Date night

[Anastasia]

Home.

Not that you have time to rest. All of you are busy with the work of directing your realm's war machine, of a thousand orders to give and more yet to be done. Yet late at night you take a respite, avatar dealing with matters of state and war. It is then that you get an image in your mind.

A table for two atop a jagged cliff, overseeing Sylica's oceans. The scent of the sea is strong here, smelled as if you were there. A pair of plates are there, food stacked up. The view is spectacular, a natural vista that shows both the ocean and the deep, dark night sky. 'Come,' Syala invites, 'It can be both business and pleasure.'

[Anastasia]

For my own reference:

1. Syala's node perhaps fulfilled?
Syala: Good, Loyal, Eager, Romantic Love. ("Efreet? Devils? Dao? I can't wait.")

2. Talk to Celestia/The Cauldron about integrating our participation in the war with theirs.
Realm breakdown will need to be updated for this as well.

[Ebiris]

"Marie, can you sort through these lists of who we're rotating back from Aurora for leave and make sure they don't get mixed in with the Abolition war task forces?" Alicia asks her proxy who leaps at the task. There's a lot less rest and relaxation in Sylica right now since they're all hands on deck with three wars to fight while still having to maintain a rock solid defence and expand their infrastructure, but there still needs to be some chance for people to get a bit of respite and enjoy what's supposed to be heaven.

With that task put in capable hands she stands and sheds her armour, leaving her just in her black undersuit, long sleeves and leggings worn. "I'll be with Syala if anything urgent comes up," she adds, getting an understanding look before she teleports to that cliff edge she was just shown.

[Anastasia]

The breeze is just like you imagined it. Syala stands besides you, her lights off and as she naturally is. "Welcome, my love," she says, taking your hand, "I trust this will stir your blood more than ordering ours around?"

[Ebiris]

Alicia smiles at the view, taking Syala's bare hand in her own and giving it a squeeze. "It's nice to distract ourselves for a bit," she agrees, even though with their avatars hard at work they can't ever be truly off the clock.

[Anastasia]

As if reading your mind as she squeezes your hand back, "What you never truly get is that there's no complete rest for us now. I'm just as aware of my avatar and of all the faithful and prayers as ever. I'm hearing wedding vows, listening to prayers, even hearing my name cried at the height of passion."

Then, looking out over the vista ahead, "But that doesn't mean we can't try to get the next best thing."

[Ebiris]

"Exactly. We still get the benefit of mental respite so long as one of us or our avatar takes a break," Alicia says, the divine multi-tasking thing having its upsides beyond simple productivity. Letting go of Syala's hand she sits at the table and takes a deep breath, smelling the food on offer.

[Anastasia]

It's fresh fruits and delicately cooked seafood. Nothing heavy at all. Smells good, well prepared and spiced.

Syala joins you, producing a cup of ambrosia. "Here's to kicking the efreet until they gave up," she says.

[Ebiris]

"And vampires, and aboleths, and devils, and demons, and Shar," Alicia lists off everyone else they have to worry about kicking or being kicked by, still taking a cup for herself and clinking it against Syala's before having a drink.

[Anastasia]

A long drink is shared.

"That was a good warmup," Syala breaks the silence. "Efreet and all the minions they could muster. Short but a fine warm up, I want more already."

[Ebiris]

"Talking work anyway?" Alicia laughs briefly, grabbing a fruit and having a bite. "I don't mind. We're going to be pressed hard alright, so we need to take the field and punch above our weight to even the odds as much as possible. I'll need to talk to Seira and Celestia about how we'll work with them soon."

[Anastasia]

"Talking work but enjoying a pleasurable view to split the difference," Syala says, as your black undersuit and undergarments are suddenly in a stack nearby, not on your body. Looking you over, "Of all the wonders we have here...this is still the best view I've ever seen here."

With a warm smile, "Still, a win is a win and we won, and proved ourselves again. Proved that this war has a place for us and -!"

It's then you feel it, the connection to Syala blossoming.

Node update for Syala.

[Ebiris]

"Ahhh," Alicia leans back, body bare as she reaches back to loosen her hair and shake it free over her shoulders. "I'll assume that was approval for your stance on the war and not your stance on my nakedness," she says amusedly.

[Anastasia]

Syala's smiling, "Who knows? Maybe Zaphkiel likes you, too. He can't have you, but I can understand liking you. I can feel it inside of me now, like a wellspring of every time I've looked at a terrifying opponent and charged in with a smile on my face."

[Ebiris]

"Wouldn't be the first time someone complained about Celestia trying to poach me," she lets out a laugh now. "But I'm sure that feeling will come in handy with all the terrifying opponents we have lined up ahead of us."