Idlewild -- Logs

After Aiden says, "We're after the same thing in the end.. We all want to get the Princess back. We'd be a lot better off if we worked together." Kip nods, looking uncertain and much less prickly or hostile. "You may be right, he murmurs."

Aiden says, "So. Let's pool our resources, so we're not working against each other. I just wish we had something to go on."

Zhi steeples his fingers and leans forward on the table. "Is your ghost wolf a resource?"

Lotte pipes up. "I had a thought... could Ghost be... her?"

Sol tilts his head at Lotte. "Which her?" He looks genuinely puzzled.

Aiden tilts his head to the side, looking at Zhi. "Sort of? He doesn't stick around long, usually. He's only actually led us anywhere the one time. He might be a resource, but he's not a reliable one, so far."

Lotte looks a little embarassed, and mutters, "The princess?"

"That can't be the princess," says Lauren airily. "The princess is pink. The wolf is white."

Aiden says, "I'm not sure that she could be, Lotte. Ghost has been with us a long time, the Princess only vanished recently.."

Lotte nods slightly. "True, the princess has only been missing for a few days, hasn't she."

Aiden looks at Zhi and Kip, "How long has she been gone for? Everyone's been a bit on the vague side about it."

Sol nods, "'Fraid so, Lotte. Just as well, in a way... Ghost seems uninclined to wear a dress these days. Coronation would eventually be a problem."

Steven tries not to laugh at that, though he manages to keep it as only a faint grin that disappears quickly.

Lotte gives Sol a weak smile.

Kip looks at Zhi, clearly deferring the answer and looking obscurely uncomfortable. Zhi says without a pause, "We arrived after you did, and were told by Lyri that she went missing sometime during the day Clairchiare went to pick you up from the city." He does pause, then shrugs and says "They don't spend that much time together. He can't be sure exactly when that day, only that she missed her dinner appointment with him."

Lotte shakes her head. "Then it can't be her. Oh well."

Lauren harrumphs, swinging her bare feet. "Wow, they must be close."

Lotte looks fondly at Ghost and shrugs.

Aiden says, "Alright. So, we've got this masked ball tomorrow evening, but I sort of feel useless sitting around here not doing anything until then. I assume that they've got her well hidden, whoever has her. Who has access to her rooms?"

Clairchiare walks draggily into the suite, looking like hell. He apparently heard the last few sentences and says softly, "I do. Lyri does. Her parents. A few high court officials. Zhi and Kip came too late or she'd surely have given them a key; they only heard she was missing the day after it happened, and arrived the next day."

Supporting Clairchiare by the elbow, Seodil walks in silence but spares Aiden a small smile.

Lotte begins, "Couldn't we..." but snaps her mouth shut and looks down at the table as Clairchiare walks in.

Lauren bobs her head once. "Morning, Clairchiare. Seodil."

Zhi looks at Lauren and says quietly, "It was always a political marriage. They went willingly."

"...oh. Poor things." Lauren drops her eyes. "Still it's kinda poetic...""

Aiden returns the smile and to Clairchiare as well. "Thank you, Clairchiare. Morning, both of you." He frowns, "If I ask who stands to benefit from her disappearance, am I likely to get a list of everyone in Summer?"

Sol reaches subtly to pat Lotte's hand, a comfort touch.

Lotte sighs and looks at Sol, forcing a smile for his kindness.

Clairchiare looks down at the ground as Seodil gently but firmly makes him sit and pick up a piece of fruit. The pink-haired elf stares at the pear in his hand and says "Not exactly, Aiden... she had enemies, but no one has a clear title to the throne after her, the great families are too closely matched in blood ties to take precedence over one another... even if the Prince Coquin were not the actual heir before even the Princess. Their father is ailing and the Queen is... distracted from her duties by this. But nothing has befallen the next heir."

Lauren says, "But it COULD, you know." She shrugs. "I don't know much about this, but it seems to me that people LIKE killing each other here."

Aiden says, "Clairchiare? I wanted to ask you something and it's going to sound really awful, but I have to ask. If something happened to the Prince Coquin and Princess Seulement, who has the next nearest claim?"

Steven doesn't make a comment on Lauren's comment since, well.. he agrees with her.

Clairchiare laughs bitterly and throws up his hands, losing the pear. Seodil catches it neatly and puts it safely back on the table. Clairchiare says, "It certainly could, Lauren. Killing each other has been an acceptable pasttime so long as the correct means are involved and no one gets caught using the incorrect ones for longer than memory. That was one thing Seulement wished to do, should she take power or persuade her brother-- outlaw duels to the death over minor slights."

"Incorrect methods, huh?" Lauren leans forward to get a better look at Clair. "How are you supposed to INCORRECTLY kill somebody?"

Looking at Aiden, Clairchiare sighs. "Hard to say." He laughs without humor. "My family and Oni's have as good a claim as several others. It's much too tangled, it could decimate the court if it got that far... which is part of why another heir was so desperately needed."

Aiden nods. "This is really tangled. I haven't the faintest clue where we're going to start, except for the ball."

Seodil grins at Lauren. "I can answer that. Poison is incorrect if it can be traced to you. Against the rules, if you're caught. Duelling-- that is perfectly correct, a matter of honor, and can be settled in public with no punishment to the winner-- the more witnesses the better, in fact."

Seodil adds, "One tends to get in trouble for merely appearing with a bloody body."

Lauren scowls. "Savages."

Zhi pats Lauren's shoulder and says, "We're trying to civilize them. S'why we married in." He winks.

Steven says, "But why am I worried that one of them wanted you at the--" He breaks off, looking at Seodil. "Aiden... call this silly, but.. I think someone is going to try to force a duel on you at the ball. Some imagined slight, or orchestrate a minor bump into a major point of honor."

Lotte mutters, "Drive-bys, serial killers, pedophiles..."

Aiden raises an eyebrow. "With me? Why me? I'm no one to this court."

Steven says, "I don't know, but you were invited and it's an invitation that you really can't turn down."

Steven says, "That, or they want someone from Winter there. But if that's all it is, why not just officially invite the Prince of Winter?"

Lauren says, "They haven't? That's wierd."

Steven says, "Unless Sol's gotten an engraved invitation when our backs were turned..."

Aiden looks at Steven. "I have another theory about it. All of the rumours seem to say that we were involved? I suspect they're trying to prove it to deflect attention from themselves."

Lotte says, "So does that mean someone thinks of Aiden as a major threat to their plot?"

Lauren can't help but giggle.

Steven nods to Aiden, then glances to Lotte. "That... or they're going to pin the blame on Aiden at the ball. Because he's convenient to blame, and then, of course, honor demands that he be taken out..."

Aiden's looking fairly neutral about the idea of being duelled to death. He's anything but but he's very good at making it look like things don't bother him.

Lauren looks frankly at Aiden. "Well," she says, "are you still going to go? You can get duelled there, or you can wait for them to get insulted you're not there, and come HERE to duel you. You'd have more time to prepare if you didn't go."

Lotte slowly digests the idea. "So... we need a plan of defense then. For being blamed. If that's what we're expecting."

Aiden looks at Lauren, "Fuck. Catch-22, Mr. Heller would be so proud." For a moment, the fear shows through clearly, but he's hidden behind a calm mask again within a few seconds.

Steven frowns. He hadn't thought of that, but Lauren has a point. "We need to avoid a duel. They'll stack it against Aiden as much as they can get away with, and then some."

Aiden laughs bitterly, "They won't have to stack it against me, Steven."

Lauren chews a lip. "We don't have to do it their way."

Lotte raises an eyebrow at Lauren, interested.

Clairchiare looks dazed, but says "I will be your second, Aiden, if this occurs and we cannot deflect it."

Lauren shakes her head. "I don't know HOW to do it yet, but it isn't as though we have HONOR to worry about. We could just GO."

Seodil, looking at Clairchiare, snorts, "Don't be an idiot. I will just kill them."

Soleil says, "Aiden is NOT fighting a duel," one hand hidden under the table.

Aiden sighs heavily. "She asked me about my skill with a sword too.. oh, shit." Aiden's gone several shades whiter by now..

Zhi says, "But why would they want to kill Aiden unless he-- or we-- are getting closer to something than we think? We must know something that makes someone nervous."

Steven says, "Lauren... we need to think quickly about our own little conversation, as well. There might have been somethign in there that she was trying to dig out of us."

Aiden looks at Zhi and nods, "What did we know about this that we knew before yesterday?"

Lauren says, "But we didn't tell her anything, I think. She was too busy scaring the hell out of me with Winter things...eh." She eyes Seodil. "I have NO idea what she was trying to do other than that."

Seodil shrugs, "Dividing us against ourselves would halt our progress, Lauren."

Kip bites his lip and says shyly, "Everyone here is trustworthy." He looks around and then drops his gaze to the table, looking almost scared.

Aiden looks over at Kip. "Got an idea?"

Lauren melts a bit at Kip and leans forward to give his leg a reassuring pat.

Lotte asks in a pained voice,"Aiden, did the woman approach you before or after we learned the... news... about the princess and... and Clairchiare?"

Zhi touches Aiden's arm for attention as Kip looks extra shy and a touch scared. Zhi says, "Kip has a sense for these things when he's not frantic trying to defend me, which I really should apologize for again. I have complete faith in Kip's judgement on this. --Aiden. I hate to destroy a premise, but what if they think you know something that you don't?"

Aiden says, "Before, Lotte. I didn't know about that when I met her."

Kip flinches back from Lauren's pat just a tad, wide-eyed and looking very teenaged.

Aiden frowns at Zhi. "If they think that the rumours are true and that I know something about the Princess' disappearance?"

Seodil says, "What if Lady Shh thought that you did? Zhi has a point. What if they assume we came in knowing about the baby? That does seem to be the point on which many things hinge here."

Aiden looks at Seodil, paling even further. "It would explain why they've sent her after me. I wonder if I'm even supposed to make it to that ball?" He swallows hard..

Lauren waves a hand, tentatively. "I think we still need to deal with the problem of not getting Aiden killed. Maybe the way they go about trying to get him will tell us something, but we STILL can't just let them kill him."

Aiden rubs a hand over his face. When he speaks, his voice is fairly shaky, "Lauren.. can you please stop mentioning my death? Please?"

Lauren pinks. "Sorry, Aiden. It's...kinda, you know, important."

Steven nods to Lauren, though he does glance with sympathy to Aiden. "Right. We should do our best to avoid the duel. Aiden, how well can you fake being sick so as not to go to the ball?"

Sol growls, hand tightly clutching Aiden's under the table. Orange eyes slitted and feral, he says "NO ONE is killing Aiden.." in a low, dangerous voice.

Aiden nods, "Yeah. I know it's important.. I just.. don't like to hear my mortality bandied around so casually, y'know? I don't really want to die and I feel like I'm sitting here planning my own funeral."

Lotte mutters, "I'd offer to protect you, but we know how well that went over in the past."

Aiden looks at Steven. "For this? I can do anything."

Seodil looks quite, quite blank and serene. He says firmly, "You will not die, Aiden. It is not permitted."

Lauren glances uneasily at Soleil. "Sounds more like we're planning somebody else's. A LOT of somebody else's."

Sol gives Lauren a grin with many sharp white teeth involved. He nearly purrs, "Oh yes... if they touch him."

Aiden is looking off into the distance. He says, softly and mostly to himself. "Why did Setisel lead me into a trap designed to kill me if he wants our help finding her?"

Zhi and Kip blink at Aiden. Zhi speaks. "Setisel?"

Aiden says, "The ghost wolf.."

Kip says "Ghost wolves talk?"

Steven says, "Maybe... he thought that it was a lead we should follow..."

Aiden looks over at Kip. "This one comes with a human shape, too.."

Aiden winces, "Pardon. Elven."

Zhi tilts his head and says, "What has it said? This sounds like something that should be shared with us."

The elves appear to be letting Aiden's slip go without calling for a duel-- this time.

Aiden says, "He's said little. He introduced himself and commanded us to find the child. That's all he has said that I'm aware of."

Kip frowns and eyes the group as though looking for ghosts. "You said you didn't talk to ghosts."

Kip inspects Lotte's head as though looking for transparency.

Lauren rolls her eyes, smiling just a bit. He's so cute.

Aiden says, "Well. It's the first ghost that I've ever seen. It's not like I make a habit of it."

Zhi drawls cheerfully, "Relax, Kipyranyllie. Lauren's solid. I checked."

Lauren goes the OPPOSITE of pink. "Zhi!" She socks him in the shoulder--hard.

Aiden sighs softly, "Anyways, talking about my death isn't getting us any closer to the Princess. Does anyone have any idea how the rumour that we're involved got started?"

Lotte sighs and says, "We don't talk to ghosts. Apparently a ghost as approached a few of our members. That's all."

Kip's cheeks gain red spots, perfectly round. He stares off into space as his eartips change color too and says in a strained voice, "So. The ghost. He knows about the child and he talks to you. Could he have led you to the person who took the child?"

Aiden says, "I thought that's where he was leading me. He led me straight to Elis Shh."

Clairchiare makes a brief unhappy noise and stares at his hands. Seodil gives him a sympathetic look, but says "It is not at all unlikely as personalities go."

Zhi winces, rubs his shoulder and says, "What? Did I miss a spot?"

Aiden says, "She went to the coast, right? Is there anyway that we can.. trace her steps? It wouldn't be wise to hide the Princess right inside the court. If she got out, she could call for help.. and searchers may find her."

Sol says, "Unless of course she's inside Steven's man-eating chest."

Clairchiare nods, "She went to the coast-- I have been to the house she keeps there. Oni and I used to go every season."

Steven opens his mouth... and pauses. "Ah..." he glances to his room.

Aiden says, "Any chance of us being able to search it?"

Lauren brightens, after giving Zhi a Death Look normally reserved for Sol. "THIS sounds better! We can just leave, and no duel!"

Sol grins. "Search the hungry luggage? Steven? Do you mind?"

Steven says, "Oh, ah... feel free." He adds in a murmur, "If it'll let you...."

Aiden looks at Lauren, sadly. "If they think I'm involved, and I up and leave, I'm sure they'll take it as an admission of guilt. I'm pretty mired in here, Lauren."

Lotte suggests, "So should we split up or will that be too obvious?"

Sol's cheery expression dies a brief and horrible death before he pastes it firmly back on... a bit lopsided.

Lauren makes an exasperated sigh. "You're fucked already," she says bluntly. "You want to actually do something about it, or sit here until someone shows up to stab you?"

Clairchiare looks at Lotte. "Split up and go to the coast?"

Lotte nods. "Some of us to the coast and some of us to the ball? I guess that doesn't really solve anything."

Aiden's jaw takes on a distinctly stubborn set. "Lauren, if we split up and I go with the group that leaves, they'll hurt the people that stay. I'm not going to risk it." He puts a hand on Sol's shoulder. "Don't.."

Steven says, "It does let us cover more ground...."

Soleil twitches, gaze fixed on Lauren's throat.

Aiden tightens the grip on Sol's shoulder. "Don't.."

"Make him stop looking at me like that," Lauren says, shifting uncomfortably. "We can ALL go."

Aiden says, "No. Because if I'm wrong and she's not out there, we won't be able to come back here."

Clairchiare nods to Lotte and Steven, "No, it could be a good idea... get you out of the way for a day, at least... it's a portal." He bites his lip and says forlornly, "Rathskeliad wouldn't know... his mother does not share her secrets freely... my mother..." he stops and looks at his hands.

Aiden looks and sounds wistful when he speaks. "I really think that someone ought to check the coast and see if they can't find something while the rest of us see what we can do about this ball."

Lotte says a little too quickly, "I'll go."

Sol says "M'staying with Aiden. Girls go."

Lauren says, "What? Oho, no. There's TWICE as many of you."

Zhi says, "I'll come."

Lotte says, "No no. I'll go by myself. It'll be fine."

Steven says, "To the coast? No, Lotte. You wont' go by yourself. None of us will be alone anywhere, nor should we."

Aiden shakes his head, "Not by yourself, Lotte."

Kip rolls his eyes and says, "You can't send her alone. I'll go." He looks at Lotte and says, "Something might eat you." He sounds perfectly serious.

Lotte looks pained and annoyed. "I'm not going with... I don't want to be with two... augh."

Lauren volunteers abruplty. "Me me me," she says.

Lauren offers a glance around, and shrugs.

Lotte looks like she swallowed a bug after Kip speaks.

Kip gives Lotte a sympathetic look and says, "Zhi, you stay here. I'll go with Lotte."

Lotte makes a face and 'aughs' again.

Clairchiare says halfheartedly, "I should go--" and is shushed by Kip, still looking at Lotte. The short Fall elf says quietly, "I'm not. Actually."

Aiden sighs quietly and leans back on the couch that he's sitting on.

Kip's odd statement seemed to be addressed directly to Lotte.

Lauren breaks a grin. "Come on, Lotte. We can go, and Kip can come with us. We'll be safe. It needs to be done!" She is suspiciously earnest.

Lotte 'aughs' a third time and says nothing.

Kip's mouth quirks and he adds to Lotte, "Haven't slept with her, either.Would that be all right?"

Lauren says, "God, Kip. THAT was blunt."

Kip shrugs at Lauren, "She doesn't want to go with a pair of lovers. I don't blame her. I thought I'd help."

Lauren nods. "So we're going. Right, Lotte? Kip? What's holding us up?"

Lotte opens her mouth, shuts it, and looks to her half-brothers for help.

Steven is not enitely sure what to say, so he only nods. "We should do this as soon as possible, maybe even before the ball."

Aiden nods to Lotte. He actually lets the accent slide into his voice when he answers. "Have fun, eh? I'm frightful jealous of ye. I miss the lops."

Aiden sounds suspiciously Irish, or maybe British?

Lauren says, "Lops? There are rabbits?"

Sol gives Aiden a deeply worried look.

Lotte looks at Clairchiare, sitting slumped over next to his brother, and seems to make a firm decision in her head. Her posture even changes as she says, "Alright. You guys stay here and do what you can. We'll try to find something at the coast." She nods to herself, totally missing Aiden's accent change.

Aiden tilts his head to the side and smiles at Lauren. "Nah. The water."

Steven frowns and looks at Aiden oddly.

Seodil's attention is drawn firmly to Aiden, and he frowns slightly. Softly, he says "Aiden? I wish to speak with you regarding this ball."

Aiden nods at Seodil. "Sure t'ing. Now?"

Lauren stands, and smooths her skirts with a businesslike air. "Well. I don't have a goddamn thing to pack, so I'm ready to go when you two are. Get a move on!"

Seodil nods to Aiden and rises expectantly. Kip slides over to take his place by Clairchiare, expression gentle.

Aiden stands, squeezing Sol's hand one last time before he follows Seodil.

Sol's eyes and head turn to follow Aiden, ignoring the rest of the table.

Seodil does not lead Aiden far, only to the other side of the room, out of earshot of the others around the table. The silver elf reaches out and takes Aiden's hands, face earnest.

Aiden's hands are still shaking.. They have been since he started realising just how bad this really is.

Sinking to one knee in front of the still-standing Aiden, Seodil says, "Take me with you when you meet her." His voice is quiet, his eyes locked on Aiden.

Aiden shakes his head, "I don't want to meet her at all, Seodil.. I'm not going alone.."

The silver elf nods. "Let me meet her instead of you, then. Please." He hasn't gotten up.

Aiden says, "No.. No. I'll let you go with me, but not instead of me.. Absolutely not."

Seodil's hands tighten on Aiden's. His voice is flat. "You don't know her. Aiden, I am terrified."

Aiden nods, "Yeah. Me too. But, I'm not letting her get her hands on you again."

Lauren gives up on the idea of jogging off to the coast RIGHT NOW, and drops back onto her spot next to Zhi with a heavy sigh. Not even noon, and these stress-monkeys are already making my head hurt. God. They're all just going to explode from blood pressure any minute now.

Seodil's hands are painful on Aiden's now. He just looks at Aiden for a long moment, sighs and gets up to fold him in a long hug. What is not apparent to the bystanders across the room is that Seodil is shaking like a leaf... it's very much apparent to Aiden, however.

Steven is more than a bit surprised at the hug. He honestly didn't think Seodil was capable of that. Then he rebukes himself. He shouldn't ever underestimate Seodil as being incapable of anything.

Aiden returns the hug. He's pale, and shaking himself. He's absolutely terrified and has been since this conversation started earlier today, but there's no way he's letting Elis Shh get her hands back on Seodil, not if he can help it.

Lotte watches Seodil and Aiden in confusion, but is still reeling from the reality of her trip ahead with a bunch of very 'iffy' new folk to really care.

Sol sighs and turns back to the table, picking at the pear Clairchiare never did eat.

Kip looks quietly fascinated.

Zhi rubs Lauren's shoulder and says, "Take care of Kip, will you?" He looks a little wistful.

Lotte turns her head as Zhi speaks to Lauren. "Ohhhhh, why don't you come too," she says in a slightly exasperated tone.

Zhi perks up. "Alright then!"

Lauren smiles, not widely. "I'll keep an eye on him, Zhi. I think he can take care of himself better than me."

Lotte adds, "Besides, Kip might need you there to save him from my evil, wenchy wraith-magic."

Kip says, "Oh, I take a lot of care," and rolls his eyes at Zhi. He blinks at Lotte and starts grinning, shyly. Solemn, he says "There is that. I'd better have backup after all."

Lauren says, "Lotte...be nice. We're the freaks here, right?" Suddenly Lauren is all teacherly and sensible. It's wierd. But then it passes. "This is going to be GREAT."

With reluctance, Seodil moves back from embracing Aiden. He's stopped shaking. "I must tend to Clairchiare, but we will speak further."

Aiden nods, stepping back, "'s important, yah." He wanders off and sits back down next to Soleil, pale as a sheet.

Lotte snorts and heads to her room to pack up her belongings, casting another glance at Aiden and Seodil as she goes. She returns with her backpack stuffed with some clothing and carrying her guitar. She holds it up to Kip and says wryly, "My weapon of choice."

Seodil returns to the table and coaxes Clairchiare into looking more alert.

Kip grins softly at Lotte. "I'll try not to make you hit me with it."

"Right!" Lauren says. "Ready to go. Which way are we going?"

Zhi looks at Clairchiare, who sighs and rises. "Now? But... I'll take you. I will send you through, and wait for you to return to the portal. How long are you going to search? I don't think longer than a few hours is needed..."

Sol is leaning against Aiden, an arm wrapped around his waist.

Aiden goes right back to holding Sol's hand, like it's some sort of lifeline..

"Oh," says Lauren, obviously disappointed. "I thought we'd be walking."

Clairchiare shrugs, "If you find nothing... if she's not involved... you can walk on the beach."

Lauren says, "Thanks, Clairchiare. We'll make it quick, I guess."

Steven nods, "I'll stay here, then. Maybe we should try to find a way to get messages to and from each other.

Kip looks thoughtful.

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Last modified: 2001-Jun-12 14:20:21

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