If You Get Caught, You Die IC

[NeoSeraphi]

Long has the great kingdom of Zephyria stood proud. The largest nation in the world of Tima, Zephyria is known for its beautiful forests, mild climate, and its amazing capital, Gale. The city of Gale is a thriving metropolis with construction going on every day in one part of the city or another. New apartments, factories, or businesses are being built all the time, and the population is expanding constantly.

At the palace, the queen of Zephyria, Her Majesty Queen Juanita II, sits on her throne. She is an innovator who has called upon her most brilliant alchemists to create a new type of flexible material that would allow structures to absorb force rather than put up resistance to it. (For example, if a wall made by this material were hit by a boulder, it would simply bend inward to accommodate the boulder's shape, causing the boulder to drop to the ground harmlessly rather than smashing through the wall). This project is currently ongoing but it is making quite a bit of headway.

In her court are many lords and ladies who act as her advisors, and one in particular who acts as her informant. Anaiya Vanren, a half-elf who seeks to 'entertain' foreign lords who come to the palace, and who currently is investigating the head alchemist in charge of the new project, Darian Moschev. Anaiya has received her task from the queen, as well as directions to Moschev's lab in the basement, and an official order from the queen allowing her to watch an experiment, should she need it. However, Juanita has made it clear that she doesn't want to have to resort to that, and hopes that Anaiya's 'talents' will be enough to get her into Moschev's good graces without revealing that she was sent by the Queen.

After heading down three flights of stairs and walking through a dark, spider-infested hallway, Anaiya comes to a single door labeled simply 'Do Not Enter'.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya brushes her wavy blonde hair back from her face as she descends the stairs leading to the alchemist's lab. Here she was, preparing to seduce her way into learning the secrets of another man at her Queen's orders. Not that she had any complaints about working for the Queen; the woman had practically saved her life after she'd been abandoned as a child, and raised her to be one of her most trusted advisors and servants. The half-elf felt nothing but loyalty and devotion to Queen Juanita, and would gladly lay down her life if it meant protecting the one who'd provided for her for the past 20+ years.

Her issue with her job revolved around the men (and occasionally women) she had to entertain; the vast majority of them were cruel, perverse, hideous, or some combination of the three, as if those traits were required for someone to hold a position of power in foreign lands. They tended to be easy to placate, however, and she very rarely had to pressure one of them into divulging the information she sought. The work was actually enjoyable aside from that, and a handful of those she serviced were pleasant folk (a recent one that came to mind being a middle-aged man who had redefined her idea of what a true gentleman was like).

She reached the door and adjusted her hair one last time, taking a moment to ensure that her clothes were positioned to properly accentuate her figure before reaching out to knock on the door.

[NeoSeraphi]

The door opens and a bespectacled human male, probably around twenty four years of age, steps into view. He looks at the woman with annoyance, probably assuming her to be a servant, until he sees the golden hem on her clothes, a mark of the members of the court. Clearing his throat and pulling his sleeves down over his white gloves, he asks, "Hi. Can I help you, my lady?"

[Diachronos]

Anaiya bows politely and offers him a warm smile. "Hello, sir. I hope that I'm not interrupting anything, but I was hoping that I might speak with Darian Moschev if he's not too busy. I overheard from Her Majesty that he is leading the research project to create an amazing new building material, and I'd hoped to get a peek at what he's put together so far. Alchemy is one of my hobbies, and I'd love for a chance to observe someone of his skill at work." She shifts her feet ever so slightly, her posture following suit and taking a faintly enticing stance. Is this Darian? I hope so, he's much easier on the eyes than I'd expected for a researcher.

[NeoSeraphi]

The man seems uninterested in her appearance or posture. "Well, I appreciate your interest but I'm in the middle of an important experiment. If you'd like to come back at a later time," He steps back and starts to close the door, and something tells Anaiya that if the door shuts, she won't get another chance with this guy. She needs to try something else.

[Diachronos]

"Wait, please." She puts her hand on the door, adopting a more professional look. "Perhaps I can help you in some way? A project this big can't be easy, and sometimes having an outside perspective on the situation might give some insight into overcoming the obstacles that come between a researcher and his goal."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan stops, looking at her curiously. He appears unconvinced. "What is the difference in pH between pasteurized lactase milk and pasteurized soy milk?" he asks, clearly testing to see if she is indeed interested in alchemy.

It's a trick question, there is no difference. If you used Knowledge or Craft, you would know this is the most basic of the base, and acting offended that he lobbed such a softball at you would go longer to convincing him (not an option if you Sense Motive)

[Diachronos]

Anaiya frowns and crosses her arms. "Either your lack of sleep is affecting your ability to reason, or you think I'm one of those stereotypical 'dumb blondes'. There is no difference between the two, they're both as low on the pH scale as you can get without breaking the laws of nature."

Craft Alchemy: [roll0] - unfortunately Anaiya doesn't get the +4 bonus from her Alchemy class feature because she's not making something :/
Knowledge (Arcana): [roll1] plus [roll2] inspiration
Sense Motive: [roll3]

[NeoSeraphi]

The researcher grins and opens the door fully, stepping out and letting it close behind him. "I sincerely apologize for the insult, my lady. Though I am relieved to see that Her Majesty respects this project enough to only discuss it with a qualified confidant. Daryan Moschev." He offers her his hand.

Before offering his hand, his left hand twitched and he shoved it into his pocket.

Daryan appears uncomfortable putting weight on this side of his body and leading with this hand. It's likely he's actually left-handed.

Its clear that Daryan has spent at least the last three nights on a couch or cot, likely in this lab. Whatever he slept on, his rest was not pleasant.

[Diachronos]

She smiles and shakes his hand. "Anaiya Vanren. A pleasure to meet you, Daryan. I must say, though, I'm a bit surprised to see someone your age heading this project. No offense meant, of course, I'm just happy to know that there are skilled individuals in the field outside of the stubborn old men who've been at it since before we were born." Her smile fades a little as she looks at him. "You truly do look exhausted, though... you must be quite dedicated to the task Her Majesty has appointed to you."

Perception: [roll0]
Sense Motive: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan smiles. "Your concern is appreciated, but unwarranted. This project is more important than anything I've ever worked on. I've run the numbers. If every building in the city was made of this material and we were attacked by a siege, it would reduce the death toll from 25,000 to 300."

While any other man would be proud about such numbers, Daryan looks rather upset that they aren't lower. "War is still war, unfortunately."

He yawns and checks his watch, muttering under his breath.

"Ah, a miscalculation. I was supposed to start a nap two hours ago. Oh well. If I push myself I can likely get in another three hours of work before I pass out."

"I'm going to get a cup of coffee. Can I offer you anything, my lady?"

[Diachronos]

Anaiya nods. "Some coffee would be nice. You shouldn't push yourself, though. I understand that this research is vital, but if you push yourself too hard your performance will start to suffer. Mistakes made from a lack of rest could be worse than the good that comes from the extra hours of work."


Diplomacy: [roll0] plus [roll1] inspiration
Perception: [roll2]

Some Diplomomancer I am :/


"Wait, you were supposed to get to sleep two hours ago? And you were planning on just working until you nodded off?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan winces. "Yes, okay, I was planning to get some rest a few hours ago, but I seem to have lost track of time with this experiment. But that's really none of your business. I think perhaps it's time you left, Miss Vanren." He turns to open the door to his lab.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya reaches and lightly places a hand on his shoulder. "Mister Moschev, please... I would like to help you. Your work is important to you, that's as plain as day, and your demeanor suggests that you're unhappy with the results so far because you feel they're not good enough. For such an important undertaking, wouldn't it be beneficial to have as many able minds working on this project as possible to ensure that it can be perfected and implemented for the good of Zephyria? I'm not as skilled as you are, that's something I won't even attempt to argue, but I love our nation as much as any other servant of Her Majesty, and nothing would make me happier than helping to bring a blessing such as this to our fellow countrymen."


Okay, can I roll higher than a 3 this time?
[roll0] plus [roll1] inspiration

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan pauses. "Hmm...I'm sorry. I couldn't allow something like that. As much as I respect your devotion to queen and country, and your clear passion and understanding of alchemy, you're just...too beautiful. I would find that distracting. I fear that working together alone in closed quarters for any period of time with you would build up a desire for something...inappropriate."

He chuckles and looks back at her. "Again, thank you for the offer."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya chuckles. "Is that the problem? Well, that should be an easy fix." She pulls up the hemline of her shirt, revealing that it's a bit baggier than it had appeared at first. After that and a few other quick adjustments, her figure is a bit less noticeable. Nothing could really be done about her facial features or legs outside of magic, but it was a start at least. "Is that a bit better, Mister Moschev?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan sighs and takes his glasses off, rubbing his face. "My, well, you are persistent, aren't you? Listen, I don't need to tell you that my project is a secret. There's a good reason I don't have an assistant already, and that reason is not lack of competent applicants. I would appreciate the help, but not enough to face the punishment for treason against the crown by showing you the contents of this laboratory."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya raises an eyebrow. "'Treason'? What could you possibly doing in here that Her Majesty would not approve of? You are working on a material to protect dwellings from large impacts, are you not?" What are you hiding, Daryan?

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan frowns. "The treason is not what I'm working on, Miss Vanren. It's the act of sharing that information with anyone who does not have the direct consent of the queen. And the only reason she'd give anyone that consent is if she didn't trust me to complete the task or was suspicious of me, neither of which is likely the case. Anyway, I am sorry, but I cannot allow you access to this laboratory without written consent from Her Majesty, period."

[Diachronos]

"The building material project is public knowledge, though. Her Majesty wouldn't have any reason to keep this research a secret." She gives him a pleading look. "Please, Mister Moschev... I'm willing to do anything to prove myself. Swearing to secrecy, doing the dangerous parts of the work, being your errand girl, whatever it takes."


Diplomacy: [roll0] plus [roll1] inspiration

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan sighs. "I can see that it's going to be more of a waste of my time trying to get rid of you than it is for me to just accept the help...Very well. I need to get some rest...preferably at my own home. If you come back tomorrow, then I'll let you work as my assistant for one day. If I find your presence to be more distracting or counterproductive than I find it helpful, you will be told to leave and you will not come back. Agreed?"

[Diachronos]

"Agreed. I promise, I won't let you down." She glances at the door, then back to him. "When would you like me to be here tomorrow?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan walks past her, putting his glasses back on and smiling. "I'll leave that up to you. Of course, when you arrive and how long you stay are both factors in whether I find you useful or not." He walks off.

[Diachronos]

"Understood." She follows him back down the hall and up the stairs. "Would you like some company on the walk home?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan chuckles to himself. "What I would like is a deep massage from one of Her Majesty's finest courtesans, but I doubt that I'll be able to swing anything like that any time soon. I don't have enough pull with Her Majesty for that kind of treatment yet."

[Diachronos]

"Funny you mention that..." She places her hands on his shoulders and begins to gently work her thumbs into his shoulder blades. "I take it you saw the gold trim on my outfit? I just so happen to be one of Her Majesty's courtesans." Anaiya winces as she gets a feeling of his back muscles. "And judging from the tension right here, your desire for a massage isn't so much a want as it is a need..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan knocks her hand away from him. "Nice try. I'm not going to let you insert any sort of 'persuasion' into this professional relationship. If you want to work for me, then I'm your boss, not your client." He keeps walking, very very stiffly. "...Why are you so intent on helping me anyway?"

[Diachronos]

Anaiya gives him an offended look. "I wouldn't dream of trying to sway you with that kind of persuasion. There's no sense in being given a job if you earned it through favors instead of actually being qualified. As for your other question, I'm simply the sort of woman who enjoys helping people. I heard you were working on something to help our kingdom, and wanted to provide whatever help my talents would be useful for to ensure your work comes to fruition."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan sighs. "I...I didn't mean to upset you, I just...ugh." He stops walking and sits down on the ground, resting his back against the wall. "I think I've just been awake too long. I'm not normally this irritable. If you're still willing, I'd really appreciate that massage."

[Diachronos]

"No offense was taken, Daryan. I've dealt with men and women who are under a lot of pressure before, you are extremely pleasant to be around compared to some of them." She reaches out, offering him a hand to help him up. "My offers aren't revoked that easily. If you would like the massage, I'd be happy to provide it. Consider it my way of thanking you for giving me this opportunity to work with you."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan looks surprised at her informal way of addressing him, but he accepts her hand and gets to his feet slowly. "Very well, then. If you'd follow me..."

After about twenty minutes of climbing stairs and walking in mostly silence, Anaiya has determined that Daryan is a man of very few words. Unlike most other men she's dealt with, when she invites him to talk about himself he doesn't seem that thrilled, answering the bare minimum of her question and saying no more. Normally when a man says something like 'you're too beautiful' to her he at least looks at her more than once every five minutes.

Daryan's suite is part of the castle, and is actually only one floor above the private room Anaiya 'entertains' in. When he opens the door, though, it hardly seems like a room that belongs in a palace. The place is trashed with papers scattered all over the place, various books laying open or with four or five tabs attached to their pages, and a chalkboard in the center of the living room, covered with a complex equation that gives Anaiya a headache from just looking at it.

Well, if it wasn't clear before, it was clear now. There is definitely no woman in Daryan's life right now. He stumbles in, yawning a little and gestures to the kitchen. "Please...make yourself at home. Erm, how shall we do this? Do I just..."

Before she can answer, Daryan removes his gloves and his lab coat, along with the tunic underneath. Taking his glasses off and setting them carefully on the table, he stretches out on the couch and closes his eyes, waiting for Anaiya to begin working on him.

[Diachronos]

She nods and kneels beside the couch. "Just close your eyes and relax." With a smile she begins to work her magic on his back.


/facepalm I just realized that I haven't been adding the +1 to Anaiya's inspiration rolls from her favored class bonus :/
Perform: [roll0] plus [roll1] inspiration

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan closes his eyes and keeps his vocalizations as low as possible, though Anaiya recognizes the signs of his enjoyment. His muscles are as tense and knotted as a tree, but her skill is unmatched and she is able to easily sort it all out after a good fifteen minutes of concentrated rubbing. After about thirty minutes, Daryan's muscles are still contracted, but they are only that way because of her touch, not because he's in any pain.

The researcher shifts under her. "O-okay, I feel much better now, thank you."

[Diachronos]

Her hands linger on his back for a moment before she stands up. "I'm glad I could help. While I'm up, can I get you anything? A drink, maybe?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan does not sit up or turn over as she gets up, he remains flat on the couch. "Er...no, that's quite alright. Can you show yourself out?"

[Diachronos]

Anaiya nods and heads out the door. Once it's closed behind her, she heads down to her own room, where she sinks into one of the plush armchairs by the fireplace.

[NeoSeraphi]

When Anaiya returns to her room she finds her normal stack of letters. One of them is covered with a revolting smell. Anaiya would recognize that perfume anywhere, that's the Duke of Terrania. An ugly old man who rather enjoys coming to Zephyria whenever he gets annoyed with his wife, and he requests Anaiya's services specifically every time. Another letter, this time from a brand new client. A Prince Corey, she doesn't recognize that name, until she reads the letter fully and realizes that this particular client is a boy of twelve who only wants to listen to exciting stories. Well, at least she can wear normal clothes for that meeting.

Going through her mail takes quite a bit of time. Partly because she has so many clients, partly because some clients tend to write ridiculously long, and unnecessarily detailed requests for their visits, and partly because Anaiya has to take breaks to relieve herself from the stupidity of some people she has to seduce.

After about an hour, she still hasn't finished going through it all. She's in for another busy week. It will be quite difficult for Anaiya to balance all these clients and spy on Daryan, especially since Daryan seems particularly resistant to her normal methods of interrogation.

[Diachronos]

By the time Anaiya finishes reading through her mail, she is having a hard time not banging her head against the desk. Why, why, why was the Duke of Terrania coming here again? She hated everything about the man, from his foul perfume to his wrinkled face to his insufferable nitpicking over every deviation from his preferences. "Oh well, he's not coming until the end of the week so I've got time to prepare..."

Despite her complaints, Terrania was the only one she was actually dreading; the others were mainly those who she was indifferent to or actually enjoyed the presence of, with the occasional newcomer like Prince Corey. Of note was a husband and wife pairing that she'd entertained before, though this was the first time they'd be together. That was going to be an interesting experience...

She flops down in the chair beside the fireplace, sitting with her legs hanging over one arm and her head resting on the other. Then there was Daryan... she wasn't sure how to handle him just yet. He seemed almost obsessed with his work, and a bit standoffish with her. Hopefully her other duties wouldn't interfere with keeping in his good graces, otherwise she would have to resort to announcing that she was there at the Queen's request. Maybe he was an understanding sort under his workaholic attitude?

[NeoSeraphi]

After giving it some more thought, Anaiya has more and more trouble accepting Daryan's attitude as 'normal'. She had felt the tension in his back. No normal person would have been able to stand up straight with that kind of injury. She had seen the exhaustion in his face and in his movements, and yet he had decided to try and keep working instead of going right to sleep until she had inserted herself into the situation.

Something funny was going on here...

Anaiya glances out her window. She still has some daylight before she needs to rest. As she recalls, there is a party in the ballroom tonight. Her attendance is not required or expected, but if she wanted to entertain a guest she would be compensated for doing so. Otherwise, she could go visit Juanita and file a preliminary report of what she had learned so far, or she could go into town and explore for a bit. Even after living here for twenty plus years, Anaiya still had not seen the whole town, and it was expanding by the day.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya decides to update Juanita on her progress. It may not be as much as she had hoped, but the man's claim that sharing the nature of research that was already public knowledge would be treasonous was highly suspicious, and likely a sign that he was involved in some sort of nefarious activity. She washes her face and puts on a clean and pressed set of clothing before setting out, tying her hair into a tight braid and stowing a set of lockpicks inside before leaving the room.

When she locates the queen, she bows politely, keeping her gaze averted from the medusa's face. "Your Majesty, I am here to file a preliminary report on the task you appointed to me."

[NeoSeraphi]

Her Majesty, Queen Juanita II, looks down at the half-elf fondly from her throne. "My my, already? It's only been a couple of hours since I finished speaking to you about it. You certainly do move quick. I admit, it's a little disappointing. I had thought Daryan would be harder to crack than that. I specifically picked him because I thought his devotion to queen and country were unshakable. But I suppose no man is a match for your charms...well, not every one of my servants can be the absolute best, I guess. Well then, what do you have for me?"

[Diachronos]

Anaiya frowns. "Not as much as I'd hoped, to be honest. He is as devoted as I'd expected, forcing himself to keep working until he passes out from exhaustion. However, he said that sharing any of his research into the new building material with someone you hadn't authorized would be considered treason. If that were true, the project wouldn't be public knowledge; I suspect he may be involved in other experiments that go against Your wishes and would be harmful to this kingdom. I haven't been into Daryan's laboratory yet, but he is giving me a chance to work as his assistant tomorrow, so I'll likely be able to obtain some more substantial information while I'm there."

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita raises an eyebrow. "Oh? So, I suppose in the end, the servant who came up short was you? How intriguing..." She smiles teasingly at Anaiya. "And how does that make you feel? Let me guess, you just thought if you dolled yourself up and knocked on the door he'd spill all his secrets to you while you danced for him? Haha, the look on your face when he turned you down must have been priceless!"

After knowing Anaiya for so long, Juanita is more a friend to her than a superior. They gossip together often enough, and act like normal women their age when they are around each other.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya chuckles. "I feel a bit put off. That trick works on everyone else, so I thought it'd work on him too." She lightly taps one of the potion vials strapped to his belt. "Fortunately he appreciates someone with a scientific mind, so at least I had that going for me."

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya tilts her head. "Oh? Well, alright then. I certainly hope you have enough knowledge to help him. If he thinks that you're bluffing or that you're just guessing, he'll probably drop you in a second..."

[Diachronos]

"I may not have studied as much as him, but I doubt I will have too much trouble following him. If it cones down to it, maybe I can appeal to his pride in his abilities."

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita smiles. "Very well. Do your best, dear. If there is something nefarious here, I need to know about it, and you're the only one I can get to find out. If you fail, then whatever is going on will continue undiscovered, and by the time the truth is learned, it may be too late to stop whatever catastrophe results."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya winces. "You really know how to drive the point home, Your Majesty. Don't worry, though; I will find out what Daryan is up to, and you will be the first to know once I find that information."

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita nods. "I have faith in you, my dear. Believe me, you were not the only choice I could have selected for this mission. Now, if you'll excuse me, there is an execution scheduled in ten minutes..."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya bows. "Of course. I wish you a good night and pleasant dreams, my Queen."

She leaves the throne room and starts heading back to her room, though she lingers in the halls to watch the setting sun. She had to find out what was going on in Daryan's laboratory; Juanita was counting on her to avert whatever crisis lurked in that place, and if she failed... letting down her closest friend and the one she owed her life to was likely to be the least of her worries.

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita sighs and sits back against her throne, nodding to the guards. They open the door to the dungeon and a dwarf is shoved into the hall. He looks up at Juanita's throne and cowers. "M-my lady!"

Juanita smiles coldly down at the criminal. "Always nice to see one of my faithful subjects. Imas Titron, you stand accused of high treason against the crown. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

The dwarf's eyes widen and he shakes his head. "I-it wasn't me! I was set up, I promise you! I have no idea how that vial of poison ended up in my bag, but I didn't even use it on anyone!"

The queen chuckles. "How cute. You bring a weapon into the palace and then claim innocence simply because you didn't kill anyone? I have made my decision. Your sentence is death."

The dwarf shakes his head firmly. "M-my lady, please! I have always been loyal to you, and to Zephyria!"

"Guards?" Juanita calls. The men nod and reach into their helmets, pulling down a black sheet over their faces. The dwarf sees this and his blood freezes as he gazes towards the queen.

Juanita raises her hand, stopping it so it covers the right half of her face. "You should be honored. Few ever get to experience my true beauty." In one swift motion, she swipes her hand across her face, and the eyes of the serpents in her hair open all at the same time. The dwarf screams and is turned to stone.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anaiya wakes up in the morning, at approximately eight AM. She has plenty of options for her day. She could try and knock out a few visits with clients who simply wish to see her during the day (no appointments made), she could get breakfast with her friends, she could go out into the town and do a little exploring, or she could head down into the basement.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya gets dressed and heads down to the kitchens, intending to grab a quick breakfast before meeting with Daryan.

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya gets her breakfast and hears a voice from across the room. "Anaiya! Hey!"

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131017182627/blazblue/images/c/ce/Kokonoe_%28Chronophantasma,_Character_Select_Artwo rk%29.png

A bespectacled catfolk girl with pink hair and twin pink tails smiles at Anaiya. "Hey, how are you doing?"

This is Janice Mercury, a woman around Anaiya's age who studied alchemy with her. Janice was always too modest to become a courtesan, so instead she works as the lead alchemical researcher in Gale's Scientific Facility, an entirely separate building from the palace. Janice is the Director, and she commands total respect from every scientist in the region for her brilliant research of transmuting human waste into potable water. With the sewer system she administers, Gale is able to function and even grow despite being at least twice as large as any other city in the world.

She has a plate in front of her, eggs, bacon and a waffle, though all of it seems to be untouched. An open book sits between her tray and her seat, and she sucks on a lollipop as she scribbles some notes.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya smiles and sits down across from Janice. "I'm doing well, thanks. How are things going down at the Scientific Facility?" She eyes the plate in front of her friend; it seems the catfolk had been distracted by her book.

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice sighs and sucks on the lollipop a moment before answering. "Right now I'm stuck on a big project, trying to figure out how to put human souls into golems so we can have powerful super soldiers. It seems that alchemy can do almost everything for us, but it can't answer the question 'what makes a human human?'" She flips a page in her book and continues scribbling. "How about you? How's the dancing business?"

[Diachronos]

Anaiya takes a bite of her waffle. "It's... well, it could be worse. Some of my clients are utter creeps, but the work is enjoyable aside from that." She balances her fork on her finger as she considers Janice's plight. "Crazy idea, but what if you made a golem and just stuck a person inside it? Make it like a suit of armor or something."

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice chuckles. "I thought that entertaining rich scumbags and taking them for every cent they were worth was the dream? Is someone a little too popular for her own good?"

At the suggestion, Janice waves it away without a second thought. "The point is to make these men immortal, and unable to feel pain. A suit of armor solves neither problem."

[Diachronos]

"The popularity is only a boon if you're popular with the right crowd." She frowns at Janice's dismissal of her suggestion. "Just an idea. Golems aren't my strong point, and I'm not even sure if there is a good way to give them that kind of self-control without downsides."

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice sighs. "I'm not sure either. But that's why we research. So, you look nice. Got a client this early in the morning?"

[Diachronos]

"In a sense. I'm actually helping out Daryan Moschev, the alchemist that the Queen assigned to lead the research into the new building materials she'd proposed."

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice holds her lollipop in one hand while she drinks a glass of milk with the other. When the name 'Moschev' comes up, Janice's eyes widen and she chokes, coughing and trying to swallow her milk before she gives Anaiya a forced smile. "Oh, er...you're going to work with Daryan Moschev? And um, is that really what you're going to wear?" she asks, as gently as she can.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya looks down at her clothing. Navy blue leggings with a slate-grey tunic, along with her usual leather boots; what had was Janice commenting on? "Um... yeah, why? This is a normal outfit, isn't it?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice shakes her head. "Anaiya, I love you but if you show up to Daryan Moschev's lab looking like that he'll slam the door in your face."

Recalling the way Daryan had first reacted to her presence, Anaiya has a feeling that Janice may not be exaggerating here.

"Daryan likes his women smart, professional, and capable. I've got a spare lab coat that may fit you, and you're going to need some protective goggles. Probably want to put your hair into a bun too."

[Diachronos]

"I'm sure I have some goggles in my room somewhere, and it shouldn't take too long to fix my hair." How long would it take to get the lab coat?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice pushes her plate out of the way and stands up. "A 20 minute walk to my lab, and back," she answers.

She checks Anaiya's face to see if she has on her usual healthy level of makeup, and offers her a napkin to wipe off any lipstick. "Here's a bottle of acetone. It will remove the paint on your nails. And you should file them down so you don't break any gloves you wear. Basically everything you do to make yourself sexy, undo it."

[Diachronos]

"Ugh, fine..." She starts removing her makeup, frowning the whole while. "I really hope this works, I don't want to have undone all of that work for nothing." After she'd removed her makeup she runs upstairs to retrieve her goggles, and she comes back down with the goggles hanging from her wrist by the strap as she ties her hair up into a tight bun.

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice walks with Anaiya, but senses her urgency. She gives Anaiya the coat, which does not have an exposed midriff like the one Janice wears. She offers to give Anaiya a tour of the Facility another day, whenever she's free.

Janice arrives at Daryan's lab at around 10 AM. When she knocks, the researcher opens the door with his trademark annoyed expression, but the moment he lays eyes on Anaiya, he blinks in disbelief.

Daryan is speechless, spending no less than a full thirty seconds taking in Anaiya's appearance before he finally stammers out, "Ahem. Miss...Vanren, was it? A pleasure to see that you've arrived ready to work. Please, come in."

He steps aside, his attitude towards her clearly much more favorable than yesterday.

[Diachronos]

"Thanks Janice." She waves to the catfolk as she leaves, before making a beeline for the lab. The whole ordeal had taken longer than she'd hoped, so she didn't have an early arrival on her side.

Still, the change in appearance seemed to do the trick nicely. "I'm sorry I'm late, I'd have been here sooner but it took a little time to get the proper lab attire put together." She smiles at him as she steps into the lab behind him. "How are you doing today, Mister Moschev?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan falls in step behind her. The laboratory seems quite small, only three rooms. The first seems to be a room for experimentation, with many beakers full of chemicals sitting out on a table. To the left, a storage closet with more chemicals in tightly sealed jugs. To the right, a small room with a kitchen and a cot that looks like it was made for a child or a short woman. Definitely too small for the tall, lanky scientist in front of her.

The air is thick with a foul smell. Anaiya inhales the air and coughs involuntarily. The ventilation is likely very poor this far underground. She's breathing in more chemical than air at this point.

Daryan looks well-rested, clean shaven, and Anaiya can't help but notice his collar has been adjusted so the hint of the tattoo at his neckline is now completely obscured.

"Do not worry about being late. I did not specify a time after all," he mutters, already distracted by his work as he approaches the table. "I believe this combination is the one to work! I've tried sulfur, helium, gold, lead, silver, chloride, salt, but now with this mixture of barium and hydrogen bicarbonate, I will make a breakthrough!"

Once again, Anaiya feels unnerved. The energy, the obsessive attitude, it does not seem like Daryan is completely in control of himself.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya stands beside him at the table, looking over the multitude of beakers and equipment. "Have your other attempts resulted in any progress?"


Knowledge checks to get an idea of what his combinations would do to aid with the flexible material:
Arcana: [roll0] plus [roll1] inspiration
Engineering: [roll2] plus [roll3] inspiration
Craft Alchemy, if it's applicable for this? [roll4]

Finally, Sense Motive to see if he's being controlled in some way: [roll5]

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya finds herself completely lost and unsure of what to do. Daryan shakes his head as he dashes over to the table and begins pouring a liquid from a jug into a beaker.

"Not at all. I've made zero progress in three days. But, I know I can finish it soon. After all, half my work is done for me. I received a large shipment of hydrogen bicarbonate from a researcher in Terrania, and a letter describing its properties making other materials more flexible. I haven't had time to verify that myself yet, I've been experimenting! One of these elements, when combined with the compound, will create the material I seek!"

[Diachronos]

Anaiya watches as he combines the contents of the jug and the beaker. "Since you're busy with that, would you like me to look into verifying the letter's contents for you?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan nods absentmindedly.

Craft (Alchemy) check

[Diachronos]

Anaiya takes the letter and reads over it, attempting to follow its instructions to ensure that it works correctly.


Craft Alchemy: [roll0], +4 if it counts as crafting an alchemical item

[NeoSeraphi]

After careful observation, Anaiya discovers with a shock that not only does this compound have no properties that affect flexibility, but if it is combined with other elements like sulfur, helium, or gold, it can actually create a neurotoxin that causes manic behavior, insomnia, and increased heart rate when inhaled.

Prolonged exposure (three to four days) will result in a hyperactive pulse spike that will lead to a heart attack.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya clears her throat and looks over at Daryan. "I think you've been played for a fool. This compound has nothing to do with flexibility."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan frowns as the reaction he was working on finishes, releasing another burst of neurotoxin into his face but not doing anything else.

"Damn. Thought I had something there. Maybe the hardness of the catalyst is the issue? I could try platinum, or maybe titanium? I had some platinum in the closet..."

He walks over to the closet and starts rummaging, wiping a profuse amount of sweat from his brow. He doesn't seem to have heard Anaiya at all.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya frowns and grabs his shoulder. "Daryan, listen to me. Whoever sent you that hydrogen bicarbonite isn't trying to help you, they're trying to kill you. This stuff doesn't do a damn thing to affect a materials flexibility, and the concoctions you've made with it are giving off poisonous fumes." She holds up the letter and the sheet of paper she'd been using to work out the information for him to see.

[NeoSeraphi]

Just touching him, Anaiya can feel his pulse through the roof. If she doesn't do something, Daryan will be dead in minutes.

He shrugs her off, muttering incoherently to himself as he searches the closet.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya sighs and snaps her fingers, vanishing into thin air. She draws a dagger and a vial from her belt, and after applying the contents of the vial to the dagger she moves in to scratch the alchemist with the blade.


Using the major magic rogue talent to cast vanish, so she's invisible for 4 rounds. Drawing her masterwork dagger and applying a dose of drow poison to the dagger, then attacking.
Attack roll: [roll0]
Choosing to do minimum damage if possible, if it's not then [roll1], and he has to make a DC 13 fortitude save or fall unconscious.

Now watch this turn out extremely badly.

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya knocks the alchemical researcher unconscious. His pulse slows, but it is still dangerously high, and even with her training Anaiya is starting to feel the effects of the neurotoxin herself. She needs to get out of here.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya drags Daryan out of the room and toward the stairs. She periodically checks his pulse to see what kind of state he's in, though when she arrives at the stairs she hesitates; she wasn't strong enough to drag him up that many flights, but she couldn't afford to leave him here by himself with his condition. After checking his vitals again, she calls up the stairs to try getting someone's attention.

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan's pulse is slowly coming down, but it's still about ten beats per minute faster than is healthy.

When Anaiya calls up the stairs, a pair of guards look down to see her. One of them looks confused. "Hey, isn't that the really slutty courtesan who entertains lots of older men?" he asks his partner. The other guard shakes his head. "No way, dude, look at her, she's so...plain."

They come down the stairs and help Daryan up to his room, and then they go and fetch a healer for him.

Anaiya is left alone in Daryan's suite to collect herself.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya considers going back into the lab right away, but decides against it; there was no way in hell she was going back in there until she had some form of extra defense against the fumes or it had had a chance to clear out. She locks the door to the lab and heads up to her room, where she searches around for anything that would provide her with some extra defense against the toxins. She also takes a moment to apply some of her makeup again so she looks more like her usual self. I wonder if I should get Janice...

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya's knowledge of inhaled poisons tells her that as long as she holds a cloth or something similar to her face, she will not breathe in enough of the toxin for it to be harmful to her. If she did that, she could spend up to about three minutes in the lab safely, if she should so choose.

[Diachronos]

She grabs a couple of scarves from her closet and heads back down to the lab, taking a minute to unlock the door and heading inside with one of the scarves wrapped around her head and covering her mouth.

In the room, she starts scanning the place for a sign of who had sent the hydrogen bicarbonate to Daryan, or at least why someone might desire to have him killed.

Perception: [roll0] plus [roll1] inspiration

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya doesn't need to look far for that. The letter is signed, "Dimitri Chekov".

[Diachronos]

Anaiya pockets the letter and takes another quick search for anything else that would provide some insight before retreating from the room again. If there is any chalk in the room, she grabs a piece in order to write a warning that the air inside is unsafe after she leaves and closes the door.


Knowledge checks on Dimitri:
Local: [roll0] plus [roll1]
Nobility: [roll2] plus [roll3]
Arcana: [roll4] plus [roll5]

[NeoSeraphi]

Dimitri Chekov is a respected alchemist from the nation of Terrania.

Anaiya searches around for a bit, finding little else in the lab, and picks up some chalk to write on the door.

It is now approximately 12 PM. She imagines that Janice would be taking a lunch, so it'd be easy to go see her. Daryan is also likely awake and recovering in his room, perhaps she should apologize for knocking him out? Of course, Her Majesty does need to be informed at some point that a foreign scientist attempted to assassinate one of her top alchemists.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya considers her options before heading up to Daryan. Better to explain things to him before he started spreading the word that she'd stabbed him after convincing him she wanted to help with his research.

When she arrives at his room, she knocks and waits a moment before slowly opening the door. "Mr. Moschev, are you in here?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan is sitting up on his couch. His lab coat, tie, and shirt lay on the floor, forgotten, and he has some bandages wrapped around his chest and back, covering the spot where Anaiya stabbed him. Anaiya notices with slight irritation that these bandages are covering up the majority of the tattoo on his chest. He takes his glasses off and sets them down on the table next to him. "I'm here. Come in, Miss Varnen."

[Diachronos]

She steps into the room. "I wanted to apologize for what happened down in the lab. Even if it was to save your life, stabbing and poisoning you like that was out of line."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan shakes his head. "You acted on instinct. That's what's necessary to save people. Science can reason and postulate, and experiment until they know the absolute best solution, but it's important to trust your gut sometimes too. Thank you for your help, Miss Varnen."

[Diachronos]

"I guess it's a good thing I came along to help with your experiments. If nobody had caught the true nature of what your so-called 'friend' from Terrania had sent to you, you'd likely be dying of a heart attack right now." She pulls out the letter. "Do you have any idea why Dimitri Chekov would send you something this toxic?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan shakes his head. "We are just colleagues. I've never met the man. I've proofread one or two of his articles before he published them, and I've read other work by him. He's a genius, truly, but there's no bad blood between us that I am aware of."

[Diachronos]

She nods and folds the letter before tucking it back into her belt pouch. "I need to speak with Queen Juanita to see about having this investigated further. The malice might not be directed at you, but it's clear that someone in Terrania holds a grudge against someone here in Zephyria." Anaiya pauses a moment before looking at him again. "How are you feeling, Daryan? Were they able to neutralize the poison?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan sighs and nods. "Both the neurotoxin and the poison you injected me with have been drained out of my system. I feel like I got hit by a truck though. I'll be sure to give Her Majesty a report about the toxicity of this compound as well as all the details about it being sent to me."

[Diachronos]

"I'll let her know that you'll be sending it. For now, though, you should probably get some sleep. The neurotoxin's wrecked your sleep schedule, so your body needs the extra rest to recover." She waves to him and turns to leave, intending to check in with Juanita next.

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan slowly gets to his feet, staggering his way to the bed behind her.

----------------------------------

When Anaiya arrives in the throne room, she finds Juanita looking at her expectantly. "So...I received a report from my guards that you carried a poisoned man out of a laboratory and then asked them for help getting him to his room...the location of which was already known to you. Care to share any important details?"

[Diachronos]

Anaiya relays what she discovered about the materials Daryan was using in his research, as well as where they'd come from and what effect the neurotoxin was having upon him. "I don't have the physical strength to drag a grown man up multiple flights of stairs, otherwise I'd have brought him to his room myself. And given the state he was in, it made more sense to have the guards get him to his room and fetch a healer than it would have for me to do it all on my own."

She sighs and rubs her neck. "It's highly unlikely this business with the research material was some sort of misunderstanding. Someone was trying to harm Daryan or someone else involved in the building material research, and if Terrania isn't involved then someone is trying to frame them for it."

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita sighs. "Well then...this is just perfect, I guess. The Duke of Terrania sent me a letter requesting that I sell you to him. I think we'll go along with that for now. I'll sell you to the Duke and you can become his personal private entertainer, and then when he takes you back to Terrania, you can investigate this Chekov person yourself."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya blinks and stares at Juanita. "W... wait... you can't really be considering that, can you?" She lets out a nervous chuckle. "I-it'd just be a fake sale, right? ....right?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita shakes her head. "Of course not. I'd be in enough trouble if it were somehow discovered that you were actually a spy investigating a foreigner without me talking to anyone in the country about it. If I not only did that, but also renigged on a fair and honest slave trade deal with a foreign noble, then we might have an actual conflict between the two nations on her hands. ...Why? Do you have a problem with me selling you to that man?"

[Diachronos]

"To be perfectly honest, there is a whole list of problems I have with servicing him for even a single hour, let alone being his property." She sighs and rubs her temples. "But I will abide by your decision, Your Majesty. Learning about this potential threat to our great nation is far more important than my distaste for the Duke of Terrania. With any luck I'll find a way to free myself from being his slave without provoking any hostility between Zephyria and Terrania while I'm there."

After taking a moment to come to terms with her fate, she looks up. "How long do I have before this deal is made official, my Queen?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The queen sighs and shakes her head. "The security of my citizens and my nation must always take precedence over their privacy and comfort. Even for a friend...but I suppose I'll be lenient just this once. I will hold on responding to the Duke, and I shall give you forty eight hours to find a way to investigate Chekov without accepting the Duke's offer. You cannot travel into Terrania without a work visa, and unfortunately 'courtesan' is not an accepted profession on those documents. That said, you are an innovative young woman. I'm sure you can come up with something. If you can find a way to safely travel into Terrania without drawing attention to your true identity, or to the crown, then I shall refuse the sale."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya's relief is plain on her face at that news. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will see what I can do about finding a legitimate profession to list for a work visa. If... if I don't find one within two days, I'll go along with the sale."

Assuming Juanita has nothing else to add, Anaiya heads out of the palace to find Janice; her friend may know people in Terrania that would need someone with her non-courtesan talents, and her alchemy training meant that she probably had the closest ties to Dimitri of anyone in Gale aside from Daryan.

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya finds the Facility, and after speaking to the receptionist, she makes her way to Janice's office, only to find that she isn't there. A woman walking by smiles politely. "Oh? Here to see the Director? She's working on the sewage system right now. It's a bit odd for the head of our agency to do that kind of grunt work, I know, but she insists that no one else be allowed to perform even basic maintenance on 'her baby'."

....Meanwhile, somewhere else....

Janice screws in one last bolt and grins ear to ear. "Alright, done! Good as new! Well, I'd say that deserves a victory su- Ah, my lollipop!" She gasps as she watches her precious sweets drop into the sewage below. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

-----------------------------------------------

The woman's explanation is cut off as a scream shakes the foundation of the Facility. The sound echoes throughout the halls, as if a million voices cried out in anguish, and were suddenly silenced. The woman sighs and forces a smile. "That probably means she's finished! If you wait here I'm sure she won't be too long..."

-----------------------------------------------

After about ten minutes, Janice walks up to her office, sucking on a lollipop and wiping some urine off her lab coat. "Huh? Anaiya? What are you doing here? It's only been three hours, how could you possibly have screwed up enough to get fired in three hours?"

[Diachronos]

"Well, stabbing someone with a dagger laced with drow poison so you could drag him out of a laboratory filled with poisonous gas takes considerably less time than one might expect." She pulls out the letter from Daryan's lab. "Janice, Moschev was sent a shipment of a compound that turns into a poison when mixed with other substances, and the stuff nearly killed him earlier today. With it was a letter from a Terranian alchemist named Dimitri Chekov telling him it was exactly what was needed to develop the building material that Queen Juanita was looking for." She lays the letter on the desk so that her friend can examine it if she wishes.

"The Queen wants me to investigate who is behind this and why, but... ugh, the only way for me to get into Terrania right now is for me to get sold as a slave to the Duke. Her Majesty's given me 48 hours to put together a work visa with a legitimate profession so that we can avoid me being sold, but I'm at a loss. Courtesan work doesn't count for a work visa, so I was hoping that you might know someone from Terrania that would have a need for a novice alchemist to help them out."

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice raises an eyebrow and reads the letter. "Chekov, huh? ...Hydrogen bicarbonate? Hmmm...he's sneaky alright. He's read most of Daryan's work, so he knows that Daryan's primary interest is in metals. A gaseous compound like that wouldn't be something he'd ever had any experience with previously. ...If you want my opinion, this letter is legitimate. And the reason I say that is because I'm fairly certain that Chekov is one of very few people who knew that Daryan was working alone. No way would anyone try a stunt like this on a researcher who had an assistant. An assistant would be a potential witness, or worse, an unintended victim."

Janice opens the door to her office and searches in her desk for a moment, before pulling out a stack of papers. She takes the top one off and hands it to Anaiya. It seems to be the first page of a very long scientific paper, but what catches Anaiya's attention is the glossy on top. An older human male, with wiry hair and a wrinkled face. Oddly enough, he looks exactly like Anaiya first guessed Daryan would look.

"Dimitri Chekov is a dangerous man to mess with, but if anyone can look into this without getting caught, it's you," Janice comments. "As for the work visa, I'm afraid I don't know anyone who's hiring at the moment. At least, not for trips into Terrania. Terrania's not an easy place to get into already, so the trade route between Terrania and Zephyria isn't the most active. But...I do know of another method that could get you there. One that's, erm, similar to the queen's idea, but less revolting."

She sighs and shrugs. "You could fake marry someone who was going to Terrania anyway. Then piggyback off of his work visa. Just find someone who's going to Terrania and pay him to fake marry you and bring you along, then do your investigation while he's working. You'd draw even less attention to yourself as a foreigner's house wife than you would as a migrant worker."

Shaking her head, she sighs. "It's just a suggestion. If you don't like it, then I'm sure there's someone in town who could hire you. I just don't know who. You don't have a lot of work experience to draw on, and very few references other than Juanita herself, which probably wouldn't be the best idea to bring up with a potential employer."

[Diachronos]

"Hmm... the false marriage thing sounds like it would be a lot easier to work with than getting hired. Especially on such short notice. The only issue is finding someone who is going that way and willing to go along with the scheme. If I screw this up and get caught, then whoever is my 'husband' is going to be in just as much trouble as I am." She smiles at Janice. "Thanks for the advice. I'll try to swing by and visit again before I have to leave for Terrania."

With that bit of information, she heads back into the city. Now she just had to find someone going to Terrania... would it be better to search in the city, or among her clients in the palace? She decides to try the city first.

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya begins searching throughout the city, using her intelligence to try and find the places where candidates would most likely be. First, she stops at the merchantry, but she learns that the King of Terrania has recently filed sanctions against Zephyria because he condemns Juanita's use of the death penalty, calling Zephyria's ruler a barbarian.

Then she tries a local string of mercenaries, figuring that maybe some foreign noble would have reached out to them for some force, but she has similar luck.

After wandering around in the enormous capital for an hour and a half, Anaiya starts to feel tired. She decides to stop in a bar, to get herself something to drink and possibly find a new lead. As she walks in, she spies someone she didn't expect to see at all!

Daryan Moschev is sitting at a table, wearing a black cloak with the hood pulled low, but Anaiya can spot him easily with the tip of the tattoo peeking out from the bandages around his chest. He seems to be discussing something with another person, though that person is similarly garbed in a black cloak with a hood that obscures all recognizable features, and the second person's back is to Anaiya so she can't even see their face.

After Anaiya orders a drink, the second person stands up and walks away, leaving Daryan alone at the table. He drinks in silence, looking a little troubled.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya is just about to give up and return to the castle when she spots Daryan in the bar. After the cloaked figure with him departs, she collects her drink and heads over to the table. "I didn't expect to see you up and about so soon." She frowns upon seeing his expression. "Why the long face?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan looks up as Anaiya sits down. He sighs and stares down into his drink. "I am fully aware that I should be resting right now, but though the neurotoxin has been purged from my body, the egregious amount of caffeine I consumed while poisoned has not. I can't sleep."

When she asks him why he looks upset, he gives her a 'are-you-serious' look before politely responding, "Someone just attempted to take my life, Miss Varnen. Would you expect me to be skipping stones at the lake after something like that?"

[Diachronos]

She sighs. "Well, I thought it might have to do with the person you were just speaking with before I arrived. Or was that just a chance meeting between friends?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan shakes his head. "No," he replies, adjusting his glasses as his expression changes to a more solemn one. "I was just meeting with a colleague. Pulling some strings to get my work visa to Terrania renewed. I'm going to go there and find out why Dimitri wanted to have me killed."

[Diachronos]

"I see... well, as it so happens the Queen is sending me there to investigate that very thing. The thing is, I don't have a work visa and getting one on such short notice is proving to be a real challenge. My friend Janice suggested 'marrying' someone who's already going there, since a house wife would be able to get into Terrania using her husband's visa."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan raises an eyebrow. "Well, unfortunately, I may have agreed to let you become my assistant, but getting you a work visa on such short notice would be almost impossible. I plan to leave in two days."

When she mentions the marriage thing, Daryan spits out his drink and stares at her. "What? Marriage? What, to me?" he asks, stunned.

[Diachronos]

"That's the idea, yes. We wouldn't actually be married, though, we'd just act like we are. Maybe get some documentation to make it seem legitimate in case anybody questions it."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan sees how calmly Anaiya is discussing this ridiculous proposition and collects himself to match her. "Ahem. I see. Well, if this is Her Majesty's will then I am hardly in a position to say no, though my mother is going to be furious at me."

He raises his gaze to meet hers. "Alright then. Um, is it fine that I call you 'Anaiya' from now on then? It would be a little awkward otherwise."

[Diachronos]

"I'll need to arrange for the appropriate documents with Her Majesty before it's time for us to leave, then." She smiles at him when he asks about calling her by her first name. "That's perfectly fine. May I start calling you 'Daryan' in that case?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"You already have on numerous occasions," Daryan points out, sipping his drink. "Marriage...well, I suppose you did save my life, so I do owe you a debt but still...Hmm...Can I buy you a drink?" he asks, indicating his empty mug as he stands up.

[Diachronos]

"That would be lovely." She finishes off her own drink and watches as he goes over to get another set for them. While she was glad that she'd found someone willing to go along with this crazy scheme, it made her worried; Daryan was already being targeted, and if he came to Terrania with her he would be walking right into the home turf of whoever wanted him dead..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan comes back with a pair of drinks and sets one down in front of her. "Well, if we're going to pretend that we're married, we'll need to know a little about each other first. Tell me about yourself, Anaiya."

[Diachronos]

"Well, I was practically raised by Queen Juanita since my parents had abandoned me as a child. I started taking alchemy lessons with Janice while I was growing up, and ended up working as a courtesan for Her Majesty a few years ago. I like reading and taking walks on starry nights, and I have a liking for cats and birds."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan smiles. "Wow, you sound surprisingly normal. For a woman so exotic and beautiful, I confess I was expecting something more complex, but I'm pleasantly surprised."

He seems to have calmed down from her abrupt suggestion, and has relaxed a little.

[Diachronos]

"Oh? What sort of thing were you expecting?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan chuckles. "I don't know, something like you were actually a spy sent by Her Majesty to seduce me so that she could learn the true nature of my project, or you appear on the outside as a beautiful dancer, but you actually poison and murder your clients and sweep it under the rug. 'The Fang of Juanita', or something like that." He takes another sip of his drink. "All nonsense, obviously. It was unfair of me to judge you simply because of your profession, Anaiya. You may not be 'innocent' or 'pure', but you're certainly no wicked temptress who is only interested in men for money or power. I apologize for being rude to you when we first met."

[Diachronos]

She takes a sip of her drink to keep her composure; aside from the "murder her clients" bit, that was surprisingly spot-on with her real profession. Fortunately he seemed to be dismissive of the notion, so hopefully that would be the end of her worries about him finding out her real profession.

"In all honesty, my clients are in more danger of me smothering them or their old hearts giving out than they are of me deliberately attacking or poisoning them. I do keep a few doses of drow poison and oil of restfulness on hand if they start getting violent, but nothing that would be lethal."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan nods. "I have to say, I'm relieved. It's a lot easier to talk to you now that I know you're so...normal. I admit, when we first met I was a little intimidated. Your looks, your grace, and your scientific knowledge...you're like Janice Mercury herself!"

He clears his throat. "I suppose I should go next. My father lives in Aquarius, and my mother is a quilter here in Gale. I joined the Facility as a research assistant five years ago, and published several articles about various alchemical topics. I worked directly under Janice Mercury for a while, until she gave her recommendation to the Queen that I was better suited as a solitary researcher than an assistant. I left the Facility and joined the courts about six months ago. When I'm not working, I enjoy a nice book and a tall glass of wine. Oh and er...I suppose I should tell you that I've never kissed a woman before."

[Diachronos]

"Wow, a recommendation from Janice? You must've really impressed her." His last comment gave her pause; was he being serious? "That last bit might have to be remedied if we're going to convince anyone. Not, that I mind, of course." She gives him a playful wink.

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan clears his throat. "I don't take pride in my work, but Director Mercury was particularly impressed with my paper on transmutation of stone to mud through alchemical means rather than magic. As for 'convincing' anyone of our relationship, it's normal for couples to abstain from showing physical affection in front of others, particularly strangers, so displaying physical contact in front of others for their sake might actually be a detriment and seem like we're trying too hard to convince people of our 'love'." He sips his drink.

[Diachronos]

"Fair enough. This might be a learning experience for me as well... I'm not overly familiar with 'traditional' relationships, at least not from personal experience."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan's cheeks flush a bit and he shakes his head. "Th-there's nothing for you to learn here! We just act like friends around other people, call each other by our first names and smile a bit when we look at each other, and then when no one's around you go about your business and I'll go about mine. Simple as that."

[Diachronos]

"Alright, then." She takes another sip of her drink. "What do you intend to do when you find the one behind this?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan shakes his head. "I don't care who's trying to kill me, I just want to know why. Then we can talk it out peacefully and figure out a solution. Maybe one of my articles contained information that was used to hurt someone? In that case, I can make amends to that person. Or perhaps I made a mistake in a citation and accidentally used someone else's research without giving them proper credit, which would be a horrible mistake on my part. I can print an official retraction and apology."

[Diachronos]

"Here's hoping they're in a 'talk it out' mood. If they're willing to kill you over something like forgetting to credit them or someone else using your findings to harm others, they might not be willing to work things out peacefully."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan frowns. "Hm. I suppose you're right. But I'm sure if we just had a chance to sit down and talk like gentlemen we'd be able to work something out. Dimitri and I are fellow scholars after all. We have so much in common, why couldn't we be friends?"

He looks up at her. "Well, I don't want to keep you. You likely have a lot to do if you're going to uproot yourself and move to another country in two days. I certainly don't mind your company though, so if you want to stay a little longer, that's fine with me, but if you need to go I won't be offended."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya shakes her head. "I enjoy your company as well, but I need to make sure we can make this work before you have to leave. Her Majesty has given me 48 hours to find a way into Terrania, and I want to make sure I find a way so I don't have to..." She shudders and shakes her head again. "I really don't want to have to take the alternative method of getting into the country."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan nods. "Well then, I guess you'll be needing this. I'll expect it back later, but for now you can come and go as you please, where I'm concerned."

He hands her a keyring. It appears to have spare keys to Daryan's lab and to his apartment.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya nods and tucks the keyring into her shirt. "I'll be sure to return it as soon as this whole mess is taken care of. Just a word of warning, though, you may want to give your lab a little time to air out before spending any lengthy amount of time inside."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan nods and goes back to his drink.

Where will Anaiya head now?

[Diachronos]

Anaiya finishes her drink and heads back to the palace. Juanita would likely know how best to go about getting the paperwork for hers and Daryan's "marriage."

When she locates the queen, she smiles. "A work visa didn't quite turn out, but I may have found an alternative. Daryan was already in the process of renewing his visa to go to Terrania, but his wife wouldn't need that kind of documentation, would she?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita raises an eyebrow. "Inventive. But considering you were just dispatched to investigate him, do you really think it's safe to go across the border with him? What if my initial concerns are correct and he is a traitor?"

[Diachronos]

"If he is in fact a traitor, then he'll find out that Anaiya Vanren isn't just some bright-minded courtesan. Besides, what better way to make sure he's not really a traitor than to stick close to him?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita raises an eyebrow. "And you somehow got him to agree to this? Well okay. I can have the two of you wed tomorrow, but the date will be listed on the certificate, so if you don't act like newly weds it will be an obvious act to anyone who sees the document."

[Diachronos]

"I'm as surprised as you are that he agreed." She bows when Juanita says that she'll have the arrangements made. "Thank you, my queen. I will be sure to let him know what needs to be done."

If there is nothing else to discuss with the queen about the false marriage, she heads up to her room to change, intending to try meeting with a couple of clients while there was still daylight.

[NeoSeraphi]

When Anaiya returns to her room, a maid is there to inform her that the Duke of Terrania and his guest are waiting for her in her private dance room.

[Diachronos]

"Are you serious?" She lets out an exasperated sigh. "Fiiine, I'll be there in a bit..." Why now, of all times? She'd just gotten out of being sold to him, did she really have to entertain him now?

Anaiya sets to dressing herself to the Duke's preferences. "Do you happen to know who his guest is?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The maid shakes his head. "No, Miss. He was an older gentleman. Kind of a wrinkled face. I don't think I've seen him before."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya thinks for a moment before asking about some of the man's features; specifically, asking if they matched what she had seen to be Dimitri's features.

[NeoSeraphi]

The maid seems disturbed when Anaiya probes for details about the man's appearance, stating that she didn't look at him that closely, and muttering under her breath as she leaves "So she really is into older men..."

[Diachronos]

The half-elf rolls her eyes; the maid got that impression from her wanting to know what the guy looked like?

She finishes changing and leaves her belongings, save for the dagger that Juanita had given her, behind; she straps the dagger into the scarf-like belt of her outfit where it can be easily reached if things turn bad. Anaiya heads for her private dance room, hoping that the Duke wasn't going to expect too much of her this time.

[NeoSeraphi]

As Anaiya approaches her dance room, she hears the sounds of two men conversing. The walls are paper thin so that if someone tries something on her she can scream for help (though of course the clients don't know that).

"Vladimir, we most get back to work soon. We kannot afford to waste our time here."

"Patience, Dimitri. I promise you, thees girl is worth the wait. She is, how you say, talented."

"How do you even know she will show up?"

"I don't. That's the game. She is a...wild mare. You get no appointments, no guarantee. You come, you sit, and if she has the time, she allows you to be entertained."

"Sounds like a scam to me."

"It's quite alright, Dimitri. For now, we wait. The waiting is the best part. While I wait I can...plan all the things I will have her do to me."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya pauses outside the room. So it was Dimitri that was with him. That was a bit of surprising news, one that made it worth the skin-crawling feeling that the Duke's voice brought to her. Since he wasn't expecting her to show up, she decided to linger for a moment to see if she could pick up anything else.

[NeoSeraphi]

"It is quiet, Dimitri. Perhaps the plan has failed?"

"Or, perhaps the plan has succeeded, and the guards are not investigating because they believe it to be a simple heart attack."

"But the letter, it is clear evidence..."

"Ha! You clearly do not know Daryan Moschev at all, komrade. That man is a walking pile of papers. A single note is unlikely to gain much attention amidst all the trash that likely litters his korpse."

"Still...perhaps he discovered the trap?"

"Vladimir, if he discovered the trap, that only means that he is worth killing. Do not fear. That is why we are here. We shall make sure that if he avoided the trap, he still will not wake up in the morning."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya grits her teeth upon hearing that. So they were trying to kill Daryan, though that didn't explain why. At least now she would have a legitimate excuse if Juanita asked why she had brushed off the Duke when he was waiting for her. They wanted Daryan killed, and they were determined to make sure it happened.

She turns away and heads downstairs, making a beeline for Daryan's room.

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya arrives at Daryan's room at approximately 5 PM. After letting herself in with the key he gave her, she discovers his suite is currently empty. The place is a total mess, with papers, clothes, dishes, and food packages everywhere.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya frowns when it becomes apparent that Daryan hasn't been back yet. After a moment of mental debate, she heads back out of the room and down toward his lab; maybe he'd gone back to it?

[NeoSeraphi]

The lab door is actually open. It seems that Juanita has ordered it to air out, so no one is down there, but the gas has been let out and is now harmlessly mixing with the air.

[Diachronos]

Where is he? She heads back upstairs toward her room, swinging by the palace entrance in case he's just getting back.

[NeoSeraphi]

When Anaiya swings by the castle entrance, she sees Daryan walking in, a little shaky in his steps. He is clearly heavily intoxicated, it seems like he's been at that bar drinking all this time.

[Diachronos]

Seeing the state he's in, Anaiya comes over and loops her arm through his before starting to lead him up to his room. Recalling the Duke and Dimitri in her dance room, she takes a more roundabout path to decrease their chances of running into the older Terranians. "I think you had a little too much to drink, my friend. You're going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning."

[NeoSeraphi]

"What? Hangover! Hah! You speak nonsense, little girl! We Terranians can drink as moch as we like without ever even feeling it!" Daryan replies, slurring his words heavily, and a bit of his native accent slipping past his normally composed lips. "Let me go, I can make it back to my room on my own."

As Anaiya approaches Daryan's room, she sees Dimitri and the Duke standing there, knocking. "Daryan, komrade! My friend Dimitri Chekov would very much like to meet you face to face! He is very impressed with your latest paper!" the Duke calls.

Daryan's eyes light up. "Chekov likes my paper? Oh man, if I kan get his endorsement I kould probably get a raise..."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya pulls Daryan back when she spots the Duke. Son of a bitch! Why do they have to be there now?! "Hey Daryan, I actually have a few bottles of nice alcohol stored in my room, what do you say we uncork a couple of them?"


Bluff? [roll0] plus [roll1] inspiration
Diplomacy? [roll2] plus [roll3] inspiration

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan raises an eyebrow. "What? A true Terranian gentleman like myself would never drink alone with a woman! Even the slightest chance that something unkind towards her might happen must be avoided at all kosts. Even though I kannot get drunk, I also would never trust myself not to say or do something untoward if the sauce were involved. Now, if you will exkuse me, I most go and meet with my komrades. It would be very rude to keep them waiting when they are klearly knocking on my door." He starts to struggle against her.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya tightens her grip on his arm and starts speaking in a hushed-yet-fierce tone. "Daryan, I overheard them talking. They were deliberately trying to kill you with that poison, and Dimitri said that they were going to make sure you didn't survive the night if the poison didn't do the job. I'm not going to let you walk over there and get yourself killed just because you're too smashed to think clearly."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan blinks. "Geez, you are skary like Mama. Very well, little girl. But if they are truly after my life, then where in the kastle kould we possibly hide? The Duke knows you, he will find his way to your room eventually."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya thinks for a moment. "Then we won't hide in the castle. We can find a room for the night at one of the inns in town. Or one of my friends could put us up for the night... didn't you say your mother lived here too?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan blinks. "What is this 'we' you speak of, little girl? If they are after my life, why would you come too? You have no need to hide, but if you are not present for the Duke's pleasure, then he may get suspicious, no? You are a kor- a kor-...you dance for money. So go dance. I kan make it to an inn on my own."

[Diachronos]

"You just tried to walk up to the man who tried to poison you. Right now I wouldn't trust you to open a jar of jam by yourself." She tugs his arm toward the direction they'd come from. "Besides, the Duke doesn't even know if I'll show up. It won't surprise him too much if he never sees me."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan relents and allows Anaiya to lead him out of the castle. He moves slowly, but carefully. Thankfully, he doesn't look anything like the scientist who normally dashes around the place, so no one recognizes him. Anaiya gets out of the castle and into the city. There are a few places she could go from here.

She could ask Daryan where his mother lives and stash him there.

She could go to one of the three inns nearby. The Arching Dragon, The Roaring Hydra, or The Drowning Merrow. (Know: Local check required for each one if she wants info)

She could go to the Facility and see if Janice is willing to help her.

She could just leave Gale and try to find a place less conspicuous in Zephyria's suburban areas, or travel even further and look for the countryside.

[Diachronos]

"Hey Daryan, where does your mother live?"


[roll0]+[roll1] inspiration

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan thinks. "My Mama? She lives in the Garden Distrikt, it's past the vineyard. Oh, at this time of night she most be making her delicious borscht. Ah, how it would taste so good on this chilly winter night. Of kourse, we kannot disturb my Mama by barging in on her unannounced! Not only would that be inkredibly rude, but it would also be the first time that my Mama saw me with a girl at all. It would be, how you say, awkward."

[Diachronos]

"Alright then, her place is out of the question..." She wracks her brain as she tries to think of what each of the inns is like.

After some thought, she starts leading them toward the Roaring Hydra. The Arching Dragon was likely to be a better fit for Daryan's personality, but that just made it a likely target if they started searching the inns. Plus, with her current attire she was less likely to draw unwanted attention at a nature-themed inn than an intellectual's den.

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya arrives at the inn, where it is pretty peaceful as she spies many people sitting calmly on the grass, drinking and relaxing. Smoke hangs heavy in the air, as pipes are passed around everywhere. The centauress standing behind the desk spies Anaiya and gives her a look. "Nice lab coat. Judging by the smell, I'm guessing you've already gotten your fill of drinks somewhere else. Want a room?" She doesn't seem particularly friendly, but then, Anaiya figures, there's little reason for her to be.

[Diachronos]

"Yes, we would, please." She smiles to the centauress and leads Daryan up to the desk. "Do you have any vacancies?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Solithia observes the woman's attitude and sighs. "I suppose I can spare a room. It's 3 silver a night. Meals not included. Here's the key. Your room number is 204. Upstairs, down the hall, on the right." She hands the key to Anaiya after taking her silver and counting it.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya hands over the key and leads Daryan to the room. "Alright, time for you to go to bed, mister."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan complies without much pushing, peeling off his clothes and climbing into the queen sized bed, settling into the far end and falling asleep fairly quickly.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya lies down on the other end of the bed, tucking her dagger under the pillow in easy reach. She stays awake for a little while before letting herself fall asleep.

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya wakes up in the morning to discover she is alone. There is a note written at the foot of the bed that says "Thank you for your help last night - Daryan".

[Diachronos]

Anaiya curses and gets out of bed, quickly adjusting her clothes and heading out to find the innkeeper. "Did my companion from last night happen to say where he was going when he left?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Solithia looks up as Anaiya approaches her. The centauress yawns and looks annoyed. "Geez, not so loud, will ya? Some of us actually stayed up working all night and still have to be awake at this hour to answer questions about one night stands like you." She rubs her eyes and then stretches. "He said something about going to see his mother. And unsurprisingly, you tramped down here in yesterday's clothes, so just take your walk of shame and move on, cupcake."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya bites her tongue instead of arguing with the innkeeper. Things seemed exactly the way the centauress seemed to think they'd happened, and she didn't have any real proof to the contrary. She walks out of the inn and starts heading for the palace, intending to get cleaned up and properly dressed before locating Daryan again.

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya arrives at the palace without incident and heads to her room. After freshening up a bit and putting on some clean clothes, she is ready to face the day. It occurs to her that she can dress as an 'on the clock' courtesan, or perhaps go with her more normal attire like she was originally going to wear to be Daryan's assistant. Of course, she still has the lab coat, so she could dress like a research assistant if she likes, with fresh clothes underneath.

[Diachronos]

Given that Daryan was likely with his mother, Anaiya opts for the more professional attire that she'd worn when acting as his assistant. She leaves the goggles in the lab coat's pocket, but takes the time to put her hair up in a bun before setting out.

Hopefully her sudden appearance wouldn't cause any trouble with Daryan's mother...

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya manages to track down the Moschev household after some asking around. The Garden District is lovely this time of year, with a special type of flower that only blooms in the snow, where the ground is constantly wet. When Anaiya knocks on the door, an older Terranian woman opens it. She tilts her head, looking at the girl in front of her. "Sorry, little girl," she says, with a thick accent, "I do not want whatever it is you are selling. Good bye now."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya shakes her head. "I'm not selling anything, Ma'am. My name is Anaiya, I'm Daryan's assistant. He wouldn't happen to still be here, would he?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The woman's eyes blink wide when she hears her son's name, only to frown when she hears the word 'assistant'. "Oh. I should have expected as moch with that get-up. Oy! Daryan!" she calls over her shoulder.

The researcher appears next to his mother, freshly showered and wearing what appears to be a casual blue polo and denim slacks. A stark change from his normal professional outerwear. As always, Anaiya spies a hint of a tattoo at his neckline. He looks surprised to see her. "Ana - ahem. I mean, Miss Varnen, what a surprise. I didn't expect you to contact me at my home. Is there a problem?"

Daryan's mother grabs a cane from a basket beside the door and smacks her son on the back of the head with it, which is very comical to see since she's barely five feet tall compared to her son's five nine/five ten stature. "Boy, that is not how I raised you! Now invite the young lady in like a proper Terranian gentleman!"

Daryan winces and rubs the back of his head. "Of course, Mama," he says, all traces of his accent gone. He says the word 'Mama' the way Anaiya might expect to hear a Zephyrian child say it. "Excuse my rudeness, Miss Varnen. This is my mother, Izolda Moschev. Won't you please join us for some tea?"

[Diachronos]

Anaiya tries not to chuckle as Izolda smacks Daryan. "Some tea would be lovely. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan nods and steps aside as Anaiya comes in, but winces as he spies his mother's death glare. "Please, allow me to take your coat, ma'am," he offers, reaching out and expertly removing Anaiya's lab coat, hanging it on the wall. Izolda smiles. "That's better. I apologize for my son's rudeness, Miss...Oh, my, I don't believe I got your name."

"It's Anaiya!" Daryan quickly says, trying to avoid his mother's wrath.

Izolda smiles even wider. "Ah, what a lovely name. Do you mind if I call you 'Ana', little one? If I say the whole thing I'll probably just slip and call you Anastasia, that is a common Terranian name that sounds very similar."

After she receives Anaiya's answer, Izolda will nod. "You are welcome to stay in my home as long as you like. I shall go and make the tea. Please, rest your weary feet in the living room with my Daryan. And Daryan, don't even think about talking about work! This nice young lady has sought you out all the way from the palace, so pay attention to her."

Daryan nods and Izolda heads into the kitchen. The researcher sighs as soon as she's out of earshot and walks into the living room, sitting down on a chair. "Okay, wow. What are you doing here?" he asks.

[Diachronos]

"Ana is fine, ma'am." After Izolda heads into the kitchen, Anaiya sits in one of the chairs across from Daryan. "You sort of just disappeared after last night so I came looking for you. I was worried something might've happened."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan chuckles. "That's why I left the note, so you'd know that I was okay. I had to come see my mother while I had the chance, I couldn't just leave the country without letting her know."

Izolda comes back in with a fresh hot cup of tea for each of them. Daryan accepts his and drinks it like water, whereas when Anaiya puts her lips to it she has to quickly remove them to avoid being burned. After about thirty seconds, the tea fully cools down and she can sip it.

Izolda smiles. "So. Ana. How did you get assigned to Daryan's lab? Daryan told me that he wouldn't be having any assistants while he worked at the palace."

[Diachronos]

"Queen Juanita assigned me to assist him with the project she had requested. Her Majesty saw how hard that he was pushing himself to meet her expectations, and wanted to take some of the burden off of him."

[NeoSeraphi]

Izolda nods. "Well, you certainly seem like you have a good head on your shoulders. I was worried when they moved him to the palace that he might get wrapped up by one of those sluts in the court with the gold trim on their clothes, but it's nice to see that there are other smart young minds for him to befriend there."

Daryan groans and shakes his head. "Mama, you're being nosy again."

Izolda's eyes widen in offense. "Who ees being nosy? I just want to know who she ees. You don't mind, right Ana dear?"

[Diachronos]

"I don't mind at all, ma'am. But I don't think you need to worry about one of Her Majesty's courtesans stealing him away. I saw one of them offer her services to him the other day and he showed absolutely no interest."

[NeoSeraphi]

Izolda's eyes widen. She picks up her cane and smacks Daryan over the head. "You were flirting with some random woman in front of your assistant?! I taught you better than that!"

Daryan winces. "Ow, Mama! Please, not in front of guests!"

Izolda points the cane in his face. "Don't you sass me boy! You aren't so old that I can't bend you over my knee right here!"

"Yes Mama. Sorry Mama. I promise, I will keep my focus on work."

"Good boy. This nice woman is there to help you, not pick up the slack while you try to pick up something else."

[Diachronos]

"I assure you, ma'am, he has not flirted with or pursued any women in the time that I have known him. He is far too dedicated to his work for that. In fact, I had to literally drag him away from the lab yesterday morning just to make him go out and get some fresh air for once."

[NeoSeraphi]

Izolda smiles. "Well, thank you very much for looking after him. I assure you, he ees a very good boy, deep down. He ees just rude sometimes without meaning to be, and he has no idea how to properly treat a lady."

Daryan's face in his hands, his cheeks burning red. "Right, well, I think it's about time for the two of us to get going." He stands up.

Izolda looks confused. "What? But you said you weren't leaving until tomorrow?"

Daryan nods. "Yes Mama. I have to...get Anaiya's paperwork in order."

Izolda smiles. "Oh, you are going to Terrania as well? I certainly hope she ees getting her own room? Do not be cheap with your travel expenses. The lady needs her own personal space, and she certainly doesn't need to be sleeping anywhere near you!"

Daryan sighs. "Yes Mama, I'll make sure she has her own room."

"Good. Ana, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope to see you again! Please, drop by my house any time you like. You are always welcome here." She smiles widely at Anaiya.

[Diachronos]

Ana smiles at Izolda. "Thank you for your hospitality." After they leave, she turns to Daryan. "Well, she seems... pleasant. Does she normally use the cane on you?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan sighs. "I can't believe I lied to my mother. I told her you were my assistant...I didn't even mention that we were getting married. And then I said we were just going to go get your papers fixed...ugh, when she finds out she's going to kill me. And even if she doesn't, it still doesn't feel right to sneak around behind her back like this."

[Diachronos]

"Would you rather tell her that you're going to Terrania with one of the queen's courtesans to find out why a supposed colleague tried to poison you? Or that the marriage bit is just a ruse to help me get into the country?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan sighs. "No...if she finds out I was almost poisoned she'd tell Dad. And that's the last thing I want." His expression shifts, and he looks very bitter for just a moment, before it passes. "Come on. You have a very disappointing wedding to get to, followed by an equally disappointing wedding night."

The two of them arrive together at the palace. Juanita stares at the couple and shakes her head. "So odd...before we begin, the two of you need to realize that a forgery of this document is impossible. It would put me in a very bad position if it were to be found out. As such, this marriage, though it may be a ruse to the two of you, will be completely legal and recognized officially by the country of Zephyria, and should you wish to have it annuled at some point later, you will need to go through an official annulment process like any other couple. Do you have any questions, or any objections, before we begin?"

[Diachronos]

Anaiya had figured there would be some catch to their marriage, though not quite like this. She turns to her soon-to-be husband. "You can still back out, Daryan. We won't make you go through with this if you don't want to."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan looks hesitant, but he shakes his head. "It's...quite alright. I have been put back to square one on my project because of this, so when I return I will likely have more than enough free time on my hands to go through the annulment process. Please begin."

Juanita nods and performs a simple, aromantic union ceremony, outlining the requirements of marriage and pausing slowly when she gets to the part about forsaking all other lovers, giving Anaiya a look, before she asks if the couple agrees to all her conditions. Daryan nods. "I do."

[Diachronos]

So much for a source if extra income on the way... "I do."

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita smiles. "I now officially pronounce you husband and wife. You may...er...sign the marriage license?" she offers, looking a little awkward. Daryan nods and steps forward, bowing before his queen before he signs his name. After Anaiya signs as well they each receive a copy, and Juanita continues.

"Now that that's out of the way, I won't be sending you in unarmed Daryan."

The researcher blinks. "Sending...wait, this was my idea..."

"Hush dear, your Queen is talking. Here is a weapon befitting a man like yourself," Juanita snaps her fingers and an enormous broadsword with a black blade is brought out. Daryan stares at it in disbelief. "Wait, you want me to carry that? I'm no warrior, I don't even know how to swing one of those!"

Juanita looks confused. "But, you were almost killed. Don't you want a method of protecting yourself?"

Daryan frowns. "If...If Her Majesty insists. But don't you have something...smaller?"

Juanita produces a dagger and hands it to Daryan, who still looks like he might be sick, before he puts it in his lab coat pocket.

Juanita turns her attention to Anaiya. "You are an infiltrator, so your job is to blend in as much as possible. That means that while you are in Terrania, I expect you to act like a Terranian housewife. I'll give you funds to spend while you are there, and you need to keep your temporary home clean, make sure to always have wine and snacks to entertain any surprise guests, and cook dinner each night. If anyone sees you acting suspiciously, you will be caught, and you will be imprisoned. I also...can't guarantee your life. The nation of Terrania does not have a death penalty officially, but they've never dealt with foreign espionage before. They might have significantly less sympathy for those from another nation."

She hands Anaiya 500 platinum (5000 gp) in a large briefcase. "Take care of yourself, Anaiya."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya nods and accepts the briefcase. This would be perhaps her most dangerous job yet; she'd only rarely left the country, and never under this sort of guise. The cooking and cleaning would be a new challenge as well, seeing as she'd never had to fend for herself in that way. "I will, my queen. Thank you for arranging all of this for us."

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita smiles. "Now then, to the matter of your escape. Obviously, the employer providing Daryan's work visa will be the person getting you into Terrania, but it will be our job to get you out if you need to escape. So, I will give you this." She hands Anaiya a black box. "This is a crystal ball. Its magic is weak, and it only works for ten minutes every day, but you can use it to contact me in an emergency or to give me an important update. We can make plans and discuss your next steps and any support you might need from me through this."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya tucks the box into her belt pouch. "With any luck it won't be needed, but I will be sure to contact you if we learn anything, or if things turn dire."

[NeoSeraphi]

Juanita chuckles to herself. "If there's one thing I've learned in this world, it's that good people are never lucky," she says darkly. "Well, then. Good bye."

Daryan and Anaiya are shown out of the area. Daryan frowns. "I...erm...I need to go take care of something. We'll meet up again tomorrow morning at 10 AM outside the palace walls, okay?" He gives her kind of a stiff nod and forced smile, then heads off.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya puts a hand on his arm as he turns to leave. "What's wrong? Did you forget something important?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan nods firmly. "Yes. I forgot the most important thing. ...I'm sorry, by the way. Even if this is all a ruse you're still going to have to put up with me for a while. I'm definitely not anything close to even boyfriend material, let alone a husband. I'll do my best to not upset you." He pulls his arm free and keeps walking, leaving the palace entirely.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya heads out of the palace as well, intending to pick up a few things before they leave. Seeing Daryan heading off, though, she decides to try tailing him to see what he needs to take care of.


Stealth: plus [roll]1d6+1 inspiration

[NeoSeraphi]

Anaiya follows Daryan, though it's a bit harder than she expects, as he is constantly looking around to see if he's being watched. Either seeing the Duke and Dimitri together last night has him on edge now that he's sobered up, or he's expecting Anaiya to follow him. After approximately ten minutes, including one three minute gap where Daryan took an alley exit and then looped back around into the street to attempt to shake anyone tailing him, he arrives at a jewelry store and heads inside.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya lingers at the street corner when she sees him enter the jewelry shop. Was he actually buying a ring to help with their plan?

After a moment of watching the store front she sighs, and starts heading down the street. She needed to pick up a few things before they left; namely a sap so she wouldn't be forced to kill anyone if they needed to be subdued quickly, and some cookbooks so she would have at least some idea of how to prepare meals.

[NeoSeraphi]

As Anaiya is wandering around, lost in thought at her current predicament, she bumps into a man on the street. The impact is very one sided and she falls down on her ass. "Oh my. I'm so sorry," the man says, with a thick Pyrathan accent.

http://40.media.tumblr.com/3ebc2efeb61a15d9f00c2504a3a2649b/tumblr_mglb9dhPG71s2opl5o1_500.jpg

He reaches down to help her up. "Are you alright, Miss?" the man asks, looking at her with confusion. "I guess I took that corner a little quickly."

[Diachronos]

Anaiya nods and accepts his help with standing back up. "It's alright, I'm not hurt at all."


Sense Motive: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

The man seems concerned. He is not hostile in any way, nor does he seem to be in a particular hurry.

This man is clearly from the island nation of Pyratha, a land known for its wild active volcanoes. The dark skin of Pyrathans comes from their close exposure to a sun they created that exists inside the planet's atmosphere. Bright and powerful enough to provide heat and light to the entire country, but not so powerful that it would burn the planet up.

He appears to be very athletic, clearly spends a lot of his time working out. He is unarmed, and the only thing he seems to be carrying is a small wallet.

The man smiles. "Good. Have a nice day then." He bows and walks off.

[Diachronos]

"Oh, wait, I didn't catch your name. I'm Anaiya."

[NeoSeraphi]

The man turns, looking surprised. "Nice to meet you, Anaiya. I am Curtis." He gives her a wave and keeps walking.

Anaiya is able to find everything she wants to buy pretty easily, and finds herself done shopping around 2 PM. Plenty of daylight left, and the snow has stopped so she can stay outside if she wishes without worrying about freezing.

[Diachronos]

After making her purchases, Anaiya decides to head over to Janice's office to tell her the news.

[NeoSeraphi]

As Anaiya approaches Janice's office, someone from the reception desk steps out and stops her. "I'm so sorry ma'am, but the Director is in a very important meeting right now."

[Diachronos]

She nods and stops. "Do you have an idea of how long the meeting will be?"

[NeoSeraphi]

She opens her mouth to respond but then the door behind her opens loudly and slams into the wall next to it. Dimitri Chekov walks out of the office, looking very pissed off.

Janice walks out behind him, arms crossed. "Enough! You can't take these risks! There are too many undefined variables!"

Chekov stops and turns to look at her. "With all due respect, Director. The next time I see you...will be at your funeral." He brushes past the receptionist and Anaiya and storms out. Janice's shoulders droop and she sticks her lollipop in her mouth, looking very upset.

[Diachronos]

Ansaiya waits until Dimitri has left before turning to Janice. She doesn't even need to ask if something's wrong; if Dimitri is involved and Janice isn't approving of whatever he was talking about, it couldn't be good. The only questions was... "How bad is it, Janice?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice sits down at her desk with her face in her hands. "Human transmutation! How could the king of Terrania approve this project? Mother ****ER!" She bites down on her lollipop and swallows it, the stick dropping onto the floor as she grabs the folders on her desk and shoves them off, scattering her perfectly neat office into a pigsty. "Human transmutation hasn't been legal since alchemy was discovered. And there hasn't been a single researcher who has proven it is safe or effective. If Chekov gets what he wants, hundreds of Terranians may be sacrificed in his experiments when there's only maybe a thirty percent chance that he'll even make any advancements in the field. And he actually had the nerve to come down here and ask if I wanted to participate jointly and perform experiments on Zephyrians?...Well, Dimitri Chekov, as far as I'm concerned you can rot in Hell!"

The last time Anaiya saw Janice act upset was when she had forgotten to write her name on a major test she had turned in, and even then she only felt bad for about five minutes before asking if Anaiya would dance for the professor to get her a retake. Now, though, this was something Anaiya had no experience with. Janice was furious.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya is quiet for a moment. "Then we'd better make sure he doesn't get what he wants." She closes the door to give herself and Janice a little more privacy. "Daryan and I are married now, so we're all set for our journey to Terrania. Last night, though, I found out that both the Duke and Dimitri were deliberately planning for Daryan to die with the poisonous materials they'd sent him. If human transmutation is why they were trying to have Daryan killed, we've got even more reason to look into this."

She sits down across from Janice, putting a hand on her arm. "You're an alchemist with integrity. You'd never condone that kind of research, and I've no doubt that the queen would feel the same way. At the very least, we can keep this atrocity from spreading to Zephyria."

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice frowns. "So I'm supposed to feel better that people I don't know are dying instead of people I know? I don't care who it is, no one should be sacrificed to this kind of research...congratulations on the nuptials by the way. I'm sure the two of you will be very miserable together."

[Diachronos]

"I'm going to do what I can to stop it in Terrania too, Janice. Human transmutation can't be allowed to become a commonplace thing, no matter where it's being performed." She places a hand on her belt pouch, where the crystal ball was tucked away. "I'm going to be reporting my findings to the queen anyway, I'll ask her to keep you posted on anything we find relating to human transmutation. And if it comes down to it, I'll tear apart any lab where he's got those experiments set up."

[NeoSeraphi]

Janice sighs and nods glumly. She seems depressed, agitated, and angry. Definitely not in the mood to talk.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya waves farewell and leaves the facility. What was she going to do for the night? She couldn't meet with clients anymore (though considering the Duke was likely still in the palace, walking into that room would be a trap), and she didn't have any other necessary shopping to do...

Maybe she could find Daryan?

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan is in his palace suite, packing. He looks up when Anaiya enters the room. "Oh. Did you need something?" he asks.

[Diachronos]

"I... I just paid a visit to Janice. She had a meeting with Dimitri, and he... it seems like he's pushing for people to start experimenting with human transmutation."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan is silent. "I expected as much. The king announced last week that he was lifting the ban on it, after all. Now every Terranian alchemist is going to want to scramble to prove themselves and get the next breakthrough."

[Diachronos]

"Where do you stand on it?"


Sense Motive: [roll0]

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan shakes his head. "It's not important. I will do what I can with the tools I am given in my homeland. That's all that matters to me. I'm not some activist like Director Mercury."

[Diachronos]

"I see... well, in any case, I just need to pack for tomorrow. Did you take care of your errands in town?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan nods, and stands up, reaching into his pocket. He pulls out a box and hands it to her. "It's...it's not much, but it's necessary for this kind of thing."

Anaiya opens the box and finds a wedding band that appears to have been striped different colors, something she's never seen before. But when she puts it on and feels the texture of each stripe, she realizes that this ring has been made out of several different types of metal. Part of it is aluminum, part of it platinum, part of it gold, part of it silver, part of it copper, part of it bronze, part of it tin...half the periodic table is in this ring!

Daryan lifts his left hand up and shows her that he bought himself a plain silver wedding band as well.

[Diachronos]

Anaiya stares in wonder at the ring, and her eyes widen even further when she realizes its nature. "R... right, it would draw the wrong kind of attention if we didn't have the wedding rings. Thank you, Daryan." She looks down at her ring again, her thumb lightly caressing its surface. This thing must've cost a small fortune... why did you spend so much on me, Daryan?

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan frowns. "You don't like it? Well...yeah, I guess it is a little ugly. I can go pick out a normal gold band if you want."

[Diachronos]

"No, I think it's beautiful. Just... how much did you spend on this ring? It couldn't have been cheap."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan blinks and rubs the back of his neck. "I er...I didn't spend anything on it. ...I made it myself. With some of the elements I keep in my lab. At first I was kind of worried that I didn't have enough solid gold to make a whole ring, so I thought I might just put in some nickel and paint over it, but then I thought of the collage idea and went with it."

[Diachronos]

She smiles. "I know one thing... if alchemy doesn't pan out for you for some reason, you could probably make a lot of money in the jewelry business." To think that he'd made the ring for her... why would he go to all this trouble for a wedding that was only going to last as long as they were investigating this mess in Terrania?

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan smiles. "Well, you can keep it after we're done with all this. Just consider it a thank you for saving my life." He goes back to work packing, but Anaiya doesn't get the feeling that she's being kicked out. Maybe he doesn't care if she just hangs out for a while?

[Diachronos]

Anaiya stands and watches as he packs. "I take it we already have some form of lodging set up due to your visa? Or will we have to procure a place to stay once we arrive?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan frowns. "I was offered, and accepted, a one bedroom apartment in the capital. That was when I was at the bar, before you approached me with the idea. It's too late to change the lodgings now."

[Diachronos]

"We'll work something out for the sleeping arrangements on the way, don't worry." She wasn't too big on the idea of someone having to sleep on the floor or on the couch, but if it had to be done, so be it. "I won't take up any more of your time. I should probably start packing soon anyway."

[NeoSeraphi]

Daryan stands up and grabs her wrist. "Wait. Before you go, I need to say something. That stuff that Juanita said about a housewife, and that coat you got from Director Mercury, all of these lies, they probably suck just as much for you as they do for me. So I just want you to act the way you want to act, okay? Dress the way you want to dress, speak the way you want to speak, and be who you really are. If you just live the lie 24-7, you may end up changing who you really are for the worse, and I don't want that to happen."

[Diachronos]

She shakes her head. "You don't understand, Daryan. Being someone I'm not is part of my job." After gently pulling her wrist free, she leans in and plants a kiss on his cheek. "I appreciate the concern, though."