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Outcast picked some of the last ripe berries from the babyberry bush and Lady Inithia started the enchantment for him. Mirhandrax's arm was successfully re-attached but he's still recuperating because that was a lot of punishment he took. We went to visit him today at the Nastrothon Memorial Sanctuary where he's convalescing.

"Now that you've got the berries, we should look into a buyer for that bush," Mirhandrax said, after we exchanged greetings and updates. The healers had given Mirhandrax his own room in part because they needed to group three beds together in order to have something big enough for him to lie on. I was perched at the foot of the bed-conglomeration with my broad purple tail curled around my legs, and Outcast sat on a stool next to it. "We'll still need many more lozens to find Elisia."

Outcast laced his fingers together, looking down at his brown-furred hands. "About that."

"Mm?" I looked inquisitively between them.

"I was thinking. We should give the bush back to the crefians."

Mirhanrax raised his whiskery eyebrows. "The crefians?"

"It was their bush to start with. The thunglaze essentially stole it from them."

"True, but it's not as if they're primes. There's no law or tradition that says we owe it to them. And I assume Summer Sun is expecting a share in the bounty, after all he went through. And you, of course, Delight," Mirhandrax said.

I put my chin against my hands. "I don't know about Summer Sun but I agree with Outcast," I said. He jerked his head up, looking at me. "It belongs to Refia and her people. They should get it back. Or decide what to do with it."

Outcast smiled at me. "Also, I don't know how the bush will fare in the Flats. I'm sure there's a reason why they're virtually unknown in Ketheria. I wouldn't want to sell it to someone only to have it die by the spring."

Mirhandrax wrinkled his muzzle. "Hmm. If that's what you want, well enough." He tried to shrug, and grimaced at the pain in his arm. "You'll need to settle terms with Summer Sun, of course."

"Of course."

Later that day we met Summer Sun at a traveler's shelter outside the city gates to talk about it. He was disappointed at the idea of getting nothing from the adventure so I offered to pay him on my own. He asked if he could get lifetime free featherstyling instead and I agreed. "As long as I'm around in Vheshrame sure do you want me to touch up your featherstyle now?" It was kind of messed up from the fight with the airsharks and the healing had grown his feathers back in their original blues instead of the flames-on-black colors of his current featherstyle.

Summer Sun preened. He stretched out his long graceful neck, folded his eight legs beneath him, and spread his wings for me. "That'd be great, thanks. Actually ... do you mind doing a different design right now?"

"No I don't mind what do you want?"

"I don't know. Something wintery, maybe like blues and whites and sparkling icicles or something? It's more -- well, don't get me wrong, the fire on black looks incredible. But I don't think that 'dark, dangerous, and scary' is really me, you know?"

I nodded and did a pattern on him as if the shafts of his feathers had been rimed in ice with the sun shining through it, the calamus and rachis dark and the barbs glittery and slightly distorted and sky-blue. He was super-happy with it. Outcast stuck around while I worked on the design and we chatted. We're going to take the babyberry bush back to the crefians once Mirhandrax is fully recovered as long as the winter's not too cold for travel.

Afterwards as we were walking back from the city gates, Outcast tried to pay me back for bribing Summer Sun. I waved him off. "Don't be silly the crefians are my friends and besides I like featherstyling. And you need the money for your ... project. Thingie."

Outcast looked away at that, pulling his hat down against the cold fall breeze. The wind tugged at the strands of his short dark ponytail, whipping them around the collar of his cloak. "You're a good prime, Delight."

I hugged my cloak closed. "So are you," I said, awkwardly.

He gave me a funny half-smile. "You don't have to pretend. I know how you feel about me."

"I don't dislike you," I said. Outcast didn't say anything in exactly that way that people who are too polite to say 'you're lying' don't say anything. I jammed my hands in my pockets and repeated, "I don't. All right yes I think your relationship with your mewellicapfriend was disgusting and wrong and that both of you are better off apart -- " he set his mouth in a grim line, short muzzle in profile as he glanced sidelong at me, and I continued " -- BUT that doesn't mean you're a bad PERSON. You're brave and resourceful and smart and loyal and you try to do the right thing and even if I don't always agree with you about what that is well I can respect that you're trying. You're a good person and I like having you around."

I think saying that is the first time I realized it was true. As long as I don't think about the whole icky nonprime-lover thing, Outcast is pretty nice to have around.

We'd stopped walking. Outcast stared at me, blinking, surprised and embarrassed and pleased and overcome all at once. "I ... I didn't think ... that is ... thank you," he finished, lamely.

I looked away and started walking again, embarrassed now too. "It's not that importantl."

"Yes it is," he said, softly enough that I could pretend I hadn't heard. Outcast cleared his throat. "Do you think we should bring some more fruit with us when we visit the crefians? Not that we need to pay them for giving them back their plant, but ... they were so pleased with it, and it seems like a small enough thing."

"Uh-huh I was thinking maybe just a basketful or two."

Outcast nodded. "Why do they like citrus so much, anyway?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. They just do."

delight-in.livejournal.com

Hey I'm alive to write this! So you know it didn't go tooooo badly.

Stealing the bush went EXACTLY the way we planned actually. Which NEVER happens.

Getting the Bush: According to Plan

The weather had turned nasty: dark, cold, windy and drizzling. This was unpleasant but probably good for us overall, because it made visibility even worse. Mirhandrax and Outcast distracted the village guards by doing a deliberately bad job of sneaking into the village from the rimwards side. They were scaling towards that one gilded thunglaze dollhouse. The idea was to make the locals think they were going to steal it. As soon as a lookout spotted them, all of the lookouts rushed over there with weapons in hand, shouting and waking the village. Summer Sun and I were hanging back, waiting: once the alarm went up, Summer Sun swooped in close to the babyberry bush enclosure. I popped into the enclosure, the bush popped onto his back, and then I popped back out, all in less time than it took you to read this sentence. I accidentally knocked the bush off Summer Sun's back when I reappeared, but he caught it in his mid-talons and flew us back out before anyone even noticed us. So that part went great!

As we swooped out, Summer Sun gave a loud screech to signal Outcast and Mirhandrax that we had what we came for and they could retreat now.
The Distraction: Kind of According to Plan

One of the thunglaze had gotten them partially tangled up in a network of vines and they were trading blows with a half-dozen furomi. When they heard the screech, they used the bound Change Places spells I'd given them to teleport out of the vines and started Flying Like a Bird into the wind and rain to escape.

A thunglaze must have given some of the furomi their own version of Fly Like a Bird because they started flying after Outcast and Mirhandrax. But another of the little guys yelled, "Don't let them draw you away from the village! It could be a trap!" and the furomi drew back. One furomi screamed after Mirhandrax and Outcast, "Go on, run, you gods-cursed cowards!"

Mirhandrax spun about in the air, his great axe raised. He charged at the furomi, roaring "What was did you say?" as he swung. The furomi threw up his meng sword in an attempt to block. Mirhandrax shifted his aim lower and chopped through the nonprime's leg.

"Help?" the furomi whimpered. His fellows swarmed in around our Gormorror, hacking and tearing at him. A thunglaze healed the furomi's stump so it stopped bleeding.

Outcast swooped back and with a stroke of his sword swept the thunglaze healer clear off the fungal shelf. The thunglaze yelped and started to cast Fly Like a Bird on himself, but continued to fall as it waited for the spell to take effect. "Mirhandrax, time to go."

Mirhandrax ignored a stab from a furomi that would have killed me to concentrate on his current target, who lay propped one one arm and desperately raising his sword to block. Mirhandrax brought down the axe down hard enough to drive past the blocking sword and slice open the furomi's leather cuirass. Blood welled from the long gash in the nonprime's chest. "No one calls a Gormorror a coward!"

A different furomi clanged his sword off of Mirhandrax's shinguard. Another one stabbed him in the arm. Mirhandrax continued to ignore them, raising his great axe again.

The focus of his attention squeaked. "I didn't mean you! I meant, uh, him!" He motioned vaguely in Outcast's direction. "You're very brave oh gods please don't kill me I don't want to die."

"You dare call my friend a coward?" Mirhandrax shouted.

"He can call me whatever he likes." Outcast fended off a strike from one of the furomi that was probably hoping Outcast was less impervious to pain than Mirhandrax. Some of the furomi villagers who'd been asleep at the start of the ambush were emerging from their homes, armed with clubs and hatchets. "Let's GO, Mirhandrax." The thunglaze healer was flying back up to the ledge now. Vines from another spell formed around Mirhandrax's legs.

Mirhandrax paused. "Well. All right, then." Bleeding alarmingly, Mirhandrax used another bound teleport to escape the vines. As he and Outcast retreated to the rendezvous point to meet with Summer Sun and me, Mirhandrax asked Outcast, "You're really going to let him call you a coward?"

"I have been called much worse things," Outcast said, flying as fast as the spell would allow away from the hostile nonprimes.

This derailed the Gormorror. "... what could be worse than being called a coward?"

Outcast sighed. "Let's just stick with the plan, shall we?" Since they weren't being pursued he wiped his blade and sheathed it so he could bundle up more warmly in his cloak.

Mirhandrax shook his head. "Nothing against the rest of you prime races, but I'll never understand non-Gormorror."

We all met up back at the cleft where Summer Sun and I had collected some dirt to put in canvas that we wrapped around the babyberry bush's roots. Outcast explained their side of events while Mirhandrax bled and shivered involuntarily from the cold and blood loss as we tried to patch him up. Outcast did a little basic healing on him, but he's no healer so it didn't help a whole lot. We figured the best thing we could do was get him back to Vheshrame and real healers as quickly as possible, so we wrapped a blanket around him in addition to his cloak and then all of us flew off.

Maybe We Should Have Planned for the Trip Back Some

About two-thirds of an hour later we were attacked by a swarm of airsharks, probably attracted by the blood-scent from Mirhandrax. Like airsharks usually do, the swarm focused on trying to kill the most badly wounded among us. Normally having all the enemies trying to kill Mirhandrax works out pretty well because he's the toughest one of us and it meant that Outcast and Summer Sun could concentrate on offense and I could cast spells uninterrupted.

In this case, however, it did not work out so well because Mirhandrax was already in such bad shape that they were able to bite off one of his arms and kill him.

Mirhandrax's bound Heal the Awful Wound brought him back to life and then his bound Temporary Health healed him completely (well except for the severed arm which was still severed). He roared and started whacking apart airsharks with his one-handed axe (because he couldn't wield his great axe with one arm) while airsharks attempted to kill him a second time. Summer Sun retrieved Mirhandrax's arm from the airshark that bit it off after Outcast killed it and then I managed to spont Fresh Meat to keep it from decaying in the hopes that we could get it re-attached by a healer in Vheshrame. The airsharks did not quite manage to kill Mirhandrax a second time before we took them all down.

But this was still very bad because Temporary Health is like you've probably guessed from the name only temporary and since he was mostly-dead again after its healing, that meant he was going to die again when it wore off. And Temporary Health only works once a day.

The rest of us were not in the best shape either; Summer Sun's black-and-flame featherstyling pattern was spattered with blood and his left flank was torn open and he was missing a bunch of feathers from his left wing. The babyberry bush was a little worse for wear but the airsharks hadn't been trying to destroy it so it was more-or-less intact. We hovered in the shelter of a scrubby Verticals tree while I bandaged Summer Sun as best I could. "I think I've seen enough adventuring," Summer Sun said. "I'm ready to be back at a nice safe nest."

"Yeah I'm kind of remembering why I retired," I said to him.

"How long is that Temporary Health going to last?" Outcast asked Mirhandrax.

"It'll start wearing off in three and two-thirds hours," the Gormorror answered.

"It's going to take us another five or six hours to get to Vheshrame at the rate you two fly." Summer Sun flapped his wings nervously. I wondered if he was thinking about how much better time he could make if he abandoned us and flew back on his own. And really hoping he wouldn't, because he's good at navigating at night in the rain while flying and the rest of us would have trouble telling up from down at this point.

Outcast shook his head. "No help for it. Let's move." As we flew, Outcast said, "When the Temporary Health wears off, the wounds are going to come back in bits; unless we're unlucky, a little damage every few minutes. Delight and I both know Remedy for Corpador." Remedy for Corpador is a very simple healing spell that only works right after a wound is taken, and only on wounds inflicted by Corpador, and it doesn't heal very much unless you're a good healer. But at least it's true healing that can be used more than once per day, and it works on all wounds returning from a temporary healing spell wearing off. "If we both cast Remedy as soon as a wound returns, we can probably keep up with the returning damage. How much cley do you have left, Delight?"

"Six." I said.

"And I've got eight. That's ... probably enough to last until dawn." Cley refreshes for everyone at dawn.

"I'll be fine," Mirhandrax insisted.

"Shut up. We need you to not be stupid and stoic about this, Mirhandrax. When the wounds come back, tell us. You know how short the window of opportunity is on Remedy."

Mirhandrax started to say something about being a big strong Gormorror warrior and unconcerned about a little returning damage. Outcast turned in the air, looking ready to hit him. "I want your word on this, Mirhandrax. Promise that as long as you're physically able to, you'll tell us when you feel the spell wearing off." Mirhandrax started to protest again. "Your word, or so help me I'm going to ask Summer Sun to fly Delight and me back and leave your giant corpse here right now, because that's all you'll be in four hours. A giant corpse that we can not carry."

Mirhandrax scowled. "You have my word."

"Thank you."

So in three and two-thirds hours, Mirhandrax grunted out, "Wound back." We were all flying tired at this point because even with a nap it'd been a really long day and the cold wet dark made it feel like we'd been going forever without getting anywhere. Still Outcast and I had been waiting nervously for this moment for like an hour. We were flying slower now, because both of us were keeping in contact with Mirhandrax so we'd be sure not to be too far away to cast the spell when we needed to. We each got a Remedy into him. For another hour this continued, every handful of minutes. We were mostly keeping up with the returning damage.

Then we got unlucky. Mirhandrax passed out from a returning wound and started to fall from the sky. Outcast, Summer Sun and I all grabbed him as us Orren cast Remedy. Mirhandrax's second bound Heal the Awful Wound revived him a moment later and he re-cast Fly Like a Bird. Shaken but intact, we flew on for a few minutes, until the next returning wound knocked Mirhandrax out again. Our Remedies failed to revive him and while we all three grabbed him again, we were not strong enough to fly with him. I reached for my own Heal the Awful Wound to revive him with it, but Outcast stopped me. "Wait."

"Why we have to get him conscious he can't fly like this?"

"He'll just pass out again with the next wound returning. We don't have enough bound spells to keep doing that to him; we need to preserve them in case he dies. Let's get him over to the Verticals and set him down." We managed to half-glide, half-fall with him over to a cleft in the Verticals and set him down.

Outcast and I panted, staring at the Gormorror's body as he breathed in shallow, uneven gasps, blood bubbling out of his nose and oozing from the stump of his arm. Summer Sun hung back, scanning the skies and the Verticals nervously. A wound reappeared on Mirhandrax's neck; reflexively, we healed him. "Right. New plan," Outcast said. "Summer Sun goes back to Vheshrame and brings a healer to us."

"How?" Summer Sun asked. "They won't let me in the city."

"... right. Take Delight with you."

"And then you and Mirhandrax can both get eaten by the next monster to attack?" Summer Sun looked skeptical.

"No no no no." I felt for the cord of the Little Bird of Many Wings talisman around Mirhandrax's neck and pulled it off, while Outcast and Summer Sun looked on, perplexed. I used it to cast Fly Like a Bird on Mirhandrax again. His body rose from the cleft. "Fly Like a Bird is controlled by the caster not the subject," I said. "We can still fly him back."

Outcast blinked at me a few times. "I'm an idiot. Of course. Thank you, Delight."

I gave him a tired smile. "You're welcome. Let's go home."

As dawn finally came and refreshed our cley, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. We did meet one more group of nonprimes before we got back to the city but that was a handful of ulgrane from Summer Sun's nest. Yay! They flew escort with us the last several miles to the city. I told Summer Sun I'd bring Trust or another healer out to treat him as soon as we got help for Mirhandrax and then we primes swooped through the city gates under Fly Like a Bird power. Because as long as we have the talisman anyway it does beat walking.

We left Mirhandrax and his severed arm at the Healer's Guild with a swarm of healers and assistants attending him. I manged to convince Trust to come out and see to Summer Sun, and he put Healing Sleep spells on all of us.

Then I went home and collapsed for the rest of the day.

I am totally retiring from adventuring again now.

delight-in.livejournal.com

Planning

During the rest of 21 Hivvem, the crefian told Mirhandrax and Outcast everything they knew about Armenswall. Armenswall is the leader of a village of thunglaze and furomi. The thunglaze are generally in charge and use the furomi for muscle and brute force while the thunglaze come up with the plans and provide magical backup. The thunglaze (those are the tiny ones) are good with Herbador, Corpador, and Spirador and know all the Verbs, while the furomi (those are the giant ones) aren't much good with magic. There's a lot more furomi than thunglaze, too. So if it comes to a confrontation Mirhandrax figures it'll be mainly straight-up melee but we should be prepared for support spells like Thorn Walls and Pepper Strike, and healing spells for their side, and maybe Painted Eyes That See spying on us. The crefian had more information that that but I wasn't paying that close attention. Flitlegs and Redspots were bored and wanted me to play with them while we were still in the village and also PLANNING = NOT MY JOB so I played Chase the Feather and quarter-catch with them and some of the little crefian caterkids.

If planning were my job every plan would be "you distract them and I'll teleport in, grab it, and teleport out."

Before sunout Refia made up little nests for us (well in Mirhandrax's case a BIG nest) to sleep in. Crefian nests are a lot more comfortable than that sounds! They make them out of wrapped leaves stuffed with moss and you crawl into it sort of like a sleeping bag or a tiny tent. Then the crefian closes it over you to keep the rain out. Very cozy!

Glory Blaze and Intoxicating Sky didn't come to see Armenswall's village with us because they did not come along for Adventure. Neither did I or Summer Sun for that matter but we're going along anyway because ~~we're stupid that way~~ Summer Sun is curious about adventuring and I thought Mirhandrax could use more backup than just Outcast and one young ulgrane who might change his mind any time.

So 22 Hivvem was another long boring flight and then an even longer and boringer reconnaissance because recon is Mirhandrax's FAVORITE THING EVER.

Yet More Planning

We spent most of 23 Hivvem on reconnaissance but that was ALL because FOUR DAYS LEFT until winter and we still have to fly home afterwards.

The thunglaze and furomi village is on a series of giant fungal shelves growing out of the side of the world-branch. The thunglaze (those are the tiny ones) lived in these doll-house-like palaces carved out of wood and set among teeny yards and gardens on the mushroom-shelves. Some of the teeny thunglaze palaces are amazing! One of them was even gilded in real gold with stained-glass-style windows made of glirries and jewels. The big shaggy furomi lived in shabby huts that were backed against the branch, usually two or three to a shelf, with one thunglaze dollhouse in front of it. The furomi lived in families of several individuals, but every thunglaze seemed to get its own dollhouse. Except for a few extra-tiny thunglaze who lived with furomi for some reason.

The babyberry bush is being cultivated on a shelf in the middle of the village. It's inside a small invisible enclosure of thick wood -- thick to deter the crefians from stealing it back, we assume, and invisible so it can get sunlight. They're keeping it harvested: Mirhandrax spotted some underripe berries but no ripe ones. It's entrapped with bound spells: if anyone who isn't a thunglaze or a furomi enters the enclosure, it'll fill with wickedly thorny vines. They didn't have any one specifically guarding the bush, but it was in the middle of the village. They're crepuscular -- most of their activity is around dawn and twilight -- but have lookouts posted at all hours around their village, to watch for angry monsters and hostile nonprimes generally. Because the Verticals are not especially safe places for anyone, not even the nonprimes who live there.

There's dozens of them, probably over a hundred. We're not sure how many would be willing to put up a fight over the bush, but flying in and taking it by force would not work if even a fraction of them resisted.

"I think we'd better take the whole bush," Outcast said, while we were talking over what we'd learned scouting. We were skulking in a little cleft in the Verticals about half a mile from the nonprime village.

Mirhandrax wrinkled his broad brown muzzle, thinking. "Getting a few berries would be easier."

"Depends how we're going to do this. Taking some berries means timing the task for when they're ripe enough but not yet picked by the thunglaze, which may be tricky. Take the whole bush, and we can go whenever suits us best. Also, getting the whole bush requires much less precision than picking berries." Outcast turned to give me a speculative look. "Delight, does your trick with Change Places work on inanimate objects?"

"Yep," I said.

Mirhandrax raised a whiskery eyebrow. "You have something in mind to disarm the trap before you send her in?"

Outcast grinned. "Don't need to. Change Places is faster than it is." Teleport spells are instantaneous -- you cast them and they take effect immediately. The thorny-vine trap, like most spells designed to inflict harm, needs a few seconds to build after being triggered.

"You're still counting on her being able to cast before the trap finishes building."

"No, he doesn't have to," I said, catching the idea. "I can make a bound spelll that triggers as soon as I enter the enclosure. It'll go off automatically."

"Ah, true. Still, the spell doesn't have much range and the bound version even less. We'll need a way to get you in close without getting you or the bush re-captured," Mirhandrax said.

"Right. I'd say you and I create a distraction, while Summer Sun flies Delight in close enough that she can teleport the babyberry bush out to him (and herself back to him). They make their escape, we make ours, and rendezvous for the return to Veshrame."

"So I'm just ferrying one Orren and a plant?" Summer Sun said. "I can do that."

Mirhandrax and Outcast talked about the details of the distraction some more before we were ready to go in, but we're basically doing the same plan I would have gone with before we knew anything. Sometimes I really don't know why we have to bother with all the research and reconnaissance stuff.

Anyway, they decided to go in the middle of the night for reduced visibility -- the lookouts probably have Sleeth Eyes cast on them, but at least the rest of the village won't. So I'm going to get some sleep now. I'll let you know tomorrow how it went!

delight-in.livejournal.com

The flight through the Verticals went great! It would've been faster if Mirhandrax had been able to fly on an ulgrane too instead of Flying Like a Bird. Even so we made pretty good time and didn't get into even one fight flying down past the Verticals. I think Mirhandrax was disappointed. Glory Blaze was super-nice and agreed to carry a couple of the crates for us so we didn't even have any trouble getting the fruit down there.

The crefians were SO HAPPY to see me and Intoxicating Sky again! Refia is just as sweet and kind as I remember although she's not the nest matriarch any more because she passed the role to her sister Inifsi and now mostly Refia plays with the children all day. Which sounds better than being matriarch to me and makes me wonder if Refia had to bribe her sister with something to get her to do the matriarch thing.

I remembered Refia's grandchildren from my last visit of course but I didn't recognize Flitlegs and Redspots at all because they were just caterpillars last time and now they're full-grown with big intangible wings like panes of stained glass. I had to spend a ninth of an hour with each admiring them and telling them how pretty they are. Then we played hide 'n seek because they're not that grown-up yet. All the adults who were in the nest the last time I was here still remember us slaying the jack o' hooks for them -- it turns out that was two years ago and not last year. The crefians wanted to know how everyone else was doing which meant I had to break the news that Lastsplash was dead and Haroof was missing and probably dead. Miskael is fine though he just retired from adventuring after Lastsplash died. Still that was sad.

After that, Inifsi insisted on perching us and the whole nest among the gathering branches and having me tell the story about fighting the jack o' hooks again even though it's not a very good story as adventurer stories go. Ostensibly this was for the nestlings who were too young to remember and for the crefian family who's moved to the nest since then. It turns out either I don't remember the adventure that well or the crefians have embellished it a bunch (or most likely both) because they kept interrupting me to add details. After a while I told Engas to go ahead and tell it for me.

Oh and they LOVED the fruit that we brought and I was TOTALLY right that they would be happy to trade us babyberries for it.

Unfortunately they didn't have the babyberry bush any more.

It turns out that a couple of months ago a thunglaze -- a tiny furred bipedal nonprime not much bigger than my hand, with two long slim ears and a short muzzle -- had come to the crefian nest. It was accompanied by two furomi -- nonprimes that look rather like shaggy Gormorror-sized versions of the thunglaze. The thunglaze was called Armenswall and wanted to trade for not just a few handfuls of fresh babyberries but for the whole berry bush. Armenswall offered in return enough orange trees to make a little grove.

"But orange trees don't grow in the Verticals the soil's not deep enough and you don't get enough consistent sunlight," I said as Refia was explaining.

Refia's orange and red wings drooped through the branch she was perched upon, her antennae kinked unhappily. "I know. But these trees were enchanted. Armenswall swore to us that they'd been growing for years in the Verticals. And you know we've more use for orange trees than the babyberries. So we agreed."

"Of course, the thunglaze was a lying little cheat," Inifsi added. "The magic wore off on the orange trees three days later, and all of them died. Leaving us with nothing for our bargain."

"Oh that's AWFUL," I said. "Do you know where they're from did you already demand your babyberry bush back or at least get new trees?"

Refia bobbed her insectoid head glumly. "They make their home a score of miles from here. We sent a group to complain, but they only laughed at our naïveté in accepting the deal in the first place. We've not the power to confront them with force over it, not in their own lands."

Outcast grimaced, exchanging a look with Mirahndrax. "It's only six days to winter now. There's no way we can go elsewhere for knowledgefruit at this point."

Mirhandrax nodded his great shaggy head. "We will have to get it from this thunglaze, then."

So I guess it's going to be an Adventure after all.

delight-in.livejournal.com

We set out for the crefian nest today! I know it's been over a week since I mentioned it but Outcast had to make sure all the other arrangements were settled and that Lady Inithia would be able to use the babyberries as soon as we got back with them. Since there'd be no point in getting FRESH babyberries if she was waiting on other stuff or didn't want to start until Outcast had the rest of the money or whatever. Fortunately she's willing to let him pay for one week's work at a time. Which is good because second fall is nearly over and babyberries only ripen in fall and second fall so it'd be almost a YEAR before we'd have another chance to get them if she wasn't willing to start now. As it is, it's awfully close to winter. But I'm sure it'll be fine!

The plan is to fly into the Verticals. It turns out that the flying talisman we used on our last adventure, The Little Bird of Many Wings, wasn't one that Purrzhon owned; he'd borrowed it from the Adventurer's Guild. (The Guild has all kinds of nice equipment that members can borrow if they pay the appropriate level of dues, in accordance with a very complicated algorithm that takes into account your standing in the guild, your reliability, the cost of the item, and how long you want to borrow it.) Purrzhon had returned The Little Bird at the guild in Ulmarn and it found its way back to the Vheshrame guildhouse where it belonged. Mirhandrax is going to borrow it so we can fly down.

Actually, Mirhandrax is borrowing it so he can fly down. Outcast and I are going to be riding on ulgrane! I sent a leaf to Intoxicating Sky a few days ago that we were going to visit Resia's family -- she's the crefian matriarch who hosted me last time -- because Intoxicating Sky is friends with them too. Intoxicating Sky sent back that he'd be happy to come with us and visit them too and Summer Sun and Glory Blaze also wanted to go. Then Summer Sun and Intoxicating Sky agreed to carry Outcast and me in return for feather-styling. No one is willing to carry Mirhandrax because he's HUGE.

It'll be nice to have The Little Bird of Many Wings with us anyway as a backup though.

Naefar and Outcast helped me pick up and pack the crates of trade goods this morning. Naefar and I were going through the market selecting lemons while Outcast hauled the cart. "So this is for the host gift?" Outcast asked

"Noooo this is what we'll trade them." I felt some of the lemons while Naefar sniffed at them.

Outcast looked back at the cart he was pulling. "... what else are you getting?"

"Mmm. Papedas if they're any good."

"So ... we're asking them for an extremely rare, hard to find, and valuable magical reagent. And in return we're offering two crates of oranges, one of kinnows, and some number of lemons and papedas."

"Yup!"

"... are you sure this will be sufficient?"

"Oh yes they love citrus! And none of this grows in the Verticals and they don't get much trade," I said. Naefar finished filling the bag with good lemons and I paid the merchant.

Outcast looked dubiously at the cartful of fruit. "It seems dishonest, somehow."

"Why this is delicious fruit and babyberries really aren't that good?" I made a face as I remembered the taste. I lead the way to the farmer stand that usually has the best papedas.

Outcast chuckled. "I don't think taste is the important part."

"It is to them. Last time they didn't charge us anything at all for the berries."

"Nothing?" Naefar asked.

"Well we had killed the jack o' hooks that was bothering them already."

"I guess we'll see if a cartful of fruit is worth as much as a dead monster," Outcast said.

"It will be!"

We packed up all the fruit in nice crates with straw for padding and then discovered there's not enough room in Mirhandrax's pack for them all. Oops. Now we're waiting on the road outside the Vheshrame North Gate to meet the ulgrane and maybe we can bribe Glory Blaze into carrying some crates for us. Wish us luck!

delight-in.livejournal.com

[This is for

terrana's tarot story prompt. Since Terrana likes Delight, I decided to make it a

delight_in_wt story. Delight is long-winded, so this will take several entries. Cross-posted to

rowyn.]

Guess what? I'm going on another adventure! No, not because I need money. I'm still rich from the last adventure! This one is kind of a favor to Mirhandrax. Well, I guess technically to Outcast but I'm not really doing it for him. I should probably start more at the beginning.

Archonandi, Mirhandrax, Outcast and I met up yestereve at the pub in the Vheshrame Adventurer's Guild. (Mirhandrax has managed not to start any brawls in this one so he's still welcome here. Unlike Ulmarn.) We were seated on the second floor's interior balcony, overlooking the main floor where patrons sat on benches before long tables. The balcony seating is big comfy arm chairs and tray tables and I like it lots better. Mirhandrax, being the biggest bear of a Gormorror EVER, had to sit on a bench anyway because chairs big enough to seat two normal primes aren't large enough for him.

Being a smith for months and months and not adventuring has changed Arcsy. His arms and chest muscles are bigger than ever, but his grey-furred body doesn't have quite the same lithe agility he used to. There's something in his eyes too: an ease and affection behind the raccoon mask of black fur, instead of the constant state of wary, alert preparation.

And you know, Outcast looks SO DIFFERENT from the scrawny scraggly brown otter-man we rescued from bandits back in Chirreb. His fur is a glossy mahogany now, paling to soft beige on the underside and he's let his headfur grow out long enough to pull back in a ponytail. He's filled out -- not plump but muscular; his shoulders look twice as broad as they were. I don't think I'd recognize him if I hadn't been seeing him every couple weeks since we met. It's weird to realize that this must be how he's supposed to look and that the way he was when I first saw him was the result of months of imprisonment and abuse. Sometimes I wonder what it was like and mostly I'm glad I don't know. I know he brought it on himself in a way but I still feel sorry for him because NO ONE deserves that.

We'd gotten together just to be sociable since Archonandi's retired from adventuring and I'm rich. There's no reason Mirhandrax shouldn't be rich too, except that he probably gives all his money away because he's that sort of prime. Also he's determined to help Outcast.

Their current plan to find Outcast's really-should-stay-lost-if-you-ask-me-but-no-one-does mewellicapfriend was to have an enchanter make a Tempador-based tracking enchantment. Then they could go to the spot where we'd thrown her off the world-branch (well she was with the other bandits how were we to know she was being blackmailed?) and the enchantment would see into the past to find which way the elements had taken her, and they'd follow the trail from there. Of course they'd be months behind her, but they were hoping this would get them close enough to track her by more immediate means. Outcast had found an enchanter willing to create the enchantment for a payment of more money than he or even I have. Outcast, Mirhandrax and Archonandi were discussing ways either to raise the funds or get the cost down.

"Adventuring is the best way we've got of raising this kind of sum, and we did have a good run for the last couple of tasks." Mirhandrax drummed the claws of one giant paw against his tray table. "But the market of high-paying adventuring work has dried up recently."

Archonandi took a swallow of ale. "I don't hear as much as I used to, but I'll let you know if anything comes my way."

"Lady Inithia gave me the list of reagents she'd need for the enchanment." Outcast laid a short scroll on a tray table and pushed it where the others could reach. "Some of these are irritating to gather but not particularly difficult. Third-minute milkweed blossoms, for example, I can get myself with patience."

I made a face at the idea. Third-minute milkweed blooms for 9 seconds at random intervals between three and nineteen days apart. It is super annoying to harvest and hardly anyone cultivates it because of that. Well, it wasn't me going to do it.

"The most expensive item on the list is fresh knowledgefruit, though." Outcast tapped a blunt claw against the final line.

Mirhandrax wrinkled one side of his broad muzzle. "No wonder. I didn't think that grew anywhere in Ketheria."

"Not in the Flats, no. Lady Inithia has a source in Borenexia. That's six branches down and four thousand miles away. And since it has to be fresh, not preserved ... "

"At that distance, it'd be easier to get Lady Inithia to it than it to her," Mirhandrax said.

Outcast smiled wryly. "True. Unfortunately, she doesn't like to travel and her laboratory isn't mobile. And even setting aside the cost of an express courier, the prices from Borenexia aren't cheap."

"I think there might be knowledgefruit trees closer than that," Archonandi said. "I've heard rumors of it growing in the Underneaths of Dentheia. With the secret of its exact location guarded by an azgrath."

Outcast grimaced. "I don't mind taking risks, but going into the Underneaths to face an azgrath might be more trouble than this one is worth."

"That depends on how old it is. A young azgrath ... " Mirhandrax started.

"That rumor's over a decade old," Archonandi said.

"Never mind, then. To be honest, I'd rather not kill an azgrath for the sole crime of having a thing that I want, anyway." Outcast exhaled. "I did some research and there are closer known knowledgefruit trees, but not from anyone who will sell the fruit. A nyacanth raider in the Verticals of Mrasteia is said to have one."

"A raider? How many monsters does it lead?" Mirhandrax asked.

"Fifteen or twenty, by most accounts."

Archonandi whistled. "That's a bit much for two adventurers, unless they're all scawn."

Mirhandrax grinned. "Sounds like a worthy challenge to me."

"They're not scawn. I wouldn't want to plan an all-out assault on them," Outcast said, "but a distraction and a snatch-and-grab might be feasible. I'd need more information first, to know what their defenses are like."

All this planning talk was WAY too much like work if you ask me, so I interrupted to say, "What's knowledgefruit anyway?"

"Wrinkly yellow-brown berries." Archonandi held thumb and forefinger a half inch apart. "Some say they look like curled-up infant Orren. If you eat a bunch of them, they'll give extra power to the next Kennoc spell you cast, and -- some say, though I personally doubt this -- improve its accuracy."

"Ohhh babyberries!" I said. "There's a crefian nest in the Verticals below Vheshrame that grows those why don't you just trade with them?" Everyone stared at me. "What?"

"Crefian nest ... ?" Outcast said.

"Yes I met them when I was still an adventurer like a year ago maybe? They're nice they look like gigantic butterflies with intangible wings if you've never met one and they traded us some babyberries so we could boost a tracking spell we needed."

"... yes. That does sound much easier. Thank you."

Then Mirhandrax asked if I'd show them how to get there and I figured I'd just come with them because I'd like to see the crefians again anyway. I don't know if this will really be an Adventure but it's in the Verticals! So probably.

delight-in.livejournal.com

We disguised Arcsy as Monsieur Le'Bronde, the Critic of La'Quinitria. The rest of us were his retinue. Arcsy -- or rather, Monsieur Le'Bronde -- went to the Will Call window for his tickets which (of course) weren't there (because he didn't have any).

"What is zees outrage?" Monsieur Le'Bronde cried. "How? How can zees be? I haf come all ze way from La'Qiunitria only for zees day!"

"Evening, sir," Studies-Too-Much amended.

"Evening! For zees evening ven I hear at last ze orchestrations of ze renowed Orchestra of Occlu-ze-on! Vere are my tickets, young prime? VERE?" Monsieur Le'Bronde cried to the boy at the Will Call window.

The Cani checked his book again. "I'm so sorry, sir! I don't have anything under Le'Bronde or Bronde or Monsieur! Is there any other name it might be under?"

"Non! Zere can be no ozer! Oh cruel fate! Oh unkind Accanax that has destroyed mine only chance to complete mine opus, Renowned Orchestras of Inner Ketheria. Is zere nothing anyprime can do?" Le'Bronde wailed.

"Master, master, do not deestress yourself zo!" I cried. "For of a zertainty, ze Orchestra of Occlu-zee-on is no doubt vastly inferior to ze Obses-zee-on Orchestra of Daukhrame, of whoze music you haf already partaken! You may zimply and surely tell all thoz readers and listeners who hang upon your good advize that zey need not vaste zeir time vit ze Orchestra of Occlu-zee-on. As ve travel homewards ve can just tell everyone on the way that they should see the Obses-zee-on Orchestra."

"Indeed!" Outcast backed me up. "In fact, you must tell zem not to vaste zeir time on Vhezrame at all! It iss a city of catastrozes and vailures, vere even ze simplest uff tasks are ill-done."

"Wait here," the Will Call boy begged us. "I'll get the manager."

While we waited in the lobby, I complained, "Ze Obses-zee-on Orchestra had a far more beautiful lobby zen zis ugly place." (Which they do, actually).

"And their arias! So lovely," Paraffa added. "Their arpeggios! Perfecsíon! Why wait we here, in this place so overrated?"

"Because ve must gif zem ze chance to make ze amends! And you, do not mock me vit zat accent! Ve know full vell you are from Daukhrame," Arcsy snapped at her, because her genuine La'Quinitrian accent was making the rest of us look even worse. Paraffa almost lost it there. She had to cover her mouth with both hands and pretend to cry to disguise her choked laughter.

When the manager came, he fretted and frewed and checked his reservation book three times while Arcsy looked aloof and above it all. The manager apologized profusely, but there was nothing he could do.

Arcsy waved his hands magnanimously. "Ah, iff it eez not meant to be, it eez not meant to be. It vill be a great shame, no doubt, to exclude ze Orchestra of Occlu-zee-on from my travel guide to Renowned Orchestras of Inner Ketheria, but zo be it."

The manager blanched. "No, no, that can't be the only solution. Look ... ah ... there are certain unoccupied seats left." He cringed, and finished, "... in the Ducal box. We'll seat you there."

It turns out the Duke has a private box at the theater but he doesn't usually go to see the Orchestra of Occlusion and a lot of the time he doesn't give his box to anyone else, either. The manager warned us that we'd have to be moved (and FAST!) if the Duke showed up unexpectedly, but otherwise it was ours for the evening. I skipped out to escort Fressis inside, since it wouldn't do to have our famed critic running his own errands.

We told Fressis that we got the Ducal Box as an apology because they couldn't find our tickets, which wasn't entirely false. Fressis smiled indulgently at Archonandi and settled in to enjoy the performance.

The Ducal box was posh! It's even more posh than the airship I took to Daukhrame. EVERYTHING has enchantments. Little lights come on along the walkway if you stand up to show you the way out, and go out when you sit down. The chairs conform to your body to be more comfortable. The ducal box has its own watercloset! It even has its own preserving cabinet, stocked with wine and little snack trays of candied beetles and dried chissowary fish and kathia-swirled milk pastries and stuff. Which Archonandi didn't let us eat because (a) we were supposed to be his retinue and (b) he felt guilty about tricking the manager into letting us in at all, and didn't want the orchestra to get in trouble over missing snacks. If anyone even noticed.

Just before the intermission, Arcsy had me sneak into the lobby and teleport lozens into their cashbox for the regular tickets we hadn't been able to buy. Since the plan had been 'convince them to sell us empty seats' not 'convince them to give us the Ducal Box'.

Any road, it turns out the Orchestra of Occlusion actually is excellent! I was impressed. Archonandi made sure to tell the manager how much he'd enjoyed it and that he'd be sure to commend them in his travels.

I didn't like them as much as Don't Go in It's a Tarp! But a quartet's not the same as an orchestra so it's not a fair comparison.

Archonandi told me later that when he took Fressis home, she made him describe the whole escapade to her and laughed herself sick. She said, "I always knew I couldn't get the adventurer all the way out of you." Maybe they're a good match after all.

delight-in.livejournal.com

After hot hot hot Surprise it's hard to get used to Second Fall! It's been cooler than usual for Consimbs in Vheshrame. I've hardly been swimming AT ALL if you can imagine that. Like only ONCE this whole last week! I have to take long hot baths just to keep from drying out and blowing away. (To all my extradimensional friends: no not really).

Instead I've been going out on escapades with friends. (Escapades are like adventures but without the dangerous-getting-mutilated-by-monsters part). Some of the escapades have been not very escapade-y, like the one where we went hunting all over Vheshrame for a place that served milk o'quits and never even found one. Studies-Too-Much ended up buying snails and making his own, but now he's not sure he got the right type of snails. Another couple were watching performances -- a puppet show and the Orchestra of Occlusion -- and the puppet show shouldn't count as any kind of escapade if you ask me.

Oh but the orchestra does, because they were sold out and none of us had tickets and Archonandi had PROMISED his fiancée Fressis they'd go. So we HAD to get at least the two of them in.

Archonandi, Fressis, Studies-Too-Much, Paraffa, me, and Outcast that were supposed to go. Don't ask me why Outcast was there. Oh nevermind I'll explain anyway: see, Mirhandrax and Outcast have kept on adventuring together because they're trying to raise lozens for an expedition to find Outcast's lost mewellicapfriend. For reasons I don't begin to understand Outcast refuses to give up on the relationship despite it being GROSS and WRONG and bad for everyone including Elisia. And instead of trying to talk him out of it like any sensible prime, Mirhandrax is helping him. So they're still best buddies. Archonandi is also friends with Mirhandrax and so when Mirhandrax is in town Arcsy invites him to stuff. And since Outcast is Mirhandrax's friend and Arcsy doesn't want to be rude he always invites Outcast too.Then Mirhandrax doesn't want to come anyway because he doesn't go to puppet shows or musical performances or anything that anyprime might consider fun unless you count pit fighting which I DON'T. But of course OUTCAST is happy to come and so we're stuck with him.

I bet you wish I'd stuck with 'Don't ask'.

Fressis had to work until just before the performance started, so the four of us went on ahead to get tickets.

Except, like I said, the show was sold out. Paraffa said, "We go to different show, maybe?"

"No, I swore to Fressis we'd see the Orchestra of Occlusion!" Archonandi protested. "She's been wanting to see them since Lage. I've already had to back out three times for one reason or another. I can't disappoint her again."

"Perhaps we can buy tickets at a markup from someone who already has them?" Outcast suggested. "For the two of you, at least."

But it turned out that the Orchestra of Occlusion has a really strict policy against reselling -- they put the names of the ticket holders on the tickets at purchase, and if they find out you resold they'll never let you buy again. Which isn't exactly a foolproof prevention tactic, but it was good enough that we couldn't find any resellers.

"There are always empty seats at this sort of thing," Studies-Too-Much said. "They're bound to have some people who don't show up. We just need to find a way to get them to sell us those seats."

Outcast crinkled his muzzle in thought. "Well ... I have one idea."

While he explained, I surreptitiously cast The Raven's Beak because this sounded like it had a good chance of being an Adventure.

delight-in.livejournal.com

I just realized that I got so wrapped up telling you last time about the Inquisitorial Inquisition of Inquisitors that I didn't even tell you: I gave Dad-Dad and Dadsy your present!

About halfway through the evening, I signalled Waterfall and the musicians. Waterfall had hired them and so they knew their cue. Waterfall and I got up on top of the center table, and I yelled, "HOY EVERYBODY! I've got a little SURPRISE here!"

Then I dodged all the things primes pelted in my direction, as they shouted back in ragged chorus, "NO! NO SURPRISES!"

"I know!" I yelled back. Do you know I've gotten better at dodging with the last series of adventures? I could tell. "And I'm Delight-in-No-More-Surprises now so it's extra surprising coming from me!"

Everybody laughed and grinned and threw more stuff at me. "NO! This is a NO SURPRISE party!" They were better at getting it in unison.

"I know! But there's always at least one surprise at every No Surprise party, so it's not REALLY a surprise, right?" I yelled.

Waterfall jerked a thumb at me. "She's got a point, y'know."

Everybody looked to their tables and conversational partners and exchanged feigned grumblings and mumblings, until they finally turned back to me. When everyone was looking at me, I motioned my hand downwards once, twice and then a third time.

On cue, they shouted, "FINE. WHAT SURPRISE?"

"I'm so glad you asked! This is from BOOMSTARTER SEVENDRUMS, for DAD-DAD and QUICKSPLASH!" I used Dadsy's real name since most of the people there weren't his kids. (Dad-Dad goes by Dad-Dad to everyone.) Then I hopped down and Waterfall hopped up, and the performers struck up the instrumentals for the love song you wrote. And Waterfall sang it! I don't know if she's as good a singer as Song-for-Always technically but she was perfect for "No Truer Love". Everybody laughed at the funny bits and sniffled at the sad bits and Dad-Dad and Dadsy held hands for the whole song. I think Dadsy cried through the whole thing.

The crowd made Waterfall sing it a second time ostensibly so that Dadsy could listen to the parts he cried through the first time, although he pretty much cried through the second time too.

He wasn't ACTUALLY sad in case you offworld nonprimes have any funny ideas. Dadsy's very sentimental. He loved the song lots, maybe even better than Dad-Dad.

Everybody else liked it too! I had at least two-thirds fewer Inquistorial Inquisitions afterwards, and a bunch of 'that was a great surprise' instead.

Probably I should have done it earlier in the evening.

You should definitely have Don't Go in It's a Tarp! perform it, Boomsy!

delight-in.livejournal.com

Hiiii Boomsy-kaboomsy-make-me-a-loomsy! I'm really glad your hearing went well and not just because it means I'll get the lozens I lent you back! Well lent Pinsitter after she lent you you know what I mean.

Any road 50 lozens is a nice windfall for you! What are you going to do with it?

We had the annual No Surprise Party five days ago and I just realized I completely forgot to tell you about it. It was wonderful! Everyone was there! All my local sisters and brothers (except Void-Dancer, unfortunately) and uncles and aunts and nieces and nephews and cousins and friends of all of the above plus lots of ones that weren't local like Dadsy's parents and Dad-Dad's grandparents on his father's side. The best part was seeing all the people from out of Vheshrame who'd come just for the No Surprise party. That's why it was so late this year: Dadsy wanted to give everyone more time to travel into the city after Surprise was over.

It was also the worst part in a way, because the first thing EVERYONE wanted to catch up on was relationship status. Who's gotten married, divorced, had kids, adopted kids, gave up kids for adoption, added spouses to their family, etc., etc. And I wanted to know all that stuff too! But then eventually everyone's looking at me and asking who I'm dating.

The Conversation, Version One

Vingi (my brother Branspash's mother-in-law): "And who's your sweetie now, Joy-of-Sunout?"
ME: "I'm Delight-in-No-More Surprises now, and I don't have one."
Vingi: "Right, of course not! Who are they, then?"
ME: "I don't have any,"
Vingi: "I'm so sorry! I hope the break up wasn't bad."
ME: "... what break up?"
Vingi: "With your sweeties."
ME: "I didn't break up with anyone."
Vingi: "So you're still seeing them, then?"
ME: "No, I've never had a sweetie."
Vingi: "Reeeeeally? Do you know my friend Splashall? She's single too."
ME: "... can we talk about something else now?"
Vingi: "Sure! Perhaps you'd like to meet Ripple? He's also single, and such a cutie! Just about your age ...."
ME: "That's nice oh look my drink I need to go get another one."
Vingi: "... but your glass is full."
ME: "Just the time to get a new backup drink byeeee!"

The Conversation, Version Two

Bubbles (my sister Waterfall's brother-in-law): "So who are you seeing lately, Dee?"
ME: "I just came back from a nice trip visiting Boomstarter and I saw Void-Dancer a couple of days ago and I'm thinking about going to see Mirhandrax and Trust because I haven't seen much of them since we got back from our last adventure."
Bubbles : "No, no, I meant 'who are you dating'?"
ME: "I'm not."
Bubbles: "Really? A pretty, outgoing, friendly Orren like you? Whyever not?"
ME: "I don't know?"
Bubbles : "Surely someone must be interested! Is there a special someone you have your eye on?"
ME: "No?"
Bubbles: "Oh, come on! You know everyone, Dee. There must be somebody ... are you worried because you don't think you'll fit in with their existing family?"
ME: "No."
Bubbles: "Then why? Don't tell me you've found someone you're actually shy around?"
ME: "No I haven't found anyone. I'm not looking for a relationship."
Bubbles: "Oh, had a rough time with your last one, did you?"
ME: "No."
Bubbles: "Just petered out, did it?"
Me: "No, it didn't exist."
Bubbles: "What, you had a crush and never even approached them?"
ME: "... can we talk about something else now?"
Bubbles: (talks about something else for one minutes and thirteen seconds before): "So who was this crush on? You shouldn't let yourself get discouraged too easily, Delight?"
Me: "... kind of like you and this topic?"
Bubbles: "Exactly!"

The Conversation, Version Three

Eelflutter (Dadsy's mom): "How's things with you and Glorious Blue these days, Delight?"
ME: "She's Glorious Cool now and fine we got a new place last year with a front room although it's a bit more expensive."
Eelflutter : "Ah, getting some space to expand your family?"
ME: "... No? We're just roommates. We're not in a relationship."
Eelflutter : "You're not? Really?"
ME: "Really."
Eelflutter : "What's the matter? Her family wouldn't approve?"
ME: "... umm we're not romantically attracted to each other at all?"
Eelflutter : "Why not?"
ME: "I don't know? Just not."
Eelflutter : "Are you sure?"
ME: "I think so?"
Eelflutter : "Maybe you should give it a try."
ME: "Thanks! I don't think I will though."

The Conversation, Version Four

Behind-the-Falls (cousin on Dad-Dad's side): "So I hear you're telling everyone you're single, Dee?"
ME: "Yep! I am."
Behind-the-Falls: (in an undertone) "You know, in modern Vheshrame, especially given your family history, I really don't think you have anything to be ashamed of."
ME: "Me neither!"
Behind-the-Falls: "I'm glad you feel that way! Personally, I think Boomstarter's a splendid fellow."
ME: "Me too he's like my best friend I made an enchanted scroll so we could write to each other all the time! I just came back from visiting him in Daukhrame and we had LOTS of fun."
Behind-the-Falls: "How lovely! You two make such a cute couple."
ME: "... couple?"
Behind-the-Falls: "You see, don't you think it would save time if you just told everyone you and Boomstarter are involved? Keep them from fixing you up with stray friends?"
ME: "... it would? Except that Boomsy and I aren't dating and I try not to lie to my friends and relations?"
Behind-the-Falls: "Oh, come on, Dee. It's a little obvious, don't you think?"
ME: "No? I'm not traff and Boomsy's not traff and also he's practically my BROTHER EWW."
Behind-the-Falls: "Your parents would understand, is all I'm saying."
ME: "I don't think I understand."
Behind-the-Falls: "You just have to accept who you are."
ME: "... I don't mind traff people at all and I'm sure if I were traff and seeing someone I would tell everybody because I am just not that good with secrets. But I am not so I'm not so I can't."
Behind-the-Falls: (sigh of long-suffering)

The Conversation, Version Five

Rankscraffle (family friend): "Hey baby! Heard ya broke up ... with Boomstarter."
ME: "Noooo I was never dating Boomstarter at all."
Rankscraffle: "Ohhhh. But ya do like Khtsoyis, don't ya?"
ME: "Sure doesn't everyone -- wait. You're talking about sex, aren't you."
Rankscraffle: (waggles tentacles suggestively) "'Course, moll-doll. Everyone likes the ol' rope-a-dope under the earth 'n dirt, eh?"
ME: "I don't know what that meant but I'm going to have to go with 'no'."
Rankscraffle: "Aww, c'mon, Dee. All that time ya spent with yer shoggy-coz didn't whet the ol' curiosity? Mebbe wet the kina-finer too?"
ME: "Still going with 'no'."
Rankscraffle: "Awww, don't tell me some Orren-boy scared ya cis?"
ME: "Nooooo I'm just not traff."
Rankscraffle: "How'd'ya know? You ever tried a little spent-pent with a foggy-bog?"
ME: "... no?"
Rankscraffle: (waggles tentacle tips again.) "Tellin' ya, 'til ya've tried seven ya don't know Heaven."
ME: "Can we talk about something else now?"
Rankscraffle: "Sure. How was Daukhrame, anyway? See Whackasmack while ya were there?"
ME: (talks about Daukhrame and other stuff for a while.)

The Conversation, Version Six

Youngwave (Dadsy's grandfather): "So who have you been romancing since I last saw you three years ago?"
ME: "Oh, no one."
Youngwave: "You can tell us!"
ME: "I know! I just did."
Youngwave: "Ohhh you're dating an Orren named No One?"
ME: "Noooo. I'm not dating anyone."
Bubbles: "Whew, that's a relief. I dated her last year and ... trust me, you want to steer clear."
ME: "What?"
Bubbles: "No, Anyone. What's very nice -- do you know him?"
Youngwave: "So how's things going with No One?"
Bubbles: "If you're not satisfied with No One, you should think about asking What out."
ME: "Oops I seem to have accidentally triggered my bound Hiding in Nowhere." (disappears to a pocket universe for several minutes)

*

All right I didn't actually spend the whole party drifting from one group to the next and getting interrogated about my lack-of-love-life. It didn't even really seem like I did at the time. There was an AWFUL LOT of this sort of thing, though.

boomstarter.livejournal.com

I freely confess that I am more than a trifle nervous at the moment, dear coz.

In accordance with the terms by which I was released from custody, I am now at the hearing to determine my guilt or innocence in the matter for which I was arrested.

But I misspeak. I am not at the hearing itself, for that is not scheduled to begin for another third of an hour. My solicitor Esclegerio -- I should say, Pinsitter's solictor -- assured me that there's little chance it will begin on time, but that I must be scrupulously punctual nonetheless. Esclegerio had asked the Crown to drop the charges prior to the hearing, but apparently the Crown's representative was too busy in the post-Oix rush to respond to his request. So. Here I am.

Aggravated Public Indecency is an Offense Against the Crown, and as such the hearing is to be held in one of Daukhrame's Dangerous Courts. As it is not a very serious Offence Against the Crown, it is at the Slunder Court, which I suppose is not very dangerous as such things go. When Esclegerio informed me of the locale, he also told me that if I even considered bringing red and blue bangles to the court, much less endeavored to jiggle them, he would abandon my defense forthwith. I am not entirely sure how this enters into it or indeed anything. Except that not a ninth of an hour ago one of the personages called to his own defense produced a twirling stick adorned with red and blue ribbons and began waving it about; he was instantly declared in contempt of court and hauled off in bonds.

So. Good advice, I am sure.

The Slunder Court is a round courtroom laid out in two parallel spirals of benches winding towards open space at the centre. Either spiral may be entered from the door. One spiral is painted red, for the defendants to queue within. The other spiral is painted blue and for witnesses and others to enter, and by which anyone may depart, or sit to watch the proceedings, I suppose. I am drifting in my place over the defendant's bench, with my scroll open on the seat itself for me to write this upon. At the centre of the courtroom is the judge's podium. The judge is Justice Casamint, a Herethroy in an imposing toga of indigo cloth trimmed in gold thread, with a stole of slunder scales draped 'round his neck. Beside the judge's podium is a pedestal with a great carved crown-and-scepter mounted upon it. The Representive of the Crown, a slight and aged Cani woman, stands before the crown's pedestal. Defendants are called in turn to stand before them. The Representative calls upon the arresting guard to describe the crime and accusation, and the defendent makes his plea. Either or both sides call upon witnesses to attest to the truth, if there's a factual dispute.

Thus far, there's been one factual dispute, in another Naked-Parade related incident. The defendant said he wasn't naked and had two Orren witnesses attest that he was clothed. The arresting Cani guard said that the defendent was nude at the time of the arrest. The Justice ruled for the Crown on the grounds that the defense witnesses were unreliable.

It's not been very promising, to be truthful. Esclegerio arrived some minutes ago, and greeted me briefly but has otherwise been occupied in discourse with various primes in the blue arm of the spiral. It is some comfort to have a solicitor, at the least. None of the other defendents I've seen have had one.

Ah, one unlucky Orren just delivered her defense in the form of an impassioned screed against the abusive power of unjustified authority. The justice convicted her as not merely guilty of the original crime but Egregiously Guilty as well as guilty of Wasting the Court's Time. The latter offense carried its own stiff fine.

It's now nearly a third of an hour past the time my hearing was set for, and only one person left ahead of me. I shall put this aside for the moment; I do not wish to Waste the Court's Time by missing the moment when I am called.

*

Esclegerio went up with me when I was called. The Representative of the Crown summoned one of the guards who'd arrested me. He attested that I had been found unclad at a public assembly and that he had subsequently arrested me for Aggravated Public Indecency. The justice then asked me, "How do you plea?"

Esclegerio cleared his throat. "Pursuant to the Doctrine of Inquisition, my client wishes me to make certain inquiries of Guard Aroway. With your honor's permission?"

The justice waved a midhand. "Granted."

Esclegerio turned to face the guard. "Guard Aroway, did you witness my client disrobe?"

"What?"

"Did you see him remove his clothing?"

"Nope. Was naked when I got there. I tell you, I'd give a lot to un-see that!" There was a ripple of laughter from the watchers at that. Even the justice cracked a smile.

"No doubt. Other than being naked, can you describe his activities at your arrival?"

"Aye! He was chasing a little Orren lady, poor girl."

"And was this little Orren lady carrying anything?"

"Oh, I guess."

"What was it?"

"A big hat-thing."

"Indeed. And did my client explain the reason for his nudity upon his arrest?"

"Sure, he had a crappy excuse. Don't they all?"

"And what was it?"

"Said someone had taken his hat," the guard said. The Justice raised and spread his antenna. The Representative of the Crown lowered her head and pinched the bridge of her muzzle. The guard looked around. "What? 'e was still naked! Doesn't change the facts!"

"No, it does not," Esclegerio said agreeably. He turned back to the justice. "Your honor, precedent in Greensward v The Crown of Daukhrame 3382 and referenced in Mockingbird v the Crown of Daukhrame 3391, Thesory oa Visgalia v the Crown of Daukhrame 3408, etc, etc, establishes that a prime is innocent of wrongdoing if the commission of a crime was involuntary and due to the criminal acts of a third party -- such as having Mentador used to control his mind and force him to steal, or Corpador used to control his body and force him to assault, or -- as in my client's case, his clothing stolen and forcing him to be naked. Accordingly, my client pleads innocent."

The justice glanced at the Representative of the Crown. "Is there any dispute on the facts?"

The Cani sighed, shuffling her papers. She glowered at the guard and then Esclegerio. Esclegerio's expression was largely controlled, but he allowed himself the smallest of smirks. "We have none," the Cani said, resigned.

"Nor do we," said Esclegerio.

"The Court finds the defendant innocent. The Crown is fined 50 lz. for Waste of the Court's Time, payable to the defendant. Next case," the Justice pronounced.

And that was it! I did not so much as utter a word in my own defense, coz. Now I perceive why solicitors are so costly.

boomstarter.livejournal.com

I had made arrangements that Pinsitter and I might dine at Worth Your While. You shall recall it, cuz: the riverfood restaurant with the rubinesque Orren proprietor, Mosplash, and the pink-and-white Rassimel waiter, Vasory, who kept asking about the furstyling trade. It is not precisely upscale, of course, but one may dine there without risk of a brawl erupting, and it is the most fashionable place I know that will serve Khtsoyis.

Pinsitter and I floated through their double doors together, tentacle-in-tentacle. Vasory has switched his furstyle to white and white, with white highlights. No, truly -- he was three different shades of white, in an elaborate twining pattern with dots. He looked a bit out of sorts when he caught sight of us, but he rushed to attend us. Their lower floor was roped off when we arrived, but he took up the rope and showed us to a table downstairs -- rather to my surprise, as the main floor was not crowded. But I do not complain! We had the lower floor all to ourselves, and it made the restaurant a charmingly intimate locale. It put me in mind of Gran-Gran's tales of Darraden's, and I mentioned as much to Pinsitter. Naturally, not being of Vheshrame, Pinsitter had not heard of the establishment, so I had to explain about it being Vheshrame's most exclusive eatery, replete with private dining rooms suitable for visiting nobles. "It's famed for its protections against scrying, and as such, host to many secretive conspiracies and assignations."

"Oh? And what sort of secrets d'ya think we're hiding, here?" Pinsitter asked me teasingly.

"Ahhh ... no doubt some clever plot to get away with criminal mischief," I said. "Such as being caught nude at a Naked Parade."

She giggled, flicking a tentacle at the brim of my chapeau "That seems a little ... normal, to be a clever plot. Can't we have a stranger one?"

I thought hard. "Perhaps ... we are spies of the Duke, working in deep cover to ferret out treachery. Skulking amongst the underclass -- how better to go unnoticed?"

"Ah! You, maybe, are the loyal Duke's spy," Pinsitter said, snaking one of her tentacles about one of mine. "I am the leader of the rebellion! And you have caught me out. Now ... " Another of her tentacles looped around mine, the two curling around my limbs to draw me closer to her. "The only hope for my rebels is for me ... " She pulled me near enough for me to feel the breath of her words against my skin "... to seduce you to our side."

"I daresay ... the Duke is doomed," I murmured.

Our waiter, who had thus far shown a much appreciated indifference to our existance, chose that moment to reappear. Pinsitter and I sprang apart while I selected dishes more or less from memory in placing our order.

I might never have forgiven Vasory his unwanted diligence had Pinsitter not been quite interested in resuming the little charade as soon as he'd vanished upstairs again.

And no, we did not spend the entire evening pretending to be spies. I am also compelled to note that much of this pretense did, in fact, consist of inventing details of our respective plots -- Pinsitter's rebellion is the Movement to Mandate Nudity, which seeks to make clothing illegal everywhere within the city walls. ("What, even armor?" "Especially armor! What do we have city walls for, anyway?") Naturally, I had infilitrated the movement by being captured as one of their own ("Not so much an "undercover" agent as an "uncovered" one.") Thereby were they tricked into revealing their leader and their plot when they opted to 'rescue' me. As Pinsitter is far more attractive ("Your cause, of course, I mean your cause -- did I leave that word out?") than the Duke's cause, I am now a double-agent in her service. Wait, I already was a double-agent, wasn't I? Triple-agent? Is that a phrase?

It was all extremely silly and we spent an inordinate amount of time giggling even before the first glass of wine arrived. The service was shockingly slow, for which I gave Vasory an inordinate tip in thanks. The food was splendid, albeit not so splendid as the company. Pinsitter gave indication that it was entirely Worth Her While, and furthermore consented to repeat the experience in a week's time.

Needless to say, I floated all the way home in more than just the literal sense.

boomstarter.livejournal.com

I am pleased to hear you and your brother are doing well, my dear Delight. Do give Void-Dancer my regards when next you see him.

My resumption of duties at the docks has gone well enough, although I'll confess I miss having you around, and miss having abundant time upon my tentacles. Ah, if only I could use Sustenoc Tenpador to make the time fly past whilst I labor at the docks, and Creoc Tempador to make extra time to spend in my off hours! I fear my employer would be less enamored with the prospect than I, however. Also, if I possessed that much skill at magery, I could most likely find employment as a mage and not need the docks at all.

But in this world-tree and not the one of my fantasies, I do find getting paid terribly convenient, and I should be most embarrassed to live always dependent upon the largesse of my friends. The work is simple and easy enough for my tentacles to execute; on balance, it's worth it.

Alas, I'm afraid I've made no progress on the song I was working on when you left. I daresay I spent nearly as many hours being entertained by you whilst you were here as I typically spend at my job. Yet somehow, when I was spending days with you, I was able to complete two songs in twelve days, whilst when my daylit hours are spent in heavy labor, I find myself unable to compose a single note in the evenings. It feels like all I can do just to bang on my drums for a couple of hours. Perhaps my muse simply misses having an appreciative audience close at tentacle-tip.

Nonetheless, I did find time to break out of my routine of work and practice with the quartet to honor my appointment with the lovely Miss Pinsitter. For reasons unfathomable to -- but no less appreciated for that! -- Miss Pinsitter did not send a card to cancel, nor moved without forwarding address, nor put the lights out and instructed her servants not to answer the door when I came to call at the appointed hour.

As I know you will never let me escape without divulging all salient details of the evening, allow me to do so now, lest you be forced to return to Daukhrame and expend the remainder of your fortune beating it from my hide.

Miss Pinsitter has quite a nice home for her neighborhood, which is the Slippery Quarter - but of course you know this, you've visited her yourself. I forget myself! I floated to the second-floor entrance, as requested. Her butler permitted me inside and instructed me to wait a ninth of an hour in the parlor until the lady of the household arrived. Curious decorative wood posts -- not unlike those one might find holding ropes to demarcate a puppet-show line, but sans the rope -- lined a path through the hall and into each room. Did you note those on your visit, Delight?

I don't know if you saw the second-floor parlor. It's rather martial in inclination. I counted three wooden clubs, two steel maces, three steel bucklers, two stone axes, two steel axes, one steel greataxe, and a warharness of finely-tooled leather suitable for carrying at least six or seven of the aforementioned weapons. All of the above looked thoroughly practical, although the metal ones were embossed with a variety of intricate and generally warlike designs. In addition to the array of weapons and armor were a number of trophies: the still-burning tail of a remorshka coiled in the hearth, a half-invisible kathia-table covered by the hide of a perdithorne, the head of a river-gunch, endtables that looked to be made of the chitin of some monster with which I am unfamiliar. There was but a single couch -- in concession to the other prime races, I imagine -- with the rest of the space left open to float through.

I did not have time to finish cataloging the contents of the chamber before my hostess joined me and took my mind quite off her abode. M'lady wore a wide-brimmed chapeau trimmed in gold and white ribbons, and tentacle-bands of gold set with pearlescent glirries. They set off fetchingly the delicate sky-blue hue she had chosen for her skin. I was wearing my best hat for the occasion, of course, and a ribbon 'round my mantle, but I felt quite squalid and grubby by comparison.

Then Pinsitter bestowed a radiant smile upon me, and I forgot any thoughts of myself entirely. I gave her a bow and made an attempt to compliment her. I have no recollection whatsoever of what I said -- indeed, I cannot vouch for certain that the noises I made were actual speech. We engaged in small talk for a ninth of an hour, about something or other which my brain could not be bothered to process properly at the time much less remember now. I am reasonably assured that Miss Pinsitter was speaking normally. Whatever noises my speaking mouth was making without consultation with my mind did not appear to distress her. Instead, she looked rather amused.

I offered her a tentacle. She looped one of hers around mine, and permitted me to float her to the door.

delight-in.livejournal.com

Voidsy never sleeps when I furstyle him, so we talked while I worked. A lot of Temple stuff, the rites he'd been doing and the kinds of things "Here" like and dislikes and the conversation Voidsy had with a Locador angel last month. I told him what I'd been up to, like visiting Boomsy and rescuing Boomsy and the furstylist's guild going mad and asking me to stand for master.

Void-Dancer laughed so hard at this that I had to stop styling him. "I can't paint you if you curl up like that!"

"S ... sorry," he gasped, schooling his features and straightening out on the bed. "What did Violetbloom say after 'dedi ... dedicate ' -- " Void-Dancer lost it again, doubling up in paroxysms of laughter.

I gave up on furstyling for the moment and got out my scroll to read it aloud in my best crazy-prime-fanatic voice.

When he finally stopped laughing, he insisted on seeing the invitation. So I spent fifteen minutes hunting it down (it was on a shelf in our closet under a clean towel) and let him read it while I tried to finish blackening him.

Void-Dancer flipped it over twice. "Not much for details, are they? So you're not going to stand the test?"

"I don't know. Probably not. I'm rich and retired now and tired of furstyling."

He glanced over his shoulder, watching my fingers work matte black color down to the roots of his fur and stain his skin. "... Sister, if you're tired of furstyling, why did you offer to do my fur?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're my BROTHER, you don't count. And I'm more sick of it as a job than as a hobby."

"Ah." He turned back to the invitation, smirking.

I sighed. "I suppose you think I should do it, too?"

"'Should'?" He chuckled, then laughed. "Absolutely not. The guild has clearly gone mad and has no idea of your typical proclivities. Presuming master furstylists have duties beyond styling, you are wholly unsuited for them and would indubitably make a hash of whatever responsibilities they gave you. They'd probably increase your guild dues and hinge your status as master contingent on continued payment, making it awkward and expensive to go on your random month-long jaunts with no notice. It's a terrible idea for both you and them."

"FINALLY!" I threw up my hands. "SOMEONE understands!"

Void-Dancer snickered. "It would be enormously funny, though."

So I was about two-thirds through with Void-Dancer and working on his chest fur when Glorious Cool walked in.

"Delight! I didn't think -- oops, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt -- " Her ears were flat with embarrasment and she started to back out of the room, then she stopped. "Oh, it's just Void-Dancer." She padded into the room and flopped onto her bed. "How's things, Void?"

"Well enough," my brother answered.

"You know, you've got nice fur," Glorious Cool remarked. "When you're not covering it all up with blacker-than-black-blackening."

"Uh-huh," I said. Void-Dancer didn't dignify it with a response.

Glorious Cool watched me work for a few moments. "I don't get it, Dee. If giving Lady Vina a bad furstyle was so awful that you'd rather get fired than do it, why are you willing to do that to your own brother? Seriously. I've never seen you do a more boring furstyle. Is it revenge for some slight when you were growing up? That time he abandoned you at the market?"

Void-Dancer snorted. "I did not abandon her."

"Noooooo Lady Vina wanted a bad look that didn't suit her at ALL and this style suits Voidsy fine," I told her.

"So you're saying he's boring and black-hearted?"

Void-Dancer rolled his eyes.

"I'm saying -- " I twisted my head to look over my shoulder at her " -- that he dances with Locador angels and serves the god of infinite space, and that if he wants to look like it then that's a pretty fair call."

"Hmph. He still looks better au naturel."

"Stop ogling my brother, Glory."

Glorious Cool flattened her ears and rolled over to face the wall. "As IF." Void-Dancer snickered.

delight-in.livejournal.com

I was in my room, reading one of Glory's Stone Tree novels, when I heard the knock. I answered the door, and Void-Dancer was standing in the hallway.

"Voidsy!" I yelped, and gave him a big hug. "How are you it's so good to see you again is everything going well at the temple Masksy says it's been busy?"

He patted my back awkwardly. "I am fine, sister. Mersillia said you'd called?"

"I did but I didn't think you'd call back I was going to try again tomorrow or the next day why don't you come on in?" I stood aside to let him into my room, then scurried ahead to dump the pile of dirty laundry off one of the chairs and onto Glory's bed, and moved the pile of clean laundry off the other chair and onto my bed. "Sorry it's a mess we don't usually have people in if it's nice outside."

Void-Dancer watched me with one of his faintly amused smirks. He was wearing everyday robes, not his formal ones from the temple. They had a plain cut and no embroidery but were otherwise black just like his temple ones. Voidsy really likes black. But his fur was faded back to its natural brown with a dusting of tiny beige spots. "How old are you, Delight-in-Justice?"

"I'm Delight-in-No-More-Surprises now and 27*? Eleven years younger than you you know that. "

[[ * About 21 Earth years. ]]

"Sometimes I find it hard to credit that you are grown up now."

I giggled. "I guess I'll always be the baby sister to you just like I'm still Dad-Dad's fiddle-of-pearl."

He shook his head, dusting off the chair with one hand before he took a seat. "No, I don't think that's it. What did you wish to see me regarding, Delight-in-No-More-Surprises?"

"I wanted to say hi to you and see how you were doing because I haven't seen you in months and months since I've been out of town?"

He gave me a suspicious look. "Is that all?"

"Yes?" I tried to think if there was anything else. "Oh!"

Void-Dancer leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, eyebrow whiskers raised. "Yes?"

"Did you want me to do your fur in black again or are you going back to natural?"

He looked at me for a moment, blinking, then smiled wryly. "Yes, thank you. I'd appreciate that."

So he took off his robes and lay down on my bed with a blanket over the parts of him I wasn't furstyling at the present time. I started with his right arm. "Do you want just plain black again?" I always ask.

"Yes. Matte, please." And he always wants just plain black.

"Are you sure? I could do your chest in silver for contrast."

"I'm sure."

"Or stars! I could put stars in with the black."

"No. Thank you."

"Teeny tiny stars? All in one color? Like your natural spots?"

"Just black will do, Delight." He thinks his natural spots are undignified. I like them! Maybe next time I re-do my fur I'll add spots like his.

"Oh all right."

Void-Dancer's fur is kind of challenging to do even though he does want BLACK JUST BLACK every time. Because he wants a flat black and fur is usually glossy. And nobody wants fur that isn't glossy -- usually everyone's asking how to make it shine MORE, not LESS. So I don't get much chance to do matte colors. If you do matte black right, it looks like you're a piece of night itself, like the eye can't even find your features and just slides to the edges to see your outline. It's a pretty cool effect! But if you do matte black wrong, it just looks like you're really sick and have been subsisting on magic-created food. The first time Void-Dancer had it done was like that. Our parents pitched a fit! If he'd still been living at home I think they would've dragged him back to a furstylist for a new style on the spot. I wasn't a licensed furstylist back then but I'd always liked to style my friends' fur for fun and I had a basic fur-styling spell grafted. I'd noticed over the next few months that he kept letting it grow out then getting it done again by some different stylist and finally I had asked, "Why do you keep doing that to your fur is it an acolyte thing you're supposed to look sickly because "Here" is torturing you?"

He had growled at me. "Perhaps."

"You know black fur is supposed to have highlights right?"

"I don't want highlights. I want the black of the void."

"..." I'd studied him. "You know you're getting the black of I-need-to-eat-more-fish-and-nuts, right?"

Void-Dancer had glowered at me.

"I'm just saying that if you want the black of the void you can do better. Here, I'll show you."

"I am not letting you experiment on me."

So I'd painted one of my hands very carefully, until it was so perfectly black you couldn't see the knuckles or pads or even claws except for their edges. "See? Like that."

Ever since then Voidsy's been letting me do his fur.

delight-in.livejournal.com

Since Void-Dancer won't be at the No Surprise party, I decided to go see him today. I checked at his house but the only one home was his maid so I told her to tell him I'd called and that I'd stop by another day. If I waited for Void-Dancer to call me back every time he wasn't home I'd NEVER see him again. He's not very good at social stuff like that.

I went to the Temple of Reflections in the Void next and as usual stopped in the entranceway to spend some time staring at the windows to other places and worlds. I was especially looking for worlds with a lot of Durudor so I could spot

gavinfox's and

vik_thor's world maybe. I found one that might have been it! The window showed what looked kind of like a city intersection but instead of buildings made of wood they were made of MIRRORS. And not LITTLE buildings either! They were all jammed next to one another with no space in between, and they stretched so high that the window didn't show their tops. I counted at least eight levels of mirrors on one and each mirror was half again as tall as the people swingng around. The mirrors weren't perfectly reflective so it wasn't a blinding hall-of-Illusidor effect. On the streets were metal carriages that rolled along by magic without anything pulling them. And the people looked like they were made of Durudor too! They had eight legs ending in hand-feet and many of them moved around by swinging on thick ropes that spun out from their abdomens. It looked like a lot of fun swinging around among the tall buildings! So is that like your world Gavsy?

Visiting "Here" reminded me that I STILL haven't gotten a present for Kvarse ARGH and I have no idea what to get her. I haven't seen any interesting animals on my journeys! I might have to go on an Adventure just to find something. I looked in the mirrors for cute animals she might like and saw some pretty ones with heads like a taptet but slender and delicate four-legged bodies with no arms. They had short brown fur and white spots on their flanks. They were in a section of a forest where everything was in shades of brown or grey or green. All the grass and moss and leaves were green and all the wood and earth was brown or grey. Do you know a place like that, Boomsy? One of them would make a good gift if I had any idea where to actually find them.

Or I could just donate a bunch of lozens to the Nastrothon Memorial Sanctuary. Kvarse'd like that.

I was still looking at windows in the entrance hall when Mask of Infinity came out. He was escorting an unhappy-looking Sleeth. "The Temple appreciates your donation," Mask was saying. "I know it can be unsettling, but the ceremony went quite well. "Here" looks with favor upon your endeavor. That's just ... one of the ways he shows it."

The Sleeth lashed her tail. "Knowing this and being pleased by it are not being the same thing. I get what I come for. I go now." She slunk off.

I waited until she was out the door and then waved. "Hiiiii Mask-max!"

Mask of Inifinty sighed as he watched the patron depart and then turned to me with a smile. "Hello, Delight. Good to see you again, it's been quite a while."

"Soooorry I've been out of town mostly! I was gone all Chirreb on a stupid adventure and then most of Oix visiting Boomer-rooners but I'm back now. How have you been?"

"Busy. We're a bit short-handed at present. I don't suppose you've ever considered a calling with the Lord of Space?" Mask of Infinity grinned and winked at me to show he wasn't very serious.

"I did remember I worked at the Temple for um three weeks in 4378?"

"So you did. Whyever did we let you go? Your parents talk you out of it?"

"Noooo they usually wait a couple of months before trying to talk any of us out of things because we'll probably stop on our own," I said. "Velabble fired me because I forgot to show up for three ceremonies in a row where I was supposed to be assisting. She said 'I don't care how fond of you 'Here' is, if you're not present you're no use to us!'" I shrugged helplessly.

"Ah. I suppose she had a point. Not interested in giving it another go, then?" Mask walked with me back in to the main sanctuary.

"Noooo I'm rich and retired now are you reeeeeeally this desperate? Why don't you just hire Nightbloom back?"

Mask of Infinity's smile faded, and he just shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not an option."

"Why not could she really have done something worse than not showing up three times in a row with no notice?" I asked, as we knelt together towards the altar.

He shook his head again as we rose. "I can't discuss that, Delight. And it's been seven years for you. I'm sure you've matured since then."

Now I really wanted to know how Nightbloom managed to get fired, but I let the topic go as we walked the straight line crooked to the altar. "Not really I got fired in Lage for kinda the same thing."

Mask of Infinity tried to stifle a smile and failed. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's all right being rich is better. Is Void-Dancer around I was looking for him?"

"Alas, he's scheduled for an off-site rite all day today."

"Awww all right I'll just say hi to "Here" and all the angels while I'm here." I gave the Temple a donation since I'm rich and paid my respects and one of the angels impaled me a little in greeting which was unexpected. But that's why I have Remedy for Locador and it was nothing serious.

I went home afterwards and figured I'd try again tomorrow. But then Void-Dancer surprised me by returning my call that evening.

delight-in.livejournal.com

It was so good to visit you again Boomser-loomers! I'm really glad now that I came to Daukhrame even if it wasn't quite as emergently an emergency as I thought. It was sweet of your foreman and Clobberbob to let you take the rest of Surprise off so we could visit properly. I know Surprise is a strange time for a vacation but the timing worked out well what with me being rich and the docks being light on work. Maybe if I'm rich next Surprise we can do it again! If I'm REALLY rich next Surprise we can go on an airship like Lady Luck! The only thing that'd be more fun then flying on a super-ritzy airship would be flying on one with my friends.

Everything's fine in Vheshrame! Glorious Cool found my cache here with no problems and paid my share of the rent just like I asked. Although I am starting to wonder what I keep a room for here anyway since I've only spent about one week out of the last two months actually in Vheshrame. And most of that week was spent in the swimming hole. I'm sure I'll be glad of a home when winter comes though.

And I have missed Dad-Dad and Dadsy and I've barely seen any of my siblings nevermind my nieces and nephews. I went to visit Dad-Dad and Dadsy as soon as I got back yesterday. They're having our traditional No Surprise party on the ninth this year so I haven't missed it yay! I'll get to see everyone there except Void-Dancer.

Dad-Dad and Dadsy say hello and they miss you too, Boomsy! I didn't show them your present yet. I'm going to get Splooshie and Banderswish to help me with that. I really shouldn't surprise them with it at the No Surprise party but I reeeeally want to. What do you think? Would it be all right?

Anyway I hope that your court date goes well but if it doesn't DON'T WORRY. You don't have to pay me back! I'd only have spent the money on ice dancing lessons or something. But do write and tell me how it goes!

Posted via LiveJournal app for Android.

boomstarter.livejournal.com

So.

I am not quite sure, now that I have the Scroll of Infinite Worlds to Read open, exactly why I wanted to write in it.

I am aware that Delight has long thought of this enchantment as a means of recording her life and communicating with an assortment of new and old friends, many of whom are not actually from this dimension. It is, as she noted two months ago, "not just letters to Boomsy".

But I am an old-fashioned prime, I suppose, and I have been thinking all this time of the scroll as a means of posting missives for Delight.

I have no need to post missives to Delight at this moment. She was in this very room not a third of an hour gone by, and shall return in an hour or two at most, I have no doubt. My Delight-in-Surprise is full of surprises! This unexpected visit is a most welcome one, do not mistake me! It has been nigh on two years since last we met in the flesh, and there is nothing quite so cheering as the physical presence of a beloved relation. So much is lost in mere writing, uncaptured by the black stroke of pen. The smile on her face, her boundless and bounding enthusiasm when caught by an idea, her eager impatience to suit deeds to words -- ah, how I've missed you, Dee, and not even known I missed you.

And yet ...

And yet.

Not every surprise has been as welcome as this one, and the sudden inexplicable animosity between my dear coz and my close friend is a guest I could do well without.

Forgive me, Delight, my foolish incomprehension. You expended a full third of an hour explaining the topic, and I have no excuse for pleading ignorance, save willfulness. Indeed, it is a willfull ignorance that refused to read the words when you tried to show them to me, that coiled tentacles before my earholes when you tried to read them aloud.

I do not want to know these words, these words of such great and awful power that they could sunder two primes I care for so deeply.

Whatever Song wrote within this scroll is buried and dead to me. Perhaps some Mentador monster controlled her into making false statements, or some bonstable scribbled them down in her name, or maybe it was merely a momentary lapse of judgement. Whatever it was, I know it was not my Song-for-Always that you read on this page, Delight. Not my Song-for-Always, who ransomed my drums when I pawned them for rent two years ago. Not my Song-for-Always, who stood her ground when four armed primes sought to teach an overly-locquacious Khtsoyis that it was not his place to use the speech of his betters. Not my Song-for-Always, who has rejected four offers to engage Don't Go in It's a Tarp! because they were contingent on her employing a drummer of some more acceptable species.

These actions shout louder than any words ever could. It is their bedlam noise, more even than the tentacles against my ears, that drowns out your efforts to explain, my dearest Delight.

It seems I had a message to write to you after all.

I feel I ought to apologize for writing this down instead of saying it. Sometimes speech is not my ally, when I must struggle for breath at the same time as I struggle for words. Perhaps it's easier to articulate my thoughts with ink on clean parchment.

I am sorry, dear coz.

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My freedom thus secured, I went immediately to the docks, that I might attempt to secure my job as well. Fortunately, shippers no more than judges care to work in this wretched month, so work has been quite light. The foreman lays off half the tentacles each Surprise anyway. I'd been spared this go 'round, but when he learned of my plight he merely rousted up one of those who had not. My replacement, Clobberbob, was not the slightest resentful of the inconvenience -- on the contrary, he was delighted at the chance to earn the extra lozens. He asked if I'd mind if he finished out the shift. It seemed churlish to refuse, even if I rather needed the cash under the circumstances myself. With the foreman's blessing, I allowed Clobberbob to continue his work and went on home.

I thought next to write Delight-in-Surprise and regale her with my recent misadventures, but much to my consternation, I could not locate my scroll. I ransacked my room looking for it, and half-wondering if I had not brought it to the parade and forgotten it there. I did not recollect bringing it to the parade, nor could I think why I would have, but I had no notion why it would not be on my table where I'd left it, either. I floated downstairs to inquire of my landlady, in the unlikely evenr that she might have some clue as to its whereabouts. Perhaps I had brought it to breakfast and left it in the common room?

I had not, but my landlady observed that Song-for-Always had come by in a great wild rush, pleading to be let into my room that she might save me from some terrible fate or other. My landlady had graciously permitted Song's entrance, as there has been more than one occasion when I've requested that my friend be allowed to retrieve this or that when I could not be present to let her in. "Maybe she took it? Not my fault what you let your friends do with your things. If you didn't want her let in no more you should've said something," Mrs. Trapthrash noted, in aggrieved tones.

"No, no, it's quite all right," I assured her. "I'm sure Song-for-Always had good cause to take it." Even if I'd no notion at the time what that cause might be. "I'll go see her about it."

I looked for her at her place of employment, where I learnt that she had left for lunch. I checked at her favorite pub, and then at her home, but to no avail. At length I headed back for my own home, having left notes for her at each locale. At last, as I floated down the last block to my street, who should run out of my building but Song-for-Always? "Sevendrums! What are you doing here?" cried she.

"Well, I do live here."

"But how did you get out of gaol? I've been looking everywhere for you! You haven't seen Delight yet have you?" Song-for-Always was in a most agitated state, bouncing around me fretfully and tugging at her hair.

"Pinsitter posted a bond on my behalf. Whyever would I be seeing Delight?"

"Pinsitter? Why would she post two hundred fifty lozen for you? Why didn't you tell me you had another rich friend? Oh, I've made such a horrible hash of everything! I didn't know! Delight is going to hate me forever!"

"Why would Dee hate you? My dear Song, whatever is the matter?"

"Because I told her -- oh! I can't tell you! You'll hate me too!" Song spun in a tight little circle, then attempted to bash her head against the wall.

I intercepted her with three tentacles. "Song, do calm down! I could never hate you! Whatever happened to alarm you thus?"

"I told Dee you were in gaol!" Song wailed.

"That's quite all right. I had meant to tell her as much myself, my dear."

"And we had a TERRIBLE FIGHT! And now she hates me forever!"

Despite having lived with Orren for some years and been good friends with them for most of my life, I nonetheless find myself at a loss at times to follow their conversations. "What? Why? ... surely not for the affair with the hat? She must understand that was an accident."

"That TOO! AHHHHH I'm so sorry!" Song was on the verge of tears.

I patted her shoulder. "There there. I'll set her to rights about it, fear not."

Song shook her head violently. "No! You don't understand!"

"Understand what?"

She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again to burst out with, "I can't tell you! You'll hate me too! Everyone does!"

"Everyone? Surely you exaggerate. Here, let me see Delight's leaf to you."

"Leaf?" Confusion briefly joined distress upon her face, until she realized the source of my error. "It wasn't by leaf. I wrote her with your scroll."

"Ah, of course! That's why you borrowed it." In retrospect, that should've been obvious, although I'd half-suspected that if she'd ask anyone for help in a money matter, it would be the Wizard Sythyry. Not that zie is in any position to lend assistance, half the Tree away as zie is. But Song might not have known that. "Might I have it back now?"

"No!" She clutched at her bag. "You'll read it and hate me!"

"Song-for-Always, unless you confessed to murder in that scroll, I cannot conceive what you could possibly say that would make me hate you."

Song shook her head mutely, still clutching at her bag. I continued my efforts to soothe her, assuring her of my confidence that whatever matter she and Delight-in-Surprise had quarrelled must be a simple misunderstanding. Song, alas, remained unconvinced. I tried to persuade her to come to a pub with me and have a drink to settle her nerves, but she maintained that she could not. "I have to get back to work," she sniffled. "I wasn't supposed to be gone this long anyway. I just wanted to ask if you wanted a lawyer. And then when I found out you were free I wanted to talk to you before Delight did -- oh, Sevendrums, YOU know I don't hate Khtsoyis, don't you?"

I blinked all five eyes. "Of course not. You've always been a good friend, Song."

She sniffled again, and pulled out Delight's scroll. She shoved it into my tentacles. "Here, take the horrible thing. I never want to see it again! Just ... promise me you won't read what I wrote. Don't read anything from after your arrest!"

I protested that whatever she or Delight had written could scarcely be so awful as all that, but she was adamant and inconsolable elsewise. I gave her my word, and she ran back to her workplace in a mad dash.

And that concludes my adventures to date: I thence carried this scroll back to my room and scribed this whole sordid tale. Perhaps, coz Delight, you will have time to read this shortly and can resolve what mystery remains. I confess a certain apprehension regarding Song's state. One never likes to see one's friends upset, especially with each other.

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In the next few hours, I had ample time to review the documents left for me. They told me much the same thing the solicitor had, but using nineteen times as many words and capturing a nineteenth of the clarity.

One new and interesting detail caught an eye: as Esclegerio had said, the twenty-lozen court fee was refundable if I presented myself in court and was judged Innocent. It was also refundable if I was judged Guilty. It was forfeit if I did not appear in court, and forfeit if I appeared and was judged Egregiously Guilty. Egregious Guilt, as I understand it, means that one has been judged not only to have committed the crime, but to have no credible defense whatsoever against the accusation. The idea is to deter criminals from wasting court time contesting charges of which they are clearly guilty.

I was not entirely sure whether or not I qualified as Egregiously Guilty in this case. After all, I was Khtsoyis. I had been unclothed in public. If the law holds that a Khtsoyis nude in public is committing Aggravated Public Indecency, I had clearly been in violation. On the other tip, however, I had not been nude by choice, and perhaps the law would regard this as a mitigating circumstance. My experience with the law has not been that it is inclined to accept mitigating circumstances, particularly where Khtsoyis are concerned. Yet it was surely possible that this time would prove the exception.

Still, when Esclegerio sent a girl 'round later to see if I was ready to sign, I did tell the messenger that I wished to know if there was any hope for success in contesting the charge before I committed to doing so. She noted her inability to give legal advice, and returned to her master. I passed another night in gaol. Nickerskeepers observed that I was, in point of fact, a complete idiot. I did not contest this, since I rather suspect I am Egregiously Guilty of it as well.

The next morning, on 15 Oix, Esclegerio did me the honor of another visit. I daresay he was a good deal less honored by it than I, for which I do not fault him. I asked if there was any hope in court for me.

"I doubt it'll go to court," Esclegerio said. "If it weren't Oix, I'd've had the prosecutor drop the charges already. There's dozens of witnesses saw your singer take your hat and you trying to get it back. No case for convicting you of a crime in that. You're the victim."

"Ahh." I considered this. "... would using this defense thereby transfer the charge of Public Indency to Song-for-Always? My singer," I added, in case he didn't know that detail. He seemed quite well informed about so many of the others that I rather suspected he knew, however.

"Her? What, did you want her arrested for stealing?"

"No! Certainly not. I have no desire to trade my safety and wellbeing for hers."

"Ah. Then no. You can only convict an Orren of Public Indecency if you prove intention, which generally means advance planning. If it was a rehearsed part of your act ... ?"

"It was not. She was improvising."

"Right. If they arrested every Orren who acted on a sudden bad idea, the guards wouldn't have time for anything else. They can get these guys --" he waved a gloved hand to my Orren cellmates "-- for lewdity because the Naked Parade was organized. But your lot was planning to wear clothes."

"I see, thank you. There's just one other thing, then." I rifled through the pages. "I could not find where, in these documents, it notes that I owe the two hundred seventy lozens to Pinsitter in the event of a loss or forfeit."

Esclegerio sighed. "That's because you don't."

"... I don't? But I thought --"

"Miss Pinsitter is not lending you the funds. She is posting it on your behalf. If you forfeit or somehow contrive to get yourself judged guilty in spite of the evidence, then she loses it. When you are judged innocent or the case is dismissed, she regains it. You have no monetary interest either way," he said flatly.

"But ... what ... why is she doing this for me?" I asked, bewildered.

"You," Nickerskeepers said behind me, laughing, "need to stop checking that gift over for flaws in the wrapping. Thank the nice lady and get your bare hide out of here."

Esclegerio was giving me a level stare. "Any information I might or might not have on this subject is confidential between myself and my client. If you want to know, ask her."

I could not think what else to say. I signed the documents and returned them to Esclegerio. Two-thirds of an hour later, the guards released me. As I floated into welcome freedom, Nickerskeepers yelled, "Hey! Tell your rich lady friend that if she ever gets tired of slumming with morons, she should look me up!"

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IC journal for Delight and friends, using the World Tree RPG setting

November 2012

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IC journal for Delight and friends, using the World Tree RPG setting

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