Only the best of time's memories come here. It is a very temperate place, cool and warm, wet and dry, perhaps the most beautiful place in all of existence. Orchards and fields, plains, and the landmark once called Mount Olympus stand here, looking out over mechanized cities of brass and gold. Gods, sorcerers, men, and beasts all call this place home.

---

Inverse Time
Dothaven
The Exalted Plane
The Unsung Plane
The Celestial Plane
Infinity

Celestial Plane I
Celestial Plane II

---

"Faro is easy," Emshei nods, climbing a short set of stairs to his door, which he of course holds open for Felina. "Gin is a bit tougher, but not much. We have all night, I hope?" It's certainly more of a question than a statement.

"Sure, if the evening calls for that. Sleep is good too, but that can come in teh daytime if necessary." Felina smiles at him as she heads inside. Oh, good. It's going to be an interesting evening.

Emshei has no idea if she was just being coy, or flirting, or neither. He just grins his muppet grin and steps in behind her.

The house is... spacious. Emshei's sense of decor is impeccable, and his notions on interior design bordering upon that vaunted genius/idiot line. Far from trussed up, the place could generously be called Spartan... neat bookshelves line one wall upon a mirrored floor, while intricate murals depict a cityscape of this particular part of the celestial plane. A well-stocked kitchen is visible through a double door to the left, and a bedchamber that has - oddly enough - no bed to the right. In front is a set of lifts, leading to the upper floors where Emshe's storage and wardrobe can be found. A door marked 'utility' is actually the restroom, and the bath chambers are just beyond his bed chamber. A picture of a very grim-looking Mara-kuru hangs on the bedroom wall, her poise very much that of a trained and able warrior.

"Have a seat in whichever chair you like, my lady, or have a look around," Emshei says, gesturing towards a smallish, round card table with four black leather chairs around it. Two of them are much larger than the others, a nod to the diversity of species in this plane. "I would like to change out of this monkeysuit, if you would not mind waiting?"

"Of course not. You saw how long I kept the dress." Felina smiles. She stares at the picture of Mara-kuru as she waits...interesting. Her Mara would never wear that look. And, though she's quite a good fighter, she tends to shun classic stances for goofy-looking ones that usually work anyway. She can see what Tel-tiono had meant...Emshei's Mara really was a good deal like her.

Emshei notes her looking at the picture, and his expression is somewhat difficult to read as he closes the door to change. When it opens a moment later, the picture has been turned around so that only the frame shows. He does not look at it, or mention it. "So," he beings, holding up a couple of decks of cards. "Want to learn Faro, my lady?"

"Sure." Felina smiles. "Just so long a you have plenty of patience to spare." She grins, trying to put him a little more at ease after the picture thing.

"Alright! Have a seat, my dear Serinian." He plops down into one of the larger chairs, frilly shirt bouncing a bit. He really is a handsome creature, and fits the outfit very nicely, even though his mentality seems off for the wardrobe. "Now," he begins, as he shuffles the cards, "the cards are based on an old monarchial system. Each one has a point value... the numbered cards have points equal to their number. The face cards, jack, queen, king, and ace, are worth ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen points respectively. Do you follow?"

"I think so." She nods. She'd be more confused if Mara hadn't familiarized her with a deck of cards, but gets it well enough now. She's better with a card-like game her adoptive father-figure as a kid had occasionally gambled away their food budget on. Occasionally earned their food budget on it, too, but anyway.

"There are variants of course, but the idea is for you to get a lower point value than the dealer. I will deal you one card, facedown, and you cannot look at it yet." He does. "Then I will flip over the dealer's one card." He does, and shows a Jack of Hearts. "For this game, the suit does not matter... you know the suits, right?"

"Mm...hearts, diamonds, clovers, and trowels, right?"

Emshei grins. "The clovers are clubs, the trowels are spades. You almost had it. Anyway, normally Faro players have to bet something, usually money, but I do not condone gambling with money. Before you look at your card, you have to look at the dealer card and decide what you want to bet, based on its value. If you think you have a good chance of your card having a lower point value than mine, you bet big. Or, you can fold and refuse to bet, if you think you don't have a chance." Emshei nods, taps his card with a claw. "Some variants keep both cards face down, some let you look at your card. We can play however you like from now on. As for betting..." he shrugs, "usually we just bet with dish duty."

Felina smirks. Good solution, she likes it. "That works. I might have trouble with this game..." she scritches her hair sheepishly. "I can play cards to some limited extent, but never with other people...if I give half a thought to wondering what a face-down card is or what's coming up soon in the stack, I know automatically. I don't mean to, I just do. And even if I avoid that and don't know the card exactly, I tend to just know what the better move to make is since it's usually a very cut-and-dried answer."

"Cheating," Emshei mock-sternly answers, tapping the jack, "is punishable by cooking duty."

Felina laughs softly at that. "Believe me...that would be more 'punishing' to the people who have to eat it. Ask..." Kaies. Right. "It's not a good idea," she recovers, eyes amused.

Mara hadn't been much of a cook in his plane, either. She had once managed to burn beef broth. Burn it. "I would cheat too, though. Help you in the kitchen when no one was looking." He taps the jack. "You can do it. You just have to think you can."

"Well...I guess I can theoretically mute my senses..." she ponders this. She's a bit uneasy with this idea. Emshei should be able to tell, his Mara almost certainly would have been, too. "I mean, it's not like this plane seems unsafe...of course, when I was here last week...that was fun." She blinks. She's trying to talk herself into it, she is.

Emshei nods, and flips Felina's card over for her. Three of clubs. "You win," he smiles at her, though the expression is somewhat muted. 

Felina smirks. "Yay me." She looks up at him. "You okay?"

"Just fine! I lose, though. Speaking of food, are you hungry at all?" Emshei has an excellent poker face. In truth, the way she's carrying herself does remind him of Mara, reminds him also of the whole 'duty' issue that had separated them and eventually cost Mara her life. But his smile is sincere.

"Actually, a little, thank you." She smiles.

"So tell me," he asks as he deals another hand, not flipping his card over this time. "What do superheroines eat?"

"Heroes who give their 'pats on the back' too low." Felina smiles sweetly. She looks at his card. Jack of diamonds. Okay. "So...if I think I have a good chance of my card being lower, I just...what? Since we're not betting normally?" Her eyes are very deliberately averted from the back of her own card...they go all around it, never on the card.

"Bet whatever you feel comfortable betting. Silly things, risque things, but not material things other than food. Chores... then only thing is, not betting money means that the other players have to match the bet." Emshei takes a small blue chip out of one of the card packs, sets it in front of Felina. "So I have a betting chip. When more people are playing, we pass the chip around, and whoever has it in a turn gets to be the bettor."

"Fair enough. So..what are some common bets?" She going into this pretty blind, and is determined not to have a social meltdown again.

Emshei leans back, scratching his cheek with a claw. "It depends on the group. Some people, obviously, wager clothes. Dish duty and kitchen duty, as I said... Top Hat had to clean Marcus Ekhet's house once. I got to arm wrestle Zurk..." he chuckles at the memory, "... got pinned, too. Oops had to kiss Drianis once..." Emshei pauses a moment. "Funniest thing I think I have ever seen. She was pleasant enough about it, after we brought her a step ladder, and she kissed him very, ah, well. He looked so bored he could have passed out... and for weeks after, people were asking if he was gay."

Felina snickers. "I can imagine that happening." This is going to be...kind of awkward for her. But she'll at least try to relax. After all, it might be fun, right?

Just like Mara. Emshei taps his card - a custom deck, with each card coated so that various clawed creatures won't accidentally shred them - and favors Felina with a warm, apologetic smile. "I can't force you, my lady, and I wouldn't. We can certainly find something else to do."

"I'll do my best. And if nothing else, I'll just watch. It should be interesting." Felina smiles at him for the thought. "but thank you."

Emshei grins at her, nods. "You win again, by the way." A knock at the door, gets his attention, and he winks before leaving the table, and leaving her to figure out how a non-telepath knew that Felina had a ten of spades sitting in front of her.

Felina blinks at that. She knows he's right. Flips the card and confirms it. Well. She'll be damned.

A moment later, Emshei returns with Mi'ehna and Drianis behind, as well as a couple who are, by their attire, apparently married. 

"Felina Deyono, you know Drianis and Mi'ehna of course." Bows of acknowledgment. "This is Chance and Celicia Eminent. Say hello kids."

Chance, a very young man who has doubtless not yet seen two decades, nods his bushy head at Felina. "A pleasure for sure!" Celicia simply smiles a shy smile and nods. "I," Chance announces, "get to cook today, since I lost last time. I hope you like meat."

Felina stands politely to greet them, and grins at Chance. "Meat would be lovely. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Mi'ehna lifts her hands and signs rapidly for a moment. 

"She says that she'll help Chance cook. And..." he blinks. "Mi'ehna, I am not saying that."

The empath signs more emphatically. 

"She says that she doesn't want to strip us all in Faro again." Emshei sighs softly. Yup. He lost that game too. "Meanwhile, Felina, you might be interested to talk with Celicia at some point. She's a white witch, very capable." 

Celicia blushes a bit, her fair skin turning quite pink as she looks away. "Emshei..."

"Anyway... let's get to this. I'm hoping that I might win back my dignity." Drianis moves to sit in the larger chair, Celicia in the smaller one, and Emshei back to his own. Mi'ehna grabs Chances arm and leads him rather forcefully into the kitchen, to begin what should be an eventful cooking session.

"So Felina," Emshei asks as he sits, "are you sure you are up for this?"

"No, but I'm still willing to try." She smiles. "Besides, this seems like lovely company."

"Quite," Emshei notes, looking deeply into her eyes. "So. Who wants to start the bet? Felina, since the chip is already in front of you, you get first choice." Emshei shuffles and deals the cards very expertly, one to himself, one to each player, all face down. 

"Ehm...can I choose to let someone else make the first choice?" She grins sheepishly. Is trying very, very hard to not look at her card.

Celicia reaches down, takes the chip in a graceful, and yet somehow frail-looking, hand. "First choice of whether to bet or not, Felina. I will go first, if Lord Drianis approves."

Drianis nods, looking down at his card quietly. Mostly he's just listening to the banging and rattling of pots from the kitchen.

"Is that okay with you, Felina?"

"Certainly. I just don't have a tremendous idea of what's going on, so I wasn't comfortable starting. Thank you." Felina smiles at Cecilia...and still looks everywhere but at her card.

Celicia nods, and Emshei flips over his card. Five of hearts. Drianis and Celicia both tilt their heads... it's a hard one to beat. 

"I will bet..." the white witch pauses a moment, deep blue eyes focused upon the center of the table... "one embarassing moment." Drianis groans, and Emshei chuckles.

"Now, Felina, I forgot to mention this before. But since Faro is usually one on one, we've altered the rules a bit... with multiple players, the winner is the one whose card is farthest to the left of the dealer. Others who are to the left 'push' and don't have to give up the bet, but they win nothing. Those to the right lose, and have to give up the bet."

Drianis shakes his head. "I think I fold, this time."

"I think I understand." Felina nods a little. "I...damnit. Fold." She laughs softly, shakes her head a little to herself. She'd accidentally glanced at her card and, sure enough, got the gist. She has a three, by the way. Aw, well. Next time. It will be a very good exercise in control anyway.

Celicia's eyes brighten. "You knew? How did you do that?" She smiles, and flips her card.

Ace of spaces.

"... oops."

Felina grins. "Don't worry about it. The game's only just begun. And for the 'how did you do that' part..." she tips her card to show just Cecelia, to give her a better idea of what's going on, grins a little. After all, she'd have won. "I'm my father's daughter. But I don't have uite his control, so I'm just doing my best to not figure out what my cards are ahead of time."

Celicia smiles a bit at that. "Emshei, May I see the deck? Felina, Drianis, your cards...?"

Drianis flips over a four of diamonds, and hands it to Celicia. "So, Celicia. Story time, dear lady?"

The witch winks. "In a moment, my lord. Felina, if you would like, I can make it so that you cannot see the underside of the card."

"That's very kind of you. The bigger problem isn't knowing the number, though, just knowing if the card can beat the other or not." Felina smiles. "I don't want to be any trouble, really."

"It is no trouble," Celicia is quick to answer. "Besides. It's hard to find a practical use for my spells these days, so I like to use them when I can." 

"She really is amazing, Felina," Drianis notes. "Most of us are relieved that she stays out of the arena. It's common knowledge that she would take most of us apart."

Celicia stutters something, looking away. Her cheeks are aflame with blush, though she is smiling a bit. Her shyness is one of the traits that keeps her from going into arenas or public venues.

"But not you, right Drianis?" Emshei asks this solely to get the focus off poor Celicia.. Drianis shrugs.

"I'd rather not find out," is his answer. "Shall we deal again, and collect later?"

Celicia nods, still blushing. 

"Felina, want to try dealing this time?"

"Okay." Felina smiles a little, and nods. She has nothing if not a superb memory. Well, nothing but ludicrous power she can't get the hang of yet and a mouth that works faster than her brain. In either case, she deals out the cards like Emshei had without trouble.

"Hmm..." Emshei takes the betting chip, grinning at Celicia. "I will bet one song." He looks at the dealer's card, tilting his head. A ten of hearts isn't a bad draw... he glances at the other two players, then at Felina. "I'm in."

Celicia, who is actually a fantastic singer (trained by Oops no less), flips over her card. A nine of hearts. She smiles that shy smile of hers and wriggles a bit in her seat.

Drianis, who can't sing a lick, flips over his card as well. A nine of clubs! Celicia gives him a mock dirty look, but smiles again.

Emshei's turn. he can practically feel the spotlight on him already. He flips his card with a trembling hand... eight of clubs! 

"Hmm... it seems we have a tie, Felina. What would you suggest we do to break it?"

(Round recap: Dealer 10, Emshei 8, Celicia 9, Drianis 9)

"Well...assuming that a wrestling match or drinking contest is out, we could always just deal again, to just the two of them," Felina notes.

Celicia can't lift her eyes from the table. Honestly... she'd like to try both with him, deep down in the back of her mind. 

"High card," she whispers, blushing fiercely. Drianis nods. 

Felina hasn't heard the term before, but smiles and nods. "Okay." She senses the meaning, and deals them each one card face down.

Celicia's hand is trembling as she flips her card first... a seven of clubs. Not bad, not bad... until Drianis flips over an eight of spades. He smiles at Celicia, whose face goes white. 

"Looks like you get to sing for Emshei, my lady."

Emshei grins, and smiles a very reassuring smile at her. "Celicia, you get to deal this time. Felina, would you like to bet?"

"Well...I'm not sure that I'll happen to be here the next time one of these lovely little gatherings takes place, so...any suggestions for bets, anyone?" Felina smiles reassuringly at Celicia, and passes the deck her way.

Drianis is first to speak up. "Bet a dance," he suggests, "for the winner."

Emshei's poker face is on 'overdrive' right now to keep from breaking into a beam.

Celicia shuffles with shaking hands, and lays the deck in front of Felina. "Cut the deck?"

Emshei blinks. "No sword! She means take the top half of the deck and switch it's place with the bottom." That could have been bad.

Felina has to snicker at that. "Thank you for clarifying, Emshei, though you spoil all my fun." She's known, of course, but it's amusing, and..."cuts" the deck. "A dance...works. She nods. "A dance, then." Actually, she can dance. Doesn't, for the exact reason she hadn't worn a dress in eighty years, but...can.

Celicia smiles a very guarded smile, and deals the cards quickly.  The dealer's card comes up as a nine of spades. "So. The bet is a dance. Who is in?"

Drianis nods. "Of course."

Emshei doesn't answer. He's just look at the back of his card.

"Emshei?"

"Wha...?"

"In or fold?"

"In!"

"Um...in. You did a wonderful job enchanting these cards, by the way, Miss Celicia," Felina notes with a smile. It's so much easier now, not knowing.

Celicia smiles and mumbles, wishing that she could dive beneath her cards and hide. "Show 'em," she whispers.

Emshei flips his card over with a great deal of bravado. Six of diamonds... so far, so good. Drianis is next... and shows a nine of hearts. He grins... not bad, not bad.

Felina's card, however, is the four of spades... and thanks to Celicia's enchantment, she won't know until she flips it.

She does, and blinks. "Ehm...trade you, Emshei?" she inquires sheepishly.

Celicia winks at her. "Looks like you win, Felina."

Emshei raises a clawed hand. "Or does Drianis win? I should think he does, seeing as how he gets to dance with her."

Drianis just chuckles. "Felina, I should warn you, i have three left feet."

"I'll be sure to watch my toes," Felina promises, though she's displaying a rare, very red blush as well, just as much as her complexion allows.

Celicia passes the cards to Drianis. 

"Would you like to dance now, Felina? I am sure that Celicia could sing you a tune to dance to, and take care of both bets." Emshei glances at Celicia, who nods quietly. It might take the focus off of her, so she's all about it.

"Well..." Felina glances to Celicia. Her cheeks are still furiously red. She's going to have to do it eventually, though...and she can sense the other woman's feelings on the matter. She finally looks back to Drianis, manages a smile, and nods. "Okay. That works well."

Drianis rises from his seat, and holds out his massive hand to her. Emshei grins at this, though he is insanely jealous, and Celicia pats his shoulder in perfect understanding. She's jealous too, but in the opposite way. The witch rises as well, breathing deeply, and begins to sing a wordless song of slow, dramatic melody and gentle movement.  Emshei closes his eyes and sways, entranced by the sweetness of her voice.

Mi'ehna and Chance appear at the kitchen door, each listening in perfect awe. It's so rare that Celicia sings anymore...

Felina's quite impressed with Celicia's voice. So much lovely music tonight! She lets out a quick breath and takes Drianis's hand, offering him a smile as she stands. "I have to warn you in advance...I've never done this sort of dance before."

Drianis nods, letting his tremendous fingers surround her little hand gently. "Do you do katas at all, milady Deyono? It is similar to the third kata of the Circean vampire style." His mind replays the motions of this flowing, gentle swordstyle, a movement that is obviously not suited for combat but possibly useful in balance training. "Follow my feet." He sets his other hand gently across her shoulderblades, and begins to lead.

Felina's still blushing a bit, but, actually...she is familiar with that one, and her expression brightens a little. Unconscious ease it isn't, but...she actually follows Drianis's steps extremely well. Their both being heavy fighters, ironically enough, gives their manners of movement a startling similarity, all things considered.

Emshei watches amusedly, eyes tracing each muscle upon her as she loosens up a bit. It certainly isn't as if they are natural together, but the chemistry in dance is certainly there.

There you go, milady. You are doing just fine. Drianis isn't a telepath, but he knows that she is, so... yes. Years of being in Mi'ehna's company had ensured that he knew his way around telepaths. His hand shifts upon her back a bit so as not to stress her shoulders, but he can't lower it much simply because of their height difference. Instead he lets it shift towards their clasped hands, cupping much of her upper back anyway.

Celicia develops a hint of amusement in her singing voice, watching them dance. It's so nice to have friends.

Felina has to smile...yes. It is nice to have friends. She can't say she doesn't feel a bit more spotlighted than she'd usually like...but maybe, embarassment has more than one face? Isn't always bad? She gets significantly better as the song goes on...and she only steps on Drianis's foot once. Eh. She's littler than him anyway.

It also helps that he always wears bigass boots.

Mi'ehna nudges Chance, and gives him a gentle shove as his wife draws her tune to an end. She had seen that drawn-up look in his eyes, and is right on the money as Celicia's tune has scarcely stopped before Chance's arms are around her.

Drianis gently releases Felina's hand and allows himself to let loose of her, bowing a low, respectful bow to her. "Milady. You dance very well, for one who scarcely dances."

Felina returns the bow. "And you do as well, for one putting up with one who scarcely dances." She grins at him a little. "Well. Back to cards?"

"Certainly!" Celicia smiles after giving her man a soft kiss and shooing him back to the kitchen. Mi smacks him playfully on the back of his head, and goes with him to begin banging pots again.

Drianis sits, all smiles. He hasn't had such fun in ages, really.

"Who's dealing this time?" Emshei asks. Drianis snatches the cards and shuffles them, grinning. He has a plan, of course.

"Your bet, master Emshei." The violet-haired fellow deals quickly, flipping the dealer's card without waiting for anyone else.

"I'll bet one kiss," Emshei says with a wink. "Who's in? I know I am." Celicia's eyes light up. 

"Me," she whispers, blushing so red she turns white again.

Drianis smiles. Five of hearts.

"Oh, dear..." Felina laughs a little at this, admittedly somewhat nervously. "Well...in." She just knows she's goign to regret this.

Drianis takes a breath, and nods. Celicia flips her card over first, terrified either way. Her eyes nearly bug out of her pretty, porcelain face at the two of diamonds that shows itself to her eyes. She blushes, looks away, fiddles with her hands... anything to keep busy.

Emshei grins and flips his card without a care. A six of diamonds shows to his eyes, and he grins a bit. Celicia is pretty enough, and a good friend... he's just glad Chance will be out of the room, if Felina's card isn't higher than a six.

Felina's card, however, turns up as the Ace of Spades. Emshei blinks. "A two and an Ace? Must be fate."

Celicia looks at Felina, then away, blushing fiercely.

Felina has to snicker at this, and does. Actually, she's relieved in a way...what else could have happened that would have left no interest implies. "Well. The males of the room may now rejoice."

Emshei puts his hands behind his head and grins. Drianis smiles, but it isn't the mischeivous smile of a man about to watch women touch. It's more of an 'oh lord, I can feel her blushing on *my* face' smile.

Celicia looks up again, eyes twinkling. "Um... well. Yes. You ah... right."

Felina just laughs. She stands up, leans over, and gamely kisses Celicia squarely on the mouth. It's somehow easier when you're the one who's not about to have a hernia, for once. "Just be glad," she notes quietly into the other woman's ear, "that I'm not my nether double. She actually knows how to kiss." And is chaoticsexual. But that's another story.

Celicia is caught quite off-guard by that, and eeps a bit when Fel's lips touch hers. She looks down, perfectly speechless, muttering something like gratitude to the Serinian.

Emshei pats Drianis's arm, snickering to himself. "Yes, well. I think we win."

Drianis doesn't take his eyes from the women when he smacks Emshei in the back of the head, playfully.

Felina just laughs softly to herself at the mens' reaction, thoroughly amused. She's more in-synch with males than females, in some ways and for obvious reasons, even if she's still a girl in a few others.

Emshei takes the cards, cuts and shuffles them expertly, and deals one more time. "Feel like trying your own bet this time, Felina?" he asks, smiling reassuringly at her. It's enough that she has played and had fun... it warms his heart, in its way.

"I think I'm still more comfortable to just follow along," Felina admits despite her bravado in kissing Celicia.

Celicia is still spellbound, and just shakes her head.

"Let's go ahead and bet dish duty, then," Drianis nods, "I could eat this chair, right now. Who is in besides me?"

Celicia nods. "Me," she whispers, her voice returned to normal.

"Okay. Sounds fair." Felina smiles.

Celicia flips her card first, smiling a bit. She can handle dishes. Jack of diamonds. Felina's card is a six of hearts... and Drianis has a jack of clubs. 

"Felina, it looks like someone gets to do dishes for you," Emshei notes as he deals high card to Drianis and Celicia. A queen of clubs for Drianis, a nine of clubs for Celicia. "It looks like the big oaf gets them."

Drianis smiles. "It is always my pleasure to serve a lady."

Felina grins. "I'd be happy to help, anyway. Since I can't cook, Guardian Amethyst sticks me with that often enough...gross abuse of psi-magic makes it much easier, believe me."

"Hardly! The cards do not lie, my dear, and if you were to help I might be offended." Drianis grins, his tone quite jesting. Emshei takes up the cards, and is about say something else when Chance calls out from the kitchen.

"Food! Better run before it's all gone!"

Mi'ehna's bubbly laughter echoes inside of all of their heads, and Celicia bolts comically from her chair, towards the kitchen, laughing softly.

Felina's eyes sparkle quietly at all this...this really is nice. These are good people and, know what? They're really not out to get her after all. She follows along quietly. Dinner's pretty good, as it turned out, and Felina's having fun...doesn't smile for too long at a time, certainly not broadly for more than a second or two, but she hasn't been so relaxed in a long, long time.

"... and that is how one retrieves a saddle from a dragon's belly." Emshei, Chance, and Mi'ehna burst out laughing - Mi'ehna as best she can without a voice - and Celicia groans at a very base, male joke. Even a man like Drianis, it seems, cannot escape maleness forever. 

Felina snickers. Again, most of her friends are male. She takes her humor where she can get it.

"So Felina," Celicia quietly asks, "you have an amazing reputation. Have you any stories I might aspire to?"

Felina pauses at this a few moments, trying to figure out to answer, before she grins just the littlest bit. It's hard to tell whether it's false or not...probably because it's a little of both. "Well...aspiring to getting beaten up in a lot of quirky ways is an odd hobby, but it does seem to work for me." She smiles, and sips her drink. "I don't know that I do, Miss Celicia...I tend to just get the task at hand done, and then forget it." As best she can.

"Don't you owe us an embarassing moment, precious?" Chance grins. "Of course I could hear you talking. Mi'ehna here was signing like crazy, laughing her little butt off at the goings on."

Celicia blushes. "Um... well... did I ever tell you about... the time I changed my master's pants into maple syrup? Would that be good?"

"Oh...dear." Felina has to crack up at this, grateful for the subject change. "That's a lovely one, Miss Celicia. I'm sure that was quite the fun episode for both of you."

"Oh, it was fantastic. We were practicing transformation spells obviously, and he was fussing that I was about to get married..." Celicia takes Chance's hand, smiles at him. "He said that white witches cannot be white in a marriage bed. So I, ah, accidentally turned his pants into maple syrup..."

"And?" Chance grins, giving her a nudge. Celicia looks down at the table.

"Uh..."

Mi'ehna signs emphatically, and nudges her father. "Mi'ehna demands to know the rest," he answers for her, grinning a fool's grin.

"And, um, I kind of turned his shirt into ants..."

Felina smiles wryly, and pats Celicia's shoulder. Kind of a mean trick, in its way...but then, never bait a spell-user. It's like kicking an alligator in the nose. A big alligator when there's love involved.

"The funny thing is," Chance adds for Celicia, "that my dear wife was trying to turn his shirt into feathers. But her mind had a better idea."

Felina finally laughs softly at this. Okay. "That makes significantly more sense now. Well...I suppose things went either horridly wrong, or horridly right. At least you two enjoyed bed that week. I somehow doubt your master even cared for being horizontal. Or pants, for that matter."

"Oh, we weren't too concerned with pants, either," Chance chuckles, to his wife's dismay. She blushes so hot that it looks like she'll catch fire at any moment.

"Well, yes," Drianis laughs, whapping Chance in the back of the head, "your poor woman is going to explode, Chance."

Mi'ehna starts signing again, pointing at Celicia.

"She says," Emshei notes, "that Chance had better be careful, or else she might decide to turn his ass into honey, too."

"And I'm sure the suggestion is appreciated." Felina grins, and sets aside her dishes. That was good.

"So, the night is still young," Emshei observes. "Would the five of you like to travel over to the Eon Vale, and see the Glimmer Hail while it is in season?"

Chance shakes his head. "My darling and I have important work to do, tonight."

"Chance is a day behind," Celicia notes, "and is going to have work late the next few days. We need tonight for ourselves."

Emshei glances at Felina. "And you, my lady?"

"Well...what's glimmer hail?"

"At this time of year, the Celestial Plane releases some of its plentiful energies into the other two planes to sustain their crops, water supplies, various necessities. Eon Vale is an island not far from here, and from the condensors on that island is the energy released." Emshei smiles at her, softly so. "It rises slowly into the air, a collections of bright, electric blue orbs, and then bursts in the sky, like that!" Claps his hands. "Brilliant sparkles rain down across the land, twinkling, flickering... it is something to see."

Felina grins. "It sounds lovely...I wouldn't be adverse to tagging along, thank you."

Mi'ehna signs something, and Drianis nods his agreement.

"Mi'ehna says she that she wants to get home, and just relax for the night. So we will bid you adieu as well." Drianis bows his head to them all. "It was a fantastic evening, thank you. And thank you for the dance as well, Felina."

Celicia smiles at Felina, a little less guarded now.

"Thank you for the kiss..."

Chance blinks. "The whaa...?"

Felina grins at little at Chance and bows her head to all four of them. "It was my pleasure, both of you. This was fun."

"I can handle the dish duty, Emshei," Drianis notes, as all four of them stand. "Why don't you take milady Deyono on to Eon Vale? Mi can get home okay."

Mi'ehna nods, smiling brightly.

Emshei nods as well. "If it is okay with Felina, of course."

"Certainly. Thank you, Drianis." Felina smiles, and nods. Besides, it will give her a chance to talk things over with Emshei.

Celicia hugs Emshei, and Chance smacks his shoulder like guys do, each thanking him for the cards and for paying for the meal. Mi'ehna kisses his cheek and signs a careful sign of gratitude, and together the three of them march out the front door, waving.

"Shall we, Felina? Eon Vale is right next to the aircar station."

"Sure. I'm curious to see this, not very many energy patterns manifest physically."

Dishes are already clattering by the time Emshei leads Felina to the door, and begins to head down the road towards the brightly lit island of Eon Vale. The night has fallen, but the island can be clearly seen for miles around. Already the orbs are rising, and Emshei nudges her to hurry. The island is not a mile ahead.

Felina smiles and nods, and takes a deep breath. The air really smells nice here, and the temperature's perfect. "It really is a lovely night," she observes, a relaxed little smile in her voice.

Emshei nods as well, looking at her, then away, and back. "It certainly is," he agrees, "but... wait until you see the glimmer hail. It is... one of those things that can change a person's religion."

Felina smiles. "I'm most definitely curious to see it. It sounds very much like..."

"Excuse me, Miss."

Felina starts to turn, surprised at the similarity in the voice but not quite able to identify it. "Ye..." her voice cuts off sharply when an iron grip snaps shut around one of her wrists, flinging her hard against a stone tower and pinning her there. It stuns her, to some extent...even so, another part of her starts to move. The kicking leg glances off a forearm harmlessly, momentum seriously thrown, and then that blocking arm jabs forward straight into her gut.

A sharp, feline scream announces the most pain that Felina's experienced in her entire life. Then she's simply and unceremoniously dropped to the ground, where a very fetal position wraps her around her midsection, arms clasped against an apparent abdominal wound.

Less than two seconds after this had started, her perfectly blank-faced assailant takes a step back, eyes fixed almost boredly on the white liquid seeping over her hand. Felina...the assailant. Is Felina. Far less expressive and differently clad, more heavily armoured...but definitely Felina. She pays Emshei no mind.

Emshei has other ideas, though. "You..." he's stunned at first by the sheer speed of this... Felina? "Leave her alone!" Claws flashing in the soft light of the exploding glimmer hail, Emshei rushes the assailant with murder on his mind.

She doesn't even look up...just catches one of his hands absently with her free one, and the other hits a telekinetic shield. She doesn't look away from the liquid on her arm, and still couldn't possibly look less interested in any of this.

Felina--the one on the ground--wants to warn Emshei to get back...but just can't form the words. Or move. Holy hell...hurts....

"Please let her go..." Emshei begs of this creature, this abomination, "leave her alone!" His eyes sparkle, but within him a certain energy manifests not unlike the fearsome power that Usamiuroth had held within Kaies Metsaf. It bursts outward from his restrained hand, but whether it will even be enough to faze this monstrosity is beyond his guess.

It's not, actually. It merits a stronger shield, a somewhat reflective one this time that should send the attack back. This creature's power is obscene, absolutely obscene...for all that she seems to be Felina in some way, her power dwarfs the first's. After a few seconds, the liquid on her hand glimmers a moment, then evaporates, meriting an single eyebrow twitch that represents the most expression she's shown. The armoured Felina picks the other off the ground by the collar. "Interesting. So you are the one I've been looking for. I was tempted to pass over you, you know...you seem much too young."

Apparently-young Felina's fangs are gritted tightly against the pain...she finally manages to open her eyes a little. It's the first time she sees her captor, and the eyes widen. What in the hell...? She can't seem to voice that, though. Too much pain, plus her air is cut off to some extent.

Emshei's entire body glows with a vibrant blue light; he cries out, stiffening, but then simply falls limp. The spell had been targeted against the nervous system, and so now he is forced from consciousness, unable to help her.

Another signature is approaching, though, one so massive that it is impossible for any competent empath to ignore. 

Mi'ehna could feel this new Felina the second she made her move. At first she had been unable to believe that such a raw power level existed here, but... here it is. And any power that monstrous is worth checking out.

The assailant's eyes travel off to one side for just a moment before she looks back down to Felina even as she shifts her energy so that it can't be readily absorbed. "Well. I suppose that I'll explain after we've travelled, then." She's just making a few quick calculations for a complex jump straight out of this universe, but then stops. "Well," she notes, expression unchanging..."this is only the second time I've run into a Felina and a Tel-tiono on the same plane...ah. I see. Different parallels."

The wizard's standing just in front of Emshei, eyes narrow. "That is not relevant. Whatever manner of creature you are, release my daughter."

The armoured one closes her eyes. "I cannot. Father."

Tel-tiono is quick to counter wave-like attack of pure energy, though not entirely easily. Even so, the attack had been designed to fail...a flawlessly-laid trap spell springs around his shoulders from behind, piercing his shield by taking advantage of a perfect guess as to what his counterattack would be.

"Father!" Felina finally manages to cry. It's enough stimulus for her hands to clamp shut aroud her captor's wrist...no good, though. She's absolutely no match for the strength.

Hey! You! Let them loose! Mi'ehna arrives just in time to see the edge of that counter-counter, and though it is impressive, she is certainly not afraid. Her signature swells quite suddenly, growing larger, and larger still, not with the assailant's energy, but with that of Tel and Felina. However this bitch has shielded herself, Mi'ehna has ways around. 

The armored one tilts her head a bit, and looks at Felina, expression still blank. "You're rather good at mustering allies in a hurry, you do realize that?" As she speaks, six orbs appear on any side of Mi'ehna before snapping into a large field...a chaos grid. The whole sphere is pure, undiluted chaos, designed to temporarily cloud the mind of whomever's in it too much to activate...anything. It's most brutally useful against psions of all sorts. A physical shield sits inches outside of it.

Mi'ehna can feel the nuances of the field, and her mind, complex, inhuman device that it is, manages to hold its own against the attack. Enough to allow Mi'ehna to reach out for this person's own body. Though she has done this but rarely, and has no idea whether it will work on this assailant, it would not be the first time that she has had to convince an enemy's mind that a heartbeat was a bad idea.

"If you touch me, I will reroute your spell to Emshei," the armoured Felina observes blandly, completely ignoring the vehemence that her double's straining is earning.

Mi'ehna's mind back off. What else can she do?

"Mi'ehna, grab her!" Tel-tiono finally manages after his voice had been caught in an intense fight with the binding spell...he'd won, but it's never easy re-mobilizing oneself. The bit about Emshei was a bluff, he's sure...before anything can come of the command, though, both felines vanish. The wizard does too...but is back about five seconds later. His face is stunned when he sees the Celestial Plane again. Had she...a portal loop, and he'd stepped right into it!

The wizard takes a deep breath. He can't sense them...he can get a feel for where the portal may have gone, but... gone.

Mi'ehna rushes to the wizard's side, her mind a maelstrom of confusion, wonder, and overwhelming energy. It takes her a moment to even consider how to form a though, but her first order of business is to check on Emshei and Tel-tiono.

Are you all right? Master wizard? Emshei?

Emshei is unresponsive.

Tel-tiono is dead quiet as well...he sets a hand on Mi'ehna's shoulder a moment, but says nothing. The silence is eerie, especially considering the casual evening they'd all shared only minutes before. He walks over and lays a hand gently on Emshei's temple, knitting damage.

Emshei is slow to awaken... the damage had been extensive. He had no illusions... his spell had been intended to kill.

Mi'ehna kneels next to him, a very hard-to-read expression upon her face. What do we do? That looked just like her, but its power... ugh. It was ridiculous!

Tel-tiono stays by Emshei's side until all dangerous and hampering damage is healed, and then stands, leaning heavily on his staff rather than his cane. A momentary silence. "I am going to return to Felina's tower now and search for the portal trail. Tell your father what you will, as I am sure he will wonder at the energy rises." He's already lost his daughter. And then his son...he won't let another be taken from him. He doesn't wait for a response before he turns that way...but closes his eyes as soon as his back is away from Mi'ehna.

Let me help you. Mi'ehna sends this to him before she can even consider what her response might have been. She tugs his sleeve, but does not walk around him. I owe it to her to help. Besides, you saw that monstrous power level. Who else but me could ever hope to match it?

"That is an excellent question, Miss Mi'ehna," Tel-tiono finally sighs after a few moments, his true age really showing, for once. He doesn't resist her help as they walk. "Whatever you choose to do, I will not stop you...however, the original plan remains. The portals are too well-tangled to trace without the help of a divining circle."

Mi'ehna doesn't have any qualms with helping him along. She likes daddy-types, veyr much. 

I could learn a little something, then. It would be an honor... She looks back at Emshei, to see him rising at last, shrugging the muck out of his mind. You just point me in the right direction.

Tel-tiono's eyes travel towards Emshei for just a moment...he finally nods. "Finding them is foremost, and steps have been taken to prevent tracking...I believe I have at least some idea of who and what happened...though not yet why."

What about you, though? Are you okay to be doing this? Mi'ehna turns concerned eyes upon the wizard, blinking slowly. She's analyzing him anyway, but would rather he just told her. You took a very strange hit.

"I am unhurt...I was simply bound. This woman did not issue any damaging attacks of her own to anyone but Felina, and since I did not see that 'attack,' I don't know the nature of it. She reflected one back at Emshei and we can assume that she is not afraid to kill, but, regardless, both of us were immobilized by harmless tricks."

Mi'ehna walks silently next to the old wizard for a while, before looking up to him again. I am glad.

"Yes. I am too." This way he's still able to try to find her. His mind's extremely focussed right now...find Felina. Get her back. Find her. If it doesn't stay on that, it will switch to "losing another one...."

He wastes no time in letting Mi'ehna help him to a mid-sized room in the tower. There's nothing in it...the walls are blank, and the floor is, too. The floor's covered entirely with flawless, perfectly smooth grey sand. "This may go very quickly, Miss Mi'ehna, or take some time...thank you for your help, and it is certainly your choice whether to wait in the tower or return to your father. I will tell you once something is found.j

I should tell him. My father really is powerful, far more than any of you have seen yet, when he can control himself. We might need a big oaf. Mi'ehna gives him a very reassuring smile and hurries to go inform Drianis of what has happened... she's quick. It won't take long.

Tel-tiono nods. He's fairly aware of Drianis's actual power level, or thinks he is...and yes. It may help. Maybe. He isn't sure that this...creature like his daughter...is quite as powerful as she had seemed. Illusion, after all, is one of the most powerful tools in existance.

He kneels and scoops a handful of sand from the floor, closes his eyes a few moments, and then opens his palm, blowing its contents across the floor. It swirls over the entire room and settle in precise patterns, on grain lined up beside the next...the circle is already glowing fiercely. The last lines begin to trace through the sand even as he walks towards the center and finally sits there in a meditative position, chanting gently in a voice of sure, absolute mastery that Felina had never in her life forgotten.

The circle completes itself and glows blinding in its full power. And the wizard searches.

Several minutes later Mi'ehna returns to the tower with her father in tow, both looking grim, but focused. Each owes Felina a great debt, and this is a perfect chance to repay her for reuniting them. 

Mi'ehna shows her face at the blank room, venturing a quiet greeting through her mind's voice.

He isn't here in large part...but what little is watching his body manages to make it nod, and say something about how they can find seats in the hall or parlour.

Mi'ehna nods, and leads Drianis back down to the hall to sit, and wait for him. Both are eerily silent, as words, right now, would just feel empty.

It's quite awhile before the wizard is able to work through all the tricks and traps...and then to pick up the trail beyond them. Even so, in doing this, he's gotten a very good idea of how their opponent functions. The spell circle finally dims and quiets, then dissipates entirely, leaving the sandy floor rippled. The wizard les out a slow breath, and his staff materializes in his hands.

He stands up laboriously and heads down the hallway towards Drianis and Mi'ehna. His leg seems to hurt more than usual...it seems to be doing its best to remind him what's at stake.

Both of them rise, but only Mi'ehna seems in a speaking mood.

Did you find her? Here, borrow my shoulder... She steps closer to the wizard, waiting expectantly for what news he might have.

Tel-tiono nods. "Thank you, Miss Mi'ehna. And yes. While I wasn't able to see Felina, specifically, I am quite confident that the location is correct. It will be a very difficult jump to weather, though, for anyone involved...I must warn both of you of that before you decide whether to do so. This is a distant parallel, and the physical toll will be harsh."

Mi'ehna nods solemnly. Pain has been my way of life for a long time, Uncle. In her mind, the pronoun fits just fine.

"We can handle it. You cannot be expected to undertake this alone, Tel-tiono."

Tel-tiono's eyes soften, and he nods. "Thank you, both. Here...let us go downstairs and clear our minds with a cup of tea, and I will go over what I know and what I suspect."

"Right." Drianis leads the way back down the stairs, allowing Mi'ehna to support the old wizard and smile at how nice it feels to be helpful.

Before long, they're all sitting around a pot of hot tea and a few cups. Tel-tiono is quiet a bit, gathering his thoughts...everything's quiet. It's just one of those moods that demands silence.

"Well..." he starts finally... "I suppose that I should begin by noting who and what this assailant is. She looked like my daughter because she is Felina. One from a distantly removed parallel, quite far enough to create a severe time discrepency. I would venture that she is at least one thousand years old, and probably closer to two." He sips his tea. "My daughter's power is still overwhelmingly comprised of potential energy...but not this Nightshade's. My daughter is a child in some ways. This woman is not."

I felt that, in Dothaven. Felina's potential power is enormous... it flooded into my mind, and it hurt more than anything... except maybe for the Malufel's energy. It was that boundless.

"So this Felina," Drianis notes, "is only a much more experienced version of our Felina."

Tel-tiono nods. "Precisely. However, I am not convinced that she is quite as overwhelmingly strong as she made apparent. While her strength is...well, 'formidable,' to understate the matter, it isn't the kind of supreme power that we seemed to be on the sharp edge of. Considering her reactions to me and also the spell that she chose to hamper Miss Mi'ehna, it is a strong possibility that she is exploiting her foresight to read fights ahead of time, choose appropriate responses and contingencies, and so look untouchable and infallible in the end. Few sane creatures would dare to challenge the kind of power she makes it appear that she has." He swirls the tea in his cup thoughtfully a moment, and then sips it again. "All told, were it not for the fact that she stabbed and kidnapped my daughter before my very eyes, I would be exceedingly proud of her."

I just KNEW she was bluffing... I am so sorry, Uncle... Mi'ehna sips her tea, sighs quietly, I could have stopped her if... I was just paying more attention.

Tel-tiono shakes his head. "Do not blame yourself, Mi'ehna. First, do not underestimate her based on what I just told you. She is an extremely formidable opponent in that respect. I can confidently claim that she is significantly stronger than your Radivishe Moorn's currently is, if that puts it into perspective. She has not exceeded my raw power as it stood when 'I' created her, as a power break built into her mind is still intact...but that does not mean she is not strong enough to potentially defeat any one of us, especially if we venture onto her territory...even if she is not as omnipotent as she made herself seem."

He sips the tea...sips air. Looks. Yep...all gone. The wizard sets the cup aside. "There was, however, a bluff involved. While I cannot be sure, I do not think that this creature's mind is very different from my own daughter's, allowing for a millenium or two of life experience. I am fairly confident that she would not have actually redirected your psionic trick, Miss Mi'ehna, to Emshei. That was feint. Still...that she seems so similar makes this entire episode puzzling. I have no idea, as of yet, just what precisely prompted her to 'attack' my daughter. The initial pain, the actual wound, was testing for something...but what, I cannot say."

Mi'ehna shivers at the name, but shakes her head and looks purposefully into the eyes of the wizard. Then we will just have to beat the answer out of her. If she is anything like your Felina, that will just be a typical day of the week.

Tel-tiono nods once, eyes sparkling in a sad-amused-thoughtful sort of way. "Yes. But, carefully. Fighting should be a last resort in this case. For the sakes of all involved."

Mi'ehna tilts her head. How do you mean? What is the first resort?

Drianis sighs, and pats his daughter's shoulder. "Diplomacy, daughter. If she could have hurt you, and didn't, then it is possible that she is not the enemy she seems."

Tel-tiono nods. "Just so."

"So then... what is keeping us here, master wizard?" asks Drianis, once he's finished his tea.

"Nothing, but to inquire again as to whether both of you are certain of your involvement. At the very least, the parallel travel will not be pleasant.

Is it worse than being nailed to a cross and beaten with a whip until the whip snaps? If not, I can handle it.

Tel-tiono nods. "Thank you, Miss Mi'ehna. Master Drianis?"

"I would not leave my daughter to this alone," Drianis answers. "And it would be a privelege to aid you, master Wizard."

Tel-tiono nods. "Thank you both. I've chosen an area in the other universe that should be safe for us to arrive in, even if we are defenseless for a time. Is there anything that either of you needs to prepare or retrieve?"

Drianis nods, and rises from the table. To the far wall he trots, and bends to retrieve Tel-Tiono's maul from where he had left it upon entering the structure. "Just this," he explains. 

I should be alright, Uncle.

Tel-tiono nods, and stands again, leaning on his staff. "There's a room on the lowest level of the tower that focuses energy fields sharply. We will go there to leave." It's a hard, hard spell set. Felina--and apparently her counterpart--is just unnaturally good at portal-making from her years as a Guardian.

Mi'ehna is there for him to lean on, if he needs it, and keeps up some harmless jabber the whole way. This is not a pleasant situation, and she feels that perhaps a bit of banter would help matters. Her father does not seem to agree, and remains silent and thoughtful the entire way.

Tel-tiono is quiet as well, but responds to Mi'ehna where pertinent. He helps himself along with his staff, posture nearly as straight as before Felina's death, and his wound. There are times to accept help, and there are times to stand.

He closes his eyes once they finally reach the room, letting the energy sweep over him. It's subtle, really...but it is a change. "All right...be sure a tight grip on one another. It can be difficult to track down people separated by such distant inter-universal jumps."

Drianis wraps his immense arm around Mi'ehna's shoulder, and Mi'ehna slips her much smaller arms around Tel-tiono's waist. Neither of them have experience of much note with real wizardry, only the sorcery employed by people like Moorn, and so they know better than to take his words lightly. Mi'ehna is shivering a bit... she's really not ready for this sort of thing to happen again in her life. But Tel-tiono's mind calms her greatly anyway.

Almost no one understands a psychic's mind better than he does...of course he does. He adjusts this and that to comfort and reassure Mi'ehna, though not in a way that makes it obvious he's doing it.

The spell starts out softly, under his breath...a very precise series of syllables accompanied by a corresponding energy rises. The spell set is obscenely long. It hardly seems possible that he has this memorized. Despite the incredible versatility that a good wizard has, it's painfully obvious why there are so few naturally powerful ones...there are easier ways to harness talent.

His voice is louder by the end, neither more or less sure sure than the absolute precision it's had the entire time. He knows his craft.

And then all of them vanish to reappear on a world near Helantri Deru.