Oh yes indeed that sounded fantastic to the aching archer. But hot springs meant little to no clothing. Oh boy. He thought on it a moment. This was just how it was going to have to be. If she were a different friend, guy or girl, he'd not really care. Hells he probably wouldn't even care if he thought that friend was attractive and they knew it.
He just didn't want to step on any toes with THIS friend. And he'd almost literally walked back into her life out of nowhere and she'd given him a place to stay. He was going to have to be a better man than this, to accept realities and get on with it if he wanted to stay here for any length of time.
"Sure, why not. And I'm with Dom on the rice wine." He didn't tend to do stupid things when he was drunk, and he was more likely to do something stupid because he was nervous. So yeah, a drink could help, perhaps.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Ely spun around on the tips of her toes to look at Dom.
"Oh, sure, Dom. If nothing is open the tavern will have a couple of bottles. We have to walk that way in any case, the Springs are on the other side of the town."
Ely headed in that direction and she was humming the last bit of Dominic's finale tune from the show. The crowd had gone in a dozen directions while they'd been standing there talking. Wistvale was a rowdy place most nights, but currently it seemed Perry's fireworks show had satisfied their craving for excitement.
As it turned out, though, Ely was right about the shops being closed. The Tavern was the only place they found open during the walk through town besides a few unsavory joints that she quickly moved past.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom clack clacked along beside her, the sounds echoing from the cobbles, reverberating around. There were always a couple of ornery types out this late, though the Sentinels tended to keep it at bay and the Vanguard picked up the more obscure, grey stuff. He had something of a reputation himself, though he'd built it as much by spreading rumours than actual prowess. He'd rather have people think he was an all conquering badass so he never had to show them he was an opportunistic pugilist with a neat trick at best, and a pretty helpless guy at worst.
The wine was procured, a more refined starchy brew than the infintely variable homebrew concoctions made from potatoes one got. The starch liquor they quaffed in the tundras was the worst. At room temperature it tasted like paint thinner. At proper drinking temperature (having been left in a ceramic jug in a glacier crevace for a day) it tasted of nothing much except cold. Either way it hit like a morningstar to the bridge of the nose.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Perry stayed amiably quiet for the walk, just keeping himself calm and focusing on just how good the water would feel, how he could close his eyes and just talk and relax. How good that wine would taste after they let the bottle warm in the water first. He told himself he wasn't going to be squeamish about this, but he would comport himself with as much dignity as he could muster.
He was not. Repeat, NOT, going to upset her. Of that he was certain. The air grew damp and warm as they natural spring came closer. "Kinda odd that there's a hot water vein this far from any mountains." he said idly. "Maybe it's some magic thing. A ley line or something. I heard magic in the ground could make odd stuff happen." He wasn't ever that studious a person, though Ely had gone through a little magical theory with him a few times.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
"It's a thermal pocket, Perry. Though, I agree it is odd. However, several years ago Wistvale was on the shores of a lake. Then, from what I've been able to determine, a terrible quake split the land apart and the sea poured in."
She turned back around to watch where she was going. The path was very overgrown. Plus, the overall moisture in the air provided a huge amount of growth from the ferns, bushes, vines, and plants that surrounded the area. Ely ducked beneath a tree with wide, flat leaves and almost disappeared from sight.
"Come on guys, in here."
Her voice had lowered just a bit. Ely always felt like she was entering some heretofore unknown part of the world once past the curtain of foliage.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom felt the familiar sensation of warmth and moisture of the air around the pool. He ambled through the low trees, his staff ahead of him to prevent anything from smacking him in the face. Once in the clear he was completely unabashed and immediately disrobed, heedless of whatever the other two might think.
Sliding into the hot water he sighed with bliss, the water almost - but not quite - too hot, which was perfect for tired muscles and aching bones. He sank in up to his neck, leaning his head against a smooth rock.
"Come on in, the water's...well...can't really describe it without profanity and innuendo." He chuckled, holding out his hand "And get that rice wine in here, a man gets a thirst after having to sing over explosions."
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Percival Graves was not a prude, nor was he shy, nor was he ashamed of his body in any way. Heck he was proud of the shape he was in. But...she was Right There. She could Definitely See Him, and that made him feel like his insides were turning to soup.
Suck it up, was his thought, and get over the awkwardness. He wasn't embarassed by Dom's nudity, so why should he care about anyone elses? That didn't stop him from disrobing behind a tree and jumping in the water as fast as he could though.
He came up with a yelp, the water surprisingly hot, but not scalding, and splashed over to rest by Dom. Then the feel of it really hit him an the sound that came from his throat was appropriate for a man without clothes on, but not really appropriate for a man in polite company.
"Oh wow, Sparky...this was a very good idea indeed..." he had to concede, having brought the wine in with him and letting the bottle bob in the water to warm. He closed his eyes, leaning back, happy to just enjoy the sensations.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Ely had slipped into the water, but unlike the men had not taken off any of her clothing. She was not normally very body shy, Cathains as rule were unselfconscious. They often fell asleep in body piles, gender making no difference about where you rested or put your head.
Out in the field this had seemed like a great idea. It was a good idea. Perry had even said so. But, it was awfully intimate, too. Ely realized that when Dom made the comment about profanity and innuendo. The sound Perry made did not help, either.
Her cheerful attitude took a turn for the worse. Ely talked to anybody, it was her nature to speak out and see what they were interested in. Now, though, she could find nothing to say.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom noticed the sudden silence of the girl who'd invited him here, swishing his hand about in the water until he found the bottle and uncorking it to take a swig before stopping it again to place it back in the water. The pregnancy of the silence was absolutely apparent and he could fathom why. These two had history. Maybe a history that might make being partially or fully naked together somewhat problematic.
"Well, I don't know if we're going to be doing this kind of thing very often, but we're gonna have to mix up the show a bit if we're planning on doing more. And I think we're all maybe a bit out of practice to be going at it that hard." he opined, keeping the topic neutral. It was a point too though, his hands hurt and his throat was raw from having to compete against the fireworks.
"And another thing, Ely. Why all the secrecy about it? Why have to give credit to some kind of spirit or something? I don't know much about archery or magic, but I'm told hitting a moving target, quickly, lots of times is incredibly difficult to do. So, why not stand there in spangly robes and make a show of it?"
"
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Perry kept his eyes resolutely closed, but it was more in relaxation than anything now. The statement did cause his brow to wrinkle. He always assumed she'd not wanted to be known because of performance anxiety or somesuch, but he'd never thought to ask. At the time he'd not wanted to lose her help, and then later on he'd not wanted to lose her company, so he just accepted that she do it from the shadows.
"It doesn't seem fair you're not recognized for your skill, Sparky." he mused "Do you really think something bad would happen if they knew it was you doing the pyromancy? I'd guess a good chunk of the audience know it's a fire mage, even if we say otherwise." He shrugged, groping about for the bottle before finding it and sipping.
He coughed slightly before continuing, placing the bottle back in the water. "If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, and controls fire it's probably a fire mage. Or a duck." He chuckled.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Ely's voice was hesitant and unsure. Perry knew what happened several years ago, he had been there when she finally finished her stint of servitude. It had taken her months before she could cast a spell without looking over her shoulder and expecting someone to haul her off again. But, that was long ago.
Ely scrubbed at her face with one hand. The steam from the Springs was coating her in a thin layer of water drops. She curled up against the stone on the outer edge slipping her shoes and hose off. She dangled her feet in the Springs, her eyes turned away from them both. She had come back to Wistvale due to exhaustion. She had not performed any fire magic except in her home. She did so during the earlier performance just to see if she could.
"I just... well... I wanted it to be spectacular..."
It sounded lame even to her ears.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom noted the dour tone in the voice of the Cathian girl. He let out a low chuckle, a sound of wistfulness, not unkind. He took another pull of the wine and pushed the bottle in the water to bob over to the girl.
"Torches and pitchforks and accusations hmm? Only reason why a mage would hide they're a mage. Folks don't like what's different to them." He knew that one from harsh experience, though it wasn't fear he got, rather derision or revulsion or just misplaced curiosity.
"I say we just relax a while, then slouch our way back to our beds and sleep on a job welll done. It sounded spectacular. And you should be proud of yourself. Perry's proud of himself. Ain't that right, Mr Marksman?"
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Perry smiled and chanced a glance at her. She'd not undressed. Maybe she was regretting coming here, but it seemed odd to invite people to go to a hotspring if you're unsure if you want to be naked near them. He nudged the bottle over to her, muscles now thoroughly unwound.
"It was all kinds of spectacular, and would have been just as spectacular if you'd have been standing right there in some elabourate robe barking incantations at the sky. I think the crowd would still have paid plenty." His eyes went down to the water, lit only by the evening sky.
"And if anyone did cry foul on you for some reason, get scared of pyromancy...well...they'd have a difficult job making it stick. I think there's a few people around here that'd make sure they were set right." He meant himself, but the twang came again knowing that Kiga would probably be right in the thick of anything that might trouble her too. That's just what you do when you love someone. And as much as he regretted missing his chance, he was not going to stop someone else having theirs, so long as she was safe and happy.
"So stop moping, go pick out a nice robe, practice your best Arcane Gibberish and step up on stage next time, okay?" he beamed.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Ely lifted her head to look at them instead of the water. Dominic was right, she had locked herself away with her books for too long. There was no reason for her to hide. Fire magic might only be one cut, out of several facets of her being; but it was a vital one. Ely had been a fire mage since she could walk.
Ely's vivid green eyes went back to Perry's face. There was another smile, too, one sneaking across her lips from the corners inward.
"Alright. But, the next time you'll have to be a LOT better. This is your show."
Lovely thread guys! I had a lot of fun with it, especially the quieter parts.
Perry take 15 acclaim 100 gold for wowing the crowds. Dominic take 10 acclaim and 80 gold for the same thing. I will take 10 acclaim and 80 gold myself.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”