Morgan was enthralled, looking from James to Luke, and back again, digging for more. "Amber. I'll have to go there, find out about him. Learn the truth of a few  stories, meet him ,and I'll be the toast of three kingdoms when I get back! Is he really as tall as two men, and tougher than adamant blades? Is his horse as ancient as he is? Is it really named Morgan the fierce? "

< And Sorgith can try to prove he's a match for those 'legendary curs', like he boasted. Stew gets you steak he'll challenge someone's housepet, though. >

The conversation continues in the main room of the inn, and Morgan strives to learn more about his mysterious forebear, only to find that these people, who have actually met the incredible Julian, seem to have paid little attention to the great man...

---

Upstairs, Dorian continues to work, observed by D'Ombra, though much of what the man does is a mystery to the wolf.  Lights seem to slide through the dimness of the room, and occasional rivers of luminance flow from his fingers, drawing arcane traceries in the air.

Once, there is a popping sound, and a sudden drop in pressure in the chamber...

---

Roman of Chanicut sits alone, and remembers that he sent one of the urchins to find Harlequin, but the man has not turned up yet.

Though there is no connecting door to the next room, the wall is little more than a thin partition, and beyond it he can hear the sound of water being carried in, and poured into the bath.  Finally, he hears a door close, and then there is quiet...

---

In her own room, Banglen-Yp waits while the servants fetch buckets of hot water, and fill the bath.  The water steams invitingly, and finally it seems that they are done for now.  The last girl to leave says, "One of us'll be sittin' out in the corrider, Miss.  If'n yer needs more 'ot water'r summat, jus' ring that li'l' bell nex' ter the bath."  Then she steps out of the room and pulls the door closed.

Alone, Banglen-Yp steps forward and sinks, fully-clothed, into the hot water...

"Frankly, I have no idea."<blue>  Luke frowned.  <blue>"I never met the man, myself."<blue>  He motioned at James, and the drake upon his shoulder.  <blue>"Those two could tell you more, certainly.  James knows of Julian, and the little reptile has certainly met the man.  In a sense."

A flicker of amusement crossed his face at that.

"For myself, I tend to stay far away from the royalty of Amber...barring one or two of the younger generation."

 

                                        Water.

Banglen-Yp sank down under the surface.

                                                                                Eyes open.

She looked up at the world dancing about above her.

                    Breath.

After a while she broke the surface after having remembered something.

The bell was picked up and shaken lightly.

Maybe they would have one.

 

Roman spares little thought for Harlequin.  If the man doesn't want to be found, there's little Roman can do about it.

Instead he reflects on his relationship with Banglen-Yp.  The incident outside was a little disturbing

Perhaps it would be better not to pursue her.  A casual affair would be fine but can I keep it at that ?  Do I dare go beyond that ? With a creature I don't understand ?

Roman discards those thoughts.  Better to concentrate on matters at hand.  Retrieve his baggage with the Logrus, sort out clean clothing.  And then practise shapeshifting until Banglen-Yp is done with the bath.  The double-jaw trick was..interesting.  Trying to duplicate it will pose an interesting problem.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:08, Fri 17 Nov 2006.

"Well, that is a lot of questions.  Julian is tall, but as a tall man, not a giant.  He is tough, too, but I think that legend is a product of his armour, which is reputed to be impenetrable.  I've got no idea how old his horse is and I've no desire to know.  It's name is Morgenstern, but as my uncle Bleys was fond of saying, it should be Morgen the bloody-minded psycho-killer. So Morgan the Fierce isn't too far off."

"As for going to Amber, I'm not sure, it may be easier from here, but it would rather depend on your means of travel."

Morgan continued, erratically, to try to worm more information on Julian from the others through the night, interspersed with jokes, drinking, and stories from home, and of his travels on the way.

The servant enters the room, and regards Banglen-Yp curiously.  Admittedly the guests at the santuary come from a variety of strange places, and have some odd customs... but this is unusual, even when considered with that proviso.

She listens to the womans request, then shakes her head.

"No, Miss, I don't think I ain't never 'eard'f one'f them.  I'm certain we ain't got none.  Sorry."

She exits the chamber, but takes a last look back at the insane woman who is bathing in her clothes, and had enquired about something called a rubber duck...

 

With a happy smile Banglen-Yp thanked the woman and went back to bathing, taking care not to splash too much.  The Screen had shown some bad things happening in some cases when that had happened.


A while later, give or take a moment or two, the girl outside the room saw the door to the clothing-bathing woman's room open and the next moment she came out, still fully clothed but soaking wet, carrying the tub.

It was still full of water.

Although it was awkward she moved over to the next door and set the bath down, opened the door and walked in, carrying the bath again.

•• Done ••

It was a cheerful statement, coupled with a brilliant - but wet - smile from the blonde as she moved further into the room, looking for a good spot to put the bath down.

 

Roman's not-quite-satisfactory second jaws shoot back into his face as the door opens.  Distracted by the site of Banglen-Yp in a wet halter-top he tries  to speak before fully shifting back.  That is a mistake. "...ettt i ownnnn..."

Setting his thoughts in order he gets up and grabs a towel "Just put it down anywhere.  You need to dry off - wandering around wet - especially in wet clothes isn't good for you.  We ought to get you out of those.  If you don't have anything dry, I can get you something to wear."  As he gets close he offers the towel  "Here, this is for drying yourself."

 

Her head tilted to one side and she looked at Roman as he spoke, smiling at him.

Almost forgetting it, Banglen-Yp then placed the bath on the floor, gently, taking great care not to spill a drop of the water that still was to be found in there.

She looked down at herself thoughtfully, then at the towel.  After a moment she took the towel and stood there, looking at it, turning it around and studying it from all directions.

•• How • does • it • work ••

A simple questions.  Holding it out at arms length she looked at Roman and smiled happily.

•• The • screen • did • not • show • while • I • watched ••

There came the explanation.

 

Roman puts the towel around her shoulders.  "It's not magic or anything.  You just rub the water off.  Like this."   He demonstrates.  "It'd work better if you took your clothes off - I don't think it will dry them very well."

Why am I thinking more about teaching her to be human than what she'd look like with her clothes off ?  If only I could work out if this was good or bad !

 

•• Oh •• Rub ••

The screen had shown similar things.

•• No • clothes •• she repeated and nodded slowly.  Rubbing herself with the towel, currently covering her neck, torso and half the legs, it was suddenly clear that her boots were gone.

          Had she been wearing them before?

                    Was the rest gone too?

          Had it all vanished?

Or perhaps it was a trick of the light.

 

Roman remains close, moving only to keep out of the way of stray elbows, while Banglen-Yp dries herself.  Not wanting to move away, but uncertain as to where he stands.

 

•• Oh • sor•ry •• I • will • go • so • you • can • bathe ••

Banglen-Yp appeared to realise she was keeping him from his bath, so she held the towel to her chest and prepared to waltzed out into the corridor, offering a smile to Roman before showing her bare back to him, with no sight of the clothes she had been wearing when she came in.

 
_{Edited to allow further interaction.}
This message was last edited by the player at 10:48, Mon 20 Nov 2006.

As she turns to go, Roman lays a hand on her shoulder.  "You can't go just like that..." he says, as his hand exerts a gentle pressure, urging her to turn around.

 

Turning around as he placed a hand on her shoulder, Banglen-Yp looked both curious and, at first, confused, the gaze intially resting on his hand as if she tried to decide what to do with it, but then her eyes lifted to look at him.

She looked down at herself again, puzzled.  After a moments brooding she spoke.

•• You • want • to•wel • back ••

A simple, direct question as she started to move the towel away from her naked form.

 

Roman automatically looks down, experiencing a strong temptation to say "Yes", even though he'd ask for a new towel anyway.

Instead he raises his eyes again, and answers "N..No, I, I just...".  Since words seem to be failing him, he gently pulls her into a kiss, more sweet than passionate.

 

Keeping the towel, which never did come far away to reveal anything, Banglen-Yp was surprised again as Roman pulled her in for a kiss.

For a moment she stood there, still dripping.

Then, very briefly, she responded, slightly, kissing him back, before she pulled her head back enough to break the kiss, a blend of confusion and amusement on her face.

          Then she looked thoughtful...

                    ...smiled...

                                        ...and slapped him.

It was not so hard that it would really hurt him, but it stang, no doubt, and would, for a while, leave a red mark, any regeneration or healign disregarded, naturally.


          _{The towel was all the long held in place by one hand, for those wondering.}

 

Roman just  stands there a confused look on his face. She didn't resist, she'd even responded to the kiss, so... "Why ?", he asks.

 

•• I • am • not • hap•pi•er ••

She had consulted with her feelings, realised that she did not feel much difference and thus followed the advice she had been given before by the man who was in the company of the big cats.

Again, she smiled at Roman.

 

Roman shakes his head, "I think he meant if you didn't like the kiss or didn't want to be kissed again - ever.  You seemed to like it enough to kiss back.  And you're smiling so you look happy to me."

"If you don't want me to kiss you ever again, then please just say so and leave.  I'll get over it" eventually "If not...well I can't have that every time I kiss you.  So how do I kiss you without getting hit ?  Do I just have to wait for you to be sad ?  Or am I safe if you kiss me ?  Or was it the wrong sort of kiss ?"

 

Pondering the words of Roman, Banglen-Yp tilted her head this way and that way, as if trying to see if from different angles.

•• He • did • not • say • that ••

Then she smiled once more, rare as it was, and giggled.

•• I • al•rea•dy • was • hap•py ••

The explanation.

•• Duck ••

The suggestion.

•• No •• Yes •• No ••

The answers.

Then she clearly pondered again, as she put the index finger to her chin and pursed her lips thoughtfully.

•• I • am • still • learn•ing •• May•be • I • will • know • more • to•morr•ow ••

The finger, and with it the hand and arm, dropped down to hold the towel and once more did she turn to leave, and once more did she smile at him.

 

Roman sighs, "Alright" and watches her go, unable to think of anything else to do.  I'll have a word with that Morgan guy tomorrow...

When she is gone, Roman rings the bell to arrange for a clean towel and fresh water.  Adapting his body to be a little more aquatic he takes a long bath, trying to relax...

 

Vanishing from Roman's sight, but not mind, Banglen-Yp's closed the door behind her, still clad in naught but Roman's towel.

                    At least now she knew what the thing the girls brought her was.

          Tao-well.