Sinfest - At Last!|Flux

[Kender Bard]

Locket glanced side to side as she walked through the fog with her two escorts. A Wrathful and his sister had answered her summons at the gate and agreed to lead her through Flux.

"It doesn't look dangerous, just ominous," she commented.

"Looks are deceiving," the Wrathful man told her with a sneer. "If you think it's so harmless, we'll run off ahead and let you follow the path yourself."

"Um, that's okay," Locket replied hastily. She was just as glad that they got through the city with no incidents. She bid the two Wraths farewell, only belatedly realizing she had no idea how to find her friend and mentor in the sprawling complex of Flux.

And so sprawling! She took a moment to just look around, gaping a little at all the architecture. "Well," she murmured to herself. "Not going to find him just standing here. Probably." She picked a direction and started walking.

[tuo]

After about fifteen minutes or so of searching, she suddenly feels a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and a familiar voice speak softly into her ear. "Guess who!" Adam grinned as he said that, hoping to surprise her.

[Kender Bard]

Locket just about jumped out of her skin when she was grabbed but her yelp of surprise turned into a squeal of glee at his voice. "Adam!" she cried out, twisting around to throw her arms around him. "Oh! I've missed you! I was just looking for you, too, but I didn't think I'd actually find you so soon!"

[tuo]

Adam grinned and hugged Locket tight before giving her a kiss. "Tamual and Shell told me you were here to see me but you had already wandered off. I'm just glad I found you as quick as I did." He said while taking hold of her hands. "Oh I'm so glad you can be here for this!"

[Kender Bard]

Locket blushed furiously at his kiss but squeezed his hands in return. "It's a dream come true, that's for sure," Locket replied. "I've wanted to visit Flux since I learned of its existence. Finally, I can celebrate Sinfest in the most holy of places." She leaned in to hug him again. And then she let forth her torrent of questions. "Where's Dreamwarp? Where do you stay? Where's the Curious hall? Will you show me around? And can we stop somewhere and get something to eat? I'm a bit peckish."

[tuo]

Adam grins at all of her questions and places a finger on her lips to momentarily stop her. "Dreamwarp is in the dining hall with Drake and the kids, I or Lysander can show you the curious hall later, I would LOVE to show you around and we can go eat right now." He said with a smile and another kiss. "Oh! Sorry I forgot to ask if it was okay for me to be kissing you..." He smiles sheepishly while looking around cautiously for her husband.

[Kender Bard]

Locket blushed again and rolled a shoulder uneasily. "Well, that's kind of a grey area. And no, Nagi isn't here. He wouldn't set foot in Flux if I tied him to a horse and dragged him in. Kissing..." She frowned slightly. "Well let's just say where the Lustful and I are concerned, Nagi understands that there's a certain amount of play and teasing that goes on and that I do enjoy, to an extent, getting involved with that. But he does not permit me, nor am I comfortable with, being unfaithful to him. So... Kisses are all right, now and then." She offered him a small smile. "I think. But he's not here so it's up to me to decide and that's my decision. Now."

She twined her fingers with his and tugged on his hand. "Food first. And if we're going to eat in the dining hall, I'll get to say hello to your family too."

[tuo]

Adam smiled and squeezed her hand before kissing her forehead. "As you wish." He grinned and started to guide her to the dining hall, taking the chance to show Locket off to any passing priests and to give them some random something or other he keeps in his pockets.

[Kender Bard]

In the dining hall, Dreamwarp sat telling Drake a story of her time in the Maelstrom temple while Kura flicked the seeds from the apple she'd eaten at Lysander, smirking as she did.

"Dreamie!" Locket called out, waving energetically.

Dreamwarp broke off from her story in surprise, glancing up to see Adam and Locket making their way over. She grinned and stood. "Locket! I did not expect to see you here."

Kura looked over and smiled, remembering Locket vaguely as a sweet-voiced pregnant lady who helped her after that incident with the Wrathful in Maelstrom. "Hi! You're not pregnant anymore!"

"Not for a while now," Locket laughed.

[tuo]

Drake raised an eyebrow. "Where's your kid then?"

Lysander grins and hugs Locket. "Yeah! Is your kid here? Can I play with him or her? How do you like Flux? It's pretty cool huh? Oh, do you want to try the mystery stew? It's yummy!"

[Kender Bard]

"Oh Soahc's madness, I wouldn't bring my children to Flux for Sinfest," Locket protested. "They're far too young! They're not even two years old yet."

"So you did have twins," Dreamwarp observed.

"Triplets," Locket corrected.

Dreamwarp gave her an incredulous look. "You win."

Locket just laughed and ruffled Lysander's hair. "Still a Curious I see! That's good news. I like Flux quite a bit from what I've seen so far, but that hasn't been much. And yes, I'll try the stew. I'm very hungry."

"I'll get some," Kura volunteered and darted off.

"And before you ask," Locket added, "I had two boys and a girl. Their names are Gaius, Trinket, and Nathaniel."

[tuo]

Adam grinned at that. "Ooh, nice names. Especially Trinket." He glanced over to Kura. "I think I'll go get you all some other food too. Be right back." He says before going to get more food.

"Heh...triplets huh? That must have hurt like hell. Well done." Drake said with a smirk before digging into a chunk of meat he had on his plate.

[Kender Bard]

"Thank you, I guess," Locket laughed. "It did. I've let it be known that I will never plan another child again. Besides, three is a nice enough number. They keep me busy as it is, even with the help I have. Especially the Minds."

"Just you wait until they get to the age of my children," Dreamwarp replied. "They'll be little terrors, bored at all times and always seeking something novel to entertain themselves with. Doubly true if you plan to raise them Soahcian."

"I intend to continue to be me and let them make that decision when they're old enough to understand it," Locket answered. "If Nagi were Soahcian too, or even a very energetic Efilian, I would say yes. But our faiths are so different... I don't think it would be fair to try to bring them up in a manner so starkly different from him. He'd feel outnumbered, I imagine."

"Timidity has its charms but I don't think I could stand to be married to a Thuothian," Dreamwarp answered wryly. "So how long will you remain visiting?"

"All the way through Sinfest," Locket answered. "It starts tomorrow, yes?" Dreamwarp nodded. "Afterwards, Nagi will return to take me home."

"Adam will have to teach you a little about how Sinfest is conducted here," Dreamwarp warned. "It's very different from how the cities do it. For starters, you will have to pick one of your paths to begin the day with and you will spend a number of hours with them."

Locket looked crestfallen at that, glancing between Drake and Dreamwarp. "So I won't see either of you for Sinfest?"

[tuo]

Drake chuckles at that. "Not at first no. But after a while groups of different path's begin to mingle with others that interact well with there own. Heck, it's not that uncommon to find groups of Curious joining random path's then. It's not even all that rare for some to sneak into other path's at the start actually to see what it's like at that time." He grins at Locket. "Will I be seeing you with the Wrath's at that time miss Curious?" He asks with a teasing grin.

[Kender Bard]

Locket giggled at that. "As exciting as that would be, probably not this year. I'll be happy to stay with Adam in the Generous wing."

"Of course the novices are only permitted to spend the beginning hours in Sinfest revel," Dreamwarp added archly. "The rest of the week will be far too dangerous for them. Inevitably, many will be drawn in because people get too inebriated to keep an eye on them. My boys and I try to rotate our duties, though. Let's hope this year we'll manage it. And Drake." She gave her husband a sharp look. "You WILL be extra protective of Kura in the Wrathful hall. Don't let her get in a fight with any of the adults."

Kura returned, then, with a bowl of stew which she put before Locket. "There you go."

"Thank you, Kura," she answered and pat the girl on the head. "Adam, you'll let me stay close to you for the first day of Sinfest, won't you?"