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< A Wonderful Dress | Red Ice Logs | Called by the Storm >

The dark morning fog had become a lashing rainstorm nearly the moment you left the temple. Certain such chill rains would be fatal for Mendhari in her weakened condition, Kin sought shelter for the three former Sidereals. Anstice remained behind, going deeper into the storm to find something.

• Mendhari groans, this stupid weather... I just want it to end... if everyone were to die... She looks at Kin.

It was difficult, given the lightning and the heavy rain constantly blasting Kin off course, but eventually Kin managed to find a place harbored from the storm's onslaught. A grove of trees so thickly entwined that they were almost a living cave of wood. Dripping and moist, but free from the icy sheets of sleet and rain outside.

• Mendhari is shivering.
• Kinqueduran sighs, ducking under the hanging foliage, and finds a spot that looks soft and stable enough to lay Mendhari down.
• Mendhari is largely delirious, spouting things, curses on the living world.

Kinqueduran: "I'd start a fire, but I think the smoke would just choke us, and I doubt I can find anything burnable."

• Kinqueduran grits his teeth at the spewing curses and sheds his poncho, shaking it a bit in an attempt to shed a little of the water, then drapes it over Mendhari.

From inside Kinqueduran's now exposed pack, the Dress calls to Mendhari. But its call is faint and stiffed by the blood covering its fabric and the elaborate embroidery.

• Mendhari tries to move... but can't really. Dress.... good... She stares at the dress, her curses calming.
• Kinqueduran seats himself at Mendhari's side and frowns, brushing her hair from her forehead.
• Mendhari looks up at Kin. "... bring the dress... closer..."
• Kinqueduran blinks, then looks between his pack and Mendhari. "I…think you should rest, Mendhari."

Mendhari: "... Dress..."

Kinqueduran: "Rest.."

Mendhari: "... Dress..."

Kinqueduran: "If you don't rest, I'll kiss you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Kinqueduran notices that the 'dress' does not appear to be the same any longer. The bit of fabric protruding from his pack has the look of leather, not silk. And the embroidery is cut deeply into the leather, filled in with metallic traces of the Metals used.

• Kinqueduran blinks at the dress, and leans toward his pack, taking that little bit of fabric between his thumb and forefinger.
• Mendhari stares at the dress.

The fabric is certainly no longer silk. It's hard, armor-like. Leather that's been treated time and again, crafted by the hands of a master artisan into high quality, even perfect, armor.

• Kinqueduran 's brow furrows in puzzlement as he extracts the dress ... err ... armor? from his pack, studying it.

While Mendhari sees the immaculately perfect silk dress, stained by her own blood, Kin sees something much different. Perfectly proportioned to his frame and made of some ancient leather, the item hanging in the moist air is tough but flexible. A matte blue-grey offering no shine and blending in with any number of backgrounds.

The flamboyant embroidery of the dress is replaced by subtle sigils of strength and power, winding around shoulders and arms. Made in the style of the First Age Legions, the light leather before him is far beyond the armor Kin wears now, or any he's ever seen. It would be perfect. Perfect beyond imagining.

• Mendhari wants the dress! She starts to reach out for it. "Give me... the dress..."
• Kinqueduran looks at Mendhari like she's losing her mind, and very quietly stows the armor in his pack. "Shh. You're not well, Mendhari, you need to rest."
• Mendhari continues to reach for the dress.
• Kinqueduran attempts to fold Mendhari's arms over her chest gently. "Mendhari, rest, please."
• Mendhari looks angrily at you.

Mendhari: "... DRESS!"

• Kinqueduran looks Mendhari squarely in the eyes. "I told you before - if you don't rest, I will kiss you. I mean it, too."
• Mendhari 's eyes go wide, then close.
• Kinqueduran sighs quietly, glancing back at his pack, then towards the entrance of the 'cave'

< A Wonderful Dress | Red Ice Logs | Called by the Storm >