A funny thing happened on the way to the theatre

Quote :

A second later, a tall and handsome man smiles back at Penelope. His shirt is open to the waist, revealing a muscular (and translucent) chest and the very well-defined abs below.

"May I present Carl?" says Tamora.

Remembering the time she first saw a man naked, Penelope's unhappiness increases. It's bad enough the other party members are acting like sex-deprived boys at the site of a translucent prostitute, but now she's being offered... services, it seems, as well. The archer is very visibly disturbed about the current situation. If only my mother was right about them having teeth down there... that'd be a much better sight...

"He needs to wear more clothing," she says bluntly, attempting to mask her discomfort. "And well... even if he was properly dressed, I wouldn't be interested."

After a moment she turns to Odanais and Yatagan, narrowing her gaze. "And get some control over your 'impulses,' please."

Penelope wrote:

After a moment she turns to Odanais and Yatagan, narrowing her gaze. "And get some control over your 'impulses,' please."

Odanais cracks a half smile. "Any impulse worth having is worth giving into."

gridley wrote:

Odanais cracks a half smile. "Any impulse worth having is worth giving into."

"Splendid line, Mr. Dare!" Yatagan jots it down in his notebook. "That's the spirit! The play is writing itself." Turning to Penelope he says "Please don't mistake your fear for our lack of control, Ms. Pindar". The paladin sounds slightly peevish.

Then, in a more pleasant voice he adds, "Let us not disturb the aether here with harsh words any longer. Clearly this is a place of passionate spirits deserving of ardor, not anger. Mr. Cadaveris, lead the way the undiscovered --well, for us, at least-- country. Ms. Clarice, Mistress Swiftly, until we again have the pleasure."

Penelope wrote:

"He needs to wear more clothing," she says bluntly, attempting to mask her discomfort. "And well... even if he was properly dressed, I wouldn't be interested."

After a moment she turns to Odanais and Yatagan, narrowing her gaze. "And get some control over your 'impulses,' please."

Carl stands there for a moment after Penelope turns to the others and then pouts, looking amusingly like 'Clarice' did.

Odanais wrote:

Odanais grows quite literally dizzy at the possibilities. "My dear, are you able to reshape your visage in any way you like? I... I... mean... if I were to show you an image of someone...." Odanais uses a prestidigitation cantrip to create a small image of his sister Elizee. "You could appear as her?"

The pout turns into a smile as Odanais produces the picture. "Of course," says Carl, his deep baritone very different from the voice Clarice used, and his form shifts. A second later, a very good facsimile of Elizee stands in his place. "How's this?" she asks, in the same voice as Clarice.

"Carl - or Clarice - has many talents," says Tamora with an amused chuckle. "Among them is the refusal to tell me exactly what his - or her - gender is. So we simply use the name of his current or most recent form."

Carl/Clarice/faux-Elizee simply grins at the comment but adds nothing else.

Mallus wrote:

"Splendid line, Mr. Dare!" Yatagan jots it down in his notebook. "That's the spirit! The play is writing itself." Turning to Penelope he says "Please don't mistake your fear for our lack of control, Ms. Pindar". The paladin sounds slightly peevish.

Then, in a more pleasant voice he adds, "Let us not disturb the aether here with harsh words any longer. Clearly this is a place of passionate spirits deserving of ardor, not anger. Mr. Cadaveris, lead the way the undiscovered --well, for us, at least-- country. Ms. Clarice, Mistress Swiftly, until we again have the pleasure."

"Very well," says Tamora, "Though you might have to drag Mister Dare," she glances at Odanais' rapt expression, "Away, I think. Vox, you can use the entryway in the blue room on the next floor. I think it's unoccupied right now. I may see you when you pass through again, if I'm around." She pauses and then adds, her tone momentarily losing its amusement, "Best of luck."

Tamora turns and heads for one of the curtains with a parting, "Carl, see them to the blue room, please." As she nears the curtain, a man steps through the opening in the other one, dressed much like Carl had been. He carries a bottle and has a sour expression on his face. "Madam," he says, following Tamora as she exits, and his voice carries back as they pass through, "Alarbus has curdled. I knew he'd been waiting too long!"

The ghost-formerly-known-as-Carl looks around at the group and points up the stairs. "Shall we?"

shilsen wrote:

The ghost-formerly-known-as-Carl looks around at the group and points up the stairs. "Shall we?"

"Yes, let's. Lead the way." As he follows behind Carl, Vox speaks over his shoulder to Odanais and Yatigan. "You're certain that you don't want to stay and dally for a bit?" he asks hopefully. "I'd hate to be deprived of your...assistance, but I can assure you that I'd be fine."

edit: oops, double post.

Rolzup wrote:

"I'd hate to be deprived of your...assistance, but I can assure you that I'd be fine.

"Nonsense! says Yatagan emphatically. "We cannot allow you to risk the Other Side without our potent magic and radiant fluids. Look what happened to us in that simple pit..."

"Remaining here would be cowardice. Potentially delightful cowardice, but still... We are called many things Mr. Cavaderis, but 'coward' is not among them."

shilsen wrote:

The pout turns into a smile as Odanais produces the picture. "Of course," says Carl, his deep baritone very different from the voice Clarice used, and his form shifts. A second later, a very good facsimile of Elizee stands in his place. "How's this?" she asks, in the same voice as Clarice.

Odanais brushes his fingers gently against Elizee's cheek, a light trickle of tears on his cheeks. "Sister... my sister..." is all that he seems capable of saying for a long moment, as he unabashed stares, unable to look away.

shilsen wrote:

The ghost-formerly-known-as-Carl looks around at the group and points up the stairs. "Shall we?"

Clarice's voice sounding from Elizee's mouth snaps him slightly back to reality. We'll need a bit of prestidigitation, he thinks to himself, but oh, the gods, it's her! With his magics and her talents, near perfection on earth will be realized until true perfection returns.

OOC: I'm seeing an upcoming Skill Challenge in which we help Odanais overcome his ghost-sex addiction...

Rolzup wrote:

"Yes, let's. Lead the way."

gridley wrote:

Odanais brushes his fingers gently against Elizee's cheek, a light trickle of tears on his cheeks. "Sister... my sister..." is all that he seems capable of saying for a long moment, as he unabashed stares, unable to look away.

"Ah, I see," says the faux-Elizee as she leads the group up the stairs, but there's a quizzical expression in her translucent eyes. As the group proceeds up the steps, she slides her barely-there arm through Odanais' and then asks, "Did your sister ... die? Some people come here looking for loved ones who have passed over, and if they cannot find the one they seek often want those of us who can change form to play the role with them for a few hours." Her tone is sympathetic but casual, as if catering to people who want to have intercourse (in whatever form) with deceased relatives is all in a day's work.

The stairs lead up to another large antechamber like the one below, occupied by another bored-looking ogre, who watches with mild interest as the ghost guide leads the group down a wide corridor. Doors line the hallway and a couple of archways open into other antechambers and larger rooms. A few people pass the group, both clients and brothel-workers, all of them quite well-dressed. As the furnishings already made clear, the Gossamer Pillow caters to the wealthy.

The faux-Elizee leads the group through one archway. Beyond is a comfortable sitting-room, the walls of which are made of glass and look into rooms on either side. A couple of people are in there, looking into a room where two people are fighting. One of the two, a slightly-built young woman, throws the other, who is apparently a vampire (albeit one with unnaturally blond hair, mascara and a large greatcoat), across the room. Then she leaps on him, pins him to the ground, and begins to rip off his clothes. The group's ghostly guide sighs and says, "Ah, it's the vampire-slayer. Don't ask. Really!"

She continues through the sitting-room and opens a door on the far side which opens into a short, wide hallway. The hallway ends in an archway filled with what seems to be a blue mist. The faux-Elizee stops before it and says, "Here you are. There'll be someone to show you out of the Pillow on the other side."

Mallus wrote:

OOC: I'm seeing an upcoming Skill Challenge in which we help Odanais overcome his ghost-sex addiction...

Of course. The funny thing is that when I introduced the shapechanging ghost, I had completely forgotten about Odanais' sister and his attitude to her.

Note: I put up a thread of NPCs you guys have met thus far in the "Characters" section. Take a look and let me know if I missed someone.

shilsen wrote:

"Ah, I see," says the faux-Elizee as she leads the group up the stairs, but there's a quizzical expression in her translucent eyes. As the group proceeds up the steps, she slides her barely-there arm through Odanais' and then asks, "Did your sister ... die? Some people come here looking for loved ones who have passed over, and if they cannot find the one they seek often want those of us who can change form to play the role with them for a few hours."

"No. She's still alive. I feel confident of that." Odanais looks away from faux Elizee for a moment. "She was taken from me. By sky pirates. And I would give anything to have her back."

gridley wrote:

"No. She's still alive. I feel confident of that." Odanais looks away from faux Elizee for a moment. "She was taken from me. By sky pirates. And I would give anything to give her back."

The ghostly facsimile of Odanais' sister says, in a tone which if not sincere is an excellent act, "I'm really sorry to hear that. I hope you can find her."

She then takes a step back, leaving the passage to the blue-mist-filled archway free, clearly waiting for the group to proceed through.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Odanais tried to look for the magic coin after tossing it into the battle.

gridley wrote:

Oh, I forgot to mention that Odanais tried to look for the magic coin after tossing it into the battle.

No problem. I presumed you picked it up before you guys took off.

Should have mentioned it earlier, but there's a new thread up here. Pop across and start posting.