A pair of arms envelops you gently from behind, and you feel Elowin brush her lips along your ear.

    You say in a soft voice, "Elly..."

    You ask in a soft voice, "It's been...a while, hasn't it. What'd you like to talk about?"

    Elowin sighs and slips into the seat. "I... how have you been?"

    Elowin sits on a dark grey iron chair with a covering of white fabric sitting next to a dark grey
    iron table.

    You say in a soft voice, "It's...been okay. I'm...not a Monk anymore. And I'm becoming a Shidoshi
    soon. I have two sisters now."

    Elowin Devi asks, "You and Lycienne's family?"

    You say in a soft voice, "Melodie. She's...kinda taken me under her wing a bit. While I've been
    bugging her, I've been bugging her proteges too. I ended up taking up with two of them and the three
    of us have been...pretty much inseparable."

    Elowin smiles softly at you.

    "You seem tired," Elowin says, propping her head up on the table and leaning forward to examine you
    better. "You're not taking care of yourself."

    Your face is touched by the beginnings of a weak smile which you quickly abandon.

    You say in a soft voice, "I have too much to do to rest."

    Elowin shakes her head sadly and murmurs, "I suppose it's a common condition."

    You have tmoted: Nellaundra glances around a bit hesitantly and looks down at you, opening her mouth
    wide to show a pair of dainty fangs.

    Elowin raises her eyebrows. "Your Serpentlord mutations manifested?"

    You smile impishly and say in a soft voice, "They were rather instant."

    You say in a soft voice, "I told you. I'm not a Monk anymore."

    Elowin stares at you and pointedly says nothing.

    A small grey-brown rattlesnake slithers into the room and curls affectionately around your leg.

    You say in a soft voice, "Meet Gucci."

    You give a small grey-brown rattlesnake to Elowin.

    Elowin holds the snake by neck of it, effectively preventing it from striking her. "It's hidious,"
    she comments, dropping it onto the table.

    Elowin drops a small grey-brown rattlesnake.

    You have tmoted: Nellaundra gives a rather short sigh and drops her arm to the table, letting the
    snake coil up and around it with it's head resting upon her shoulder.

    You say flatly in a soft voice, "You don't approve."

    "Of your new abilities?" Elowin asks, tilting her head curiously.

    You have tmoted: Nellaundra nods faintly and the snake coils up further, draping partly around her
    shoulders and neck. She doesn't show any reaction to him, apparently used to it. "It's...been
    interesting. I got this outfit to...well, look nice. I normally wear makeup with it as well." At
    your question, she gives a faint nod.

    Elowin laughs aloud, though there is little humor in the sound. "It's hardly up to me what abilities
    you manifest and what tools you use!"

    Elowin Devi exclaims emphatically, "If you grow fangs and start squirting venom, you'd be a fool not
    to use it!"

    You say in a soft voice, "It was a conscious choice."

    Elowin raises an eyebrow. "How did you manage that?"

    You say in a soft voice, "I renounced the teachings of the Monk and embraced those of the Serpent.
    And...when I got in the right mindset, the fangs started growing. It was probably similar to you
    changing to Blademaster from Paladin."

    You have tmoted: Nellaundra sighs, and with a note of finality she says, "You wanted to talk for a
    reason."

    "When I picked up the Two Arts, I stopped using two swords and started using one," Elowin says,
    giving you an incredulous look. "My body did not change, I did not mutate and my blood did not
    become venemous."

    You say in a soft voice, "It's rather...like Kaido, honestly. All about mindset."

    You say in a soft voice, "I don't have venomous blood normally. Only when I'm about to bite
    something."

    Elowin purses her lips thoughtfully. "Hrm."

    Elowin turns her head and gazes pensively out of the pavilion for a long, silent moment.

    Elowin says in a small voice, "I no longer wish to live in this world."

    You have tmoted: Nellaundra's lips tighten and she gives a long defeated sigh. "I see."

    Elowin nods her head slowly. "Have you found anyone else? Moved on?"

    You say in a soft voice, "No."

    Elowin closes her eyes, a look of bittersweet pain on her face.

    Elowin Devi whispers, "You should. You deserve someone who will be there."

    Elowin takes a leather slave collar from a sailor's kitbag.

    Elowin puts a leather slave collar onto a dark grey iron table.

    You have tmoted: Nellaundra opens her mouth and closes it several times, looking rather like a fish.
    "I...somehow knew this was gonna happen."

    You give a black collar fitted with silver to Elowin.

    Elowin pushes the collar across the table towards you, avoiding your gaze.

    Elowin looks up and a weak, wry smile fleets once more across her face.

    Elowin Devi mutters, "...d ..u ... .ee... .. sl...."

    You say to Elowin in a soft voice, "Speak up. Please."

    Elowin Devi says to you, "Go sleep before we finish this. Please."

    Elowin crosses her arms resolutely, a stoic expression upon her face.

    You give a pained sigh.

    Elowin gazes off into the summery air of Cyrene, bouncing her leg idly as you sleeps, draped over
    the table like a drunkard.


    You have tmoted: Nellaundra slowly raises herself up from her nap, her eyes red and cheeks wet. She
    squares her shoulders resolutely and lets out a long shaky sigh before nodding to you.

    "I..." Elowin falters. "I wanted to speak to you. Make sure you were doing alright." Elowin purses
    her lips. "Make sure that you knew this isn't about you."

    You have tmoted: Nellaundra reaches out and gently cups your cheek, though she immediately draws
    back like she was bitten. Her voice is rather flat as she says, "It won't stop me from thinking like
    it. I know how your mind works. But, you know how mine does."

    If Elowin has a response to that, she utterly fails to voice it. Instead, she wordlessly reaches for
    your hand.

    You have tmoted: With clear hesitance, Nellaundra reaches out to meet your palm and gives it a small
    squeeze.

    Elowin pulls your hand to her lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. "Don't ever believe
    this was about you... please. It's not your fault that I'm... as broken as I am."

    You have tmoted: Nellaundra stays still and silent for a long while, but takes a long shuddering
    breath that makes it all too clear that she's holding back from crying. "It's not gonna be as easy
    as that," she says with what might count as a playful smile that quickly fades. "I love you. And...
    you're just..." She leaves the thought unfinished, but immediately lets her head droop.

A look of repugnance crosses Elowin's features as she becomes momentarily withdrawn.

    You say in a soft voice, "I'm not being fair. I know. You're no longer happy. You're miserable.
    Broken. I'm just..."

    "This world disgusts me," Elowin says quietly, her lip curling up into a grimace. "I cannot stay
    here... not without becoming something you would not like."

    You say in a soft voice, "My Elly. I love you. Never forget that. I'll never forget you."

    Elowin smiles softly at you.

    Elowin Devi has broken off your engagement.

    Elowin Devi whispers, "Go and be happy with someone."

    You whisper ruefully in a soft voice, "Easier said than done."
    Elowin whispers a soft "Goodnight" to you.

    Elowin grows still and her lips begin to move silently.


    You take Elowin by the hand, draw her into you, and whisper, "I love you."

    Elowin is enveloped in translucent fire for a moment and is gone, her soul safe until she returns to
    Achaea.