[The Norkari Mtns.] Chalet du Sommet Minuit

"Nice to meet you, Lorelei and Lucia," Arya said, before taking another bite of her pancake. She was already almost done with her food, she seemed to be very hungry. She supposed she would perhaps look around the large chalet until lunch, or perhaps find a bath, she hadn't had one in too long.

When the twins complement Arya on her armor she smiles warmly again, trying to be friendly to the girls despite their creepiness, "Thank you!" she said cheerily as she gathered up her plate and utensils and headed over to the kitchen, she was done eating.

"I will be just over here if you need anything," she said, as she walked into the kitchen and began washing the dishes she had used.

After seeing Skarlet out and the door safely shut behind her, Naoki re-enters the bedroom, and seats herself cross-legged on the bed, allowing the robe to flop carelessly around her figure and the belt to loosen. She accepts the plate from Artemis, and holds it carefully. However, despite her best efforts, in the transfer, a dollop of syrup escapes, falling down to add to the stickiness of the sheets.

Madame Naoki looks down at it for a moment, disappointed, before dismissing it. The bedlinens would have to be changed later regardless; one more blob of syrup is a drop in the metaphorical bucket.

Spearing a pancake with her fork, Naoki tears off a portion that could theoretically be fit into her mouth. Disregarding standard table manners, (do you see a table?) she jams the portion into her mouth, and chews contemplatively. Artemis was right, it’s not quite Maelik’s cooking, but it’s good enough. She proceeds to continue consuming the contents of the plate rather hurriedly, occasionally shooting glances over to her dining companions, thinking ahead.

However, Kate outpaces her, finishing her plate and getting up, moving as if to put clothes on. That won't’ do. Naoki raises a hand in protest, and holds the other over her mouth to speak.

“Oi! Brefffest isn’t ovah-” She swallows, “Don’t you go start getting dressed!”

She places the last strip of bacon into the side of her mouth, letting it hang as she rises from the bed, places her empty plate back on the serving cart, and exchanges it for the bowl. She takes a moment to examine the bowl of pasta, experimentally squeezing one between two fingers. Finding them to to suitable, she sidles over to Kate, and presents the bowl in two outstretched hands. The pasta within sits quietly, steaming slightly.

“We’ve still got the Duchess’ D.S. Tortellini.”

[Fade out. Seriously, this time.]

It will be some time before Kate is able to look at pasta without blushing, Artemis muses as she clothes herself, rather unwillingly. Her breakfasts had been very enjoyable, at all stages, but it was time to be responsible and get some things done.

Clothed in a rather wrinkled suit, she makes her way to the carriages, and oversees the unloading of the baggage. Most of it is hers, Naoki's, and Kate's; Maelik and Lum had needed to store quite little, and Skarlet and Francesco weren't exactly moving in. What little does belong to the others is distributed to their rooms by servants. Accompanied by a small cadre of porters, Artemis bears the luggage she is responsible for back to the suite.

The suitcases and trunks are placed in the three rooms on the left side of the room. Artemis appropriates the one closest to the door for herself, with Naoki in the middle, and Kate on the far side.

After moving things from her luggage to their designated places in her room and generally getting settled, Artemis changes the sheets on the bed, exchanging the thoroughly soiled linens for an equally luxurious - and far cleaner - set.

Her jobs done for the moment, she makes her way to the bathroom. Steam soon fills the room as hot water runs into the enormous tub. A handful of small crystals is scattered into the water, releasing a pleasing fruity scent. With her bath ready, she disrobes, and sinks into the water, luxuriating in the soothing warmth.

Her mind flies forward several hours, to consider her rendezvous. It was little more than a one-night-stand for her, but it was quite likely to be Arya's first time, and Artemis was not so callous as to disregard that. With that in mind, it was probably best to put a little effort into the occasion. Arya had stated she didn't have any other clothes, and the armor could be an issue. It was relatively flattering, for armor, but it was rather difficult to tear off a breastplate in the throes of passion, and steel wasn't particularly soft. She sends a quick query to Reese regarding the status of the gateway. The answer she receives is quite satisfactory; the way will be opened within an hour or two. She ponders for several minutes, then sends a request to Reese that some articles of clothing be sent through soon after the gate is opened, along with her approximation of Arya's measurements, and some suggestions for styling and type.

That issue handled, she sinks a little deeper in the water, up to her chin, closes her eyes, and begins to make a mental list of things she'd need to gather from the storerooms before the night. A few scented candles. A different color of sheets. Manacles. On second thought, better leave the manacles.

“Sure, sure…”

From her position face-down on the bed, Naoki waves a hand about lazily, indicating acknowledgement of... whatever it is that Kate just said. After Kate leaves the room, Naoki remains still for a long while. Laying, thinking, basking, considering; appreciating the wonders of pasta and the warm bed for a while longer.

However, after some indeterminate amount of time, she figures it would probably be for the best to get up and be functional. Moving to an upright position, she scoots once again across the bed, creating a Naoki-sized path through what must be at least a remaining ten servings of pasta. Standing rather unsteadily, she waddles across to the bathroom, and starts a warm bath. Picking a half-tortellini from her hair, she lobs it toward the wastebin.

She misses. Exhaling sharply, she decides that she doesn’t care, and leaves it be. Over the course of the next two hours, assuming that she isn’t interrupted, Naoki will proceed to clean herself, starting with a warm bath, the sheets, exchanging them for new ones from the closet, and the room, dutifully picking up the discarded clothing of yesterday and heaving them into the laundry bin. If she reaches the end of her cleaning cycle, Naoki will opt to take a break before attending to the matter of dressing for the day, collapsing facedown onto the bed. Even though it’s only just before noon, Naoki had given the Duchess her all, and is still thoroughly exhausted from such an aerobic activity.

The doors of Kate's closet opened with a wham as Kate stated fingering her way through the garmentry. For the last five months, she had been reading this book, “Courtly Dressing for Feminine Women Ages 16 to 33” by Allan Moe. For the first time ever, she had put actual effort into studying how to increase one’s allure. The problem is, her selection at home was nothing to brag about.

But! The chalet provided her with more than ample chances to play dress-up. It seems, however, a large portion of these are hardly *chortle* functional as everyday clothing. Oho! but what’s this in the back.

She thought she’d go with red today. Yes, red and pink. How do you not wear pink with everything? The shoes were obvious. Only one pair of heels were applicable to the idea she had in mind. She pulled them from the bottom level, and watched as their bright sheen glimmered in the morning light. Bright red, with a ribbon, just like Moe taught! Ah, this bag totally speak my language!

Thusly, the accessories were picked, but there was still the question of the main course, that is, the dress. This one. The pink one, obviously. Kate was seeing pink, thinking pink, feeling pink. She slid right in, the hourglass shape finding its place on her curves. It wasn’t surprising to her that the dress suited her like a glove. There? I’m done, right?

No… Something was missing. The dress alone didn’t have the bam-effect she was craving. It was maybe too girly. What are you, twelve? Come on girl, step it up! Desperately seeking the missing link, her eyes latched onto a blouse, dark red, with brighter collar and sleeve-ends. "Eureka!” She shouted, without knowing what the words meant or the context in which they were conceived. She pulled her arms through the sleeves and buttoned the chest piece. It was perfect.

Right. Now I’ll go and surprise my honey-bunny. She slid on her heels, tossed the bag over her elbow, and hurried to the common room. She gave Naoki’s door several rapid knocks. “Daaaaaaahling! Are you ready yet? We have guests to meet.”

Whenever Naoki would open the door, Kate would be outside, giving her a peppy smile.

One luxurious bath later, Artemis emerges from the bathroom clad in one of the bathrobes Naoki so effusively praised, toweling her hair. Unconstrained by her typical severe bun, her locks hang to just below her shoulders, the golden hair and alabaster skin standing in sharp relief to the midnight black of the ribbon around her throat.

Noiselessly, she pads across the floor to her room. Once inside, she considers her options. Her wardrobe was rather limited, as she rarely wore anything but suits. As her eye roams the closet, it stops on an outfit she hasn't worn in quite some time. A single-breasted white jacket, to be paired with a short white skirt, black leggings, and a pair of thigh-high boots. A relic of a business trip where she'd needed to be a bit more casual, it was still rather not quite recreational, but it was comfortable, and well-suited to the climate to boot. Pulling out the items, she puts them on, then completes the outfit with a blue scarf.



She pulls her hair back into a bun, although leaving it looser than usual, and ties it off with a blue ribbon instead of her usual black. Thus attired, she joins Naoki and Kate in the common room.

"Kate, you look great," she says, smiling.

Catching Naoki's attention with eye contact, she makes telepathic contact. Opportunity came knocking while the water was boiling. She pushes an image into the connection, of Arya's shellshocked expression after they broke contact, the paladin's fingers tracing phantom lips on her own. I'm meeting her after dinner. Depending on how much she wants to snuggle, I may not be joining you two tonight.

"I agree, we should go perform our duty as hosts. It would be advisable to check on Maelik and Lum'Valia, as well, to ensure that they've recovered from their fight."

Following Artemis’ communication, Naoki can’t help but smile. The image brought to her mind inspires other images- possible futures of tonight. Though Arya’s armor, especially the leggings, doesn’t leave much to the imagination to begin with, Naoki’s mind is easily able to envision all sorts of positions and sounds. After Kate’s back is turned, Naoki turns to Artemis, shuts one eye, and gives a thumbs-up instead of responding mentally.

As they traverse the halls, Naoki’s attention is split evenly between the slightly bouncing folds of pink fabric before her, and the house around them. Overcome again with wonder, she can’t help but avert her eyes to take in some of the sights. Though the interior of the suite had been planned to the last detail, the rest of the expansive establishment was left almost entirely to the discretion of that drugged up architect, and is unknown to Naoki beyond the floor plan. On the way to their destination, the group passes a large spiral staircase, presumably leading to the upper floors. In addition to the masterful marblework in the floor, a large, red gemstone, perhaps the size of a volleyball, can be seen swinging back and forth in the area between the stairs, held up by a cable stretching up to the ceiling.

Noaki diverges from the group for a moment to investigate, approaching the staircase to get a better look. Glancing first upward, Naoki confirms that the cable is attached to the ceiling, or more accurately, the center of a large, domed skylight. The gem itself does indeed seem to be exactly that, and Naoki recognizes its motion as that of a pendulum. A three story Foucault pendulum, where the bob is a ruby the size of her head.

What even… The sheer absurdity of the thing brings a smile to Madame Naoki’s face as she turns her back on the staircase to rejoin the group. How unnecessary. How lavish. What a strange thing to have in one’s home. How many people, Naoki wonders, can truthfully claim to own a pendulum of any sort? Not many, that’s for sure. Regardless, she maintains her position behind Kate for the duration of their walk, not wasting any more of the ogling opportunity.

When they arrive at the room where Lum and Maelik had slept, Naoki casts an eye and an ear around in an attempt to locate the pair. Though the blankets are rumpled and the room shows signs of having been lived, the individuals themselves simply don’t seem to be around. She voices this assertion of the obvious, “They don’t seem to be here. Perhaps they left to explore the house, or have something to eat.”

As trivial a matter as it would be to simply check for their location, Naoki opts not to. A search around the house might be an enjoyable way to explore some, and perhaps get sidetracked in some incredible way.

Maelik wouldn't have taken no for an answer anyways, Klur was going to get food in him and that was that. With his usual gruffness he snatched the kid up in a proper hold and with Lum by his side he'd casually meander over to the kitchen.

If nothing else Naoki should be proud of the marvel she had for a kitchen, the dimensions and shining utensils fascinating the brutish beast in such a way that he had no words to describe it.

Popping his elbow he's snap Klur up into the air towards Lum in an assumption that she'd catch him before solemnly manifesting his cooking hat. This is where the real magic is!

Seeing as it was a chalet and this was supposed to be a relaxed vacation Maelik thought it best to make their first meal here a brunch, mostly because brunches were 'awesome.' And what brunch would it be without a gambit of difference breakfast foods to choose from! So his first preparation was going to be the creation of the pancake/waffle batter which was a simple enough procedure giving the ample provisions that the estate provides.

The mixing and churning of the batter was a simple thing and would hardly require much thought on the demon's behalf so he'd delegate that duty to his wings whilst he procured, cut and finally laid the bacon to sizzle on a pan. But mere bacon strips were not sufficient, there needed to be even more meat! So in addition to the vindictively popping bacon Maelik added some sausages and ham slices, allowing them to cook in the bacon grease for added flavor.

Up next was of course the Gauldish toast, another simple dish that didn't really leave much room for intricacies as all it really entailed was the whisking of eggs and an application of butter. All in all the whole thing didn't really leave much wiggle room for Maelik to deviate from the traditional recipe but sometimes it's best just to stick with the classics.

Within moments the smell of his completed work of art filled both the kitchen and the hallways beyond, and he stacked the platters on both his hands and his wings in a precarious balance.

"Well then my dears... Let's sort out where the dining hall is so I can put this down shall we?" he said with a smile that nearly took in his whole face.

Kate squeezed back. Her other hand was covering her mouth, agape with astoundment. "Ohmigosh... This is... Oh wow." It was one thing to be told there'd be a ballroom, and quite the other thing to witness the said ballroom, veiled in the rays of the midday sun. Not considering the sanctity of the virgin floor, she unhanded Naoki and took several curious steps. First straight ahead, counting the chandeliers. Then the lovely view outside caught her eye. "Oh wow." She fumbled closer. The mountains were like an oil painting, a magnificent mural adding to the pompous atmosphere.

"It kind of makes you just want to run back and forth, you know?" Kate remarked, waving her hand back and forth, smiling sheepishly. "It has that no-running-on-the-hallways-feel to it." Kate hadn't run on a hallway for ages. She could wait a few hours more, as she figured there was more to see and do right now. "Hey, umm, why all the chandeleers?" Her voice was curious, rather than demanding.  "Did we really need six? Couldn't it have been like, one really big one?"

Her eyes fell down as she moved to the pillars, then the walls, then at her reflection beneath her feet. "Nice floor. What is this, granite?" She slid her shoe along the floor. It squeaked a bit. Kate set her handbag on the floor next to her. She proceeded with several steps back and forth, and a spin. It bore resemblance to a well-known folk dance. Her heels didn't bother too much, it was clear she'd been practicing. She clapped her hands and spun again, hair drawing ellipses on the air around her. She finished with a bow to her imaginary dance partners and the imaginary crowd.

"Canter Reel." She said, to no one in particular as she straightened her back. "I know a few ballroom dances, but I know that one the best." She picked up her bag and cast a wide smile to the actual crowd of two, like she was expecting a row of '10':s and a bouquet.