Nymph interlude (Afina)

[Ebiris]

"Wonderful!" and Afina is all smiles again. "I'm doing a circuit of the para-elemental planes to learn more about them, like you were doing with the elemental planes when we first met so I'd hoped this would suit your interests. Bubbles will be providing magical protection against acid for us before we leave, which won't be till tomorrow so there's no rush."

[Anastasia]

"That's fine, I want to purge if I'm going to Ooze." Canderella gets up, "I wouldn't recommend eating or drinking anything before we leave, odds are it'll come back up on Ooze. You might be able to hold it down with your nature, but you might not."

[Ebiris]

"I don't eat much anyway, but thanks for the warning," Afina says. She's gotten a lot of warnings about this place, but how bad can it really be? She lived on Gehenna for nearly a year, and that was not a fun time. Also in her time as an assassin she's had to lurk in the odd fetid bog for unseemly amounts of time while waiting for a good opportunity to strike a target.

[Anastasia]

"You'll be fine," Bubbles says, "As hardy as you are, it's more unpleasantness than real problem, sweety."

Canderella glances at Bubbles, "Sweety?" she asks, a hint of a smile starting on her face.

[Ebiris]

That's just how Bubbles talks! But one isn't going to let matters of lust slip by a succubus anytime soon.

"I'd be surprised if Crystal isn't shouting from the rooftops once the gossip's had a chance to circulate" she says dryly, but she nods to Canderella's assumption and drifts a little closer to Bubbles. Unfortunately she's never been one for pet names so she isn't going to reciprocate Bubbles' sentiments in that particular regard.

[Anastasia]

"Yes, and?" Bubbles says sweetly, "Sorry if you moved too slow."

Canderella smiles just a little bit, "Oh no, I'm just happy for Afina. Do you know her friend Crystal? She's been rather advocating for Afina lately."

"Well, that's one less problem," Bubbles shoots back, resting a hand on Afina's side, an arm around her.

With a nonchalant wave of her hand to Afina, "Congratulations, even if Bubbles is not perfect, but who is?"

Ooooh. Did it just get colder in here? Bubbles smiles a little more, her hand a bit tighter on you. "Why thank you. Speaking from experience?"

"I do know that as a friend, I'm going to brave Ooze for Afina." Canderella meets Bubble's gaze, smirking and crossing her arms.

"Dearie," Bubbles says after a few moments, "I believe I'll go after all. That makes four of us?"

[Ebiris]

Well, her ego feels a bit better now, all told!

"Canderella! If I'd known you were such a good friend I'd have invited you on my naked trip to Ice," she smiles winsomely. "But I'm sure with all four of us the company will make up for any shortcomings in Ooze's ambience."

[Anastasia]

Canderella breaks the death gaze the two have going and gives you a smile. "That sounds unusually adventurous of you," she remarks, "I heard it was with Hanna and family."

[Ebiris]

"I suppose you would be more interested in Hanna's unclad presence than mine," Afina concedes, tapping her chin and leaning against Bubbles' still tight grip with a brief glance over the nymph's figure. "I'll admit now that I've tried things with the big folk, I might struggle to look at her the same way."

[Anastasia]

Bubbles just smiles like a cat in the cream.

"As long as you're happy," Canderella says, "That platitude makes a lot more sense these days." She stands and 27 starts to follow her, "Until tomorrow then?"

[Ebiris]

"Have a good purge," Afina calls after her. "Well, next on the agenda is crafting and seeing Goldanariux if he's around. Want to come along for that?" she asks Bubbles.

[Anastasia]

"Why yes, anything," Bubbles says, "Is she always like that?"

[Ebiris]

"No, she's usually a lot more relaxed," Afina says as they head off to take a portal towards the workshop. "Honestly I'm not sure how much of that was just an act for my benefit or if it was actually sincere. She mentioned Crystal's advocacy and I did mention to her a little while ago when she pressed that Canderella's personality appealed to me." Does that mean Crystal's also been at Simmer and Stille? Questions must be asked.

[Anastasia]

As Afina considers questions and dealing with things, she heads over to the forges and finds Gold there.

Gold is watching a pair of smiths work on a blade, one holding it with tongs over the flames and the other pounding it. The cherry-red metal rings with each strike. The dragon is in half-elven form, dashing and handsome. He turns and doffs a simple cap he wears, "Afina, I've seen your work before, but this is the first time meeting you. Your work more than precedes you."

[Ebiris]

Does he mean first time meeting me in the place where I work? Since I have met Gold before, there was a whole big thing about me being a traitor and murderer and all that stuff dragons shout when they first see me.