045.1 "Yes... you heard it from me."

[Corwin]

[20:49] <Kotono> Work, work, work, work, work. Afina leaves the meeting, only to find Simmer awaiting her in the main hall. "There you are," she declares, "I haven't seen a speck of you in over a week. What's kept you so busy?"
[20:53] <Afina> "Same thing that kept Balyss busy," Afina replies, fluttering over to Simmer's height. "Except while she was learning about Moonfire I was studying Sunfire. Disappointing, though, it's just a weapon enchantment, not a technique I can use in my spells."
[20:54] <Kotono> "Too bad," Simmer says, "So are you busy with something now, or do you have some free time?"
[20:58] <Afina> She briefly considers, but really all her plans either wait on information from Lifasa or Lannark, or require the full might of Aurora behind them. "No, I'm free. What do you have in mind?" she asks, flying to the side of Simmer's head.
[20:59] <Kotono> "Those lava pools are done." Simmer says brightly, "I have a bottle of firewine and plenty of Aurora gossip," Smiling now, "We can talk that and something else that might be useful, too."
[21:00] <Afina> "Oh, really?" Afina perks up, "I missed that. Yes, lets go!"
[21:07] <Kotono> The lava pools are just that - rooms that glow fire red, a portal going right into them. There are several pools about, several fire elementals taking up the front area and basking in the head. The back pools are empty. "They're communal, but elementals don't care in the least about that sort of thing," Simmer states, a bottle of wine carried along. "So I'll start. You remember when I told you
[21:07] <Kotono> about what happened to me after the transformating," Patting her stomach gently a moment as you walk between pools, past fire elementals as she goes on, "I learned how to notice the signs a woman's body puts out. Guess who's expecting?"
[21:09] * Afina has a brief think over who she knows that's active in that sense with the correct gender. "Ithea?" she hazards, although she's not sure if she and Stille are particularly that close. Guessing Canderella just feels like prejudice.
[21:11] <Kotono> Reaching the farthest lava pool, Simmer strips down and sinks in, up to her shoulders. Sighing in the basting, lovely heat as she sits there, "No," she says, "Misalea. She's just started, but the signs are there. I doubt she even knows yet."
[21:17] <Afina> In retrospect that really should have been her first guess. Shaking her head at being so silly, Afina removes her own clothes before sinking into the glowing red liquid rock next to Simmer, luxuriating in the heat herself. Didn't 27 say something about a new life being created in Aurora, too? Not that it had a prophecy attached to it, which is all the better. "To be honest I'm surprised there
[21:17] <Afina> haven't been more. With the number of people here now, especially the ones freed from prison? You'd expect them to be busier."
[21:20] <Kotono> The heat is amazing, intense and filling her body with a pure, childlike joy. "Most of the warriors are taking precautions," Simmer says, "The fiercest warrior becomes a noncombatant mother when that happens." Cracking the bottle open and taking a swig, before passing it to Afina, "Want me to pour it into your mouth? Anyway, considering the bloodlines involved, I just hope that the baby makes
[21:20] <Kotono> it that far. Adrian has hag's blood in him and that's no secret, and Misalea's a rare type of elf. I wonder what the child will be like?"
[21:23] <Afina> She could drown if Simmer gets a little lax in her pouring! Thus Afina takes the bottle in two hands to carefully take in a gulp before  putting it on the stone behind them. "Hmmm... Good point." 27's words were disjointed, but maybe Rosa is what they're going to name the child? "I'll make a belt of health for her after this."
[21:31] <Kotono> The wine burns and nutures like fire, Simmer leaning back, "Wait until she knows and announces it," Simmer goes on, "Miscarraiges aren't uncommon for mortals - the memory crystal I learned from stated that about 25% of mortal pregnancies are never known by the mother, since they don't last long. It's another reason why I'm not blabbing this. Anyway," Going on and reclining back, "So you do know
[21:31] <Kotono> we got a bunch of new soldiers from the Triune?"
[21:35] <Afina> "No..." Afina starts to really frown now. "I really have been out of things. Jaela's work, then?"
[21:36] <Kotono> "Yeah," Simmer takes the bottle and sips from it before putting it back. "I met the commander in passing. Lady spits nails and shits tree bark, but she's like a mother wolf with her soldiers."
[21:38] <Afina> "Cut from the same clith as Jaela, then?" Afina assumes from that handy description. "I'll have to find her later. Anything else I missed while plumbing the depths of obsolete magic?"
[21:42] <Kotono> "Canderella's adventures in combining the fury of Talos with the Graceful Blow. They've taken it out into Ysgard since it's rather destructive. Imagine someone dancing about like the Graceful Blow does, then a giant fist of electricity smites from above."
[21:44] <Afina> "Oh, that sounds interesting," Afina smiles, "It's like how I've had to make my own assassin style a whole lot more flashy with all the fire. Have you talked much with Canderella?"
[22:03] <Kotono> "Here and there," Lowering her voice into a whisper, "She keeps busy, like THAT. But she's discreet. How that happened with a thunder throwing succubus only Fire can answer. She's been with Tannin, Drena and Lief, and has made the moves on Mei, Mirima and Tepen." Smirking, "She gets around, but she talks when she drinks."
[22:08] * Afina chuckles to find that the prejudice she avoided has in fact been vindicated. "I only talk to her when she's sober, I suppose. Her stories aren't very lewd but altogether bloody. I think she's trying to find one that'll shock me, or get me to one-up her with my own stories."
[22:10] <Kotono> Chuckling back as she reaches for a bit more firewine, "I think she's flirting with you," Simmre says, a teasing smirk on her lips, "Seriously. She made a move at me, but I'm not interested in someone who isn't fiery. I think it's her nature to...well, you know. She said something along the lines of her type now representing the lifegiving part of the cycle of nature."
[22:13] <Afina> "She's made a few passes, we think alike in certain ways. But if she thinks I'm going to change my size to have sex with a big'un she's got another thing coming," Afina giggles, having some firewine herself once Simmer's done. "Still, only fiery ones for you?" she glances back over at the elementals in the other pools and then leans towards Simmer with her voice lowered, "Elementals don't tend
[22:13] <Afina> to be much for conversation."
[22:16] <Kotono> "Oh, Lief didn't change his size," Simmer smirks, "They just got inventive, apparently." Taking the wine back for a slight sip before placing it down, "You know how good it feels when a man keeps pushing in you and go over?" With a naughty smile, "It's better when you're both on fire. There's other creatures on Fire besides elementals, anyway."
[22:22] <Afina> "You know far too much," Afina sighs as Simmer reports the grisly details of Canderella's love life, deciding to drop the subject. "I haven't had sex since Lifasa fell, anyway. Just haven't felt the mood, and not even being set on fire's changed that. There was one I considered, but Bahamut managed to ruin that."
[22:29] <Kotono> "Poor thing," Simmer reaches out and pats her back, "That's actually strange. Fire is the element of passion. I would have thought that would have..." Trailing off, "Fired up your desires. Not interested in Lief? He's the right size and he's impressive for a pixie."
[22:30] * Afina turns her head to look up at Simmer with an aggrieved gaze. "What do you mean 'for a pixie'?"
[22:32] <Kotono> "Hah, I mean..." Here Simmer flounders a moment, before giving Afina a glare, "No changing the subject. I'm just saying that by pixie standards Lief is really good at what he does. Most of the pixies I knew were playful and not prone to martial studies."
[22:36] <Afina> "If you ever saw me in my prime..." Afina mutters as Simmer seems to lump her with all those 'other' pixies. Said prime was of course right before she became a pyropixie, but that's neither here nor there. "Anyway, yes, I admire his will. And if the urge ever retakes me or I decide to have children I probably wouldn't look farther than him. I'm sure he'd be interested, anyway. But like I said,
[22:36] <Afina> the mood hasn't found me or I haven't found it."
[22:40] <Kotono> "Mmm." Simmer considers that, "So I heard Baleruk made you oneof his disciples."
[22:42] <Afina> "Yes... you heard it from me," Afina replies with a funny look. "You do remember the whole business about me becoming prismatic rather than just fiery?"
[22:45] <Kotono> "Oh." Simmer pouts, "Now I'm getting rumor sources mixed up!" With a redness that matches the lava just below her chin, "Sylvie's been spending a lot of time with that maddening book Ithea got. The one about what's beyond Creation."
[22:47] <Afina> "Really? There's a book about that? I should give it a look - speaking of, Sylvie wanted to speak to me and Jaela. But that was weeks ago..." she sighs, sinking up to her chin as well in the lava, "Need to get caught up on things."

[Corwin]

[19:49] <Kotono> "Ithea got it awhile back," Simmer leans back and sighs happily, "You really lost track of everything, didn't you?" Cracking one eye open to gaze at Afina, "We were joking that Abigor could've come and you wouldn't have noticed."
[19:52] <Afina> "I'm sure if someone came to tell me I'd notice, but no one really disturbed me. I only talked to Balyss every now and then about how she was doing with the moonfire..." she smiles half-heartedly, "I'm normally a lot faster about doing things."
[19:54] <Kotono> "It was fire," Simmer waves a hand, splashing burning mist over at Afina, "No shame in that. Balyss was in the same situation anyway, except she had to sleep."
[19:56] * Afina idly hopes it won't cool into rock and stick to her when they leave. Water never had that problem! "So other than digging into all the gossip, what have you been doing with yourself the last few days?"
[20:02] <Kotono> "Taking up some of Balyss's duties." Coughing into her hand, "Selune deals with feminine issues as one of her tenents and I know enough to fill in for Balyss. Stille can, but most of the women aren't comfortable with him doing that, so he refrains. That and listening to the gossip and what's going on. The common soldiers have their own webs of interest and drama, but they don't cross paths with
[20:02] <Kotono> the higher officers easily."
[20:05] <Afina> "Not many people talk to me," Afina agrees. "How are they doing? Everyone happy with where they are and what they're doing?"
[20:09] <Kotono> "You're seen as a mysterious fey smith of incredible speed and power. Some of them have taking to calling you the Gale - now the Blazing Gale." As the lovely heat continues to soak into your bones, Simmer goes for the firewine and takes a draught, "The common soldier has good morale. Black Cloud did a lot for the natives, and the celestials enjoy putting the fiends down. Plus all the firre and
[20:09] <Kotono> courre are good at cheering the mortals up. The strong eladrin presence also helps in another way - most of them aren't afraid to take lovers. On the other hand, that does tend to lead to drama."
[20:12] <Afina> "We're not some stuffy human army. Besides, it gives something more to fight for," Afina approves, briefly wondering if she ought to become active that way to help out as well, but the urge just isn't there and she doesn't care to be half-hearted. Sinking down more deeply, she immerses herself over her head for a moment to luxuriate in the murderous heat before breaching up and going for some
[20:12] <Afina> wine herself as lava drips off her head.
[20:17] <Kotono> Simmer grins at that image, "It does." Doing the same as Afina, coming up with lava trickling down her upper body, glistening in the warm light, "Got one of the eladrin talking about archons. There is some general concern there will be arguments between the archons - who tend to be more chaste - and the eladrin about that, among other things. The main concern is bickering over how to best fight
[20:17] <Kotono> and tactics, but that's up there too. I had a talk with Ebony about that - she's certain they'll get along after some efforts and integration."
[20:21] <Afina> "I hope so. We went to some effort to placate the archons, but the eladrin have been free and strong allies from near the start," Afina nods, feeling herself starting to become just a little bit tipsy even though she's only had a few drinks, and deciding it best to stop drinking now lest that part of her nature reveal itself. She should actually speak to Ebony soon as well to pass on that Aurora
[20:21] <Afina> is now capable of wholly assisting in the battle for Benfal... "You're quite a talker for a dryad, you know? Most of the ones back home were anti-social. Is it because of Fire or where you always that way?"
[20:23] <Kotono> Here comes another drink, Simmer taking a draught before offering the bottle to Afina, before putting it aside. "I learned it in Balmuria. I wasn't there long, but I had to reinvent myself. My tree was ashes and I had nowhere else to go. My friends in Whimsical Sweets gave me a chance and I took it. Then I ended up on Fire and used that and my charms to get by until I could stand on my own."
[20:29] <Afina> Well, she can't be rude... and besides, it's not like it's lethal heavenly dwarven brew. Taking a delicate sip now, Afina nods, "You've done well for that. What was it like, living in your grove there? Did you get many visitors?"
[20:32] <Kotono> "Well, fey were just coming back to the world in force. For a long time, we hadn't been there." Simmer begins, "Everything was new and learning the world around us. Satyrs came through regularly, singing and boasting of what they saw. Nymphs occasionally wandered through, searching for a pond to call their own. Pixies began to make secreative nests, and would come by to trade stories and berries.
[20:32] <Kotono> It was peaceful, so peaceful..." Simmer shakes her head, "But there was no fire. It was inferior."
[20:36] <Afina> "Bet you didn't think that when you were a tree!" Afina retorts with a challenging grin, finding the bottle in her hand and a gulp down her throat before she remembers she'd planned to stop. Blasted lush that she can be sometimes. "Always liked trees myself. Lots of places to hide. Can hide in fire well, too, though, if you're on fire. That's how I got down Magmasoul."
[20:38] <Kotono> Grinning back, "As much as I lost and still miss it, I was wrong then," Tossing her hair back, lava splashing in the aftermath of it, "Fire can do anything. You can hide in it just fine. If you need to be unseen, set everything on fire! All the flames and smoke'll confound anyone and it throws scent-hunters off the trail."
[20:41] <Afina> "Grig's can do that," Afina points out, "I used to be a Grig and remembered how to do it as a pixie, but then I forgot again when I turned into a fire monster," she pouts childishly and shakes her head. "Hardly fair, that."
[20:43] <Kotono> Taking the bottle back and taking a swig again, "This one's mostly gone. Want the last few swallows?" Simmer offers, "It isn't, but fire's worth it. Y'know..." Trailing off, "If you can get people down to Magmasoul, why not get more people on Fire? Hell, y'know Crystal? You'd love a fellow fire pixie, wouldn't you?"
[20:45] <Afina> "No!" Afina recoils as if struck by that suggestion, "Do you know how horrified and miserable she was when she saw me? I'm not sure we'll ever be as close, now. No, I did it as a last resort, and I still wish I hadn't. I'd never force it on anyone."
[20:47] <Kotono> "I didn't say force it," Simmer lowers her voice, "Just that...yes, I regret it, but I appreciate how wonderful fire is now. You do too, don't you? It's not a curse, but it's being different."
[20:49] <Afina> "And it hurts, and its a betrayal of everyone that came before," Afina replies quietly, curling up on herself away from Simmer. "No one could blame you, you were a victim and you've made the best of it. I chose this, though, because I'm selfish."
[20:53] <Kotono> "Afina..." Simmer scoots a little closer, sending ripples through the burning stone. "The self hate's a waste of time. You choose something as important as the Cycle to you - no, more important. If you can make that choice of your own will, maybe it was the right choice for you. Fey exist to serve nature and the Cycle. If something becomes more important than that, should we even be fey any
[20:53] <Kotono> more? We aren't serving our own purpose."
[20:53] <Kotono> *chose
[21:08] <Afina> "But I liked being fey!" Afina retorts hotly. "Fey have nature in all its forms, forests and deserts, oceans and tundra! They're grace, they're wisdom! Growth and decay! Balance! That's all what Lifasa needs when we beat Hell! What does Fire have? Fifty hundred ways to say fire is still the same thing, and burning isn't something you can do to your friends!" Shivering miserably despite the
[21:08] <Afina> intense heat, she dabs at her eyes out of habit even though there's no tears being produced in her fiery eyes, "I thought I was finally becoming more than just a murderer, just someone's tool. Even as a commoner I could really understand what I was becoming, how everything fit together. Now all I understand is how to set things on fire real good!"
[21:20] <Kotono> "So did I!" Simmer retorts back, just as heated as Afina. "Afina, you don't understand a thing! Fire is everything! The bright fires within me give life, just as surely as I can burn things to death! Fire cloaks me, protects me, sustains me! It burns away old rot and decay, purifying the way for new life - and then it is the flame that tempers new growth! Fire isn't only a destructive force.
[21:20] <Kotono> It's life, death, hope, dreams, everything! You're more than a murderer or a tool of the fey court! You're a part of something grander than any of that!"
[21:25] <Afina> She wants to argue, but at the same time Simmer's words strike a chord. Torn between the two extremes, Afina is reduced to pouting. "The only thing I want to be part of is Lifasa, that's why I did this stupid thing," she mutters sullenly.
[21:28] <Kotono> "Afina," Going to ruffle her hair, "You know what we're going to do when we get Lifasa back? We're going to get a big old volcano, hot as can be. Fire's a part of Lifasa too, it's the flowing rock that composes Earth into a form that nature can live on. Lifasa's going to need a lot of fire to purify away those devils and what they leave behind."
[21:31] <Afina> "Yeah, it will," Afina agrees, bowing her head under Simmer's hand, "I'd thought about that too... I'm getting used to it, really. But I doubt I'll ever celebrate it like you do."
[21:32] <Kotono> "You will," Simmer says, her voice subding. "You might think that now, but you'll change given time. You're a part of Fire now, Afina. You can't deny what you are forever."
[21:34] <Afina> She's going to be part water soon, too, if she has anything to say about it, but better not provoke Simmer. Giving a noncommital murmur she eases back into the lava, intending to relax for a while until the alcohol works through her. At least the argument stopped her getting drunk.