Art in Temple Square
Alexandria is a pit in the summer. This is a known fact. Mornings start early in the Temple District anyway, especially around Daeus and Althea's temples, and the activity hasn't stopped since. The fountain, though, is reasonably quiet, the misty-murky-damp-cloying day making it a less than ideal place to sit and hang out. There is one figure here, though, and that's Dolan, leaning back idly on one of the benches nearby, one arm over the back of it, watching the world go by. He's skipped armor today in favor of light shirt and trousers, the collar open but sleeves tied, a crossbow at his hip.
There's a certain Sunguard approaching Dolan, too, although she's also in a rare appearance of casual wear outdoors. Andelena's wearing a short tunic with the sleeves cut off and a pair of breeches that are tied off at the knees, her muscular arms and legs on display--although, right now, those arms are occupied with a cloth bag.
"Got us sandwiches," she says as she approaches, sitting down next to Dolan with a smile. "Figured on a day like today, might as well get lunch."
The warmth of the day had lured Auranar into a sleeveless dress of royal blue that falls just past her knees. The lightness of the cloth makes it extra cool to wear and she's glad of that given the summer heat and humidity. In spite of her precautions however, she is wielding a fan in one hand, stirring the air occasionally as she walks in an effort of cooling herself.
She walks at Verna's side, which is no surprise to anyone that knows them, and she spies Dolan rather quickly because she can't help but eye the fountain a bit wistfully. The thought of cool water is one that certainly draws the eye and once she's spotted Dolan, spying Andelena isn't far behind. She waves to the pair warmly.
Today is *definitely* not an armor day. Silmeria seems to have even foregone her traditional cassock, in favor of a light, charcoal-colored dress above sand-colored muslin, if the ruffles at sleeves and skirt hem are any indicator. She still looks professional, if not completely severe, and *definitely* Vardaman, but... The heat extracts its toll, and lugging around a messenger's bag full of legal accouterments is penance enough.
Stopping by the fountain, the blond lets her bag drop to the stones, rolls up her sleeves, and abandons all propriety by taking a double-handful of water and splashing it over her face. Sighing as the summer-tepid water fails to do its work, she extracts a handkerchief and begins to dab at her forehead.
It's at this point her eyes fall to the pair at the nearby bench, and a hand is lifted in greeting. Verna and Auranar, too, benefit from the wave upon second glance.
"Bless you, Andie." Dolan flashes the redheaded Sunguard a cheeky grin, and shifts over to make room for her on the bench. "It's too damn hot to cook. Brightest of days," he waves to Auranar and Verna, turning that grin on them as well. "Good to see you."
Silmeria's throwing of water over her face gets a chuckle. "I wish that worked. It's too damn humid. I feel like I'm wearing a wet blanket."
Were some not as familiar with Verna and/or Auranar, the former might be all but unrecognizable at the latter's side. The only gray upon her presently is her complexion, which only give more contrast to the canary yellow sundress (with prints of flowers in a blue that compliments Auranar's) she wears. Simple straps, short hem, and sandals leave head, shoulders, knees, and toes all visible. At least it does help mitigate the heat and humidity somewhat and a satchel is worn on her non-Auranar shoulder to account for the utter lack of pockets.
Verna lifts a hand to return greetings, along with, after they near, "Good day, even if the weather seeks to make it otherwise."
"You've got that right. It's fucking sweltering out here," Andelena says. She unwraps the cloth and holds out a sandwich to Dolan. It's been cut at the corners into two halves, but the thing is loaded top to bottom with meat, vegetables, and cheese that are pleasantly chilled on this summer day. "Made sure they got yours right before I left the shop."
She looks over to the three others and gives a little wave. "Shit, if I'd known we were gonna have company, I would have gotten more sandwiches," she says. "How's everyone doing?"
"Oh kind Lady, so do I," Silmeria groans do Dolan, dabbing at her neck. "But at least this way I can get some of the grime off. If not for my duties, I'd probably be in the river all day. I still intend to find a cold pie for lunch..."
"Brightest of days indeed," she says as Verna and Auranar join the tableau. "As for good... Well, the company's definitely nice at the moment. How're you two enjoying the vacation?"
"You and half of the rest of Alexandria," Dolan points out to Silmeria, even as he reaches with both hands to take the sandwich from Andie. "Thank you, baby. It's so damn crowded at the riverbank you can scarcely move." He guides the sandwich to sit on his knee, not moving his right arm more than he strictly has to, and picking up one of the halves in his left hand to bite into it. "Hope you didn't have to go too far to find it."
He gestures with his sandwich to the seat next to him, clearly inviting Andie to sit next to him. "Vacation? Yeah, you could use a good long one."
"It's been a bit more... active than originally anticipated." Auranar murmurs, her eyes drifting to the water. It's clearly too warm to offer a cooling so she simply sighs and gives her fan a little flick as if that'll help. It doesn't really. She looks at Verna, who surely has her own opinion about her 'vacation'.
"Indeed," Verna concurs. "More active than expected and, admittedly, the respite was not planned in advance..." her head turns to meet Auranar's glance with a pleasant smile "yet very much welcomed and enjoyable." Turning back to the others, she inquires, "All of you are well, I trust?" Inquired of all, though her eyes do end and remain upon Dolan for a time. A brief gesture follows, along with an utterance, though she does make some effort that it not intrude upon conversation... or perhaps is not so conspicuous.
GAME: Verna casts Endure Elements. Caster Level: 19 DC: 18 GAME: Dolan rolls spellcraft: (17)+8: 25
Andelena happily takes the seat next to Dolan, smiling as she snaps into her sandwich. "Glad to hear the vacation's going well," she says. "Sounds like it's well-needed. I think Dolan and I will need one of those eventually--but, duty calls."
She leans in and gives him a kiss on the cheek, totally not above smooching her man in public. "We find little moments in time to relax anyway," she says.
"As ever it will," Silmeria sighs, nodding at Andelena, then smiling at Verna and Auranar. "However unexpected your leisure time was -- and yes, I know it's my fault -- I'm glad you're finding time to enjoy it. *Both* of you well deserve some quiet now, in advance of the road ahead."
Her eyes drop to Dolan, one eyebrow rising. "Speaking of quiet... how quiet *has* it been, truly?" Knowing that all gathered are neck-deep in the same mire, Silmeria trusts the question, shorn of context, to be a safe one to ask in public.
Dolan, too, continues to lay into his sandwich, although he swallows his bite, pauses, and turns a positively wicked grin fully towards Andelena. "Define _relax_," he teases, but the smile vanishes pretty quickly, and he looks between Verna and Silmeria. He is being stared at. When Verna's spell starts, he sits bolt upright, watching intently, then relaxes and nods, seeming to decide not to make an issue of whatever the spell was. "Don't scare me like that, Mourner," is all he says about it.
Silmeria gets a longer answers. "It hasn't been so bad. I worked out what the woman in my dreams was trying to warn me of. It's fine. Haven't seen much lately, trying to track down this asshole is slow going, and Andie and I got sidetracked yesterday anyway." His eyes go back to Verna and Auranar, Verna, then Auranar, and back to Verna, and he seems to be hesitating, then shakes his head and turns back to Silmeria.
Verna's spell gets a much calmer reaction from Auranar than it does from Dolan. She merely rolls her eyes at her girlfriend fondly and gives her a nudge with her shoulder. "Everyone is hot Verna." She murmurs, but she can't complain too much as she does feel much better all of the sudden. Still a bit of a mue forms on her forehead and she shakes her head. "Quiet? I would say that they've only been quiet if you are unaware of what's going on." She shakes her head again.
"Apologies," Verna offers to Dolan, specifically, yet includes Auranar and then all others, the last perhaps more indirectly. "Next time I shall give warning," a light nudge to Auranar in return, "and prepare more of that particular spell for others." She then exhales slowly. "Not quiet at all and, no, Silmeria, it is not your doing. Not in any negative connotation, certainly." A tentative smile is offered to aid in assurance before she looks to Dolan again. Firmly. "I am pleased that you were able to discern that," she does not mention other related side-tracks, "and expect you would share anything relevant to us all. As well, if you have any concerns or questions, it is best to ask." His glancing may not have gone unnoticed.
Andelena chews on her sandwich. She continues to look pleased with her decision to buy their meal out instead of trying to cook something up at home in the heat, and she has a devilish grin on her face when Dolan teases her. Then the subject that's been brought up subtly comes up, and her expression dampens back down to a more neutral one. "Yeah," she says. "Dealt with an unrelated group last night."
She lifts the sandwich back up to her mouth. "Fuckin' creepy-ass beard-havin' motherfucker," she mutters, before she snaps off another bite.
"In times like this, 'quiet' rarely means 'peaceful,'" Silmeria points out to Auranar, a wry twist to her lips. "So no, I'm not particularly heartened to hear of little noise made, but... Well, we do what we can and hope that it's the best we could do."
Andelena's comment earns more than a glance, and the Speaker's head tilts to one side. "Well. You have *my* undivided attention, Sunguard?"
Dolan's entire mien has abruptly gone guarded, although he continues to munch on his sandwich. "Yeah. Maugrimite cult wrapped around something fiendish. We took it out, but that poor girl was a mess." He shakes his head, and takes another bite of his sandwich. "Ugly bastard. Hope she's all right."
He's still not moving that right arm much, and it's at that moment that an acolyte bursts out of the Temple of Daeus and runs up to Andelena and Dolan. "Master Zein will see you now, Dolan!" she bubbles, looking wide-eyed around at the others, and Dolan immediately stands, visible relief across the soft side of his face. He leans down to kiss Andie on the cheek, sandwich still in hand. "About time. I'll be back. Brightest of days." He turns to follow the scampering child without explanation.
Auranar nods to Silmeria, almost smiling at how sadly true that statement was. She doubted that they'd achieved peace yet, but Silmeria was also right about the fact that Andelena's comment was... Interesting. "What's that Andelena? Something about a beard?" It's just not something that folks usually complain about. Dolan's words lend some kind of revelation, but he's gone in an instant and that leaves Andelena with at least one very curious wild elf staring at her. And Verna makes three. With Dolan called away, her attention joins the others' on Andelena. "As you both are, or were, present," she adjusts, "I trust the issue was handled appropriately." That said, she is also curious. A group or threat, even unrelated to the one looming overhead (or one of) is still a potential future threat. There is, sadly, no shortage of these, and fore-warned is fore-armed.
Andelena can't help but grin at Dolan as he leaves with a kiss on her cheek. She looks back to Auranar with the question, however, and sighs. "Yeah. Maugrimite cult had a fiend of some kind as their leader. He had a big fucking beard he was using as a weapon. We're talking like, freaky moving hair shit. It was fucked right from here to Eliday."
She picks what's left of her sandwich back up and says, "But we got him, and we took down a lot of the cult, too. Some fled, but we got most of 'em. Did some good work.”
"Moving hair?" Silmeria murmurs, tilting her head to one side. "...I've heard of powers like that, but... not from the faithful. Interesting..."
Shaking her head a bit to clear her train of thought, the Speaker smiles broadly at Andelena. "At this point, any enemy felled is one less to field, and I'm glad you both were there. ...And I've a new lead to do research on, it seems-- oh! Yes! That reminds me of a letter a friend sent, before he took a trip."
Pursing her lips, she lifts her eyes, as though scanning the letter in memory, and nods. "The... art... involved was said to have been created by both darkness and light, while twilight stood by. Each piece, had an individual craftsman." Her eyes dart to Verna for a moment, an eyebrow rising. "Which makes recent events very, very interesting indeed."
Verna nods agreement concerning bearded fiends, cults, and what their end state should be. "It is good that it was handled, and moreso that you returned afterwards." Silmeria then draws her attention with mention of a letters and traveling friends. It does not take her long to make several reasonable presumptions on friend, topic, and significance of details with the context provided.
Her lips purse as she nods once more. "That completes and confirms what I believed true of the art." She pauses for some brief arithmetic. "That leaves a number of pieces either undiscovered, or in the hands of ... malicious collectors. I am of the opinion that the current known owners should coordinate in managing their respective artwork, for the betterment of the collection as a whole. Perhaps some artists not originally involved have reconsidered?" The last is accompanied by a brow lift in return to the Speaker.
Andelena purses her lips as she considers this latest bit of news from Silmeria and Verna's remarks. "Would sure be nice if there was like, a list of known pieces," she says. "Y'know, like how all the famous artists have paintings and people know where they are. Back in the Kingdoms, Bry and I worked a case tracking down a lost painting in a warehouse."
She sighs. "If only it was as simple as that was. Just walked in, popped some people around, and out we went. Painting wasn't even good. Nobles have shit taste."
"It would indeed be nice," Silmeria says, bobbing her head. "Though in this case an educated guess gives us the names of the artists..." Glancing at Verna, she raises eyebrows. "Perhaps the collection could be... expanded? It certainly would make the theme more complete. I wonder if we can consult with artists we know well, and see how possible this may be."
Auranar's brow furrows, listening to the conversation as it progresses. One can tell that she's thinking rapidly, that she's deep in the process of thinking through what's been said through the lense of all the research she's done on various subjects. She's spent so much time lately looking into the various gods and researching the one main one who's causing so much trouble in particular. "But... If the twilight artists stood by then we _do_ have a list of artists. It would consist of everyone else. Obviously forebearing one." Here she flashes a small smile. She nods to Silmeria. "A few questions of the other artists _would_ be a wise choice."
"Regardless of whether they created, then," Verna offers Silmeria, "they would know far more of the pieces than we." Her head tilts in a side nod to Auranar along with a growing smile. "As she said, the artists are known, thus, too, the number of pieces in the collection. As well, the number of pieces yet unaccounted for, by eliminating those that are known. A nearly even division, by my accounting. If we are to contact all, or at least most, of the original artists, we may require more assistance."
It is at this point that Dolan emerges from the Temple of Daeus. He has exchanged the light, long-sleeved shirt that he had had tied down for a dockworker's shirt with the sleeves torn off of it, a nod to the heat and humidity and doubtless much cooler, leaving his arms bared to the sun. He looks a good bit more comfortable, more relaxed, and happier as well, jogging up to the group and moving to plant a kiss on Andelena's cheek if she'll let him. "Master Zein says that I'm to come back at once if I take ill. Should let the girl know, too."
"And a welcome back to you, Dolan," Silmeria says, taking note of his change in attire. "Andelena was just talking about your fight, and the *art* being collected across the land. We've come up with some good avenues of pursuit, as well as questions it seems none of us thought to ask before. Such as; could the collection be expanded by the artists who didn't participate the first time around?"
Auranar shakes her head slightly. "Regardless, it is probably unwise of us to discuss out in the open." She doesn't look around, doesn't want to draw attention to their conversation. "Another time perhaps?" She inquires politely, looking at the others.
"I agree," Verna concurs, "that it is best discussed in a different venue." Art critics could be lurking behind every corner. "Perhaps one a bit more cooled?"
Andelena grins at the cheek kiss and returns it with one of her own. "Good," she says to him. "You'll be a happier Bry now that your arm's all taken care of."
She looks back to Silmeria and Auranar and nods. "Yeah, probably should. I, uh... What was that name of the place again? With the little drag--"
Her brow furrows. "Hey, whatever happened to Tanith, anyway? Did that little one scamper off in search of fish and not come back?"
"The Round Table," Dolan supplies with a grin. "Although I'm not sure they don't hate me yet. Maybe we should pick another place." He resumes his seat next to Andelena, grinning at the others and clearly much happier. "Where to?"
"Probably for the best," Silmeria says, nodding. "Sadly my duties remain for the moment, but you certainly should find a quiet spot and really dig into all of this?"
So saying, the Speaker stoops, hefting her heavy messenger bag. "I'm sorry I can't stay for it, but I would very much like to hear what you all come up with."
-End