Today’s snippet, titled “Coda, Part Deux”, is a piece I wrote about my current character, Mim, to sort of demonstrate her experiences with a major in-game event.
      Be forewarned, there are mature themes and naughty language below.
– – – – – – – – – – –
      “Ugh, my head…”
      “Well,” Garvis said, slugging his friend’s shoulder. “If you hadn’t drank enough wine to drown a hippogriff, you’d be able to stand upright this morning. Hey, Mim, you joining us?”
      She shook her head, the drop-style earrings swinging from her lobes. “Not today, but take it easy on Tok and Coal this morning, it took a damn lot of wine to choke down that roast last night. Dry as the Anaroch.”
      Garvis grinned, heading off to the practice yard with his minions. Mim trotted down the hall, her belly rumbling with hunger. Wisely, she had avoided both the wine, which had flowed freely, and the food, which had been hastily thrown together by an uppity cook who was probably going to end up without employment today. She felt great. Today was going to be a fantastic day – even if it did have to begin by saying good-bye.
      As she entered the dining room, Mim passed Anajalihn, who was wafting around the main floor with a chilled glass of lemon water in hand. She seemed to be rehearsing a speech of some sort. Probably getting ready to fire the cook and his crew. They really fucked up last night – hardly anything they put out was edible.
      “Good morning Mim,” Azielle said, smiling. “You seem in good spirits.”
      “I am.” Sliding into her customary chair, Mim fluffed her hair around her shoulders, having left it down loose and wavy for the first time in ages. One of the maids scurried over with a cup of apple cider – the non-fermented sort, of course – and a plate of fried eggs with spiced lamb sausage and braised kale. “I really am.”
      “Your earrings are quite stunning.” Aiden leaned over and gently pulled one closer to examine it. “Bern does surprisingly good work.”
      Mim chuckled by way of thanks and sat back in her chair. She looked around. Azielle and Aiden were engaged in breaking their fasts, though they sat at opposite ends of the table and exchanged nary a word. Grue had already been down for some food, but had gone out again, and Anajalihn flitted in and out with her beverage in hand, planning her day. She had completed over three months of magical labor and Mim was pretty sure she was gone a bit stir crazy. Making a mental note to take Anajalihn out of the house for a day of relaxation at Miji’s House of Beauty, Mim dug into her food with gusto.
      “Good Morning all.”
      Eric strode into the hall, freshly bathed and shaved with his hair brushed to a fine sheen. He took a seat beside her and leaned back with relish.
      “Slept well?”
      “Very,” she said, taking a sip of her cider. “You?”
      “Indeed. Pity Trick left already, but I imagine we’ll hear from him in-”
      A mouthful of egg jiggled at the end of her fork; she froze mid-bite. “Wait, what? He’s gone?”
      “Without a word to anyone. I only even knew because Bruce was on watch when I went out just after dawn and-”
      Mim frowned. “What a jackass.”
      “Well, he never really was one for emotional scenes and the like,” Aiden said. “I’m a little surprised he told us he was leaving at all.”
      “What, like you, just disasppearing off into the darkness with Corrah and leaving no word for all that time?”
      Aiden scoffed. “Let’s not go into that, now.”
      Stuffing another forkful of food into her mouth, Mim chewed with anger that surprised her. She had never been particularly fond of Trick – he was not the type you warmed up to easily – but it seemed rude to leave the Brotherhood so abruptly. Whatever, she sighed, washing down the fiery sausage, people come and go in this world. No point getting upset about it.
      “Where’s Kenzi?” Aiden wondered aloud. “Has she been down already?”
      “Haven’t seen her or Rat this morning,” Azielle said, rising from her seat. “I do believe I shall take a brisk walk around the perimeter this morning. Would you care to join me, Mim?”
      She shook her head. “No, thanks.”
      Within moments, the only sounds in the dining hall were the scrape of Mim’s utensils upon her plate, Eric’s decidedly noisy chewing, and Aiden flipping the pages of a receipt book. The ring on his left middle finger glinted in the morning sun. Mim fiddled with her new earring. The matched bloodstones were gorgeous on their own, but Bern really had done exquisite work. He had faithfully reproduced her design, scribbled from memory in charcoal, improving on it in innumerable ways. She felt stronger just for wearing them, though they were not enchanted.
      They were nearly identical to ones she had seen a handful of times in her youth; on those occasions when their whole family had dressed in their finest garb. Times when even the nanny was swathed in silks as she escorted the children. Nanny Amee Archlin had served the family from the time Mim was born until Bailic’s arrival. Then suddenly, in the middle of the night, she had left her charges behind and vanished into the bustling streets of Waterdeep.
      Mim missed her to this day. She fingered the stone and closed her eyes. Nanny Amee had been the sweetest, purest soul Mim had ever known. She practically glowed with goodness. Mim hadn’t thought of Nanny Amee in years, not until she saw those twin stones in the Tower of Bone. There, amongst all that evil and vileness, she had been struck by the memory of Nanny Amee, wearing borrowed silks and a rented masque, sitting at her dressing table. Her petite, pale fingers deftly slipped her finest earrings into the holes in her lobes. You’re such a lucky girl, Miriam, she had said, turning from the mirror, Your father will have you dripping in gems and he shall find you a wealthy husband to continue the trend. You shall never have to work a day in your life, never have to secure your employment on your back, never have to feed your siblings or yourself because you cannot afford both. You shall have all the finest things this world can offer. I do hope you make the most of this opportunity you have…
      “…the door. Shall I show him in?”
      “Thank you, Brand. Imagine, a Duke’s son, coming here to meet us.”
      “Well, we’ll meet him in the foyer. That great demon head will color the conversation in our favor.” Aiden and Eric headed toward the door. Eric paused at the threshold. “Coming, Mim?”
      “Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure.”
      She trailed the others to the foyer, smoothing her white silk blouse down over her hard, flat belly. A duke’s son, eh? Hmm. Might be nice to meet a real man – one who isn’t in the Brotherhood. As Eric and Aiden introduced themselves, Mim found herself sizing up their visitors. Not the lackey hovering behind, but the gentleman who had come with an offer. He was in his thirties and handsome, dripping with finery and an air of haughty superiority.
      For a moment, as she stood with her weight on one foot, thrusting her hip out in what she hoped was a provocative pose, Mim imagined pushing her hands through his thick, shiny hair and giving him the ride of his life. Then she caught sight of his gaze as it trailed lustily up and down Aiden’s body.
      Figures. A pouf.
      She crossed her arms at her chest and tried to pay attention. Something about an ancestral longsword, long lost, recently rumored to have resurfaced. Mim stifled a yawn. She hoped they decided to take the job, not for the money, but because her muscles ached to swing her sword for real once more.
      “Of course, Hanoris, I imagine I speak for everyone when I saw, we will be pleased to help recover your family’s heirloom. We shall have to gather all the chartered members of the Brotherhood of the Broken Chain before we can sign, but-”
      “Yes, yes. Fine. Now, I think-”
      Eric shushed Duke Dellum’s son and moved toward the window. “Do you hear that? The bells are tolling. Something’s afoot.”
      Mim ran a hand through her hair, her shoulders itching for the familiar weight of her scabbard. “And this day started out so nice…”

– – – – – – – – – – –

Note: Featured Image, “Emotions”, by Conrados from SXC.hu