Gold rush

[Anastasia]

As you all eat, "Now what I'd like to know is this," Canderella speaks up, leaning forward with a sensual, alluring smile, "Why did this happen in a way that drew me in?"

With a polite glance that makes Canderella grimace, the gith goes right on. "Your bad fortune? Even if you're one of Talos's tame succubi, you must have a lot of sins attached to you." A chuckle, a slight one, "Blame yourself or blame Tymora, as they say."

Xandra smiles faintly at that as she enjoys her meal.

Canderella looks like she just bit into something dreadful. Her expression is a mix of disgust and pique, all leveled at your host. He merely smiles as if unbothered and goes on, "I like to believe that beyond our final judgments at the end of mortality, our deeds good and bad influence our fortune. Would all of you agree?"

Jetina looks up from getting seconds and considers this a moment. "I wish I could say yes, but beyond the natural flow of those deeds, no. However, such deeds and that natural flow does a great deal to achieve what you desire."

"In other words," Xandra goes on as Canderella's grip on her fork grows tighter, the slightest warping and bending of metal, "It's all Canderella's own fault and she should blame herself?"

[Nephrite]

Moore listens to the back and forth. "Considering how many times I've run afoul of what I always thought was Tymora's anger, I don't know that either way is correct. I think good and bad things can happen regardless of... well, anything." He says with a smile.

"So, I guess my take on it is, at least regarding your luck in all this, Canderella?" He says as he stabs a fork into some beef, "I honestly just think you ran afoul of circumstances completely outside of your control."

[Anastasia]

Xandra and the gith share a warm laugh as Canderella turns away, a hard ignore as she focuses on Moore. "At least someone here has good sense," she remarks, "The past is the past. The price for the past is having lived it."

"Each day another stone on the back of your soul?" Jetina reckons, "One my childhood tutors adored that saying. That in the end be you human, elf or immortal, the weight of ages will accrue until it is irresistible."

"Oh, I wouldn't be that fatalistic about it," Canderella goes back to her food, "There's plenty of ways to lighten your load and a true immortal can carry all they need to without limit."

"On that we agree," The gith says, "Is it not fascinating and telling that our souls are eternal and free of such constraints, if we but have the wisdom and will to realize it?"

"And indeed, Canderella just lightened her load regardless," Xandra says, still smiling.

Canderella's expression is stormy. Literally. Lightning dances between her eyes as she says, "Oh really?"

"You have a fond nostalgia for your past that you can no longer claim," Xandra goes right on, "A carefully cultivated nostalgia for the good old days in the Abyss, as perverse as that entire premise is." A pause for a drink before, "Now, even if you get nostalgic for, say, torture, will you not remember this instead? Yes, you suffered unjustly. Let that memory be a shining light to polish your soul, not darken it. Let that light nurture sympathy and compassion within you. Let it...blow away any instincts otherwise."

Canderella lets out a gusty sigh, "That isn't the fir-" A stop. Her eyes narrow. "Blow it away?" she repeats slowly.

"Mn." Xandra has another bite of her food and smiles ever so slightly, yet doesn't hide it at all. "Perhaps demolished it would be a better turn of phrase?"

Lightning dances along Canderella's fork, arcing between the tines as her gaze is pure white electricity. "What is your game, archon?" Canderella asks, voice crackling with lightning - and stops. A laugh. Startled, "You're provoking me! I never thought I'd see the day an archon tries to so blatantly manipulate like like a catty succubus!"

"And now you'll remember this lesson because of that, no matter how hard you try to forget it," Xandra concludes.

Canderella's laugh dies out, a foul word uttered beneath her breath. You can hear it with your exceptional hearing, "Fuck, she's right!"

[Nephrite]

"You have to be careful around Xandra." Moore says with a bright grin. "She says the truth in such a way that you realize it's almost too true to be true. But I think she's right about this, this was a great and learning experience for all of us. It was bad luck turned to good fortune for all of us."

[Anastasia]

As Canderella grumbles softly, Xandra says, "And I must say, it wasn't bad meeting you," she smiles back at the gith. "Though you never did outright tell us your name."

"I shouldn't even bother to hide when I have guests like this," The gith says, "I was afraid I was transparent."

"As glass," Jetina pipes up amid her meal, "But I have to admit it's been a lovely conversation even with that."

[Nephrite]

"Well, even if you're not really Kel'und and he simply asked for you to stand in for him to watch from elsewhere, the spirit of greeting and your hospitality is accepted." Moore says with a smile. "I do not mean to insult you by my words, I understand there are always good reasons for the actions of those in situations like this. Know that should you need us, you are welcome to reach out - you and yours are welcome in Hope's Landing should you ever need a place to come."

[Anastasia]

The gith stands and bows, then, "Still, my lady," he says to Canderella, "It wouldn't be proper for you to endure all of this without recompense."

This gets Canderella to perk up, "I'm listening."

A snap of the gith's fingers. Another unseen servant comes in, carrying a tray. On it is a diamond encrusted tiara, bracelets, necklace and rings. The rings are topped with large stones, while the tiara and necklace have what must be hundreds and hundreds of smaller stones on them. "We offer these to you with glad tidings and good hopes."

Then another comes in. This one carries another tray, this one with a heavy diamond pendant. Beautiful, with a center stone of vast beauty, a clear blue diamond, deep and lustrous, and many white diamonds around it. However, as Canderella smiles and picks up the tiara offered, this one goes to Xandra instead. "And I offer you this one, Lady Xandra, because I would like nothing more than to meet you again. A token of my esteem."

[Nephrite]

"Can you count this as an offering, Xandra?" Moore asks with a bright smile.

[Anastasia]

Xandra takes the diamond pendant and puts it on. "Yes, I do believe I can," she says in a soft voice and with a happy smile on her face. "Until next time," she rises and goes, Jetina following after her right away.

Canderella takes hers, now nothing but a teasing look on her face, "Your apology's accepted," she says, gathering up the goods and going.

"Until then," The gith promises.

[Nephrite]

"Thank you again for your hospitality, and my apologies for any concern we caused you and yours." He says. "Give us about three minutes to travel and you should be able to move the fortress again should you wish to."

A small bow is given our of courtesy as he follows his companions back to where he left the Teleport Blocker invisible!

Thankfully he has a good memory nowadays so he doesn't have to wonder about it...

[Anastasia]

The trip to it, beckoned by thunder and lightning, is without incident. It's where you left it.

[Nephrite]

Moore takes it back, deactivates it, and will return back to Hope's Landing with the others!

Once there, he nods to Canderella. "I admit, I wasn't expecting how that would go, but hopefully this has been a worthwhile investment of your time today." He says with a bit of a grin. "I'm sure Ebony will be at least a little jealous."

[Anastasia]

"Not likely," Canderella answers, "But I'll take my gain and gracefully bow out of this matter."

[Nephrite]

"We're always here if you need us." Moore says. "No matter the politics."

[Anastasia]

With that Canderella goes.

Jetina promptly turns to Xandra and says, "Well?"

"I liked him, he was what he appeared to be," Xandra explains, "I see good fates that come from his actions, and...for a gith, he's pleasant. Very pleasant. It's hardly love, but I have no objection to a meeting."