Journey of the Elementals RP (Pm if Interested, Started)

[CounterAttack]

As the other mages wandered off, some led by the hands of Edgar's associates, Gabriel's brow furrowed. They were getting sidetracked, and he didn't entirely trust Edgar yet. Their host with a taste for blood had gone off somewhere, leaving everyone else alone...

More of the mysterious ladies were hanging around in the hall; Gabriel had not left, having taken a seat on the floor against one of the walls to wait for his companions to return. His shadow wandered a little. Out of the corner of one eye he saw one of the women lean against a pillar... Gabe couldn't help but turn and stare a little. How did she maintain such flawless alabaster skin? It contrasted perfectly with her pure black attire and feathered wings equally dark. She could have almost been a black and white sketch in a textbook, only living and breathing, were it not for the storm-grey eyes and the vibrant honey-blonde hair -

Gabriel's shadow moved to stand between the young Hydromancer and the black-clad beauty, frowning. Then something clicked in his thoughts. Blonde. Shadows. Wings. Storms. Feathers. Dragons -

"Aw, come on... don't tell me you don't wanna dance, cutie?"

- The primal roar of a terrible dragon, and a crash of lightning striking -

"If they want it to rain, it just rains."

"I don't want anything."

Gabriel blinked back to the present... where was Fei? Where was Seth, too, and that Nightshade who clung to him? He hadn't seen them in the castle with him and the others. He tore his eyes away from the winged woman on the other side of the hall and got to his feet, keeping both hands on his crossbow. He hurried out of the room, looking for something or someone he recognised.

Gabriel prayed to the Council for clarity and focus as he walked, hoping to find himself outside again. He had to let the others know what was going on back in that castle. Alexander and Drew had gone off with their newfound friends, there was another mage Gabe didn't know, and the castle's owner - or so Gabe presumed - was more than a bit strange.

 

[blaze96]

Alexander removed her shirt and let her hands continue their work.

"There are plenty of tricks I know, study does have its benefits." He was speaking lowly in her ear at this point and nipped it after he had finished speaking. He also started to focus on absorbing energy with his hand, taking energy in at his fingers making them feel colder to the touch. As he did this he ran his hand down her back and sides.

"You'd be shocked at some of the things a good book can teach." At this point his hands were running over her hips still creating a cooling sensation.

Jade shivered at the suddenly cool sensation running down her back and smoothing over her sides as her top was removed. With a small push she got to moving the pants downard as Alexander whispered to her.

"Your study is quite impressive, my Lord..." She whispered back, now with her hands free to roam over Alexander's back. While Alexander's hands made her cool to the touch, her's instead gave off an odd, fuzzy warmth that seemed to spread where her touch lingered. It seemed almost intentional at times where her hands would linger a second longer the lower her hands seemed to rub.

"...but I think a bit of experience can go a long way, don't you?" She continued mischievously, leaning forward now to lead a string of kisses along his neck. "And maybe a tiny bit of....adventure." She accented the last words with a small nibble where her kisses continued.

"Theory is never a substitute for practice..." He agreed as he continued to run his hands over her alternating both temperature and pressure to make sure she never got used to the sensation and made quick work of the last remaining bits of clothing as well.

"...but study certainly makes the process of finding the right combination much easier." At that he hit a pressure point he had read about in an old scroll that was suppossed to be pleasurable for either sex.

Jade let out a small gasp as Alexander pushed the pressure point, only to suddenly find a very similar point being pressed on him. However, she took it a step much further and practically pulled him into a deep kiss. The kiss started out simply as it was, a deep kiss, but slowly a feeling of warmth swept through it.

A quiet moan seemed to almost echo in Alexander's head as the kiss seemed to last several long seconds, and then perhaps minutes. It was a warmth that seemed to intensify the longer it lasted, and when she finally broke the kiss off she was gasping and smiling, the warmth that it had generated slowly retreating.

"...You...are a very clever....study, my Lord....I see what was meant when..." Jade whispered, practically clinging to him, suddenly just looking up at him with her dark red eyes expectantly. "It would be....a pleasure for you...to have me. Unless....of course, I should have...you instead?" That mischievous grin returned, a few deep breaths calming her just slightly.

Alexander had returned the moan into the kiss and had explored her mouth while given the opportunity, once again applying the many hours he had spent in his younger days.

"Who is to see we must choose between one or the other. The night is long and the books are not going anywhere, though I would be a terrible guest were I not to entertain first. Though I may just want to see if I can make my host actually lose their composure. Especially seeing as this game of ours has only just begun." He this time caused rapid fluctuations of temperature and pressure over two different point as be bit down on her neck as he also cooled his lips.

"Mmm....Yes, the night is going to be a very long one..." Jade whispered back, now taking the temperature of Alexander's touch in stride. "...But losing composure? I think...we'll see how the both of us feel before....before we get far at all."

She suddenly gave Alexander a push, rolling over to now be on top of him as he went to giving her neck lots of attention. Now with her on top she ran her hands over his chest, teasing him as she traced anything she could note.

"Such a...passionate lord...Would you be willing to keep me, my Lord? It is...nice."

"We shall see indeed. As for keeping you, I'm not a fan of claiming ownership of over that which can think for itself. I woldn't mind at all if you decided to join me however. If you wish to call that ownership then that is your choice." He then trailed kisses down her stomach, nipping as he went. He now switched so that the cold would be a fine point. Almost like a needle point as he continued to hit various points.

"Aww....Still so...noble. I think I might need to join with you then. Since it seems that you are inviting me, of course." Her hands went just to his head, causing that odd warm tingling to go through his mind once again. This time though, thoughts much more along the impure side seemed to come with the warth.

"Mmm.I might take away that gentlemanly note if you just keep teasing me, my Lord."

"And here I thought you enjoyed our game, alongside the noble gentleman..." He couldn't help the smirk and noise that came from him at the thoughts.

"I can't imagine you experience it too often. Why ruin what must be a fun change of pace. Somebody who isn't just looking to please themselves." His mouth continued to nip lower, now on the outside of her thigh.

"But I suppose you are right, eventually the game must move forward. Though I should wonder if I haven't broken that control of yours just a bit due to this."

"Oh, the game is....still fun. Just a little bit....faster paced is always a good pace." Jade quietly gasped as Alexander continued to go lower and closer, shifting to try and encourage his next movements.

"It is always pleasing, at any pace, as long as...it keeps going a little bit closer....The prize is important too, even if the change in...pace is nice." The heat seemed to intensify now, the thoughts becoming more persistent, and more vivid about different positions.

"....Control? I'd like to think that we're both out of control now...so keep on going with me, Lord Alexander. Break that control of yours just a little bit more..."

 

[NeoAC]

Raven hung close to Seth as the group moved towards this castle that Cale had spoke of. The women that were populating the area that the Earthshaper was leading them into were somewhat off-putting. Like half-human, half-beastly affairs, hard to tell which side was mnore dominant in the line of thinking. Despite all the parts being familiar, it made them seem...unnatural. Aside from that, for the moment it just felt right to be with the Pyro. She took his hand, unsure what it would really accomplish, but knowing that it felt better to have that at the time then nothing at all.

"I don't like this at all," she told him. "All these girls all altered like this. Something's not right here."

 

[Lambi]

As Silvana shook hands with the shadows, she could feel something being pulled. It was just a light pulling at first, but then it suddenly became a sharper sting in the back of her head, seeming to be pulling at something that was a small part of her. As the pain seemed to increase, the pair of shadows became more defined. Darker, almost giving off a small spark of power that Silvana could pick up in the shadow of Raven.

She wasn't too surprised at the pain, though the sharpness of it caught her off guard. She gave a pained sound as the pain increased, holding her head as she watched the two shadows, the excess of shadows she'd previously seen seeming to decrease.

As the pain began to subside, the shadow Seth gave a small nod to shadow Raven. She audibly sighed, which seemed to be of some surprise to her. Grinning, shadow Seth turned to Silvana, regarding her a moment.

"Your deal is done. Perhaps for good. Your assistance was appreciated, and your shadow is your own. Perhaps your skills will see you through to the other side. Or perhaps you have gone too far for yourself."

The shadow Raven seemed to regard Silvana a moment before tugging at Seth's arm. "Too much help. She needs to find her own path."

With the change, Silvana's shadow seemed to also have an odd benefit to the changing of vision. In fact, she seemed to have become more solid as well, seeming to more closely reflect her counterpart.

Silvana was glad that the pain went away. A momentary pain in order to take the shadows away from her vision. She didn't complain about that. "Thank you, and you're welcome." She then looked towards her own shadow. "I see you benefitted from that as well. Good to see it wasn't just me."

Silvana's shadow glanced herself over, obviously quite surprised with the change before gesturing to the rest of the group around them, including the many maids and others who were about. It was clearly a difference in scenery and company, especially as some centaurs seemed to come forward and step around the coming mages. They garnered more than their share of looks.

"Guess I was too absorbed in getting rid of seeing all those shadows to really notice what was happening around me. Wonder what we'll be doing here." Silvana said to herself as she took a look at the centaurs. She'd never seen creatures like them before, so she was a little more than curious about them.

 

[Mr. Omega]

Drew took heed of Alice's warning Need to remember to tell Seth that when he gets here.... As his thoughts wandered, a large centaur emerged. "Huh. A centaur." he said, admiring the armor. Unfortunately, it was at that moment, the new arrival, Lord Kane, started sizing him up.

He moved closer to Alice, whispering to her "Anticipated what? What's going on here? Why is he looking at me like that?!" It was clear he did want the advice.

"Anticipated Lord Kane. He is...not easily distracted." Alice continued at a low whisper, not shifting her gaze to Kane and keeping it on Drew. "But what he does do is be combative and curious. And he has sway over...most open land. Meaning that you being here means that you did not come from the plains."

Lord Kane collected a drink from one of the passing maids, obviously almost at home in the castle, and took a drink. The gaze didn't leave Drew as he drank, and only seemed to break as he began to make his way about the large hall.

"He is looking at you like that because the unknown are a threat, in some fashion, until proven otherwise. A threat that might need a preemptive move. Perhaps you are fortunate to have a friend who will be more of a...direct threat."

Lord Kane's vision shifted back to Drew in a moment, and then cupped his chin in his hand, seeming to contemplate the mage's presence before suddenly realizing something. He gave a small chuckle, and then went back to his drink.

Drew kept eye contact with Kane as Alice spoke, trying to avoid any threatening gestures. once she was done talking, he spoke up "Uh... greetings." he was ignored, and moved forward at the chuckle "Hey, don't you laugh at-..." he stopped himself, regaining his composure. "What exactly was so amusing?"

Kane looked Drew over once again, seeming to measure the opponent one more time before grabbing another drink, this one placing on the table in front of Drew, grinning now the whole while. "I would find it rude to do anything before taking a good drink, don't you?" Kane said, his voice a deep growl as he spoke. "Especially when such a silly set of creatures enters the land. Where do you hail from, creature? Did Edgar finally create something, or are you a....nice little thing for the girl?"

Alice now kept silent, and did not hover as closely with the Lord Kane as close as he was now. In the meantime, more centaurs came in, with some bearing armor, others wearing none at all. There were male and females both, obviously there to do...something.

Drew didn't back down, taking the drink and helping himself. He didn't want to start anything, but he wasn't going to sit there and be insulted. He stepped between Kane and Alice. "I hail from a land far from here. I'm one of a group of travelers, and an honored guest of Lord Edgar."

He had a little more to drink, looking at the centaurs arriving before turning back to Kane. "I must admit, I am new to these lands. Never seen creatures quite like you and your people before, and I'm still trying to get up to speed on the customs. Perhaps you can enlighten me on just what's going on."

"Not bad, guest of Lord Edgar! How far, I wonder, you had to travel to see yet another loss of Edgar's! But it is not of any importance." Kane said, taking a drink of his own. "The stuff is strong, and you drink it without concern! A fine quality that I hope that I shall see more of when the fighting does start. Though, I must be honest that I don't see you putting up much of a fight against my horsemen. Are you good with your hands, or perhaps your tongue does all the work?" Kane laughed outright this time, actually taking a seat at the table which Drew sat at.

"I prefer making use of my mind and talents during my fighting. But said talents are lethal. Hardly sporting, and I do prefer to avoid harm or death whenever possible. It's quite unpolite." Drew shrugged. He wasn't interested in fighting, but he wasn't going to show any weakness.

 

[SkyeNeko]

No one seemed to notice while Fei and her shadow took off through the trees. She saw something pink between the leaves, and the thought of more flowers made her excited. She didn't find any flowers, but she did find a really tall tree. Maybe she could see more of the area if she climbed to the top!?

She reached for the lowest limb and began a decent paced climb up. With the surrounding foliage, she couldn't see where Seth and Raven had gone, but she assumed it was towards the castle, which she could see perfectly fine from the ground. It was pretty much a big landmark. She got as high as she could before the branches wouldn't hold her weight if she went any higher, then sat down with her book to add a bit more to her map. Where were all the animals? Maybe they would have elements too!

After some period of silence, the leaves began to rustle again, first with what Fei would have called a squirrel. She didn't think any animals here would be the same as at the Academy, but this squirrel seemed pretty normal. It ran away back into a hole when Fei tried to inch closer. She spot a few movements in the leaves above her, but they must have been well camouflaged, and she didn't see what they were. Probably birds, or small dragons.

It only took a half hour for her to finish what she could see around her, and she slowly climbed back down. She made sure to be extra careful: she fell out of trees sometimes in the Academy when she was in a hurry. She quickly began to make her way to the castle, hoping they wouldn't leave the castle before she got there. Her path took her around the town, but she was able to notice the weird increase in people that were outdoors. Is there going to be a party at the castle?!? She would have ran the rest of the way there, had it not been for the armored centaurs looking very intimidating walking around intimidatingly. Fei skirted around the castle area, hoping for a more secluded entrance maybe.

WHen she heard someone coming, Fei very nimbly and expertly ran in the other direction until she found a small hiding placeby the wall, peeking out. It was Gabriel! He went to the castle with the other mages, she thought, so why was he out here? Was there no party after all? For good measure, Fei waited until he had passed her, and then jumped out with a whispered "Boo!" just in case anyone else was around.

 

[CounterAttack]

Surprised, Gabriel whirled to face the whisperer, crossbow raised in case of attack... but it was only Fei. The breath he had held for a second left him in a sigh of relief. "Fei. I could have shot you... Thank the gods it's you, though. But where are the others? Seth, Raven, that other Nightshade Silvana... we all need to be extremely careful, I don't think wandering around on your own is a good idea. Something's going on in the castle. Alexander and Drew were led off somewhere," he hurriedly explained as best he could.

"And the castle's residents are more than a bit odd. The one in charge took an interest in drinking blood, and then there's the - "

"There you are, master Gabriel!" a voice rang out from the castle's entrance. It was the blonde woman again. Gabe's expression hardened; he didn't want to lose himself again by staring at her. His shadow quickly stepped to his side, as if to reinforce this thought. Edgar's servant approached the two mages with a bit of a saunter in her step. "I wondered where you'd gone. Lord Edgar wanted me to keep an eye on you... and who is this? A friend of yours? I'm sure she would be more than welcome to stay. I can look after both of you if you'd like," she purred, beckoning the mages back to the castle.

"Fei, please do me a favour. Stay close to me," Gabe muttered to Fei, his grip on his crossbow tightening even as his face reddened a few notches. He tried not to look at the unfamiliar woman. The situation as a whole was embarrassing. He wanted to be somewhere else.

 

[SkyeNeko]

"Psh, you could have shot me? With that?" Fei had seen a crossbow before: her brother liked them. But Fei found out early in class that water slowed and stopped a myriad of projectiles. "Can you even shoot this thing?" Fei moved out of the arrows path and started grabbing at the handle, sticking her tongue out at Gabriel. "Wouldn't it be better to, ya know, work on your magic instead of figuring out how to aim this thing? Most of the people living here are made out of rocks, or water! Geez, you could probably shoot out ice bolts better than shooting arrows... and you have to go out and find the arrows after you shoot them! Just con, con, con and con. I hope the people here don't use magic too. You'd be all out of options." she teased. "Do you need me to teach you how to magic?"

A weird looking girl came out on the same path from around the castle, clearly looking for them, or specifically, for Gabriel. She had big wings, dark like the night, and really pale skin. She wouldn't be surprised if this was her first time in the sun. It was like she was only made of three, maybe four colors. Even her clothes looked like black velvet, the expensive kind that mom and dad got from beyond the horizon. She seemed... nice. Kinda looked like she wanted to eat them up though. Like the girl-person version of a big bad wolf. Fei stood up straight as the woman led them back to the castle, trying to replicate the way her feathers were glinting in the light, like ebony knives. Most of Fei's feathers were blue, reminiscent of the dark ocean. Fei made a mental note to ask one of these winged girls to teach her how to fly before the day was done.

When they rounded the corner, they were met with the flow of the growing throng of creatures. Fei saw all manner of beings around, and in the crowd, Gabriel was probably the one who stuck out the most by being the most plain.

[hr]

"Oh. My. Goodness! Well don't you look like you just climbed out of a ditch!" A tall "woman" almost immediately met them as they walked into the castle, sweeping them out of the doorway. She towered over all of them at 6'5", and she wasn't even standing straight. She wore a black dress with a billowing skirt to accommodate her size. What was visible of her legs were draconian: they were covered in green scales that terminated in large claws. Despite the initial shock, they were quite pretty: polished, shiny, and svelte. The visible portion of her seemed human enough, save slightly longer nails, sharp teeth, and a forked tongue that she periodically flicked over her lips. There were also wings, but by now that was becoming commonplace.

"Where have you been? You smell like mud and leaves. You can't be seen like... this." she stated matter of factly, gesturing at the four. "Especially not as guests of Lord Edgar. Oh, but that's what I'm here for!~" she suddenly whipped open her wings, blocking off the way they had come, and forcing them down a side hall. She was clearly used to moving much larger objects, as her pushes were a bit strong. "We have a dinner to prepare for, and you are all coming in like those darn cats: dirty and sordid, hoping for a scrap of something."

 

[UnusualStranger]

As Seth followed Cale onward to the castle, he began wondering what else was going on around here. So many things were active here, and the centaur men seemed to be moving onward past them now to go inside. Had they arrived just in time for a party? Looking around there were a lot of...women? A lot of them seemed to have different things about them. Some with tails, wings, cat-ears...all kinds of odd things going on. A lot of them actually looked quite nice, some of them wearing a little...less than Seth was used to seeing. As Raven stepped close and gripped his hand, he glanced back to her, only to suddenly realize something was off.

"Yeah....something is off. Did you...?" Seth asked, feeling a surge of...energy? He almost was certain it was Raven, which was an encouraging thought, but something felt off about it. And not the good kind of off either.

"Well, they arn't....er, that altered. I mean, they are at least mostly woman-like." Seth said, trying to now just figure out what was going on. Why were things so off now? Was it the castle maybe? He hoped that was the answer, but it really didn't seem likely. Cale would have said something about it...unless he didn't feel it.

"Hey, did you feel that? It feels like...something is different. You see something...?" Seth whispered to Raven, feeling as if when no one else did anything, then maybe they were not aware of it. Though, before he could get an answer, they were interrupted by a large....dragon? Whoever she was, she was there to neaten them up apparently?

The blazes? Smell like mud and leaves? Who IS this?

Though, when she started talking about them smelling and looking like they were, Seth couldn't help but grin. He didn't exactly dress like they were all apparently getting ready for. And this would be...maybe something interesting.

"Uh...Well, OK? Where do we get..." Seth was interrupted by what he assumed was supposed to be a light push. She was pretty strong too! "...Uh, you have a set of clothes?"

[hr]

"Hello....Silvana. Nice to finally...I mean, good of you to let me be what you are." Silvana's shadow spoke. At least, it seemed like it was speaking, though it was more thoughts echoing across Silvana's mind that were not really her own. As they finally made their way inside, it seemed that things were very well under way. Many of the ladies were wearing fine dresses, or well decorated maid outfits. Though, they continued to keep their theme outside from some wearing something a bit more...flashy than others.

"This world is interesting, isn't it? Those....men with 4 legs are the most interesting so far....Wait...what are we here for? I can't seem to...recall. Silvana, what is this castle for? It seems oddly...something."

[hr]

Lord Kane grinned at Drew, obviously entertained by the smaller individual that he was tangling with, waved to order more drinks for the table. As a maid brought them over, he regarded Drew another moment, then taking a deep gulp.

"So, an extremely polite and noble guest, with some sort of steel belly! An intriguing creature, but I still can't quite place you so far. So, lets see...you arn't dirty enough to be one of those digger folks, so I think I can toss that idea. Maybe one of those machine men without the armor? Seems like a damned waste, and I would think you would actually be...well, bigger!" Kane listed off, counting them off on his fingers.

"You arn't one of the Mistresses new toys, are you? I swear she keeps coming up with new fancy things, and some of them arn't the worst of things. Or are you just here for the drinks? Not sure what Edgar's girls do, but damn if they don't know the right things to make a good drink. Would you like to try something a little finer? Edgar prefers a particular kind of wine when he drinks. Stuff is strong in its own right, but tends to be smoother. That more of your 'gentlemanly' style? Or do you want what I regularly drink?"

Alice seemed particularly...worried in this particular instance. She gave a small tug on Drew, which made Kane smile that much more as she whispered to Drew.
"Lord Drew, those drinks are going to be...very strong. I would recommend Lord Edgar's though, as...well, I know that Lord Kane has a very strong drink straightforward."

 

[CounterAttack]

"Do you need me to teach you how to magic?"

She was right, Gabriel did need to learn to control his magic a bit better. Most people viewed weapons, like the crossbow he had picked up, as unrefined compared to proper spellcraft. And there were no other Hydromancers in the mages' band of misfits, so if he wanted to learn from someone he knew, Fei would have to be the one to teach him. He remembered the textbooks he'd packed before the flight to Kerbones; it felt like long ago now. They were still in his pack, if he remembered correctly, along with the supplies he'd taken before stepping through the portal to this world.

"Well, if you're offering to teach me," Gabe eventually answered, "I wouldn't say no. We'd need somewhere to practice..."

"My Lord Edgar has several rooms prepared for his guests, master Gabriel," the black-winged woman chipped in. "Although at the rate that more guests are arriving, you won't have all that much time to get anything done. Still, let me show you to the room that has been prepared for you." She slipped one arm into Gabriel's, eliciting another blush from the young mage, and led him and Fei away from the packed hall down a less populated corridor whose open doors all revealed almost identical chambers, save for a few minor alterations here and there. The trio eventually stopped before a room featuring a fountain of water, among other things. Another of Edgar's servants, dressed in a red corset and silver skirt, was emerging; she paused to brush a speck of dust off of the doorknob.

"Here we are. Is everything in place, Janine?"

"Of course, Isa." It was pronounced 'eesa'. The other girl, Janine, gave a quick curtsey before hurrying into another room. Before Isa could lead the Hydromancers inside, however, Gabriel caught sight of a very familiar group of people further down the hall, being shepherded by some sort of... dragon woman? Isa gently pulled on Gabe's arm, but he stood still and waited for Seth, Silvana, that Earthshaper Cale and the other Nightshade - what was her name? Raven? - to be shunted closer. He raised his free hand and gave them a short wave.

 

[Mr. Omega]

Drew waited for Kane to finish talking before responding to him. "I'm just here for shelter, sadly. Nothing that interesting about me." He turned to Alice and whispered to her "Uh... can you explain what those things he said are? I'm guessing 'The Mistress' is that Serena person Edgar mentioned. But other than that I have no idea what he's talking about. After I deal with the beverage thing, of course..."

He turned back and spoke to Kane. "I think I'll try Edgar's wine. As much as I'd like to enjoy the stronger stuff, I have to be able to carry a conversation with my companions soon. Business before pleasure, the burden of leadership, all that good stuff. I'm sure you know the feeling." He said, smirking and gesturing jokingly at Kane.

He went back to his seat, gesturing for Alice to sit beside him. "Pardon me for a moment. I just want to have a quick word with my friend here."

 

[Pm0n3y]

"We've been in each other's personal space since we started talking. How am I shy all of a sudden?" Joey was a little confused by the multiple claims at his accused bashfulness, but he wrapped his arm with hers anyway. "Dance? Who said I can't dance? I can dance! I can do the watusi, some folk, the horizontal tango..." The air hung on the claim, letting him realize what he said.

Rosa glanced at Joey as she easily caught what Joey had said, and shook her head at the comments. She began to lead him down the hallway, pausing a moment after going so far and glanced around, not seeing any guards or maids nearby, and pointedly pushed him against the wall. "I know you very well, my unlucky wanderer. You have been looking to take from this place, and I must say I don't think much of that. I'm not blind, and I'm not as foolish as some think." Rosa said, a glare behind her words.

"But I will have you presentable for Lord Edgar, and won't have you making trouble when you take someone's things and end up getting someone killed. So, can you really dance, or are you just trying to butter me up? Because I would really like to know if you have more behind this than some fancy words, or fast hands with that knife you caress every once in a while."

"Oh no, I was serious about the dancing thing, I can totally dance. You'd be surprised at how much dancing goes down in seedy taverns." He met her sudden glare with his usual smirk. "But uh...presentable? Is this to be a formal feast? I mean, because, I left my good rags back at the box that I live out of."

"Mmhmm. Well, then I guess we'll see if you can keep up in a bit. Because I already had you pegged for the 'seedy tavern' type already." Rosa said with a smirk of her own as she began their walk once again, seemingly having a very particular destination in mind. She opened a door a short distance away, and waved Joey inside. She gave a small sigh when asked about what kind of party it was going to be.

"And its as formal as some good drinking, dancing, and gloating does go. So, you will need something better than those rags! Here is where you should find something. Some suits, or something for you to have on. Try to not make a fool of yourself?"

"Me? Make a fool of myself? Ha!" Joey replied in a exaggerated fashion. "I'll definitely have to freshen up though, don't wanna stink up your clean clothes."I'll definitely hafta take a bath. Wanna join me?" He asked, not skipping a beat. "You are right that you will definitely need to wash up. Going to make a damned mess of fine clothes at this point." "Yeah. That's what I just said. I literally just said that." Joey interjected internally. "So sure, lets get you in a bath." Rosa said, almost casually as she directed him to a side room. Opening the door, there was a bath already prepared, and she gently nudged him forward.

"C'mon now. No need to be wasting time. In case you didn't realize it, I cleaned up before I had changed into these nicer clothes. So sorry to shoot you down, but you are going to need to enjoy the bath yourself. Maybe later though, if you play nice."

"Hey, you said maybe. I'll take your word for it." He replied, undoing his shawl, pulling off his shirt. "Close the door on the way out please, unless you wanna like, watch or help or something." He suggested. He was sitting on the edge of the tub, out of his undergarments by this point, and tearing away the already fairly worn wrappings that covered his heels. "Makes me realize it's been a while since I've worn shoes...could I perhaps go barefoot, or maybe find some open toed sandals..." Rosa sauntered up to him in his moment of pondering, invading his personal space once more, practically spreading his naked legs apart to stand in between them. "Oh?" He found his hands beginning to explore the silky, enticing curves of her hips and waist. "Did you change your mind?" He looked up. A hand of the mistress found itself making its way up his chest, before promptly pushing him over the edge of the bathtub. SPLASH!

As he resurfaced the overly sudsy waters, Joey found the girl holding a brush out towards him. "No, but we'll be pressed for time soon. Start scrubbing my little wanderer." She smiled, playfully prodding him with its long handle before he grabbed for it. "You are such a tease." He replied.

 

[NeoAC]

As soon as Raven had squeezed Seth's she felt something. It wasn't the usual rush of blood at touching the Pyro either. It was like a power surge, like a static shock only it was all over her. It couldn't have been just Seth. Was it this place? Was it doing something to her already?

"Hey, did you feel that? It feels like...something is different. You see something...?"

Did Seth feel it too? Maybe it was us...but what could have caused it? She wanted to answer back to him, but one of those half-women suddenly became a lot more direct in dealing with the travelers who had arrived. What the hell! She's monstrous! And given her looks she certainly had an unearned hoidy-toidy opinion of herself. Oh great. A preppy monster. Already telling me how I should look? What is that matter with you. You don't get to say stuff like that! I'm not following your sheep clothing rules!

Seth seemed on board but Raven wasn't having any of it. She folded her arms across her chest. "I'm pretty comfortable as is, thank you." The voice was low, but not rocky. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you don't have my type of clothes in your wardrobe. If any."

 

[SkyeNeko]

The dragon gave a very loud laugh, as if Raven had just told a funny joke, leading them into a showers room. "Hellooo anyone here? Nope? Alright then!" She took Raven first, since she was going to be the most troublesome, and more gently than last shoved her in the shower to get wet for the third time that day. She closed the curtain and went on to the next stall, where she deposited Seth, then Cale, then Silvana in separate stalls. "I keep telling Lord Edgar that it would be more efficient to have one big shower room with none of this stall nonsense, but some of the girls are embarrassed by nudity! Can you imagine? Some girls here you just need to look in their direction and they'll get naked." she laughed again, managing to fill the room with her roar. "Now hurry up and get clean! You have mmm... ten minutes!" They could hear her walk out of the room and slam the door.

[hr]

The four were carted off before they could say hi to Gabriel. Fei giggled. "Guess they didn't see us." was all she told the other hydro before bouncing into the room. It was all clean and nice, like being the first person into a newly built classroom or dorm room. She immediately picked a bed to jump on, up and down for a few minutes. "Gabriel- what's- the- party- for?"

 

[CounterAttack]

A little disappointed that he didn't get the chance to speak with the others, Gabriel allowed Isa to lead him into the room she had picked out. There he gently but firmly removed her arm from his and immediately stepped away from Isa, setting his crossbow down on a table and placing his pack with it. Isa might enjoy walking on his arm, but Gabe didn't like having her that close. If it were Fei in her place, however...

"I'm not sure. I suppose that question might be better put to our hostess," he noted. "Um... Ms Isa?" What was the right title there? Ms? Miss? Lady? Mistress? Mistress seemed a bit much.

"My Lord Edgar wishes to inspire confidence in his subjects and guests. Tonight is a victory celebration. There will be drinking, dancing and plenty more besides," the palest of the three answered. "Master Gabriel, Lady Fei, I must request that you both clean yourselves up a bit in the chambers adjacent to this room. I shall send for some appropriate attire for the occasion." Stretching one arm out the door, she snapped her fingers and the girl in red and silver, Janine, appeared almost out of nowhere.

"Janine, please bring formalwear for Master Gabriel and Lady Fei, thank you." Janine took a moment to cast her eyes over the two Hydromancers, apparently studying them, then scurried off out of sight. Isa, meanwhile, took a seat in the corner of the room. "Well, master Gabriel? Time is of the essence. The celebrations will not wait for you."

Apprehensive, Gabriel took a moment to study the open door to the bathroom beyond. "I suppose... but in my absence, I insist my belongings are untouched." Isa merely smiled and settled a little deeper into her chair. That seemed to be as good an 'okay' as he was going to get. As he stepped into the bathroom and closed its door behind himself for what felt like the first bit of privacy he'd had in months - and a hot shower to boot, even if it had to be a quick one - Janine returned bearing two outfits draped over her arm and laid them out on the bed that had yet to be touched. Gabriel's was a black suit with sea-blue and silver as the secondary colours.

 

[NeoAC]

Raven wasn't exactly appreciating the rough treatment that the dragon lady offered her, snatching her away before Seth could even react. She all but forced the Nightshade into the shower stall like a dog into a pen. Raven was thinking about fighting back against the woman, but then the parting roar she left the showering area with made her think twice about potentially getting barbecued again today. Still she steamed at a more efficient rate then any shower would.

Ugh, how dare she! Tossing me like around like a cloth? She doesn't get to tell me what I do! Fucking fascist!

As she sat and stewed in her own juices, Raven did get a good whiff of the odor she was carrying around. Ugh. I guess I can't turn the offer down though. Who knows how often I'm going to see one of these in this world. Reluctantly, and after looking around to make sure there were no viewing devices or spells or anything in the near vicinity, Raven shed her robes for the first time in a couple of days, letting them pool on the floor before tossing off her other clothes.

As she got a look at herself before stepping into the stall, she was confused. OK, I can actually see both my whole feet. How much weight have I lost? She hefted up the small amount of stomach fat left and found that there wasn't near as much as there was just a few weeks ago when she was putting down the cafeteria spaghetti and butterscotch puddings like a champion eater. This...is this healthy? Is this even natural? Should I even care? I haven't been this skinny since I was a kid... Her brain was still going as a rush of hot water hit her from the top down. This place...I've changed so much...in both body and mind...I'm not even sure how angry I am about the whole clothes thing...And that new feeling, what is going on with me... Soon however, her thoughts were lost to the flow of the water trickling down her body as the dirt and grime was washed away.

 

[Lambi]

Silvana was so glad to be able to see again without shadows cluttering her vision, it took her by surprise as another voice entered her head. "Again?" she said quietly to herself. The voice seemed to sound similar to her own, and judging by what was said, she could only assume they were coming from her own shadow. "So, you can talk now. Well, it'll be nice to have an actual conversation with you now. Oh, and you're welcome. Seems that deal benefited us both, which is nice. As for what we're doing here, I think we were supposed to look for something in this world, and our mission seems to have taken us to this castle, which I have no idea what it's for."

She didn't get much of a chance to talk more to her shadow as she was pushed by some giant dragon lady, and into a shower. Apparently she smelled, according to the giant dragon lady, so she was to take a shower. She didn't really complain, although she would have liked to say something about just being pushed into a shower. She took her clothes off and started washing herself. It felt nice to take a shower after what they'd gone through in the trials, and then taking on those stone gargoyles when they entered this world.

While in the shower, she thought about just how nice it was to be able to see clearly again. She was actually glad that she hadn't taken the option to remove the beautiful crimson color of her eyes since this was how it turned out. More power, most likely seemed to be due to getting that shadow of hers, which could talk now, at least straight into her head, and she kept the color of her eyes. Everything worked out perfectly for her. She'd have to make sure to find a mirror later to admire her eyes again.

 

[UnusualStranger]

Kane shook his head as Drew requested the lesser wine in his eyes, but waved to one of the maids all the same. As one walked over, he muttered "The usual!" and the maid stepped away quickly to one of the other rooms. Turning back to Drew, he regarded him a moment as they waited for their drinks.

"I respect ya, guest of Edgar, but you are a damn poor liar to think I'd believe that kind of garbage. In case ya haven't heard, I have a bit of reach around here...and not much just walks around here without drawing a tiny bit of attention. But I haven't heard or seen you, and here you are a guest of the good Lord Edgar, and...." Kane paused as the maid returned with a pair of drinks.

The first was a bit of a larger, frothy liquid. Seemed to be extremely energetic in some ways, though Kane didn't really give much chance for Drew to get a good view of the drink. The simple appearing wine seemed much calmer by any standard, actually coming in a clear glass, with a strange red color about it. Also, in it sat a cherry, seeming to blend in with the red liquid which seemed a little...too thick. Still smooth enough to drink easily, but oddly thicker.

"....and I've not even heard a rumor of a strange creature like you walking about causing trouble. So, you are likely the most interesting one in this room so far." Kane finished, before leaning back to take a long drink obviously pausing so Drew could have his moment with Alice, which she was in a hurry to take use of.


"Lord Kane has a very good read of the land, and has met many people and groups. He might think you are of the others that he has met so far, which...can go any ways, obviously. Unless you are worried about something different? Because...well, its a little late to discuss entire other groups now..." Alice whispered quickly, exasperated at the situation and little time for planning.

Stopping his drink, Kane tossed it back down, the mug about half full yet.
"Course, now that I think of it, where is generally the most important man in the room? Edgar is late, though I did see that annoying child wandering around, so he might be dealing with that. Did you happen to wake the damn kid? Tends to get these silly ideas, and just wanders off and does them. I'm going to guess you don't know, and will tell me you are just 'passing by', right? Seems to be your answer a lot of the time, so let me ask ya something else. Where are you headed?"

[hr]

"Oh yes, the worst kind of tease. Almost sounds like someone else I know. Or a lot of girls I know. Of course, I think they might also scrub themselves a tiny bit better when they have an event to attend." Rosa continued, tossing a bar of soap into the tub as well as another brush.

"They might also show a bit more grace when going into a tub, but I'm guessing you are not quite the dancer you claim to be either. Such a shame." Rosa teased, and walked over to one of the many closets and went through a few drawers. She hummed to herself in the mean time.

"Hmm...You arn't quite THAT large. Not quite yet anyways. Not that small either....hmmm....Do you think blue is a good color? Maybe you are more of a pink person..."

[hr]

Seth was again surprised at how gently the woman seemed to be pushy, getting them all into the showers to clean up and everything. While his clothes got a lot more soaked, he wasn't particularly worried about the event, it wasn't exactly what he needed at the time. However, he got the message easily enough, and stripped down, letting the water flow over the clothes a bit to get a bit of the dirt and mess off of them.

As the water began to fall, he was surprised that it was....warm. Hot even. Still, old habits die hard, and Seth let a bit of extra heat flow off his hands. Had it really been that long since he could sit back and wash up? It seemed like things had been changing so quickly. And here he was, getting ready for some kind of...party? With the others around getting some of the same treatment, though Raven had put up a bit of a struggle with everything...

Seth began laughing. The moments, what he had done, the decisions he had made. The wounds he had taken, and....the flowers that he still had with his clothes which seemed to be surviving...even thriving in this water. This was all the adventure that he was looking for, but it had changed into so much more. And now, sitting inside some running water, he couldn't help but laugh.

As if the world around me didn't even want to try. Just went ahead, flipped things around, changed them around, changed me around...and then decided that it wasn't good enough and put me at another table. Gods, what am I doing? A sane man would....well, take Jenn and run. Course...I don't think she likes me because I'm a calm, sane, slow moving fellow...I wonder what I'm going to be doing next?


[hr]

"Mmm.....a very quick study, my Lord Alexander. You might need a tiny bit more practice in some ways, but I think that helped make it....more exciting, don't you?" Jade whispered playfully wrapped around Alexander in the bed. Both were under the covers of the bed, with Jade still tracing around Alexander's form every once in a while.

"And to think that Lord Edgar actually wanted me to share you with everyone at the party. I think I can be more than a handful for you. Besides..." Jade leaned in to give Alexander a trail of kisses up to his lips. "...I think I might want to stick with you. You have a lot more going for you than a tiny bit of 'spicy' blood, but I think we'll keep that our dirty little secret. Unless you want to say something, of course." Jade completed with a small wink.

"Did you have fun too? Or did I wear you out too much for the party? Not that it would...be any kind of problem. Might take longer for you to rest though...If you think you could manage."

[hr]

"Oh...so we don't know why we are here? Or what we are doing? That sounds....tough. But it doesn't seem like we are in a rush, right? It seems like a lot more...exploration than doing what it is...we're supposed to do." Silvana's shadow said, and when Silvana went to the shower the shadow realized to stay outside, even though it likely wouldn't have touched the shadow in the first place.

In fact, the other shadows seemed to oddly follow suit in not following to the showers, though they did gather over nearby the door, seeming to talk among themselves for a time being. It seemed to be more of an invitation towards Silvana's shadow than anything else. It went...well, as far as it could be seen. Seth and Raven's shadows themselves seemed to be the more spirited of the group, which was largely obviously due to the extra energy they had gotten.

 

[blaze96]

"There is always room for improvement, and I am perfectly fine getting in the practice." Alexander replied with a smirk before she had continued.

"As for what more I have going for me...I can't think of anyone else who needs to know, and of course you are welcome to stay with me. Also you are quite a handful to be sure." He then thought a moment at the question.

"Fun would be a very large understatement. As for the party, I should attend. At least for a little while. Besides, as I said before, there is plenty of time in the night to not sleep later."

 

[SkyeNeko]

"...into a silk purse!~" the dragon lady burst back into the shower room singing some song. It wasn't that she couldn't sing, it was that... she couldn't sing. Her voice was more suited to scaring the cats rather than serenading a lover. Fortunately, she stopped when she entered the room, and began hanging up things on the outside of the individual stalls.

On Cale's she left a larger 2 piece suit in classic black, with a crisp white shirt. She took what clothes he left outside, tongue flicking in annoyance at the dirt, before chucking them in a nearby basket. The other male mage was next: his ensemble consisted of a red long sleeve shirt, a black vest, and black pants. "Happy you're enjoying your showers, but your time is up! Please dry off and get dressed, there are crowds of people out there to impress!" For Silvana she left a white gown: sleeveless, with a halter top, sash, and a flowing skirt. There was also some intricately cut metal cuffs for her arms. Red lines appeared on them when she touched them, similar in color to her eyes.

For Raven, however, the dragon woman had a few extra things. "Water off!" she grinned cheerfully, throwing open the curtain. She had a bottle of something rancid in one hand, and before Raven could react, she dumped it all on top of her head. "If you're going to dye your hair, at least make sure to take care of it!" she scolded before closing the curtain again, turning the water on to freezing cold. "Now wash out all the dye before it ruins your lovely skin, then get dressed! You don't want to be late!" She hooked a purple and black empire dress up, before confiscating her robes as well. It was a simple but striking affair, with black and purple vertical stripes across her chest, and a dark loose skirt layered with tulle that reached the floor.

There was a small assortment of oils and brushes when the mages exited their stalls, and even a few cosmetics for the ladies. The dragon lady stood by the doorway, her piercing eyes examining and judging their appearances.

[hr]

As soon as Gabriel closed himself in the bathroom, Fei ran up and took a peek in his bag. Since he told the maid girl not to look in it, that must mean there was something cool in it! Like candy! Sweets! Brightly colored- Nothing interesting. Gabriel was so boring. She decided to take one of his textbooks, deciding it would be good reading material while she took a short bath. The books were specially treated to be, for all intents and purposes, waterproof. Instead of using a bathroom like her less skilled mage classmate, Fei just plopped herself down in the middle of the fountain, popping a strawberry lollipop in her mouth while she refreshed herself on some spells. Meanwhile, she did a very simple bathing spell: it involved pretty much using the water in your body to flush off whatever dirt or sweat you accumulated. It was one of the first spells Fei learned, and effectively eliminated bath time at home. You didn't have to get undressed, you could clean your robe at the same time, there was no downside!