Finneas smiles, "Of course we can... of course.  Top card, winner gets one question. We play till we run out of cards or question. Seem fair?"

He shuffles the cards and flips over three card, "Find let me make it easier, pick one of these. Left, right or center..."

[Private to GM: 13:26, Yesterday: Secret Roll: Finneas the Meek drew the 3 cards: 2S, AS, 7S using a deck of 54 cards.  High Card - Left, Center, Right.]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:44, Fri 02 Sept 2022.

Filimena shrugs. "Sure," she says. "Centre."

With a nod, Finneas flips the center card over revealing an Ace Of Swords "Ah, very nice sister dear very nice."  He slides the card in front of Filimena then turns his gaze to Marik, "And you? Which will you have the left or right card?"

"[Language unknown: all]...oh...sorry...Left."

Finneas doesn't look at the card as he lifts it from the table as tosses it gently to Marik,  [Private to group Elf: "Two of swords ... bad luck."] His hands alight atop the remaining card, but he doesn't flip it nor look at it. He slides the card away into a discard pile and inquires of Filimena, "Alright sister, what is your question?"

As seems to be happening with increasing frequency lately, Filimena finds herself uncharacteristically at a loss for what to say. And so she asks the only question true on her mind: “How are you?”

A smile appears on the halfling's face, "How am I? Hmmm..." he slowly gathers the cards back and sets them off to his left side. "Such a simple, yet complicated, question to ask dear sister." Finneas takes the mug before him and drinks deeply from it. Setting it down he nods to the mug before looking back to Filimena then says, "I am well" confidently.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:57, Wed 14 Sept 2022.

Filimena nods, pauses to swallow, then nods again. “That’s good,” she says, letting some silence pass to see if Finneas has anything else to add, then motioning towards the cards, as if to say, let’s continue then. She doesn’t know what her brother is up to, if he is up to anything at all, but if he is, let him continue.

"Again?" he asks but before anyone answers Finneas draws another trio of cards laying them face down in front of him.  His esys shift to Marik [Language unknown: "Whloee ive, iv adce erapo ter amenothas, not nt wi noadus."] He gestures to the freshly drawing cards before him.

[Private to GM: 14:12, Today: Secret Roll: Finneas the Meek drew the 3 cards: 9H, AH, 5C using a deck of 52 cards.  High Card - Left, Center, Right.]

As he watches the exchange, Marik mellows. The flash on anger he felt passes, and he just feel a sort of deep sadness watching this reunion. Sadness for Filimena, but in a sense sadness for Finneas too. Brothers and sisters, so close, yet so far apart. The elf has no idea what the symbols on the cards represent or what is higher or lower, yet he feels it has no real importance in this moment. He doesn't need deep insight to see how Finneas is not trying to play cards but themselves. The game just seem background for a mind-game of cat and mouse.

[Language unknown: "Icakoreve" ] respond Marik laconicaly, gesturing with his gloved hand.

Finneas smiles and flips the chosen card towards Marik, [Language unknown: "U Hoour n Thuprehat, ven echo dious il eeugh housetthu essconany."]
This message was last edited by the player at 15:43, Mon 26 Sept 2022.

Filimena raises an eyebrow, wondering if perhaps there is more happening here than mere bad luck. Nevertheless, she shrugs and gestures at the centre card.

Finneas nods and looks at the cards with a smile, "I've good feeling about this for your sis."  He flips the cards over revealing an Ace of Cups, then he piles the cards up into the discard pile, again without looking at the remaining card. "So a second question you may ask."

[Private to GM: clubs = wands, hearts = cups (hearts), spades = swords diamonds = coins]
This message was last updated by the player at 20:09, Thu 29 Sept 2022.

Filimena raises an eyebrow. He's clearly fishing for a question. Should she give it to him? Does she even know what it is? "How were mum and dad, the last time you saw them?"

Finneas nods and tilts his head slightly in thought.  He starts to pick up the mug beside him but stops himself from doing so.  "They were well a few months back.  I stopped by to give them some coin from my sales and generally makes sure things were okay. They miss you, you know...  and are thinking of selling the shop to move closer to the rest of the family."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:40, Mon 03 Oct 2022.

Filimena looks down, saddened by her brother's reply. In a way, this is what she has been afraid of. "And where would that be?" she asks solemnly, not looking up, and not caring that it isn't her turn yet to ask another question. "Do they know they know you're here? Do they know I'm here? They could-" She hesitates, only realising what she's about to suggest just as she's about to say it. It seems like yet another act of selfishness to expect that they would want to come to Titans Gate, just because she is here.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 05:53, Thu 06 Oct 2022.

"You never were much for following the rules of a game," Finneas says with a sigh as he puts away the cards. "They don't keep tabs on either of us like that.  Obvious people will chat with them as is the way, but I told them I was heading to Titan's Gate to do some work.  I didn't know you were here till I arrived and head about the Jzadirune business."

The halfling pauses as he ponders what to say next, "As for where they're going ... well they were talking about Aunt Athel's over in Falworth or near Cousin Ryany in Keys, you know how father like the water."

No, actually. She didn't know father liked the water. Or maybe she used to, and she just forgot. She pauses a while, eyeing the cards as Finneas puts them away. "What about you? I'm sure you have questions."

Finneas smiles, its a sad smile, before saying, "Oh I'm sure I have hundreds but what would they matter? You'll vanish again.  Just like when I tried to track you down only find out you never got into the Brandish Gilhelm Fighting Academy you wrote mom and dad about.  So you vanished for years only to pop up here unexpectedly as an adventurer having found a lost dwarven enclave."   He takes a moment and shuffles the cards.  "Does seem that you are in need of more sun."

For a moment, Marik was thinking "This is more like it..." as Finneas and Filimena started talking more about siblings catching up. Mentally, he recited a quiet prayer to Ahrenvoth that their relationship would regrow, as the Ageless itself does constantly.

The last comment by Finneas does take the conversation to a turn, though. Seems they were both searching each others? And he senses a deep well of grievances underneath that comment about their mom, his own search and Filimena adventure. Could that be jealousy? or Genuine fear for his sister safety?

Quiet but ever more engrossed in the social dynamics of this situation studies intently both Finneas and Filimena, see how they react to each comment, if one is trying to feign reactions. In particular, he would like to study if Finneas reaction of hurt seems genuine or if he's picking hints he's trying to manipulate Filimena with guilt.

OOC: Marik would like to roll for Insight and would roll 16 if that is possible.

Filimena looks down at the table again. "I don't really know what to say," she ventures after a while. "I felt like I was trapped. Back home. Our family have been merchants since forever. Mum and dad always made it clear they wanted to take over the business one day. And I... I just could never imagine myself doing that. Kind of ironic now, actually." She glances over at Marik, thinking about the tavern they now suddenly co-own.

"I thought I was being brave, running away, seeking adventure out in the world on my own. I don't think that any more."

Finneas follows his sister's gaze to Marik, then looks to Rani, and finally to the room a whole.  "Funny how that works out."

Filimena lets the silence hang for a while, not quite sure what to say next. "You know... If you're in town anyway, how would you like to come back with us. I'm not sure we're ready to take paying guests yet, but we do have spare rooms upstairs. You could uh... you could save a bit on the rent. And it'd be nice to get a chance to catch up a bit more. You know. If you want to." She looks up at Marik, hoping he's okay with her making the offer without consulting him. It sort of occurred to her on the spur of the moment.

In reply to Marik (msg # 70):
You don't get the impression that Finneas is doing anything outside of what one who's upset at another person might do - he's not being EVIL or anything.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:58, Mon 17 Oct 2022.

Marik listens and takes in all these exchanges attentively. He realizes he never saw Filimena so vulnerable, but is silently glad she can share this. He wants to help her.

[Language unknown: "An wilingven. Ardntende art o uldi'enou. Satic airut! Ati Dinwassomandare ofll i cenievse ce inedi acesol ecev To ilere thaomeate ca elver a hat llurte atevorher mi." ]

As he feels the looks of both halfling on him, Marik can't help but feel some deep emotions stirring inside him. It feels like words just start pouring out of his mouth.


[Language unknown: "P le...een...p iouevelesere houil n ilioos ho haset etri alsachpa llmo ntio panell o tipaus no paek sonugh-weress ver ur....m unca la maugh retapore masaus alrosaad. Ll isremodi prol anytioainich, ro somthosti el ee fi. Toit evhi palono ta haos, acnowh stou setrutenc... hatounhis, unons blead hohiss... eeee, reaul wi, asha allmenart plalpr po thu din plweet u set la. Ac hismansanica foto'sisi koriouome loet manaei p siwipl forrattra e enati ur andtraeen...onssa i el usilpo amewhiica u rutallnti lin ilnedi thelo m wasectast prpa."]

He pauses.

[Language unknown: "Po tioallove peugh tate il causas e wilol"] he says looking at Finneas. [Language unknown: "N essntiare ionnotwas cech, oreherlat ineeratio ate henti ul vir wher loce ica" ]he pursue, looking sadly at Filimena. [Language unknown: "Fi Mo wilredred no trrut it ac itmeha u almondat hisredain. Ur o ng...eveck whul ine rat oulai... haom ort reaorestiort estourousson...a ie comdinher...Iou....Chhi a maave chstr, Ma nosi t encerathoset I toma os ri atth derta wi wifor be lile wer alred...t mongck..." ]

He lower his head once more, stopping before Finneas or Filimena might see the small tear that started forming on the corner of his eye. He notes his right hand was gripping tightly the scabbard of his elven short sword as he spoke. He turns and frees it to give Rani some scritches, hoping it went unnoticed.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:22, Tue 25 Oct 2022.