(no subject)

[sythyry]

Confession [27 Hispis 4385; Eigrach; Srineia]

When I answered Totalie's strangly kiss with fire-breath, Totalie at least had the grace to release me and leap back, eyes full of clattery madness, shivering with a Wild Rush. It was Not Cute under the circumstances.

Rheng came roaring up the stairs, his tail streaming behind him; Sleeth can hear better than other people. Phaniet and Arfaen followed in a frenzy, and Yerenthax thundered up after them. Totalie was quickly surrounded and pinioned.

"So: shall I treat that like an attempted rape, or an attempted murder?" I asked Totalie.

Totalie's voice was muddy with pain, and, I should imagine, blisters on the tongue and palate. "No, no, nothing like that!"

Arfaen snarled and shook Totalie's shoulders. "What did you do to zir, you putrescent mushroom?"

"I, I didn't, ow," mumbled Totalie.

"Strangled me and tried to lick my tonsils," I said. "Held me by the neck and shook me around, too," which was somewhat of an exaggeration.

Rheng put a heavy paw on Totalie's mouth. "Perhaps your own tonsils are itchy, rrai? Perhaps I scratch them for you?" Totalie whined.

Phaniet tugged Rheng's harness. "Stop, stop. This is perplexing in a confusing sort of way. I can think of several proximate goals that the gentleman might have attempted. Was he trying to kill Sythyry?" Totalie was shaking his head, but could not speak under Rheng's paw. "Perhaps -- but why use his bare hands, and why try to kiss zir?"

Rheng snorted. "Perhaps he has the poisonous fangs. I know stories of such Orren!"

"I know stories of such norren, myself," said Phaniet. "Conversely, was he trying to rape Sythyry?" Totalie shook his head again. "The practical issues of forcing a wizard are boggling. I cannot how it could be sensibly attempted; I should use blackmail, myself, if I were so foolish and wicked as to try such a thing. Can it be that Totalie is foolish, wicked, and astoundingly impractical? Well, yes, it can, of course it can, but perhaps there is another explanation."

"I don't much care about another explanation," I said, because I was rather cross. "If we were at home I'd take him to court for assault. As a foreigner I don't expect I'd have much chance of success here, though."

Phaniet, who is a loyal and extremely helpful assistant, ignored me. "I suspect that there is more going on here. Rheng, let the gentleman talk."

Rheng laughed. "I let him talk. Does Sythyry's kiss let him talk? Or does he enjoy the blisters and the burnings." He moved his paw off Totalie's mouth.

Totalie squeaked, "They said that's what the Zi Ri wanted!"

"They did, did they?" I hissed. "Who are they, and why are they ordering abuse on my behalf?"

"And is that them watching now?" asked Phaniet.

I checked, and half a dozen people were scrying on us. "Phaniet, make them stop watching." Which she did, quite adequately.

"Right," said Phaniet. "This sounds like an annoying little misunderstanding. Let's clear it up by providing a better and more true understanding, shall we? Arfaen, let him stand up and fetch him some water, would you be so kind?"

"I don't want a conversation with him. If he touches me again I shall burn the part he touches me with off," I said. My loyal and obedient clients ignored me.

Totalie lapped water from a chalice. "I thought zie likes that sort of thing. I asked, really I did. I was trying to be the best seneschal I could. I need to understand what the new lord wants and needs for that, don't I?"

"The new lord wants and needs Totalie punished for assault. Don't do anything illegal, or not very illegal anyhow, but maybe Rheng could claw him in the process of pulling him off of me, perhaps," I said. Everyone helpfully ignored me.

Phaniet looked alarmed, and wagged her tail placatingly to Totalie. "Oh, dear. You talked to one of the information mages, didn't you?"

Totalie nodded. "Oh, yes. Glekjinga gave me lots and lots of details."

Phaniet's ears drooped. "Then you deserve an apology. One of our defenses backfired."

"Why does he deserve an apology? I think he should be apologizing!" I noted in a whiny justifiably upset voice.

"I suspect he'll want to apologize quite a bit too," said Phaniet. "But actually I think we cast a fireball and are now complaining that our house is burning." She turned to Totalie. "So, who did you talk to about Sythyry, and what did they say?"

"Well, of course I talked to lots of people, anyone who knew anything. Glekjinga is one of the, well, he was 'specially interested in foreign wizards. He's an information mage, Rassimel you know..."

"And rather easily spooked," said Phaniet.

"I wouldn't know about that. He'd been ... well ...", said Totalie, and faded off.

"He'd been scrying on us at home, is what he'd been doing. Which isn't a thing we much approve of," I said. "Though he's a branch-width more polite about it than you are."

Totalie nodded. "Yes, that's it, exactly. So he knew what you'd like, I thought, and how best to negotiate with you. He said that you, well, liked being grabbed by the neck, and, well, never mind the rest." Everyone stared at him and motioned him to continue. "Well, and, to be passed around like a bottle and give a treat to all the males in the room with your mouth and neck."

I hissed and flapped my wings in a fury. Everyone ignored me, except Arfaen, who petted me, just as if I weren't four times her age.

Phaniet shook her head. "Actually, scrying on a wizard of Sythyry's subtlety is not as accurate as might be hoped. That was not actually Sythyry that Glekjinga observed; it was an illusion. Designed more to entertain than to instruct, if you must know."

Totalie stared at me. "So you don't..."

"I do not. I very definitely do not. Haven't done anything even remotely like that for ... longer than you've been alive. I am very fussy about my choice of lovers," I said. "And being held by the neck isn't a bit appealing, either."

Totalie dashed the rest of his chalice of water onto the floor, and threw himself after it. "Then I am lost -- ruined! Doomed forevermore!", he said, as he wobbled into water-form.

"Now he sounds like part of Sythyry's household, rrai!" said Rheng.

[Poll #1453203]

Comments

[ionotter.livejournal.com]

Totalie is a fool, but I also think that illusion has done more harm than was intended. We monsters have a euphemism for such things? We call it "a train wreck", which basically means something absolutely horrible and horrifying, but so incredibly fascinating that you simply cannot look away.

I rather suspect this is what happened to those watching the illusion. They simply could not look away, and ended up quite severely disturbed in the head. A monster author used to write about such things? Mr. Lovecraft-if ever there was a more inappropriate name for such an author, I don't know-wrote of unspeakable horrors which, if you read about them in some dark and dusty tome of forbidden lore, would drive you frothingly insane.

While I doubt the good Glekjinga is frothing at the mouth, clearly something has sprung loose in their head, else this wouldn't have happened. And, no doubt upon being told of what your desires are "supposed to be", Totalie has likewise slipped a few gears. The fact that he had to work himself up to a Wild Rush in order to perform his "duty" supports this theory.

Hmmm.

While mostly innocent of wrong-doing, Totalie must still be presented with a proper penance for his misbehavior. Not least of which would be to satisfy your anger, but also, he must perceive himself as being penitent and must exert a proper effort to "make things right". This would be healing for the both of you. The task or penance should be difficult without being dangerous, but should also keep him both busy, and away from you.

Next, it would appear that *both* of you have been used. Totalie as an idiot tool of Glekjinga's puerile voyeurism, and I rather suspect that you are the victim of a political game being played by the locals. There were far too many eyeballs in that room for this to have been the work of just one, but my monstery guts are gurbling at the level of gamesmanship we saw.

Also...something about this house...*taps his chin*...hmmmm. It is a good house? But it was conjured up far, FAR too quickly. I think the previous occupants were forcefully vacated, which would explain the lack of properly fresh foodstuffs. And there are too many "things" in the house that would not be left behind unless those who left were no longer around to care. Perhaps one of your crew should look into that.

There's a game being played here, and unfortunately, I think you're now stuck in it.

If you run, you'll lose by default, and it's going to cost you somehow. These people may be far off on the branch, but they're still on the branch. Word, deeds and influence can be peddled to make your life difficult, either by someone here pushing a grudge all the way back home, or someone at home fishing for dirt. But if you play, there's more chances for Doom^TM.

I think you need to perform a bit of gambling legerdemain that we monsters call "stacking the deck".

1. Lock down the entire house to scrying. And I mean seriously locked down.

2. Heal Totalie and check him out for any spells that might have otherwise unhinged his reason, or perhaps concealing something. Orren don't wag their tails. Then have him start talking.

3. Talk to the rest of the staff. Let them know the game is over, and you know what's going on, and now you want to know WHO is behind it. If they seem reluctant, offer to take them with you when you leave, so they might avoid any repercussions from betraying their "employers".

Based upon what you find out from the staff, you should be able to figure out if this is a seriously involved game of politics, or just a comedy of truly grave errors.

If it *is* a game, you'll have to decide if there's a reasonable chance you can pull your chips and leave, or if you should stay and finish the game in order to avoid whatever Doom^TM might follow you home.

If this has all been a comedy of errors-which as amusing as it's been, I rather doubt-then it can all be smoothed over by having a nice, long, private dinner with the mayor and your crew aboard the Strayway.

However it turns out, I shall most certainly be watching. Train wreck or otherwise.

_{Doom^TM is trademarked to Sythyry & Co}

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

(has it occured to anyone that Totalie really is traft, and wants to be a Cani?)

[shadsdf.livejournal.com]

(i was starting to wonder if the previous tenants were voluntold to cloak and stick around)

[xolo.livejournal.com]

And there are too many "things" in the house that would not be left behind unless those who left were no longer around to care.

That's a really good point.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

I don't know...

There has been a thought in my mind that Adventuring Towns need to have that Manor House that to give Adventurers as a reward, as it makes them happy... and they often leave to the next great thing/get themselves killed, so you can award it to the next group that just happens to come by.

... but maybe that's just the sadistic Dungeon Master in me...

[xolo.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting theory, but it still leaves me to wonder why all of the portraits, statuary, etc, seem to belong to the same family.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

*shrug* I'd just am saying that's something I would do, though... not that it is the truth