The Princess's Lover

Log Info

• Title: The Princess's Lover

• Emitter: Ravenstongue

• Characters: Aryia, Ravenstongue, Telamon

• Place: Ravenstongue and Telamon's house

• Summary: It's cold. Super cold. Ravenstongue and Telamon are in their PJs reading very different things (adult fiction for RT and star maps and notes for Telamon). Ravenstongue abandons her spicy tome to help Telamon and they talk through a potential 'lucid dreaming' ritual to reach the entity in Telamon's dreams. Aryia drops by with wine and cookies, and Pothy decides to bury the hatchet. They are now best friends (as far as Pothy's concerned). Finally, Telamon learns about the Crimson Pen.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- Dramatis Personae =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- 
Aryia                4'8"     110 Lb     Shadow Elf        Female    A heavily scarred mul with a resolved look about her.                      
Ravenstongue         5'0"     99 Lb      Half-Elf          Female    Short half-elf girl with violet eyes and black hair.                       
Telamon              5'6"     140 Lb     Half-Elf          Male      A platinum-blond half-sil man with dancing dark eyes                      
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The cold is back and worse than ever, as though to remind people that winter hasn't quite left yet. Ravenstongue is bundled up today on the couch with a blue blanket wrapped around her and with a novel she purchased in her hands. She's wearing her fuzzy slippers and a set of very warm wool pajamas. The house is warm, but on a day like today, you don't want to be colder than you have to be, so Ravenstongue's decided. There's dark circles under her eyes, but she's smiling--presumably from the content of the book she's reading.

Pothy has no concern for the cold, as his feathers keep him cozy and warm at any given moment. He's picking shelled peanuts out of a bowl, happily snacking away.

Telamon sits at the table, collating notes from the library. "I think I've been going about this all wrong," he says aloud. Looking up, the circles under his eyes are less pronounced, but he still seems troubled. His gaze rests on Raven, and his expression softens instantly. "What're you reading?" he inquires. Clad in a deep blue dressing robe over his own woolen pajamas, and a pair of slightly battered but hilarious-looking slippers crafted to look like bears, he definitely does not look like a brave adventurer.

"It's a novel I picked up the other day," Ravenstongue says. "It's about an elf princess and the man that saved her life. I actually read it when I was about fourteen. But apparently, I either didn't remember what the book was about, or I just didn't get some things at the time, because it's a bit..."

She blushes a little and closes the book. "It's a bit graphic."

Ravenstongue sets it down onto the table and sets the blanket down on the couch, walking over to Telamon to peer at his notes. "I'm sure you'd probably prefer to read the novel than your notes. Take a break," she says, smiling at him as she puts her hand on his shoulder.

The notes are a mess of reference data, arrows, and information on various entities. "Probably." He rubs his eyes. "Alright, so... I made a mistake. Do you remember when we were treading on the border of Quelynos, and I talked about 'dream logic'? How things might not be as they would seem?"

He flips a couple pages over. "Here's the problem. Whatever the Watcher is, it doesn't have to be that humanoid shape. Dream logic; not everything is as it seems." He reaches out to slide his arm around Raven's waist, hugging her to him. "But, I think I might have an idea."

"Well, that makes sense," Ravenstongue says, looking at the notes with a careful eye as Telamon talks. "I don't know if it's a creature that conforms to our sense of logic, just like the fey don't."

She looks at Telamon and smiles from the hug, draping her arm down onto his shoulder. "What's the idea?" she asks.

Pothy looks up from his bowl of peanuts and whistles something to Ravenstongue. Raven rolls her eyes. "Don't call us illogical too, Pothy. We're in love!" she protests.

Another whistle.

"Okay, I suppose you have me there. Little butthead," Ravenstongue sticks her tongue out at Pothy.

Telamon stretches his arms out, before continuing, "Dreams are normally uncontrolled. However, if the dreamer is lucid, they can affect the dream. Filter it, maybe, or meet the visitor half way." He looks up at Raven, and gives her a wry smile. "It might also affect my nightmares. And I don't know how, either. My hope is that if I can parry away the nightmares, and... jump, for lack of a better term, to meet the Watcher I might be able to learn more."

He sighs. "And whatever I can bring back, I might be able to use to help you, and Randolf, and everyone else suffering from these nightmares."

"I've read a little about lucid dreaming before," Ravenstongue replies, looking even more thoughtful now. She breaks away from Tel for a moment to bring her own chair over, sliding it next to his so that she can sit down and snuggle into his shoulder. "That's something that... Well, it could work, I think, but you'd probably have to be careful. Maybe set up some sort of spell of protection before we sleep."

She'd still not asked him to return to his own bed since that night. She gets a smile on her face as the topic turns. "Speaking of which, you don't mind we've been doing that, right?" she asks. "I just want to make sure you're comfortable. It's been helping me--that and Grandfather's tea blend. Not a dreamless sleep, but it's a bit more comfortable. The nightmares don't bother me as much."

Telamon laughs softly. "Love, I think having you near has been keeping me sane. The dreams for me haven't been so much horrific as surreal and confusing." His arm around her, holding her to him. "But waking up with you? Now that's something I'm definitely getting used to. A stabilizing influence, if you like."

He grins, and brushes back a lock of her hair. "Don't worry, I don't plan to rush into this willy-nilly. I think I have some ideas to keep any serious danger at bay... some of which I'm lifting wholesale from the ritual we used to call up your Grandfather, to boot."

"It's nice to have an anchor in the morning," Ravenstongue says, smiling as she nuzzles against him, her raven black hair shifting against his platinum blond. "I admit, I didn't think we'd start sharing a bed because of... Well, me staring down the Tyrant. Or that it'd start affecting everyone else, too."

She looks briefly back at his notes. "Salt circle around the bed, then? The tree cuttings might not be as helpful, or the flowers. Those are specifically for the fey. Perhaps you'll want to lucid dream the bells into being... There are ways you could go about it."

She pauses for a moment. "I wonder if there's a way for two people to share the same dream. Maybe I could help."

He touches her cheek gently. "Love, I hate to say this but I don't think this is entirely your fault. Although I wish I could've witnessed you staring down the Lord of the Dark." He hugs her tightly to him, before continuing. "In any case, yes. Protective circle around the bed. And there are rituals and spells that allow sleepers to share dreams -- I would definitely not object to having you along."

Telamon looks at his notes, then firmly pushes them back a bit. "I'll go out a bit later and start collecting what we'll need. But in the meantime, I have a question." He grins at her impudently. "So your favorite old novel was a bit graphic, hm? Is that why you blush so hard sometimes?"

"I'm sure you would have loved to see it," Raven replies, grinning. She gives him a peck on the lips. "Or maybe you would have been too busy yelling at me to stop. I'm not sure which. I'm still just surprised that, out of all of us there, I was the one who stood undeterred. Dream logic, like you said."

Then the subject of her favorite old novel comes up and she's taken aback a little, blushing just as he points out. She really can be read... well, like a book.

"No," Raven protests. "It's just that I don't have much experience with love and romance myself. Honestly, I always thought it'd never happen for me. Now that it's all on the table and I'm older and wiser about things, I get worked up about it all easily."

She looks back at him with a little pout. An adorable little pout, for that matter. "Meanwhile you manage to stay as cool as they come most of the time! I wish I was more like you sometimes."

Telamon smiles. "Some of it is... learned, from father. Keeping calm, not letting things get to you. It's stood me in good stead over the years." He looks wry. "Though I barely kept my calm when that oruch princess decided I might make an interesting addition to the family. After you've managed to extricate yourself from that kind of social bramble-bush, how hard can everything else be?"

He leans in to kiss that pouty lip -- she really does look cute when she does that. "We're both learning, though. And it's all right. We'll probably make some mistakes along the way... but half the fun is the journey, after all."

And part of many of those mistakes is most wonderful and favorite thing of them all.

Interruptions.

Knock kn-kn-knock knock. Knock KNOCK!

An... energetic knock comes from the door. Then some more knocking, though it sounds more... put together?

The other half of Handspeech.

"Hey! I brought wine and COOKIES. Tell me to fuck off if you're busy!" <Handspeech>

Raven kisses Tel back in response, wrapping her arms around him in that quiet and tender moment--

And then the knocking comes at the door. Ravenstongue immediately pulls herself off Telamon with a little sigh. "More later," she promises, tapping Telamon's lower lip playfully with a finger before she gets up from her chair and walks to the front door. She pulls it open. "Aryia!" she says happily.

"Aryia? Oh no! RUN AWAY!" Pothy complains from his spot at the table--although it comes off to Telamon only as whistling. He flies into Ravenstongue's room and shuts the door with a thud of his bird weight against the wood from the other side.

"Amazing. I can't even get that kind of response," Telamon quips as Pothy flees for the bedroom in a panic. He gets to his feet, looking distinctly non-polished, what with the robe, jammies, and fluffy bear slippers. "Welcome to our humble home, Aryia. And how are you today? Shut the door, I'm so blasted sick of winter at this point." He gestures for Aryia to take her choice of seats, once Raven's relieved her of any goods.

The door is pulled open to reveal-.

Huh?

The pugilist that they know and cherish is currently in a bright green dress that goes down to her shins, the hems sporting a frilly gold trim. The sleeves are long, all the way to the wrist, with matching cloth green gloves. Her snowy hair is done up in a bun, and two bangs frame her face, along with some gold lipstick to tie it all together.

She holds up a basket, covered and smelling dreadfully sweet, with a couple bottles of wine sticking out of one end of it.

She passes it off to Ravenstongue, shutting the door behind her. "Hello! I'm fucking great! How are-" Glance, glance. "... you two doing?" <Handspeech>

"We're cold and I haven't left the house in a few days. Long story," Ravenstongue quips. She glances Aryia from head to as she takes the basket. "I am now feeling significantly less dressed for the day. Your dress is great, Aryia. Let me put this down in the kitchen and I'll go change."

The sorceress takes the basket with her through the living room and into the kitchen, setting it down on the snack counter. "Something in here smells really good, Aryia!" Ravenstongue calls out before she walks from the kitchen back into the living room and then finally into her bedroom.

"Please don't hurt me!--Oh, it's you," Pothy wails and then sighs in relief as Ravenstongue opens and then closes the door behind her. It only takes a few minutes for Ravenstongue to reappear from her bedroom in a comfortable wool dress. Not nearly so fashionable as Aryia or as the dress Aryia made for her, but it'll do.

Telamon lets Raven change clothes, while he looks Aryia over appraisingly. "It looks good on you," he states with a smile. "Is this a new tack in life? I admit I can't ever remember seeing you in a dress before." He takes a look at the wine bottle, inspecting it and nodding approvingly as well. "I've seen this one but haven't had a chance to try it. So..." And then Raven returns, and Tel chuckles. "Back shortly."

He slips off to his room, switching into a tunic, trousers, and the slippers. Dammit, he likes these slippers. They have character. Returning, he grins. "Where was I? I hope all is well?"

"Thanks. It was one of the first dresses I made, fixed it up a bit." Aryia blinks as her two friends head off to change. "... you don't have to cha- ah... fuck it, whatever," she dismisses.

She idly walks around the room, inspect what was there, perhaps what was needed. As much as she would like to keep the conversation going, the mute was, well, mute, and couldn't do such a thing.

"I wear dresses quite often. Suits too. I just told you I'd show up in one because someone said they thought I didn't wear stuff like this!" she signs to both of them while squinting at Telamon. It's all in good nature.

"Cookies in there. Yes, there's enough for Pothy," she jabs a thumb towards the basket before getting to the question at hand.

She clasps her green veiled hands together. "Everything is. Fucking. Fantastic!" she motions briskly, beaming. "It's been a long time, and a lot of pain. And a lot of... stress. And.. anxiety. And...."

...

Oh! "We got my sister back!" she perks up, grinning proudly.<Handspeech>

"I do remember that threat," Ravenstongue says with a grin as she looks at Telamon. "I'm very glad that you 'carried out' on it, Aryia. I'm also not surprised it's your handiwork, because it's lovely."

The magic words are said. Cookies? For Pothy? The raven slowly walks out of Ravenstongue's bedroom, his blue eyes staring in disbelief at Aryia. "Cookies? For me?" His little boy voice wobbles like it's about to burst into tears. "Aryia... Have I been wrong about you the whole time? Was I a fool who just didn't listen?"

Pothy's head swings over to Ravenstongue. "Aryia's my friend now!" he declares--not loud enough to offend Aryia's ears, that is--and he flies over to the basket in the kitchen, already reaching in to find one of these cookies. Of course, it's all whistles to Telamon.

But the statement is what gets Ravenstongue's attention, her hand going to her mouth. "Aya? You got Aya back?" she asks. "I've heard bits and pieces of what's been going on--does that have to do with what you were up to the other day?" Ravenstongue asks, looking to Telamon. "You were so tired after coming back that you just rolled into bed and told me goodnight."

Telamon raises his hands. "I plead that my part in the affair was small. I was drawn in due to a incident involving a very strange young boy." He gives Aryia a wry smile. "I wish I could have done more than drag people to safety, and try to distract Aya with nonsense. Though Archmage Mikilos has an amazing sense of timing." He shivers. "But yes. We spent time healing and helping tend to the people of Nibiru after we had..." He pauses, and looks to Aryia, "...purified your sister? Is that the right word for it?"

Aryia watches Pothy as he waddles out, those disblieving eyes. Could Aryia be a generous god? Despite all the threats and what not?

"Yes, you are a fool that didn't listen," she signs to the bird as he flies over to the cookies. "But you have been good as of late to me, so you get a treat."

She must be in one hell of a good mood for that one.

She nods at Ravenstongue at the compliment, but she expounds further. "Yes, he was there wit-"

She squints at the man. "Oh shut the fuck up, if you didn't move those people we'd have witnessed confetti guts and I know you don't want that shit searing your nightmares."

She blinks, then gives a small smile, pushing back on of her bangs behind a long, silver clad ear. "...I got my sister's soul back from the Grey Halls. And I punched it back into her. More restored, less purified."

She shakes her head, then waves the topic off. "Enough about that shit, what's going on here? How are you liking this place? What do you need?" she fires off before uncouthly lounging on the couch.<Handspeech>

"Aryia is the bestest of friends! Thank you for cookies!" Pothy says sweetly. His cherubic inner voice is well suited for it, if overly-sweet. He downs the cookies and makes happy raven croaks.

Ravenstongue snickers as Telamon's thoroughly called out on his humility. "He does have a habit of downplaying his actions," she says. "I think it's pretty sweet. Gods know that there are plenty of fools who do just the opposite."

The sorceress takes the chairs from the kitchen and drags them into the living room so she can sit. "Umm, well, as you can see, we could do with more furniture. I've been meaning to ask Vaera about a rocking chair big enough for Grandfather. I had one at the last apartment and he really was fond of it."

On the table is a copy of a novel, The Princess's Lover, by To'canteron Highfeather. It's not quite Crimson Pen levels of fame, but it's often stocked close by at certain places.

Telamon actually... blushes a bit. Hard to say whether it's Aryia's no-nonsense assessment or Raven's gentle teasing. "I'm still startled that I shouted 'Look, there's Archmage Mikilos!' -- and then he teleported in. Talk about timing." He nods, taking a seat on the chair next to Raven, and continues, "Definitely furniture. At some point I'd like to convert the spare bedroom into a study... probably sooner rather than later," he adds with a grin. "So yes. Working desk, rocking chair for Grandfather... possibly some additional platters if we start hosting guests for meals. 'Lana and I probably need to make a list, in addition to all the other things we're trying to deal with."

Aryia gives a thumbs up to the bird as she casts her gaze about. "Very good timing indeed. Maybe you are the prophet?" she teases before her eyes land on a book.

She reaches out, and snatches it up, flipping through the pages slowly. Ears twitching this way and that as they speak.

Shining eyes peer up, her nodding some. "Vaera makes good chairs and tables."

She looks at Telamon, raises a brow, a reading, calculating squint before snerking and shaking her head. "I can buy you plates and platters. Least I could do for you two in your new home. Looks nice though. Good spot, and- oh is THIS the book that has the-!"

She grins, closes the book slowly, then conspiratorially places it back. <Handspeech>

Ravenstongue looks rather embarrassed as she watches Aryia flip through the book. "I got it because I remembered I liked it when I was fourteen," she says. "I really don't remember it being so graphic! It probably all went sailing over my head. Mother never really gave me the 'talk'--"

She then taps her chin in thought. "Oh! No, I remember now. Mother had a library of books and I remember stealing it from the shelf she said I wasn't to start reading anything from until I was married. I don't know how that would have helped--would have been far too late by then," Ravenstongue says with a bit of mirth.

Telamon snorts. "Prophet? I should be so lucky. I could clean up on bets on the docks." He's perceptive enough to realize what book Aryia's picked up, but he says nothing, instead raising his hand to hide a grin. "See, now I'm curious. Most of my books are histories and natural philosophy. I think I have a few tales, but not many."

He looks to Raven with a smile. "So exactly how graphic are we talking here? Do I need to invest in some sort of knight's outfit at some point?"

Aryia grins some."Oh, my parents had all sorts of raunchy shit, they didn't care what I thumbed through. I guess it was a joke, because if she was serious and you were this age, my entire house would brand her a prude."

She blinks at Telamon, quitting lounging about on the couch like it was hers and properly sitting up like a lady should. Only to sprawl back out the other way. "Over half my books are Crimson Pen and related stuff. Sometimes its too funny to pass up. Some of it laughably bad. Though I do have some books on languages. And artifice. And... tumblers."

She quirks a brow, grinning some. "Graphic enough to make RT turn red, I know that much." <Handspeech>

"He already saw me turn red earlier," Ravenstongue says with a sigh as... Well, she blushes. "No, no knight outfit necessary. The titular princess's lover doesn't even have a shirt on half the time, let alone a suit of armor. At least in how far I've read."

She waves her hand like she's trying to dismiss the blush. It's not working. "I think she just was being overprotective of me. I don't think she wanted me to sleep with the first attractive guy I met and get pregnant--my father wasn't the first she ever had, apparently, thanks Pothy, but I know she didn't want me to go through anything she had to go through. And, well, if I'd stayed at home all my life like I did before I inherited Pothy, I probably would have never met anyone."

Ravenstongue smiles. "At least I know she didn't regret having me." There's a sad tone in her voice, but at least she doesn't look like she's about to cry when she talks about her mother like she has for the past few days.

Telamon reaches over and takes Raven's hand in his, fingers interlacing. "She loved you. That counts for something." He gives her hand a gentle squeeze, but doesn't let go of it.

Turning his eyes back to Aryia, he says in a more businesslike tone, "Alright, that's the third or fourth time I've heard reference to 'Crimson Pen' books. Is that something like those romance novels and the copper dreadfuls?"

Aryia snickers at Raventongue's explanations. "Yes, shirtless and gleaming in the moonlight as he sits upon that window sill," she waxes for a moment before laughing. Which is lead after by a series of coughs and having to abate being a goof. "At least she cared, which is important."

She looks to the half sil woman. "Life isn't lived all in one place. That's how wizards go insane in their towers."

She rubs her nose, about to flip through the book once more-

And she stops. And wheels over to Telamon with a broad grin. "Oh boy. Sit your pretty ass down, because I'm about to school you."

She dangles over the back of the couch, green sleeved arms out in front of her as she smirking like mad whilst gesturing. "Crimson Pen is a collection of books that are usually anonymously submitted for publication. It's lots of short stories and small novels that tend to be on the more raunchy or romantic side. But- but- but! I found out that SOME of them are retellings of adventurers and their tales! Apparently, there's one about Mikilos and a vampire! " she giggles near silently, shining eyes bright. <Handspeech>

Ravenstongue looks at Telamon for a long moment like she's actually picturing him shirtless and sitting upon a window sill--this is reasonable to ascertain judging by how her blushing face reddens further. Then she shakes her head and looks back to Aryia. "I agree, which is why I left," she says. "Wasn't anything for me left in Rune anyway."

She looks positively befuddled as Aryia explains the Crimson Pen books. "There's one about Mikilos and a vampire? And it's smut?" she asks, her brows going all the way up. "Is that... Is that even legal? Did Mikilos give his permission? I could see him giving permission to that..."

"He might not care. But... yeah," Telamon is a bit bemused at the idea of 'romance smut based on actual adventurers'. "I mean... I assume once someone is famous enough, stories get told. But ...you know, they really should be paying royalties to those adventurers."

He didn't miss the blush on Raven's face, and makes a mental note for once the weather warms up. "Isolation's not good for anyone. Traveling does help broaden one's horizons -- sometimes in interesting ways."

Aryia thumbs her nose at seeing Corlana's visage grow with a hearty rubor. "I can understand that."

She shakes her head. "It's not Mikilos , it's... some other name. And it vaguely resembles him."

"They should!"

...

She bolts upright out of the couch. "Oh fuck , is there any about-- OH FUCK NO, I have to see if there's one about me before sister..! Uh, uhh, see you later! Enjoy the cookies! Don't break the bed!"

And in a blur, the pugilist is gone. Door open, and shut.

Some cookies are missing.

A Pothy has been patted somehow during all of that.

... she can move like that in that dress?

Too many questions. <Handspeech>