Out of Session Roleplay

"It was news to me... and I worked in that house!"

"But is Mammon not a devil? They might react favorably to that, and thus to Acardian..."

... It might be worth speaking with them tomorrow. I could prepare a Commune spell and ask after that, among other useful things.

"Hmm, yes. That seems a good set of tasks. Though sometime, I'd like a few days to work on my new Ioun Stone. But we should probably try and contact Chammady before then. ... Not even she deserves the fate that Contract prescribes..."

"That remains to be seen, but you're probably right."

"Yes, thank you. Let's get going, then."

Morning of Day 7:

(Rianne is bathing)
Salvatore (alone, unaware of the above): Ugh, finally got my head clear… probably best if I soak it again… probably the rest of me, too, since I might have strained a muscle on the stairs carrying Rianne.
Salvatore (now in washroom): “Wait, jewelry in here? This looks like … Rianne’s… *glances* AH! Rianne! Sorry! I didn’t realize you were in here already.”
Rianne: Rianne looks over at Salvatore, chuckles and says “Oh, so you WERE serious about seeing me in nothing.”
Salvatore: *blush, looks away* “Ah, no, this was just an accident… How about I just leave now, and maybe we pretend this didn’t happen? We might both prefer that as well in regards to last night, actually.”
Rianne: “No, you’re fine here. I was finishing up, and will be out by the time you were to undress yourself.”
Salvatore: *Still looking away* “I know we toed the line of propriety last night, but that shouldn’t change anything - nothing resulted of it, and we were both drunk.”
Rianne: “I was only drunk because you let me drink so much. I’ve a soft spot for wine, which I thought you had noticed after the last time. You should not let me indulge like that.”
Salvatore: *Still looking away* “I thought it was just not having any food in your stomach.”
Rianne: “Well, it might have had a little to do with that. Usually I’m able to stop myself from drinking too much, but not around you it seems...I’d prefer it if you faced me when we speak, and not the wall.”
Salvatore: *Still looking away* “Why would you want me to face you when you’re naked?”
Rianne: “My state of undress has nothing to do with it; I prefer people look at me when speaking.”
Salvatore: “... Oh, all right.” *turns to look, blushes* “But do you have no modesty? And do you realize how tempting it is -for anyone- to turn their gaze down from your face?”
Rianne: “And are you?” she asks, and laughs at Salvatore’s blush, “No, you don’t need to answer that. I learned to live without modesty years ago.”
Salvatore: “Tempted, yes. Looking down, no, but by sheer force of will only. What made you learn to live without it?”
Rianne: “When I began work as part of the Society, I often worked with people I didn’t know terribly well. We often had time constraints, and it was not uncommon for personal space to be limited.”
Salvatore: “It must have been tough and embarrassing at first… sort of like being in here right now.”
Rianne: “It was, but that was a long time ago. In addition, you seem to be the only one embarrassed here.”
Salvatore: “Erm, I guess that is correct… Let me know when to turn around when you get out, though, please. Also, you mentioned drinking too much with me… I have an idea for preventing a similar circumstance from happening.”
Rianne: Rianne rolls her eyes, and says, “Go on,” as she gets out of the tub.
Salvatore: *blushes severely* “We take turns not drinking more than a glass or two. If I can, in three tries, name an embarrassing situation for you, then you go first. If I fail, then I go first.”
Rianne: “Alright, give it a try,” she says as she picks up a towel and begins to dry herself, “though I’ve mixed feelings about you letting me indulge myself again.”
Salvatore: “First, trapped in a way that most magic cannot get you out, and you need to distract the guards, but the guards are somewhat lustful, but the only prisoner is you, so the only illusion they’d believe is of you, so the only way to escape is by distracting them with an illusion of yourself, as you are right now - quite nude.”
Rianne: “I have, myself, led guards on before as a distraction for others. I would not be embarrassed to use such a trick.”
Salvatore: “No modesty anymore, right… Second, someone walks in right now… *locks door* and gets all the wrong impressions.”
Rianne: “If I did care what they thought, I would be able to convince them what is actually occurring. Failing that, at worst, rumors are only rumors,” she says, as she finishes drying herself.
Salvatore: “Reputations can be fixed, eh? Third…” *kisses Rianne full on the mouth*
Rianne: *A muffled sound of surprise escapes Rianne’s lips, and she blushes as she returns the kiss and puts her arms around Salvatore*
Salvatore: *Returns the hug, and laughs* *pauses, hugging her for a good few moments* “As much as I love this moment and being with you, I’m not completely comfortable with you being naked right now, and you were wrapping up.”
Rianne: Still blushing, Rianne laughs and says, “I’m sorry, but you caught me by surprise,” as she slowly lets go of Salvatore.
Salvatore: *slowly lets go of Rianne* “That was part of the point of these three scenarios. Oh, and I guess I win, then.” *Laughs* “Don’t worry, though. I don’t want any more hangovers, so I’m going sober for a while.”
Rianne: “You’re going to let me indulge myself for a few more nights? You’re terrible,” she says and gives Salvatore a kiss on his cheek.
Salvatore: *Returns the kiss* “Don’t worry, this is more about how I’ll have company in being sober.”
Rianne: “Company…,” *chuckles*, “surely you mean at dinner, yes?”
Salvatore: “Of course! Didn’t realize the other interpretation until after I said it. Though on that topic, at least I hadn’t gotten ready for the bath yet, or that hug would have been awkward.”
Rianne: “I don’t think the moment would have ended yet if you had.”
Salvatore: “...” *blushes scarlet* “Uh… on a related topic, since you’re done drying off could you perhaps put some clothes on?”
Rianne: “Perhaps, but are you sure you want me to?”
Salvatore: “It’s only by sheer will that I’m looking at your face. Of course I want the temptations gone.”
Rianne: “Well, it might be I like you looking at me like that,” Rianne says, before immediately putting her hand over her mouth and blushing a very deep red.
Salvatore: *stunned silence* “What? At your face, right?”
Rianne: “...No, I had meant at me,” Rianne says, her blush unfading, “...Perhaps I should dress now,” she says, as she begins dressing.
Salvatore: “Yes, please. It’s going to be embarrassing enough talking to you again after this” *intense blush* “Could we maybe arrange some more conversations, only in controlled circumstances?”
Rianne: *still blushing as she dresses* “I’m...not sure why I said that, though I won’t lie; a part of me meant it.”
Salvatore: “Uh… yes… um… *still blushing* How about more controlled circumstances, like a dinner without that never-eat Ioun Stone of yours?”
Rianne: Rianne stops dressing for a moment. “That stone stays,” she says, resuming dressing, “Not needing food or drink, while the primary function of the stone, is not why I carry it.”
Salvatore: “Oh, right! That stone. Strange how a side-effect is why someone would carry something. Uh, when you’re done dressing, could you leave so that I can get ready for my bath? I’m not as comfortable with the seen-naked thing as you are.”
Rianne: “So you want to continue to treat me to dinner even with that; do you want me to gain weight? Do you think I’m too skinny?”
Salvatore: “Well, what other controlled activities can you think of?”
Rianne: “You dodged my question,” Rianne says as she slips her skirt on, finishing with her clothing.
Salvatore: “No, you don’t look too skinny.”
Rianne: “So you did look at my body then.
Salvatore: “Your tunic isn’t that loose.” *blushes*
Rianne: “While its not that loose,” Rianne says, as she begins to brush out her hair, “...well alright it is a little form-fitting.”
Salvatore: “On another note, no one need ever hear about this incident, right?”
Rianne: “Of course not. Why would others need to know?”
Salvatore: “Just a little nervous about that possibility. And all that’s left before you’re dressed is your jewelry, right? After that, could you leave so I can prepare for my bath?”
Rianne: “So you want me to leave now that I’m almost done? Well then,” she says, and begins to remove her stockings, “maybe I shouldn’t dress.” *giggles, blushes*
Salvatore: *massive blush* “What are you-- Why-- Please, stop, and ---” *cuts off, sputtering a bit*
Rianne: *stops undressing and giggles uncontrollably, her face turning very red*
Salvatore: “You’re--- you’re teasing me, aren’t you?”
Rianne: *calms down, face still red* “Yes. Your reaction was really,” *giggles* “funny. Sorry.” *giggles*
Salvatore: “Is there any way for my reaction to possibly be anything else?”
Rianne: “You could get,” *giggles*, “used to the idea of seeing me without clothing.” *giggles*
Salvatore: *blushes purple* “Wait… did you just suggest posing naked in front of me for extended durations?” *mouth remains moving, but no sound is coming out*
Rianne: *blush becomes purple; giggles* “Oh dear, I think I might have accidentally suggested that” *giggles uncontrollably*
Salvatore: “What did you mean, then? And I can’t think of what to talk about if that were to happen, so there’d be no reason to look at you, so I’d probably just turn aside. Unless you have some way of magically compelling me to look, that is… I guess I could lower my mental defenses if that’s the case.” *covers mouth*
Rianne: *slowly calms down, with her blush fading to a light red* “Well, I did say it in jest, but if you want to go forward with that I could stay here nude as you bathe.”
Salvatore: “Oh, joking. Phew. I was a bit worried there… No, uh, please leave as soon as you get your stockings and jewelry back on.” *blush fades to scarlet*
Rianne: “What,” she says, as she puts her stockings on again, “you would have been okay with it if I wasn’t joking?” *begins to put earrings in*
Salvatore: “I was trying to come up with an excuse to not do it in the form of the magical compulsion requirement - it is there, though. You don’t have any spells that could do that, right?”
Rianne: “Actually, I do,” she says as she continues to put her jewelry on.
Salvatore: “... Oh. Well, then fortunate for me you were joking, or I’d have been trapped in my own words. What spell is it?”
Rianne: “It doesn’t matter; I wouldn’t put you through that,” Rianne says as she finishes putting her jewelry on.
Salvatore: “Thank you.” *blushes* “Now, uh… can you leave so I can get ready for my bath?”
Rianne: “Sure, sure,” she says, and gives Salvatore a kiss as she leaves.
Salvatore: *Returns kiss* *Locks door after Rianne leaves* “... Yes, I really need to soak my head…”
fin

Lunch before Dinner 4, after Salvatore’s rescue.

Salvatore: “This lunch was originally intended for something other than what I’m about to say, but I can see there’s something on your mind. What’s made you so distant?” *Tucks a small, sturdy whitish box into his pocket*
Rianne: “I was worried about you, that you would be alright.”
Salvatore: “That’s… not it. Not entirely. Whatever made you distant … I noticed a little before our last dinner. You hid it well during dinner, but not entirely elsewhere. Was it something that happened? Something I did? Something else?”
Rianne: “The otyugh the other day was not overly hostile; just different was all. But our views differed enough that we were not able to avoid conflict.”
Salvatore: “I could argue that the diseases it could have spread - since we know it was willing to leave it’s place - were a threat to society, and that the problem needed to be dealt with immediately. But we didn’t know about that until after we started fighting it, I guess. So, I’ll stick with that it had stolen a body - that was needed - from a crypt, and that there seemed to be a very low chance of negotiating with it, since it seemed a little… out of things.”
Rianne: “All otyughs are...different by our standards. That one was perfectly normal for what it was.”
Salvatore: “I guess you know more about them than I do, but what about its theft, and trespassing in a crypt? Ignore for a moment us in the crypt with the Mohrgs; we were mislead into going there and didn’t take anything.”
Rianne: “I wouldn’t say that I know much about them. This was only the second one I’ve seen, and it was as simplistic as the first one.”
Salvatore: “You dodged the question.”
Rianne: “Hadn’t you trespassed in a crypt before? Well, I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me if you haven’t.”
Salvatore: *silence for a moment* “There’s … some point you’re trying to make, but for some reason, I can’t see it… And why do you refer to that as if it’s common for you?”
Rianne: “Well, I’ve been in crypts several times before for my work, sometimes without explicit permission. In any case, the otyugh knew little of land ownership, much less respect for the departed.”
Salvatore: “But were your quests there not on the side of justice? Did they not bring some more light into this world?”
Rianne: “Sometimes they brought something to light. Other times they didn’t.”
Salvatore: “There’s a point here, but I still can’t see it...”
Rianne: “I think I’m just rambling at this point.”
Salvatore: “Ok, so why shouldn’t we have fought the Otyugh? It was clearly in the wrong, and if it’d had a chance to surrender, or taken a chance it might have had, we’d have just grabbed the body and left it - since it apparently didn’t eat the body, so we didn’t need to retrieve it that way.”
Rianne: “I don’t know.”
Salvatore: “Yet you still feel we shouldn’t have… Why, I wonder...” *looks thoughtful*
Rianne: “Perhaps I am thinking too deeply on it.”
Salvatore: “No… I feel that there’s a very good reason you have… but I can’t see it. Why should we not fight things that attack our places of safety?”
Rianne: “They too have the right to defend their places of safety. The otyugh did.”
Salvatore: *stunned silence*
Rianne: “I mean, I’m not saying we should have let it mug us. I guess I don’t know what to say about it really.”
Salvatore: “... So, what should we have done, then?”
Rianne: “I don’t know. I don’t know what we should have done differently, if anything..”
Salvatore: “All those monsters… the Council of Thieves, the aberrations, the Demons and the Devils… they’re starting to blur together, now. It feels like it’s just ‘us’ and ‘them’ now. And why shouldn’t we destroy monsters?”
Rianne: “You seemed somewhat eager to fight with the otyugh. You should not always look forward to killing something.”
Salvatore: *pensive silence* “... I did, didn’t I…? *mouth moves, but silence* Does it look like I’m starting to fight to destroy rather than protect…?”
Rianne: “You tell me.”
Salvatore: “I… I… I have started to revel in the fight…” *gulps, shudders* “Do you think -- Have I started to become like what we fight?”
Rianne: “Perhaps...but you will now be watching yourself for it, will you not?”
Salvatore: “Yes… Yes, I must do this… Though, why didn’t you bring up the Otyugh during our last dinner?”
Rianne: “I hadn’t thought about it as much then as I have now.”
Salvatore: “... Ah. Thinking on other things? I know that feeling. During my late captivity, I thought mainly about you, instead of, say, escape.” *blush* “Uh, not in that way!”
Rianne: *smiles* “Thanks Salvatore. That makes me glad.”
Salvatore: “I’m glad it makes you glad… especially since it would have been so easy to offend if it had been in that way.”
Rianne: “Wasn’t I usually the one who made the innuendos?”
Salvatore: *blush* “That… didn’t come out right...”
Rianne: “I hadn’t even thought of it that way until you brought it up.”
Salvatore: “Perhaps we can go back to not thinking of it in that way? Maybe a safer topic, too?”
Rianne: “You were intending this lunch for something different?”
Salvatore: “I was, but you seemed a bit distant, and … after this conversation, I think it breast if I delay that until later. Er, BEST. Best if I delay that.”
Rianne: *giggles* “Eyes up here. You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
Salvatore: *Blush* “No, I swear, that was an accident. … I’d hoped for this lunch to be a controlled circumstance after the incident half a week ago…” *sighs* “But at least that’s proof you do mind if looked at like that.”
Rianne: “Not really; I just noticed you looking down when you made a slip of the tongue. “ *giggles* “What about it does not seem controlled to you? It seems to be controlled to me.”
Salvatore: “That was the first - and, counting the future, probably only - time my eyes have slipped like that. As for controlled … It’s just… I was hoping to have a meal without any innuendo, yet for some reason, that plan’s sunk.”
Rianne: *giggles* “Like your eyes.”
Salvatore: *Blush* “Like they were. Emphasis on the past tense. Um, how about we change the topic?“
Rianne: “To?”
Salvatore: “Perhaps about when we broke the siege on the Hellknights. When we fought the Council agents there, you summoned a demon. I… Why did you summon it? I thought you’d stopped with conjuring fiends.”
Rianne: “No, I had decided to not attempt to call one again. Summoning one is different, I assure you.”
Salvatore: “First, I shall answer this on a practical note. While it was effective, it’s still exposing your mind to evil energies, undermining our purpose - what would the people think if they saw someone summoning fiends, someone who wanted to rule the city? - and it is still inherently evil. There’s a reason Iomedae and the other gods of good forbid their priests from summoning fiends.
Rianne: “I have been summoning creatures for years; I am fine. The summoned creatures are very controlled; as you know a summoned creature does only what its conjurer tells it. Failing the ability to communicate with it, it will only attack its conjurer’s enemies.”
Salvatore: “That’s not the entire point. What if people learned about you summoning fiends? And what of the exposure of your mind to corrupt energies by the summoning?”
Rianne: “I have also summoned azata and elementals these past few days. But I will remember what you said about demons when in a public location.”
Salvatore: On a less practical note, and more spiritual… you seem to have started taking some lessons from The Acts, so … what do you think Iomedae would have done had she been the one to choose the summoned creature?” *pause* “True, she was a Paladin before ascending, not a Cleric, but that’s not the issue. The other issue is that a balance of good and evil - such as summoning one of each - is the worst-case situation that should ever be settled for. Yet, it is within your power to only summon celestials and elementals.”
Rianne: “They are not always the tool most fit for the task at hand. Other times a certain variety of demon is best suited; other times it may not be.”
Salvatore: “But… since you’ve been reading The Acts what do you think Iomedae would have chosen for the summons? After all, we should strive to emulate her perfection, should we not?”
Rianne: “This is a leading question; we both know the answer to it. She would not have summoned fiends. She would also not have summoned azata.”
Salvatore: “It was the way to introduce the question following. What of striving to attain the perfection of spirit and morality she had?”
Rianne: “And that’s why it was a leading question. I assure you again, that it is doing me no harm when I summon a fiend. Though I will admit that speaking telepathically with demons is unnerving.”
Salvatore: “Okay, perhaps you would know if it impacted your mind more than with the barest touch, so I’ll drop that. But the ends do not justify the means, no matter how suited to the task it was.”
Rianne: “I don’t understand the distinction you are making with said means. I would understand if the demon had been called, but it wasn’t. It was summoned; nothing more. However, I will keep in mind what you have said about time and place.”
Salvatore: “... I suppose that will do for now. But perhaps another topic would be best, now.”
Rianne: “Hmm…”
Salvatore: “Yes?”
Rianne: “Salvatore, I hope you won’t be upset at me for asking, but just how did you become a cleric of Iomedae? Your life had...little room for practiced devotion...and so it seems a little odd to me.”
Salvatore: “An Aasimar priest named Wesh… I don’t know his last name... found me. He cared for me for … a few months, before some thief killed him for a few gold. (Quietly: Damn it, he said he’d never leave me… damn that lie…). It was far less time than I needed to learn to cast spells… but I inherited his books, which included most of the knowledge I had when the Guardians, led by Claudio then, found me. During my captivity by the Drovenges, faith was all I could have, and I practiced in secret, and eventually learned to channel spells The Inheritor would give me.”
Rianne: “...How long was it between Wesh passing, and the Drovenges, and how long between that and being found by the Guardians? ...Perhaps I am too curious.”
Salvatore: “No… no, it’s fine. I met Wesh… when I was around sixteen. Just a few months later, I’d utterly failed at finding a way to survive, which is when the Drovenges pressed me into service. I escaped at about... twenty years old. The Guardians found me a couple weeks later, when I’d eaten the last of my scrounged food.”
Rianne: “I am not able to relate to this very well. I will not tell you that I understand what you must have went through, because I don’t. I’m sorry I brought it up.”
Salvatore: “I… I survived. The way things are going, I’m going to emerge victorious on that regard. My past is the past, and it’s influence is dying. The voices are dying, and my enemies with them. Don’t… Don’t feel pity for me. Don’t! Save it for the dead.”
Rianne: *eats food in silence*
Salvatore: “... Sorry I snapped at you. That was uncalled for, even… no, especially given my emotions there.”
Rianne: “...Its alright; I forgive you. I shouldn’t have pried.”
Salvatore: “Thank you. And it’s fine for you to be curious, curiosity is not a problem… Um, I think I might need to request another topic, though. Any other topic. Even the *blushes a little* breast topic.”
Rianne: “What about mine?”
Salvatore: “That… was a joke about my earlier misspeaking. I meant the conversation about, well, us, despite any chance of that being controlled having already been shot enough to be a pincushion.”
Rianne: “I know it was a joke, as was my reply, and now you’ve followed up on it horribly,” Rianne says smiling.
Salvatore: “Just because I’d rather forgo propriety than talk more about my past now… does not mean I’d rather abandon propriety entirely… Why do I always get so awkward around you?”
Rianne: *giggles* “And I’m not this playful around anybody but you.”
Salvatore: “... Playful? It’s all been teasing and jokes, right? None of your past innuendos were… serious, right?”
Rianne: “Wait, you mean I really thought…” *begins laughing*
Salvatore: *Blushes* “This is what I meant; why am I so awkward around you? I can usually understand what people mean in just a few seconds, at most… but...” *Blushes scarlet*
Rianne: *calms down* “Yes, the innuendo has been in jest and teasing you. Just how loose did you think I am?” *giggles*
Salvatore: *Blushes* “If that incident in …”
Rianne: Rianne interrupts “That time we almost made love notwithstanding, of course.”
Salvatore: “You were quite quick to dismiss that one… and that didn’t have the excuse of being drunk like the night before.
Rianne: *blushing* “Well, apart from that then.”
Salvatore: “Is that… Is that the second time you’ve blushed in all our conversations?”
Rianne: “Anyways, I interrupted you. Continue.”
Salvatore: “That incident was influential in thinking you were not just teasing, I will admit.”
Rianne: “I know you’re going to blush again, but you were the one who chose to make it physical.”
Salvatore: *blush* “You’re the one who didn’t care about being seen like that.”
Rianne: “You keep coming back to that detail; you wouldn’t let me forget it then either.”
Salvatore: “Well, it was influential in thinking some of what you said on similar topics had been serious.”
Rianne: “Well, now you know.”
Salvatore: “Yes, well. Back to the topic we almost got back to before that enlightening discussion, I hope? Back to the topic of… us.”
Rianne: “Sorry for getting you off track. Go on.”
Salvatore: “Well, I was wondering if you were wondering anything about this relationship, if you had any questions for me about it. I’ve already asked you most of what I want to know.”
Rianne: “I really have no questions about it. I’ve also asked you most of what I want to know about you.”
Salvatore: “Well, then… you’re looking lovely, today.”
Rianne: “Are you sure you’re not just saying that?” Rianne asks, letting out a contented sigh, “You’ve said it...several times before.”
Salvatore: “And it’s been true every one of them.”
Rianne: *smiles* “I love you.”
Salvatore: *Smiles, kisses Rianne* “I love you, too.”
Rianne: *returns kiss* “It’s nice to hear that said, isn’t it?”
Salvatore: “Yes… so hard to find love in the chaos of war, and yet, here we are.”
Rianne: “Well, it wasn’t terribly hard; that vampire did not take near enough pains to remain hidden.”
Salvatore: *Kisses Rianne* “Let us hope to never be parted, shall we?”
Rianne: *returns kiss* “Never again.”
Salvatore: “Perhaps we should have dinner again, tonight?”
Rianne: “I’d love to.”
Salvatore: *finishes meal* “I look forward to it.”
Rianne: *smiles* “I do as well.”
Salvatore: *Kisses Rianne, heads off to pay the tab*