
She smiles sadly but genuinely.
"However, I never forgot my promise, Kallie. I pressured Mom into letting us visit the Thunderhooves every year. When I was old enough, I visited you as often as I could. When you left your herd, I pressured Mom to take you in, but your father had already thankfully taken you under his wing. It's just... I could never say those words: 'I'm your mother, Kallie.' When we were children, I thought you'd never believe me. When we were teenagers and then adults, I thought you'd hate me for staying silent for so long. It took nearly losing you for me to finally realize that I should..."
The smile starts to falter.
"I love you so much, Kallie. I just... wanted a chance. A chance for us to be... a family. I kept trying, but the world kept getting in our way. Part of me expected our reunion to be like Zoli and Ryli, all hugs and happiness. However, I was also well prepared for something more... gradual. You're right; I'd need a way to travel back in time to fix the past, but the future? ...I thought we could have a future. Start off as friends maybe? I could help you with your studies. Buy you all those birthday gifts I missed. Show you Kyonin. Introduce you to your..."
The tears start coming back in full force, and Setsuna Kailani has to force the last word out.
"...Sister?"
"I dunno," Aurealia says, reaching for a brannvin. "But I'll tell you what. Jeevika's oven cooks 'em hot. Have you ever seen a more charismatic bunch of elf...type...people?" Aurealia nods off a bit into her newly acquired brannvin, spilling some on her dress. "Do you know them all, Caimmam?"
Jaya quickly swaps her water with Aurealia's glass, and takes a sip, eyes tightening at the burn.
It certainly wasn't the smoothest lift, but it should hopefully be enough for now.
"They're certainly very... varied. I can't say as I've ever see a truly unattractive elf though. In body at least."
"I don't remember."
Kallie's hands cover her mouth as Galatea tells her her side of the story. Tears stream down her cheeks and she chokes back sobs.
Her mind swirls, her deep reservoirs of pain turn sour within her stomachs. Bile rises with her rising guilt over the anger she harbored over the last year.
Kallie runs her hands through her hair. She felt a pang of disappointment at Gali's final offer, but hopeful regardless. "I-- Sure. Sisters. That makes more sense, I think, than mom and daughter." She forces a smile while wiping the tears from her face.
Upon hearing that she might have a chance with you, Gali perks up in obvious excitement.
"I... Kallie, dear, I think you misheard me. I mean, we could definitely be sisters! And friends! Aunt and niece too! Also perhaps mother and daughter when we iron out the details! But, uh, I meant that I want to introduce you to your... little sister..."
Galatea struggles not to look away as she breaks into a blush.
"H-Her father was Sir Cecil Riverwyne, the Cladissan paladin who went with us on that... misadventure. We were... dating. He had been courting me for a couple years, and... your little sister was the result of our relationship. There were plans for marriage, but poor Cecil perished during the, uh, accident."
Now crying happy tears again, Gali manages to smile once more.
"We named her Silvie," she whispers gently. "After you."
True confusion reigns on Kallie's face. "But-- when? I thought you were sick?"
"Ah! Good question, Lady Jaya," says Ariel Kailani as she invites herself into the conversation. "The presence of Galatea and myself in Sir Roderic's Cove is a simple matter; as part of her visit with Commander Andosana, Mother brought us along for the trip. Sister Shiloh's appearance is a coincidence, though her courier work does take her all over Varisia."
The Edasseril scion takes a drink of her elven red wine.
"Speaking of sisters, I must confess my confusion about why yours does not wish to socialize with us, Lady Jaya. Then again, she does appear to be enjoying the celebrations," Ariel adds almost nonchalantly.
Gali chuckles softly.
"Fifty-five years, and I'm still figuring out how to communicate," she murmurs with a sigh. "So... yeah. I'd like for us to be a family. You, me, and Silvie. I want to be there for both my girls."
"Forgive me, did you say my sister? I'm afraid you must be mistaken."
Cai’nan shakes his head. He looks back to their gathering and smiles slightly. ”Not all. And I have a hard time keeping track. It’s more twisted than the trunk Mwangi Willow Tree, especially since I had been away. So much has changed...”
He turns his gaze back towards the women at the bar and adds ”But if I learned anything about fate in the jungle...is that it has odd ways about giving us signs. I hope this isn’t a bad one...”
"Then maybe a cousin?" wonders Ariel. "Hmm... Perhaps I am mistaken, but she has a very similar face to you, Jaya. Same hair texture as well."
The Edasseril scion really starts thinking over the subject.
"Now that I muse on the matter, this woman also resembles one of Sister Sabrina's old friends. In an issue of the Pathfinder Chronicles I read, there is a picture of my eldest sister and her then best friend Auronee Farwynd. Granted, if I am not mistaken, House Farwynd is based in Taldor. One of their rank would need a good reason to be way out here in Varisia!"
She perks up when Cai'nan mentions her family and then giggles at his description.
"Guilty as charged, Cai'nan!"
For a moment there, Kallie almost understood how humans often sink to the ground when struck by amazing or catastrophic news. Her four legs wobbled under the weight of the revelations, though she still remained upright.
"Wow. A sister. I..." I've had so many brothers and sisters from Mama Ryli and Dada Brognar... it's not as fun when you get to watch them grow older than you and do the things you can't. She dispels that thought and smiles. "I can't wait to meet her."
She sighs and finishes wiping her eyes dry, though they remain red. "I think, though, I need a little time to... process this? It's a lot to take in. Maybe I can meet Silvie tomorrow, then? It's probably too late tonight, huh?"
"Most likely. Right now, little Silvie is asleep safe and sound at the Efficient Quiver. Like how Titanicus and Mom's nymphs took care of you, I've always got someone watching her while I'm away. Usually, it's Ariel, but she really wanted to meet you, so we made other arrangements. Still, I've been slipping in and out of the Creekside all day just to check on her," Galatea rambles slightly.
If you allow it, Gali pulls you into a gentle hug.
"I'll bring your sister to the Creekside tomorrow morning, okay?" she promises. "Have a goodnight, dear. Be safe."
Unless you have anything else to say or ask her, Galatea again leaves you to process everything.
This time, however, she seems much more hopeful about the future.
"...Little lady took me by surprise. Fifty-five years and I still can't... Words!"
Galatea eventually reappears.
"I'm calling it a night. I'll be back tomorrow morning. Kallie should only be a few moments. Rest assured, I think she's fine."
She offers a hug to Shiloh (who accepts) and Cai'nan.
"Always great to see you, Shy. Don't be a stranger."
As she and a slightly frustrated Yulia depart, Gali appears to be... quite happy.
But mostly it's those of rank who have the opportunity to travel halfway across the world regardless...
No siblings I'm aware of, but no shortage of cousins. And despite what she claims, no shortage of mother's secrets.
Cai'nan's been staring for a while, Jaya, you have to deal with that too.
Jaya put a somewhat vague smile on her face, and motioned with her head towards the innkeep. "Well, it would be foolish of me to ignore the 'sign' of a mysteriously appearing relative."
"In case this is good night," she leaned in to give a quick brush of her lips to Aurealia's cheek, and then Cai'nan's, whispering "Please see to it that she makes it back to her bed alone tonight. I'm sure both of us will be grateful by tomorrow.".
As she walked over to get directions to her 'sister's room, she began to hastily assemble her hair into a relatively messy bun, but one that would at least keep it out of the way, and made certain her pouch of components was easily reachable through the subtle slit in her skirts. I don't play enough Opparan games for this to be an assassin, but no sense in being careless.
Kallie wanders back to the tavern, feeling wiped out. She longed to go back to the common room and see if she could find Cai'nan, hoping that no one else stole him away for that evening. But she didn't want to set herself up for disappointment either. Her emotions were already so raw she wasn't sure how good of a companion she'd be that night anyway.
She made her way to her room while deliberately not looking for him. She gives her usual bright and energetic smile to any of her relatives or friends she passes on the way, but the smile fades the instant she's alone.
She closes the door behind her and throws herself on the human-style bed that she's pretty used to sleeping in now. She expected sleep to overtake her immediately, but her emotions take over and she starts crying uncontrollably. She curls up, burying her face in the pillow, and sobs long into the night.
Aurelia flushes at Jaya's kiss, even though it was intended as a mere gesture of familiarity. I could get used to those lips on my skin.
She glares at the druid blearily. "Guess is's jus you an me Caimmam." Aurealia slams her water, frowning down at the glass. Must be more drunk than I thought. "What now, bub?"