She smiles at him. "Dinner sounds like a good idea. All that dancing works up an appetite." She looks around. "I'm glad you remembered this place. It's beautiful."
"Well I might have been keeping an eye out for a nice place to spend an evening just in case we did come back," he says with an innocent smile and a shrug. "It looks like there is still room in the dining hall for a couple of late arrivals like ourselves, so let's go up to our room and get changed before we miss any of the good stuff!"
"Well I might have been keeping an eye out for a nice place to spend an evening just in case we did come back," he says with an innocent smile and a shrug. "It looks like there is still room in the dining hall for a couple of late arrivals like ourselves, so let's go up to our room and get changed before we miss any of the good stuff!"
She raises an eyebrow and gives him a mischievous grin. "exactly how late of a dinner were you planning?"
She raises an eyebrow and gives him a mischievous grin. "exactly how late of a dinner were you planning?"
He clutches at his heart as if mortally wounded.
"Not late at all, love. Now dessert," he grins, "that may be late indeed. But that's all moot if we don't get some food now," as he takes her arm and leads her upstairs, chuckling.
She raises an eyebrow and gives him a mischievous grin. "exactly how late of a dinner were you planning?"He clutches at his heart as if mortally wounded.
"Not late at all, love. Now dessert," he grins, "that may be late indeed. But that's all moot if we don't get some food now," as he takes her arm and leads her upstairs, chuckling.
She looks around their room appreciatively. "It's very cozy," she says, looking around. She runs a finger along the carved footboard of the massive four poster bed as she walks toward the fireplace. There was already a fire blazing. She took off her wet cloak and draped it across a chair near the fire. The driving rain had left her dress quite wet in spite of the cloak. She rummaged in her pack for a moment, finally pulling out a lovely turquoise gown and holding it up.
"You don't think this would be over-dressing do you?"
She raises an eyebrow and gives him a mischievous grin. "exactly how late of a dinner were you planning?"He clutches at his heart as if mortally wounded.
"Not late at all, love. Now dessert," he grins, "that may be late indeed. But that's all moot if we don't get some food now," as he takes her arm and leads her upstairs, chuckling.She looks around their room appreciatively. "It's very cozy," she says, looking around. She runs a finger along the carved footboard of the massive four poster bed as she walks toward the fireplace. There was already a fire blazing. She took off her wet cloak and draped it across a chair near the fire. The driving rain had left her dress quite wet in spite of the cloak. She rummaged in her pack for a moment, finally pulling out a lovely turquoise gown and holding it up.
"You don't think this would be over-dressing do you?"
"It's perfect. I wanted to make sure I picked a place where you could properly show off your new clothes," he says with a wink. "Now - I guess the green bit I bought would work well with yours...but your guess is as good as mine!"
"It's perfect. I wanted to make sure I picked a place where you could properly show off your new clothes," he says with a wink. "Now - I guess the green bit I bought would work well with yours...but your guess is as good as mine!"
She laughs. "The green will look fine."
She takes off her dress, and it shifts back to being somewhat grey and shapeless as she drapes it near her cloak to dry. She slides the new dress over her head. The thin fabric and close-fitting cut show off her figure to advantage, and she twirls in front of the mirror examining it with a critical eye before turning back to him with a smile."Aren't you dressed yet?"
She laughs. "The green will look fine."
She takes off her dress, and it shifts back to being somewhat grey and shapeless as she drapes it near her cloak to dry. She slides the new dress over her head. The thin fabric and close-fitting cut show off her figure to advantage, and she twirls in front of the mirror examining it with a critical eye before turning back to him with a smile.
"Aren't you dressed yet?"
[Blink, Blink]
"I'm sorry, what?";P
He then quickly dons the new, more formal garb, laughing at himself all the while as he buckles and clasps everything into place. :)
She gives a dramatic mock sigh and sits on the edge of the bed, laying back against the pillows.
"I'll just have to wait here while you change into dry clothes. Tsk. For someone who was in such a hurry to eat you certainly are dilly-dallying."
She gives a dramatic mock sigh and sits on the edge of the bed, laying back against the pillows.
"I'll just have to wait here while you change into dry clothes. Tsk. For someone who was in such a hurry to eat you certainly are dilly-dallying."
"Alright, alright - I'm almost done," as he hops around getting his boots back on and checking to make sure everything is on right.
"There you go - one Urban Dalesman, ready for public consumption," he says, hands resting on hips in a most-exaggerated heroic stance.
"Ready to do battle with fine cutlery."
She laughs, and gets up off the bed, walks over to him, and takes his arm.
"Just try not to hurt yourself with the salad fork," she says jokingly as they head back downstairs to eat.
How can you eat salad!?! Plants are our friends, and you want to butcher them and stuff them in your mouth? That's terrible. Shame on you. Plant's have feelings to, you know.
She laughs, and gets up off the bed, walks over to him, and takes his arm.
"Just try not to hurt yourself with the salad fork," she says jokingly as they head back downstairs to eat.
"I'll be careful, love," he chuckles as they return to the dining hall and sit down to a most adequate meal. The windows have been shuttered to protect against the storm, but the room is cheerfully lit and quite comfortable.
The selection of food and drink is exceptional in its variety - The Golden Sands takes every advantage of its location to cater to its guests' varied tastes.
Food is cool. I like food.
"I absolutely cannot eat another bite," Allura says, as she finds herself moving truffles around on her plate rather than picking them up with her fork and eating them. "It was a surprisingly good meal. I honestly didn't expect something described as a slithy tove to taste so good."
"I absolutely cannot eat another bite," Allura says, as she finds herself moving truffles around on her plate rather than picking them up with her fork and eating them. "It was a surprisingly good meal. I honestly didn't expect something described as a slithy tove to taste so good."
"I know - that name conjured lots of bad images in my mind, but that bite I stole off your plate was really good. And that scythetail they brought me was great."
As the plates are cleared from the table, Devlyn temples his fingers under his chin as he looks across the table at Allura, a whimsical smile just beginning to form.
"So you're saying we need to wait on dessert for a while?"
As the plates are cleared from the table, Devlyn temples his fingers under his chin as he looks across the table at Allura, a whimsical smile just beginning to form.
"So you're saying we need to wait on dessert for a while?"
"Mmmm. I couldn't possibly eat dessert now. You're just going to have to think of some way to work up an appetite again," she replies, with an impish grin.
"Mmmm. I couldn't possibly eat dessert now. You're just going to have to think of some way to work up an appetite again," she replies, with an impish grin.
"Oh, I've got an idea (or ten) to do just that," he says with a twinkle in his eye as he stands up and goes over to her side of the table, offering his hand. "We can come back for the dessert whenever we want."
"Oh, I've got an idea (or ten) to do just that," he says with a twinkle in his eye as he stands up and goes over to her side of the table, offering his hand. "We can come back for the dessert whenever we want."
She takes his hand, standing up from the table. "Well, then, lead on. I am...giddy with anticipation," she says laughing, "to see just what you have in mind."
She takes his hand, standing up from the table. "Well, then, lead on. I am...giddy with anticipation," she says laughing, "to see just what you have in mind."
"I think you'll approve," he says as he gives her a quick kiss, and they return to their room to weather out the storm.
Devlyn makes sure that Allura's giddy anticipation is aptly rewarded - and yes, they even do manage to get to dessert sometime before the dawn... ;P
Allura wakes up late the next morning to the smells of hot food and drink. She doesn't want to open her eyes, but her stomach has other ideas...and she feels a gentle hand on her cheek.
She lifts her lids and sees a huge platter loaded with all kinds of delicious things propped up in the bed, waiting for her attention. Devlyn is sitting next to her, smiling down warmly.
"Good morning. Breakfast?"
Allura wakes up late the next morning to the smells of hot food and drink. She doesn't want to open her eyes, but her stomach has other ideas...and she feels a gentle hand on her cheek.
She lifts her lids and sees a huge platter loaded with all kinds of delicious things propped up in the bed, waiting for her attention. Devlyn is sitting next to her, smiling down warmly.
"Good morning. Breakfast?"
"Mmmmm. Good morning," she smiles sleepily. She was usually a morning person, awake before anyone else. She was more accustomed to being the one to wake him. Then again, she hadn't gotten much sleep last night. She smiled more as she remembered why.
"That smells delicious."
"Mmmmm. Good morning," she smiles sleepily. She was usually a morning person, awake before anyone else. She was more accustomed to being the one to wake him. Then again, she hadn't gotten much sleep last night. She smiled more as she remembered why.
"That smells delicious."
He grins brightly at the look on her face.
"I know. I made the mistake of asking for what they call a 'Sampler' - and they sent us half the kitchen," he chuckles as he starts serving things up.
"It looks like that storm finally died off too, so we should be able to get around without getting hit by lightning," he add.
"Hopefully the Oasis avoided the brunt of it, but we can go back after breakfast and make sure."
He looks again at the expanse of food on the platter.
"Assuming we survive breakfast, of course..."
She tastes her breakfast. "Delicious. They really do have an excellent kitchen here."
She sighs. "I suppose when we've finished eating, we should head back to the Oasis. Even perfect days have to come to an end sometime. But I hope we can come back here again sometime soon."
She tastes her breakfast. "Delicious. They really do have an excellent kitchen here."
She sighs. "I suppose when we've finished eating, we should head back to the Oasis. Even perfect days have to come to an end sometime. But I hope we can come back here again sometime soon."
"I think we'll be able to. This place can be a good incentive for keeping the world 'saved'," he says with a wink.
They do their level best to finish off the food, then get cleaned up and ready to go back to the Oasis.
Allura shakes out her crumpled dress and folds it as neatly as she can before putting it in her pack, followed by her now dry cloak. She puts her shiftweave outfit back on, quickly transforming it back into the purple and violet outfit from before. She glances around the room and doesn't see anything else that she has forgotten.
"I'm ready to go whenever you are."
Allura shakes out her crumpled dress and folds it as neatly as she can before putting it in her pack, followed by her now dry cloak. She puts her shiftweave outfit back on, quickly transforming it back into the purple and violet outfit from before. She glances around the room and doesn't see anything else that she has forgotten.
"I'm ready to go whenever you are."
Devlyn walks over and gives her a long kiss, then checks and makes sure everything is stowed away, before putting his 'business attire' back on. They go downstairs and he settles up with the innkeep, then they make their way back to the omniportal and return to the Oasis.
He takes her hand as they walk through:
"So - did you have a good day?"
Devlyn walks over and gives her a long kiss, then checks and makes sure everything is stowed away, before putting his 'business attire' back on. They go downstairs and he settles up with the innkeep, then they make their way back to the omniportal and return to the Oasis.
He takes her hand as they walk through:
"So - did you have a good day?"
"Good does not begin to describe it. I'm glad we came here."
Ignoring the occasional ribald comments of passers by, several groups of half a dozen nymphs in mithral shirts and with dark cloaks and helms comb the byways and stalls of the bazaar. They seem interested in obtaining many of the stars which are turning up on stalls, or in the hands of street urchins, paying in ancient platinum coins or rare gems - although only the smaller ones seem to interest them. They give no heed to the great star that a master silversmith is making into the centrepiece of a tiara, nor with the one which a white-necromancer is experimenting with in conjunction with a staff.
Muulsh observes the tumult of the newcomers in the souk
Odd that ..
A tall figure cloaked and hooded in grey, accompanied by an escort of four nymphs in dark cloaks, adamantine helms, and mithril shirts seems interested in following the progress of some of the men and women searching for stars.
Despite the anonymity afforded by the figure's garb, he or she carries him or herself regally, and his or her eyes glint sharply from under the shadows of the hood.
Arielle skips through the Bazaar. She is happy because she found so many shinies on the way. She stops at every booth that has one of the stars. Azuri'ith sighs and conjures up the necessary monies. After all, there is no price too great to pay in order to bring back his granddaughter.
Arielle skips along, homing in on every star in the bazaar. Those who are reluctant to sell generally find themselves changing their minds when faced with a wide-eyed pleading child and a looming elder air elemental. She is oblivious to machinations of any type, and completely passes by the booth that used to contain the tiara as it no longer has anything of interest to her. She continues her search, stopping only to beg an ice cream when she sees some other children eating ice cream.
Since they have the tiara at the address they gave the jeweller (they're prepared to swap it for the star they want) sooner or later Arielle's homing instinct will drop her on the slightly run-down property on the edge of town where they have the tiara, anyway.
A tall figure cloaked and hooded in grey, accompanied by an escort of four nymphs in dark cloaks, adamantine helms, and mithril shirts seems interested in following the progress of some of the men and women searching for stars.
Despite the anonymity afforded by the figure's garb, he or she carries him or herself regally, and his or her eyes glint sharply from under the shadows of the hood.
Despite Azuri'ith's attempts to keep her close, Arielle breaks away from him when she sees this figure passing by on the street. She runs up to this person.
"You have shinies," she says expertly pointing out all of the stars this person is wearing. "May I please have them? I need them for something very important." Her green eyes are brimming with sincerity.
The two nymphs to the front close to block the child, their hands going to the hilts of the moonlight swords that they carry, but not yet drawing them.
The figure seems to be silently considering Arielle's request.