The problem I see is that RP is spontaneous. If it starts to happen and you want to move it to a suitable place, you need that place open right then. not tomorrow at that time.

And it needs to not be stopped because someone else has to (reasonably) leave because they have work the next day. We are from all different time zones and we all know full well that scheduling is a nightmare.

Also if the place is always or frequently opened, then it will be frequented. Twice in one month is not frequent.

As someone who has used the marriage button, it makes little to no IC difference. No benefits are granted and you can't even see the location of your spouse as you can with GuildMates. The ONLY things it does are to give the female the same last name as the male [ ]  and make a totally OOC entry in your IC description. I say OOC because you certainly can't tell if someone is married by looking at them and even less likely could you tell the name of their spouse.

Let's just get rid of the button and make marriage fully IC. Then we solve two problems at once.

I'll be there!

Ouchies!! We'll miss you. Get well soon!

Prreta raced around the corner of the fountain, skirt held lifted slightly in the front and train hissing across the cobbles behind her, searching. She stopped and her face fell on seeing Anysu lean in and whisper to Celroc. She had hoped to find her husband alone but had to admit that he knew as many or more people than she did herself so the chance of that was slim.

    Celroc looked up, detected her expression immediately, and said worriedly "Prreta? Is something wrong?"

    Prreta offered Anysu a terse smile and turned troubled eyes to Celroc, saying "Yes. And also, it's time"

    "Time?" he asked as he held out his arms to her, offering a hug. "What's wrong, Love? You seem really troubled. Please, tell me what's bothering you."

    Prreta hugged her arms to her chest and stepped up to rest against Celroc, inviting him to enfold her in his strong arms as she said, "I've had a terrible day and really need to talk. but it's time for..." she lifts her right paw to rattle her fiercely glowing bracelet.

    "Did you need your bracelet drained?" asked Anysu.

    Prreta shook her head to the larger Bilkau, and feeling quite proud of herself she said, "I have finally learned enough to be able to drain it myself."

    "That is good to hear Prreta. Without hurting yourself?"

    She forced a convincing grin and said "Mostly. I'm getting better at it". She hoped that she was β€œbetter” enough to handle it today. It was critical.

   She reached for Celroc's paw and struggled to keep her doubts under control as she said β€œWe'll see you later, ok Anysu?” Then they raced toward the Pterosaur.

    The ride from Hydlaa to Amdeneir seemed to take forever. Glancing down at her bracelet for the thousandth time she thought about how much energy it had absorbed - for weeks now she had been putting herself in the way of every sloppily cast crystal way spell she could until finally the bracelet could contain no more and the energy had burned her delicate skin. She sighed wistfully - maybe SOME day she'd stop being sensitive to Crystal energy but...well, no good worrying about that now.  She reminded herself that since she barely qualified as a master the worst she could probably do was blow up Evirea's Guildhouse...and everyone in it. No Pressure.

    The azure afternoon light glinted from Evirea's scales and Prreta admired how it set the orange tint of her wings afire. The  two Enki slowed to a stop in front of her where she waited by her Guildhouse door.
    "Sorry we're a little late", said Celroc.
    "Not late. Allena's not here. Probably still talking to Caraick, actually. Saw him with her. You two can head inside if you wish. I'm waiting out here for her to arrive."

     Finding a comfortable place amidst the pillows and carpets on the floor, Prreta and Celroc chatted and she tried to calm herself until the door opened again. Suddenly she was all nerves.

    "Have you told her?” she asked in a trembling voice.

    Evirea shook her head. "I thought it best she hear it from all of us. Namely, you. You're playing the pivotal role this time, Prreta. We're following your lead." Then she glanced behind her and gestured for Allena to come closer.

    Prreta shifted from leaning against Celroc to sitting upright, closed her eyes and took several deep, slow breaths as she marshaled her courage. She was definitely not looking forward to this part but it had to be done. It had to. And strangely fate had decreed it her lot....no, that was a lie. Fate had decreed nothing, but having found this kindred soul in Allena, she didn't want to entrust it to anyone else.

    Allena forced a half smile "That bad, huh? Well you have seen my memory of MY first Patient. I can take this"

    Prreta silently recited an Azure Way focusing exercise, then opened her eyes and said as confidently as she could. "There is a plan, Allena. You have two..." she paused realizing that she didn't know if Evirea still wanted to protect the unfortunate girl from the terrifying knowledge.

    The Klryos turned to face Allena and said bluntly, "Demons. There are two demons fighting for control right now, in you. One of them appears to be benign." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a sheet of paper upon which she'd sketched a rough relief of Vallar's face. "The other is the one Rigwyn summoned. Bazaal."

    Prreta chewed her lip as Allena studied the picture with tears rolling down her cheeks. After the poor girl had taken a moment to adjust to the thought she picked up where she'd stopped "...demons. The benign one, Vallar, says that Bazaal is the cause of your wound getting worse despite everyone's best efforts. If it's not healed, we'll lose you, Allena. Forever. He has proposed a way that may heal it."

    She paused for a moment, not relishing what she must say...or do, then finally sighed deeply and continued. "It involves a huge amount of crystal energy being poured into you. And there's a risk. That it might be too much." As she talked she slipped the stone encrusted bracelet from her right arm and laid it on a pillow next to her. Even in the hall's brightly lit interior its brilliant glow is almost painful to look at. "I've gathered about what three or four Crystal Masters might cast in a day."

    She glanced to Evirea and saw a look of hopelessness wash over the femros' face for just an instant and doubted herself...what if...?. Then Celroc's paw came to rest gently on her shoulder, and she was glad for his reassuring presence behind her. He was such a comfort. More than anyone else he made her want to be better than she was - kinder, gentler, and more honest and open. All the things she struggled most with.

    The Nolthrir girl flicked away a tear running down her face and coughed lightly "It is a lot different being on the other side of this talk," Then she forced a smile.

    Prreta felt a terrible sinking feeling in her chest as Evirea stepped forward and wrapped an arm around the girl and one wing around her. "We're going to be right by your side through all of this. No matter what happens, that's where we'll be."

    "I'm sorry, have I said something...bad?” Prreta asked as she looked between Evirea and Allena. Doubts flooded her...had she already made a mess before even starting the procedure?? Could she do this without killing them all?

    "She means being the patient, hearing she might not survive a treatment."

    Prreta nodded mutely, trying to reassure herself that it would be OK. Taking a deep, shaking breath she started to silently recite her calming exercise, then Celroc began to rub her back lightly, offering comfort and encouragement. "You can do this." it said. "I believe in you"

    "You take care of these ladies, hmm?" said Allena to Celroc. "I'll haunt you if you don't," she said with a grin. Still trying to relieve the tension when she was the one who had the most right to be afraid!

    Evirea murmurs, "If after the treatment your body vanishes into the Realm, I intend to follow you. I think, Prreta, you should remain here. You'll be exhausted upon completing this procedure. Celroc will have to take care of you."

    β€œNo!” Prreta thought β€œI want to be there!” She looked up sharply at Evirea and got out "But..." before the femros held up a hand to forestall further argument. "If by the end of it you feel well enough, fine. If not, I think you agree it's best. You'll do her no good if you're already incapacitated once you get to the Realm."

    She was right. As usual. As Prreta nodded her head in acquiescence, Allena said "Thank you. I am sorry our time was so short together. Maybe if I wasn't so foolish..."
    Prreta felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach which threatened to rebel at its weight. It was bad enough that she doubted herself, but Allena? The conversation receded into the background and she barely heard it for the roaring in her ears...
    Celroc's voice registered distantly, "Allena, please... don't say it like you're going to truly die. You-- You're going to be just fine, alright? All three of us will be watching over you to make sure nothing goes wrong"

    Then Evirea spoke up, "Now see here. There's a risk you might die, yes. But it's still a procedure. The point is to SAVE your life, Allena, and odds are you will pull through this. I don't think for a moment you'll die. I think you're FAR too stubborn for that."
 Allena took a deep, shaking breath and turned her head to the femros. "Evirea. Oh Evirea. I have been looking for these words for a long time, but everything just seems so inadequate. I am sorry. And thank you. If you could... If you could find the Snitch and tell her.... Oh, she knows" and looks down, biting her lip.
    Prreta looked down again at the gleaming bracelet, wondering if they'd approve if they knew what she was going to do. Wondering if they'd believe in her at all. In fact, she wondered if she believed in herself really...or was this shear selfishness? Did she want so badly to own Allena's love that she'd destroy the girl?
    Evirea brushed the girl's hair gently with her fingers, looking so tender and motherly that Prreta's breath caught in her own throat, then kissed the top of the girl's head and said in a determined tone, "You said you needed to know how much? Since Crystal magics harm her as they do you, you should just steadily pour it directly into the wound. We're still just trying to cure her, that's the point. Yes, it will likely send her to the Realm. But that doesn't change. We're purging that wound."

    Evirea's determined tone dragged her back from self doubt and into the moment like a slap. Only gentler. More encouraging. She so wanted the femros' approval and trust as a – dared she even think it? An equal. Or at least something more than the child she felt like.

"A stream,” Prreta confirmed, β€œnot a burst. Ok, Just...second guessing myself is all.”
    She gestured to the furs in front of her and tried to sound confident, clinical, like she'd heard real healers sound, "Allena, if you want to join us? And also...you haven't yet said you agree to this plan. I won't do it against your will"

    Allena shrugged and as she moved to the furs she said "I mean, if trusting a demon in my head that I don't even know doesn't sound crazy, I don't know what is, but sometimes crazy is what needs to happen."

    "Don't worry. Everything will be alright." Celroc said in his calm, quiet voice.

    Prreta said "The reassuring thing is that he has to live in there too. In your head. He has no desire to die either."

    The fenki sighed heavily then hesitantly reached her paw toward the bracelet with a sense of foreboding.

    As she held the glowing bracelet up before her eyes she explained "What I'll do is pull out as much crystal energy as I can and direct into a sot of energy void. It will be giving off all kinds of...” she struggled to describe it even to herself. It wasn't the energy itself, but just the part that made it visible, brilliant. Even that however burned when it was strong enough.
β€œ...radiance.” she finally said. Yes, that was the word she wanted.
β€œThen I'll surround it a few inches away by a shield of dark energy to protect us; you and me. It'll look pretty frightening as the crystal energy's radiance impacts the shield." she glances at Evirea and says "this is what Sacho thought could sustain me..."

    "Prreta, you're sure you can do this without harming yourself, right?" came the warm but concerned voice of her husband. She felt that doubt rising again, but quickly swallowed it down and turning a terse smile toward him she said as matter-of-factly as she could, "I can't guarantee that. I've never done this before. But that demon, Bazaal, wants to get out...it's important that not happen"

    Allena's voice suddenly rang out - as cold and objective as Prreta hoped she sounded, "Shall you be restraining me?"

    Prreta felt her eyes well with tears. This poor girl with the beautiful soul and she herself was going to tie her down? She shuddered as the memories of her own past flooded into her thoughts,  images of a dimly lit cellar and a chain, and pain. Endless pain and...

    At that moment she very nearly backed out...but Allena's LIFE depended on her. She couldn't let the girl down. She tried to clamp down on the fear - both past and present, and brushed at tears that just kept trying to escape from her eyes.  She clamped down on those memories hard, locking them away. That was then, not now. Now she had people who loved her, who would give their own lives to protect her. Allena was one of them, and needed her right now! She focused on the Nolthrir and saw a distant, detached look in the girl's eyes. Then she looked up at Evirea, "should we?"

    The klyros grimaced, obviously not relishing the idea either, but answered the girl "It might be best to tie you to one of the beds so you don't thrash around when you're in pain, don't hurt yourself."

    Then Evirea's eyes slid over to Prreta and she felt herself flush under the femros' scrutiny. "There is risk that she'll burn herself again, but we can heal her once more if that happens. I'm fairly certain it won't be as...as difficult as it was before."

    The last time she'd been burned by Crystal she'd been lucky that the Dark Lady claimed her no more than seconds before her soul was completely destroyed. That experience had changed her, left her ravenous for pain, flesh and blood of prey. She shuddered as a part of her thrilled to the memory.

    Evirea retrieved a pair of earthen handcuffs big enough to hold Allena's wrists without hurting them, and a length of rope. "I'd make a joke, but now seems inappropriate."

    "Don't worry, humor is the best way to fight this mood. Everyone is so serious" said Allena with a smirk as she laid down on her back.

    As Prreta accepted the rope from Evirea, she had visions once again of being bound, helpless ...and could no longer stop the tears. She felt them tickling the fur of her cheeks to drip from her chin. She wanted to throw down the rope, burn it even; wrap Allena in a hug and tell her it would all be OK...but that wouldn't make her well.

    Everything would not be OK.This had to be done. She gritted her teeth, used every Azure trick she knew to force the terrifying memories down, and said "Forgive me Sister" as she willed her fingers to tie Allena's arm and leg to the bed.

    "Always", came the quick response.

    Celroc tried again to lighten the mood by joking, "Ah, the bond between twins..."

    Twins? Yes. Twin souls. Never before had she met a soul so like her own. She had thought she was unique and it was so lonely. With Allena here she wasn't unique, wasn't alone. The girl HAD to live, and for a long time!
Once more Prreta felt Celroc's reassuring presence behind her - quiet, calm and strong. Once more she called on her Azure training to focus her mind and put aside her emotions. For her that was the hardest part - the stilling of emotions...but she did it.
    Evirea took the rope from Prreta's outstretched paw. She tied it dutifully and gave it a tug to ensure it was securely fastened. Then she clasped the handcuffs around Allena's wrists. She flicked her hand and the wood of the headboard swallowed the chain, to hold the girls arms and minimize her flailing. "You're going to make it out of this, Allena. We'll see to that. I promise."

As the others made a final attempt at levity, Prreta took deep calming breaths and tried to convince herself that she could do this...that this was no different than the times she'd practiced in the glade with Sacho. The thought that the amount of energy she'd be harnessing today was a hundred times more than anything she'd done before tried to intrude on her building calm but she felt it and shut the thought out.

    At last Prreta felt centered. Calm.  She raised the bracelet above Allena with one paw, closed her eyes and began to summon Dark energy. The Dark power grew,  dancing within her. It became heavier, more visceral, and somehow more alive and she felt the familiar song in her soul at its presence. She loved this part.

    After savoring the power for a moment, she reached out with her mind and removed the energy from the space around her paw and bracelet, to form a void - a hole in the air with only the faintest visible disturbance. She heard the sound of a breath suddenly taken, trembling, but in her emotionless place she discarded it as irrelevant.

    Prreta opened her eyes, looked at the Nolthrir bound and helpless on the bed and felt...nothing. Finally she had battled the emotions down and was ready. "Do you want me to proceed, Allena?"

    The girl remained silent, eyes squeezed closed and only barely nodded. It was enough.

    She felt the room receding as she intensified her focus on the spell to come. When she felt as if her body was a puppet operated from a distance she reached out with her mind and opened the bracelet's reservoir of energy.

    The void suddenly filled with blinding white light. Purple flames erupted from the almost visible sphere of shadow shielding them from that horrible crystal energy. Even from her detached distance Prreta felt it searing her paw and forearm where they passed though the shield and into the center of her captive sun. She knew she was going to lose the paw, but what was that compared to Allena's soul? She accepted the loss and embraced the pain; just as she'd been taught...maybe after this was over she'd accept inclusion in the Azure circle after all.  She recognized that thought as a distraction and put it gently aside to focus on the procedure.

    Black smoke oozed downward to crawl across the bed and fall to the floor. The brilliance of the light, the ominous flames and the stench were terrible even at this distance. She closed her eyes to shut out the distracting sights and willed her ears to not hear the crackle and hiss. Her brow knotted in concentration as she opened a hole in the shield of shadow and directed the energy in the void. A beam of blinding light no broader than the width of the Nolthrir girl's pinky sprang from the bottom of the sphere to strike directly into Allena's wound.

    The bed thumped and jumped as the girl spasmed under the pain.

    Prreta heard Celroc whispering a prayer to Talad. It like everything else seemed very far away. Her eyes drifted open as she reached across that great distance between her mind and her body to speak, in a voice that sounded brittle to her own distant ears, "Evi, can you check the wound please and let me know if we need more ?"

    "On it," the Klyros answered instantly. She lifted the Nolthrir's shirt, to reveal the ragged cut across the girl's chest pouring out blood and a dark vapor. "It's working, Prreta. It's going to get worse before it gets better."

    "P--PRRETA! You're starting to burn! Stop!" Cried Celroc, as the acrid scent of burning fur further tainted the smoky air.

    Prreta closed her eyes against the brilliance of the captive crystal energy and the terrifying flames rising from around it. The pain was beginning to intrude as both energy and flames burned at her flesh, but she re-focused herself, regained that needed distance and increased the amount of energy Allena was receiving.  The Nolthrir convulsed harder, rattling the heavy bed frame, and began whimpering quietly. Prreta felt a sudden thrill run through her as the dark, feral, animal part of her awakened and began to revel in the pain she was inflicting. She had wondered if it would awaken. She found it easier to force it into submission with a quick Azure meditation than she had expected, and that encouraged her.

    She suddenly realized that Allena was not strong enough to survive...then hit upon a strategy. Summoning her Azure energy she reached her mind down into the prone girl, attempting to identify the 'shape' of the darkness trying to fuse with her, then she used a very basic Azure trick to mobilize Allena's own body defenses to fight the darkness and to bolster her strength.

    "Prreta. What are you doing?!” cried Evirea.

    Prreta's awareness drifted closer to her body, to the distracting sounds and scents and pain. She said through gritted teeth "azure...healing...letting her...body...help". Then she let the beam of crystal energy grow in size and strength again.
   
    Even with her eyes closed Prreta sensed the dark presence - seething, powerful and vile - that coalesced around Allena. The girl's cries deepened, becoming low voiced moans.

    As she struggled to re-detach her awareness she heard Evirea let out a cry of alarm and say "These glyphs forming on her skin are the symbols of Bazaal! This is his symbol for everlasting pain. But Vallar said that Bazaal would try to force Allena to cling to life with every fiber of her being. I think he's trying to make us stop so that the wound isn't healed, and Vallar is not empowered. I hope. I pray."

    Prreta sensed the growing power of the darkness rising within Allena and quickly enlarged the beam to engulf the entire wound. Crystal energy poured out of the void, sparking as it burned into the dark power, flickering and flashing about the room like sunlight through a wildly spinning crystal. Where it touched Prreta, small bits of smoke rose from her body and face.

    Allena's screams grew in intensity as the beam became yet more powerful. The wound bubbled and churned as the power that sustained it begins to be consumed, shielding itself with Allena.

    Now with three energies to maintain, and the new distractions of pinprick burns all over her face and body, Prreta felt her control slipping. Desperate to maintain control just a little bit longer she lifted her free paw toward Celroc and choked out "Help me...bear...pain..."

    Celroc seized Prreta's paw in his, squeezing it tightly, and Evirea joined her hand to them. Their presence was comforting, reassuring, as they readily accepted the link to her mind. She shunted her own pain into them and felt a surge of magical strength as she drained those she held most dear.

    She heard Celroc's teeth grit at the sudden pain, and he groaned agonizingly. Evirea wheezed and gurgled inarticulately.

    But it wasn't enough. SHE wasn't enough. While they gave her plenty of themselves, she simply could not convert it fast enough. Her eyes flew open wide as her shell of Shadow failed. Bathed in the radiance of the raw Crystal energy she was overwhelmed with pain, her azure control shattered, and she panicked – realizing she'd failed. Then the void winked out. The remaining crystal energy exploded outward bathing the guildhouse in its crystal wash. Where it touched her she erupted in flames. Her paw was ripped from Celroc and Evirea's clasp and she distantly felt as if she hit something, hard. Then all was pain and darkness.

Nice screenie. Thank you! And thank you to all the guests for making this special day one to remember!

-P

Thank you for what seems a civil response Sarras, however I was hoping to spare the community from the details that they probably have no appetite for and which I think could have best been handled privately.

I was hoping to keep this thread one about general principles so that *IF* I do engage in future PvP roleplay, I am better prepared to handle it AND if necessary to gracefully disengage without resorting to being untouchable or being totally dominated.

I have admitted that I made errors. I think an objective viewing by a discerning reader will reveal that we could both have done better. There were also other messages --not included here-- in which I stated I had no problem with losing because Prreta isn't a grappler and i requested additional clarification to the moves. As the experienced pvp roleplayer you had the opportunity to teach..which I felt like was totally lost with the appeal to your own authority. After that point Sarras totally dominated Prreta because I got frustrated and gave up trying.

Several things from the above discussions come to my mind as possibly making the whole encounter better :
- we should have agreed OOC to the encounter taking place at all.
- we should have OOC established relative levels of skill of our characters and ourselves
- we should have used Kaerli's STA approach
- I should have not gotten flustered.

Oh, by the way - She yelled a lot because she's a vocal character and you were trying to restrain her. Also, Prreta's fangs and claws are capped, so I never expected she would be able to do any harm to you through your armour, or even if you had no armour...it was her posturing and me still trying to make the best IC experience possible despite my OOC confusion and frustration.

Now, Please, Do you have any constructive general principles to add?