[Nexus] Riverside IX

[Slii Arhem]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

"I'm beginning to think you're right. I'm not just this forest's keeper, but its creator as well. Out for a stroll then?" She can at least appreciate his act of taking off his shoes to enjoy the earth. One of the reasons she remains unclothed, despite her proximity to the city. Freshly turned soil is heaven on the skin.

The bees are being pleasant today, so Hazel can get close enough to see that they're as long as she is tall, and larger around than her hips, with massive visible stingers dragging along behind them. Their legs are loaded with hibiscus pollen, and they're nearly too heavy to fly with all the nectar they've drained so far.

[Gullara]

[Northside Hospital]

First of all, Nadia is perfectly healthy, including her reproductive health. Nothing seems out of the ordinary in that regard. What is strange is that there are obvious signs that Nadia could very well be pregnant, despite such signs usually only appearing a month or so into the pregnancy.*
*Assuming Ghar's Google research is correct.

[UncleWolf]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

"I was hoping to do so." Juan admits before giving a deep bow of respect. "And such a lovely creation it is. May I inquire as to your name? Mine is Juan." The Daemonhost tells her warmly.

For her part, the pixie's eyes go wide at the sheer size of the bees. They were almost big enough to ride on! She stops in the air for a moment, the thought going through her mind. With a grin, she heads over to one slowly to see if she can pet between it's antennae and wings to get it to accept her being near by, a plan in her mind.

[happyturtle]

Northside Hospital

After Nadia is dressed again, Dr Coral sits down with her. "You're pregnant. You appear to be about a month along."

[Slii Arhem]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

"Lenai, daughter of Dionysus and nymph of the fields and furrows. A winemaker." She replies curtly, not in much mood to give out her full title on such a sedate meeting. When Hazel gets too close, a branch dips low into her path, shrouding Lenai's head from her view with its leaves.

"The bees are welcome in my hair, but I don't know you. Besides, your pollen is not entirely welcome here little one." Pixie dust can be more hassle than its worth.

[UncleWolf]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

"I was just going to pet one. Please? I haven't seen them so big before!" The Pixie asks, hands innocently behind her back as she rocks back and forth in the air, biting her lip and giving Lenai her best pleading expression possible.

"If I have offered offense, I did not mean to give it." Juan says with a raised eyebrow, noticing her cut tone. As powerful as he was, he knew better than to incite anything with a dryad in her own domain. "In all seriousness, and I apologize for it, but if you do not wish intruders, a different location really would have been better. You're surrounding a rather populous city. You're probably getting dozens of people a day wanting to wander through here."

[Dark Elf Bard]

Lenai's Orchard

The small shuffle, whatever it is, will find that the other wagon also has slaves aboard, also caged. This lot is also predominantly human, with a dejected-looking goblin amongst the cargo and a gnoll struggling against its bonds.

Kallistax, the gnome warlock, draws a sharp breath, fire in his eyes. He draws a large serrated dagger and begins to play with it. D'you need help? I can get you out a' here.

[Slii Arhem]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

"I stay here because -oh go ahead- I wanted to be within a good distance of the city where my father's revelers make their home, so I can test my wines and see if they're to their liking. It helps to keep a watch on them and keep them from harm as well." She gestures around.

"While this is not ideal, it's better than being far off in case I am needed. Truthfully, I don't mind you walking peacefully through here, but I feel the need to observe and warn potential poachers and loggers of their doom before they test me."

[Gullara]

[Northside Hospital]

Nadia just stare at Dr Coral blankly for a moment. "A month?" How could that happen? And then she remembers. "Oh gods, they said it would only take four months. I don't know why, or what that changes." She puts her face in her hands and tries not to panic.

[UncleWolf]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

The pixie goes squee and once allowed to, will flutter close to the bees to pet and stroke their antennae, looking amazingly happy with herself at being able to pet the abnormally sized insects.

"Well, while I do not worship your god, my group does experiment with new wines if you'd like to do more." Juan suggests. "And if you'd like, I know a few other people that could help patrol your orchard if you feel that you have too little to do so currently."

[The Bushranger]

[Room 34]

After a few weeks of "work", the newest (well, she still thought of herself as such) spy for the Masks was finding her work quite enjoyable...if, perhaps, not as effective on the spy front as she might have thought. Yet, as Becky put up her hair in front of a mirror, going for the 'classy' look she'd been told she should have, she figured the time would come soon enough that she'd find some juicy morsels to report...and if she had fun in the meantime, well, that was good enough for her...

[Slii Arhem]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

"The trees watch for me, but I must admit I would be taxed if many people decided to investigate the woods at once. Worshiping my father is of no concern to me, but if you want spirits, this forest is going to soon provide me a bounty of mead that I could earmark some of for your group, as a peace offering." Lenai is keen to remind Jaun of her status as Dionysus' daughter, not some mere hanger-on.

The bee buzzes and hums and shuffles its many legs, performing a short dance on Lenai's locks as its head dips beneath Hazel's touches, but it remains calm. There doesn't seem to be any threat from the pixie or its human-thing, and Lenai has not ordered any attack or shown much displeasure, so the bee is willing to bear some discomfort while it rests.

Better than dying, after all, even if self-preservation had never occurred to it before.

"What would they gain, from helping me keep intruders out? It seems rather suspicious that you would ask for access that intimate if you didn't think you stood to gain something more substantial."

[UncleWolf]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

Hazel frowns when she notices the bee's tenseness and decides to stop petting it's antennae, moving instead to try and rub the base of the wings to try and soothe it. At the same time, a faint glitter of her pixie dust gets rubbed onto the bee. It isn't a lot, but when she does it, Hazel feels a bit of triumph, proud that she defied the nymph all sneakily like.

"You could say that the group I am involved with, The Masks, prefer to protect the beautiful things in the world." Juan explains. "And we worship a similar god to your father. Consider it a professional courtesy and perhaps repayment for some of your wine when it comes time."

[Slii Arhem]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

"I think the last would sit with me the best. Paying your group would at least mean that I would know a measure of your honor, if you turned against me. How about an exclusive access to my first batch of mead, save for the bottles that will go to the one who commissioned it in the first place." It might strike Jaun as odd that she would ring all of Riverside with trees just for a single commission, but maybe she just wanted somewhere to call her own, and was uniting her wishes and her duties.

Lenai doesn't notice the pixie dust as anything more than a vague irritation of unfamiliar magic, which she attributes to the pixie's proximity. The bee is less tense now that its antennae aren't being disturbed, and calms down quite a bit, standing still now.

"And who do the Masks worship, if they value beauty so much?" She asks conversationally.

[UncleWolf]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

The pixie can't help but smile at the relaxation and continues to rub the fleshier parts of the bee to help ease any weariness she has.

If Juan notices anything odd about the scale of the orchard, he doesn't say anything, choosing instead to smile and nod his thanks at her offer. "I believe that would be more than appropriate." He says. The Daemonhost doesn't mention anything about their honor, as he knew that she was just wishing to be careful.

"As for Slaanesh, to put it simply, it is the god of Sensation where many of us come from. Sensation in any and all forms."

[Slii Arhem]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

"Wonderful. Now, I need to learn something of extracting honey from a hive now that I've dealt with you. The trees will track your progress, but not interfere with you unless you bring them harm. If you need me again, knock, and I will answer when I can. Enjoy your walk." Lenai reaches up to her hair without thinking and lightly brushes the bees away, causing them to take off, including the one Hazel was tending to. She may accidentally knock Hazel from her perch, but doesn't think much of it.

Then she sinks into the trunk of the tree she had been laying in, disappearing from sight.

[UncleWolf]

Lenai's Orchard - Day

Hazel doesn't seem to mind being brushed away, more than used to it, and grins when she rights herself mid-air, waving good-bye to the bees and Lenai. "Buh-bye!!" She shouts with glee before flying back to Juan's shoulder. She curls back up in the nape of his neck and sits up for a moment to nibble the lobe of his ear, causing him to chuckle, before they continue on their slow walk.

[Reinholdt]

Kami Hunting

The mage realizes something is wrong as soon as the half-dragon leaps, she was expecting some kind of trick however and is quick to turn around to defend herself against the kami.

Kami Hunting

The Kami leaps also, over both Cessie and Harnel and winds up back on the other side of them. The agility of the Kami is annoying at least and unbelievable at best... perhaps a different method of attack is in order.

Kami Hunting

Perhaps.
Though as soon as kami jumps, Harnel's wings flair to back up his landing and he spins on his feet after that to lash out with his tail in a bludgeoning smack.

Probably up to Cessie to come up with a more complicated approach.

[Shadowcaller]

[Exbourne Manor - Astrana]

"Not powerless, no, but it isn't worth the risk. Perhaps it's better if he stays in that hole, but if he emerges we will take action." Ramiro explains calmly.

[Exbourne Manor - Astrana]

"So what happens if you do manage to 'free' him?" Astrana demands.

((Bit busy, I'll put up a post for Cessie in my next post.))

[Morty]

[Westside - Democracy Now]

At the word vampire the man grabs on his weapon, ready to dra and fight them, but he holds of.

"So what is your plan? Or in other words when they are gone who takes their place?"

"We plan on replacing the factions with a fair-minded democratic government. Of course, vampires will have a place in it, if they manage to get themselves elected in a fair manner. Perhaps we will have a representative of each of the groups living in Riverside. It all depends on how our movement develops," the young woman explains.

[Gullara]

[Exbourne Manor - Astrana]

"He will answer for his crimes. While he did release a dangerous prisoner, he never personally harmed anyone in any significant way. I expect his sentance will be light." Ramiro says.

[Earl of Purple]

Lenai's Forest- Night

"Out of favour only with the poor, and they can't afford slaves anyway. We shall let the people know this path is open, but that you dislike trespassers. That should leave you with peace whilst meaning the path is open. Would you like a new sacrifice every week, and do you have a preference in race or gender?" The gnome, Byont Fallow, smiles. He has few slaves too old to work; they aren't very popular, and are the cheapest to buy. However, he can sacrifice a newly-captured slave for little monetary loss, and it will let his newest slaves know what to expect if they try to fight back. As if the host of muscular ogres with tazers and cattleprods weren't enough discouragement.

The slaves look around for the source of the sound; if they can see Kallistix, they'll stare but make no noise. Their captor was a gnome; admittedly a gnome whose paralysis necessitates an ogre wheelchair, but a gnome nevertheless. The gnoll will snarl, too blinded by shame to realise this is a different gnome, and the goblin will shake his head, fearing a trap.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Forest

Nonono, shhhh...

Kallistax slowly takes his knife and tries to saw through the gnoll's binds. After that's done, he'll try to pick the lock with the sharp bit of his knife.

[Shadowcaller]

[Exbourne Manor - Astrana]

"Light is in community service or a prison sentence?" Astrana asks with a frown.

((Still busy, haven't had time to think of any way toi deal with the kami yet so most of my posts will be fairly light.))

[Gullara]

[Exbourne Manor - Astrana]

"I'm afraid I couldn't say at the moment." Ramiro glances down at some papers on his desk. "Now, if that's all you wanted to talk about, I have some matters I need to return to."

[Shadowcaller]

[Exbourne Manor - Astrana]

"Right, call me if you need anything." Astrana declares before leaving the room. Now she just needed to talk to Cynthia which she now attempts to find.

[Slii Arhem]

Lenai's Forest- Night

"Out of favour only with the poor, and they can't afford slaves anyway. We shall let the people know this path is open, but that you dislike trespassers. That should leave you with peace whilst meaning the path is open. Would you like a new sacrifice every week, and do you have a preference in race or gender?" The gnome, Byont Fallow, smiles. He has few slaves too old to work; they aren't very popular, and are the cheapest to buy. However, he can sacrifice a newly-captured slave for little monetary loss, and it will let his newest slaves know what to expect if they try to fight back. As if the host of muscular ogres with tazers and cattleprods weren't enough discouragement.

The slaves look around for the source of the sound; if they can see Kallistix, they'll stare but make no noise. Their captor was a gnome; admittedly a gnome whose paralysis necessitates an ogre wheelchair, but a gnome nevertheless. The gnoll will snarl, too blinded by shame to realise this is a different gnome, and the goblin will shake his head, fearing a trap.

Lenai's Forest - Night

"Once the tendons rot from the bones of the last and its skeleton falls apart, I will expect you to replace it to renew our pact, but not before. Also, there is a boy and his dog tending to the animals of the forest for me. It would displease me to find him missing for any reason. Make very certain that the one who calls himself Kell never numbers among your cattle, and that no harm comes to the dog." Lenai considers adding other stipulations, but decides that what she's asking is enough for such a simple thing as leaving a path open through her woods, which may save her trouble in the long run. She notably doesn't specify race or gender, as she finds that once they've been flayed, most races look alike.

[Gullara]

[Exbourne Manor - Astrana]

Astrana will eventually find the little demon taking a nap in their room. She's sprawled out with the blanket twisted in her limbs. Her head practically disappears into her fluffy pillow.

[happyturtle]

Northside Hospital

[Northside Hospital]

Nadia just stare at Dr Coral blankly for a moment. "A month?" How could that happen? And then she remembers. "Oh gods, they said it would only take four months. I don't know why, or what that changes." She puts her face in her hands and tries not to panic.

"It's okay. You still have options, and you don't have to decide anything today," Dr Coral says in a soothing voice. "There are three major decision trees. you have to make. First, whether to terminate the pregnancy or not. If you decide not to, then the decision is whether to carry the pregnancy yourself or transfer it to a gestational host. Third, if the pregnancy is carried to term, whether to keep the offspring or allow it to be adopted. So you have options. But you don't have to decide anything now."

[Gullara]

[Northside Hospital]

Nadia takes a deep breath and pulls herself together. "Okay." She exhales with the word. "Thanks, Doctor. I'd like to talk to my girlfriend now." She worries at a strand of her long hair, but is doing her best to put on a brave face for Irena.