#earthrunes

Two Fiona women look a little sheepish

August opens his eyes slowly, gingerly, and looks around the basement room of Chole and August Rachford's ranch-style home.

Coradel blushes beautifully, even (or especially) in her...situation.

Near the two somewhat, shall we say, tied up ladies, for Leonora is there too...

Nearby where AUgust woke, there is a note

simply saying What gets wet while drying?

Coradel doesn't exactly mind being bound up, and she's in excellent company.

August clears his throat, a familiar early-morning sound from him, and then makes an interrogative sound.

Looks like keys are needed to the restraints

Coradel makes a sound in reply, a confused good-morning sound. She really thought they'd have woken up at EarthRunes.

August shifts and works up onto an elbow, and takes in the room.

They're in the bedroom, or one of the bed rooms. Over there is the open door the En Suite. There's a stand near the door to with canes, umbrellas, and a spare chimerical sword.

He could take the gags off the ladies without a key if he wishes

August's eyes go wide; not that they haven't played these games before, but without memories it's a bit startling to wake up to. He does quickly un-gag them.

"Are you both alright?"

"Surprised, well, not too surprised." Leonora says then went "There's a riddle you need to solve, it leads to a clue?" She THINKS that's it

Coradel remembers something about that , a riddle game mixed with, well this

"Morning, love," Coradel says with a smile as he ungags her. "And...yes? Something about a riddle? I don't remember...."

He gives each a shy kiss and pulls the tatters of his costume around him modestly before going to find the note; he reads it outloud.

She watches him in what remains of the clothing. "I told you tattered lace would look good on him," she says to Leonora.

Then a puzzled expression. "Gets wet while drying?"

"You were right," Leonora says after returning the shy kiss when it was her turn

Eiluned fosterage kicks in a bit, and she smiles. "I think I know...but if I tell you, it might cost you something later."

Was that one part of the game? She thinks it might have been, then again, there's an advantage to being able to make some rules up as they go along. Yes, she can guess but he'll owe her..something

August looks confused. "Don't you want.... ah.... to get up?"

"I do." She struggles mildly against the restraints in an appealing way. "But the riddle wasn't left for me to figure out."

August exhales and looks back at the note. "Wetter the more it dries."

"Is the answer something naughty?" Leonora asks her fellow Lioness

"Depends on how you use it," Coradel purrs back. "But...not usually. You generally find it in the bathroom."

August blinks, and goes over to the ensuite.

"Or in the kitchen," she adds after a moment's consideration. "Or...a pool. Or beach."

Once he enters the En Suite, well, it's a grand bathroom. There's the shower, the mirror, a few wash clothes, some towels, a toothbrush , a hair dryier

"It's not a hair dryer." he says with fair certainty.

"No, that would be bad," she replies. "If it got wet, that is."

"We find your intelligence very sexy, August" Leonora says loudly, then in a stage whisper to Coradel says "Positive reinforcement"

"Very!" she echoes, then nods to Leo.

He sticks his head out the door and looks uncertainly at them.

Coradel gives him an adoring look.

Adoration in Stereo

"Is that a clue?"

Leonora says"The praise? Just support, far as I remember"

A loving sigh. "Bathroom, Kitchen, Pool, Beach..." she reminds him.

"Water? Water doesn't get wetter as it dries...." he thinks.

"We don't have a pool and we're not near a beach."

He goes back into the bathroom.

"Not a mirror... the shower just gets wet, then dries, it doesn't get more wet."

She watches, charmed, as the baffled baron with his spitcurl over his troubled brow resumes his efforts.

".... towels?"

"Could be" Leonora says , she's not sure, but it sounds good to her

"I think that's worth exploring!" she says in a sing-song tone with a heavy hint towards yes.