"...yes, you did say that, but I am a little confused. What did I do to help you?"

Ask Anne if she's tired, we don't want to overstay our welcome.

If she's NOT tired...!
>I don't see how I've helped! Mind explaining?
>Tell us about the surrounding lands!

>>401891
daaaawwww

Ok, thank her for her time and promise you will chat with her again soon.

we helped her by giving her someone to talk to. to just talk.

Yeah, let her get her rest. The questions can wait until next we speak.

I'm really glad I'm not something like Anne. she must be really, really lonely.

>>401891

Why does Anne have short hair. Aren't spirits supposed to let it grow?

I think you helped by cheering up the ghost lady. Anne probably has to put up with her a lot and is happy to have her in bearable mood.

Let her have her rest and bow out respectfully.

>>401942
it's probably representative of something.

>>401958

This. Also, go up to the house so you can try to find Olivia.

"You've already given me a fair bit to think about. I suppose I'll have to ask you what other help you need or want next time. Thank you again, I'll speak to you later."

>>401916
I think this is the case. Maybe this would be a time to go the library, or maybe meet up with Olivia.

don't actually look for anyone, just wander until someone come to you.

Suggestion 2012/05/24(Thu)17:55 No. 415811 ID: 046f13
File 133790730349.jpg - (150.69KB , 800x615 , 978728-98UF2CI.jpg )

Unsure what Anne meant with her remark, Felix inquires about it. “Not that I’m complaining, but how did I help you anyhow? I haven’t done anything but speak with you.”

Stifling another yawn, Anne smiled at Felix. “That’s what you did that I’m thanking you for. Like I said, I don’t get many who just want to come and have a conversation with me. Trust me, it’s a fair exchange.” Closing her eyes, Anne took one last drag on her pipe before laying back and fading away into blue flame. “Until next time.”

Felix took a few moments to think about Anne before doing anything else. There was something sad about her situation here, living in a haunted shrine with nobody to come and talk to her. He supposed that was probably the job of the resident druid back in the day, before Camilla’s untimely death. Finally standing up, he decided to leave the shrine for a bit and head towards the house. Perhaps he’d see Olivia and they could have another talk, or maybe even Bianca if he was lucky.

Suggestion 2012/05/24(Thu)17:55 No. 415812 ID: 046f13
File 133790735816.jpg - (65.95KB , 717x700 , 978721-X97TE2N.jpg )

Entering the house, Felix began to search the first floor for a familiar face. Finding nobody but a few servants going about their chores, he decided to move up to the second floor and see if anyone was in the library. It was when he got to the second floor landing that his plan abruptly changed. There was a faint scream of anger from down one of the halls, which had obviously come from Olivia. Against his better judgement, he walked down the hall a bit and towards her voice. Down the hall Felix could make out her door, cracked open and allowing a slight view into the room.

“I just don’t see why you continue to lie to my face. Haven’t I been shamed enough?!” Olivia’s voice yelled, and Felix was sure she was close to tears. “Just put me in a different room! I don’t care at this point!”

An elf who Felix could only assume was Olivia’s husband spoke smoothly and with a touch of guilt. “Please, I assure you that the manor is in no fit state for a lady, let alone my own wife. Be patient a bit longer, my dove. We will not let this continue any longer than we have to.”

Laughing derisively, Olivia stood up and started to pace the room by the sound of it. “Oh yes, I’ve heard that before. If that were in the least bit true then I would be living there now, Antony. I’m starting to wonder if you just have a perverse pleasure of coming here and telling me it’ll be ‘just a bit longer’.”

A third voice, also male, joined in. It was drawling, and obviously held little respect for Olivia. “Trust me, there is no pleasure to our coming here. Maybe if you would have bothered to clean yourself up a bit for your husband...”

“And WHY is he here? Or even present for this discussion?!” Olivia’s fury sounded near breaking point, and Felix was shocked that this was even the same woman he had been walking with yesterday.

Antony spoke sharply to the unseen third voice. “Please, calm yourself. My wife is correct, if you cannot keep a civil tongue I will ask you to leave.”

Felix stood rooted to the spot. He could somewhat see Olivia’s face through the crack, and he couldn’t tell if she was going to scream more or cry.

Apologies for the long hiatus. Updates should resume at a semi-reasonable rate

you can ether stay out the way or burst in and angle yourself so only she can see one of your eyes and say like "olivia your father wants to see you" and wink. will give her a reason to leave.

>>415812
Be on your guard for any signs of a physical altercation. At the occurrence of such, burst through the bloody wall like the Koolaid Man. Elsewise, remain outside, ready to assist her. Even if she's married to a despicable bastard who deserves to be fed to the Gentry, we cannot interfere in another man's marriage at such a politically fragile time. All we can do at this time is offer her our friendship and protection in private.

If he actually hurts her, on the other hand, we can challenge the fucker to a duel.

I say we back off before we're accused of rudely eavesdropping

>>415812
I am glad your finals are over and you are feeling better.
Not your business not your business not your business. You don't want to be caught eavesdropping, especially when this third guy sounds like he's about to leave the room. Keep walking.

I think Olivia would appreciate a way out. The library is also on this floor, so why not go there, open and close the door loudly so they hear it, and then walk over to ask Olivia about books or where Bianca is. In other words, make it seem like you just got through doing some book work of some kind and just happened to stop by and see how Olivia was doing.

>>415817
>>415841

Both of these guys have decent ideas. Do something loud, then tell Olivia that her father wanted to see her earlier.

>>415817
>>415953
I don't think he should lie about her father wanting to see her... there are too many ways that could fall through. We don't know for certain if he's actually here, for example.

Coming by to ask a question might work, as long as you're appropriately polite about interrupting. However, even then I'd worry about it looking bad for Felix or the D'Amuri family when he comes bumbling in.

stay outside. wait for her to leave, then ask her if she's okay as if you'd just arrived.

>>415841
This seems a good idea, but just say that you couldn't find anyone else in the house.

Don't interrupt, and above all don't be seen by Olivia's husband/other guy. In the world of court politics, he would likely assume you would use any information you may have gained as blackmail material, and that this was your intention all along. The elven nobility is already divided about your presence, having a family with a grudge against you would not be a good thing. Better to err on the side of caution and back off until Olivia has left. Then explain to her what you overheard.

>>415812
Don't bother them, don't go in, don't be a target, don't be connected.
Look for a good spot to listen in from. Are there any other doors in the hallway next door that room, or maybe some plain doorways that probably represent broom closets? The walls are thin, and you could probably be a good bit further down the hall and still hear them clearly.
If at all possible, you need to not be seen at all by anyone in that room once they leave. If that means quietly running for it, so be it.

Look around for ninja, and remember to check the ceiling.

Are those sliding doors? They look like it.

Agreed that getting involved right now'd be a bad idea. Too easy to make the situation worse.

>>415812
Sounds like a conspiracy! Stay stealthy, and listen from more of a distance.~

Suggestion 2012/11/21(Wed)08:29 No. 473450 ID: 28ea8b
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After a brief moment of consideration, Felix quietly stepped back from the door and made his way back towards the stairs. While he felt a pang of guilt for leaving Olivia in such a displeased state, their quarrel had nothing to do with him. Stepping in with no knowledge of the situation could not only make himself look foolish, but also change Olivia’s apparently positive opinion of him as well. Antony had obviously upset her in some way, but Felix didn’t get the impression that the elf was going to get violent.

Deciding that he might use this time to get some light reading out of the way, Felix turned at the last minute and swung open the surprisingly quiet door to the library. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw that the room was blissfully empty and silent, and took his time perusing the shelves before selecting a book about the history of the elven royal lineage. Felix had only ever been told the very basics of information regarding the elven kingdom, like the fact that it was older than the human empire by at least five hundred years or so. Figuring it was time he knew a bit more than that, he sat down and began to read.

Though the book was certainly engaging at first, the subject quickly grew tiring. Political intrigue was obviously much less common amongst elves. Every ruler over the past four hundred years had given the crown over to his or her first born, and there was apparently never an issue with the line of succession. While good for the kingdom, this made for a very dull piece of literature.

Suggestion 2012/11/21(Wed)08:30 No. 473451 ID: 28ea8b
File 135351540337.jpg - (89.50KB , 800x658 , 1259898-SYFWYBE.jpg )

Putting the book back on top of the pile and standing up, Felix stretched wide and groaned as his back cracked. Moving to the door, he opened it to find a much darker corridor waiting for him. Thankfully, Olivia’s door was shut and he could hear nobody else in the house moving about or speaking. Nothing even seemed to make much of a noise as Felix left the house, sighing as a cool breeze hit his face.

The simple joy of that moment didn’t last long. As Felix approached the shrine, a huge figure came suddenly out of the darkness to his right. There was absolutely no warning; he seemed to appear out of thin air, moving as quiet as a ghost. Felix was able to identify his assailant as Deacon, but before he could cry out or even run the larger elf had seized him by the throat. He drove Felix backwards and pinned him against a tree with his elbow, giving Felix just enough slack to breathe.

With his free hand, Deacon drew a knife from his belt. “I told you to leave yesterday. I thought I was quite cordial, but obviously you humans need to have things explained physically. You are not wanted in this land.”

Hey I guess I pretty much told a complete lie at the end of the last post. Sorry.

"i told him what you told me if i'm not here you will be the first suspect"

>>473451
We love you too much to be upset

Hmmmm. Kick this asshole in the nads. Literally every other sentient being (aside from your blushing bride) in the local region has informed you that they like you and enjoy your company in one way or another. If there's a problem here, it's with this guy and his unkicked nads.

If that doesn't work, try praying to Anne. See a nazi druid try to talk his way out of strangling an elemental spirit's friend.

inform him of the amount of shits you give about that statement. zero. then apply liberal amounts of force on his person until he backs the fuck off.

Ask him if he thinks this is really within his power. The elves recognize the threat your enemies pose between the two races, why the fuck doesn't he realize that? This is the only way for the elves and humans to work together for the war that's coming. This is bigger than his little broken heart. This is your fucking duty.
Your sorry that you and your fiance don't get to find the one's they want to be with forever but that's how the world works sometimes. He can't fucking change it. Would he rather his crush die to the Gentry in an assault? Because you sure don't, and this is the only way to protect everyone we can think of.

Point is, unless he's a brilliant tactician the likes of which no one has ever seen, killing you will likely kill everyone he knows and loves. You and your fiance are the only tethers that can hold this alliance together this easily.

Stay silent. If he was just going to kill you with no warning, he would have stabbed you already. He sounds like the 'needs a reason' type, and if you say nothing all he can do is talk himself out of it.

Remember what Lord D’Amuri said, Deacon is a man of honor so you should ask him is it common among druids to sneak up on other people like a thief or a murderer?

Whatever you do don't make any hostile moves against the man who has a knife ready to gut us.

>>473522
I agree with this line of thinking. Use what we learned about him against him, and don't make a move against someone who got the drop on you. Not unless you're a huge badass, and honestly I think you've shown that you aren't one.

Go ahead and talk for now. As soon as he puts that knife away get him.

Call for Myrin! She's your bodyguard!

Seriously, this guy keeps coming back to haunt us, but he's a druid and that implies things about him. I have an idea, someone else please troubleshoot it and check my wording for problems:

"The king himself gave me permission to be in this land so either you're mistaken about me not being welcome in this land or at least one of you two is lying.
"If you were to tell me that it is the king who lied then this possibility needs to be investigated, because politicians are generally more known for such duplicity than druids.
"If, on the other hand, it is you who are telling the lie about me not being welcome here then you should reconsider your actions. Sneaking up on someone with a knife is a very dishonourable action and even if you succeeded in murdering me like an assassin this would stain your honour. I also don't imagine that the murder of a foreign dignitary that was welcomed as a guest by the king would be good for you either; it would be cause for a war that neither of our peoples can afford in the face of the Gentry.
"However, my grasp of the full subtleties and complexities of elven law and tradition is not perfect. It could be that this analysis of our situation here is mistaken or lacking something important, and even if it isn't this is still a serious and difficult problem for both of us. So I have an idea for how to deal with it that you, as a druid, may appreciate. I propose we take this matter to the spirit at the shrine so that perhaps we can figure out who is lying and what should be done about it."

>>475595
Man he'd probably stick him through halfway into that monologue. Mans an extremist, so don't test him.

>>475608
so basically, shorten it to
"you harm me, you become a Fugitive. you kill me, there's a good chance you start a war."

>>473451
>You are not wanted in this land.
"The King of this land, the Lord of this manor, and every one of it's inhabitants, have all personally welcomed me. Why do you claim I am not wanted?".

Suggestion 2012/12/21(Fri)22:48 No. 480226 ID: 28ea8b
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Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Felix took a moment to gather his thoughts. He was surprised when his voice came out calm and even. "What are you doing, Deacon? What do you think this is going to solve? Lord D'Amuri told me that you were honorable, you have to understand why I can't leave."

"All this talk of an alliance I assume" Deacon shot back with a sneer. "We don't need you humans. We have been a proud nation far longer than your people have. We have weathered worse in the past, and we do not need you in the future. The Gentry haven't even declared war upon us yet, only you humans. Why should anything to do with you concern us?!"

The sheer self-importance of that statement made Felix scowl back. "Are you at all qualified to make that decision for your nation? Lord D'Amuri tells me that you're not even allowed near the palace. Furthermore, I'm pretty damn sure you're not going to kill me. If my father didn't personally kill you himself, from what I understand your nation would if only to stop open conflict." Deacon's eyes widened, but he didn't seem to have a response for the outburst. Feeling the grip on his neck slacken slightly, Felix felt a strange sense of pity for the larger elf. He looked lost, and Felix got the very distinct impression that he hadn't thought this encounter through very well. "Look, I'm sorry about all this. I sometimes wish that things were different too, but we have to play the hand the fate has dealt us. I'm sure that Bianca..."

Sudden pressure on his throat cut off Felix from talking further. "This has nothing to do with her" Deacon replied suddenly, his eyes burning with anger again. "If you don't leave this land..."

Managing to pry the arm away from his throat with one heave, Felix shouted back. "Well, I'm not going to leave! I'm going to stay and marry into this family. You had better just gut me right now if that's going to be an issue." With his eyes firmly locked onto Deacon's, Felix stood silent. He could very distinctly feel the point of the knife against his stomach, but tried to ignore the sensation.

There was a long pause. Finally, with a sigh, Deacon lowered the knife and stepped back. "Very well. I will..."

Suggestion 2012/12/21(Fri)22:49 No. 480227 ID: 28ea8b
File 135615895027.jpg - (90.21KB , 800x658 , 1303589-CRSQQG5.jpg )

Felix caught Deacon completely off guard. Stepping forward swiftly, Felix grabbed the larger elf by each shoulder and drove a knee into his groin. While Deacon stumbled back, groaning in intense pain, Felix reached down into his boot and pulled out the dagger within. "And do not touch me again."

It took a good ten seconds or so for Deacon to respond. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked Felix in the eye. "All things considered, I suppose this is fair. I will depart, even though everything within me is telling me to do otherwise." Lifting the knife, Deacon let Felix inspect the fine craftsmanship before tossing it casually into the soil between them, blade-first. "I won't come back here to harass you again. In fact, I will stay away from their land entirely. You can feel free to wander these woods without fear of attack. I wouldn't want Lord D'Amuri to get too concerned. As long as you continue doing what your honor commands of you I shall not interfere. If you step out of line however you will answer to me. You may keep the dagger. I have many more."

Felix stooped down and picked the blade up. It had a very reassuring weight to it, and felt quite natural in his hands. He didn't know what to say, so he said the first thing on his mind to fill the awkward silence. "Thank you."

"Do not thank me. We are not, nor will ever be friends." Deacon turned and wandered off into the night air. The air around him seemed to blur as he quickly faded from sight. "If given the opportunity I will oppose this union and your presence in our land. By force if necessary."

Suggestion 2012/12/21(Fri)22:49 No. 480228 ID: 28ea8b
File 135615898405.jpg - (104.32KB , 800x658 , 1303590-W707JKS.jpg )

Letting out a long sigh, Felix slid his own knife into his boot and inspected the one Deacon had just given him. The craftsmanship was quite good, and so for the moment he decided to keep it handy.

As Felix was standing around musing, a hail from the darkness brought him back to the present. An elf that looked about as old as Felix's father came within visible range. "Lord Northgate. My apologies, but I heard raised voices. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, my good man, I do believe everything is just fine."

Head back in, I guess. You tired yet, Felix?

>>480228
So now this guard conveniently shows up as soon as the threat upon our life leaves? Awfully convenient. We know that a large amount of elves support your presence, at least publicly, but Deacon has also made it clear that there exist elves that don't... though no-one else has been quite so explicit about it.

So though there's no reason to expect any elf you meet to stab you in the back, recent events have definitely let you know that if your back is being stabbed, you need to be able to take care of yourself.

So for the guard, for now, a non-committal response should be fine. Though you ought to bring it up to Lord D'Amuri when it's convenient, for now the problem has been handled. And keep in mind, there's a reasonable chance there are those among D'Amuri's guard who also would rather not have you around. Druids may move like shadows, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the guards were intentionally looking the other way.

yeah.

go meditate until you're sleepy.

yes, for now you have no proof any guards are in cahoots, so just say "yeah, discussion got a little heated but we sorted it out"