036.2 Andrea and Janson

[Corwin]

[20:45] <Kotono> Training. Fire. When one needs training and fire, only one pyrodryad makes sense. Further, only one flame-feather wielding paladin can suffice! There are some utterly toasted training dummies now as the three head back into Balmuria through the southern gates. As you pass through the arch, "Feels like we're getting the hang of this," Simmer says, breaking a momentary lull in the conversation.
[20:47] <Janson> "Yeah, I'm glad you two are having fun," Janson replies, taking a swig from his waterskin, his actual skin rather red and slightly blistered in places. "Although I suppose I'm less burnt than I was yesterday..."
[20:49] <Andria> "And I'm sure your skin appreciates it very much," Andrea jokes, poking one of the redder areas of Janson's skin. "Next time you fight a fire elemental, I'm sure you'll just laugh it off, right?"
[20:51] <Kotono> "You look nice all burned. Cute." Simmer laughs into her hand, "Festively fiery and toasted!"
[20:51] * Janson winces at that poke, taking half a step away. "That's what I'm hoping," he agrees nonetheless. "Them and angels with burning swords..." at Simmer's appraisal of this look being 'cute' he can only trail off into awkward silence.
[20:54] <Kotono> That's a complete conversation killer. A short reverie spreads by force, until Simmer clears her throat. "Oh, how about we get some drinks? My treat."
[20:56] <Janson> "Oh, I thought you hated drinking?" Janson asks, not that he's averse at all to having something with a bit more kick than water!
[21:08] <Kotono> "Who said I'm drinking?" Simmer says, "It's a treat. All of the humans seem to like drinking a lot, so when in Balmuria..."
[21:09] <Janson> "We do!" Janson agrees to that. "Well me and Andrea will drink your share as well," he nods happily. "Really, you should at least try alcohol. It's not like water - it burns going down! You might like it," he encourages.
[21:17] <Kotono> "Maybe." SImmer says, "You know that in with the red dragon face? I want to go there. It always feels homey."
[21:19] <Janson> "Which one? The Dancing Dragon or Dracones Est Int... uh... Seira's inn?" Janson asks, stumbling a bit over the draconic name. "Dragon stuff seems really popular around here."
[21:30] <Kotono> "That one, the second." Simmer says, "Say Andrea, why ARE dragon things so popular here?"
[21:54] <Andria> "Because they're large and...breath fire? I guess?"
[21:55] <Kotono> "Well," Simmer says, "How about we ask? I hear bartenders know a lot, since apparently drinking makes you talk?"
[21:56] <Janson> "Have to at least know why their workplace is dragon-themed at least," Janson nods. "I guess the popularity of them is a good reason not to wear that dragonscale breastplate we got, though."
[22:05] <Andria> "Well, if nothing else, we can always put it on display along with that scale. Might earn a reputation of being blessed by the dragons if they keep giving us stuff, or something? I'm sure some bards would love to spread news about Whimsical Sweets if there was a story like that behind us," Andrea ponders.
[22:05] <Janson> "Well you're a bard so you can start!" Janson suggests brightly to Andrea.
[22:06] <Andria> "Well sure, but I have to spice it up first so it catches on with the other bards!" Andrea adds.
[22:12] <Kotono> As you walk up the hill towards Seira's inn, "How about you serenade the inn with our stories after a few drinks," Simmer smiles winsomely, "That would work too."
[22:14] <Andria> "Another day perhaps. Today my muse would just like to get drunk, I think!" Andrea says with a grin. "My muse can't say no to a free drink."
[22:15] <Janson> "We really should do another play like that last one sometime, though. That was tons of fun!" Janson smiles happily in recollection of his vampiric performance.
[22:15] <Andria> "Besides, who wants to share stories after getting their butt kicked? Lets go save a kingdom, or defeat a beast first, then storytelling!"
[22:17] <Janson> "Yeah... that's a downer," Janson slumps morosely. "Before we save anyone we need to drink away our troubles!"
[22:18] <Kotono> Into the inn you go! The front bar is full of people, but you manage to score three stools together. "Something to chase away the bad memories of an asskicking," Simmer says, putting gold down. The barkeep comes back with small glasses of something brown, that occasionally glitters gold.
[22:19] * Janson makes a point of ordering some dwarven firewhiskey for Simmer. Although if she absolutely refuses to try it he's sure he can give it a good home.
[22:21] <Andria> Andrea takes a sip first, not familiar with the color of the drink, wanting to give it a quick swirl in her mouth to get a feel for the taste.
[22:25] * Janson is less restrained, taking a proper gulp and then propping himself against the bar as he looks around the crowded inn.

[Corwin]

[20:35] <Kotono> It's pretty fizzy, but also quite strong! IT burns going down, widening youre yes and clearing your sinuses!
[20:36] * Janson coughs and grins, thumping his chest. "There's a drink to put hair on your chest! Good choice, Simmer!" he compliments the dryad.
[20:39] <Kotono> "Hehhe," She smiles, "Say barkeep," she says, "Do you have to pay to hear gossip here?"
[20:44] <Kotono> The barkeep looks up, "You want gossip?" He asks, "What'cha interested in?"
[20:50] <Janson> "What're the movers and shakers in Balmuria up to?" Janson throws out as no one else seems to have any ideas despite having asked. "Any juicy scandals or anything like that going on?"
[21:02] <Kotono> Polishing a mug for a little bit as he listens, "The mayor has a small scandal going - apparently he might've been seeing something on the side. Oldomeyer's in a spot of trouble over it. If it's true, I hear she's tall, blonde and half elven and half nymph." With a momentary chuckle to that, "Can't fault his standards."
[21:04] <Andria> "If Wayland were here, he'd probably blame the nymph," Andrea jokes, as she continues drinking.
[21:06] <Janson> "His wife probably has cause to be angry, too," Janson admits, "Seems high society men in Balmuria think they can get away with a lot."
[21:07] <Kotono> "Hell, if I had THAT sort of woman in front of me..." The barkeep grins ear to ear, "It's just a rumor, but it's one that has legs. On less stimulating images, Eudard of Helm has been around the city a lot. HE even came in a few nights ago, served him drinks myself. He's been away from Balmuria for some time, but he's definintely back now."
[21:11] <Andria> roll d20+5 K:R Eudard
[21:11] * Hatbot --> "Andria rolls d20+5 K:R Eudard and gets 20." [d20=15]
[21:11] <Kotono> "Well, nymphs are gorgeous," Simmer admits, "It doesn't excuse him, but most mortals are spellbound on seeing one."
[21:11] <Andria> roll d20+0 K:L Oldomeyer
[21:11] * Hatbot --> "Andria rolls d20+0 K:L Oldomeyer and gets 18." [d20=18]
[21:11] <Janson> "Finished crusading for justice someplace else, or has the scent of evil brought him back to town to root out philandering mayors?" Janson asks with a chuckle, taking another swig of his drink. "She's only half-nymph, though. And what about personality? That one who was hoodwinked by the Phoenix Keeper wasn't very nice, was she?"
[21:15] <Kotono> "Most are better than that. FEw nymphs come to that, let alone the Unseelie Court," Simmer grouses, "She was clearly mislead."
[21:17] <Janson> "Yeah, I guess... I think there's just something about Pallanth that really messes fey up. The elves I met in Pallanth were nice. They fey I know from around here are great! But fey from Pallanth? Wow, look out!" he shakes his head quickly. "Too many expectations, I think."
[21:17] <Kotono> "Don't know her personality." The barkeep freely admits, "I'd love to spend some time with something like that and find out, but..." He just grins. "Oh, you're from Pallanth? I hear about the fey and the elves from the elves and travlers who come here. Opinions...vary, yes."
[21:18] <Andria> Andrea laughs. "You'll have to share that insight with Wayland later, Janson."
[21:19] <Janson> "Nah, I'm from Aralla, out in the Barbarian Lands," Janson gestures his thumb East. "Only visited Dewfrost recently for a job. The way I see it, the elves are happy just living their lives however, and they fey around here are happy just doing their thing and living in harmony. But in Pallanth the fey are all wild about changing how the elves live - they're disharmonious. That just messes
[21:19] <Janson> everything up," he then nods sagely, confident in his wisdom. "If they just forgot this vision of elves being mini-fey and treated them the way the fey around here treat us humans, everything would be fine."
[21:22] <Kotono> "I hear some of that. I hear some of it that's just the opposite, that the fey need to do more. It's a messy situation," he says, "Good enough to get a lot of elves drunk."
[21:24] <Janson> "I really wouldn't mind except when they start blaming us humans for 'ruining' the elves. That one really bugs me," Janson frowns a moment, before glancing over at the charred figure of Simmer, "Hey, Simmer, if you don't drink that firewhiskey I will!" he warns her playfully to lighten the mood.
[21:29] <Kotono> Simmer passes it right over. "I don't get it either," The barkeep says, "But it's not my argument or races. Occasionally I'll get a half angel or eladrin in here," he goes on, "When they get talking about Good - you can just hear the uppercase the way they say it - I don't get it either." He then makes a big shrug, "Just keep your own business and don't mess with your neighbor, says I."
[21:32] <Janson> "Good way to live," Janson replies, forced to put his money where his mouth is and down the whiskey! He promptly coughs and leans on the bar to steady himself. "Phew... strong stuff!" he gasps, sweating a bit.
[21:35] <Kotono> "Uh huh," The barkeep goes on, "Anyway, you three work for Whimisical Sweets? Between the advertising and the stories I'm hearing, you match some of the descriptions."
[21:37] <Janson> "That's us!" Janson grins sloppily. "Finding runaway sons, curing werewolves, beating up Sharrans, playing the deadliest game, catching trolls, rescuing people from being pixie army slaves... you name it!" he thumps his palm on the bar. "Ahh, it's good honest work!"
[21:37] <Andria> "Except relationship troubles, so the mayor's blues are out of our hands no matter what," Andrea adds in.
[21:38] <Janson> "So we won't get to see Aaeru wrestle any elf-nymphs to the floor?" Janson asks, snickering.
[21:39] <Kotono> "Aaaaw," Simmer snickers as well, "Unless we find some that are evil. That girl does like to wrestle, doesn't she?"
[21:40] <Janson> "Nearly as much as you like fire, I'll bet," Janson nods. "Hey, her wrestling is fiery now, anyway, since she drank that phoenix blood!"
[21:42] <Kotono> "Is it?" Simmer says and taps her chin, "Maybe I should wrestle with her?"
[21:43] <Janson> "You didn't notice when she was all over that valkyrie? I guess you might've been distracted..." Janson shrugs, "But yeah, couldn't hurt. You might learn some stuff that'll help you in a fight with something you can't burn, like that dragon!"
[21:47] <Kotono> "I could try," Simmer agrees pleasantly, as the barkeep grins. "I should find a way to make fiery things burn hotter so it doesn't matter, too."
[21:48] <Janson> "Also good!" Janson agrees. "Just make sure you don't go and burn yourself if you go that way, though!"
[21:51] <Kotono> "I'll figure it out," Simmer grins ear to ear, as meanwhile the barkeep watches the two and merely smiles. "So you guys are on the up and up? Heard about you a few times now, making a name for yourselves in problem solving."
[21:52] <Andria> "Haven't failed a job yet!" Andrea says as she nods.
[21:53] <Janson> "We did get kinda beat up by a valkyrie," Janson admits, face falling, "But we weren't hired to defeat her so that's okay!"
[21:55] <Andria> "Hey, we came out of it alive even though she was trying to kill us. I call that a win!" Andrea says as she crosses her arms, looking a bit huffy at the reminder.
[21:56] <Janson> "Yeah, but there was some funky magic going on," Janson asserts. "I've got matching scars on my stomach and back, and you don't normally live through wounds like that!"
[21:59] <Kotono> "Better than the alternative," Is all that Simmer says to that.
[22:00] <Kotono> "I've seen worse," The barkeep says, "Not much worse, but worse. Saw someone survive a throat-slit. Cleric just happened to pass by the alley seconds after it happened. He still has a wicked scar."
[22:01] <Janson> "Yep. At the worst we can call it a learning experience - we'll do better next time, won't we?" Janson grins and clinks his glass against Andrea's before downing the remainder and ordering another.
[22:04] <Andria> "Right! Next time, we'll have her squealing for forgiveness!" Andrea declares before gulping the rest of her drink down.
[22:07] <Kotono> "Damn right," Simmer nods along, "I want to find a way to set her hair on fire, to burn her face, to melt down her arms, to smelt her bones into steel and make a longsword that then impales her. While on fire."
[22:07] * Janson whistles and stares at Simmer. "Damn! There's hate, and there's hate!"
[22:11] <Kotono> "Cheers to it," Simmer smiles thinly, "She did all but murder th eentire group."
[22:13] <Janson> "Yeah..." the redhead admits, looking down into his new drink. "I don't think she really expected us to survive, did she?"
[22:13] <Kotono> After a moment, "You know," she goes on, "Don't tell me you don't want to do the same thing." She plays with it, "I did ask Josa something about Ysgard. Apparently, things that are killed there don't die. I mean, they get better every sunrise."
[22:15] <Andria> "I still think that's a bit overkill. I do want to make her sorry, but I don't want to be cruel about it either," Andrea notes. "I wouldn't say anything if you did set her hair on fire though."
[22:17] <Janson> "She seemed to think she was gonna send me to Hell or the Abyss from what she was saying," Janson replies, taking a swig as he mulls it over. "I guess more than anything I'd want her beaten, to feel the same pain we did. And to apologise." He gives the dryad a shrug and a smile, "Not much up on the face-melting bone-smelting and impalementing."
[22:18] <Janson> "If we get obsessive about it, though... I figure that's giving her more power over us. Better to just let it lie and focus on more important stuff. Maybe one day we'll get even, otherwise we'll do that 'best revenge is living well' stuff."
[22:19] <Kotono> "I suppose," Simmer grouses, "I just want to..." she gestures with her hands, "If we weren't so tired from getting there, we would've given her a good one-two!"
[22:24] <Janson> "Yeah, I know," Janson reaches up and gives Simmer a comforting pat on the back. "Sucks to be shown how fragile your life is compared to people like that, isn't it?"
[22:29] <Kotono> "Yeah." She then smiles to the both of them, putting down more gold, "Now I wanna burn something, so I'm going to go downstairs. Have another drink on me."
[22:31] <Janson> "Best place to work those feelings out. You have fun, Simmer!" Janson sees his friend off with a smile, taking a gulp and turning back to Andrea. "Nice woman. Terrifying, but nice!"
[22:33] <Andria> Andrea nods. "It's nice to see she's not in the same spot she was when we found her though. She's changed a lot since then."
[22:35] <Janson> "Yeah... I always wonder what she was like before fire got into her," Janson admits, "But she's found a place to thrive in what she's become now, so it's okay."