From the other side of the door, she can here some suprised cries of "Oh no" from a couple of men, and then she hears Alips say, "Alright, boys. You appear to be done for the night, anyway, and it would appear I have some business to conduct." Apparently Alips did alright for finding someone without Fiona's help. Two grogs slink out of Alips quarters, half dressed and avoid looking at Fiona in the eye. Alips can be seen putting on a light robe, but not bothering to fasten it so it haphazardly covers her body.
"What can I do for you, Fiona?" she smiles warmly, without any apparent sign of being embarrassed. And then she gets a look on her face, "Oh, could you?" and she pantomimes some of the motions used to perform the Parma Magica ritual.
Fiona is dressed for action...in modern terms, you could say she's dressed to go clubbing. A short (above the knees), light green dress made of tight linen, with very deep cleavage, meant to show off her assets to full effect. She checks out the grogs as they leave, wondering if they think they're done for the night or if she should track them down in a bit.
She turns back to Alips. [color=blue]"Oh...right," she says, and reaches out to touch Alips to extend her Parma over her. ((They have an effective Parma of 1, with a Specialty in Corpus.))
[color=blue]"I am so terribly sorry, I had no idea that you were busy. I...um...was actually coming to check on you, see if you needed anything else tonight and to...well. I see you seem to have done all right." Her eyes flick over what Alips is making little effort to conceal. [color=blue]"Although I can't say that I'm at all surprised," she says with a smile. She does feel a pang of jealousy, though. If I had a body like that, she thinks, I might not have such a hard time finding someone who wants to sleep with me.
[color=blue]"Your husband and I had talked about finding both of you some suitable company during your visit, and I had wanted to touch base with you on that. But...I guess that won't be necessary, then?"
"My husband has a subtle sense of humor." She smiles, and goes over to decanter and pours wine for she and Fiona. "He was also sending a clear message to anyone who was listening that I should be available. He is nothing, if not a student of human nature. Covenants are always so loose with their mundane folk. Never paying them any attention, and they are everywhere, and they are always listening. So, he simply let it be known that a lonely wife looking for companionship while her husband is away would be available. Rumor like that spreads like wildfire at a covenant. Whether you would be in a position to help or not, he was already setting wheels in motion." She smiles lasciviously, "He is a most devoted husband," she hands Fiona a glass of wine and Alips lets her fingers glide longingly over Fiona's hand as she accepts the glass. "And I appreciate him, so." she says with all seriousness despite her apparent and obvious infidelity.
With her fingers never leaving Fiona's hand Alips looks at Fiona, as if she could consume her, "Those boys were tiring. Their spirit was willing, but their flesh weak. They don't possess Praxiteles advantages. Most mundanes can't...endure. So, another playmate is more than welcome." She licks her lips. "Would you like to stay for the night, now that we have touched base?"
Praxiteles and Petronius arrive the next morning. Praxiteles is again naked, but retrieves his clothes from his quarters, as that's where he arrives. Petronius arrives at one of two locations of his choosing. Regardless of where it is Praxiteles meets up with Petronius at the location of his temporary studio.
He tells pages to send word to Fiona, Viscaria and whomever else that he and Petronius have returned.
(Petronius would have offered to bring any clothing or small items Praxiteles wants to bring along, provided they fit in a relatively small bag.)
The Bonisagus uses the arcane connection provided by Fiona the day before, in a water-like distortion of the air. He waits a little bit before stepping out of the translocation, orienting himself and to reassure anyone that witnesses his arrival has time to realize his arrival. He makes no sudden move until he is certain that his sudden appearance has not caused any alarm.
He will then wait for Praxiteles to join him.
[color=blue]"Yes, I know people who seem to make it their business to know every little thing that happens here...sometimes before anyone else does." She looks thoughtful as she starts to think how she could use that to her, or the Council's advantage.
[color=blue]"Thank you," Fiona says as she takes the wine. [color=blue]"Husbands like him must be a Godsend."
[color=blue]"Yes, he is quite the physical specimen, isn't he?" she says dreamily. [color=blue]"And full of vigor, too?"
Fiona doesn't bother to hide the look of dawning comprehension and surprise on her face as Alips finishes. [color=blue]"You want to....with me? How does that...?" she stammers. [color=blue]"I've never thought of...I mean..." Fiona trails off, not sure what to do or say next (and she's not often at a loss for words), but she does not pull away. She looks at Alips thoughtfully.
"Oh, I'll show you, my darling." And she does...
Later, Praxiteles meets up with Petronius, and offers his assistance in whatever might be necessary to transport the slab.
"I am at your disposal. Just tell me what you want me to do."
"Our first step will be to see if Fiona has managed to gather the materials we'll need to assemble the portal on this side. Once we have all we need, then you can help be assemble the basic structure of it. After that, I'll need some time to properly prepare it by myself." Petronius gestures animatedly as he explains the steps, "As you know, the process is still delicate and imprecise, so at that point on it will be better if I work by myself."
He smiles, "Later on, when it's ready to be opened, then I'll need you to be on this side to catch the stone as it comes through. Sometimes, going through the portal disrupts active spells, so it is possible that my Levitating the Massive Boulder fails as the stone comes out. Having you there to cast the spell will prevent anything untoward from happening."
Spotting Fiona coming towards them, he says, "Let's go see where they are at." before moving purposefully towards the red-headed maga.
Needless to say, for various reasons, Fiona doesn't get much sleep...and, if Alips is reasonably good, neither does anyone else in that wing of the manor house 
.
Fiona is dressed quite differently than when Praxiteles and Petronius saw her last: a short, light green dress made of tight linen, with very deep cleavage. She appears deep in thought as the two foreigners come closer.
[color=blue]"Ah, good morning, gentlemen," she says. [color=blue]"Praxiteles, your wife is a very interesting woman. We were up well into the night discussing a number of things...very thought-provoking. Hopefully, later, we can get together so I can hear what you think?"
"Yes, she prides herself on her...oratory." Praxiteles says, smiling knowingly. "But now, we have a task at hand, and need the items you'd procured for Petronius. He's going to open a portal to transport the slab." Praxiteles seems remarkably focused and business like this morning.
[color=blue]"I spoke with Viscaria and Tranquillina*, and most of the items on your list are available. I also spoke with Wilhelm, our woodsman; he says he knows where those trees are, and can have your wood for you within a day or two. I hope that's not too much of an inconvenience? Or can we go ahead and get started while we wait for him to deliver the wood?"
- If nobody minds, I'd like to hand-wave this to keep the thread moving.
Two days later, all of Petronius materials are delivered.
In the meantime, Praxiteles acquires a suitable amount of clay and proceeds to sculpt a model in clay. Alips isn't around, and he doesn't seem to be putting a lot of effort into it (not using free expression or muse bonuses), but seems to be working out some of the problems he might encounter in the sculpture. It is exquisite, nonetheless. "If I had to hazard a guess, it will take about 20 days, since I will be exercising more care than with clay, and this is a proof of concept, rather than the final piece."
While the materials are being gathered, Petronius takes some time to meets each of the magi that are available and willing to talk shop a little. He inquires about any effect or manifestation that may be related to movement. Notably, he asks in which ways the peculiar Rego alignment of the aura manifests itself, and about any other regiones on the mountain and its surroundings. Those who talk to him quickly discover how passionate he is about the subject, explaining how advances in portal magic could benefit the Order at large by allowing much easier travel and communication. Occasionally, though, he seems troubled by the potential disturbances this could bring to the peace of the Order. This happens more often when discussions touch on politics.
(Let me know if anyone actively engage him on the subject of politics, or share with him anything related to any incidents involving Mons Electi. I've read some of the threads here, but not everything.)
When the materials are gathered and available, Petronius asks for Praxiteles' assistance in preparing the portal. "Here," he says while unrolling a parchment displaying the outline of a fairly complex arch, "this is what we should try to achieve, with layered butresses of oak, linden and pine. The dimensions must be accurate within a handspan, and the propertions respected as much as possible." Taking out a knotted rope from his pack, he begins measuring out distances and marking various points on the ground using his walking stick with quick and decisive motions. "We should orient in so the the entrance is on a north-northwest, to match the portal at Laurus Argenti."
Although Herbam is not the specialty of either magus, they are able to shape the timber into both are able to build a very elegant arch (rolled a 1 followed by a 9 for the quality of their work) with a long morning of work using a variety of Rego Craft spells, along with some additional spontaneous magic.
(Are any of the magi of Mons Electi observing them?)
"Thank you sodalis, the next step should take me a few hours, but you won't be able to help me for this." After nodding to Praxiteles (who knows that Petronius usually prefers to be alone for this part), the Bonisagus magus retrieves the silver and gold leaf from the laboratory supplies. Taking out his wand from his right sleeve, he begins engaving patterns into the arch, applying the silver and gold on some places, melding the gilding into the wood.
Tranquillina will certainly enjoy a chance to chat with Petronius; she'll ask about his home covenant and his master (and House) and will in general be interested in his background and life where he's from. She will talk shop in generalities all day long (Magic Theory, in which she is expert, and regiones, about which she has a very personal perspective which might be hard for others to grok); she's probably a little leery about talking specifics of the Mons Electi regio, since she's just met this guy. And it would be very much in character for her to bring up politics, probably starting by asking his opinion about Hermetic politics in his home Tribunal.
Tranquillina presents herself as a very well-dressed but extremely young woman, seemingly not even old enough to have passed her Gauntlet, although she displays the insignia of House Bonisagus prominently on a jeweled brooch.
((Can you make a Order of Hermes Lore roll to see what she already knows about Petronius? After all, he is from her House, and she is interested in politics. So there is a good chance that she'd have heard of him already. The roll is just to see how much she knows.))
((Sure thing: Int 3 + Order of Hermes Lore 1 (+1 for lineages) + simple die 1 
= 5, or 6 for his master. Nice going Tranquillina, making the House proud here 
))
((Go ahead and roll stress. This isn't research, this is remembering facts off the top of one's head. If anyone doesn't think that's stressful... 
PB has a HR, and we'll probably adopt it here, lore rolls are always stressed. Where they might not be is if one is researching in a library or somesuch.)
I think the dice gods are trying to tell me something:
Int 3 + Order of Hermes Lore 1 (+1 for lineages) + stress die 1/exploder 2 = 8, or 9 for his master.
That's probably enough. Same House. There are ~100 Bonisagus. It's like being a senator or something.