007.1 Aaeru and Janson

[Corwin]

[19:35] <Kotono> --------
[19:36] <Kotono> Janson and Aaeru meet in front of Whimsical Sweets, the city of Balmuria before them to go at it as they please...
[19:38] <Aaeru> "You haven't been to our temple yet, have you?" Aaeru cuts straight to the chase. "I'm afraid we don't have several holy accounting rooms, but it's still a very nice place! I keep it very clean!"
[19:40] <Janson> "Yeah, the Waukeen temple's the only one I've ever visited. We don't have actual temples back home because buildings cut us off from Jannath, or so they say," Janson shrugs, seemingly unconcerned. "To be honest, I'll be glad if it's not so imposing like Waukeen's."
[19:41] <Aaeru> "Great!" Aaeru exclaims. "It's not imposing at all! In fact, it would be better if you don't expect anything more imposing than a crumbling if neat shack."
[19:43] * Janson laughs. "You've got modesty down to an art form," he can't help but comment. "Are all followers of Ilmater like you?"
[19:46] <Aaeru> "Some are!" Aaeru is only too happy to elaborate. "There is Sinnah, who is a lot like me, but it's less by choice for her. I'm glad she found her calling, but it's a shame she had to go through difficult times to get there. And then there are people who chide me for petty things, but they're really decent deep down. Really. Deep down!"
[19:48] <Janson> "Ahh," Janson nods understandingly. "Lot of types like that who follow Jannath as well. Real deep down," he echoes.
[19:50] * Aaeru nods eagerly. "Yeah, yeah! Oh, and there's Croger. He has this scary name and scary looks, but he's really... well... he must be a very nice person but he sort of intimidates me so I try to keep my distance. Still! His work is very inspiring! I can only hope I do half as much in my lifetime!"
[19:51] <Janson> "Who knows? After beating down that Sharran you might be a hero someday yourself, Aaeru," Janson encourages happily.
[19:53] <Aaeru> "Ooh, that might be fun! I will be Balmuria's first homeless hero, then!"
[19:56] <Janson> "Homeless?" Janson blinks. "Don't you have a place to stay at all?"
[19:57] <Kotono> roll 1d100
[19:58] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 18." [1d100=18]
[19:58] <Aaeru> "I have a cave that no one uses, so rain or snow are not a problem!"
[19:59] <Kotono> As the two chat they head into the Old City. Tight streets of old stone buildings rise all about you as you head to the east. The buildings are dirtier as you head along. The people you pass are dressed in plain fashion, often at work at this or that. After some time you come to your destination - a small shanty-shack, worn but intact. Over the open, doorless entryway in is a simple mural - a
[19:59] <Kotono> pair of blood-nicked hands bound together with red cord.
[19:59] <Aaeru> "Hello!" Aaeru greets, peeking inside.
[20:05] <Janson> "Why don't you rent a place with your earnings?" Janson asks, following her inside.
[20:05] <Kotono> Inside are several mats. The sick lie on them, being tended to. A tall, slightly gaunt woman goes between them, occasionally murmuring words of prayer. She has soft brown hair, falling loose past her shoulders. Her form is dirty, wearing only a worn peasant's dress. The knees of it are half-gone, patched with unmatching cloth. As you enter she turns. She pushes back her hair, a red cord tied
[20:05] <Kotono> around her wrist, visible as she does. "Welcome to...oh, Aaeru!" Sinnah says, "You're just in time. Could you fetch me a pail of clean water? There's been cases of the grippe going around today, we're busy."
[20:06] <Aaeru> "Spend money?" Aaeru asks in complete incomprehension. "On myself?" She smiles at Sinnah once the older woman notices her, and salutes sharply. "Pail of clean water, coming right up!"
[20:07] * Janson shrugs in resignation at his helpful advice falling on deaf ears. "Nice to meet you, I'm Janson," he greets Aaeru's friend. "Anything I can do to help around here?"
[20:09] <Kotono> "Thank you," A moment to smile to Janson, "Are you ...ah, you are." She inclines her head to the far side of the shack. A simple pot lies there in a small fireplace, "Could you stir the porridge for me?" Her hands are busy, checking the forehead of a sweaty, flushed man. "The fourth case of this today," she murmurs, "In summer, no less."
[20:11] * Aaeru skips off to get fresh water while Janson makes friends with Sinnah!
[20:11] <Janson> "Got it," Janson goes over to perform the simple menial task. "Sounds like it's spreading. How contagious is it?"
[20:12] <Kotono> It's a pot of porridge. Simple, warm and probably mostly tasteless. "It can infect entire households and blocks if it spreads well, but it usually runs it's own course. Ilmater's mercy can often gut it before it spreads. In the older days...it would often leave much of a city sick over a few months, laying low the sick, old and infirm."
[20:14] * Janson is a healthy young man, so hopefully will be safe! "Sounds like there's nothing to do but sweat it out."
[20:16] <Kotono> As you chat Aaeru returns with a pail of water! "Without intervention, yes. Should Healer Croger return soon, he can exorcise the disease from them immediately."
[20:17] <Aaeru> "I'm ba~ack!" Aaeru reports, careful not to spill any of the water she had retrieved for Sinnah. "Where do you want it?"
[20:19] <Janson> "Ahh, Aaeru mentioned him. He must be very skilled," Janson nods agreeably.
[20:20] <Kotono> "Right besides her," Pointing to an older woman who shivers and sweats, groaning, "Water," she rasps, "Thirsty..."
[20:21] <Aaeru> Smiling in the most comforting manner she can, Aaeru uses a cantrip to cleanse a ladle before using it to scoop out water for the bedridden woman to drink.
[20:24] <Kotono> "He is," Sinnah says in a low voice, "A rare man." The woman drinks and sighs in relief in the meanwhile, going to lie back down. "His stories are great, I've learned everything about healing from him."
[20:26] * Aaeru brushes the woman's damp hair away from her face, leaning over to ask, "Anything else that would make you more comfortable while your body heals?"
[20:26] <Janson> "There's some really good healers back in Aralla, but good luck getting them to actually do anything for you," Janson chuckles. "Most of the time they just say it's nature's will that you should fight off the disease yourself. Except when they get poorly themselves, then it's all 'Jannath, please restore your devoted servant!'"
[20:32] <Kotono> "Mmm..." she rasps that as she lies back, "So cold...blanket."
[20:32] <Kotono> "Jannath?" With a cock of her head to the side, Sinnah frowns, "I don't recall that name or Aralla. Where do you hail from, Janson?"
[20:35] <Janson> "The Barbarian Lands, although we don't like that name ourselves," Janson smiles over. "Jannath is the goddess of the wild and untamed land, the nurturing spirit of mother earth. She's known more in these parts as Chauntea, who's considered more of a farmer's deity, but Jannath is her true self."
[20:37] <Aaeru> Humming to herself, Aaeru brings a blanket over, tucking the woman in snugly before patching its fraying edges with another spell.
[20:38] <Aaeru> "What do you call the lands, then?" she asks, giving the woman another smile before gravitating closer to Sinnah and Janson. "Aralla is your village's name, isn't it?"
[20:43] <Janson> "Aralla's the village, we call the forest in general Merdlain. It's Sylvan and means 'Sleeping Wood'," Janson explains, happy to provide enlightenment where he can. "What about you, Sinnah? I know Aaeru's from a place called Erenholm, but are you from Balmuria yourself or elsewhere?"
[20:44] <Kotono> "Aaah," Sinnah keeps working, "I'm from Malmuth. A long time ago...or so it seems," Her eyes turn faraway, "Our family was a noble one, Whiterose. But calamity visited us as it did all the Empire. I was forced to migrate here."
[20:46] * Aaeru nods to herself as Sinnah and Janson seem to get along just fine, moving on to the next patient without prompting. Sinnah wouldn't have asked her to bring an entire pail just for one woman, after all, and who else would be able to easily ensure that the ladle is kept clean for each and every person?
[20:46] * Janson nods understandingly. "It must have been a rough adjustment, but it's admirable that you devote yourself to still aiding others."
[20:47] <Aaeru> It's always nice to hear her friends' greatness recognized, and Aaeru beams at Janson in approval!
[20:51] <Kotono> The rest are given water as they suffer, "There is always a better tomorrow," she says, "Will the two of you be staying long?"
[20:53] <Janson> "Just a little while, so long as it's no imposition," Janson offers, still stirring the porridge. "Don't want to get in the way or anything."
[20:54] <Aaeru> "I will need to leave after a while," Aaeru responds, drifting closer. "It turns out that a person we've apprehended was a Sharran, so the city decided to donate a sizeable sum to the temple! Isn't that nice?"
[20:55] <Kotono> "Oh! Croger will be so pleased," With a smile, "We'll have plenty of money to buy food for the winter and to help the suffering!"
[20:57] <Aaeru> "Medicine from the alchemists if Croger can't heal everyone!" Aaeru pitches in. "I still don't know how things would turn out, but if I split my time between here and Whimsical Sweets it can only benefit everyone!"
[21:07] <Kotono> "Go with Ilmater," Sinnah replies.
[21:10] <Kotono> From there the time trickles along until the duo leave. From there they head along to the New City and Lisanne's house. Said house has no signs of discord on the outside, neat and tidy.
[21:11] * Janson strolls right on up and knocks on the door!
[21:16] <Kotono> The door is answered after a few moments. Lisanne is there, smiling. "Oh, you two! Here I was wondering if I made you two up out of drunken wistfulness!"
[21:17] <Aaeru> "Oh no, we're quite real, I assure you!" Aaeru responds, happy to see Lisanne smiling.
[21:18] <Janson> "We didn't want to intrude while you dealt with things - which sounded very impressive from out here!" Janson nods, "But we figured things might have cooled down and we wanted to make sure everything had turned out ok for you."
[21:20] <Kotono> "Oh yes. That wastrel is gone." Her smile is huge, "I burned his fancy clothes I bought in in the fireplace and he' snot welcome back!"
[21:21] <Aaeru> "It would have probably been better to donate them to the poor," Aaeru muses. "In many ways, in fact. But your happiness is very important, too!"
[21:21] <Janson> "Good for you, Lisanne!" Janson approves. "You made the right decision, any woman deserves better. I wouldn't be surprised if his other woman doesn't even want him now that he's not supported by you, anymore."
[21:23] <Kotono> "Well, he's poor now so I didn't want him getting them," With a laugh, "Oh, I bet she's washed her hands of that good for nothing!"
[21:26] <Janson> Since she's not inviting them in, Janson doesn't want to push things by keeping her at the door overlong, "Well, we really just wanted to make sure everything was definitely okay after the alcohol wore off, but it's a real pleasure to see you looking so vibrant and assured," he smiles widely. "We won't keep you any longer, but if you ever need any help or anything at all, come find us at Whimsical
[21:26] <Janson> Sweets, will you? Helping people's what we do, there!"
[21:26] <Aaeru> "We also have sweets," Aaeru adds, smiling herself.
[21:27] <Kotono> "Oh, certainly I will," she smiles to both of them, "Both of you are angels, you know that?"
[21:29] <Janson> "Aww, you'll embarrass me," Janson blushes. "All we did was help unleash the resolute woman underneath that despairing facade."
[21:30] <Kotono> Lisanne comes forward and gives Janson a warm hug, "You're a dear," Thereafter she pats his cheek, "Don't you go turning into a cheating waste of manhood, hear me?"
[21:31] * Aaeru laughs at the scene, unable to help herself.
[21:32] <Janson> "Oh, my mother and sister would come charging out of the forest to kill me if I did, I'm sure," Janson chuckles but it has a faint ring of nervous truth to it.
[21:32] <Aaeru> "We'll protect you!" Aaeru vows. "Ah, but maybe not if you turn into a cheating waste?"
[21:33] <Janson> "Keep me on the path of righteousness, then," the redhead nods enthusiasticly.
[21:33] <Aaeru> "Roger!"
[21:34] <Janson> "Anyway, we won't keep you any longer, Lisanne. It was great to see you, though," he tells the noblewoman, backing away from her door.
[21:35] <Kotono> "You two," With a smile as the two go, LIsanne waves! Soon after you return to Whimisical Sweets. Sylvie is whistling away as she polishes the new glass cases.
[21:36] * Aaeru unobtrusively moves towards a nearby case herself, picking up a clean rag along the way.
[21:36] <Janson> "Hi Sylvie," Janson waves to the blonde. "Everything under control here?"
[21:37] <Kotono> "Oh hi," Sylvie turns and wipes her brow with the back of her arm. Her chest gives a slight bounce at this, "Yeah, I'm polishing the glass cases to shine."
[21:39] <Aaeru> "As always, your dedication is admirable," Aaeru says in approval, working methodically.
[21:39] <Janson> Thankfully Janson grew up in a village were women outnumbered men ten to one, so while said bounciness is appealing he's still desensitised enough not to stare. "What are you going to do once everything's as clean as can be?" he asks, looking into the cases at what's on display.
[21:42] <Kotono> With a glance at Aaeru and a shrug, Sylvie goes to sit behind one counter. She sinks her chin down and rests, blowing her hair out of her face. "Probably something else or this or that. I'm sure Josa has something in mind."
[21:43] <Aaeru> "It's nice to have something to do, isn't it?" Aaeru voices. "Especially if what you're doing makes others happy."
[21:44] <Janson> "Back to advertising?" Janson chuckles, leaning against a nearby counter himself. "Say, where are you from, Sylvie? Were you born in the city?"
[21:45] <Kotono> "I guess. I'm just happy that Josa pays okay enough," Watching Aaeru work for a few moments, "My mom's from Parsifal and I was born there, but we moved to Balmuria when I was 3."
[21:46] <Aaeru> "The whole family?" Aaeru asks, waving back as Sylvie glances at her.
[21:47] <Janson> "Yeah, I'm surprised at how much money we're making. I thought I was going to run out pretty soon after arriving here - it's a lot different than back home. But this job's really helped land me on my feet," Janson nods.
[21:49] <Kotono> "Uh huh," Sylvie sits up striaght, "Hey, don't go doing too much of that! Josa'll get mad!" After that as she runs a hand over her face, "You're from the country, aren't you?" Suddenly Sylvie smiles, "Jannath's faith in the Barbarian Lands, yes?"
[21:50] <Aaeru> "Get mad? At me? For cleaning?" Aaeru asks, having trouble reconciling this.
[21:51] <Janson> "That's right," Janson nods, "Everyone in Aralla worships her, and in the other villages too. Except the giants, that is. What about you?"
[21:54] <Kotono> "You're not paid to clean, he says. I am." Starting to twirl herhair as she smiles at Janson, "Oh, I like a lot of Gods. Mystra's fun for knowledge and Gond's priests are always making something new. Helm's church has the cutest guys...though Jannath isn't bad. But...I want to learn more about her and there's this book I want to buy for it. But it's more money than I have right now..."
[21:56] * Aaeru looks at the rag in her hand mournfully, but it's clear enough that Sylvie's happiness and continued employment is far more important than her attempts to help. "Do you have to buy books to read them?" she asks, abandoning her earlier efforts.
[21:57] * Janson grins at the implied compliment. "You wouldn't find much good stuff about Jannath in a book, anyway. The elders prefer to have Jannath's words spread by word and song rather than written down. But hey, you can ask me! I don't know as much as a priestess or storyteller, but I grew up surrounded by the stuff."
[21:58] <Kotono> "Well..." Batting her eyelashes, "I was hoping you'd do both, Janson. Could you buy me the book, then I can read it and compare it to what you tell me?"
[22:00] <Janson> "I guess I've got more money than I've ever had before," he admits, scratching at his stubbly chin. "So, hey, why not! I've got you to thank for even having this job, Sylvie. Which bookshop and which book?"
[22:03] <Kotono> "The Poised Quill, it's on the other side of the Commerce Quarter," Gesturing ahead vaguely, "The title is  Wild Jannath. Why don't you go get it for me while Aaeru and I finish this cleaning?"
[22:04] <Janson> "Sure," Janson smiles and pushes off the counter he'd been leaning on. "Back in bit, you two!" he waves, heading out.
[22:06] <Kotono> Once Janson's gone and off, Sylvie smiles and goes over to get a rag. "He's a dear, isn't he?
[22:06] <Kotono> "
[22:07] <Aaeru> "That's one way to put it," Aaeru agrees, turning towards Sylvie from where she was waving after Janson. "In fact, that's the best way to put it. He is very nice!"
[22:09] <Kotono> "Uh huh!" Starting to polish away again, "Have you noticed how...respectful of women he is? Most men see you like you're a pair of breasts and a womb. But he's different! So nice, so kind, so..." With a winsome smile, "He'll do almost anything we ask, won't he?"
[22:12] <Aaeru> "Janson's been doing everything you asked so far, hasn't he?" Aaeru muses from her side. "It might just be you. You're very lovely, so maybe he likes you and is all shy about it?"
[22:13] <Kotono> That gets a reddening from Sylvie, "Well, I have heard Jannath's followers are like amazons. Women rule, not men. Though..." Pausing, "Josa said he might wear dresses or something? What was THAT about? Something he said upstairs?"
[22:14] * Aaeru grins. "If you get together, you'll save on your wardrobe?"
[22:15] <Kotono> "It's TRUE?" Sylvie's rag falls from her hand, "Seriously? That must be some culture over there. That's so...so...strange!"
[22:16] <Aaeru> "It makes perfect sense!" Aaeru agrees. "Now that you said all that about how women rule, they probably don't bother with different kinds of clothing. Oh, poor Janson must feel so uncomfortable in his pants!"
[22:18] <Kotono> "That's..." Sylvie seems to search for it, ending up giggling. "Oh my."
[22:19] <Aaeru> "You'll help him, won't you? I'd love to, but I can't," Aaeru says, gesturing at her one and only outfit. "He is such a nice person and has been so kind to you all along!"
[22:20] <Kotono> "You really want me to?" Sylvie says, going to play with her hair as she pauses. "I am kind of curious how strange a guy would look in a dress, but it's kind of silly. But...' At last she shrugs, "It takes all types, doesn't it?"