Perpetual Gloom 005a

[4/24/2013 12:38:02 AM] Josie: Khiro finds Kalanor in a sort of mold garden, located in a courtyard. It has a little pond and a couple of benches, and a pretty trellis or two. [4/24/2013 12:38:19 AM | Edited 12:39:14 AM] Josie: Kalanor is playing the lute. He's not quite as good at it as he is with the harp, but still does pretty well. [4/24/2013 12:42:45 AM] Khiro: ... my parents tried to get me to play an instrument. I could never pick it up. [4/24/2013 12:45:33 AM] Josie: He startles a bit. "... it's a lot of hard work. My father said I'm a natural, but I think he's just oblivious to how much time I spend on it." [4/24/2013 12:46:46 AM] Khiro: I just have a tin ear, I think. [4/24/2013 12:49:10 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Well, you won't mind listening to me, then. That's good. [4/24/2013 12:49:52 AM] Khiro: As far as I can tell, you're great. [4/24/2013 12:51:11 AM] Josie: Kalanor smiles. "Even better." [4/24/2013 12:52:34 AM] Khiro: Khiro sits down. [4/24/2013 12:54:06 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Did they send you to deal with me? [4/24/2013 12:54:46 AM] Khiro: No. I don't think you need dealing with. [4/24/2013 12:57:10 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Oh. ... well, thanks. [4/24/2013 12:58:24 AM] Khiro: I did want to ask for the names of your previous suitors. They might be a good place to start investigating. [4/24/2013 12:59:45 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Do you want them in order of intelligence, age or chronological order? [4/24/2013 1:00:12 AM] Khiro: ... maybe just 'ability to carry out this kidnapping'. [4/24/2013 1:02:17 AM] Josie: Kalanor: That's all of them, I'm sure. [4/24/2013 1:02:59 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Let's see. There was Imlyn. [4/24/2013 1:03:51 AM] Khiro: Imlyn? [4/24/2013 1:04:04 AM] Josie: Kalanor shrugs. "Quevlyn, his brother." [4/24/2013 1:05:12 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Sornvayas. [4/24/2013 1:05:56 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Masaghar. [4/24/2013 1:06:46 AM] Khiro: Hmm. [4/24/2013 1:09:25 AM] Josie: Kalanor: ... oh gods, I forgot about Nil. [4/24/2013 1:11:23 AM] Khiro: Nil? Who's Nil? [4/24/2013 1:11:38 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Nil'irahc. I guess you could call him a suitor too. [4/24/2013 1:11:56 AM] Khiro: ... well, tell me about him. [4/24/2013 1:13:30 AM] Josie: Kalanor: ... we grew up together, I guess you might say. We were friends. [4/24/2013 1:14:05 AM] Josie: Kalanor: When relations between the families got cooler we didn't see each other for a long time, but after I kicked out the first couple of people ... they sent him. [4/24/2013 1:18:35 AM] Khiro: What happened? [4/24/2013 1:20:44 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Uh, well. [4/24/2013 1:21:00 AM] Josie: Kalanor looks at the ground. "... it was going pretty well until he mentioned the M-word." [4/24/2013 1:27:54 AM] Khiro: Did he not take the refusal well? [4/24/2013 1:28:14 AM] Josie: Kalanor: He was... pretty upset, yeah. I was pretty upset too. [4/24/2013 1:29:18 AM] Khiro: Do you think he could have done this? [4/24/2013 1:30:46 AM] Josie: Kalanor: I don't know. ... maybe. He was pretty upset, and accused me of seducing him. Normally I'd say no, but... [4/24/2013 1:31:16 AM] Khiro: But what? [4/24/2013 1:32:24 AM] Josie: Kalanor: He was pretty upset. [4/24/2013 1:32:42 AM] Josie: Kalanor: I didn't think he meant anything by it, you know? [4/24/2013 1:35:08 AM] Josie: Kalanor: And then I got mad at him, which of course made everything worse. [4/24/2013 1:37:33 AM] Khiro: Khiro nods. "When did you last see him?" [4/24/2013 1:39:37 AM] Josie: Kalanor: That was the last time I saw him. [4/24/2013 1:40:28 AM] Josie: Kalanor: ... he was pretty angry. [4/24/2013 1:40:51 AM] Khiro: How long ago was this? [4/24/2013 1:41:58 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Two or three weeks. [4/24/2013 1:43:22 AM] Khiro: Hmm. So this isn't exactly ancient history. [4/24/2013 1:44:21 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Um. No. Definitely not. [4/24/2013 1:45:33 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Just so you know, I'm not in love with him. We were friends. [4/24/2013 1:46:49 AM] Khiro: I didn't think you'd be naming him as a suspect if you were. [4/24/2013 1:48:19 AM] Josie: Kalanor: If he's a suspect Maya's okay. He'd never hurt her. [4/24/2013 1:49:01 AM] Khiro: I doubt hurting her is the point. [4/24/2013 1:51:05 AM] Josie: Kalanor brightens. "Really?" [4/24/2013 1:52:37 AM] Khiro: ... no. They need her alive. [4/24/2013 1:53:31 AM] Josie: Kalanor: I hope you're right. [4/24/2013 1:56:24 AM] Khiro: Whatever the play is, she's alive. Maybe under some kind of spell, but nothing irreparable. [4/24/2013 1:58:48 AM] Josie: Kalanor: ... thanks. [4/24/2013 2:01:47 AM] Khiro: I mostly mean, if they want her for marriage, they've probably doing something to make her cooperative. [4/24/2013 2:01:57 AM] Khiro: ...but why get you out of the way? [4/24/2013 2:02:14 AM] Josie: Kalanor: I have *no* idea. [4/24/2013 2:02:43 AM] Josie: Kalanor: ... our deal is still on, right? [4/24/2013 2:04:20 AM] Khiro: Khiro nods. "Of course. [4/24/2013 2:06:23 AM] Josie: Kalanor: ... do you want to see what I look like normally? [4/24/2013 2:08:03 AM] Khiro: Sure? [4/24/2013 2:09:31 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Do you care? [4/24/2013 2:10:17 AM] Khiro: I do. [4/24/2013 2:10:26 AM] Khiro: Sorry.  I know it seems like I don't some times. [4/24/2013 2:11:45 AM] Josie: Kalanor: I'm not too good at reading you. [4/24/2013 2:11:55 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Topsiders are hard for me to understand. [4/24/2013 2:13:38 AM] Khiro: I'm hard to read in general.  part of my training. [4/24/2013 2:13:49 AM] Khiro: But yes, I would like to see what you really look like. [4/24/2013 2:16:59 AM] Josie: Kalanor nods. He shimmers a bit--he probably has one of the same ornaments of disguise he gave to you guys--and his appearance turns into that of a Drow woman. She's pretty attractive, built a bit like a runner, just like the male version. The main difference is a softer face and jawline and a smallish bust. [4/24/2013 2:19:17 AM] Josie: The blue eyes are much the same. [4/24/2013 2:23:50 AM] Khiro: Khiro smiles. "You're quite pretty." [4/24/2013 2:24:51 AM] Josie: She smiles a little bit, crookedly, and then the illusion disappears. [4/24/2013 2:25:02 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Thanks. [4/24/2013 2:26:49 AM] Khiro: We'll get you back to normal. [4/24/2013 2:27:37 AM] Josie: Kalanor: I hope so. ... none of my songs sound the same when I sing them. [4/24/2013 2:33:11 AM] Josie: Kalanor: It bothers me. I could transpose them down, but... I know it's not right. [4/24/2013 2:33:49 AM] Khiro: Yeah. I imagine it's the same reason you don't just make yourself look like a woman. It's just... an illusion, you'd know the difference. [4/24/2013 2:35:14 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Yeah. [4/24/2013 2:35:25 AM] Josie: Kalanor: I couldn't make my voice sound right, either. [4/24/2013 2:36:14 AM] Khiro: Khiro nods. [4/24/2013 2:36:15 AM] Khiro: I get it. [4/24/2013 2:37:44 AM] Josie: Kalanor: I'm very attracted to you. ... it's probably the sarcasm. [4/24/2013 2:38:15 AM] Khiro: Well, I do speak it like a second language. [4/24/2013 2:39:46 AM] Josie: Kalanor smiles crookedly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do *anything* about it. Nothing. ... I kind of find myself repulsive right now." [4/24/2013 2:40:09 AM | Edited 2:40:32 AM] Khiro: Well, we'll get you changed back. [4/24/2013 2:42:25 AM] Josie: Kalanor: I hope so. Charafay might be able to find someone, but that's going to come with a big fat price tag attached, like her "favors" always do. [4/24/2013 2:43:46 AM] Khiro: It depends on the magic involved. And how powerful it is. [4/24/2013 2:44:43 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Yeah. [4/24/2013 2:45:11 AM] Khiro: .. if nothing else, I know people back home that could undo it. [4/24/2013 2:45:34 AM] Josie: He perks up a little bit. "Really?" [4/24/2013 2:46:25 AM] Khiro: Well, Solitaire is a Magocracy. Two of my parents are wizards. [4/24/2013 2:48:35 AM] Josie: Kalanor smiles. "... that *is* a relief. If nothing else. If Tae Li decides not to kill me and we get out of here alive." [4/24/2013 2:50:40 AM] Khiro: Khiro smiles back. [4/24/2013 2:52:36 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Well. I need to get some rest? You ... want to trance with me? I *swear* I won't touch you or do anything... anything. [4/24/2013 2:52:43 AM] Josie: His nose wrinkles a little bit. [4/24/2013 2:53:14 AM] Khiro: ... sounds good. [4/24/2013 2:54:44 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Okay. Good. ... good. Where do you want to go? It's damp here, but it's nice, or there are bedrooms. I don't move when I trance so I promise I won't... molest you or anything. [4/24/2013 2:55:16 AM] Khiro: Khiro shrugs. "Well, I've never been here before, so lead on." [4/24/2013 2:58:48 AM] Josie: He nods, stands up, and brings the lute with him, down a couple of hallways. Then he opens a door into a bedroom. There actually is a bed, though it's so full of pillows people probably don't sleep on it lying down. [4/24/2013 3:02:05 AM] Josie: He sets the lute down next to the rest of his stuff, pulls off his shoes and socks, and sits on the bed, pulling a blanket off the back of the headboard. There are several folded up on it, and none on the bed. [4/24/2013 3:03:25 AM] Khiro: Khiro sits down next to him. [4/24/2013 3:05:35 AM] Josie: Kalanor: Are you sure it doesn't make you uncomfortable? [4/24/2013 3:05:53 AM] Josie: Kalanor builds a sort of nest for himself with the blanket. [4/24/2013 3:07:53 AM] Khiro: No, not at all. [4/24/2013 3:08:41 AM] Josie: Kalanor: ... not at all sure or it doesn't make you uncomfortable at all? [4/24/2013 3:09:09 AM] Khiro: It doesn't make me uncomfortable. Dont' worry so much. [4/24/2013 3:10:02 AM] Josie: Kalanor: ... oh, okay. Do you think I could... lean on you a little bit? [4/24/2013 3:11:26 AM] Khiro: That would be okay. [4/24/2013 3:13:47 AM] Josie: Kalanor: ... thanks. [4/24/2013 3:14:50 AM] Josie: He squirms over a little bit, still in his personal nest, and leans back on the bed--and a bit on Khiro, too. [4/24/2013 3:15:29 AM] Khiro: Khiro makes himself comfy. [4/24/2013 3:17:46 AM] Josie: Kal leans in a bit further, and doesn't quite snuggle, but does relax a little bit, and then trances. [4/24/2013 3:19:03 AM] Khiro: Khiro trances afterr, folded in half.