makinglies | Respite

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faerun

Respite

The lake is dark and calm with a small breeze by the time they arrive at its shores. The stars above reflect perfectly in the still waters before them, and a small copse of trees lines one side, starting on their side of the river and jumping along the other side.

Chris takes a moment to re-prepare the spell he hadn't been able to cast in five years and gestures vaguely to the area around them as a suggestion for what the others can do. Gathering in the forest, sitting on a nearby over-turned log, it didn't matter to him. What he needed was an hour without interruption.

He settles down on the ground and presses his hands together as he closes his eyes to focus on the image in his mind. Within minutes, the white, shimmering outline of a large building forms in thin air. The gentle glow of its light barely spreads from the growing structure.

As promised, it takes the full hour before the slowly filling-in form is complete and finishes with a jaunty, echoing click.

Chris takes a breath, now sitting in front of the stoop that looks annoyingly like the one he'd passed earlier in the night, and gets back onto stiff legs as the glow fades away, leaving smooth, but otherwise unremarkable, white stone behind.

"Here we are. Home for the next however long we need. I'll start working on food and water next." Once they're inside, anyway, which is why he takes back his things from where he'd left them and leads them into the temple, marked only with the carving of ravens on the black wood of the double doors.

Inside is something just shy of opulence. The same polished white stone makes the walls, though black and gold veins course through the marble. The floor is the inverse, a black stone with white, shimmering speckles like a night sky if looked at for long enough. A single window faced East high up on the wall. The temple was alight with sconces at regular intervals along the walls, illuminating an open area that held all the offerings of comfort Chris could think of.

A large hot-springs-like bath, complete with a miniature waterfall, took up the left side of the room and ran into a smaller, similar bath at dog-height. Next to it, covered by a retractable screen, was a shower. Along the back wall, a raven's head emblazoned the white wall in black and watched out over a set of tables, chairs, and a couple of sofas. The majority of the center was clear for walking, but the right edge and right side of the room held a deeply inset pit of pillows, cushions, and blankets in various soft (black and purple) fabrics.

Finally, in the middle of the right-hand wall, there were two closed doors that, when inspected, revealed one room with a large, soft chair and rug, while the other room was made of nothing but stone with jars, pitchers, and plates on shelves along two walls and a cork wall perfect for catching daggers on the other side.

"I hope it works for everyone. I didn't...I didn't make separate bedrooms this time. I didn't figure we would need them tonight."

♥

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"I was too when I found out. Flames, I still am struggling. We're all going to be for some time as this isn't normal. None of what we've been through is normal or even right." Wolfe breathes out between pressed lips, moving one arm from around Chris so he can encompass Amelia as well.

"It matters both not at all and immensely all at once. You're not the only one feeling that way, or should you hide it. I appreciate not being alone in coping." He squeezes them both, holding them close to him for a very long beat as he gathers strength from their victory. From having them here, in a place that's not Duplicity but also entirely theirs because they're not their original selves. Copies, but unique. Their own people, perhaps moreso than they've ever been. But it certainly comes with a deep sense of loss...

"If we're going to talk about this, I think it should be with Jon too. Is that alright?"

He doesn't want to talk about this right now, but his jaw goes tense in his silence. If he's not Chris Sonom, then why does he have to have his problems? Why does he have to have his failures and limitations? If he's all of the bad things of the man he's not, why couldn't he also have the good things?

He can't be anyone but himself. He remembers what it was to be Crystal. He remembers the weight of himself and shedding her to become him. He remembers the chain of his name and family and the strength that chain could sometimes provide; a weapon as much as a binding.

Yet he's not Chris Sonom anymore, is he? He's softer and harder all at once. The last thing he shares with the now-king South of them is the feeling of ice crystals in their veins...and from it, they branch. Chris Sonom is chained, trapped by his own decision. He gets to live what life he can eak out for those he loves without the privilege, but without the burden.

He feels sick, and the static grows louder, and Wolfe suggests they go to Jon, and even though it's barely been a handful of seconds, the press of Amelia and Wolfe around him is all at once too much.

"Yes. I agree." And as soon as he can without indicating too much rush, he disentangles himself from his partners to head back out into the temple.

Dripping wet...fuck, he'd forgotten towels...

She can feel that tension in Chris even before he pulls away. His thoughts are spiraling, too, a series of 'what if's, 'why not's, and 'what now's. It's why she needed time to herself under the soak of the water and also why she still feels like she could fall apart into disparate threads at any moment. Her fingers brush down his arm in their way before he fully retreats, then carefully gets to her feet and turns off the water. The soap can wait on the floor, but her clothes should come with to hang dry. Maybe they're ruined or maybe they can be saved, but right now it doesn't matter. She puts them over one arm and offers Wolfe her other hand.

"Let's talk about it while we can, but have a care not to push too hard. It doesn't help any of us to do that." Something she knows all too well. She smiles softly after Chris and then at her mage as he gets to his feet. It feels so good to just look at him again, no matter how he's changed from his time while they were separated.

"I'll stay behind the both of you as we move to the bath so you can distract Jon from looking in my direction. Dreams know I don't want to deal with saving him from drowning because he blushed so hard he fainted." And there is no way in any hell that she's going to put on clothes long enough to move from the shower to the bath. That's ridiculous and the man needs to learn to deal with everyone in this group being naked at times, her especially when she's not about to duck into another room just to change or undress to wash.

"I'm not-" Wolfe starts to protest, then falls quiet. Chris' retreat isn't unexpected but it gnaws at him in a way that strikes deeply when he knows in his head that it's not about him.

"I'm not trying to push," he murmurs, quieter for the lack of noise now that the water's off. It's not silent, not with the gentle burble of the spring water between their spring and the dogs, the general dog noises over near the door, and what little noise Jon makes while washing, but it still feels oppressive to him. He hates being the one to bring up things others would rather forget, but this is something they need to work out.

Allowing Amelia to help him up, Wolfe gets to his feet and runs a hand back through his hair. His trousers are soaked and they're about to get in a bath anyway, so he takes them off and chucks them in a corner, followed by his smallclothes. Then takes a second to stare at them as one of the myriad of things that's been bothering him jumps to his fore-brain. "Um... Did any of you bring any of my clothes?"

Jon is trying very hard not to listen in on the conversation, but he can sense when things take a turn for the dire once more and can't help looking toward the screen and wondering. What are they talking about? Is it something he shouldn't listen to? It would be safer if he didn't listen to some things, after all. Wolfe's experiences with being experimented on, prepared to be fed to this eldritch entity they'd apparently been linked to in Duplicity. It's the stuff of Statements, and while all of the excitement has tempered the Archivist's hunger, it hasn't eliminated it.

Chris emerges with that thought looking far more dour than before... and naked. While Jon's seen him in the nude more than a few times, he knows this means the others are likely coming soon, and that means he should-

He doesn't have a towel. The cape he has could be wrapped around him, but it's seen the most flecks of blood and muck from their arrival. It wouldn't exactly be clean.

"Chris!" he calls, sinking low as he turns away from the cleric and the general direction of the screen. "Blankets. We need some of the blankets. You don't have towels."

Or trousers, it would seem. He keeps quiet and purses his lips. It's not like he could offer Wolfe his spare-

"You could try my pajama trousers? They're, er... stretchy?"

"I know, love." It's all the comfort he can offer his mage when he knows he'll likely feel like the cause for the turn in mood, but it's not his fault. It's not any of their faults, it just is and would be for a while. Besides, they have more immediately pressing things. Like needing alternatives to towels.

"I brought one of your flannel shirts...and you'll fit fine in what couple of items I brought from Jacob and Martin." He tosses back to Wolfe as he looks around.

He looks to the blankets in the pillow pit and spies a couple that will work well enough. Some of them are too soft, but a couple are more cottony, and he shamelessly pads over to collect those three and sets them to the side of the spring. Not in offering to Jon, his Archivist is instead treated to a naked cleric climbing in and beelining for him to grasp at his hips are arms. Whatever he can pinch at to be annoying and distract Jon from Amelia's naked arrival.

"Now your modesty can be spared for a limited time...but not until you lay in here with me for a bit, I want to work at your shoulders." Give his hands something to do while they talk about this...and maybe distract the more human part of Jon from trying to drag this into a statement? He can hope. He just...wants them in the baths...and then something in his brain will feel like it's accomplished something good today.

Clothes? Fuck. Amelia cheeks turn a light pink as she ducks her face away. "I brought one of your favorite dog shirts as well as the one I embroidered for you. I didn't think you'd need anything or I'd have brought more." A beat. "Including some pants."

She and Chris certainly won't mind the view in the temple, but it will make things awkward if they need to go into any town or fight someone off.

Huffing a laugh, she smiles a little and leans up to kiss him on the cheek as a small apology. "I have supplies to adjust any pants Chris has that are close to your size. We'll make buying some," or stealing some, "our first priority once we have a safe place to do so. We won't let anyone else see you walking around naked." That honor belongs to her and Chris ...and Jon, who's apparently being cajoled into not paying attention to her or Wolfe making their way into the bath by a clinging cleric. Amelia can't help but chuckle at the sight as she slips down into the water with a soft sigh.

"The water's perfect. Thank you for creating this for us, Chris." She throws a smile at the cleric and then turns her attention back to Wolfe to invite him next to her. He prefers some amount of physical contact when discussing difficult things and right now, she could use that too. After so long apart, she doubts there will be many times she won't want the same while they're recovering.

"Take your time, love," she murmurs to the mage, keeping a hand on his arm or shoulder as he'll allow. "We have as much as we need." From now until the gods of this plane take them, and she hopes beyond all else right now that they've got decades ahead of them to do whatever they want.

Shaking his head ruefully, Wolfe pads over to spread out his now seemingly precious pants and underclothes to dry instead of leaving them in a wad to molder. He can't blame anyone, this is what they expected, nor would he blame them even if he could.

"With all due respect, I don't think there's enough stretch in elastic to bridge the gap between my thigh muscles and yours, forget waistline," Wolfe teases as he steps unceremoniously into the water to sink next to Amelia. Under the water, he slips his hand around hers. "I do appreciate the offer, though. And the shirts, but I'll make due with the ones that are mine unless it's some kind of shirt emergency."

Like a cold snap or something.

The smile falls away again into that same worn look he's been wearing at intervals since he was rescued. "Those things are some of the only ones you have of other loved ones. I don't want to take them from you. I know how important that feels right now. If I didn't have Anders' ring with me all the time, I wouldn't have anything left of him."

For Alaric he only has a tattoo, and for Morrigan he has nothing...

Looking at Jon, Wolfe feels he needs to explain a little. He feels a stronger tug to go into gory detail too, but he knows what that is and without Jon actively channeling the Eye he can avoid it, at least for now. "We were talking just now, if you couldn't hear, about if we're ourselves or someone else and I thought you should be in the conversation. We're all thinking the same things, wondering if we're real or if we're even who we think we are if our memories are technically borrowed."

His gaze goes from one of his friends to the others each in turn, then turns down to the water at the middle of the spring. "The way I see it, we are ourselves. It's the same as different versions of ourselves from across the multiverse, only this time the split is Duplicity. Our experiences are still no different before that, or before Drift Fleet in my case. I'm still the son of Malcolm and Leandra Hawke, I still have-... had. Two siblings. I still went through what I did and made the choices I did, and barring there being another mirror of me, everyone I've ever met would still recognize me as myself. Only now there's a time and experience difference, and... Another uninterrupted version of ourselves."

Sinking a bit in the water, Wolfe lets out a long sigh. "That's where I've landed on it. It's messy, but it's... Better than feeling like I shouldn't exist. That seems wrong."

But he definitely thought it.

"Hey!" is Jon's response as he's pinched into submission beneath Chris' hands. It's a solid distraction, and he ends up flailing only a bit as he's pulled in and the cleric's fingers dig into his shoulders in a way that makes him groan as he tilts his head back against the other man. At least until the other two join them properly. In spite of being told he should get over it, Jon averts his gaze from Amelia and Wolfe and outright closes his eyes until he can hear they've stepped in and the lap of water tells him they've situated themselves.

The reason for the fear and much more somber mood is made clear quickly, and Jon turns his head to catch Chris' eye with a warning glance. This is one of the things he is very worried about. If Wolfe somehow starts going off on an eloquent tale, Chris will need to shove the Archivist underwater or otherwise deafen him to avoid doing something no one ~~mostly~~ wants tonight.

He keeps his attention on Chris to avoid having to look at Amelia and potentially catch a risque glance at her very nice curves, but he's clearly speaking to Wolfe as he responds. "That sounds sensible to me. I've never much believed in souls, but memory? Memory is what makes someone who they are. Everything good and bad." It's why he'd been so adamant against any sort of alteration on that front for him. The time he'd had his memories wiped and rewritten as a native of the city remain some of the most traumatizing.

And he's already lived through questioning if he's Jonathan Sims anymore, anyway. Is he something like Michael or Helen? Just a puppet for the Eye to use? "I think all of you might... I appreciate you involving me in the conversation, Wolfe. But I think it's... easier for me? I've been questioning who I am for a very long time. If I'm the same man who should have died and stayed dead eight years ago. It's the nature of what avatars are in my world. So, our memories are copied over? And all of the physical characteristics, as well? Then it's a divergence, like you said.

"I'm only sorry you got this version of me. Martin said I was far more powerful the longer we were in the apocalypse." It's sort of meant as a joke. But sort of not.

Jon catches his eye and he gives a small nod. He’ll be watchful and close by. Just in case.

He can tell the response is for Wolfe and Jon’s gaze is more a precaution to not see what he doesn’t wish to, but something in his chest clenches all the same. The words aren’t directed to him, but he clings to them all the same. He needs them to be true.

Didn’t the Raven Queen collect unique memories? That was part of her fascination; for all the importance of soul and soul threads, memory was what made a person them. If that wasn’t the case, then it wouldn’t hurt so badly to have had people show up in Duplicity without their memories of being there.

Jon continues while Chris gathers those thoughts to use as mooring for all the clutter in him, but he can’t help the huff that escapes him at that final sentiment.

Luckily, Jon is still under his hands, so it’s plenty easy for Chris to pull him in and kiss his temple.

“I’m not. This is the version that’s mine; I’d not trade him for anything.”

So definitively said, Chris looks back to Wolfe and Amelia.

“Souls are real here, but it’s memories the Raven Queen values and judges, they’re what separate twins who share a soul thread. We’re just…late born twins, now made to live our own lives, whatever that’ll be. How I feel’s not fake, what we’ve suffered and celebrated isn’t fake, whatever that’ll other measure do we need?”

Amelia rolls her eyes at the end of Jon's statement. If the man is this insufferable now, she doubts the other would be any less. There's no reason to voice that when she's still grateful that he's here for Chris's sake.

Memories and souls and all else being brought up are more than Amelia's ready to grapple with right now. Knowing what she is doesn't help her understand who she is. Yes, she has her own memories and experiences, but what of those that came from someone else? If they're not hers, then what are they? What do they even matter? What does she matter? There are no gods where her original comes from; what does it matter about what the gods here think about her?

Her lips press into a frown. This is all just... too much so soon after getting away from the hell they were forced to live in for years.

"We are who we are, and we have the freedom to do what our originals can't or wouldn't do." It's a repeating of words one or the other of them have said since they left Duplicity. At this point it's all she has. "Everything from now on is ours alone, no matter where we come from or who we are." Dreams, she hopes it's enough.

She hopes she is enough.

"I'm not either," Wolfe replies, making eye contact with Jon, or at least trying to. What he says is earnest but not painfully so, at least he hopes not. To him, its just the truth. "You're the Jon that reached out to help me the first time I arrived in Duplicity. I'm not sorry you're not someone else. Power and usefulness have nothing to do with it."

He squeezes Amelia's hand under the water at that too. He knows she gets bogged down in her value to others even more than he does himself, so this goes for her too. This goes for all of them, as much as Wolfe knows he subconsciously excludes himself.

To Chris he nods, thinking that souls are probably real everywhere but not voicing that very pedantic correction. Chris would know better anyway, cleric of death that he is with magic that can interact with the flow between life and afterlife.

Amelia chimes in and Wolfe squeezes her hand again, watching her face. She's reciting more than stating belief but he's not sure they're not all doing that to an extent. It might lighten the mood to point out the things they all can do now that they're free of previous responsibilities?

"That's true. I have to say I'm pleased I didn't have to wait and study for years to get you back," he kisses the side of her head. "I would, of course, in a heartbeat, but having you here is better. As is not having to be hunted down and forcefed my own memories."

He directs that to Chris and Jon, knowing that in some version of events he'd have been somewhere in the Anderfels, knocking his head against the stubbornness of the Warden leadership, or what was left of it. He'd have had Anders, but an Anders who didn't remember, who never grew without him, who never acknowledged or even discovered the cracks they were ignoring. Wolfe has to wonder if they'll ever figure it out, his and Anders' originals. Since the Anders who really was his was... gone.

Swallowing that thought, Wolfe goes a little quiet, but hopes the others will carry on the conversation without mentioning it.

Chris kiss and sentiment are sweet, but 'originals' from Amelia grates at him. Jon keeps tight-lipped about it, though. For now. It's not worth the fight when she's already fractured and any errant word might make her crumble again. He doesn't particularly want to deal with a crying woman on top of her being naked and... everything else.

He can also see Wolfe is sinking into his own thoughts after the attempted eye contact and soppiness with Amelia. Now would be a good time to give him something different to worry about. Clearly.

"Well, if that's settled, I think I should- While we're on the matter of study... Wolfe, that's something we'll want to attend to. Imminently. Whatever translation effect Duplicity and this... eldritch being provided, we don't know how long it's going to last. I've learned a few Common words here and there, but we'll want to be fully literate and fluent as quickly as possible.

"To that end, if we're going to get clothes for you, I think it's prudent to acquire a few books, as well. I have the two you gave me, Chris, that are in Common, that we can use, but they're... advanced. We'd do better with children's books to start. If... those exist?"

'Originals' is a word that sparks a feeling of annoyance immediately. He can't put into words why exactly. Maybe because he's not sure if they're copies or shaved off pieces or...what if they are the originals and the ones who 'replaced' them are the copies, shunted there to make it seem like nothing was off? When he thought of it that way...it didn't change much. Someone else was still living the life he'd thought was his.

But the Raven Queen might know. If she'd talk to him...he resolves to try and ask later, once the others have gone to bed. They each needed to find what would bring peace to them on this subject; this would be part of his.

"Ah...yes. As I told Jon, I'll write out the Common alphabet and some helpful phrases you two can study, and maybe Amelia can think of a few if there's any more to add that's important." He looks up to the lady rogue, but his gaze doesn't linger long.

"There's children's books for the alphabet, too...A is for Azuth, I think. It's technically to teach about gods and letters, but it's simple enough to start. We can look for them when we get to..." Oh...he should touch on that too. "I think we should go to Ilnivur next. There's someone there that I think will help us, and we can do favors and jobs to pay him back."

Would that things were as they'd hoped and planned that morning when Wolfe burst into their room through the window. She wishes it were that way because then they'd all know what they are, who they are, who they're meant to be. Instead they're... whatever and whoever they are now.

Don't think on it. It doesn't matter. There's more important things to deal with.

She nods but doesn't say anything to the mage, letting the conversation turn over. That, at least, is something she's got plenty of experience with. "I taught," not you, her, but don't think about that, "my sister and many members of the House to read and write. I'll write out a number of children's tales and easy to follow lessons that will be useful for starting once we have parchment and ink." All from her world. All useless outside the context of learning.

Keep your fucking mind away from that. Not yet. Not now. Stop it.

"I'm afraid I know almost nothing about this plane or any of the cities in it, outside of the little you told me of Deismyr. Do you have a map I could study to better understand where we're headed and what lies between us and there? I'll ask you a thousand questions about the city itself when we're ready to go - you know how I like to know everything I can before walking into a new situation." A new city on a new plane with new people similar to those she remembers from memories that aren't truly hers is certainly a time to let her curiosity get the better of her.

Just... if she can keep her focus where it needs to be. She's doing a shit job now and she can tell it shows in the way they're all avoiding looking at her for too long and how they barely touch the things she says. In their places, she'd do the same; no one needs a mess of a rogue right now. Especially her.

Alright, logistics. He can do logistics.

"That's a good thought. You're well-equipped, Love, and thankfully your Common and Chris' Common languages are the same so you can still talk to each other even when Jon and I end up needing to learn. I also learned some of this Common when the translation went out in Duplicity, and some of the basics of spell-casting too so I should hopefully be able to get a head start there as well. Once we're written into the Weave, Jon and I may very well need to start over with how to handle magic."

Instead of continuing to hold Amelia's hand, Wolfe lets go and slides his arm around her, keeping her close. She's struggling, as are they all, but he thinks Amelia maybe struggling more significantly than Jon by his own admission and then Wolfe for his having had a head-start in processing this. Chris, though... Chris may be having just as much trouble, he's just better at hiding it, especially when he doesn't want to worry anyone. That thought is filed away for later, when he can get Chris alone. He's more apt to share the truth when they're alone.

"As for the cities, we're all going to need to know more. You've said a little about Ilniver being a magic city and that you're worried you'll lose Jon to their library," a joke, clearly. "But how does life work there? Is there a social strata between mages and non-mages we should be aware of? Any colors we can't wear or we'll be associated with someone unintended? Things like that. Oh!"

Wolfe points at Jon, mostly teasing but a little not. "You are going to need to learn some chores without machines, as well. Washing, mending, cooking and cleaning without electricity, that sort of thing." He can't deny there's a little pleasure in the idea of Jon learning how to do things the proper way instead of 'cheating' with 'modern' conveniences. Wolfe would be the first to say that a clothes washer for example definitely is easier, but he's always been a bit annoyed that those who grew up with them never knew how to do without it.

Jon can't help wrinkling his nose at the book title. It would be useful to know the gods here, though, beyond the Raven Queen, Bane, and Mystra. They're actual entities with the potential to impact everyone... and if they're going to ask for Mystra to weave them into the fabric of this reality, he should learn about her to ask for what he wants properly. In as much as you can just ask for something from a god. What sort of deal are they going to have to make with her? Something to add to his list for Chris. While the cleric might have some sway with certain gods, he doubts that extends to all gods, let alone the one in charge of magic. Maybe if they'd had his companion Silver to call on...

Adding to the mental list.

The map idea is also something useful, even if it's accompanied by what seems to be screaming in his head from Amelia as her thoughts push themselves in. He'll need to... mention something about that later to her. Jon's more used to following a navigation system, but he'd had to learn to map things out when he'd first arrived in Duplicity and no one had anything. Granted, navigating a city is a much different skill set than traversing the wilderness.

"I think I can manage to drag myself away from a library for a few hours each day. Especially if I find I can't read the books." As for the rest of that, Jon splashes water in Wolfe's general direction. "I don't see why we can't use magic for half of that if it exists here properly. You can make the temple as you like, can't you Chris? So we're hardly going to need to clean it. And you act like I've never used a broom before. I'm not completely helpless. I think you might find the studying aspect of magic here more difficult than I'm going to find cleaning. Oh, 'hedge mage.'"

He's not sticking his tongue out, but his tone rather implies it.

He shakes his head a bit, and the feeling leaves him a little lightheaded. Too much steam and exhaustion from magic and from balancing everything and...well, everything.

He brushes a hand down Jon's arm, but then moves to sit out of the water on the rocky outcropping edge of the pool. "There's only three towels, I might as well start on drying out," He offers as explanation. At least he wasn't trying to be showy about himself this time; it was purely functional.

He looks to Amelia to answer her questions since they seem the most relevant. "I can make a map, but what paper I have is small, the little book I usually keep with me. We can probably get a map of the city once we're in it. You'll have to trust me afore that. As for getting there, I didn't intend for us to walk. I can Gate us whenever we're ready. I can disguise myself, and we'll go find who we need. His name is Zalin Gideon...though, mostly just Gideon. He's the head of the magic school there and on the committee that runs the city. If he'll help us, we'll have resources and some protection."

From questions. From the Guardians.

He glances to Wolfe with a small smile but shakes his head. "And no, there's nothing particularly needed to know there. It's a magic city because it was owned by Phlan in the Moonsea for so long that, when it got its freedom, it jerked back the other way politically. It's not so complicated."

Edited 2025-10-04 04:16 (UTC)

Trust is one of the few things she has in abundance right now. Amelia nods to Chris and leans into Wolfe to show her appreciation for his care. It's... a lot right now, but it's also grounding. A reminder of how they often spent time together in those rare times when things were almost peaceful in Duplicity. A reminder that things aren't all dire now that they have each other after their escape from the city.

"Then we'll go when we're ready. It sounds like the right place to start if there's any chance this Gideon will help us." It's more important for Wolfe and Jon, but a city where she can resupply, find some work, and learn more about the area of the world they're in is a good place to be. A rogue is nothing if not for the secrets and information she carries, and this is a place where she can get both.

She just needs to prove she's still who she was told she is.

"Before then we'll need some rest and something to eat. Are you all right to handle the latter, Chris? You've used a lot of magic today and we can just have the tea I brought to settle us if you need to sleep before you cast anything else." No one's immune to overtaxing themselves, their cleric included. It's not like she's going to eat anything tonight anyway.

“I may be a hedge mage but if it’s the difference between studying or not being able to do magic at all, I’ll make myself concentrate.” He’s already had one pillar of his entire identity brought into question, he’s not about to lose another. “I’m actually more interested to see how you do considering magic is more than just research, it’s talent.”

Wolfe does stick his tongue out at his friend, splashing a bit back, though not enough to catch Chris in the crossfire now that he’s out of the spring. The pronouncement that the politics of the situation are not complicated earns him a raised eyebrow though. “How far did they go the other way? Non-mages aren’t slaves or second class citizens, are they? I’m going to guess the answer is no considering I think you would have mentioned it’s, but even so.”

Still worried for Amelia there, a bit. He leans his cheek against the top of her head. “Maybe we should make a list of things we need so we know how much work we’re going to need to get right away. This area works off gold pieces, right? How far does a gold go?”

Jon scrunches his nose at Amelia’s continued pinging in the back of his mind, Chris just… air-drying himself, and Wolfe’s teasing.

Does he have any sort of ‘talent?’ Maybe? His connection to the Eye might give him some sort of advantage. Being generally touched by all the eldritch beings of his world—the scars—have to count for something. Hopefully. If they don’t… it’s not Amelia who needs to worry over being useful, whatever assurances Chris might have for him.

“If you can’t manage food, Chris, I’m not particularly hungry.” Not for anything he can put in his mouth, anyway. “But tea would be nice, Amelia. I suppose we can use the water from the shower. That’s clean, right?” It has to be magical and it’s in a temple, so it’s probably purified, as well. The thought of drinking from the nearby lake is mildly concerning.

“Also, while we make that list, we might want to give ourselves a few days out here, just to see if any issues arise from our… departure from the city. I don’t want to get to your friend and find out we’ve all suddenly started oozing aphrodisiacs from every pore.” And the whole language issue.

He nods and holds a hand up to some of the light protests. "I'll make the food and water I intended, and Wolfe and likely make the water warm. The girls might have eaten, but I imagine Little Thunder and Poppet will want something as well."

So saying, Chris waves vaguely to the back area of the temple with the tables where a spread of food and jugs (and one wide tray) of water spring into existence. The food is all simple things: broth, some cooked vegetables, bread rolls, a bit of cooked chicken, a bowl of dried fruits and nuts...various things.

"None of it will taste amazing, but it'll be nourishing and last until this time tomorrow."

He tucks his knees up a bit when he turns back towards his family and wraps his arms around them to watch them. "Just eat when you're ready. I think a list of things we need, things we need to address, and some sleep are what we ought focus on while we gather ourselves. We should be able to stay here as long as we need to manage that much. I can make a clothes line next I cast this place."

Towels and clothes line. Maybe a place for washing clothes too, so they didn't disturb the lake too much.

He finally looks back to Wolfe and doesn't hide his small, amused smile. "You're starting to sound like Jon. It's a fine city, reasonable, they even treat their poor well. There's an underbelly and not great people, of course, but there's no overt political issues you'll need to worry about. No one will look twice at us for magic or none."

She doesn't protest anything being said. If Chris says he's fine to do as he intended, she trusts him. If he says the city is safe for all of them, she trusts his knowledge. If they all agree lists and rests are what's needed right now, then she agrees. There's little she could do otherwise until they're in a city where she can lose herself in crowds for a time to take everything in.

"I can't think of anything else to add to any of these lists until after some sleep, but I'll listen if you all want to start writing them all down as I start the tea." She gives them each a nod in turn, a small smile each for her cleric and mage, and then a kiss to Wolfe's cheek before disentangling herself from said mage. The 'towel' she could wrap herself in won't dry her or her hair enough to be useful, so she ignores it in favor of simply walking over to the table where she'd set down her things. She's not so wet at this point that she won't drip dry in a few minutes and be able to slip into a set of clean clothes, and being here means being out of Jon's line of sight while she gets out something for her and both of Wolfe's shirts - and his mug from Shadows' Rest.

"How soon do you want to cast the temple again, Chris? Should we create a list of new things we'd like for it as well?" Better they get everything down at once and suffer not having a few things that aren't as necessary as something like a clothes line than asking the man to re-cast this place over and over again. Not that she can think of anything else at this point; people will be able to see the temple if they pass by it, so why not use the sun and breeze to dry clothes on tree branches and cook outside before it gets dark? That should be fine, right?

Dreams, what would she know about fine anyway? Clearly nothing.

More thoughts to be pushed down. She wrings out her hair away from the tables and loops it into a loose knot before pulling on her clothes and searching out a teapot, Wolfe's mug in one hand and jar of tea in the other.

"I thought so, but I had to make sure. Old habits." Now alone on his side of the spring, Wolfe sinks down to his chin in the water. He's been alone for so long he doesn't like it despite all his family still in sight and proximity. Or mostly in sight. He'd have to get out to see Amelia now that she's retreated but he decides to give her her space. She needs it, he thinks. He hates that being alone with her thoughts on everything will probably make her break down but she needs that, too. They all do. He's just the first one to have cracked. He feels like a brittle shell but one that will strengthen with time instead of break. There's so much to mourn but still so much to look forward to as well.

He dunks himself underwater for a moment. When he comes back up he runs his hands back through his hair and then his beard. Both need a trim. It doesn't help the feeling of loneliness either. "I do wonder if maybe you're right, Jon. Not aphrodisiacs, or at least I hope not, but I still feel strange to be without some of the things from the city."

At that he tries to catch his reflection in the water, checking to see if his submissive tattoo is still there. It's hard to tell with how he's been moving around and making ripples though. "That's something we might want to address with each other privately; if there's anything we want to stop doing - or keep doing - that we only did in the city. Later, not tonight, but maybe put it on a list so we don't forget?"

He has this wild feeling that he's going to forget everything in the morning. Its unfounded, but still eats at him...

Amelia just... gets out, much like Chris had, and Jon immediately averts his gaze. What is it with people from all of their worlds not caring about nudity? He'd think it was just the city, but he'd known at least two of them when they'd first arrived, and he hadn't gotten the sense that they were particularly modest or discreet before their arrival in Duplicity, either. He does make an appreciative sound to Chris' thought of Poppet, though. While he'd brought some treats, it hadn't occurred to him that he might need to find some way to feed her past that. It would seem Chris does technically have that covered.

He can tell the cleric is growing weary, though, and while Amelia asks him more questions, Jon turns his attention resolutely to Wolfe, the one other person still in the water, instead of... hanging out for all the temple to see. Of course, that doesn't much help, either, when he brings up... things from the city. Jon feels his face flush with more than the warmth from the baths. It hadn't entirely escaped his thoughts, and he and Chris had jokingly discussed pet play when they came to Faerun. So many things are different, though, and there's still full on sex. He knows Chris just likes that and likes it with him, in particular.

Jon glances up at Chris with some uncertainty. That would be an awkward conversation, even if he knows Chris will respect anything he wants... or doesn't. And isn't sure if he wants.

"Yes, well... for another night, I think. Did you want to- ah... maybe we ought to get out. Did you need a towel or are you also planning to swan about sans pants?"

Edited 2025-10-05 00:18 (UTC)

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