Meleck

The Girl From the Forbidden Kingdom

Robert smiled at Wren, somethings were universal he figured.
“I am glad you too the time you needed,” he said.
“I have spent much of my life waiting for hair to dry and be done,” came from his mouth not in a mean or rude way. “My mother and sister liked to have their hair just so,”he added.
He walked over and locked the desk drawer for her then extended an arm to escort her to dinner.

As they were heading out he said to her, “The meal will be ready, but Lady Agatha will make us wait in one of the sitting rooms. So her spies can study us. I will try to move us to the Library to wait. The chairs are more comfortable and there are distractions.” This was a game of chess and Lady Agatha was a Grandmaster but Robert had learned well from her.

The sitting room was very formal, it had a couple chairs that were uncomfortably over fire and. A sitting couch that was comfortable. The room was designed to provoke conversation and that might tip off intentions. There would be a brandy bottle on the table to help loosen tongues.

He lead her to the kitchen entrance and then took her into the main hall. The food smelled wonderful and he stole two rolls still hot for them before being shooed out. The steward greeted them and gently reprimanded Robert for using the main door so that they could greet this charming young woman properly. The game was already afoot and the opening moves set in play. The next move would be to watch their reactions and conversations. If he did not pay enough attention to Wren he would be in trouble for not being a good host. If he was too familiar then Lady Agatha would take that as blood in the water and like a shark hone in on it.

He let Wren be lead by the Steward and give him her name and vital details that a social situation dictates they Lady Agatha know to be proper.

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Cilia Cosgair

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Link to Cilia's Sheet

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Cilia's blood started to boil a bit and she put a hand on the axe handle she had hidden in her blouse. She was getting prepared in case the woman attacked her. Fergus' words brought her back to the moment and she headed to the table and with a little huff sat down. The nobles were use to being able to buy what they wanted. She came from a world where people bartered for what they needed. So what she tried was normal for her, to take care of them with what she could do. After a bit of huffing and pouting she said, "Thank you." to Fergus. It was painful as it cost her a bit of pride and independence.

She found the food to be good when it was hot. They were right, fat is filling but she did not stuff herself to the point of getting sick. But she did feel like she was carrying a rock in her belly for a while after they ate. But this was more to the fact that she had not eaten a big meal in a long time. She listened to the music and the conversations around her. Between the heaviness of her stomach and the noise of the crowd, she wanted to dart from the room. She looked at each member of the party and examined their eyes. She tucked a couple rolls and some cheese into her blouse for later that evening.

I'm bored, all of my rps are dead right now, and goddamn it, I want some weirdness in my life, so here we friggin go.

Up for another PC?

The Girl From the Forbidden Kingdom

Robert smiled slightly. It was a nervous smile. He was going to make a comment about her joke and quickly saw the trap in it. That was the thing about women, you could insult them be being interested or by not interested. The only things that came to his mind were just going to get him in trouble. So he kept quiet.

Aspers and Lady Agatha were going to have a grand time and he was getting the feeling that Wren was going to play along. He wasn't worried about getting her into a dress. He did not have any woman's clothing in his apartment. What he was worried about Lady Agatha and Aspers getting her in a dress, a white one at that.

He sighed and showed her where the heated bath and washroom was again. With all his stuff scattered about he knew it would be easy to get confused. He also did at time, but that was more from being lost in thought and absent minded.

He kept his fears to himself, as to do otherwise would be rude as well. He went up to his apartment room and changed into appropriate clothing, not formal and not completely comfortable. He brought two other shirts down and hung them on the door. "Wren, if you wish to wear a different shirt to dinner, I hung a couple on the door," he called to her.

He sat down in his chair picking up a book to read while waiting.
@AmberTheAlbedo

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Cilia Cosgair

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Link to Cilia's Sheet

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The hand on her back was not really a big deal since she had braced herself and it was her choice. In a very sick way, it helped to make her point that they could help bring in money to the inn. A Bard like Axley did not frequent inns like this often, so this could be a good evening. Even in a small town the music would draw people down the street and they had an epic story they could tell. She knew this would work.

Cilia turned to look at Snow with her back to the drunk patrons. "Being pragmatic," she said. She knew that after pirates come the prices go up, the same was probably true for wars. "At this moment, I can work to pay for a meal and lodging for us. So, I try. As we travel further and warn people, we may need what little we have to survive or the cost maybe more than I can pay."

She turned back and continued, "I know that the Inn Keep needs to provide for his family, but a Bard will bring in more business even here. So he might show us some kindness and help us out." She said questioning. It was a different tact than where she was headed. At least it was safer till the drunk accidentally grabbed Snow inappropriately thinking it was her or a fight broke out. If grabbed she would do what Snow had taught her in self defense, break the man's finger. Maybe that is why wasn't treated with dinner often.

She waved the others in, so the Inn Keeper knew who he was dealing with and looked pleadingly at him. "Or maybe the Inn across the square might be interested in a bard and a waitress for the evening," she said with a wink at the drunk patrons. She would do everything she could not to make it easy for him to say no.

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Cilia Cosgair

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Link to Cilia's Sheet

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Cilia watched Snow tie the snares, she just about had her nose in the knots watching. She would ask him to teach her when they had time. Maybe in the morning she would ask him.

Fergus brought up the discussion about where to stay the night and were to eat. Cilia's tension went up a little, she was fine with either place. She would inquire where ever it was if she could earn her meal and lodging. If the staff got to keep tips, she and Axley may be able to earn enough to buy a little bit of supplies for the group. She had waited tables, scrubbed pots, and did other tasks for food before. She hoped that the rest of them would help protect her back in case someone wanted to get more personal. She had learned that being a redhead meant that blending into the crowd was a little harder. That also meant that she got a far share of extra inappropriate male attention. But inappropriate behavior could be directed into coins in ones purse if strung along.

With a deep sigh, Cilia took off her cloak and handed it to Fergus. She started to cast her magical spell. Reaching up her blouse untied a hidden knot and then unbuttoned the top two buttons of her blouse. She gave a little bounce to make sure everything was free and moving correctly. Then she unbraided her red hair so it was long and full. Finally pinched her cheeks slightly to get a little color in them. Her mother would have been proud of her. Tomboy to woman in a few easy steps. She spoke to Axley, "Men always want to do this the hard way." She bounced again watching their eyes then nodded to the men of her group. Life on the street had made it so she did not really caring if they watched her show or not. Though she really did want them to notice that she was a woman. She then walked into The Squeaky Wheel like she owned the place making sure that her hips moved and the other parts of her bounced and swayed enough to draw the eye. She had paid attention to the lessons that her mother and the other working girls taught her about men and what they liked. To the barkeep she went, speaking the sea slang from her childhood and leaning forward to let him look down her shirt a little. Not enough to say I'm easy.

She inquired if someone passing through might work for a meal and a night sleep in the common room for herself and a couple friends. "A redhead waitress and a traveling bard could make for a profitable night for you," she suggested in a very seductive way. He would need to negotiate that fee with Axley.

She knew that waiting tables meant that she could hear the gossip and learn the lay of the land. This would let the men of the group would draw a different sort of attention. Being from noble houses, they already had two things to worry about cut purses and leaches. Seaports have some shady people looking for easy money.

As she was at the bar she thought about the fact that she might even spend the night with someone if it got the party what it needed. Horses and supplies, but that was not what she really wanted. She would leave that door to open till later and hopefully the men in the party would make sure it was closed. She did not think that any of the men in the group would let her whore herself out for their benifit.

The Girl From the Forbidden Kingdom

He agreed with her about growing up on the estate. As a child he loved running in the fields, chasing squirrels and fox pups, and playing in the stream. He liked helping at harvest and walking the crops. He liked watching the yearlings play.

Noting the dodge about dinner. He returned to it by saying, "So a farm hand said something to a maid, who said something to the cook, who said something to the steward, who said something to the Lady of the house, and the result is the dinner invitation. By now, she might have us married off in some secret wedding in town or something worse."

He walked over to a shelf and picked up the knife he had made for her. The handle was bone wrapped in a tan leather. The blade was very strong but not brittle like most iron knives. There was a simple pattern of birds with a rising sun. The sun was in gold and the birds were in silver. Robert was pleased with his workmanship. Though he knew that the knife wasn't perfect. He also knew that it was much better than being unarmed. He had a shortsword

"You may need this," he said as he presented her with the knife and a simple leather sheath bowing as he did. "The matron is going to inquire of your virtue and of my honor," he said sort of tongue and cheek in a tone that suggested that he was trying to be funny. "Or we can simply flee before they detain us," he said looking at her with a twinkle in his eye. "There is a meadow near the old saw mill that would be perfect for a picnic," he said. He walked over and pulled a picnic basket off a shelf. "We can figure out what to do next," semi-boldly including himself in the plan. He opened the basket, checked a bottle of wine that was inside, and put some cheese and bread in. "What is Lady Wren's choice?" he asked.

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Cilia Cosgair

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Link to Cilia's Sheet

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A fish darted in the shallows chasing a minnow. As Cilia watch trying to take this all in.

“Or a fight to see who the top dog is. Your right, by the way, we best go help them,” she said. Axley knew woman to get the mothering instinct going in Cilia. It really wasn’t hard. Point her at someone or something in need and she was off. Well, if she felt safe, or scared, or just about most other times.

What Axley said had made Cilia relax and smile, she wasn’t quite to the laugh stage. But smile after the last day was a big step. So she gave a playful little nudge with he shoulder, to mean I’ve got your back. Axley let her know that things were all right, that is what she needed. She headed over to introduce herself. “I’m Cilia,” she said trying to sound confident.
“Nice to meet you,” she said then asked, “Need any help?” She wanted to discretely see the bite without gawking. Staring at people could cause fights. So she did her best to be polite. It came out as being weird.

Invincible

I think it is alive..

The Girl From the Forbidden Kingdom

The ride back was a dusty one, the sun was high and the wind blew from the south. A dry heat. The forest near the estate would provide some protection from the heat. The small cask of ale would help quench the heat also. He rode with the map in his hand, humming to himself. Finn had sold him the map and he was proud to have it in his hands. The terms he would worry about later.

When he arrived back at dinner time, he was met at the gate by the steward with a summons to the main house. The matron wanted an explanation about the rumors she had heard from the maids of a strange woman roaming the estate and why he left in the middle of the night.
"Is this some sort of torrid affair?" the matron demanded.
Robert set the cask down and sat on it.
"Really!" he said with a lot of air continuing, "Isn't that a fine, hello."
"Yes, I'm safe and it was a good ride to town and back. It looks like there is a group of coyotes on the edge of the wood so we may need to organize a hunt before fall," he said.
The matron slammed her hand down on the table and asked, "Is there a woman staying in your labs?"
"Technically, no human female," he replied.
She reddened.
"I've been told that a woman has been all over the estate wearing your shirt," she said with anger, "Who is she?"

Robert leaned back and said, "I did not give any of my clothing to a woman to wear."
"What did she look like?" he asked.
She gave the best description she could, which could have been anyone.
"It sounds almost like Abigale, the wash girl," he said, "You know she has liked me since she was a little girl."
He continued, "If there is a woman in my apartments, then I will go find her and I'll invite her to dinner. You can interrogate her yourself. I would recommend serving the lamb, with a garden salad, fresh bread, and the cherry wine from two summer's ago. And of course, cook's berry tarts for desert!"

He stood up and said, "If you excuse me, will go see if I can find this woman." He snapped the map in his hand then headed out.

He headed to his apartment to inform Wren that she was invited to dine in the big house tonight.
@AmberTheAlbedo