Varanis — 1626 0794 Candle2
????, Earth Season, Season/Death Week
Context
Earth Season/Death Week/Fireday Eve. [[[s02:session-7|Session 7]]]
Events
Fireday evening, another party. This time house Telendar. The food is edible. Xenofos and Mellia are around, Dormal is somewhere in the background.
Varanis lingers over by the food table, looking at everything very carefully. She seems to be rather particular in her food choices this evening. She is dressed in one of Karne’s glorious creations, but is also wearing her rapier, something she doesn’t typically do at parties.
“You would not get surprised by anyone” comments a voice from her left side.
The sound of silken hems has alerted Varanis in time,1Critical on scan, fumble on local knowledge so with peripheral vision she notes the swaying hips, perky bosom, and brown curls approaching. When turning to confront the potential assailant she almost drowns to most perfect pair of green eyes looking slightly upwards.
“Oh. Hello.” Varanis looks slightly startled, but covers it quickly.
“Hi! You are the Varanis everyone is talking of?” The girl is a bit younger than Varanis, maybe. Objectively you might say she is pretty, not great beauty, but those eyes make objective evaluation very hard.
“Well, I’m Varanis anyway. And you are?” The Vingan returns the gaze steadily, taking in details of the woman before her. The food she was looking over has been temporarily forgotten.
“I am Lenta” she says, dropping her gaze when she adds, “but no-one has heard of me.” A smile wrinkles her cheek enchantingly when she says this. She is luxuriously dressed in mixture of white, red and blue with earth and life runes drawn with henna on her face.
“Hello Lenta,” Varanis says with a polite smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. To which House do you belong?”2Pass insight human: She is very friendly, seems to almost worship Varanis.
“My house is Hulta, but they don’t understand me nor do they care of me.” She looks defiant. “They say I am too wild.”
Varanis makes a sympathetic sound. “I’ve been called wild in my day too. There’s been a lot of effort put into civilizing me by the matrons of House Saiciae. Sometimes, I can even make it appear as though they’ve succeeded.” Her tone is light.
“You are Vingan so you understand…” Those eyes. Like deep, cool pools to drown in. She nods and departs. Varanis watches her go, a thoughtful expression on her face. For a moment, she seems to be considering following. That swaying is sure worth another look.
When returning from the party that evening in the palanquin Varanis notices something uncomfortable in the cushions. She immediately looks to see what it is. A scroll. But it is impossible to read in the dark. She frowns in perplexity, but folds the papyrus carefully and slides it into her sword scabbard, hidden beside the blade.
At home, she tries to read what is written, but perhaps she is just too tired. She can’t make sense of the words.3Failed reading skill Varanis stares in frustration at the papyrus. It’s late and she needs to be up before Yelm’s rise. But instead of going to her room to seek her bed, she slips down the hallway to Xenofos’ room and knocks very quietly on his door.
“What is it?” A tired voice from the other side of a closed door.
“It’s me. Can I come in?”
Whispered explanations get the door open and a sleepy Xenofos lights the oil lamp. “Yes dear cousin, what is it?”
Varanis explains about the papyrus and hands the folded message to him. She flushes slightly as she admits that she can’t read it.
Xenofos raises both eyebrows, but says nothing. He takes a look and starts reading, following the letters with his stylus: “Let us live my Varanis and love, and the rumours of stern old women let us value all at just one lunar…”
Varanis raises an eyebrow. It is a masterful ode in the Esrolian tongue, with great command of form, and passion. But no signature.
“Are you sure that’s what it says?”
He raises an eyebrow in response. “It seems you have a rather literate and passionate admirer. That thing about kisses was rather masterful.”
“But who would send me a message like this?” She looks completely confused. Intrigued, perhaps. But mostly confused.
“Someone who wishes to kiss you a thousand times… There were people wishing to be introduced to you at the Thisera party. And you made devastating impression at the party in our own palazzo.”
She looks thoughtful. “Well, if it’s anonymous, there’s not much I can do about it. I guess I should go to bed. Yelm rises far too soon. Sorry to have woken you and thank you for helping me.” She reaches for the papyrus.
Xenofos hands the text over – a bit reluctantly – he notes, “That piece is really, really good.”
She nods and then gives him a light kiss on the cheek. “Go back to bed cousin. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
When she gets back to her room, she looks over the note again, studying the script. Finally, she tucks it into an ornate box that sits next to her jewellery box.
- 1Critical on scan, fumble on local knowledge
- 2Pass insight human: She is very friendly, seems to almost worship Varanis.
- 3Failed reading skill
