Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
When she ultimately awoke the next day, Chloe had gone fully undisturbed and allowed to sleep well into the morning, but when she did awaken she felt mildly sick to the stomach. That only got worse as she smelled something cooking from elsewhere in the house, probably downstairs. Luckily she wouldn't have to go into work just yet, so her illness wouldn't result in any additional trouble for her, but she would have to figure out how she wanted to spend her day.
Chloe groaned a little her stomach flip flopping. She head read it before and knew what this was. Frowning she had hopped to have a few more weeks before this started. Getting up and dressed Chloe made her way down stairs. After all if she was here for any length of time she should tell Lord. Aaron of her situation. Seeking out the man she told him after a pleasent morning greeting that she was with child.
Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Lord Aaron looked shocked at Chloe's news, putting aside a book he'd been reading and gaping at her with a fork covered in scrambled eggs half poised on the way to his mouth. "Oh my... Dear, you should have told me!" he said in shock, "how long have you know? Do you... Know who the father is?"
"I'm sorry Lord Aaron but I was unsure how long I would be here and I had hopped my stay would be short. I've know about it for about a week thanks to my magic. I'm not to far along and it will be easy enough to hide so I do not cause you embarrassment." Looking away Chloe thought of Chandler a small bitter taste feeling welling inside her. "I know who the father is but he is not an option. No doubt he will manage to get himself killed fighting the orcs when he recovers." Chloe couldn't help but have a rather despondent look. She wasn't angry at the man after all he thought he was going to die. Chloe on the other hand knew better. Besides what kinda life could she offer the young one. Especially if she remained on the run.
Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
Lord Aaron waved off her concerns about his embarrassment, "Please! You are a guest, not my daughter! You would cause me no shame, and could be better cared for if you had been open! I know, in your circumstances it must be difficult, but you really ought to trust me my dear. I have offered you sanctuary freely in my home, have I not?"
He frowned at her cryptic revelation, but did not push further at that point. "I will have to call in a midwife," he said instead, "obviously you won't need to worry about giving birth any time soon, but someone will know the proper care for a woman in your condition much better than I. Is there.... Anything else that you want to tell me?"
Chloe smiled in relief, she had thought Lord Aaron would be upset with her but it seemed he was far more understanding than she had given him credit for. Perhaps it was all the running and hiding that was getting to her. Thinking a moment Chloe spoke clearly. "I'm not sure what the professor told you, and I'm not sure if I can share even if they haven't. Other than that Lord Aaron I think we are in the clear. As for a midwife its not necessary I'm a trained healer and skilled with magic. I can manage for now." Chloe looked away a moment her eyes lost in thought trying to recall if there was anything else Lord Aaron should know. "I.. I think that is it. If you have any concerns I will answer to the best of my ability.
Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
"You're a healer? You should have said so, I could have gotten you some work!" Lord Aaron said heartily, though he still grumbled something and insisted; "Even if you are a trained healer, I cannot help but hold concern for one as young as you. I'd appreciate it if you at least spoke to someone more... Experienced with that sort of thing." He fixed her with a fatherly look, "does your family... Know? Or the, ahhh, father?"
Chloe blushed slightly embarrassed. "I have no doubt you would have Lord Aaron but I am supposed to be laying low. A new healer fitting my description might be too dangerous. But if it allays your concern I will accept a midwife though I'am sure its still far to early for such steps." Blushing once more Chloe kept silent thinking a moment before speaking. "My parents do not yet know as for the father.... I thought it best he did not know. If he survives the I do not want him to wonder about the child. Especially sense he already had a family of his own."
Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
"Fair enough," Lord Aaron responded, still troubled. "Ahhhh," the man replied noncommittally when Chloe explained both about her parents and about the father of her child. He offered no response for a moment, but then sighed and said; "Well, there is that at least... Try to take care of yourself at least, will you?"
"I will Lord Aaron. You've been so very kind." Getting up Chloe gave him a peck on the cheek much as she would an uncle. She would then explain she would be heading out to make sure she was properly fitted for her work cloths and to see the town a little more. After all it had been years since she had been to the capital. Casting her spells for the disguise Chloe would bow and see if Lord Aaron had any thing to add or request before she left the house.
Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 79, Status = Fine, Pregnant, Alter Self
"Alright, well... Try to take it easy at least," Lord Aaron said, letting Chloe get on with her plans. Stopping back in, she found her work outfits fit and was handed two, with provision that she would have to work for at least two weeks or pay back the cost of their creation.
As for seeing the town, well, she would have to figure out where she wanted to go. Therion was a big place, with quarters containing folk from all manner of cultures and districts for pleasures both mundane and exotic. Public combat arenas where warriors went to prove themselves, parks set aside by wealthy landowners and the city where people took leisure and artists and musicians met, temples to every god Chloe could imagine... There were plenty of distractions for her to find, but she would have to choose just what sort of fun she wanted to get into.
Gathering her uniform Chloe thanked who ever had handed it to her before heading out. It had been a long while sense she had been to Therion. She hardly even remembered it then just the bustling noise and a strange woman that her mother knew. Frowning at her lack of memory Chloe moved on. Her first trip would be to the combat arena's to see and take in the various well muscled warriors. Unless anything or anyone stood out Chloe wouldn't linger long there before heading threw the parks to the temple districts. Pressing her hand against her belly she looked at the various establishments.
Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 79, Status = Fine, Pregnant, Alter Self
Viewing the arena, Chloe would see a general melee, a large swath of shirtless men and women clad in only tight wraps battling with wooden weapons. Not every day had real spectacles, and half of the fairly sparse audience was talking about a bout that had taken place a few days prior, with whispers of dragons and faeries the most prominent. The eye candy was still plentiful, however, athletic warriors sweating and moving all over the arena floor.
After she left, heading to the nearest temples, she found herself in a quarter devoted to older gods. Each of the temples was devoted to a single deity, a rarity in this day and age when many had turned away from the gods, though in recent years many had come back to the faith. Most prominently trafficked were a great hall of Doraleous, more resembling a meadhall than a temple, and the grand lodge of Sivicine, which was more like a hunting lodge. Both gods had allegedly appeared during the Invasion to aid in beating back the aliens, and Chloe could attest to the hunter goddess' having done so personally.
Beside them were numerous other temples; the marshaling fields of Boros and Alronok, the old gods of war, one knightly and honorable and the other opportunistic and bloodthirsty. The temple to Michael, the great smith who had given flame and iron to mankind. The shrine to Elric, the god of the sea, was a small stone structure with a small pond in front of it which was being tended by a pair of female disciples. The grand hall of Glissa stood mostly empty, for the lady of revels was more often worshiped after the day's work was ended and one could truly enjoy her services. The verdant open air temples to Janis, the goddess of nature, and Naya, the goddess of fertility, stood side by side and shared a courtyard, a common occurrence given the crossover of their domains. Another small shrine stood beyond them, to Notos the goddess of winds, and in it was tended a tree with a great flock of ravens, her heralds. Venus' temple was built more like a brothel than a proper temple, and operated as such, the sacred workers bringing the love of their deity to any who wished for their communion. The small shrine to Sheogorath, the gentlemanly god of madness and trickery, was ill kept but still stood, and was watched over by an old man in a faded suit. The shrine beside it, dedicated to Whisp the goddess of dreams, was hardly more than a stone alcove with her symbol crudely carved into it, and the ivy covering it and lack of offerings made it look abandoned.
All paled compared to the grand cathedral of the Star God, however. Vaulting archways supported on flawlessly wrought columns of pure white stone led into the courtyard, the gardens well kept by a handful of dutiful devotees and the great oak doors leading into the grand chamber itself. The walls were as little covered as possible, leaving as much room for crystal windows, every other one pure and clear while the rest were of stained glass showing acts of sacrifice and humility, and the ceiling was a great pane of shaped glass that allowed worshipers to pray beneath the sun and stars. One grand tower stood away, connected through the priest's quarters, angled stone rising high into a grand observatory with a belltower beneath it. From what Chloe had heard, it had been the only temple left completely untouched by the aliens.
Chloe frowned it seemed she had missed a great show just a few days ago. Still it couldn't be helped, and while watching the men and woman engage in mock battles was entertaining it wouldn't hold her attention for long.
As she moved along Chloe soon found herself in the temple quarter. Too say some of the temples where awe inspiring would do them little justice. Of particular note was the massive cathedral to the Star God. It dominated the space speaking of its past prestige. Chloe eyed the gleaming structure taking the the colorful crystal art of its high windows. It was pretty for sure, but she never put much faith in the Star God. Her dear friend Grace did of course but that seemed almost a life time ago. Glancing back at the structure Chloe nodded her head before moving past. She would be back but she needed to do something else first.
Walking past each of the shrines Chloe looked carefully for a discreet vendor. She wanted to purchase two offerings specifically. One for Sivicine and Whisp. Once she had them she would offer them at the various shrines and temples. Successful or not Chloe would indeed visit each. At the temple of Sivicine she offered up her offering and a prayer of thanks for saving her friends as well as herself. The next visit would the small shrine to Whisp. Here she would give her offering and ask simple for pleasant dreams. Once that was done she would head back to the Temple of the Star God casting a rueful glance at the temple of Naya and Venus though she really had only herself to blame for her current state and muttered a quick apology before entering the temple. Here she would simple pray that the Star God watch over Grace as he has always done before. She of course wouldn't linger and head back to Lord Aaron's home.
Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 75/79, Status = Fine, Pregnant, Alter Self
Appropriate offerings were, unsurprisingly, not hard to come by in the temple quarter.
Sivicine, goddess of the hunt, accepted many offerings from those who venerated her. The preferred were aspects of the hunt; the bow or the spear, intricitely crafted, or trophies from successful hunts. For those without the ability to afford something as lavish as a gift, tales or poems were accepted, as were simple donations of coin to help in the maintenance of the temple itself. She would come away with thanks from those overlooking the hunter's lodge, whatever she chose to give.
The goddess of dreams asked little from the material world, but small multicolored crystals of beads were accepted as suitable offerings, symbolizing the beauty of the dream world. She could easily pick up a well sized offering for only a trio of coin, and would go undisturbed both during and after their delivery, though she would vaguely feel something in the back of her mind after doing so.
At the church of the Star God, Chloe went undisturbed as she knelt at prayer, earning only a few curious looks from the custodians and the priest himself, most of whom were busy with simple menial tasks.
Returning to Lord Aaron's home, she would find it feeling empty, the owner not present and the two servants he had to look after him busy cleaning.
Chloe would frown letting her disguise drop. Thankfully her training allowed her to maintain such simple illusions with minor effort. Still was a relief to see her true self in a passing mirror.
Seeing that she was along Chloe would nod and simple ask one of the servants about Lord Aaron's location. It was mostly out of curiosity, after all she was sure Lord Aaron had his own business to attend to. Heading for the kitchen Chloe would grab a quick snack and head back up to her room to practice her minor incantations. These mostly consisted of utility from schools she had yet to master. Running threw all except Aether magic which made her skin shudder. She was of course versed in the basics as all students from the academy were and she had even made slight progress thanks to Carly needing some one to practice with. Of course the though of her roommates suffering at the hands of the unknown quickly downed her mood and the rest of practice was halfhearted at best. No doubt before long it would be time for bed and Chloe would look forward to a new day.
Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
"He's off helping a friend with someone, I think," the butler that Chloe talked to explained, "there was some trouble with a young one from my understanding. Lord Aaron has a way with children, and apparently this one had come into some talent and hid it. You know how such things can cause issues, I'm sure, but he'll settle things so that everything turns out alright!" The man seemed utterly confident, and halfway through arranging her snack the other servant, the maid, came in carrying some dishes. She almost dropped them upon seeing Chloe eating cold food, and admonished her gently for not asking them to make her something even as she hurriedly made to heat up something more substantial. Chloe might be surprised to see that she was using fire magic to speed things along, revealing herself as a magus as well.
Returning to her room after being fed, Chloe was soon distracted in her casual practice by concerns over the state of her friends and room mates. It was still early, and she wasn't particularly tired yet, but she could go to bed if she liked... Or could stay up, pacing or practicing or trying to find something else to do.
Chloe thanked the butler as she made her way to the kitchen. Her thoughts wandered as she made a simple sandwich. 'Helping a friend with someone. Lord Aaron must either be really generous or this is what the Academy has him do.' Chloe stopped a moment a light blush coming to her face. Lord Aaron had been nothing but kind to her, even lending her a small amount of coin. The momentary distraction was all it took for one of the maids to show up and give her a light talking too about eating cold food. This only made Chloe blush a little more as she was forced to sit for a proper meal. Watching the maid Chloe saw that she used magic as well which only made her mind turn and twist. Why would a mage work as a maid? Chloe watched her a moment as she heated up some food for her. She had never really noticed the work staff before, having just accepted their presence. That would have to change of course, she did not want to fall into the trap of superiority that she had seen of the nobles she had met.
As the meal made its way to her Chloe smiled. "Please if you have the time sit with me a moment. I have yet to make any friends at work and well I would appreciate someone to talk too." If the maid accepted Chloe would smile and greet her Properly. "So I've been here all of one day and I just remembered that Lord Aaron never told me any of your names." Chloe smiled. "Well it sounds silly sense you probably already know but I'm Chloe." Chloe extended her hand offering a hand shake. Hopefully the maid took it. "So what can you tell me about Lord Aaron. He seems a kind man, but other than that I have nod idea what he dose, who his friends are."
Chloe: HP = 80, PP = 73, EP = 79, Status = Fine, Pregnant
"Of course dear," the maid replied instantly upon Chloe's request, setting the sandwich on its plate in front of the young mage and sitting down across from her easily. The woman was older than her by at least a decade and likely at least two, not gray enough to be truly called old yet and only showing hints of graying in her hair. She was still attractive in a handsome, wise way, even if the beauty of youth was fading from her, and the hints of wrinkles on her face suggested that she had smiled more than she had scowled over the course of her life.
"Heh, he wouldn't... Sometimes the master's mind slips! I am Kathil Margery, at your service~" she answered, shaking Chloe's hand. "Heh, looking for gossip eh? Well, there's not much to tell, least where Lord Aaron is concerned," she began with a conspiratorial smile. "He's not a young man, but never married, least as far as I know. He hasn't had any family visit as long as I've been here, and I've been here for over ten years now! He's associated with the Academy and is the offshoot of an old house, that much I know.
"I believe this estate is an old summer home, but he doesn't talk about that much. He wasn't a teacher while at the Academy, that much I do know, but he was there a while and did something important. He never talks about what, and likes to change the subject quickly if it ever comes up. He does keep busy though, helping the local nobles ascertain which of their children might have the talent, sometimes cleaning up after their little messes... And occasionally consulting for those with less experience who have just moved back after completing their studies."
Kathil Margery.. it was a pretty name though nothing rang out in Chloe's memories. Listing To Kathil speak helped Chloe relax. It had seemed like an age sense she had just sat down to speak with another person. Thankfully Kathil seemed very down to earth and likable. "So he's of an old family." Chloe nodded listing on as Kathil spoke. Her family's rise via trade was still new in the minds of the nobles even though her father had established his wealth a few years before Chloe had been born. Hearing the rest of what Kathil had to say she smiled. "Thank you its just so nice to be able to speak with another. This whole situation has gotten me a bit tense. Lord Aaron seems a wonderful person and kind it puts my heart at ease. But anyway Ms. Margery how did you come to Lord Aaron's employ." Chloe wanted to know how a woman with the gift would stay a maid but felt it rude to ask directly. Of course she had little room to talk after all she would be playing a serving wench in a few days.
