Shards of Memory-Prologue: Fractured Union

[Bront]

RA:
[SBLOCK]

"No...Kirkesh I didn't mean that you are silly and unwieldy...its just...why would you need something so big and long to get rid of the water in your body when another hole or something would suffice? It just looks kind of silly--like a backwards tail or something."

"It has it's uses" he says with a slight grin.

"Oh, Kirkesh, I feel so wonderful sitting here with you like this...I feel cherished and protected and safe...is this what you meant when you said you would make me feel special?"

"I ment to make you feel alive, feel pleasure, feel a moment you could have to last a life time."

"Oh Kirkesh, you would take me with you?!" Vanessa's entire face lights up in a huge grin and she leans forward and kisses him deeply and passionately, the tips of her chest tickling gently against his chest-muscles as she does.

Eventually, she stops long enough to consider the rest of his sentence, "I know Sanchez would understand, and Mommy is dead, but Daddy wouldn't hear of it...So I just wouldn't tell him--I'd much rather run away with you, even if it means abandoning my life of luxury forever...I want to be with you Kirkesh."

"Vanessa, you truely are a special woman. You accept me who how I am more than any I have met. I think I could enjoy showing you the worlds, and teaching you the ways of the great beyond."

He kisses her softly, but pulls away before she can respond with something deeper. "But I worry for your wellfare. Money does not come easy to a sailor and a swashbuckler. I know not what skills you have picked up from your family, but I'm sure you have had little time to use them outside of court. And as much as you say you care about me, and want to go with me, I worry that perhaps you've become infatuated with a schoolgirl fantasy, and are not looking at things as objectively as you could."

"Vanessa, you are a truely remarkable woman. And I want for you what I would want for any other, and that is to be truely happy. What are you dreams? What do you aspire to do with your life? Where do you see yourself in years to come?"[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Yuriko:
[SBLOCK]
"Of course, Mistress Yuriko--you are most welcome to the guest house."

*Yuriko has a warm hearty meal and regales the children with her stories, leaving them smiling--the boys for the adventure and Rin for the little girl who overcame the odds at the end.*

*Eventually, it comes time for the little ones to go to sleep, leaving Yuriko the choice to chat with Shinoa for a bit or turn in for the night herself.*
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Zaeryn:
[SBLOCK]
*Valyssa still looks a bit embarrassed over the candle, but she smiles at Zaeryn anyway.*
"Of course, my love. I'll take whatever you think is best, plus a little bit of whatever you're having too, and then you can share some of mine, and I'll feel good knowing you really like the meal you are sharing with me."
[/SBLOCK]

 

[unleashed]

Zaeryn T'Erilan, Male Altanian Arcanist

Rystil

[SBLOCK]*Calling their sever over Zaeryn orders their meals, choosing two different items for each course some exotic and others fairly common with something especially rich with chocolate for dessert, along with a couple of exotic nonalcoholic beverages. Returning his attention to Valyssa, he reaches across the table and takes both her hands is his saying affectionately:*

“I would enjoy any meal with you were it but trail rations and water, your company alone makes the meal more than enjoyable.”[/SBLOCK]

 

[Dark Nemesis]

Rystil:

[sblock]
Her eyes widen as she examines the locket, amazed by the craftmanship. She then looks at the tickets, as it becomes clear to her that Subterfuge had been planning this for some time. She offered Glamor a smile, and clasped the other woman's hands. "I will, thank you."

She then winks at the other woman and turns to exit the dressing woman. She paused just outside the door to look for Subterfuge. When she found him, she would approach to give him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you..."[/SBLOCK]

 

[Keia]

Yotsu Yuriko, Martial Artist

Rystil:[SBLOCK]*Yuriko chatted with Shinoa for a time, before heading off to bed. Of particular interest, she asked, "Any news of the road ahead, Shinoa?" Yuriko indicated the direction she would be traveling.

*Still wondering about the traveling monk that would put powerful sutras on a residence for just a meal, Yuriko went back outside to inspect the sutras, to see if she could find anything out. She inspected the old sutras protecting the house to see if they were still active.*[/SBLOCK]

 

[Festy_Dog]

Rystil:

[sblock]"I have been told that it is an expedition into unexplored space. A search for something by the name of Empyreal Shards. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Additional information wouldn't go astray either.

"I'm happy to jump straight to the application process nonetheless, as I expect you'll have grown tired of constantly explaining the job to applicants," Diedrik says kindly.

Take time to gauge her reactions, get a feel for what she's looking for, and I think I'll have a good chance.[/sblock]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Zaeryn:
[SBLOCK]
*Zaeryn picks out dragon steak, creamy lentil soup, and a fresh salad for Valyssa and roast lamb, fried chuul tentacles (the paralytic venom denatures slightly at high temperatures and adds flavour!), and some squares wholebread with sauces to dip for himself. For dessert, he orders a big bowl of hot and creamy melted chocolate as well as a variety of fruits, cookies, and other goodies to dip into the fondue.*

"Me too, Zaeryn...in fact, you didn't have to do all this," Valyssa admits, "Though I will admit that this place is lovely, and it does make me feel special to come to such a fancy place!"
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Kirkesh:
[SBLOCK]

"It has it's uses" he says with a slight grin.

*Vanessa doesn't know what to make of this, but she smiles because Kirkesh is smiling.*

"I ment to make you feel alive, feel pleasure, feel a moment you could have to last a life time."

"Well, then you succeeded Kirkesh...that was amazing...though while it could last a lifetime...I wish it wouldn't have to..."

And as much as you say you care about me, and want to go with me, I worry that perhaps you've become infatuated with a schoolgirl fantasy, and are not looking at things as objectively as you could

*Vanessa's eyebrows furrow in sadness and her eyes begin to tear.*

"Oh Kirkesh...you...you don't think I really care about you? You think all of this is just an infatuation...a fantasy?"

*Although it makes little sense to seek solace from the source of one's sadness, Vanessa tries to find comfort from Kirkesh's own words by burying her head against his chest and sobbing softly.*

"Vanessa, you are a truely remarkable woman. And I want for you what I would want for any other, and that is to be truely happy. What are you dreams? What do you aspire to do with your life? Where do you see yourself in years to come?"

*Vanessa hears Kirkesh's last words and stops crying, wiping away her tears from her eyes as she thinks about the answers to his questions.*

"My dreams?...Sometimes, when I'm in a deep slumber, I dream of shedding off myself, this naive and feeble body of mine and becoming a free spirit, a bodyless soul, and soaring through the stars!"

"My hopes...its something like my dream. I want to break free of the oppression of my life as a noblewoman--hypocritical as it may seem to call it oppression when it is a life of luxury, I know--and soar through the stars, wandering free..."

"As for where I see myself...I can really see two futures..."

"In the first, I see you holding me in your arms, smiling in delight as we sail through the stars on our very own Spelljamming ship along with maybe some friends and comrades that we have encountered throughout our many travels, laughing together and kissing as we head out on another adventure..."

"In the second...I see myself forcing a pleasant smile that I do not share in my heart at some big fancy dinner party, wearing a skimpy dress, while a rude and obnoxious man that I hate but must obey in all things, shows me off like a possession to other such men, occasionally reaching out with his meaty hand under of my dress to grope me in order to assuage his sexual appetite or perhaps just to display his dominance, who knows. Meanwhile, three snivelling little boys pull at my skirt and demand to be given more sweets, more money, more toys...the eldest is only gone because he is dawdling somewhere with a maid in another room...and my only solace is my one sweet little daughter who always stands by me...at least until they take her away and train her to become some man's simpering plaything...and then, when life has eaten away my beauty, I will be cast aside in favour of someone younger and prettier, no longer able to fulfill my role as my arranged husband's trophy wife and pleasure pet..."

*Vanessa shivers and begins to cry again as she thinks about wht is in store for her if she stay on Tymadeau.*
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Talia:
[SBLOCK]
*Subterfuge blushes, a bit embarrassed at the kiss but also quite pleased, and he says:*

"You're...you're welcome Talia. Is it too much? I hope you like it!"
[/SBLOCK]