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What is Reality? (With Carius Irion)

Frozen Princess

Frozen Princess

Pulsar
Joined
Sep 21, 2019
It was a dark and stormy night... No really, the yacht was tossing the party goers about the deck worse than a drunk sailor trying to do the tango.

Ginger Aylesworth, a redheaded 68" tall, toned, athletic, volleyball star of her college, grabbed a railing for support. "Remind me again who's bright idea this was?!" She yelled at a teammate, while their hostess was panicking, as well as chewing out her captain.

"Was it TOO much to ask for one weekend to stay clear?! Where'd this storm come from anyway?! What's my daddy paying you for if you can't pay attention to the blasted weather?!" Adora was spitting, as the wind blew the rain sideways.

Ginger hollered, "Has anyone bothered calling the Coast Guard yet?!" She began to get her teammates down below.

Adora shook her head. "They're called, but they'll have to wait out this squall! Will you PLEASE stop worrying about everyone else, and get below, yourself, Ginger?!"

"You first, Adora! Your father will kill me if you get washed overboard!" Ginger yelled over the wind and pointed down the steps.

"Always have to be the damned hero, don't you Ms. Volleyball Captain? At least there's one captain around here doing their job!" Adora hissed, before heading below deck, shaking her head.

Ginger let the watertight door to the cabins shut. "That everyone but you?!" She hollered to the yacht's captain.

"How the hell should I know?!" He spat, not really caring about anything but keeping the wheel steady. "Look yourself! I'm busy, here!"

Ginger shook her head, she was soaked to the skin, wearing only her two-piece bikini and a life vest. "Some frickin party..." With a sigh, she made herself around to the front of the yacht where she saw it. A huge wave coming fast straight for them. "Shit..." She said a silent prayer before she was swept right off the yacht into the churning waters of the bay. She had no idea of knowing she would be the only one of her friends not to make it home when the yacht would finally limp back a few hours later.

At least Ginger had remembered to fasten her student ID to Hartfeld University to her bikini bottoms. At least they'd know who to contact when she was found.

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@Carius Irion
 
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Elkariel sat on her boat, cruising through the seas. She frowned, clinging to the railing, even through the flat calm, before leaning over the railing to relieve her stomach, groaning at the terrible idea of eating before boarding the boat before putting to sea. Why had her Queen decided to punish her by sending a Wood Elf to the sea, the relatively young Wood Elf groaned once more, throwing the weight backward until she was seated on the floor of the ship's deck, back to the mast as she looked at the relatively small crew of the ship, all of them being Human, most of them male. They spoke Reikspiel with various accents from all over the Empire, from Averland's sing-song like tones and soft pronunciation, to the harsh near barking of the Nordland dialect. At least the Averland woman was pleasent to converse with, given her accent made it sound close to singing every conversation, compared to the barking of the Nordland men.

After a few moments moping and recovering, the Elf stood back up, looking out into the relatively flat sea. She narrowed her eyes as she saw a blip in the water. She turned and grabbed hold of the ropes to get to the crow's nest, where she looked into the sea, spotting the unconscious body of some Human. She called out, pointing to the spot in the sea where she saw them, with the crew of the ship lowering a small john boat, rowing to the dot. One of the men hauled her aboard the small boat, before setting the tiny boat back to it's mother-ship, where the unconscious woman was placed in a hammock to recover, with Elkariel making it her personal duty, to at least get out of the sea's spray, to wait for the Human to wake up. She was rather curious why she was so far out to sea, and even more importantly, why she was dressed in such a way. Elkariel sat herself down on a hammock opposite the one the Human had been set in, and simply waited for the Human to show signs of waking.


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Ginger groaned softly as she started coming to consciousness. She muttered groggily about being the star of the lady knights volleyball team, even instinctively reaching for her ID.

The student identification card will a picture of her in her volleyball uniform slipped out of her grasp onto the deck of the boat ... Before her hammock unceremoniously dumped her onto the deck as well. "And I didn't have anything stronger than a sarsaparilla... Unless Wendy spiked it, which I wouldn't put passed her." She then looked up at the woman. "Now I'm sure it was spiked as I don't recognize you... This isn't Adora's yacht... Where am I, and can you get me back here?" She showed her ID with her college address as Hartfeld, Massachusetts, and that she was 20 years of age.

She shielded her eyes from the sun and got shakily to her feet, looking out over the vast expanse of sea. "Cape Cod should have been visible... How far out to sea did that squall drag me?!" She turned towards the woman. "Um, yeah, so, hi? I'm Ginger, well, yeah, my ID tells you that... Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"
 
Elkariel nudged the woman to the side, away from the open hatch the sun was shining through into the second deck of the ship the two were inside. She cocked her head gently to the side as she read the little piece of plastic, showing off the height difference between the two, Elkariel was nearly 6'5, with her ears pointing under her hood, giving a pair of tiny bumps at the edge and side of the hood.

"My name is Elkariel, Handmaiden of The Queen of Laurelorn Forest"

The Elf informs her, assuming if she was a Bretonnian or Imperial she would know where that was, and who that meant she was. She slid from her own hammock and gently began to check on Ginger, looking for obvious signs of injury or health concerns she might be able to help with, while they were still out to sea and not in one of the Kingdoms they were bound to dock at sooner or later. would eventually decide the young woman was fine, before retrieving a water skin, she walked back to GInger and held it out to the woman for her to drink and recover some of the water she would have lost, floating out in the salty brine of the sea.
 
"Laurel Lorn? I... Think I've heard of that... From Wendy. She's a gamer... Uhhh, so if I'm in that game somehow, I'm guessing Massachusetts is as foreign to you as your land is to me, Miss? Eh, ah, Elk uh ree uhl?"

She then raised an eyebrow. "Umm, what...? Huh, I think I'm fine..." She took the skin which contents shook slightly, and Ginger shrugged, putting mouth to her lips. Her eyes bugged out and she looked askance at the skin before handing it back. "That has got to be the cleanest tasting water I've ever had next to Evian spring water! Definitely fresher than out of the tap back at my college dorm."

She looked around, "So... I'm guessing I'm not anywhere NEAR Massachusetts, anymore, eh, Toto?" She teased with a grin, trying to make light of her dire situation. If she was where she suspected, it was doubtful her elfin hostess would recognize the reference to The Wizard of Oz. She definitely was starting to feel a lot like Dorothy, however.
 
"El-Kar-Ee-El."

The Elf corrects, raising her eyebrow as she hears the next few comments, she shakes her head about the whole 'Massachusetts, She had never heard of such a place before, and the rest of her questions and comments were beyond her knowledge. She raised her eyebrow once more at the comment about how clean the water was, she hadn't thought it was particularly clean, though she was from Laurelorn Forest, where the water was straight from a freshwater spring, kept clean through both magic and members of the forest making sure nothing fell into the water to pollute it.

"You must be far from home, that is all I can tell you from what I've heard from you. The crew of this ship are respectable enough, I have had no issues with them, if you need anything and I'm not around, you can trust the Mayflies of this ship."

She states, referring to the Humans in one of the many terms that the Elves had for Humans. She sat back down on her hammock, getting comfortable for the upcoming few hours of the voyage to Ulthuan, the homeland of the High Elves/
 
Ginger sighed. "Right. Good to know. So, where can a girl get some clothes? This swimsuit is all I have. I'm feeling a might underdressed. I mean, it's fine to be seen by women, but if your men are anything like those back home.... Well, let's just say I would have a much more baser animal I'd call them, then mayflies."

She sighed, "I'm curious about my hostess, what exactly are you? A guard or something, I guess by your outfit. And where are we headed?"

With everything so new, Ginger was eager to explore her surroundings, but not in her current state of.... Ahem... Undress.
 
"As I said, I am the Hand Maiden of the Lady of Laurelorn. Where she demands I go, I depart. Where she demands I fight or commune, I go."

Elkariel states, implying she was more akin to a diplomat mixed with fighter, then a simple guard. She swung off the hammock before walking to her own chest. She retrieves some items and hands them over, green cloth, a shirt and some trousers. Large for the Human, given the clothing was meant for the Elf, but likely better then nothing.

"Wear these, until we reach Ulthuan, we shall get you clothed there. This is the best I can do, though, I imagine that Marien, the woman from Averland would have better fitting clothing, but just as likely, less comfortable."
 
Ginger thanked the woman and quickly slid the trousers on, followed by the shirt, which at least covered her dignity better than if she stayed as is. After rolling up the pants legs some, she pulled a few bobby pins from her long red hair and clipped the cuffs with them, so they would stay rolled up. "I heard you tell me that, but I'm unfamiliar with the terms. I'm majoring in criminology not history. I'd be a police officer, lawyer or judge." She shrugged. "Or something along those lines. I'd catch bad guys."

She wracked her brain, trying to remember when she learned history, what a handmaiden was, and then it struck her, and her eyes lit up. "Oh, oh, ohh! You're like a diplomat then? An ambassador from your country? The Lady of Laurelorn... Is she a duchess? Princess? You're going to discuss a treaty somewhere? This Aver Land place?"
 
The Elf cocked her head at all the strange terms. She knew history and judge, but most of the others were odd to her. She nodded along, pretending to understand the Human she had in front of her. She smirked a bit as she started to try and guess what Elkariel's role was, then tried to figure out what the Lady of Laurelorn was. She shook her head lightly, patting Ginger on the side.

"The Lady of Laurelorn doesn't fit into the Human role titles so well, she is simply our leader, and that is all we need to define her as, not some fancy titles that Mayflies made."

She states, cocking her head slightly as she debated what she should or even could tell Ginger about her mission.

"The Lady wishes for me to go and discuss a treaty with the Everqueen."
 
Ginger nodded, score one for guessing right. That ball would have been just inbounds, Ginj ol' girl. "I wish there was some way to help... Something in my area of expertise in law, but I know nothing of your laws to help." Then she got an idea. A desperate and probably stupid idea, her face betraying her "aha moment"... "Have you got any books aboard on your laws?" She asked, before continuing, "I'm a pretty quick study, and if it can help you secure the treaty...?" Open mouth, insert foot. "Well, as long as I have 24 hours or so to cram before the final, I don't want to look more foolish than I already do." She frowned, sinking onto a wooden crate. "Crap. And etiquette. Don't forget the etiquette. What would work for my royalty probably would insult yours..." She grimaced, but tried to smile at the same time.

Can you say awkward? Yes, I thought you could.
 
"There is no war between the High Elves and the Wood Elves of Laurelorn, I do not require any aid from a Mayfly, though, the offer is appreciated."

Elkariel states, nodding her head a sort of appreciative bow. She looked back up at the Human, smiling softly, showing the awkward feeling was really only one way.

"I'm sure you will learn all you could want, and more, through observation in the halls of Everspring. I doubt the Everqueen would outright ban your entry, accompanying me as an aid and student."

She states, giving Ginger a reason to come along and not be stuck on a ship of Humans, most of which hadn't bathed in anything besides sea water for the last week.
 
Ginger's face suddenly became as red as her hair, from embarrassment. "Omigod I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to imply..." She gasped, but reeled herself in, sitting slightly more straight than she was.

This was a clear invitation if Ginger ever heard one. "Then consider me your willing and eager student, Elkariel." Ginger smiled, the first genuine one she had since her ordeal had begun. "I'm willing to learn etiquette, how do I meet the uh Everqueen? Am I to stay even with you or at least a step back since you're my instructor? Do you kiss the hand or a ring on the royal monarch?"

Ginger would be like a sponge, soaking up everything Elkariel would have to teach her how to act and speak to Elf Nobility and Royalty.
 
"It would be best to remain silent in her presence, unless spoken to. She is to be referred to as 'Your Radiance' or 'Your Eminence'."

The Wood Elf tells Ginger, smiling softly to her as she giggles, she was amused with this Mayfly. She was entertaining and would almost certainly be a bright spot to keep around and teach, it would at least make remembering what she had been tutored even easier to remember, now that she had to share the information with someone else. She would spend much of the trip teaching the Human what she knew, with the trip taking nearly a month before they made it to port on Ulthuan, a large U shaped island with a central island and a temple in it. The ship had sailed past the island, docking in a relatively small, but immaculate town to it's West.

Elkariel happily sprung off the ship, very pleased to be back on shore and solid ground, let alone the homeland of the Elven race as many scholars knew it to be.

"It may not be my home of Laurelorn, but it still feels like home all the same!"
 
Ginger would have taken notes physically if she could have. As it stood, she usually repeated the lesson, hearing herself speak it, helped make it stick.

She surprised herself more often than not, over the course of the month at sea, with how much she retained, without textbooks and lesson plans. Every week, however, Ginger would ask to be tested on the week's lessons, just to make sure she got it.

Finally, the day arrived when they arrived at their destination. She debarked two steps behind Elkariel and single file down the gangplank. "I'm glad we're finally off of there. Those guys were getting as ripe as year old dirty socks in the boys locker room." She then sniffed herself. "Oof. They aren't the only ones. Is it possible if I clean up before we get me some proper clothes to see the Everqueen in?"

Ginger might be following Elkariel, but her eyes were taking in all the sights, her ears the sounds, and nose the smells, and of course, her stomach had to join the sounds of the docks with a not very subtle growl. Ginger grabbed her stomach with both hands. "Belay that sound... Clean up first, dinner after... And pardon me."
 
"We're in Evershale, a day or so travel from the Everqueen's residences in Everspring. Yes, they really do like the word Ever. No, don't ask them about it."

Elkariel states, smiling to herself as she began walking them into the town, with the white walled buildings, wooden corner posts of a contrasting brown, rooves of gold or red clay. She sighed to herself, it wasn't her tree and village, but it was an Elven settlement all the same. And not one of those horrifying Dark Elven cities either. She would walk the two of them into a tavern before renting them both a single room.

"We'll be sharing the room, since I was only given the money for one person. I can't really afford to give you a room of your own. But the bathing we can split. I'll take the second bath, you need it far more then I do right now."

She states, pointing to the bathing room, then over at the stairs.

"We're the first room on the left, up the stairs. I'll leave the door unlocked."
 
"Works for me," the redhead sang, giving the elf a friendly hug, "And thanks teach. I don't know what the protocol is, but even students and instructors hug if they're friends. I'll be out in a few jifs."

Ginger forgot to ask about soaps or scented oils, for washing, and what was proper or not for her to use. She saw a vast supply of different body washes, shampoos and conditioners, and just went with what she thought smelled good to her. A luxurious, intoxicating and frankly arousing (for her) natural pine, shea butter and aloe, she picked for her body, and honeysuckle and lemon shampoo and conditioner for her hair is what she chose.

Her clean, pleasant aroma would come into the room twenty minutes later, along with a singsong lilt of "How good it feels to be clean anew! You're turn! I couldn't believe the variety of body washes! Absolutely adore that piney aloe one with Shea butter!" And it showed. "Who knew pine and aloe could make my skin so soft! Wanna feel? Wish I could find something like this back home, I'd have to beat the girls off with a stick!"

And without realizing it, Ginger just told her elven hostess her preference.
 
Elkariel smiled to herself, giving a light bow of her head before heading to the bathing room. She would return in about the same amount of time as the Human had taken. She would smile to herself, smelling more akin to pine and roses. She laid down on the bed, stretching out, very pleased to be on a feather bed once more after a long period out to sea on an uncomfortable hammock instead. She sighed to herself, looking over at the Human she was to share the bed with. She would pat the bed beside her, stretching out before curling up.

"Come, I'm sure you've missed a bed just as much as I."

The Elf states, inviting the Human to join her in the bed.
 
Ginger hadn't thought about bed at first, finding a book to read that must have been this world's version of a Reader's Digest. "Just read an interesting article about some healer in the army, who was credited with pretty much saving his entire battalion when they got sick. Reminded me of the MASH units back home."

She joined Elkariel in the bed. "Mmm, so comfy, usually I get to know a lady a little longer than a month, before hopping in bed with her," she teased with a wink. "We spent most of the month training me in etiquette, that we really haven't talked about our lives outside of school and work..." She propped herself on an elbow and leaned over to face her. "So, what does Elkariel do for fun?" She asked eyes dancing, as well as looking her over, before settling back on her face.
 
"I don't have much time for fun. I do as my Lady demands, and then move on to the next task at hand. Being a Handmaiden is time consuming and demanding."

She informs the Human, cocking her head to the side. She had removed much of her own clothing to not overheat in the bed, given that Ulthuan was a bit closer to tropical then it was temperate. She sighed, feeling the evening air on herself, it was better then the muggy heat of the day, and the wind and spray of the sea. But it had nothing on her home of Laurelorn.

"I suppose you will be looking for things to do for 'fun'. I suggest you go to the beach, if you can stomach being around the ocean any longer."
 
Ginger rolled back onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "Hard pass. I did nearly drown in the Atlantic.... Or whatever the ocean is called here." A sigh.

"Looks like your job is training me, and mine is getting you to loosen up a little. You remind me of one of my college's legendary professors. He literally worked himself to death, because he thought it was duty. Didn't even slow down when he got cancer. A freshman even ended up having to finish writing his last book... Just to keep herself in school. He really put her through hell just for drama points."

Ginger looked over with warmness. "There are other fun things to do... Plays, concerts, taking someone to dinner or long walks. And it doesn't really have to interfere with duty." She gave a pouty face and puppy dog eyes. "Will you think about having some fun on this trip, as well as your duties? For me?"
 
"If things go well with the Everqueen, then I am sure I will have an abundance of time on my hands. If things do not, then I will, of course, not."

The Elf states, tossing a soft pillow at Ginger's face to not have to look at the pouty-face. She rolls her eyes at the other parts of the comment, amused but not terribly moved. She didn't even know what Cancer was, or whatever an 'Atlantic' was either, for that matter. The Elf burrowed under the sheets, sighing to herself as she felt warm and soft bedding around her body, after so long in a hammock, with only the heat of bodies and a stove to keep her warm.
 
Ginger chuckled lightly to herself as she tossed the pillow back. "You may need this. Well, good night, then."

Being athletic, and having more room to stretch her legs, Ginger was already up and exercising, when Elkariel would wake up. She would be heard coming up the steps as the first light of dawn would come through the window. "Breakfast time!" She sang, ceremonially depositing a fruit bowl, on a tray onto the table. "I don't know if you eat as healthy as me, but I would hazard a yes." She sat down and began to peel an orange. Or at least it looked like an orange citrus fruit she knew as an orange, although it was a little more bitter, almost like grapefruit. "I was told these were good to prevent scurvy, which is a lack of vitamin C where I'm from... If they're oranges. Or at least, their equivalent here." She motioned to the bowl. "Help yourself."

She finished peeling and separated her fruit into sections. "I didn't venture beyond the inn, because I don't know anything about anywhere around here. I know one of our stops will have to be a clothing store so I look presentable for the Everqueen?" She did have some coins she found when she was out walking around the block, that she'd ask about once her hostess was awake enough. She was guessing they wouldn't amount to much, being three small copper coins (the size of our pennies) and one bronze looking one about the size of a tablespoon (2" diameter?) with, she guessed, was some leader's image.
 
Elkariel was slower to wake up, taking a solid five minutes to wake up while the equivalent of a child zoomed around the room trying to get her to eat, absorb knowledge and explain what coins the Human had found. She raised her hand for some silence while she thought about what to do next. She rubbed her eyelids and stretched out a bit, making a soft noise of contentment. She looked down at the coins and yawned softly again, looking all three over, her eyebrow raised lightly. She reached into her bag of items from Laurelorn and looked over a fairly small notebook, she found the description of the coin and handed them back to the Human.

"When on Ulthuan, it's uncommon for Elves to demand currency from each other. So give me your measurements and I shall go to the clothing store to barter for something for you to wear. Otherwise, if they know it's for a Human, they will demand currency from you, something I don't have. Or perhaps you would rather trade your time and services for better fitting clothing, if they're generous."
 
Ginger contemplated the options, and looked again at her found coins. "I take what I've found would barely cover a cup of coffee, little alone these cups," she lamented pushing up her breasts with both hands. With a sigh, she wrote down, Height 68, Head circumference 10 and three-quarters, neck: 16 and a half. Bust 33, cup D, waist 29, hips 34. Inseam 44. "Do I need to give any other measurements than these? Usually the standard measurements the costume department wants, if I make a play's cast." She asked as she handed the paper over... "Oh, um, those are in inches, if you need the metric size, which is centimetres, just multiple those numbers by 2.54. Those I don't know right off my head."
 
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