IceAndWave/SmilesAndSkin

Smiles and Skin

In which embarassment is mostly avoided, an unspoken offer made, and the merits of nude greetings discussed...

The 3rd Day of Descending Fire, Realm Year 762

The Osprey arrives at Tideholme harbour just in time to catch the peak tide, and so rides the wave inland for a mile before emerging into the High Port. A quick bribe to the customs official later Sian disembarks and enters the city proper, or at least the inner warehouse district. Sailors and stevedores carry cargo to and fro, while Aia stands behind him, somewhat skittish with hundreds of people around her.

Sian stands at the dock scratching his chin, his pack held loosely in one hand. He barely seems to notice the catgirl.

Aia tugs at Sian's sleeve, "What are we doing here?"

"Hrm?" He pauses in his musing. "Oh, this is my stop. I'll walk to Whitewall from here."

Aia looks around, her eyes wide and tail bashing from side to side, "All these people? Are they going to Whitewall too?"

Sian smiles slightly. "No, they live here. This is Tideholme." He reaches down to scratch her ears, just to reassure her a little.

"Oh... how far is it to Whitewall?" She smiles at the scratching.

"About 5 or 6 hundred miles. It's gonna take us a while." He offers his arm. "Here... we'll get a room at an inn for tonight, get you washed up, then start sorting things out in the morning."

Aia takes Sian's arm and follows, looking around wide-eyed as they enter Tideholme itself. Late in the afternoon, the short Northern summer making the air unpleasantly hot, people swarm, hawking wares, arguing with lovers, and all the general carry-on of civilisation.

Sian is rather thoughtful again, not noticing the awe-struck Aia hanging off his arm. He locates his usual lodging when visiting this town.

The owner of the guest-house, Fallow Descant, a man almost as wide as he is tall, bows low, "Greetings, lord Sian. It is good to see you again."

"Heya, Descant. Good to see you too." He gestures at the girl cowering behind his leg. "Room for two, please? And have some wine sent up, as well." He tosses over most of his remaining coinage.

"Thank you, lord Sian. I shall send a maid up shortly. Will you be wanting anything else?"

"Mmm... not for the moment, no. But thanks." He nods to him gratefully.

Descant hands Sian the key to his room (a simple design, but with a minor enchantment to deter thieves) and ushers him to the main staircase of the hostelry.

Sian yawns slightly, keeping hold of Aia's hand as they head upstairs.

Looking around wildly as she is led into the room, Aia's gazes focusses on the simple furnishings. The chest, the bed, the window looking out onto the city below and the multitudes, and the imposing bulk of the Iceflower Palace. The latter is a recent addition to the city's skyline, an example of both the best of the Realm's architects and the worst of its social graces.

Sian opens the window and rests on the frame, looking out at the gigantic castle. "Hmm... looks like things are getting a bit less subtle around here..." As usual, he hardly notices Aia as she pokes around.

Aia explores the room carefully, looking under the bed, flipping the mattress, checking inside the empty chest and generally making sure that Sian and she are the only people in the room. She sits on the edge of the bed edge, kicking her feet back and forth and looks up at him, finally asking the question, "What are you going to do with me?"

"Hrm?" He turns back, leaning against the wall. "Me? I don't know... I thought you'd want to go off on your own, now that you're free."

Her ears back fold back, "My own? I... I can't. I'd be... I'd... I just can't." She gazes up at Sian, eyes wide and pleading, "Please take me with you. You were so nice to me."

Sian wanders over and sits down next to her. "Of course... if you don't want to go, you don't have to. I just didn't want you to assume that you were mine, or anything."

Aia rubs against him and, perhaps unsurprisingly, purrs softly. "Oh, thank-you!" and leans forwards to kiss hischeek.

Sian laughs a little. "It's fine... I like having you around." He scratches her ears again.

Aia purrs louder, still rubbing, when there's a quiet knock at the door and the maid comes in, holding a crystal decanter of wine and a pair of glasses on a tray.

Sian speaks over Aia's head, which is currently engaged in rubbing around his neck. "Come in..."

The maid looks over at the pair, her face curious for a moment before she averts her eyes and pours a pair of glasses, leaving the way she came in. Aia stands up suddenly and then stretches, her whole body co-operating in a long movement that doesn't leave a single joint untouched before she sits down again. "I'm tired..." she murmurs, leaning onto Sian's shoulder.

Sian rubs her side gently, then offers one of the glasses. "Here, try this. Just sip it... it'll keep you awake long enough to have a bath. I'll get the maids to wash your clothes, then you can sleep, okay?"

She takes a sip of the wine and mmmms softly, then stands up and begins stripping off.

Sian goes a little red, then takes hold of her hands to prevent her from undressing further. "Um... why don't you do that in private?" He nods towards the bathroom.

Aia grins, "Oh, OK!" and heads into the bathroom. Seconds later her few clothes go flying out of the door before she settles into the bath, pre-made through one of the minor enchantments of the guest-house.

Sian sighs a little, and collects the various items of female clothing with minor embarassment. He takes them downstairs to the maids and asks for some dinner, too, before heading back up and knocking lightly on the bathroom door. "Aia? You decent?"

The sounds heard through the door are some feminine giggles and a loud, "This is fun!"

Sian looks momentarily pained, before opening the door enough for him to peek inside. Aia, covered in soap suds, but showing plenty of flesh waves at him, "Hi! The water's warm!" With that she splashes back into it, sending soapy water everywhere just as there is a knocking at the main door, loud and not as polite as last time.

Sian groans, and shuts the door to the bathroom, before going to check the main one. "Yes?"

The door opens to reveal five soldiers, all dressed in full Realm-style battle-gear, stood at attention. The leader says loudly, "Sian Nerivus?"

Sian's mildly playful mood instantly dissipates, and he instantly draws himself up to his full height, looking serious. "That's me. What can I do for you?"

The lead soldier bows slightly and says, "Cynis Asura requests your presence at the Iceflower Palace forthwith."

Sian is silent for a moment, then, "Ah. Could you give me a moment to make myself presentable?"

The soldier looks uncomfortable for a moment and then starts to speak just as Aia's loud voice is heard from the bathroom, "What's going on?" He barely covers a smirk and then nods, "Of course, but the Grand Duchess was most insistent."

Sian nods. "I won't be long." He turns back and steps into the bathroom, now ignoring Aia's nudity. "Aia... I have to go for a while. The satrap wants to see me... she's pretty much the ruler of this city." He adds the last part at her look of confusion. "I've asked for some food to be sent up; don't wait for me, I'll probably be a while. Otherwise... try to clean this mess up?" He offers a small smile at the last bit.

Aia smiles and nods, before diving back into the suds with another loud, "Wheee!" There's a polite, but firm cough from outside the rooms.

Sian waves vaguely at them as he wanders back out, chucking on a slightly more formal shirt and brushing off his pants. "Let's go."

The Iceflower Palace, imposing from the window of the room, gets even more so as it gets closer. Built on what was a public park, Cynis Asure seems to have had but a single thing on her mind when she commisioned its construction, "Show them who's boss." It does that remarkably well.

The soldiers escort Sian into the Palace to be met by a functionary flanked by a pair of slaves, male and female. In true Cynis style both are incredibly attractive and wearing clothes that seem to be designed more to highlight their lack than to provide any real cover.

Sian smiles, having just been dealing with a very pretty, soap-covered, naked catgirl, the effect is somewhat lost on him.

"Lord Nerivus," the functionary bows, "The Duchess awaits your presence. If you would follow me." He walks off, the two slaves following precisely one-and-a-half steps behind him.

Sian is glad he managed to have a little of the wine, as he follows behind the servants and into the Palace. He passes through corridors and past several large chambers, before being confronted a pair of large double doors that appear to have been cut from single sheets of marble, inlaid with shades gold depicting various woodland scenes. On the other side Cynis Asura, Satrap of Tideholme and the surrounds, stands waiting, a talon of armed guards discretely stationed around the room as she smiles warmly, "I greet you in the name of the Realm and her Imperial Majesty, the Scarlet Empress."

Sian bows as deeply as he can. "I am honoured to receive this welcome in the name of the Whitewall Syndics." His tone carries a slight question, as if he doesn't understand exactly why he's recieving this welcome.

Tall, willowy, with long dark brown hair that would probably reach the floor were it not tightly bound up, Asura cuts a striking figure, her gown in fiery shades of orange and auburn that offsets her amber eyes and highlights her physical charms, while remaining as fashionable as possible this far from the salons of the Blessed Isle. She smiles, "Now that the formalities are out of the way, I assume you are wondering why I have asked you to attend?"

"That is foremost in my mind, yes."

"I assure you that I have no ulterior motives with this discussion. I merely enjoy the company of other Exalted, and in this loyal tributary state," bitterness creeps into her tone at that point, before she brings it under control, "I don't often get to meet many. The other times you have been here I have been pre-occupied, but now the opportunity for our meeting is here." She gestures at a large pile of cushions, "Please sit," and does likewise.

Sian makes himself comfortable on the pillows as best he can, his posture still somewhat formal.

"So, a representative of the Syndics. Sounds interesting. What are they like?" Asura adjusts her position slightly, ostensibly to sit herself more comfortably, the movement coincidentally allowing her to show a lot more leg.

"They are... interesting, as you say. Difficult to work for, at times, but on the whole the job is appealing. The Syndics themselves can be a little discomfiting, but you get used to it."

"Is it true that it's almost impossible to tell them apart? I haven't really had the opportunity to travel much beyond the boundaries of this 'kingdom', my duties here are quite extensive."

"I still can't tell the difference, so I imagine so. They're all equally intimidating." He smiles, feeling a little more at ease.

Asura leans back on the cushions slightly, adjusting her position to one of ease, and also moving the slit in her gown to open over her hip. "So what do you do for that triat of ice spirits? I'm sure that it must be... intriguing work."

Sian eyes her leg for a moment, before refocusing his attention. "Intriguing, but also frustrating, at times. I deal with the Syndics' interests in the West, as well as running messages and sorting out various issues here in the North."

She sits up, leaning forwards and gazing intently at you, "Why frustrating? Surely it must be a good sensation to have such a power behind you?"

"At times, yes. But mostly it is dealing with petty spirits, and they can be quite aggravating to work with. My patience can only stretch so far, I'm afraid." He vaguely wonders if the display of cleavage was deliberate.

"Well, we are among the Chosen, and the petty spirits and little godlings can either acquiesce to our wishes or face the consequences." She smiles at you, an almost imperceptible shiver running through her, "So tell me, were you born here, or do you hail from somewhere else?"

"I was born in Whitewall. The Syndics picked me up for service almost as soon as I Exalted."

"So you have never seen the splendour of the Imperial City? You should go, the beauty and power of the place is simply..." she smiles and shivers again, the effect more pronounced, "It is staggering. There are more of us Chosen there than in any other city in Creation, even those traitors in Lookshy."

Sian nods. "So I have heard. And though I would like to, I doubt I will ever have the time to make such an extreme detour from my usual path; my duties keep me busy."

"I understand. Duty comes before all. Even the Scarlet Empress knows this." Asura stands gracefully, or at least as gracefully as one can from a pile of cushions, and walks over to a table. She returns with two small glasses filled with a clear liquid and offers one to Sian. "Ice-wine," she smiles, "Have you ever tried it?"

Sian takes it and swirls it around slowly. "Once... a long time ago."

Asura sips at the glass, and the chill liquid has an immediately visible effect on her, "It's a delightful drink. One of the saving graces of this corner of Creation." She takes another sip, her cheeks reddened slightly, and sits down on the cushions, this time next to her guest.

Sian moves over slightly to give her space, and casually places an arm around her waist. "The North isn't so bad... better than the West, anyway." He takes a sip of his own drink, the burning-cold taste exactly the same as his last one. "Mmm... delicious."

Asura leans in slightly, "I have heard from others that the West is just endless miles of empty ocean, and that the few islands that there are are fewer each year." She smiles, places her glass on the floor and stretches, catlike, giving Sian a clear view of her physique in the process, before retrieving the drink and taking another sip.

Sian raises his eyebrows approvingly and is reminded momentarily of another catlike female. "It would seem that way. The spirits do what they can, but there is too much ocean and not enough spirits."

"It would be so much easier if the barbarians would simply accept the rightness of the Immaculate faith, don't you think. We Dragon-blooded are the rightful rulers of Creation, after all."

"True. Out in the West, it's not just the barbarians, though... the Wyld itself eats entire islands. I've talked to people who fell asleep in a boat off-shore, and woke up to find that there wasn't a shore anymore."

Asura shudders slightly against you, "A terrible thought. But the Fair Folk would not dare attack with the Realm's defences ready to repel them, even in their madness they must see this."

"The Realm might be all that's left, one day..." He reflects on this for a while, mostly to avoid thinking about the pleasantly warm female at his side.

Asura shudders delightfully against Sian and then looks up as the functionary that met him at the gates to the Iceflower Palace appears, having stepped out from a doorway concealed behind a finely-made tapestry. He walks over and whispers something into her ear, causing her to start and leap from the cushions. "I hope you will forgive me, dear Sian, but something has cropped up that requires my attention and cannot wait."

She indicates the functionary, "Solace will show you the way out. And I hope we can talk again, soon..."

"Of course." He drains the rest of his drink (without managing to cough, amazingly), before rising and bowing deeply to the Dynast, then allowing Solace to show him out.

Asura walks, or more accurately slinks, out of the chamber, leaving Solace to lead Sian back out through the maze of corridors and passageways, back to the main gate of the Palace. He bows politely, and then the doors are closed, leaving the Dragon-blood standing out on the Avenue of the Moon in Tideholme.

Sian stretches, glad the alcohol is keeping him warm. Or at least feeling warm. He wanders back towards the inn, wondering if Aia has gone to bed yet... It's nearly midnight, he thinks.

Descant greets him warmly after opening the door, the warmth of early summer having long since fled, the chill air leeching body-heat away, and hands Sian a bundle of cloth, "Your lady-friend's clothes, my lord."

"Ah, thank you." He holds them under one arm, and gets halfway up the stairs before realizing what this means... he winces, and continues up, albiet a little slower.

Aia greets him warmly as he enters, if warmly is a good enough word for a naked catgirl bouncing into your arms and hugging you. "Hi!" she smiles and then lets go and twirls around, "All clean!"

"E-erm... I noticed." He offers her the clothes. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Not much. The girl didn't want to come in, even though I asked her to." She sighs and pulls on her clothes.

"Ah. Well, come on, then... I'll take you out somewhere." He gestures, and wanders out.