[SE] mud free zone

Lily Oh for the love of any of the various deities, how did all mud get in to the Temple? Lily pushes open the heavy doors to find a neat freak’s worst nightmare: mud - everywhere. It stretches halfway to the altar, a thin layer of slick brown good that seems to have oozed through whichever cracks it can find. She’d only come to talk to Frey about something, but can’t bring herself to walk over it without trying to clean it up. In fact, it seems to try and move away from her booted feet, heading further in, rather than out into the springtime air. So Lily flings both doors open, letting sunshine into the building, and then slips and slides across the floor until she’s ahead of the mud. “Nuh-uh,” she says firmly to the mud. “Back out you go.” And having nothing to push it with, she finds a piece of wood leftover from LongNight and begins to try and scrape it off the floor. women are like tricks by sleight of hand which, to admire, we should not understand

my love affair with water runs deep into my soul,

the serenity as intense as the tides ebb and flow

Amun had spent far too much time cooped up in the Temple to return there right after LongNight. However, after a decent amount of time had passed, he’d realized that in the rush out the doors to escape the darkness of LongNight and emerge into the light of Flowerbirth, people probably left behind some supplies and valuables. So he’d sauntered on over, checking every nook and cranny of the by-now far too familiar space.

Unfortunately, somehow, that ever-present mud had gotten everywhere. Although the potter didn’t feel physical discomfort, the sticky and clingy stuff really cramped his style. As he stepped into yet another pile of it, he groaned. Then, though, the doors were flung open and sunlight spilled in.

With a hiss, the Ascended retreated to where he’d stashed his full body cloak. ”Hey! Careful, lady, you almost burned me. I mean, I know I’m hot, but I prefer not to be crispy.” He wrapped the cloth around himself, making sure every inch of skin was covered. Although his face was obviously shadowed, he shot her a cheerful grin and his tone wasn’t bothered at all, just slightly teasing.

Then, though, he watched with a great deal of amusement as she began to speak to it, before scraping it off the ground. ”Think talking to it actually works, red hot?” He bent down towards a small pile of the goop and made shooing motions. ”Off you go then.” Strangely enough, it actually paused in its forward motion, though it didn’t move out the door quite yet.

nothing is softer or more flexible than water,

yet nothing can resist it

AMUN

Lily Fuck, the Ascended are quiet! Lily hadn’t noticed anyone else in the Temple, but of course that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone there. She spins around, half in horror, half in surprise, and when she hears the man talk about being burned, her hands fly to her mouth in dismay. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Rushing to the doors, she closes one and leaves the other ¾ open, in order to give the mud some place to go. And to make matters worse, he caught her talking to the mud. Great. A sheepish grin spreads across her face despite his teasing tone and obvious grin. “I mean… it can’t hurt, can it?” What’s the worse it would do, start to talk back? Laying the piece of wood she’d found horizontally across the floor, Lily works with the bit of mud in the sunlight and begins to slowly push a section towards the doors, which makes the rest of the mud realize she means business. It, too, halts its never ending creep forward. “What are you doing in here anyway?” Lily asks absently, knowing she’s seen the guy before, but only at the perimeters of her life. women are like tricks by sleight of hand which, to admire, we should not understand

my love affair with water runs deep into my soul,

the serenity as intense as the tides ebb and flow

Now that the sunlight wasn’t covering the entire interior of the Temple, it was safe enough for Amun to lower his hood. He gave the red-head an easy smile. ”No harm done, hot stuff. I’m quick on my feet when I need to be.” He did a little shuffle step, the start to a jig, before chuckling, the sound low and mischievous. ”You can make it up to me by telling me your name.” Flashing her another one of his signature grins, he took a few steps closer, though still far from the bands of sunlight dappling the floor.

”Guess not.” Bending down, he wagged a finger at the mud. ”You hear that mud? We’re asking nicely. You don’t want to hear us ask less than nicely, trust me.” He smirked at it before straightening up and returning his gaze to the woman. Well, kind of: he spotted a clump of the mud that quivered as if it was going to make a break for it, and he nudged it with his foot, pushing it back with the rest of it. It settled down, almost looking grumpy.

His full attention returned to her at her question. ”Well, I figured, in the rush of everyone coming from the Guild, and then the rush to leave when LongNight ended, folks probably left some belongings behind. Would be a shame if anything happened to them.” He winked at her, as charming as he could manage.

nothing is softer or more flexible than water,

yet nothing can resist it

AMUN

Lily The entertainer’s grin widens as Amun does a little shuffling step - which she mimics with her own shuffle-ball-change and then a little twirl. “Lily. Lily Balfour,” the redhead says by way of introduction, sweeping into a shallow, graceful curtsy. “And yours, Mr. Smooth Talker?” For he does have a way with words, an ease about him that could easily be enticing to some and annoying as fuck to others. Lily finds it rather amusing at the moment, but she could see where it might cross the line every now and then. Even comedians have serious moments every now and then. Tapping her piece of wood on the floor after his mock scolding, the entertainer follows it up with, “Yeah, we’ll sweep you right out of here, and we won’t be very gentle about it!” That seemed to get the mud’s attention (and she can’t believe she’s thinking that) somewhat. It begins to slowly recoil, leaving a brown trail (you can imagine what that reminds her of) where it begins to recede. Good. It’s taking them seriously. She makes an imperious-sounding noise and a haughty nod in the mud’s direction as if to say, yeah, you keep on going, before turning to the hooded stranger. “Is that supposed to be a polite way of saying you’re scavenging for stuff?” women are like tricks by sleight of hand which, to admire, we should not understand

my love affair with water runs deep into my soul,

the serenity as intense as the tides ebb and flow

As the woman danced right back, Amun laughed with delight. Then his grin broadened as he heard her name. ”Lily Balfour of the House of Revelries by any chance?” He swept into a practiced bow. ”Amun Arlun, at your service.” The corners of his mouth twitched up and he chuckled. ”Though you can call me whatever you like, hot stuff.” Straightening up, he winked.

When Lily followed his lead, he grinned. ”You heard the lady. Go on, scram!” Strangely enough, their efforts seemed to be working, and the mud starting oozing across the ground, though it left some residue behind. He stamped his foot at it to let them know they meant business, though mischief sparkled in his eyes.

At Lily’s accusation, he placed his hand over his heart and put an over the top hurt look on his face. ”Why I never, hot stuff! Do I look like the sort of person who would do that?” He waggled his eyebrows, looking exactly like the picture of a scavenger and a ruffian.

nothing is softer or more flexible than water,

yet nothing can resist it

AMUN

Lily “Why, yes” Lily replies with more than a little bit of incredulousness in her voice. She’d done all the work for the building and then the blight came and then LongNight, and she imagines that it’s probably full of dust and small rodents all over again. “How did you - ?” She can’t remember putting a sign up for the place, so maybe it was word of mouth? Or it could have been Bastien, Rex, or Remi, or - well, it doesn’t really matter how he knows, does it? Just that he does. “Where are you from? That’s not the kind of name I recognize…” In other words, it sounds foreign and non-european (don’t hold it against her, the poor girl is very, very white) She continues to inch her way back towards the door, maintaining a steady press on the mud, lest it get the wrong idea. “And yes. You look like a rapscallion.” She pauses for a beat, a matching twinkle in her eye (though he may not be able to see it). “But I like rapscallions. Scoundrels. Rogues.” Fuck, she liked the Prince of Hell. Doesn't get more scandalous than that, does it? women are like tricks by sleight of hand which, to admire, we should not understand

my love affair with water runs deep into my soul,

the serenity as intense as the tides ebb and flow

Amun grinned wickedly. ”Rexanna told me about you, hot stuff.” Dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, he stepped forward. ”And about what your room can do for Ascended like me.” Tilting his head, he winked at her before speaking in a far more reasonable tone and volume. ”Though House of Revelries implies it’s more than a single room.” He quirked his eyebrows and gave her a curious look.

Chuckling at her question, he gave her a brilliant smile. ”I’m from a world without a name. It had gods and magic and monsters and exotic lands, though.” He got a far away look in his eyes. ”I sailed its seas and saw the strangest things, things you could only dream of.” His gaze settled back at her and he grinned, all traces of the mood that had stolen over him gone.

His grin widened. ”Well I am relieved to hear that, hot stuff. And this rapscallion likes you too.” Winking, he turned to stomp by some mud that seemed to want to sneak back in while they were chatting. It scurried off, and he faced her again. ”How about you, Lily of the House of Revelries? What’s your story?”

nothing is softer or more flexible than water,

yet nothing can resist it

AMUN

Lily Oh. Her back room. And no, that’s not a euphemism. Lily’s happy look turns into something a little more sly and mischievous as Amun slowly reveals just what kind of man she’s dealing with. He’s got a couple of the facts wrong about her room and such, but that’s ok, she doesn’t mind pointing him in the right direction. “Hate to burst your bubble, but the room is actually in my house. Where I sleep. And let me tell you,” she says with a delicate arching of a brow, “it keeps me the happiest woman in the Grounds.” She sighs in contentment and pleasant memories, “but it is by invitation only.” She gives Amun a look. “So best keep up with those compliments, Mr. Arlun. Though something tells me you have an endless supply of them.” Continuing to inch forward and chase out the mud, darting to one side every now and then, she continues the easy conversation. “House of Revelries was supposed to be my Cabaret joint. I’m not sure if it’ll be one now… people here don’t seem to be much interested in music and revelries unless it’s a big site-wide festival. Maybe I can change that? I don’t know.” Offering up a care-free shrug, she seems to imply that it doesn’t bother her. “I’m from a place that seems to have multiple portals across different times. Bastien is from my world. Oliver too, I think. But he was kinda vague and didn’t seem to know much. It was… pretty stiff and boring, actually, compared to Caido. Women didn't have a lot of freedom.” Her gaze empties a bit as she begins to mentally go back to Virginia, remembers telling Melita about Scheherezade and her reaction - but catches herself after a moment and shakes her head to clear her thoughts. “I don’t miss it much.” women are like tricks by sleight of hand which, to admire, we should not understand

my love affair with water runs deep into my soul,

the serenity as intense as the tides ebb and flow

Grinning broadly, Amun spread his arms. ”Well then, what does a man gotta do to get invited to your bedroom, hot stuff? Besides compliments, which will be easy, with someone as beautiful as you.” The Ascended winked, and his tone was over the top flirtatious and teasing.

His grin became less wicked and more charming as she talked about her plans. ”Well, I’m not sure what a Cabaret is. But I’m interested in music and revelries. So if you ever need an audience member, I’m there.” He did another little quickstep, smiling all the while. He transitioned seamlessly into stepping in front of yet another blob of mud. Bending down, he waggled his finger at it. The mud slunk off almost sulkily.

Straightening up, the potter gave the red-headed woman another grin. ”Sorry to hear that, hot stuff. But you’re here, now, with a magic bedroom. Anything but stiff and boring.” Winking, he stepped closer to her, though still careful to avoid the sunlight. ”So you’re free to do whatever you please.” His tone was wicked and cheerful in equal parts.

nothing is softer or more flexible than water,

yet nothing can resist it

AMUN

Lily Mock-wagging her finger at him, Lily chuckles. “You are too smooth for your own good, but have a point.” She can do whatever she pleases. And she does have a magic bedroom that she can imagine others might give their left arm or leg to use. Maybe she should rent it out for special evenings and become the Madam of Secrets and Sex. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Balfour’s House of Revelries, run by the Madam of Secrets and Sex, with performances from the Lady Lily, herself? A girl can dream. “I think the problem is more with deciding what I want to do and then how to go about doing it,” she replies. “But I’ll never say n to a good dance partner.”Peering intently for a moment as Amun, she notices that the mud is more or less in the light now and steps forward to take care of. “What do you do during the day, besides hide in buildings? What’s being an Ascended like?” women are like tricks by sleight of hand which, to admire, we should not understand

my love affair with water runs deep into my soul,

the serenity as intense as the tides ebb and flow

Smirking, Amun spread his hands in a ‘who, me?’ gesture. ”Ah, but it’s not about me. It’s about you, hot stuff.” His tone was cheerful and bright. "Well, it's up to you, obviously, but I imagine people could use a party after the doom and gloom of LongNight, don't you? I know Fiat Lux is coming up, but maybe you could preview it for us. Or put together a show for Fiat Lux. Or both." Then he chuckled, the sound dark and low. "I'll never say no to a good partner, dance or otherwise, hot stuff." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

As she asked about him, he grinned. "Nothing as fancy as a House of Revelries or a magic bedroom, but I just opened a pottery studio so I do that in my spare time. And sex, of course." Placing his hands on his hips in mock outrage, his tone became over the top hurt. "And I'm not hiding, hot stuff. I'm reassessing the resources available to me while waiting for a strategic moment to strike." He winked at her.

nothing is softer or more flexible than water,

yet nothing can resist it

AMUN

Lily “Everyone seems to have Fiat Lux covered already, with all the plans that are already going on…” Lily kind of rolls her eyes - even if he can’t see it, the tone is in her voice. She’ll never begrudge people their preparations, but sometimes it seems as if there’s so much going on that there isn’t room (or time) for anything else - or anyone else’s activities. Maybe it’s her own fault for not getting as involved as she could be, for not learning enough or taking initiative. Who knows? “Maybe I’ll have another invite-only thing.” For the cool, kids, you know? She flashes Amun a wink that says he would clearly be on the list.   “Oh, you’re a potter! Good with your hands, I assume?” She teases, finally chasing the mud to the threshold of the Temple. She murmurs a little threat to the mud before closing the doors on it, fully blocking out the sunlight now, so Amun has free reign aside from the windows again. “Men or women? Both?” she asks before turning around. She had her own ideas about the guy’s sexuality but was curious whether or not she can still read strangers correctly. women are like tricks by sleight of hand which, to admire, we should not understand

my love affair with water runs deep into my soul,

the serenity as intense as the tides ebb and flow

The Ascended shrugged, a wicked light dancing in his eyes. ”So what? Who cares what other people do?” Stepping closer to Lily, he dropped his voice to a suggestive whisper. ”So long as you’re better than them, which I have no doubt you are, hot stuff, they’ll pale in comparison to your performances.” Letting out a chuckle, the sound dark and low, he smirked. ”Though a private party sounds good. People love shit that’s exclusive.” He winked at her.

Lifting his hands, he waved them in the air in vaguely dancelike motions. ”Most definitely.” His tone was more than a bit smug. As she finally closed the door, he nodded approvingly. ”Thanks, hot stuff. Much appreciated.”

When she asked about his preferences, he grinned. ”Men, mostly, though I’m told with the bite it matters less.” He tilted his head. ”How about you, hot stuff? Got someone to warm the bed of your magic bedroom?” This time, his voice was positively scandalous.

nothing is softer or more flexible than water,

yet nothing can resist it

AMUN