The Post-Brunch Request

Log Info

• Title: The Post-Brunch Request

• Emitter: Ravenstongue

• Characters: Dolan, Ravenstongue, Telamon

• Place: Ravenstongue and Telamon's house

• Summary: Ravenstongue and Telamon are headed home from brunch when they're met by Dolan at the gate. They invite him inside for tea, and the trio settle in for a discussion about Dolan's recent encounter at the hands of a demon and what he plans to do about it. Telamon pledges to help Dolan with this demon, and Ravenstongue pledges to make sure that Dolan's apartment and cat are cared for when they go.

Lúpecyll-Atlon home, afternoon.

This Eliday proves to be a small reprieve from the chill of oncoming winter, as the skies are clear and the sun is pleasantly warm. The only reminder of winter's grasp comes in fits and bursts of cold wind that pass through the city of Alexandria to ruffle coats and uncovered heads of hair.

Such a breeze is what accompanies a half-elven couple as they return home to their house in the University District. Cor'lana's wearing a sensible woolen dress for the weather, dressed with a woolen cardigan on top that appears to be lovingly knitted with intricate cabling from fuzzy black yarn. "Brunch was nice," she informs Telamon as they walk. "Granted, I think Pothy had his fill..."

Pothy lands from his jaunt in the sky by the front door. "Snacks," he crows. No, no he didn't.

For his part, Telamon is dressed in a winter ensemble of white and blue -- a pale blue tunic and off-white trousers, with a new set of soft insulated boots. A long leather and fur coat is worn over this, as he walks arm-in-arm with Lana. "I don't think it's possible for him to actually eat his fill. I'm kind of nervous about the upcoming Yule season... he's going to eat everything in sight and then some." He chuckles wryly. "That's how it goes sometimes."

As the couple approach the house, Tel gives the doorway a once-over, inspecting the small 'no trespassing' sign in Sylvan set up by Grandfather. "At least the cold's let up a bit."

By the gate leading to the house, there's a familiar figure leaning against the fencepost. Dolan is clad in full traveling gear, breastplate and leathers, with a leather pack and his massive greatsword slung over his back. His hood is pulled up over his head, casting the scarred and destroyed side of his face with its inset gem in shadow. His arms look as if they have five-o'clock shadow rather than the dark hair they normally sport, and his hands are covered in leather swordsman's gloves, a thing that neither of them have ever seen him use before - he's always wielded bare-handed.

When he sees them, he straightens up and pulls off his hood to reveal his face openly. "There you are." There's not a trace of the usual cheeky grin that a relaxed and good-humored Dolan normally wears.

"At least it'll be our first Yule in the house," Cor'lana replies to Telamon, before she spots Dolan by the gate. Or... well, it does take her a moment to recognize the man, and her eyes widen in surprise as he doffs the hood.

"Oh, Dolan!" she says, smiling at first until, well, she realizes there's not a grin on the Redeemer's face. "I hope you weren't waiting for us long. It's been awfully cold out as of late. Would you like to come inside for some tea and out of the breeze?"

"At least it'll be our first Yule in the house," Cor'lana replies to Telamon, before she spots Dolan by the gate. Or... well, it does take her a moment to recognize the man, and her eyes widen in surprise as he doffs the hood.

"Oh, Dolan!" she says, smiling at first until, well, she realizes there's not a grin on the Redeemer's face. "I hope you weren't waiting for us long. It's been awfully cold out as of late. Would you like to come inside for some tea and out of the breeze? We haven't seen you in a while! I hope everything's been all right."

The wind makes Telamon's coat flutter, and he does a double take when he realizes Dolan is standing there. "Wha-- oh, Dolan!" He studies the other man with those starry eyes, measuring him. Then he nods. "This isn't just a social visit," he states -- not a question.

"Agreed. Let's go inside -- we can put tea on and you can talk to us about what's on your mind." Tel gives Dolan a kind smile. "I owe you, after all. And if you need help, I am at your service."

"Sure, although I haven't got long. Andie and I are leaving town for a while." Even the acceptance is tight and tense, although it's polite enough. Something is definitely on Dolan's mind, and he doesn't return the kind smile, at least not with his lips - the flesh-and-blood eye softens at the gesture. He turns to follow the pair inside. "I'd meant to check on you two and see how things were going, anyway."

Cor'lana leads the way indoors, where it's warm and cozy. There are many vines that curl along the walls and on the furniture--likely the work of certain boy-admiring pixies that Dolan's briefly overheard--and some flowers to boot, although not nearly so plentiful now that the cold's taken hold. The living room boasts one couch, a couple of chairs, and a large rocking chair that surrounds a table--

--where Pothy lands and takes a peanut out of a bowl smack dab in the middle of the table. "Care for a peanut, Dolan?" he asks in his true voice, the cherubic little boy offering the Redeemer a snack first. His tail wags up and down.

Cor'lana ducks into the kitchen, presumably to get a fire on and a teapot to go with it. "We've been well, all things considered," she calls to Dolan. "What're you leaving town for? A trip?"

Once everyone's inside and the door's shut, Telamon shrugs out of his coat, hanging it up before removing his boots and putting on house slippers. "I suspect it's a bit more serious than a trip," he remarks. Studying Dolan's face, unfazed by the scars, he gestures for the other man to take a seat.

"Alright. So, while the teakettle is heating up, what's on your mind, my friend?" Once Dolan's seated, Tel pulls a chair over to sit opposite him, steepling his fingers attentively.

Telamon's removal of his shoes is a cue for Dolan to do the same, and he does so, leaving his boots, cloak, gear, and weapons by the door, balancing the greatsword in its harness with some care in the corner. "Aye, Pothy, just a minute. Let me get all of this off. Wouldn't do for me to go stomping through your lovely house in boots." For the first time, a flash of a cheeky grin puts in an appearance, and it reaches the mobile side of his face. The pair are clearly putting him at his ease.

When that is done, and the breastplate has joined the gear, he walks over towards the table, stripping off the swordsman's gloves to reveal relatively new skin that has not yet had time to callus. "Two things, Tel. First, there are at least two demons loose in the city. They're in hiding, masquerading as ordinary people. I and a couple of others confronted them one night, but they got away from us and disappeared." The smile has vanished - this is serious business to the Daeusite.

"The other is that someone laid a trap for me and Andie. We're going to find out who, and why. Whoever it is may very well have my parents."

Cor'lana returns from the kitchen and takes a seat by Telamon as Dolan talks about the demons. Her expression is as serious as his tone, especially when he talks about the trap. "The demons," she says. "Telamon encountered one the other day, in fact, not long ago. I wouldn't be surprised, either, by the idea of more than two afoot here in the city."

However, Pothy's on the table where Dolan's removing his gloves. Being the affectionate bird that he is, his bright blue eyes go to the hands in hopes of pats on the head... And he voices aloud, "What happened to your fingers, Dolan? Do you want me to shell the peanuts for you?" He asks the question very sweetly, like an attentive child trying to help a parent in the kitchen.

That gets Cor'lana's interest, and she looks mildly guilty at first for letting the matter of the demons override concern for her friend. "I--Dolan, have things been all right?" she asks. "I thought there was a small difference in your look, but clearly, Pothy is more observant as to what."

Telamon scowls. "Yes. The demons. Again. Sir Seldan and I, along with a very skilled lady by the name of Kira, encountered one by the docks. It was destroyed, but it exploded -- Sir Seldan was mildly injured, but nothing serious." He sighs. "I am going to start pushing for a change to the wards. I appreciate the necessity for the teleportation ward, but we need something different because they keep getting in."

When Dolan adds the second part, Tel stiffens, eyes flashing, But he takes a deep breath, and then nods. "I see. How can I help, Dolan? I haven't forgotten what you did for us; as I said, whatever I can do to assist you..."

"You found one of them?" That, at least, is good news to Dolan, and he visibly relaxes, setting the gloves aside on the table. "I can do that much, Pothy." That cheeky grin makes at least a partial appearance, and he slides into the chair, holding out one of his hands to accept the peanut from Pothy. Turns out Pothy's sharp - the sword calluses on both hands are almost completely gone, and the skin on his arms is relatively new as well. "Burned the green garden hells out of them trying to put out the fire one of them started," he explains. "I'll get the calluses back, it just takes a while."

"Glad at least one of them is out of the way, and I'm glad nobody was seriously hurt. Damned if I know how they got here, though. That's what's bothering me." He leans back in the chair, wearily, and the worry that had first surfaced in his tone now show itself in the mobile half of his features as well. It's pretty obvious right now that the last couple of months have not been kind to the Redeemer. "Maybe I'd better tell you the story."

Pothy happily gives Dolan a peanut, and he even takes a seat on top of the gloves to keep them warm for Dolan to wear later. How thoughtful of Pothy to use his bird butt in such a manner! "I'm really sorry," he says apologetically. "I couldn't imagine eating with a burnt beak. It'd probably be awful."

Cor'lana would be smiling at Pothy if it wasn't for the awful situation that Dolan's describing. "That had to have been awful, Dolan," she says, echoing Pothy. "Please, go ahead. I'll have to jump up in a few minutes to get the tea when it's ready, but I can hear you fine from the kitchen. And it sounds like we'll all need the tea."

"It sounds like a serious one. I'm hoping there's a happy ending at the end, but maybe we haven't gotten to that yet." Telamon's voice is calm, though his fingertips tap on his knees reflexively. "I'm glad you're all right. Burns are always unpleasant to heal."

He glances over at the teakettle, and nods to Lana with a smile, before turning his gaze back to Dolan. "Wonder if that four-armed bastard was the same one? He seemed pretty confident about himself, right up to the point where Seldan and Kira stomped him."

"Stomped him? He was nasty. Hit me pretty hard." Dolan's glossing over this, and he focuses for a moment on shelling and eating the offered peanut with more casual gestures. He's a bit careful about it, but doesn't seem to have a serious issue. "Sounds like this Sir Seldan and this Kira are not to be trifled with, if they stomped something like that."

He sets the shells down and reaches for another one. This time, when he shells it, he offers Pothy the first one out of the pod. As he does so, he talks. "Andie and I got an invite from my parents to come out for a visit. I haven't seen them since before I left the Myrddion temple," he explains a little carefully. "They haven't seen the eye, so ... but when they invited, I didn't think about it. I'd let it go too long." He sounds hesitant.

"We took a journey up that way with someone else from the guild, makari I'd worked with before name of Rocky. On the way, we found this old hostel that was the only place to get out of a storm."

Pothy looks very thoughtful. "Four arms," he remarks. "That's a lot of room for snacks. And pets." He looks pointedly at Cor'lana and Telamon. Between the two of them, they have four arms, after all.

Cor'lana reaches over and pats Pothy, which results in his tail wagging up and down. Between this and Dolan feeding him a peanut, he's a happy boy indeed. "Well, you know what they say about dark and stormy nights," she says with a frown as she looks at Dolan. "An invitation out of the blue, and an old hostel... What happened next?"

Telamon shakes his head at Pothy. "You wouldn't have liked him, Pothy. He was very unpleasant, and I doubt he would've given you any snacks." He reaches over to scritch Pothy as well with a grin. Looking back to Dolan, though, his brows come together. "This is sounding slightly ominous. But keep going. What happened at the hostel?"

"The place looked a little run-down, but it was warm and dry. We were the only people out there, it was pretty far out." Dolan seems to be warming to his storytelling, and grins at a happy Pothy. "I thought the keep might be a little hard up, so I decided to watch for a bit after the lights were doused and see if he tried to steal my coinpurse. Next thing I knew, I'd been coshed over the head, and when I woke up, I was lashed to a chair, the keep had a knife, and the demon that gave me this," he gestures to the ruined side of his face, "was lying in the bed with Andie." His voice has turned tight and pained as he tells his story. "I managed to break the chair and stop him killing us both, with the Knight guiding my blade I banished it for now-"

Of course, right on cue, the tea kettle in the kitchen starts screaming, and that makes Cor'lana jump a little in her chair. She sighs a little. "Way too well timed," she mutters. "I'll go get that."

"Wow, creepy," Pothy says, no longer tail-wagging happily between the combination of the story and the tea kettle. His blue eyes are totally enraptured by Dolan's story. "Was Andie okay? Demons in beds are scary."

He takes another peanut out of the bowl and pushes it to Dolan's hand, as though to soothe him. There are no demons here. Only legumes and friends.

Telamon listens, and then his eyes widen at Dolan's description. "Gods and stars," he says. "I don't even know how I'd react to that, though my first impulse would be 'kill every bad guy involved'." When the tea arrives, he makes sure Dolan gets the first cup, before anyone else. "I'm glad you managed to get clear of that situation."

He frowns, furrowing his brow again. "Still... how would they know you'd stop there? It almost seems a little convenient for them -- like they knew you were coming."

Dolan swallows hard, clearly steadying himself, and reaches for the tea as it's served. He quickly puts down the cup, though, and shakes his hand in a clear hot signal. "I'm okay, Pothy," he manages after a minute, nudging the peanut back to Pothy. "It didn't happen. She was quick enough, and so was I. The Sunlord looked after the both of us, that night. She wasn't too badly hurt, nothing the Sunlord's grace couldn't restore. I just had a headache when we were done, but -" A nasty scowl twists his features. "About halfway back was when I realized - Mama's not going to send me no invitations, she don't even know where I live now. It came to the flat, if she'd sent it it'd be to the temple." So agitated is he that his clearly-taught articulation begins to slide into the farmboy patois. "She ain't send me no invitations. Mama don't do that anyroad, everyone's welcome at her home. She wanted to see me, it'd've been a letter." The tea sits in front of him, and his elbows rest on the table, his head in his hands. "Naw. Yer too right, Tel. Someone sic'ed that keep and that demon on us. I want to know who, and why."

Cor'lana sits back down with her own cup of tea. She frowns as she listens to the rest of the story, although there's a flicker of relief that crosses her eyes and Pothy's as the Redeemer mentions that he and his Sunguard were watched over by their god. "Daeus loves you both," she says. "It's clear that something's hunting for both you and her from the sound of things. But..."

She purses her lips in thought for a moment. "Do you think maybe there's a motivation beyond mere 'servants of evil doing battle with servants of good'? Something more... personal. The demons are in league with the werewolves--at least one has been observed to be working with Zalgiman before--but to draw the two of you out into the middle of nowhere... That's targeted. That's personal. Intimate, even. Granted, you mentioned it was the demon who scarred your face, but would it really fixate on you that badly?"

Telamon grins suddenly at the farmboy patois that comes from Dolan. "Now there's a cadence I've not heard in a long time." He strokes his chin, thinking. "They might not have your parents -- they may have simply sent the note to pull you out of Alexandria. Consider the dangers of outright attacking you here, versus luring you off into a trap where they can try to control the outcome. You said the demon was destroyed. What about the innkeep?"

He scowls at the mention of werewolves and demons working together. "This was a lot easier when the wights were trying to eat the werewolves along with the rest of us. Ah well, if it was easy they wouldn't need us." He picks up his tea, sipping it. "I agree with Lana, though. This feels damned personal."

The news of werewolves and demons working together doesn't seem to come as a surprise to Dolan. "Jal'goroth is the demon's name," he tells the other two before him. "I've taken out a couple of his lackeys, but he'll be harder." He rubs at his forehead, but finally lifts his head, brown hair disheveled and grown a bit on the long side. His eyes wander off towards a wall, away from those he's talking to. "Keep went free, damn it. Village ain't ever going to believe a stranger over a local. Knew damn well that'd happen. Rocky demanded we take him back for trial. That lizard can kiss my ass. My ignorance," he snarls suddenly. Someone's hot. "Told him that'd happen. He ain't going free the next time."

He reaches for the tea again, taps the cup, but it still seems to be too hot to pick up, and he looks towards Pothy, who's sitting on his gloves, shakes his head, and returns his gaze to the pair of them. "Yeah, it's targeted. Maybe it's mad because it didn't get me, and it's come back to finish the job. But - how in all the green garden hells did it find out where we live?"

"Jal'goroth," Cor'lana says softly, committing the demon's name to memory. Her eyes narrow a little as Dolan mentions the hostel keeper got away. "I agree, you shouldn't let him get away next time. Trials are all well and good, but... They still haven't sentenced that necromancer and my step-mother yet. I don't think they'll ever even bring my step-mother to trial on account of her status."

She looks intently at Dolan now. "Perhaps this is my feytouched sensibility, but surely if you, a champion of the Shining Knight see injustice, aren't you the authority on who gets justice? If someone's an active threat, is it just to delay their justice if someone could get hurt in the future? That's how I feel, anyway. At any rate, I'm fully on your side. Dolan, just tell us how we can help--we'll come running."

Pothy nods, although he notices Dolan's gaze for his gloves. "Oh, sorry," he says cheerfully as he bird-waddles off of them. "I was keeping them warm for you." Thanks, Pothy.

Telamon nods at Lana's sentiments, clearly in agreement. "I generally prefer to try and do things the 'right' way -- but I'll be honest, that innkeep would not have survived threatening Lana, let alone myself." He snorts. "Which, of course, means he'll probably turn up again, like a cursed copper."

The half-elven sorcerer taps his fingertips together lightly at Dolan's question. "Well, Dolan, you don't live in hiding. I bet there's plenty of people at the Temple of Daeus who know where you live. And all it takes is a charming face to say, 'I've got an order of flowers for Miss Andelena, from her love, where do I take them?'. And that's just one way to do it. I'm sure demons and their lackeys can come up with more."

The starsouled sorcerer's point is well-taken, and Dolan blinks, absently picking up his gloves and putting them on. "Shit. Thanks, Pothy. You're the best." It's absent praise, but praise all the same, and with the gloves, he picks up the teacup readily enough, sipping carefully. "The lizard demanded that he be taken back to stand trial, and told me he'd forgive my ignorance." There's still that nasty snarl in his tone - he isn't likely to forget or forgive what passed between him and this Rocky person. "Oh, he'll turn up again. I'll find him, and I'll find out what happened to the others."

A long sip of the tea, and he lets its warmth soothe him, breathing out slowly. "I'd just come here to tell you I was leaving, so if I vanished, someone would know where we went. I don't want to ask-"

"Ask anyway," Cor'lana urges with a small smile. "You've done so much for us, Dolan. You saved me from something that could have very well killed me. You were at our wedding. That's not a light bond. Anything, please--it's our turn to help. If all you want is for us to know you're leaving, can you let us know exactly where you're going, so we can come looking if you're not back by a certain date?"

"We'll bring snacks," Pothy promises. That's probably the least of Dolan's worries if that event happens, but it's said in such a sweet and childish tone that you can't really fault the bird for trying.

Telamon nods firmly. "I can cover ground very quickly if I need to. And I can help you do the same, Dolan. As Lana said, we owe you. And I for one take that kind of thing very seriously." He grins at his wife. "I think that's one of the reasons she married me."

"So, whatever you need. Spells, sweet-talking, or just a patient ear to listen. And like Lana says, if nothing else we need to know where you're going."

Somehow, it's as if the weight of the world falls off of Dolan's shoulders. Clearly, the offer is something he hadn't been expecting or looking for. Slowly, he sets the tea mug down. "I hadn't considered that you owed me anything at all, Tel, Lana. It's what any friend would do for a friend. But -" Lost for words for a minute, he takes another long sip of his tea while he searches. "We're going to my family farm in northwest Alexandros. The family name is Donnelly. I - I need to make sure they don't have my parents, first. First the wights, now this - I've got to make sure they're all right."

A deep breath. "I - if you can help get us there faster, I'd be grateful. It's almost a week's travel, and if it does have them-" He stops. There's no thinking about that. Once again his tone is tight, pained, worried. "The keep said he'd had that demon in his head for years. He admitted to all of it. I want to find him again. Was a half day's ride out of Valsten." A small village in the hinterlands of Alexandros.

Cor'lana looks pointedly to Telamon with a small smile. "You can certainly help with that, my love," she says, before looking back at Dolan. "Telamon's figured out how to teleport. He's fairly precise with it, too. It only took us a few hours to get home from our honeymoon cottage in the Mythwood back home."

A thoughtful expression crosses her face. "I may not be able to come along," she says. "I've got a couple of poetry reading engagements I'm already committed to--and I'm admittedly terrified at the idea of leaving the pixies alone and directionless for any amount of time. However, if there's anything I could take care of in the city for you and Andie, say it--even if it's just to take your keys and check on your apartment from time to time."

"I promise not to take your snacks," Pothy speaks up. He's very genuine about that.

"Jokes about poetry aside, it might be a good idea for you to remain anyways, Lana," Telamon comments. "If things go sideways, we may need you to start calling in favors from other friends and riding to the rescue." He smiles at her. "It'll be a nice change of pace from 'the dashing gentleman saves the damsel in distress', hm?"

Turning his thoughts back to Dolan, Telamon nods. "I can go fairly far, but I usually need to have been there or seen the place. I can probably bounce us to the Mythwood with no problems, that's closer to your family farm than from here, I reckon. Valsten, though... Valsten? I think I went through there once when I was first coming here." He pauses. "I, uh, got a little lost."

"You went from the Mythwood all the way to Valsten trying to get here?" Despite himself, Dolan bursts into laughter, the warm grin fully returning for the first time since he appeared by the fencepost. "I'll say you got lost!" He picks up the tea mug, and takes another long, slow pull. "Yeah, probably best if Lana stays here, just in case we need help. That one works through cults, that's probably not his only lackey. We're going to need to be careful. Andie and I are trying to get enchantments strengthened quickly."

He stops and looks up at each of them in turn, and offers a gloved hand to Pothy. Thank you. All of you." He pauses. "I've - I've got no words. Thank you."

Cor'lana snickers with Dolan, too, a wide smile on her face now that the Redeemer's visibly reassured and bolstered. "That's why I was glad that he figured out teleporting before we got married," she says. "It would have been an awful strain on the early days of our marriage if we'd gone back by carriage or horse, and he got us lost like that." There's a bit of self-inflicted humor in the 'early days' part--she's fully aware that a month into marriage is, in fact, still the early days.

Pothy is a simple bird. He sees an outstretched hand and he nuzzles himself against it, his cream-colored feathers fluffy and soft. "You helped my big sister," he says. "Like Lana and Tel, I love you lots, too. But I know a lot of words if you don't have them. Like... cookies. Muffins. Cakes." His tail starts wagging again.

Cor'lana rolls her eyes. "He's trying to be sweet," she says. "Just try and return my husband in one piece, please?" She grins.

"While we can't teleport directly back into Alexandria, I took the time to memorize a spot next to one of the watchtowers, just outside the ward. If push comes to shove and I need to bring people back here, we can jump there." Telamon's eyes glint merrily. "It's really quite fascinating. If I start running my mouth about it too much, though, just let me know."

Tel reaches out to take Lana's hand. "We'll get through this, Dolan," he says with calm confidence. "You're worried. That's understandable. I'd question your sanity if you weren't. But you also have the strength, courage, and the power from which to mold victory. You also have friends who will back you up."

"The only thing I'm going to have in pieces when I'm finished is that damned demon and anyone else that fucks with my family and friends, Lana." Dolan finishes his tea and sets the mug down on the table, petting Pothy with the other hand. "Truer friends I never could have asked for. Thank you both." He certainly does seem bolstered and, to some extent, reassured. The worry remains, but some of the burden is eased. "I shouldn't keep you too much longer. Andie's going to wonder where I got off to."

The Pothy-tail wags rapidly as he's petted, and he giggles like a child. Cor'lana smiles fondly at the display of her familiar and her friend having a moment. "Well, as someone who's been in Andelena's position," she says, "I certainly don't want to keep you much longer from her, either."

The Redeemer is seen off with fond farewells. Pothy manages to get in a "bring back snacks for us to share" request before Dolan has to depart. Thankfully, there are no garden pixies eyeing him from the fences, which means there's no unsolicited comments of handsomeness, either. It might be too cold for them to admire hunky boy passersby.

Things are in motion. There are demons to kill yet.

OOC

Catsitting:

<OOC> Dolan says, "Dolan probably will ask RT to look after the cat."

<OOC> Telamon says, "LOL, that'll be adorable."

<OOC> Ravenstongue nods. She'll go over to change Patches' sandbox and feed her, and play with her a little bit. I'll wrap for us. :)