[8/18/2013 1:43:15 AM] Kate: February 1922, Cairo.
[8/18/2013 1:44:19 AM] Kate: Felix is having a torrid affair with his boss, the mysterious Russian Countess Yelena Yusupov. He's supposed to be helping her pack at the moment.
[8/18/2013 1:46:55 AM] Felix: Indeed! I don't know if it's 'torrid' per se.
[8/18/2013 1:47:20 AM] Kate: Maybe just a little bit torrid. She's very cuddly, though.
[8/18/2013 1:48:56 AM] Felix: ...we should probably actually get you packed.
[8/18/2013 1:50:26 AM] Kate: Countess: Must we?
[8/18/2013 1:51:41 AM] Felix: Well, it's your expedition.
[8/18/2013 1:53:38 AM] Kate: She smiles. "It is my expedition, and it will take some time to load everything into the boat. We will not hold up the expedition."
[8/18/2013 1:56:00 AM] Kate: She snuggles close!
[8/18/2013 1:58:10 AM] Felix: He smiles. "Well, all right. Just saying, you don't want to be late to your own expedition. That might be a faux pas."
[8/18/2013 2:00:49 AM] Kate: Countess: I will not be late. We'll pack later.
[8/18/2013 2:02:00 AM] Kate: Countess: I've missed... touch.
[8/18/2013 2:02:24 AM] Felix: I would imagine you've had plenty of suitors lined up.
[8/18/2013 2:03:22 AM] Kate: Countess: All of them want something.
[8/18/2013 2:05:18 AM] Felix: Ahh. I see.
[8/18/2013 2:06:58 AM] Felix: So. Where do you usually call home?
[8/18/2013 2:07:16 AM] Kate: Countess: Everywhere. I travel a great deal. And as far as I can tell, you want nothing.
[8/18/2013 2:08:54 AM] Kate: Countess: I should warn you, I do not love easily.
[8/18/2013 2:12:44 AM] Felix: Neither do I.
[8/18/2013 2:13:52 AM] Kate: Countess: Should I be concerned?
[8/18/2013 2:14:01 AM] Felix: Right now, I'm just enjoying the company of a charming, beautiful woman. Is that so bad?
[8/18/2013 2:14:46 AM] Kate: Countess: If it is *bad*, I am most certainly doing something wrong.
[8/18/2013 2:15:19 AM] Felix: It's not bad at all.
[8/18/2013 2:15:38 AM] Kate: Countess: Excellent.
[8/18/2013 2:18:00 AM] Kate: Countess: I am certain your sister will not approve.
[8/18/2013 2:18:09 AM] Felix: of what?
[8/18/2013 2:19:25 AM] Kate: Countess: Of me, naturally.
[8/18/2013 2:20:05 AM] Felix: Eh. She doesn't seek my approval of her beaus, she really doesn't get to approve or disapprove of mine.
[8/18/2013 2:20:58 AM] Kate: Countess: Indeed. However, I should hate to cause family strife.
[8/18/2013 2:23:16 AM] Felix: I can handle my sister. Well, that's not true, exactly. But I can deal with her when it comes up.
[8/18/2013 2:26:15 AM] Kate: Countess: Mmm. I think I like you.
[8/18/2013 2:27:33 AM] Felix: I should hope so. I tend not to do things like this with people I don't like.
[8/18/2013 2:30:52 AM] Kate: Countess: A mark of character.
[8/18/2013 2:36:19 AM] Felix: Is it? I thought it was just common sense.
[8/18/2013 2:38:02 AM] Kate: Countess: It's not, believe it or not. People can be very foolish.
[8/18/2013 2:38:17 AM] Felix: "Common sense is rarely common."
[8/18/2013 2:38:50 AM] Kate: Countess: You would never believe the number of people who marry for love.
[8/18/2013 2:40:42 AM] Felix: Is it very high or very low?
[8/18/2013 2:42:07 AM] Kate: Countess: High.
[8/18/2013 2:42:12 AM] Kate: Countess: Certainly higher than is wise.
[8/18/2013 2:46:24 AM] Kate: She smiles.
[8/18/2013 2:46:37 AM] Kate: Countess: I wonder who you were in your past lives.
[8/18/2013 2:51:13 AM] Felix: I don't know that I'm terribly curious.
[8/18/2013 2:52:19 AM] Kate: She smiles, slightly. "Perhaps you were a pharaoh."
[8/18/2013 2:53:01 AM] Felix: Well, that just seems like a lot of work.
[8/18/2013 2:53:27 AM] Felix: I prefer to be able to sleep in.
[8/18/2013 2:54:06 AM] Kate: Countess: I hope you don't expect to be sleeping much at all.
[8/18/2013 2:55:04 AM] Felix: Well, some.
[8/18/2013 2:56:42 AM] Kate: Countess: Minimally.
[8/18/2013 3:00:44 AM] Kate: She kisses him on the cheek, finally, and actually *does* get up to start packing.
[8/18/2013 3:01:25 AM] Felix: He smiles, and gets up to help her. ((Fading, I think. Sorry. :( ))
[8/25/2013 11:33:30 PM] Kate: Cairo, February 1922.
[8/25/2013 11:34:06 PM] Kate: After a second liaison with the wicked(?) countess, Felix is off and on his way to the riverboat she's hired for the journey to the old city of Thebes, now surrounded and expanded as the city of Luxor.
[8/25/2013 11:35:30 PM] Kate: Back in the bad old days, a trip from Cairo to Luxor would have taken about 20 days.
[8/25/2013 11:36:10 PM] Kate: Fortunately, with steamships and trains there are more modern options, and the Countess is apparently willing to spend the money for modern convenience--and speed.
[8/25/2013 11:37:54 PM] Kate: When Felix reaches the docks, having gone with the Countess in a very expensive-looking car (which she drove herself), she tells him she has to "make arrangements" and heads off to talk to the crew, or the captain, or something.
[8/25/2013 11:38:35 PM] Kate: The docks are crowded with boxes and luggage being brought aboard the steamer, and there's a wide variety of people too, mostly lifters and carriers, but some watchers and salespeople too, selling beads, cheap jewelry and knockoffs.
[8/25/2013 11:39:05 PM] Felix: Felix looks around!
[8/25/2013 11:39:19 PM] Felix: Felix also looks for familiar faces.
[8/25/2013 11:40:20 PM] Kate: All sorts of salesmen, actually! Nobody familiar.
[8/25/2013 11:40:34 PM] Kate: There is one unusual person on the dock, though--someone who looks completely, totally out of place.
[8/25/2013 11:40:52 PM] Felix: ((Is it a mummy!))
[8/25/2013 11:41:12 PM] Kate: Specifically, it's a young white woman, dressed in a genteel, shabby navy dress and sitting in a chair next to a small pile of suitcases.
[8/25/2013 11:43:03 PM] Kate: She has dark hair neatly pinned back, and looks to be around 16 or 17 years old.
[8/25/2013 11:43:42 PM] Felix: Felix eyes her and shrugs, wandering over!
[8/25/2013 11:44:59 PM] Kate: She looks up at Felix and smiles. "Hello. Are you with the expedition?"
[8/25/2013 11:45:13 PM] Felix: I suppose I am. Are you?
[8/25/2013 11:45:38 PM] Kate: Girl: "I suppose I am. Though not really."
[8/25/2013 11:46:07 PM] Felix: Well, that explains...nothing.
[8/25/2013 11:47:50 PM] Kate: Girl: I'm not, but my brothers are. I'm Ariadne Driscoll.
[8/25/2013 11:48:23 PM] Kate: Girl: My brothers are in charge.
[8/25/2013 11:48:42 PM] Felix: Oh, I see. Felix Cray.
[8/25/2013 11:49:07 PM] Kate: Ariadne: It's nice to meet you. You don't look like an Egyptologist.
[8/25/2013 11:51:16 PM] Felix: I'm not. I'm... well, I suppose I'm security? I'm there in case something goes wrong. And I'm guarding the expedition.
[8/25/2013 11:51:46 PM] Kate: Ariadne: Does it need guarding? Are we going to find diadems and golden bracelets?
[8/25/2013 11:52:37 PM] Felix: You never know.
[8/25/2013 11:53:18 PM] Kate: Ariadne: Paul told me it was going to be mostly broken pots.
[8/25/2013 11:53:53 PM] Felix: Probably. Maybe I'm just there to keep the scorpions away, right?
[8/25/2013 11:54:47 PM] Kate: Ariadne: If there isn't anything with writing on it, I'm going to be so bored.
[8/25/2013 11:55:05 PM] Felix: You a translator?
[8/25/2013 11:56:02 PM] Kate: Ariadne nods. "Of course my brothers can do it too. But I have a better... feeling for it, I think."
[8/25/2013 11:57:39 PM] Felix: How do you mean?
[8/25/2013 11:58:39 PM] Kate: Ariadne: My work comes out a bit better, I think.
[8/25/2013 11:58:48 PM] Kate: Ariadne: More human-sounding.
[8/25/2013 11:59:00 PM] Kate: Ariadne: My brothers used to tease me that it was all the poetry I read, but you know, it *might* be.
[8/26/2013 12:00:33 AM] Felix: So you're less technical about it. Sounds good to me. Makes it ab it more accessible to more folks.
[8/26/2013 12:03:49 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Though I can't imagine most people reading it. It is a pity, though. It's almost like poetry.
[8/26/2013 12:05:47 AM] Kate: Some of the men go over to her stack of boxes, and she nods at them, politely asking them to bring her things to her room in Egyptian-accented Arabic.
[8/26/2013 12:07:44 AM] Kate: They seem surprised she speaks their language, but grab the stuff and start bringing it on board, carefully.
[8/26/2013 12:07:48 AM] Kate: She doesn't stand up.
[8/26/2013 12:07:58 AM] Felix: Felix glances at her legs!
[8/26/2013 12:09:31 AM] Kate: They're there! But she's definitely in a wheelchair.
[8/26/2013 12:10:45 AM] Kate: You can see it now that there aren't boxes on either side of it.
[8/26/2013 12:11:37 AM] Felix: How big is this expedition, anyway?
[8/26/2013 12:11:59 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Rather small, actually.
[8/26/2013 12:12:11 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Thirty men and the archaeological experts.
[8/26/2013 12:12:24 AM] Kate: Ariadne: And some servants of course, to help us set up camp and keep it.
[8/26/2013 12:12:33 AM] Kate: Ariadne: I have a proposition for you.
[8/26/2013 12:12:53 AM] Felix: Felix raises an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
[8/26/2013 12:13:33 AM] Kate: Ariadne: I won't ask about your eye if you won't ask about my legs.
[8/26/2013 12:14:28 AM] Felix: I wasn't planning on it. But you can ask about my eye if you want. You might even get the truth.
[8/26/2013 12:15:13 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Everyone always asks, you *must* get tired of it too.
[8/26/2013 12:16:01 AM] Felix: I used to, now I amuse myself of making up different stories.
[8/26/2013 12:16:38 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... what sort of stories?
[8/26/2013 12:17:40 AM] Felix: Well, the last time someone asked me, I think I managed to include an angry isolated south american tribe and a bear.
[8/26/2013 12:18:22 AM] Kate: Ariadne, thoughtfully: Do you think they would believe that for me?
[8/26/2013 12:18:45 AM] Felix: The point is not that they believe it. The point is that the realize that you really don't want to tell them.
[8/26/2013 12:19:32 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... oh, I see. That's clever.
[8/26/2013 12:21:47 AM] Felix: Like, you could tell them that you were wrestling a jungle snake whose viralent poison left you as you are.
[8/26/2013 12:22:04 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... that's much more interesting than polio.
[8/26/2013 12:23:43 AM] Felix: See? Just be clever with it.
[8/26/2013 12:24:41 AM] Kate: Ariadne: I'm certain I could puzzle it out.
[8/26/2013 12:26:50 AM] Felix: Felix smiles, looking around. "So. You know much about where we're headed?"
[8/26/2013 12:27:54 AM] Kate: Ariadne: South to Luxor. The ancient city of Thebes.
[8/26/2013 12:28:48 AM] Kate: Ariadne: And then to the Valley of Kings, where the great pharaohs were buried. And a lot of other people too, their servants and wives, mainly.
[8/26/2013 12:29:22 AM] Felix: Felix nods. "Tell me about Luxor, I've never been there."
[8/26/2013 12:32:08 AM] Kate: They call it the world's greatest open air museum.
[8/26/2013 12:32:41 AM] Kate: Two temple complexes right inside the city--Karnak and Luxor--and the Valley of Kings *and* the valley of the Queens as well.
[8/26/2013 12:33:44 AM] Kate: It was a city of great wealth, and great beauty. And of course it was the capital until the Late Period.
[8/26/2013 12:33:54 AM] Kate: Ariadne smiles at Felix.
[8/26/2013 12:34:48 AM] Felix: Felix grins. "Well, I'm impressed." He looks around for his sister, maybe!
[8/26/2013 12:35:43 AM] Kate: Ariadne: I hope somebody's willing to carry me around. The chair doesn't fit *anywhere* and I get so tired on the crutch. It's only one leg that's bad really.
[8/26/2013 12:36:14 AM] Kate: Felix hears his sister before he sees her--in the form of shouts, cursing and yells, as well as a loud motorcycle engine.
[8/26/2013 12:36:29 AM] Kate: Then she comes tearing down the road in a motorcycle with a sidecar, wearing a leather helmet and goggles.
[8/26/2013 12:36:40 AM] Kate: Ariadne: What in the world...
[8/26/2013 12:36:57 AM] Felix: That would be my sister, Celestine.
[8/26/2013 12:37:51 AM] Kate: She stops the bike with a screech just in front of Felix and Ariadne and hops off, pushing the goggles up on her face. "Hello! Oh, Felix, I see you've found a friend."
[8/26/2013 12:38:06 AM] Felix: Right, this is Ariadne Driscoll.
[8/26/2013 12:38:34 AM] Kate: Celestine: Oh! Are you related to Paul and David?
[8/26/2013 12:38:47 AM] Kate: Ariadne: They're my brothers.
[8/26/2013 12:39:12 AM] Kate: Celestine: Oh, marvellous! You must know just everything about Egypt, then. Have you been entertaining Felix with tales of derring-do?
[8/26/2013 12:39:21 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... mostly history, I'm afraid.
[8/26/2013 12:39:36 AM] Kate: Celestine: Oh, well, we'll just have to make some of our own.
[8/26/2013 12:39:49 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... derring-do or history?
[8/26/2013 12:39:51 AM] Felix: Felix eyes the motorcycle.
[8/26/2013 12:39:51 AM] Kate: Celestine: Both!
[8/26/2013 12:40:03 AM] Kate: She grins and shakes Ariadne's hand. Ariadne is bemused but shakes back.
[8/26/2013 12:40:42 AM] Kate: Celestine: Isn't she a beaut, Felix? She runs just smooth as silk, too. They're bringing an extra lot of gas for it. Only they call it petrol here, isn't it funny? That's the English for you.
[8/26/2013 12:41:29 AM] Felix: ... I'll stick to a horse, thanks. Motorcycles dont' care if they crash.
[8/26/2013 12:42:29 AM] Kate: Celestine: Well who said anything about crashing? I'm not going to crash. I hardly hit anything on the way here.
[8/26/2013 12:45:25 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... hardly anything?
[8/26/2013 12:45:31 AM] Kate: Celestine: Well nothing important.
[8/26/2013 12:45:51 AM] Kate: She grins toothily. She's getting a lot of stares from the men on the docks. Probably only partly due to the entrance.
[8/26/2013 12:46:44 AM] Kate: Ariadne: I don't remember my brothers mentioning you were coming along, Miss Cray.
[8/26/2013 12:46:53 AM] Kate: Celestine: Oh, well, I only just joined up. For the adventure of it, you know.
[8/26/2013 12:47:17 AM] Kate: Ariadne looks doubtful. "... really, it's more digging and cataloguing than anything."
[8/26/2013 12:48:40 AM] Kate: Celestine: Then we shall just have to *make* our own adventure. Won't we, Felix?
[8/26/2013 12:49:22 AM] Felix: I wouldn't mind being bored myself, thanks. But tramping around old tombs does sound pretty interesting.
[8/26/2013 12:50:00 AM] Kate: Celestine: From the looks the Countess was giving you last night I doubt you'l lbe bored for *very* long. Isn't she awfully old for you?
[8/26/2013 12:50:47 AM] Felix: She's maybe a couple of years older. If that. It's impolite to ask. And you're my sister, not mom.
[8/26/2013 12:51:36 AM] Kate: Celestine: Oh, you're so defensive! I *am* barking up the right tree.
[8/26/2013 12:52:43 AM] Felix: Felix rolls his eyes.
[8/26/2013 12:52:53 AM] Kate: ((Well, one of them, anyway!))
[8/26/2013 12:53:16 AM] Kate: Ariadne: She might be old but she's very kind. She's paying my brothers and allowing me to come along, you know.
[8/26/2013 12:54:19 AM] Felix: ((I didn't think she was that much older than Felix?))
[8/26/2013 12:54:43 AM] Kate: ((She's about his age, maybe a few years older. Maybe. It's hard to tell with that type.))
[8/26/2013 12:55:05 AM] Felix: ((Right, that's what I thought.))
[8/26/2013 12:55:09 AM] Kate: Celestine: I hear when her husband died her hair went quite gold with grief.
[8/26/2013 12:56:28 AM] Kate: Ariadne: That's from "The Importance of Being Earnest."
[8/26/2013 12:56:47 AM] Kate: Celestine: Oh very well, you've caught me out. I adore the countess and she's not really a bit older than Felix really, I think.
[8/26/2013 12:57:35 AM] Kate: Celestine: Women can be such cats, but really, in Lena's case I can't say I mean it at all. She's a lot of fun and she doesn't mind a bit if you're not dull.
[8/26/2013 1:00:51 AM] Felix: Felix chuckles. "So. how long have you known how to drive a motorcycle?"
[8/26/2013 1:01:30 AM] Kate: Celestine: Oh, since this morning at least. Freddie Arbuthnot took me out on one a lot, though.
[8/26/2013 1:02:12 AM] Kate: Ariadne: I wish I could learn.
[8/26/2013 1:03:11 AM] Kate: Celestine: ...well I don't see why you can't, at least with the sidecar attached. That will mean you don't have to use *both* legs, right? I'm sure we could rig *something* up.
[8/26/2013 1:04:26 AM] Felix: Felix smiles, checking the time!
[8/26/2013 1:05:01 AM] Kate: The pile of boxes on the pier is pretty small by this point, and the Countess comes wandering over, smiling slightly.
[8/26/2013 1:05:44 AM] Kate: Countess: Everything is arranged, I believe, and we can go aboard. This is Miss Driscoll, yes? I have heard so much about you.
[8/26/2013 1:06:09 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... yes, I am, but I'm afraid I don't have the least idea who you are.
[8/26/2013 1:11:51 AM] Kate: ((*poke? I'm already talking to myself way too much here, but.))
[8/26/2013 1:12:55 AM] Felix: ((Sorry, baffroom.))
[8/26/2013 1:13:09 AM] Kate: ((You gotta warn me!))
[8/26/2013 1:13:32 AM] Felix: ((Sorry! It was kinda unexpected while I was getting something to drink.))
[8/26/2013 1:14:23 AM] Felix: Everyone else here, then?
[8/26/2013 1:16:48 AM] Kate: Countess: Yes, I believe so.
[8/26/2013 1:17:05 AM] Kate: Countess: I am the Countess Yelena Yusupov, Miss Driscoll.
[8/26/2013 1:17:11 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... you are? But...
[8/26/2013 1:17:49 AM] Kate: The countess raises her eyebrows.
[8/26/2013 1:18:08 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... nevermind, I'd just thought you'd be... different-looking.
[8/26/2013 1:18:41 AM] Kate: Countess: I suppose I am not what one might expect. Now, how are we to get you aboard, Miss Driscoll? I do not think your chair will go up the ramp safely.
[8/26/2013 1:18:57 AM] Kate: Celestine: Shall I start shouting at people until they work out what I want?
[8/26/2013 1:19:58 AM] Felix: I can help miss Driscoll up the ramp, if she wants.
[8/26/2013 1:20:16 AM] Kate: Ariadne: I would greatly appreciate that.
[8/26/2013 1:20:43 AM] Kate: Celestine: And then somebody could just grab the chair. It's terribly clever. I suppose the motorcycle might be a little tricky as well.
[8/26/2013 1:20:54 AM] Kate: The countess looks at the bike. "... it will be managed."
[8/26/2013 1:21:17 AM] Felix: Felix carefully picks up Ariadne!
[8/26/2013 1:23:14 AM] Kate: Ariadne resists.
[8/26/2013 1:23:34 AM] Kate: Ariadne: No, no, not like that. Here, just give me your arm. I can walk myself a little bit...
[8/26/2013 1:23:50 AM] Felix: Felix nods. "Okay sorry. I've not done this before."
[8/26/2013 1:24:28 AM] Kate: Ariadne: No, it's all right. I have a brace that I practice with, with that and a cane I can walk, nearly. It's just that I get tired quickly and have to use the chair.
[8/26/2013 1:25:12 AM] Felix: Well, we can't have you getting exhausted before we even get tehre.
[8/26/2013 1:25:33 AM] Kate: Ariadne: I can sit on the ship! Here, give me your arm.
[8/26/2013 1:25:47 AM] Felix: Felix gives it over!
[8/26/2013 1:28:04 AM] Kate: She uses it to hoist herself up off her chair, and she wobbles a bit once she's standing, and leans on Felix a bit.
[8/26/2013 1:28:23 AM] Kate: How good is Felix at telling what people around him think?
[8/26/2013 1:30:24 AM] Felix: ((I'd say he's pretty perceptive. More perceptive than most people think he is.))
[8/26/2013 1:32:06 AM] Kate: Hmm. Roll a D10!
[8/26/2013 1:32:11 AM] Felix: ((Which has probably suited him very well at cards.))
[8/26/2013 1:32:16 AM] Felix: ((9!))
[8/26/2013 1:35:51 AM] Kate: Not only can he tell that Celestine thinks Ariadne has a big fat crush on Felix, but he can *also* tell that Ariadne is actually quite focused on getting her leg to cooperate, and her leaning on Felix looks a lot lighter than it actually is.
[8/26/2013 1:37:23 AM] Felix: He helps her as well as he can!
[8/26/2013 1:38:42 AM] Kate: He can tell by the weight she's putting on him that one of her feet is pretty much entirely paralyzed.
[8/26/2013 1:39:09 AM] Kate: But with Felix's help, she manages to get up the boatramp, and then back down on the other side.
[8/26/2013 1:39:29 AM] Kate: Celestine darts along after them like a whirligig, and leaps off the ramp on the other side.
[8/26/2013 1:40:00 AM] Kate: The Countess is a lot less obtrusive, and somehow manages to go up and down the ramp without looking like she's on a ramp at all.
[8/26/2013 1:42:39 AM] Felix: He helps Ariadne up the ramp, setting her down when she's ready. ((How big is the boat?))
[8/26/2013 1:42:46 AM] Kate: Once you're on board, you can hear the brothers Driscoll arguing, and two sailors wrestle the chair up the ramp with some difficulty. It's quite heavy, apparently.
[8/26/2013 1:43:06 AM | Edited 1:43:17 AM] Kate: It's a biggish boat! Most of your men are already at the dig site, apparently, so it's largely the archaelogists who are onboard, plus the sailors.
[8/26/2013 1:43:34 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... I hope the doorways are big enough for this chair.
[8/26/2013 1:44:13 AM] Kate: Countess: If they are not, we will have them reconfigured.
[8/26/2013 1:44:23 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Oh please, don't go to that kind of trouble. There's no need.
[8/26/2013 1:45:15 AM] Kate: The Countess shrugs. "It is my boat. I will have it the way I wish it."
[8/26/2013 1:45:34 AM] Kate: She nods to all of you and strides off.
[8/26/2013 1:45:53 AM] Felix: ((What kind of chair is it? Is it one of the old wooden ones?))
[8/26/2013 1:45:56 AM] Kate: Celestine: ... well she's just like a pharaoh herself, isn't she. Just as imperious. Russian princesses.
[8/26/2013 1:46:33 AM] Kate: Yep.
[8/26/2013 1:46:39 AM] Kate: Probably weighs half a ton.
[8/26/2013 1:48:22 AM] Felix: Well, a countess, anyway.
[8/26/2013 1:48:43 AM] Felix: So what's the deal, do we all have rooms?
[8/26/2013 1:48:51 AM] Kate: Celestine: That's just by marriage, she's a princess by *blood.*
[8/26/2013 1:49:25 AM] Kate: Celestine: Yes. Of course the Driscolls are sharing.
[8/26/2013 1:49:30 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... not me, I think.
[8/26/2013 1:49:37 AM] Kate: Celestine: Well, no, I meant your brothers.
[8/26/2013 1:51:31 AM] Kate: Ariadne: I don't think I could stand being in the same room with them both for a week. They *always* fight.
[8/26/2013 1:51:33 AM] Kate: She makes a face.
[8/26/2013 1:51:54 AM] Kate: Celestine: Do they? It's so funny, it's almost like a stage play or something. How do they keep having things to disagree about after so long?
[8/26/2013 1:51:59 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Well...
[8/26/2013 1:52:35 AM] Felix: We never fought like that, did we?
[8/26/2013 1:52:52 AM] Kate: Celestine: *Never.*
[8/26/2013 1:52:55 AM] Felix: I mostly fought with dad.
[8/26/2013 1:53:20 AM] Kate: Celestine: Everybody fought with dad. Well, not really. I just listen and nod and smile and then go off and do whatever I was going to do anyway. It saves a lot of time.
[8/26/2013 1:53:35 AM] Kate: Ariadne: David just likes to argue, really. He'll argue with anybody over everything.
[8/26/2013 1:53:37 AM] Felix: Damn, why didn't I ever think of that.
[8/26/2013 1:54:03 AM] Kate: Celestine grins. "I don't know. It's like you rise to the occasion every time he baits you. You *know* he's baiting you, don't you?"
[8/26/2013 1:54:25 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... and if you start agreeing with him, he'll change his mind.
[8/26/2013 1:55:03 AM] Felix: Not really, I tried that, too.
[8/26/2013 1:55:20 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Well, it works on my brother.
[8/26/2013 1:55:57 AM] Kate: Celestine: Father is much cleverer than he seems, Felix. He likes making you react, that's all.
[8/26/2013 1:56:48 AM] Felix: Never said he wasn't smart, Cel. Mom always said we didn't get along because we're too much alike.
[8/26/2013 1:57:32 AM] Kate: Celestine: Yes, but you've never stopped me once from doing whatever I like.
[8/26/2013 1:57:56 AM] Felix: Neither did he.
[8/26/2013 1:58:14 AM] Kate: Celestine: Well no, but he did *try.*
[8/26/2013 1:58:21 AM] Kate: Ariadne smiles. "What about your mother?"
[8/26/2013 1:59:56 AM] Felix: ((Good question! What about their mother?))
[8/26/2013 2:01:03 AM] Kate: ((I don't know! Make it up. She could even be dead!))
[8/26/2013 2:02:47 AM] Felix: She's smart. And patient. She'd have to be to deal with all of us.
[8/26/2013 2:03:27 AM] Kate: Celestine: Mama's very clever. Mostly she outsmarts us by getting us to say something before we know it's her idea.
[8/26/2013 2:05:20 AM] Felix: Pretty much. She's crafty.
[8/26/2013 2:06:16 AM] Kate: Ariadne smiles. "She sounds kind."
[8/26/2013 2:06:23 AM] Felix: ((stoooomaaaaaach. brb.))
[8/26/2013 2:06:55 AM] Kate: Celestine: We-ell. She *is*, but she's actually much harder to get around than father is. Absolutely implacable in her own way.
[8/26/2013 2:07:43 AM] Felix: But she was always willing to let us go our own way and make our own mistakes.
[8/26/2013 2:09:28 AM] Kate: Celestine: Well I *never* make mistakes. Do you?
[8/26/2013 2:09:49 AM] Felix: Constantly.
[8/26/2013 2:10:09 AM] Felix: 'sure, I'll play darts with that blind guy'.
[8/26/2013 2:10:13 AM] Felix: Felix points at his eye.
[8/26/2013 2:10:59 AM] Kate: Ariadne giggles.
[8/26/2013 2:11:13 AM] Kate: Celestine: Well you *do* seem awfully interested in that Russian...
[8/26/2013 2:12:06 AM] Felix: Are you saying that's a mistake?
[8/26/2013 2:13:36 AM] Kate: Celestine: Well, *no.* I just didn't think she was your type.
[8/26/2013 2:13:41 AM] Kate: Ariadne: What *is* his type?
[8/26/2013 2:14:40 AM] Felix: Yeah, what *is* my type, Cel?
[8/26/2013 2:14:58 AM] Kate: Celestine: I don't *know.*
[8/26/2013 2:15:32 AM] Kate: Celestine: But I'm positive she's never drunk anyone under the table, or punched anyone in the face, or climbed a mountain.
[8/26/2013 2:16:18 AM] Felix: Well... you got me there, those are all things I find attractive.
[8/26/2013 2:16:50 AM] Kate: Celestine: She probably hasn't ever shot anyone or escaped a burning building, or stood on the wing of a plane.
[8/26/2013 2:17:13 AM] Felix: Those things all sound more exciting than they are.
[8/26/2013 2:17:44 AM] Kate: Celestine: Well I've done *some* of them.
[8/26/2013 2:18:10 AM] Felix: When did you shoot someone?
[8/26/2013 2:18:20 AM] Kate: Celestine: Not that one.
[8/26/2013 2:18:37 AM] Kate: Celestine: I punched someone, though. *And* stood on the wing of a plane in flight.
[8/26/2013 2:19:52 AM] Felix: Who did you punch?
[8/26/2013 2:20:55 AM] Kate: Celestine: Oh, just a boy who was getting fresh with me. The funniest thing, he was the one who taught me that punch. *You* didn't think I was strong enough.
[8/26/2013 2:21:41 AM] Felix: Not when you were eleven, no. And I've learned that fighting isn't all about strength since then.
[8/26/2013 2:22:28 AM] Kate: Celestine: It was so sad, I knocked his tooth out.
[8/26/2013 2:22:33 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... could you teach me to do that?
[8/26/2013 2:23:23 AM] Kate: Celestine laughs. "Oh, I think I'll let Felix do that. He knows *all* about things like that."
[8/26/2013 2:25:12 AM] Felix: Oh, I can teach you some stuff.
[8/26/2013 2:25:30 AM] Kate: Ariadne: I'm much stronger than I look, honestly.
[8/26/2013 2:26:56 AM] Felix: I can tell you are. I could tell when I helped you up the ramp. And turning those wheels on your chair will build up a lot of muscle.
[8/26/2013 2:28:09 AM] Kate: Ariadne: It does. I can't wear short sleeves anymore, they're all bulgy. Ladies aren't supposed to have muscles.
[8/26/2013 2:28:23 AM] Felix: Says who?
[8/26/2013 2:28:24 AM] Kate: Celestine: Hang that, ladies can do anything they want. Don't let anybody tell you differently.
[8/26/2013 2:28:54 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... well, David does. And I'm sure Paul wouldn't approve either...
[8/26/2013 2:29:12 AM] Kate: Celestine: I'll just go and talk to them about it, then!
[8/26/2013 2:29:27 AM] Felix: Well, no, Paul would disagree with your brother on principle, wouldn't he?
[8/26/2013 2:30:00 AM] Kate: Ariadne: David would. Oh, dear, no, you don't have to do that...
[8/26/2013 2:30:13 AM] Kate: But it's too late. Celestine is already headed into where the argument is coming from, inside the boat.
[8/26/2013 2:30:27 AM] Felix: Too late, she got it into her head.
[8/26/2013 2:31:47 AM] Kate: The argument goes quiet. Ariadne winces.
[8/26/2013 2:31:57 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... She's kind of amazing, isn't she?
[8/26/2013 2:32:21 AM] Felix: She's a force of nature, pretty much.
[8/26/2013 2:34:26 AM] Kate: There's some shouting, and the sound of a glass breaking.
[8/26/2013 2:34:45 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Does she really get her way like she says?
[8/26/2013 2:35:59 AM] Felix: She usually manages one way or another.
[8/26/2013 2:38:18 AM] Felix: Before a couple days ago, I hadn't seen her in a few years.
[8/26/2013 2:38:22 AM] Kate: There's a bit more muffled shouting.
[8/26/2013 2:38:38 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Oh. I... think you're a lot alike, aren't you?
[8/26/2013 2:39:54 AM] Felix: I like to think so. We're both strong-minded and stubborn.
[8/26/2013 2:40:55 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Would you really teach me?
[8/26/2013 2:41:10 AM] Felix: Why wouldn't I? You're a smart, tough girl.
[8/26/2013 2:42:12 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... good. And how do *you* know I'm tough?
[8/26/2013 2:42:41 AM] Felix: ... you have one good leg and you're going into the desert to dig up shards.
[8/26/2013 2:43:22 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Well, I'm not going to be doing the digging. The men do most of that. And then when they find things my brothers will do it.
[8/26/2013 2:44:00 AM] Felix: Still, the desert is not a comfortable place. And you know that.
[8/26/2013 2:45:57 AM] Kate: Ariadne shrugs. "It's supposed to be good for the health. I don't actually *believe* that. I've never noticed any difference, and I've been here before."
[8/26/2013 2:47:33 AM] Felix: Anyway, I'll teach you how to fight.
[8/26/2013 2:47:54 AM] Kate: Celestine returns, brushing off her hands. "There. It's all settled."
[8/26/2013 2:48:10 AM] Felix: What did you break?
[8/26/2013 2:48:29 AM] Kate: Celestine: Me? Nothing. David sputtered a bit and knocked something off the table.
[8/26/2013 2:48:43 AM] Kate: Celestine: And then I told Paul that if he wouldn't allow it, I would punch him in the face.
[8/26/2013 2:48:57 AM] Felix: Oh, right, David has a crush on you.
[8/26/2013 2:49:28 AM] Kate: Celestine: Oh, no! You've got them mixed up. I'm *quite* sure Paul does.
[8/26/2013 2:49:55 AM] Felix: ((Sorry, forgot which one was which!))
[8/26/2013 2:51:06 AM] Kate: Celestine: Anyway, of course Paul couldn't let me get away with that, so it's settled. Felix will teach you self-defense.
[8/26/2013 2:51:15 AM] Kate: She looks almost as smug as a Funky Winkerbean character.
[8/26/2013 2:52:01 AM] Kate: Ariadne beams. "You're wonderful. Thank you, Miss Cray."
[8/26/2013 2:52:23 AM] Kate: Celestine: Just Celestine! Miss Cray sounds like somebody boring. Probably with pince-nez and a squeaky voice.
[8/26/2013 2:54:42 AM] Felix: And I'm Felix, just Felix.
[8/26/2013 2:56:02 AM] Kate: Ariadne: Then you can call me Ariadne, too.
[8/26/2013 2:56:24 AM] Kate: Celestine yawns. "And now I'm going to find my room. It's almost time for lunch and I want to make sure everything is where I want it to be."
[8/26/2013 2:56:29 AM] Kate: Ariadne: ... I should too, probably.
[8/26/2013 2:58:07 AM] Felix: Good idea.
[8/26/2013 2:59:34 AM] Kate: Ariadne wheels her chair around the ship carefully; there's a lot of obstacles on the ground, but she's pretty deft at navigation. Celestine heads off too.
[8/26/2013 2:59:38 AM] Kate: What's Felix do next?
[8/26/2013 2:59:50 AM] Felix: He's going to see if he can't find a room!
[8/26/2013 3:00:56 AM] Kate: ((Will Smith and his family watch Miley Cyrus's performance at the VMAs: http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ok4KGrb8.Y2_L5B4iPKeMA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTM1NDtweW9mZj0wO3E9ODU7c209MTt3PTYzMA--/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/music/2013-08-25/58712c74-cf15-4e8b-a64c-7c4a3afb8db8_tumblr_ms4a16ZNmJ1r27kz7o3_1280.jpg ))
[8/26/2013 3:01:21 AM] Kate: ((I don't know why, but I find that image hilaaaaaaarious.))
[8/26/2013 3:01:45 AM] Kate: Felix finds an empty room with his name on a piece of paper on the door.
[8/26/2013 3:02:07 AM] Felix: Okay then! He goes in. ((Haaah. I wonder what they were watching.))
[8/26/2013 3:02:22 AM] Kate: ((Miley! Presumably they could hear her tonedeafedly sing.))
[8/26/2013 3:02:42 AM] Kate: ((Apparently she was also very obscene: http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/gaga-who--miley-cyrus-snatches-crown-for-queen-of-obscene-at-vmas-014117285.html ))
[8/26/2013 3:03:41 AM] Kate: It's a nice little room. Tiny, as rooms on ships are!
[8/26/2013 3:03:58 AM] Kate: There is one interesting feature, though--it has two doors.
[8/26/2013 3:04:28 AM] Kate: One door to the outside, and one door to...?
[8/26/2013 3:05:24 AM] Felix: Felix will check it!
[8/26/2013 3:06:45 AM] Kate: The door does have a lock, on his side. He unlocks it and finds it leads to... another bedroom.
[8/26/2013 3:07:06 AM] Kate: This one's a little bit nicer. The Countess is sitting there at a mirror, brushing her hair.
[8/26/2013 3:08:57 AM] Felix: ((And god, is Robin Thicke the douchiest douche ever? He just radiates this aura of sleaze that is perceptible through video and photos.))
[8/26/2013 3:09:38 AM] Felix: Felix clears his throat politely. "Didn't mean to interrupt, just seeing where this other door led."
[8/26/2013 3:11:12 AM] Kate: ((He really seems that way, doesn't he.))
[8/26/2013 3:11:27 AM] Kate: Countess: I hope you don't object.
[8/26/2013 3:11:35 AM] Felix: Of course not.
[8/26/2013 3:11:36 AM] Kate: She looks at his reflection in the mirror.
[8/26/2013 3:11:59 AM] Felix: ((Is her reflection a Salt Monster?))
[8/26/2013 3:12:23 AM] Kate: Nope!
[8/26/2013 3:12:33 AM] Kate: Just a pretty blonde woman brushing her hair.
[8/26/2013 3:13:20 AM] Felix: ((Hmmmmm.))
[8/26/2013 3:15:13 AM] Kate: Countess: Both of us can lock the door if we wish. So I did not think it too great a liberty.
[8/26/2013 3:15:43 AM] Felix: I don't mind at all, really.
[8/26/2013 3:16:04 AM] Felix: Felix smiles. "Last time I was on a boat like this I shared a room this size with three other men.
[8/26/2013 3:17:33 AM] Kate: Countess: I think that would be too many men.
[8/26/2013 3:17:54 AM] Kate: She smiles a little bit.
[8/26/2013 3:17:57 AM] Felix: It did not smell great.
[8/26/2013 3:21:50 AM] Kate: Countess: And how do I smell?
[8/26/2013 3:21:59 AM] Felix: Very good.
[8/26/2013 3:22:27 AM] Kate: Countess: Probably better than four men trapped in a small room without proper amenities.
[8/26/2013 3:22:35 AM] Kate: She sets her brush down and stands up.
[8/26/2013 3:23:34 AM] Felix: Much. So I think I can handle having our rooms connected.
[8/26/2013 3:24:48 AM] Kate: Countess: Excellent. Shall we go in to lunch together or separately?
[8/26/2013 3:26:47 AM] Felix: Does it matter? My sister knows about us.
[8/26/2013 3:30:18 AM] Kate: Countess: Does it matter to you?
[8/26/2013 3:31:18 AM] Felix: I don't feel the need to hide what's going on between us.
[8/26/2013 3:31:52 AM] Kate: Countess: Then let's go to lunch.
[8/26/2013 3:33:17 AM] Kate: There's an odd clanking noise and a slight jerk, and the boat is on its way.
[8/26/2013 3:34:23 AM] Felix: Felix smiles.
[8/26/2013 3:35:45 AM] Kate: First, though, she kisses him.
[8/26/2013 3:37:52 AM] Felix: He kisses her back! (SALT VAMPIRE. ))
[8/26/2013 3:38:32 AM] Kate: He doesn't die!
[8/26/2013 3:38:42 AM] Kate: Roll a d10!
[8/26/2013 3:39:04 AM] Felix: ((8!))
[8/26/2013 3:40:36 AM] Kate: Felix does experience an odd moment of vertigo, though, as if he's kissing someone *entirely different.*
[8/26/2013 3:41:08 AM] Felix: Felix stops and pulls away, reflexively.
[8/26/2013 3:42:13 AM] Kate: She blinks at him. "... is something wrong?"
[8/26/2013 3:44:59 AM] Felix: Did you feel that? I felt.. .well, vertigo.
[8/26/2013 3:45:34 AM] Kate: She frowns. "... perhaps you ought to lie down."
[8/26/2013 3:46:42 AM] Felix: Nah, I'm fine, it passed. But you didn't feel anything odd just then?
[8/26/2013 3:46:47 AM] Felix: ((MY SALT!))
[8/26/2013 3:46:59 AM] Kate: ((GONE!))
[8/26/2013 3:47:06 AM] Kate: ((... wait, you didn't have any salt.))
[8/26/2013 3:47:45 AM] Kate: Countess: No. ... I would suggest that you try it again, but you may believe I mean that frivolously.
[8/26/2013 3:48:02 AM] Felix: He tries it! He kisses her again.
[8/26/2013 3:49:15 AM] Kate: She kisses him back!
[8/26/2013 3:51:04 AM] Kate: This time the dizziness passes more quickly, and he's kissing a much smaller woman, with darker skin and very dark hair with something gold in it... then the dizziness again, and then the Countess is staring at him with a critical eye.
[8/26/2013 3:51:38 AM] Felix: ((Did she look... egyptian?))
[8/26/2013 3:52:39 AM] Kate: Possible! It was really only a momentary flash, though.
[8/26/2013 3:56:41 AM] Felix: ...did you feel anything that time?
[8/26/2013 3:57:14 AM] Kate: She raises one eyebrow. "... beyond what I usually feel when you kiss me, you mean?"
[8/26/2013 4:00:09 AM] Felix: Well, yes. Because... well.. it's like I wasn't kissing you, I was kissing someone else. I don't know how to describe it.
[8/26/2013 4:00:47 AM] Kate: Countess: ... I don't know how to reply to that.
[8/26/2013 4:01:41 AM] Kate: Countess: I must take you literally, I think, yes?
[8/26/2013 4:01:57 AM] Felix: ... as mad as it sounds, yes.
[8/26/2013 4:02:02 AM | Edited 4:02:08 AM] Felix: ...so, past lives, you say?
[8/26/2013 4:03:27 AM] Kate: Countess: ... let me try it again?
[8/26/2013 4:03:50 AM] Felix: He kisses her again!
[8/26/2013 4:04:55 AM] Kate: She kisses him back!
[8/26/2013 4:06:22 AM] Kate: ... it happens again. He doesn't get any better of a look at the girl, really, but he does notice for the first time a heavy, spiced scent of some kind. And she's wearing heavy gold earrings. Then he snaps back to the present.
[8/26/2013 4:07:18 AM] Felix: ..... that is really odd.
[8/26/2013 4:08:08 AM] Kate: She blinks, twice, and sits down. "... I felt dizzy for a moment, but it has passed. Nothing else."
[8/26/2013 4:09:38 AM] Felix: You felt it?
[8/26/2013 4:09:50 AM] Kate: Countess: Just dizziness. Nothing else.
[8/26/2013 4:11:15 AM | Edited 4:11:24 AM] Felix: That's all I felt at first.
[8/26/2013 4:13:33 AM] Kate: Countess: What do you suggest we do?
[8/26/2013 4:14:34 AM] Felix: I... don't know. Maybe I'm just going crazy.
[8/26/2013 4:16:10 AM] Kate: Countess: If you were just going crazy, I would not have felt dizzy.
[8/26/2013 4:16:52 AM] Felix: Well... that's true. But why now? We've kissed before now.
[8/26/2013 4:18:11 AM] Kate: Countess: I don't know.
[8/26/2013 4:21:27 AM] Kate: Countess: ... do you want to stay here, or go to lunch?
[8/26/2013 4:21:38 AM] Felix: ...let's go to lunch.
[8/26/2013 4:21:42 AM] Felix: Felix smiles, faintly.
[8/26/2013 4:21:50 AM] Felix: I'm hungry.
[8/26/2013 4:22:05 AM] Felix: And us sitting here fretting about it won't solve it.
[8/26/2013 4:22:48 AM] Kate: Countess: Very well.
[8/26/2013 4:22:57 AM] Kate: She stands up again, and kisses him on the cheek, very lightly.
[8/26/2013 4:23:01 AM] Kate: No weirdness ensues.
[8/26/2013 4:24:43 AM] Felix: ((Salt Wampeer!))
[8/26/2013 4:26:05 AM] Kate: ((Indeeeeeeeed.))
[8/26/2013 4:26:12 AM] Kate: And they go to lunch, and there we stop.