<blockquote><div><cite>Alyssa wrote:</cite>Only one way to find out...<br/><br/>"Miss Jess?" Alyssa whispers.</div></blockquote>"Mm?" Jess had been watching Mindy and Soma but is easily distracted by the new voice. "Yeah?"<br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Alyssa wrote:</cite>"If it's alright with you, there's something I'd like to discuss... in private."</div></blockquote>Jess blinks, unsure at first. "Uh...?"<br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Did I do something wrong?"</span>she wonders.<br/>Then it clicks.<span style="font-style: italic">"Oh-ho-ho....&gt;:3"</span><br/><br/>Tail wagging, she stands and slinks over to the shorter tiefling, and follows her with a big impish grin.<br/><br/><br/>Soma recognizes this body language, and knows Jess well enough to smell potential trouble.<br/><span style="font-size: 80%; line-height: 116%;">[Soma manifests <a class="postlink" href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/missive.htm">missive</a> @ Jess]</span><br/><br/><br/>Jess's ears twitch, and just before she disappears around a corner she shoots Soma a defiant look and a shrug as if to say:<br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Duh. Give me a break, I'm not an idiot."</span><br/><br/><br/><br/>(niether Jess nor Alyssa are seen again that night...)<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>After a long yawn, Lin excuses herself from Chrrou's company and claims a bedroom next-door for herself.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>When her suva-fueled high fades and she runs out of interesting gossip, Soma bids good night to those remaining in the central room and departs to claim a bed.<br/><br/>A moment later, Yuki takes her cousin's cue and does the same. She removes only her belt and greaves and sleeps in her chainmail on top of the covers.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: orange"><span style="font-size: 120%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-style: italic">And so it was that eighteen travelers<br/>(one from Orev's center, four from the temperate south,<br/>one from the eastern peaks, one from the western plains,<br/>three predatory outlaws, six former slaves,<br/>a being of light and a bird that is a tree)<br/>came together in one of the few rooms in Armel where true quiet and privacy can be had,<br/>their thoughts aligned (if only for the moment) to a common goal:<br/>to stand against unchallenged warlords and end their bloody reign.<br/><br/><br/>But such business waits until morning. First the travelers enjoy a well-deserved night's rest.</span></span></span><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 140%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-weight: bold">~ ~ One Hour Passes ~ ~</span></span><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Chrrou's ears perk to the sound of a squeak through the wall--a sound he has learned to be sensitive to, even when (especially when) asleep. A minute later, his door creaks open.<br/><br/>"...Chrrou?" says Lin, her tussled, half-awake face framed by the light of the hallway. "Could I...sleep here? I...had a nightmare..."<br/><br/><br/>(assuming the druid doesn't turn away this poor sight:) she nestles against Heshaar's side and instantly falls back to sleep.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Things become much quieter for those in the central room in the absence of the others (especially Soma).<br/><br/>The only sounds in the suite are the soft, lyrical words of Elven passed between the elves, which Auralia follows using her gift of tongues.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 140%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-weight: bold">~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Nine Hours Pass ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</span></span><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 80%; line-height: 116%;">[all stuffed penalties reduced by 20]</span><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Yuki, who has trained herself to function on a minimum of sleep and comfort, is among the first to wake. She walks into the central room already dressed in her chainmail and looking totally refreshed.<br/>"Morning." she says to her sleepless suite-mates. She wonders what they've been talking about...<br/><br/><br/><br/>After a few minutes by the hearth to gather her thoughts, she speaks again.<br/>"How about some eggs? Eh?" she asks the fire.<br/><br/><br/>"Certainly m'lady, and how wou--" begins a phantom servant.<br/><br/><br/>"--Raw." she interrupts. "Just bring me five eggs."<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>There is no sign yet of Soma or Jess.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Two notes:<br/>First: the same supernatural aura that was invading dreams last time the characters slept is still in effect--in fact, it's even stronger now since the party is closer to Jejuna. That means everyone without a nimbus or pointy ears had nightmares, or at least unpleasant dreams. If the character would already be prone to having nightmares, then they were made much more intense than usual.<br/><br/>Second: eventually someone will notice that the four-tailed fox is nowhere to be found in the suite. Which means...at some point last night he must have wandered off to get into some nocturnal mischief. Kahmori is as cunning as he is sneaky, so this behavior is neither surprising nor is it cause for alarm for the PCs. He'll show up again when his player returns.</div></div></div>