Seregil | Memshare 1

[of_bokthersa]

It's already dark by the time you arrive. It's not the best of situations, but there were other things you had to look into. Things that hadn't boded well when you'd been there. Lips get loose when with a good drink and good entertainment is around; it's why you have several of this particular persona. It seems there's been a lot more activity in the north than you would have liked to hear. It's easy to surmise what they're doing. Take the north, take the Gold Road and they fill their coffers with untold riches to fund them in the war. No, that didn't bode well at all.

Which was why you were here, to find out just how far north they'd gotten. Asengai was the last stop before you headed for Wolde to meet up with Micum and head back south the Skala to give your report. Just in case you start making a mental note of your surroundings and where you've set up camp for the past few days, committing them to memory before heading off to the large keep. Hopefully, Asengai is fond enough of bards that you'll be able to get enough information to be out of here by morning.

You hadn't counted on Asengai immediately imprisoning you under the charge of your being a spy. He's not wrong, but that doesn't make the situation any more fortuitous. Even so, you have to play your part, so you curse and struggle, fight and protest. The light shifts to complete blackness as they drag you into the dungeon chamber.

"Unhand me, you cretinous brutes!" You make sure to remember the lisp that you'd decided on and continue to protest. "I demand to see your master! How dare you arrest me! Can't an honest bard pass unmolested through this country?"

You throw a less than accurate swing at one of the guards. If you were trying, you probably could have done some damage, but you're not. You're still Rolan, and Rolan isn't a fighter. So you let them beat you, heckling you about what will happen when you finally do meet Asengai. Torture, of course.

They drag you to the wall and manacle your hands and feet, and for the first time, you notice movement across from you. Someone's there. You don't say anything, it's not the right time. Once they finally leave, however, you're free to assess the situation.

"Who's there?" You ask, keeping to the role you're in. The other doesn't answer, and you have to squint in the scant moonlight to see anything. Of course, he'd push himself further into the shadows. Make the job harder for you. From what you can tell by the light of the moon it seems to be a young man, but you can't make out his features. You're about to open your mouth to say something when the door opens again.

Comments

audio: TheOtter

[of_bokthersa]

I did, in fact.

[There's a short pause before a smile can be heard through his next words.]

You're the one with the penchant for licking, aren't you?

[No judgment, just amusement.]

[11calls]

Uh. Yeah, I suppose I am.

[One can hear the little chuckle in her voice.]

[of_bokthersa]

And did you lick him, in the end?

[He's enjoying this far too much. Especially since it's doing exactly what he wants it to do.]

[11calls]

Well, he is my boyfriend so it's fair to assume there's some licking involved there.

[Yeah. She's just going to lean into this because. Yeah.]

[of_bokthersa]

[He appreciates her leaning into this. It makes his work so much easier.]

I should hope so.

[11calls]

You know embarrassed distraction only works for a little while. You've gotta follow it up with something else because the person's going to attempt to refocus.

[Alex is a skilled journalist, she knows what he's doing.]

[of_bokthersa]

Am I? I can't say that I was, I've nothing to hide in what was shared.

[11calls]

Yeah, but you also don't want anyone to ask questions about it.

[of_bokthersa]

What questions are there to ask? It seems self-explanatory to me.

[11calls]

About why you adopted so many personas, first of all.

[of_bokthersa]

A bard needs to be well known to ply his trade; if one isn't welcome than perhaps another would be.

[11calls]

Uh huh.

[Yeah, she doesn't believe him at all and it's there in her voice.]

[of_bokthersa]

From the tone in your voice, I assume you don't have bards in your voice.

[11calls]

Not really, no.

Just in DnD.

[of_bokthersa]

DnD? What's that?

[11calls]

It's a sort of game that people in my time play. Because we don't actually have magic some people, like my friend Nic, pretend to.

[of_bokthersa]

There's no magic in your world?

[Ok, that's actually shocking to him, and it shows in his voice. He can't imagine a world without it.]

[11calls]

Nope. At least, not really. It's kind of hard to explain.

[of_bokthersa]

I'd appreciate it if you tried.

[Seriously, he can't even begin to imagine this.]

[11calls]

Well, in general there's not magic. At least nothing like from the worlds that you and Dorian seem to have. There's a debate if there is magic at all. If there is, it's brought about by encounters with demons and sacred geometry.

[of_bokthersa]

Demons and sacred geometry? I'm not sure I understand.

[11calls]

You don't have demons back home? Really?

[of_bokthersa]

We may have them by another name.

What are they?

[11calls]

They’re....

[Alex shifts uncomfortably trying to put a name on what she fears the worst.]

They’re evil. They just want to do the most harm to humans they can and take over the world. Sometimes they come from hell and sometimes they come from chaos but they’re never good.

[of_bokthersa]

They sound daunting. There's no magic to combat them?