"Why, what happens in a month?" Rose asks curiously.
"Really? Tria doesn't give compliments very often. Well, she's not here very often, either." She doesn't seem put off by him like some of the other girls his age. She appears to be about his same age. When he moves closer she offers a shy smile.
[color=green]"The flower I made only lasts a month. That's the best I can do with what I know. He smiles back and nervously reaches for her hand. [color=green]"I guess that just means I'll have to make some more before I'm sent away.
"I'm surprised she doesn't compliment you more, when she's here. I would compliment you every day and every night, if I could.
"You don't seem bothered by my Gift the way other people are. I like that. Most people don't want anything to do with me. I'm glad you're not like that."
"Where did you say you were going, again? Why are you going away? I thought you were Tria's apprentice." she seems confused. She doesn't draw her hand away, when Ulirch mentions the Gift scaring people away she just nods and smiles as if she understands, but in a way that suggests she really doesn't.
[color=green]"I'm going to Spain somewhere, in a couple of months," he says as he nervously takes her hand and holds it.
[color=green]"I think it has something to do with how busy she's going to be for a couple of years, so she's letting one of the magi she knows there train me for her until she gets done. Not sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, I'm glad I can continue my learning. On the other hand, I'd rather stay here with you." He smiles at Rose as he says the last.
"Spain? Then I would guess you're going to see Ra'am, Prospero's filius. He comes here from time to time, he's nice, but a bit stern and bookish." When Ulrich mentions staying here, "well, we have this time together. How long is Tria going to be gone?" Rose asks suggestively.
[color=green]"A couple of days, I think. Maybe longer," he says as she starts to caress her hand. He looks around nervously, then back at Rose.
[color=green]"Would you mind terribly if I kissed you?"
((I've been presuming this is happening somewhere outside of Tria's sanctum.))
"Well, I know no one has come by while we've been here, can we find someplace where we won't be easily interrupted?" she appears to be blushing slightly a slight rose flush coming to her cheeks, which are rather pale otherwise.
((Me too, especially since he's been exploring the covenant as she suggested, sponting bushes and having them move around and stuff.))
Ulrich grins, whispers [color=green]"You have the fairest cheeks" as he takes her by the hand and wanders with her, chatting idly as he looks for someplace secluded. ((Looking for someplace where they can duck in and he can spont another bush to screen them from passers-by, big enough to lay down. Assuming he finds one:))
[color=green]"Will this do, my beautiful Rose? Do you mind if I make some shrubbery to save us from prying eyes?"
Cr 6 + He 12 + Sta 2 + Aura 3 + die roll of 8 = 31 ÷ 2 = 16.
She and Ulrich kiss and neck, and second base is reached in the secluded spot. Attempts at third base are constantly rebuffed, finally she says, "Can't we go somewhere else, go inside, perhaps?"
By the way, the aura here is 5.
((Wasn't sure, figured I'd go with the default just to be on the safe side.))
[color=green]"Of course. Shall we go to my room, or do you have someplace else in mind?"
He sponts a spell to create an opening in the shrubbery (asking the bush to let them through, for the Voice range), leading her through by the hand, and walks with her wherever, feeling totally giddy. ((ReHe base 3, R: Voice (+2), D: Diameter (+1), T: Part (+1), for a Target Level of 15 to create the opening. Re 8 + He 12 + Sta 2 + Aura 5 + die roll of 4 = 31 ÷ 2 = 16.))
"Your room would be fine. I'll go get us a light meal and meet you there." The two go off their own directions, several minutes of interminable waiting follow before Rose comes with a light meal. She sets it down and then immediately sets upon Ulrich kissing him and beginning to remove his clothes.
Ulrich is a little surprised, but quickly starts to respond in kind, while thinking don't be a spider don't be a spider don't be a spider. His lips and hands are very busy exploring things he's never felt before, and he is loving every second of it.
Ulrich and Rose devour each other and explore their youthful passions. Eventually their ardor fades from activity, and the pair can enjoy the light meal Rose brought, they chat for a bit and enjoy the meal, eventually Rose dresses and gathers the platter to leave, it's shortly after sundown. Rose appears to be crying, "Ulrich, I didn't have a choice Maris compelled me to do this, as a lesson. You see, I'm her apprentice, I'm not a maid. Me lesson for the last few months was to understand how a mundane lives and how to be of service. It's a Tremere lesson. When Tria left, she told me to seduce you. And you are cute, so it wasn't difficult, but it didn't feel right. I'm not supposed to tell you any of this, but I think you need to know, your hungers can control you and make you do things, things that will put you in danger. Phoenix is a dangerous place, there are far more distractions and opportunities and people with divided loyalties. Stick close to Ra'am and Elizabeth. Beware the ghosts that will do to you tonight what I did." With that, Rose departs, and Ulrich never sees her again while at Le Maison.
A few days later Tria returns and asks how Ulrich's been, and continues his lessons in lying.
Ulrich tries to protest when Rose goes to leave, but can't get words past the lump in his throat. He watches her go through blurry eyes, trying to wrap his mind around what she told him. He tries not to cry himself to sleep, to convince himself that it was nothing personal, that she was just doing what her domina ordered to, just as he would. But it doesn't ease the pain, doesn't keep him from feeling betrayed and abandoned by the first woman he ever loved. As he tries in vain to sleep, he mulls over the words that Rose left him, and wonders about the ghosts she mentioned. Wondering if she meant that they would betray him, or that they would bed him, or both?
The last thing that crosses his mind before he finally falls asleep is Tria's warning, to give Maris a wide berth, and he realizes that his domina had to be in on it. His sleep is plagued by dreams, of him and Rose frolicking, of making love time and time again, of him being bedded by a ghost who turns into Rose, or vice versa. When he wakes, feeling as tired as he did the night before, he thinks of Rose as he follows Tria's advice, then goes back to exploring the grounds as Tria directed. Hundreds of times, he creates a single rose, with Concentration duration, and thinks of her as it blinks out of existence, not caring if anyone sees him moping and brooding. And, despite what she did, he still looks for her.
When Tria returns and asks how he's been doing, he almost tells her "Fine," but then realizes that it is a lie, and Tria told him never to lie to her or Maris. So, he simply says nothing and resumes his lessons.
Tria notices Ulrich's reticence and lack of enthusiasm. "Answer the question, and answer truthfully and answer completely."
Ulrich stands up straight and looks Tria directly in the nose. [color=green]"You and Maris had her apprentice seduce me, in the guise of a maid." He swallows, and blinks back a tear. [color=green]"To 'teach me a lesson.' To show me that I cannot let my desires consume me, that do so could be quite dangerous. My heart is broken, I'm feeling pain like I've never felt before, but I will survive and will try to keep your lesson in mind."
"You place the blame a bit wide of the mark. I had perhaps, been to tight with your activities to not allow you to understand she was Maris's apprentice. I thought it obvious and had felt no need to tell you. I told you Maris has plots. I wasn't prepared to think she was involving her apprentice in them, yet. Maris usually has good reasons for what she does, though I disagree with her actions. You have little reason to believe me. I am telling you the truth." She works a spell. "The spell I'm under will make my breath appear frosty if I tell a lie. My name is Ra'am." The breath billows from her mouth. "I had no knowledge of Maris's plans with Rose and you." Her breath is clear. "Maris knows you have a tendency to chase a pretty face. It will likely get you into trouble. Calling a dalliance with a maiden love is a bit of a stretch. Perhaps this is the lesson she proposed to teach you without my permission."
[color=green]"Pfft! Who said anything about love? It is what it is. A dalliance, nothing more. Two kids having fun with each other." He pauses for a moment, and sounds like he's trying to convince himself as much as anything else. [color=green]"She will always be my first, but that's it.
"And I'm sorry for assuming that any plot that Maris had against, or involving, me would have been done with at least your knowledge, if not your consent. I'll remember that."
"You did when you said your heart was broken. Or perhaps I took you too seriously. Perhaps Maris's motivation was to allow you to have your first with someone who liked you, and possibly understood where you're at, at this point in your life. She's very wise about things like that. When Apollodorus was her master he spent an extraordinary amount of time teaching her non magic things. He spent a few seasons on magic, but checked out books from the Coeris library in his name for her."
"Maris is devious, but has good intentions, thought I don't agree with her methods. She always believe the ends justify the means, and I'm less likely to act that way. I did that once, early in my career, and almost killed Ra'am. The takeway from this, if I may, is that even magi who are in covenant will disagree and act according to their own agendas. Apollodorus and Mons Electi is a lot more unified than many covenants."
[color=green]"I think she did like me, at least a little bit. But I wanted it to be with someone who wanted to, not somebody who didn't have any choice in the matter. I think that's what hurts, not knowing if she would have, if she'd had a choice."