[Gallagher]

"He," Dafie corrected as she stepped to the elemental's side. "Not it. I'm sure he'll be happy to let any—" She twirled one of her hands just behind Shad's shoulder. "—examinations take place, as long as there's a level of mutual respect maintained."

Shad, for his part, merely looked from Dafie to Karamas, silent and unblinking.

[Suzerain of Sheol]

"Oh." Karamas' eyes widened as though to say, so it's like that, then. "Well, in any case, I need to inform Surana about dinner, so I should be going. An auspicious meeting, though, Dannaphine." He hurried out of the chamber, robes whisking along the floor.

"And I should apprise my mother and father of today's events." Lord Nosya rose from his dais and descended with as much courage as he could muster, unnerved as he was by Shad's presence. "They'll likely join us for dinner as well." He passed by Dafie with an awkward nod and made his swift exit.

[Suzerain of Sheol]

CECILY: Wall of Ice. -7 Spell Points.

Astra found herself waking up without ever intending to sleep, slumped over her desk with the remains of a half-eaten sandwich caking her cheek where she'd apparently used it as an impromptu pillow.

Great. I can't even get something this simple right. At least I ate some of it...

Cleaning her face with a handkerchief, it was only at the renewed knock on her door that she realized why she'd woken up in the first place.

"Just a second," she muttered, stowing the sandwich at the bottom of her wastebasket before straightening her skirt and brushing greasy strands of hair from her face.

She opened the door. Cecily was waiting for her. Before she could even get a word out the girl began, a gigantic breath giving wind to her chattering voice.

"Hi, Astra, I just wanted to let you know that... that I... hmm... right, I helped get all the stuff unloaded real good! Krysti was having a hard time getting this big ol' crate down the ramp, so I just made an ice ramp for her and it slide right down! Whoosh! Hahaha, and then we slid all the others down, and then I slid down too! You should try it sometime, it was really fun, although I didn't have my glasses on and the reflection on the ice was pretty bright, so I can't see to good at the moment, but I'm sure you look really nice, you always look nice..."

Astra could almost feel the girl's statements sapping the marrow from her bones as she stood there. For all she loved her, Cecily could be incredibly exhausting to deal with. It was probably something wrong with her to find such joyful enthusiasm fatiguing...

"Cecily."

"And then I said to Mia, I bet we could roll you down the ramp and you'd make it halfway to the town square, haha, she got really mad but it was really funny, and then -- oh, sorry Astra, what did you want to say?"

A sigh that couldn't quite be as exasperated as she probably had the right to be. "Come here, you silly thing."

She led Cecily over to her bed and sat her down, noticing the wizardess' dilated eyes behind her glasses. Astra slid them off carefully and set about cleaning them, half afraid for a second that she'd pulled out her sandwich handkerchief by mistake.

"These are filthy, it's wonder you can't see anything."

"Nah, nuh uh Astra, I still can't see anything."

"Well, you need to be more careful, then. I can't have you going blind, we're going to need your spells soon."

Blinking in sudden excitement, Cecily grinned up at her. "I get to blow stuff up?!"

"Yes. But it won't be a game, Cess. You're going to need to watch out for enemies, and strike without mercy. Those will be human beings you're blowing up in some cases, and they'll want to kill you if they can."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. They had us practice on sheeps back in school. I blew up sooooo many sheeps, Astra. Then we ate them! Haha, they were tasty. Besides, I'll have Mia with me, she can slashy-stabby anyone who gets close."

I just hope she won't have to heal a wound like mine for you... or even worse.

Setting Cecily's glasses back in place, Astra couldn't help hugging the girl tightly, overcome with fear and love. "Promise me you'll be okay, okay? That's all I need to hear right now."

The wizardess's returning embrace wasn't quite so fierce. She was probably confused, as ever. "Ohh... yeah, I promise, Astra. It's gonna be fine. You'll come up with the best plans and I won't even be in any danger. That's how it always goes, ha... ha... I think you might be suffocating me, Astra..."

That was how it was supposed to be. That was why she'd started this company. Letting them down was unthinkable, but living up to what they all expected of her, at this moment, seemed even more so.

This always happened, though. The less she obsessed over it and let her instincts take command, the better off they'd all be. She could get through this dinner easily, coasting on reflexive social graces. Could plan a grand strategy in a single night if she just smothered that voice of fright for long enough.

Best to get the first hurdle out of the way before worrying about the second. It was time to go.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Godiva slipped a tunic over her deer skin pants and tied a thick belt around her middle. "And why am I changing? If it's not a formal event why can I not just wear my armour?

"Your formal attire is another suit of armour." Elgron was standing to the side, leaning against the wall. "And you were already undressed. What difference does it make?"

"I have things to do."


(ugh, feeling too crummy, been sitting here for an hour. Fast forward)

Godiva and Elgron talk about stuff, he pokes fun at her being over serious but also point out that she's not going to necessarily be in charge when they go off to do stuff.

[Suzerain of Sheol]

It was an encouraging sight to see her soldiers mingling among the staff of the keep on her way back, already looking like they belonged. Hopefully they would keep the drunken recreation to a minimum, now that they'd gotten it out of their system, but Astra had the suspicion that more than one of her officers would be exercising their pregnancy leave in half a year or so, given the plethora of young men they'd be working with. That was preferable to them dying bloody deaths on the battlefield in the next six months, of course, but still a logistical concern she'd as soon do without. Maybe they'd surprise her and exercise restraint.

She'd completely given up on doing anything about her hair in the near future, resigning herself to tying it back in a low bun of begrudging surrender, vowing to give it the care it'd require the first spare moment she found. She certainly wasn't looking her best for this dinner, but, well, Lord Yorant hadn't hired her to be his courtesan. Affecting a certain gruff indifference might make her seem more serious about her position, as much as it galled her sense of propriety.

The fact that she hadn't bumped into Dafie on her way into the keep was at once both concerning and in no way unusual. She paid the girl to be hard to locate, after all, but that unfortunately came along with an inclination towards the nefarious that made leaving her to her own devices a perpetual poor choice.

Speaking of concerns, the lack of security within the keep struck her as just one area where Lord Nosya's seeming comfort in his own seat of power left him quite vulnerable. Not one guard or castellan stopped to question her as she proceeded inside, and that definitely wouldn't do going forward. She made a mental note to put Krystelle in charge of training up an honor guard to defend the keep; she had experience as a lieutenant of the Palace Knights in her homeland of far-off Eksanavarre and could likely put together a respectable unit within a month's time.

Given her apparent freedom to wander the grounds as she saw fit, Astra didn't bother asking anyone she passed for directions to the dining hall, taking her time to learn the layout of the keep before finding herself at her destination, a warm glow coming from within the wide doors.

Entering with a pleasant smile, she realized she should probably have made it a point to arrive earlier, given that seemingly everyone else was already sat down to eat. She noted Dafie, seated one spot down from Lord Nosya, next to what must have been Astra's reserved place, and on the other side, Karamas and a woman whose diaphanous garment and myriad of jewels seemed to mark her as a fellow spellcaster. Either that, or she was horribly overdressed compared to everyone else.

Pausing only briefly to greet the lord with a bow, Astra made her way to his side, giving a sidelong look to Dafie as she sat down to join them.

[Gallagher]

There was something entirely unsurprising about Astra arriving late, even if it was only by a few minutes. Dafie felt a buzz of excitement at the sight of the woman, and when Astra sat down and shot her a look, Dafie leaned close to murmur, "You missed a lot of fun here. You didn't fall asleep, did you?"

[Suzerain of Sheol]

I must look worse than I thought...

"No, just a lot of work to be done securing our supplies and quarters."

ASTRA: Bluff 1d20+18 = 28

Astra played the question off with no discomfort; for better or worse, she was rather good at convincing people of untruths. She even masks the glare the girl probably deserves for calling her out in front of the lord.

[Gallagher]

Dafie: Sense Motive 1d20+2 = 6

"Aw," Dafie replied, her disappointment obvious in the slump of her shoulders. "How boring. Has to be done, though, I suppose. Next time, could you at least make something up and pretend it was interesting?"

[Suzerain of Sheol]

"I heard it was quite interesting, in fact. Wasn't that right, Karamas?"

"I've certainly never seen a wall of ice used in that way. Whoever your wizardess is, she's certainly creative."

Astra couldn't help a smile in spite of herself, hearing that. Cecily would be grinning ear to ear to hear she'd gotten such attention. "She is indeed. I've heard her mention quite a few different ideas for arcane projects she'd like to work on, so I'm sure you'll be getting to know her quite well."

Whether you maintain such a high opinion of her at that point, I can't guarantee...

"But anyway, Dafie, do tell, what have you been up to?" Astra leans her cheek endearingly on her palm to look sidelong at the elf.

[Gallagher]

Dafie: Bluff 1d20+5 = 22

"Oh, you know, about what you'd expect," Dafie said, her gaze drifting up towards the ceiling and a finger curled under her chin as though she were deep in thought. "We went poking around all the nooks and crannies of the place, finding weak points and getting to know a few of the residents. I'd thought I lost something on the stairs at one point, but Shad was a dear and found it for me. Which, speaking of Shad." She looked at Astra once more. "I think he's getting rather popular around here."

[Suzerain of Sheol]

ASTRA: Sense Motive 1d20+21 = 29

I'm sure he did, Dafie. Right out of someone's pocket on those stairs. Hopefully it was nothing valuable...

"And you have the nerve to accuse me of a boring day." Her tone was pleasant and relaxed, but the look she was giving Dafie was rife with unspoken accusations.

LORD NOSYA: Sense Motive 1d20+12 = 13. Critical Failure.

"Well, I certainly appreciate mistress Dannaphine's keen eye for our defenses."

Out of the corner of her gaze, Astra noticed that it certainly wasn't Dafie's keen eye that had caught the lord's attention.

ASTRA: Sending, target Dafie. -7 Spell Points.

I suppose wearing tops like that is one way to get men to overlook your indiscretions... because, gods know, you're not doing it with words.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

sense motive vs. Astra = 17
sense motive vs. Daphie = 25

Accepting Astra's fatigue for what she says it is, Godiva listens with half-an-ear to the rest of the conversation until Daphie starts speaking, and she pauses mid-sip from her wine goblet. What has she been doing?!

Lingering her eyes on Daphie a few moments longer, she lowers her glass and addresses the other. "Speaking of defenses, Astra, I should like to discuss our first mission. There is a hostile fort too close to here that we need to take."

"Already discussing battle? Dinner hasn't arrived yet. It will be difficult to lay plans under cutlery and plates."

Godiva merely frowns slightly at Elgron. "Not fully, and it is as convenient a moment we are going to get. We are, all of us, here, and thus can decide on the best time to sit and have our real discussion." She turns to Astra. "It is my preference that we begin planning as soon as can be arranged. This fort is a problem, and one that may get worse."

[Gallagher]

Dafie raised her brows in surprise at the message, her gaze shifting quickly down to her own bosom, then towards Lord Nosya, and finally turning back towards Astra.

Dafie: Congress of Shadows, target Astra, -3 Spell Points

Now, I'm a little slow. Are we disapproving, or jealous?

"I generally prefer to get to know those I will be working with before we are to count on one another for our lives and livelihood," Dafie said, looking to Godiva. "To some degree, at least. Those that rush plans make me believe they will rush their actions as well, regardless of what may or may not be said behind the safety of closed doors."

[Suzerain of Sheol]

ASTRA: Response via Congress of Shadows.

Even after all this time, I'm not sure I understand you enough to be jealous.

And of course, as soon as she was about to inquire about this supposedly-significant fort, the woman had to open her mouth again. Astra could feel her teeth grinding in the struggle to keep her forced smile from sliding into a grimace.

Why on earth had she thought bring Dafie, of all people, as her adjutant for these meetings?

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Godiva looks squarely at Dannaphine. “Then you agree we must begin planning as soon as possible, so we can avoid having to rush.”

[Gallagher]

Dafie stared at Godiva for a long moment, then sniffed and looked to Astra instead, dismissing Godiva entirely. "Not much of a listener, that one."