A return home

[Ebiris]

"First the fairy affinity for my head and now this? I don't think Mystra's pulling all the strings behind my life," Alicia says as she deals out another hand for the three of them. "But you can pick the wager this time, Syala. Since I chose the last one."

[Anastasia]

"Hm." Syala hums, "I'll wager one favor, payable on demand. Nothing too serious, fun favors."

Mystra chuckles even more, "Why not, I'll wager my dress if I somehow lose. Alicia?"

Meanwhile Latha and Sharess are swimming around, slowly and more floating than swimming. They're talking away, though as you can't hear it, someone's taking precautions for privacy.

[Ebiris]

Alicia has no intention of intruding on Latha's privacy of course, intent on her game. "Oh, like that?" she says as Mystra and Syala offer up different wagers. Still, she offers up the same as Syala did to keep it consistent at least on their end. "Fun favour for me as well then."

[Anastasia]

The cards are dealt as you all begin. "It's been over a century since I've played cards," Mystra remarks, "Yet now a century means as little to me a day does to you. Treasure your mortalness as it lasts, Alicia. Already you have begun to change and in time you will change far more."

Syala throws a few chips in and adds, "You do change. I'm more thoughtful now than I was when this began. There's more to think about and you see so much."

Int checks, all.

[Ebiris]

[17:25] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+9
[17:25] <+Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 19 > [d20=10]

"Life is change, but it happens more quickly for mortals," Alicia says, studying her hand and maintaining a bland poker face while conversing. "You live longer you get more set in your ways. I'm far different than I was 30 years ago. But 30 years from now will the changes be so pronounced?"

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+10 Syala
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 18 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+20 Mystra (holding back)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 26 > [d20=6]

Chips go in as you all bet - and Mystra shows a full house, decimating your hands. Ouch.

"A better question: How do you see yourself in a century, Alicia?" Mystra inquires, her won chips flowing to her without a motion on her part, stacking up before her.

You have a distinct suspicion she's going to win.

[Ebiris]

A difficult question, considering she can't talk about certain tasks the Arbiter charged her with! "I think and hope by then Sylica will have moved to Elysium. I'll still be ruling it with Syala and Antenora. Perhaps even others will have risen to join us by then," she begins. "No," she pauses and shakes her head. "That's where I see myself. How I see myself..." she thinks a moment longer. "Still much the same, I imagine. My goals and ideals I don't foresee changing, and I'm settled enough in my methods that I'll still be bringing sword and spell to evil elsewhere even with my responsibilities as a deity. But then people rarely anticipate that they'll change, do they?"

[Anastasia]

"How true," Syala remarks, pushing most of her chips in and then the rest, Mystra matching her.

"Change is change. It will touch you when it wishes." Mystra says, "But I think your changes will not be to believes and ideals as much as your inner self. As your mortal days become a smaller and smaller part of you, you will become more divine. More removed in ways, more real and invested in others."

[Ebiris]

"I suppose Empress Sulia serves as an example there, her circumstances are similar and she has a few centuries on me," Alicia says as she pushes her own chips in, anticipating they'll all end up going to Mystra.

[Anastasia]

A flush? Geez.

Sure enough, Mystra wins all of your chips. She sits back, hands folded neatly, "Now what favors should I request," she muses aloud, pausing to have a sip of wine.

Meanwhile, Sharess and Latha are laughing, a splash of water exchanged. Oddly enough, one of the splashes travels far more than it should, splashing all over Antenora and Marie. Antenora sits up with a startle, looking around wildly.

[Ebiris]

Marie sits up as well and laughs at the cat-like reaction the goddess of cats just got out of Antenora. Pulling on her hand, she leads Antenora back into the water to get some revenge!

"You have a long time to sit on them if you want to make us stew," Alicia says, leaning back from the table. "But I think that's enough games for me. How about we join everyone else in the water?"

[Anastasia]

"Let's," Mystra agrees, dress fading away into motes of spellfire. "It's been a long time since I swam for enjoyment." Looking on with a fond smile, "Alicia, remind me occasionally to enjoy things like this. It's too easy to lose myself in the Weave." With those words she hurries into the water, following Antenora and Marie.

[Ebiris]

Marie at least sticks to humanoid proportions as she dives in and swims towards Sharess and Latha, a hurried sweep of her arm splashing them as soon as she's in range.

"You should at least save one avatar for enjoying sensual pleasures now and then," Alicia agrees, smiling as she watches the mother of all magic rush into the water, before she takes Syala's hand to lead her along after them.

[Anastasia]

Like this time passes swimming. Splashing and fun, hours passing at simple enjoyment.

Soon enough it's winding down. Night has fallen, all of you before a bonfire. Sweet things are on sticks, melted and warmed in the fire before being devoured. Antenora has an arm around Marie, the two of them sharing some chocolate on sweet bread. Sharess sits next to Syala, levitating maple syrup and warming it up, then spreading it over little sponge cakes. Latha and Jessica are nibbling on fire roasted, sugared fruits while you...

Last phase of this, go ahead and set yourself up.

[Ebiris]

By now Alicia's starting to feel a little bit antsy and restless, but her avatar is keeping busy enough elsewhere for her not to feel like she needs to be doing something else. She's sat on the sand by the fire next to Mystra, holding a stick with a speared marshmallow on it close to the flames to get it melted and sticky before she brings it closer to eat.