Fantasy Steamhaven: Land of the Lost

[Cartoonicat]

Sophia nodded, looking up with glassy eyes. "It is just difficult and I..." She shook her head. Wiped one of her eyes with the back of her glove. "No, you're right. I know I am being selfish. I won't pursue D-"

As if summoned merely by his name, Dan returned from the dressing room with the suit in his arms. Sophia's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "What are you doing? You must use the carrying bag!"

"Carrying bag?"

"Yes!" She scurried forward and took the suit from him, checking every inch of it for soot particles that may have transferred from Dan's regular clothes. Upon finding the garment clean, she sighed in relief. "When transferring your suit, you must protect it with a case." Dan lifted an eyebrow. Sophia slipped into the dressing room, returning moments later with the aforementioned carrying bag. "Here you are."

Dan's eyes lit up. "Ah, this! It thought it was a decoration. What an interesting invention..."

With his suit taken care of, Lianna had the rest of the morning and afternoon to prepare for the Gala herself. She could invite Dan along or do things herself and meet up with him later.

- Visit a salon
- Return home
- Go somewhere else
- Other
- (Optional): Bring Dan along

 

[ArcticFox]

While Lianna would like to splurge and pamper herself, that really wasn't something she could afford to at that point. It's been a while since she took on a paying job, ever since she got into the whole vampire intrigue, and she was running low. So, when they stepped out of the boutique and said their goodbyes to Sophia, she turned to Dan.

"I will meet you at the Hub tonight?" She asked, not really wanting him to come by her apartment and discover the creature she was keeping in there, "I'm gonna take the rest of the day for myself and, hopefully, I'll turn out to be a decent enough plus one." She smiled.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Hm? Oh, yes, that will do," Dan said. Smiled, then. He said nothing about her plus one comment, yet his eyes expressed admiration. The gentle fondness she'd seen from him, time and time again, over the past few days.

Sophia bid Lianna them farewell and, instead of walk, Dan opted to ride a carriage back to the Hub - an idea suggested by Sophia. She'd told Lianna she would not pursue Dan, yet she did not hide her concern for his safety. Perhaps she meant it platonically.

- Walk home
- Take a carriage
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna said er goodbyes to Dan as well, waving as he got on the carriage. Then she proceeded to walk back home in a quicker pace, but not quite running. She was usually very efficient when getting ready, and providing that the vampire behaved, she would have enough time to get ready for the night.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Afternoon arrived just as Lianna did at her street. Perhaps it was too early or too sunny out that morning - the clouds had parted more than usual, casting thin rays down to the city below - but all was quiet, still. Steamhaven had never had that much of an ambiance aside from crackling fires, gunshots, and the tumbling of wheels on brick streets, but the silence seemed almost deafening now.

So deafening that, when Lianna reached her front door, the sound of Samael talking from inside sounded absurdly clear. She could hear every word.

- Go inside
- Eavesdrop
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Alarm bells went off in her mind as she heard the vampire speak. Someone else was in her home and it couldn't have been Patrick, unless he got back from work early. Did the commissioner figure out she brought him home instead of to the Hub? Or did Landon find out somehow? Or did the coven come back for him? But it was the middle of a sunny day. She quickly put an ear to the door and listened in.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Tomorrow night, yes, yes. I know. I wouldn't dream of missing the summit," Samael's voice sounded tense, loud. It seemed whoever he was talking to had him on the edge of his seat. Had him worried, even.

Lianna could clearly hear the thumping of footsteps and an indiscernible mumble as if the unknown visitor were speaking extremely low, bordering on a whisper.

Samael sighed quite dramatically. "Oh alright, leave me here. So kind of you." More mumbling, more footsteps, these ones growing quiet. "Why does everyone suggest that? I'm not breaking my wrists."

- Go inside
- Eavesdrop
- Peek through a window
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Well she was about done skulking at her own front door. This was preposterous. There was am invader inside and she was being too careful about it and it was time to rush in, guns blazing. So that's what she did. She pulled her shotgun and pushed open the door with foot, giving everyone inside a thorough look over, gun at the ready.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Bursting through the door, Lianna would find the room empty save for a terribly wide-eyed Samael. He blinked multiple times and shook off the surprise with a smug smile. "You should double check your locks next time, Hunter," he spoke unnecessarily loud, obviously warning whoever else was in the house that Lianna had returned home.

- Check the kitchen
- Check the hallway
- Check the bedroom
- Check the bathroom
- Threaten Samael
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna only scowled at Samael in passing, not saying anything, as she rushed to the bedroom. If Samael yelled to warn the intruder, than it must have meant that they weren't close by.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Lianna found her room empty, not a hair out of place. It looked no different than when she left it that morning.

Loud thudding, like heavy footsteps, sounded from the front of the house, near Samael.

- Run to the front room
- Investigate the rest of the house
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

She made to run toward the sound, but instead stopped and walked slowly, trying to creep out and see if it was that idiot vampire that was just trying to distract her.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The thudding did not stop, only faded, and by time Lianna reached the front room she'd find nobody there but Samael. He looked between her and the open front door. Grinned.

"Now that was too easy," he said. "Did you even want to catch them?"

- Run outside
- Interrogate Samael
- Smack him
- Use the wreath
- Untie him
- Other
- (Optional) Shut and lock the door

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna did not speak, but her nostrils flared as if she might breathe fire. And she was about to. With quick, determined steps, she stepped to the door and locked it. Then she turned to Samael and smacked him with the butt of her shotgun. Then she took the wreath and put it around his neck. And only then would she sit down on the couch, taking a deep breath.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The vampire yelped at the smack of the gun, his displeasure only growing as she placed the wreath around his neck. Scowling, Samael shuffled in his seat. "Sure, punish the man who has done nothing but sit in his seat, as was told," she could hear a scratchiness grow in his voice as the rash spread. "How civil of you."

- Yell at him
- Question him
- Ignore him
- Untie him
- Smack him again
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Who was it?" She asked, ignoring his protests. Her tone was cold and gaze level as she crossed her legs and placed the shotgun beside her.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Samael looked her up and down warily. When he did cave, all he said was: "One of our generals." Samael glanced down at himself. "Who did little to help, as you can clearly see, so try not to have an aneurysm. You're the one the left door open, anyway."

In her haste to catch the intruder, Lianna may have left the door open, but Samael could also be lying to get under her skin and save his own.

- Ask another question
- Yell at him
- Ignore him
- Smack him
- Untie him
- Remove the wreath
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"What did they want?" She insisted, determined to ignore his petty jibes.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"To remind me of things I already know," Samael said. Looked her up and down with a sour expression. "Knowing you, you eavesdropped, didn't you?"

- Confirm
- Deny
- Ignore him
- Ask another question
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Eavesdropping! In my own home!" Lianna raised her hands in outrage, "Don't make me hit you, vampire! Now if you don't have anything useful to say, I'm going to leave you there to hang out with your good friend garlic, while I have some bloody time for myself." She said, standing up from the couch, and picking up the weapon.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Samael tossed his head back, eyes rolling to the ceiling dramatically. "Fine, leave me to suffer," he whined. "Enjoy whatever it is you Hunters deem relaxing."

Lianna had a surplus of time to pamper herself before tonight. She could take a bath, experiment with makeup and hairstyles, select a dress, eat a snack or even a meal, and still have some time left over before needing to leave home.

- Take a bath
- Hair and makeup
- Select a dress
- Eat something
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna didn't answer, just waved him off and walked to the bathroom. First she would take a bath. After that was done, she needed to have a quick breakfast, before choosing a dress she'd wear for the night. Now, if she remembered correctly, she wanted to wear her emerald one to match with the accents on Dan's suit.

 

[Cartoonicat]

A nice, long bath took up a good amount of time - but not too much. Lianna left the bath looking refreshed. Not to mention gleaming; on a typical day Lianna didn't have much time to do anything but the basics, but today she had all the time she wanted to cleanse and exfoliate.

Next came her breakfast, quick and by default light, but enough to keep her energy levels up until the Gala later. They'd have food there so even if she found herself peckish by sundown, she wouldn't go hungry.

Now, after seeing Dan's dark suit with varying shades of green accents earlier, Lianna had a proper image of what he'd look like tonight: Tall, masculine, and handsome. With just the right accessories, Lianna could make her emerald green dress look...

- Cute
- Sexy
- Sophisticated
- Professional
- Unique
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

The chosen dress was long, with a modest slit at the side, but with a bit of cleavage showing. It wasn't too much, but Lianna would combine with a nice fake diamond necklace that she bought on a whim before Steamhaven. She never got to wore it, since she never really went to gala dinners. With proper footwear and a nice coat it would be a combination of sophisticated and elegant, with a tinge of sexy.

She slipped into the dress and looked into the mirror, to make sure everything was good. Too bad that Patrick wasn't there to see it, she could use a second opinion. She thought for a moment, then stepped out of the bedroom to the tied up vampire. Removed the wreath and stepped back.

"So, what do you think?" She turned around. "Is it too much?" Before he could say something, she raised a finger, "Remember, if you cannot be polite, it's better to be silent."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Samael had spent enough time under the garlic wreath to have lost the ability to speak. When she removed it, he cleared his throat weakly. Blinked several times, his wits returning to him.

His jaw dropped slightly.

"You..." Closed his mouth and adopted a dismissive air that wasn't fooling anyone the way he kept looking her up and down. "You clean up decently." His gaze fell on her necklace. "Wear your hair up."

- Thank him
- Take his suggestion
- Wear hair down
- Other