| Logs |
2004 June 06
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
June 6
Steven and Sarete are engaged, by their own declaration. Most of those assembled look not entirely certain how to greet this announcement, but no one has actually protested it either, so the agreement appears to stand. Prince Lyriquin inquires after a barely-too-long pause when the pair would like the ceremony; Sarete forestalls what might have been a week of celebration by stating that they have agreed to exchange a token of intent and postpone the actual ceremony until a later date.
Sarete murmurs sotto voce to Steven when Lyriquin is distracted speaking to Sol, "It was, believe me, much faster this way. We can determine a token of affection later... you can send it if you wish to think. I don't mind."
A split second later, Sarete colors and corrects herself. "Token of intent, I meant."
Steven blinks, then smiles quietly, replying equally quietly, "Why would it not be one of affection, as well as intent?"
Seodil pulls Aiden a little aside, and says "Do you have any thoughts on where to begin searching for my brother?"
Aiden shakes his head at Seodil. "I don't know. I thought it might be worth trying the city first, even if he just went there for supplies.. Do you know if there's anyone outside of the court that he would go to for help?"
Sarete's perfect pale-gold cheeks flush rosy, and she actually looks at the floor for a moment before raising starry eyes to Steven's. Demure, she says "Well. I don't see any reason it cannot be, if the parties were so inclined." And smiles slowly back.
Zhi nudges Lauren and says, "When do I meet this person you're adopting, again?"
Lauren glances at the door. "She ran off to pack...she should be here any minute, I think."
Steven smiles back; he does actually wonder if he's inclined to blushing, and is pretty sure it's not nearly as nice-looking as Sarete's. Oddly, he wonders if he's ever seen her blush before today. For some reason he's pretty certain he hasn't.
Seodil shakes his head likewise to Aiden, speaking quietly. "He spoke of no such person. In fact... we mostly talked of myself." He smiles, wistfully, before adding "I should not have been so selfish."
Aiden nods. "We'll find him and then you can grill him with all the same questions he asked of you. Surely someone's seen him.."
There is a soft knock on the door.
"I'll get the door," says Lauren, and scuttles to do so.
Steven looks up, a little curiously, at the door as he hears the knock.
Lauren's rescue elf looks hopefully at her from big pink-rabbit eyes and a somewhat shorter eye-level, pale green hair braided severely back. She's wearing patched leather travelling clothes and carrying a ratty backpack slung over one shoulder that looks half as heavy as she herself is.
Lotte looks up from her gaze at the floor as Lauren lets Linden in.
Aiden glances over when Linden comes in. He nods to her and turns his attention right back to Seodil.
Seodil gives Linden a speculative look and turns to Aiden. "She was one of Clairchiare's intimates, was she not?"
Aiden says, "Rathskeliad's intended, actually."
Lotte mutters, "She may know as much as Rathskalied knows."
Lauren pats Linden's shoulder and shoos her into the room so the door can be shut. "Almost ready to go," she says. "We better make this quick."
Seodil's eyes narrow. "An excellent thought, Lotte. Do either of you want to question her, or shall I? Perhaps as a group... hm. No. Someone should distract Steven and the prince."
Aiden says, "Seodil? She might know, but Ilirith is a likey confidant as well, according to the Prince. Linden reacts well to Steven, though, maybe he can get it out of her?"
Lauren steps forward and taps one sneaker. "Ahem?" she prods. "One, you could talk to her like she's a real PERSON. Two, we should get going like NOW."
Linden is shooed nervously into the room and stands eyeing the rather sizeable group. She did not apparently hear what Lauren heard, but her attention's certainly on it now. "Sorry?" she says timidly to Lauren. "What did I do?"
Lauren scowls. "YOU didn't do anything. My companions here are being BOORS." She says 'boors' with great relish.
Lotte steps forward towards Linden and sounds a little anxious as she speaks. "Linden, I'm so happy to hear that you are coming with us. It seems as though we need to find Clairchiare before we head to Fall."
Steven blinks, startledly, as Linden is rather hastilly ushered in and the conversation starts become... well, heated is one way of putting it.
Linden's big eyes are uncertain as she stammers, "Wh.. why does that involve me? Lady Lotte?"
Lotte looks equally uncertain as she answers, "Well, you'd be coming with us and we were hoping you would know where to look?"
Zhi smiles. "Also, Linden-- it is Linden, yes? Thank you-- Linden, if you lie about what you know, you won't be coming with us at all."
At Steven's side, Sarete is quiet, and of small presence-- almost as though she's trying not to be noticed.
Aiden actually feels sort of sorry for Linden. She seems nice enough, but she's obviously been mistreated.
Linden swallows and darts a guilty look toward the local authority in the room-- Prince Lyriquin.
Steven frowns, and starts to openhis mouth in protest of what Zhi says... but then bites his lip. He knows little of what the apparent plot surrounding getting Linden out of Summer has been.
Lotte also opens her mouth to protest Zhi's rude statement, but wonders if it might have been necessary and closes it.
In a small voice, Linden says "But I only know he talked to Ilirith. He doesn't tell me things anymore." Lyriquin's face gets stern at Ilirith's name, and he says, "I will find her," as he pivots on one heel to stride out.
Lauren smears a look of righteous disapproval around the room, sparing just Zhi. "That's all? We can go now?"
Aiden shakes his head at Lauren, "Not until we've talked to Ilirith."
Lotte whispers in the direction of Aiden and Sol, "Shouldn't someone go with him?"
Zhi sounds cheerful again as he says, "I am read--" and stops, as Aiden speaks. With a shrug, he leans back against the wall.
Aiden looks at Seodil, then at Zhi. "Zhi.. I apologise. We're quite concerned about Clairchiare's fate."
Sol looks at Aiden and whispers to Lotte, "Not without me."
Zhi nods and sighs, "I understand. I also don't think he wants you to find him, or he'd have, oh, told you before he disappeared. Sometimes a person just wants time to be left alone." He looks straight at Aiden, not unkindly.
Lauren pipes up, "That sounds right to me. If we catch up with him, it might make things worse and he'd have to run away again--and what would he cut off THEN?"
Steven says gently, "And sometimes that's exactly what we don't need. Very often we do things that we think we need but in actuallity we don't." Like, New York street hot dogs, he doesn't add.
Aiden nods at Zhi. "I know he probably doesn't want to be found, but.." He trails off when Lauren pipes up and never finishes the thought.
Lyriquin walks into the room without knocking, Ilirith in tow. They're both glaring, mostly at each other. They both mostly stop it when they're inside.
Lotte looks even more anxious as Ilirith enters the room.
Aiden looks over at Ilirith. "Thanks for coming. We were hoping that you knew where Clairchiare has gone. We're worried for his safety."
The daffodil-haired Ilirith blinks yellow eyes. "It's none of your snowy business, is what it is." She addresses Lyriquin, but softens a bit at Aiden's words and adds to Aiden, "He's safer than you are and they can't shred his loyalty to little bits anymore, if it helps."
Lotte slumps with relief as Ilirith explains that Clairchiare is safe.
Aiden tries not to look offended, she obviously has Clairchiare's best interests at heart. When she adds her little aside to him, the words are out before he can think better of it. "That's not saying much."
Ilrith gives Aiden a serious look. "Not particularly, is it? Well. Here's a deal. I will not tell you, unless you--" she waves at the group-- "promise not to bring him back against his will. He's done entirely too much for the good of Summer lately and it's high time he was free of it." To his credit, Lyriquin winces a little.
Aiden mirrors Ilirith's serious look with one of his own. "Dragging him back here would mean returning myself, something I could quite happily live the rest of my life without."
Lotte nods. "Our intentions were not to drag him anywhere."
Steven glances briefly to Sarete, and wonders if he'll be able to make the trip back here, at some point, alone.
Lauren keeps her eyes on the door--she's expecting Rathskeliad to bust in here any second and find them making off with his little chew-toy. And he'll probably have a big knife, too. The Summer court wrangling washes right over her in favor of this more concrete worry.
Ilirith glares at Lyriquin and adds, "It's one thing to preserve the succession, I'm all for continuing the species, but it's another thing entirely to browbeat someone into sex when the poor bastard--" she snorts, and nods to Aiden. "I'm sorry to hear it for my sake, but surprised I'm not." Lotte's addition seals it; she shrugs and says "Alright, I believe you lot. Prince Lyriquin-- get out."
Moopy says, "Ooo. Good thing we're not in England, boss. Can't you get arrested for backtalking royalty over there?"
Lauren mutters. "Probably, little guy. We're all going to get completely maimed."
Lauren chants, barely audible: "maimed maimed maimed", followed by "c'mon c'mon c'mon." And she fidgets. A lot.
Moopy says, "Really? Are you sure this is part of England?"
Lauren bups her head against her beloved pseudosquid. "All I know, Moops, is that is isn't Kansas."
Lotte gives Lauren a very strange look and says, "Do you need to go to the bathroom or something?"
Lyriquin looks more than ready to argue that he should stay, and not surprsingly, does stay. And argue. "I have a right to know his location, Ilirith."
"No," Ilirith says, "Actually, you don't." She points at the group. "I'll tell them. Not you." She looks at the group. "Tell him. You don't tell him Clairchiare's whereabouts, and he leaves while I tell you what I know, or no deal."
Aiden looks at the Prince, "With all due respect, Prince Lyriquin, what harm will it do for her to tell us? Once we're gone, you can have this argument with her for as long as it takes.."
Lauren mumbles. "Just want to go. Not that kind of go."
Prince Lyriquin's eyebrows arch up into his pale blonde hairline. He looks distinctly inclined to say something royal and displeased for a moment, surveying the group-- the glare starts at Aiden and sweeps over almost everyone. The look ends on Lotte, and Lyriquin appears to change his mind. Without a word, he turns and walks out.
Ilirith says, "Get your things. We're leaving. Talk on the way."
Aiden already has his things, packed carefully into a bag and stacked with Sol and Seodil's. He slings his pack on and brings Sol and Seodil theirs.
Lauren has her things already and is crowding the door almost before Ilirith is done talking.
Lotte rushes off to her room to pack her things. She returns momentarily in her Grey World clothing, her guitar slung on her shoulder.
Sarete sighs quietly, a little breath, and says "Steven? I'll send you a letter, I suppose."
Steven blinks. This is really very sudden. He looks quickly to Sarete, then Ilirith, hesitating. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to find our little rosebud, Steven," answers the daffodil-colored court gardener.
Ilirith sweeps out the door with her entourage of Grey Worlders, Fall elves and fugitive Summerlings. Lyriquin is no longer in sight, making the party's last farewell to Summer rather unofficial. As the group reaches the outdoors, a small peach mare and a tall blue-grey horse with stripes throw up their heads and frisk over to the group.
Steven has the distincct impresion, from both of the two elves, that the invitation doesn't extend to Sarete. He nods a little, sighing. Too little time.... He takes Sarete's hands. "I will be be back," he says quietly. "We will see each other again." He states it simply, as if it were a fact as immutable as 'The sun will rise tomorrow morning.' "I'm not much of a poet or a man of letters, but the thoughts and feelings I can put onto paper will be yours to read, as often as I can. I promise."
"Heya Crenshaw--hi, SWIFT," Lauren snides, sticking her tongue out at the oversized semi-stallion.
Sarete's sunny smile is everything Steven could have hoped for it to be, a hopeful and oddly trusting reaction. Her fingers press Steven's. "I have faith in it. Is Steven your full name? The bird has to find you!"
Lotte ignores Lauren and grins at Swift, giving him a rub on his nose.
Aiden simply follows Ilirith quietly, sickly glad to be almost out of here.
Crenshaw tosses her silky mane and says, "Are we off? You said you were leaving SOON. That wasn't SOON. Elves are so very, very slow. Slow like... well. Elves. I expect it's the having of only two good legs."
Steven smiles, a bit of the pall hanging over his heart lifting somewhat. "Steven Ansel Kananga." He really hopes that he hadn't picked up more than just that, and that it will be enough. "Would a bird find you if I told it Sarete of Summer?"
Swift rubs a greyish velvet nose on Lotte's hand and sighs happily. "So polite, and gentle, and thoughtful of others. I am so terribly glad that I am gifted with a considerate and lovely rider. Not like some."
Lauren grumbles at her horse, and loud enough for the rest of the crew to hear. "I know, I know, we take forever. We'll be off as soon as everyone's done talking. I swear you'd think yammering on was compulsory instead of a unique privilege granted by a series of evolutionary flukes and all that..."
Sarete breathes Steven's name, tasting it. "A fine name. Ah, no-- tell your messenger to find Saretefianiel of Alur, please." She hesitates, then sighs, "You should go. Expect my letter," and smiles wistfully.
Crenshaw says, "You say what you think. I like that. May get us killed, but I like it," to Lauren.
Lotte gives Swift another smile and waits for Steven and Sarete to finish saying goodbye before she follows Ilirith.
Steven nods, "Saretefianiel. Of Alur. I will remember. Always." hesiting a moment, he reaches up to gently touch Sarete's cheek, smiling warmly again to her, and hoping beyond hope that this image of her will stay with him throughout the worst that the days will come... and then he is joining the others, for the next leg of their journies.
Ilirith gets the group to a secluded bit of the path before she stops and says, "Pink Velvet."
Aiden blinks at the odd phrase, glancing around nervously.
Steven blinks, thinking that's a rather appropriate moniker in relation to Clairchiare, but more than that says nothing, looking aroudn and wondering what's going to happen now.
Lotte stops behind Ilirith and hangs onto Swift a bit nervously.
Lauren is thinking that Ilirith might suddenly have started listing porn movie titles, but she's not saying anything.
Soleil blinks, too. "The cathouse?"
Ilirith nods a 'yes' to Sol.
Seodil looks like he swallowed something much too tart. "My brother is not--"
Ilirith says dryly, "I didn't ask."
Aiden reaches out and puts a hand on Seodil's arm. "Of course he's not."
Steven blinks, suddenly remembering. Well... this is a surprise. For starters, he expected Clairchiare to be somewhat further away.
Ilirith chuckles. "It's practically named after him already. He could just be a mascot and still fit well... but we'll have to hurry if we're to catch him there, as things are. He did not intend to stay... in fact, I'm not sure he thought about it at all except as a place he knew how to get to and that wasn't very likely for her to come looking."
Steven's expression hardens. No need to as who 'her' is.
Seodil subsides, soothed by the touch and the explanation, and looks around. "Are there more horses? We would waste hours on foot."
Aiden nods, "We'd be far too slow on foot.."
Lotte waits without expression for the group to continue on.
Lauren shrugs. "Just these two, I think. But can't you guys turn into wolves?"
Steven says, "Mm. That won't be a problem, I just don't know how long we can run in that form."
The horses already present express their unwillingness to carry the entire group, especially if they turn into wolves. Seodil looks embarassed and nods before changing without another word. Sol follows suit. Ilirith says, "I'll stay. If he's not there anymore, I'm afraid I don't know any more."
Sol flickers back into a naked elf-- having packed his clothes-- to answer Steven. "We'll be fine. The run will do us good."
Aiden changes almost as soon as Seodil and Soleil do, pausing to take off what he's wearing and stuff it into his bag. It feels good to be back in wolf-form, anyway..
Lauren briefly hides her face in Crenchaw's mane, and when she's DAMN sure everyone is properly covered in fur, mounts up.
Lotte asks Swift, "Help me climb up?"
Steven lets out a breath, and nods, maing sure his clothing is neatly packed away before changing himself. He stretches out a bit, working out any kinks and rather enjoing being back in this form. He tries not to smile encouragingly to the horses pretty sure they won't take it well.
Linden bites her lip, then goes to Lauren and says shyly, "May I ride with you? I... have no horse."
Swift promptly kneels for Lotte, and waits until she's settled before rising.
Lotte pats Swift and says "Thank you." She then waits for the rest of the group to start moving again.
Lauren chews a lip. "Um. Crennie? She's small. Can you carry us both?"
Crenshaw snuffles. "If this one doesn't run like a deer I'd be very surprised, but yes. She's not eating properly, she doesn't weigh a feather. Get on, little thing."
Lauren lowers a hand to Linden and helps her climb onto Crenshaw's back. God, she really DOESN'T weigh anything. Obviously that, too, is Rathskeliad's fault, that horrible abusing bastard.
Linden flinches at Crenshaw's comments, but settles obediently behind Lauren when helped. She's hardly noticeable as a presence there. With luck, the wind won't blow her right off.
With a kicking of heels and flying tails, the four-legged runners are off.
Lotte holds on tightly to Swift, trying hard not to feel ill.
The horses know the way to the city, and three hours of hard running later, the group arrives at the door to the Pink Velvet. Neither the horses nor the wolves-- or cat-- seem to be more than breathing hard and glad to stop; none of the runners are in actual distress. It proved, all in all, an interesting test of their less-used forms for Aiden and Steven. The girl that both men last saw tending door for the whorehouse is there again today, though she moves smiling to block the door and addresses the all-female riders. "Good day, miladies! Come from hunting with a taste for meat?"
Steven blinks at the odd greeting, and looks around for somwhere to change. He enjoyed the cat-form a great deal, but it might be good to change out of it so he can, you know, speak.
The doorkeeper looks just like Steven, Aiden, Seodil or Sol first (and last) saw her, slender and deliberately androgynous with a little false waxed moustache over her pink velvet knee-coat. Blonde hair is tied neatly back by a matcing ribbon.
As a whole, the doorkeep looks rather Victorian... only pink.
"I'm vegetarian," says Lauren loftily, sliding off Crenshaw. "The wolves aren't real and we're looking for someone. One of you change and tell her."
Aiden remains in his wolf form for now. He's hoping that Clairchiare is here so Seodil can talk to him, but he'd decided before they left that he was going to stay out of sight..
There are alleys, should Steven choose to take that option... but they do not afford much cover from the passersby.
Lauren studies her cuticles, just WAITING for one of the elf boys to sprout up all naked and shameless. Or for Lotte to speak up--that would work.
Linden coughs nervously as no one changes into a naked man to explain things.
Lotte sighs and addresses the girl. "We are looking for someone of the name Clairchiare. We are friends of his, if it matters."
"Not real," says the doorkeeper, and blinks at Lauren a moment before beaming at Lotte. "Oh. Well... in that case, I haven't got one, but I can see if we have anything that might make you a close match? My name's Via, by the by. Why don't you bring your illusions inside and we'll stable the horses while you look for a friend or two here?"
Lotte blushes as she realizes where she is. "No. Um, no. I'm looking for someone specific, not a... companion."
Aiden waits until the doorkeep has invited them in and steps into the cathouse, changes and says in a quiet voice without a hint of challenge, "He's not one of the staff here. A customer, actually.."
Steven looks around, and sighs a little. He tries to find the most polite way to drag his clothing out of the pack and find a comfortable and private place to change. He realizes that inside is probably a good choice.
Lauren edges awkwardly toward Via and the door. This whorehouse thing is just a little too frank for her tastes. "Short pink hair," she blurts. "We'd like one with short pink hair, and looking miserable, and probably not eating."
Lotte nudges Swift in order to dismount and follows the group inside the house.
Linden slides off Crenshaw. Soft, she says "Which way are the stables? I'll see to our horses." Via multitasks quickly, sending Linden off one way and turning smoothly to shut the door as the riders, wolves and cat come inside. A naked Aiden appears to daunt the doorkeep not a bit as she nods, then looks between Lotte-- "Ah, I see--" and Lauren. "I'll see what I can find. Room Three upstairs, please. The rest of you, the tea room?"
Lauren squeaks. "Waait! I didn't man to have sex with!"
Zhi keeps a perfectly straight face. Kip snickers.
Aiden nods, "Thank you.." He stays in this form, quickly slipping a pair of pants on from his pack. He goes to the tea room where Via sends them, and finds an out-of-the-way place to sit.
Steven takes the opportunity presented by being in the tea room again, to take up his clothes and change into his normal human form.
"Oh, certainly, my mistake," says Via to Lauren with apology. "Would you like to discuss this in private?"
Lotte waves goodbye to Swift as Linden leads him off, then joins the group in the tea room.
Lauren goes from pink to beet in no time flat. With her shoulders up around her ears, she manages, "if this is some sort of code thing where i'm supposed to know what to do i don't we're just looking for clairchiare and i don't want to see naked people please."
Tea arrives in magically short order and is served to everyone in the group who is wearing pants-- which finally includes the entire group, no fur in sight. The pale, bald server drifts off in very translucent white drapery that hints at fine scales underneath, shapely though her otherwise human form is. Lauren is the last to enter, and finds tea waiting for her, Via having apparently understood her at last.
Aiden takes a few small sips of the tea, but it's too hot for his taste after the run and he leaves it until either it cools, or they leave.
Lauren wreaks horrible vengeance on the Pink Velvet's staff and their audacity to suggest she might want to see naked people by...sitting down and drinking the tea.
Lotte sips her tea delicately and pretends she is not in a brothel.
Steven, having already been here, takes a sip of tea and will not ask about having sushi. He pauses, considering the last meal they had here...
The tea turns out to be excellent, if one likes this sort of thing-- delicately flavored with roses. In a few minutes, it becomes a little harder to pretend that this is not a brothel again, as the tea-server returns in no more clothing than before to beckon delicately. Her speech is soft enough that she may not be able to speak any louder, and this time it's definite-- her exposed skin is faintly irridescent and hairless, scaled. "If the gentlebeings would come upstairs, friendship awaits them yes."
Aiden hopes, desperately, that they didn't misunderstand. He's not entirely comfortable with the wording. However, he does stand and pick up his things to follow the host.
Lotte follows Aiden, feeling wary and excited at the same time.
Lauren clutches her teacup and goes along. There's going to be naked people, and the whole building is going to erupt into some sybaritic fleshpot with limbs writhing around and probably oils and things and moaning. She whimpers.
Steven mentally shares Aiden's unspoken hope. Especially now. Though at least he's very much uninclined to giving in to this kind of temptation. Hopefully. ONe day and you're already walking around in the Tempt-Me-Not plate mail of 'I'm married?' Let me think on wether that's a good thing or not. he settles instead to just hope that they're going to find Clairchiare. CLothed, moroever.
"Upstairs" turns out to be eerily silent for a whorehouse with rice-paper and wood sliding doors. When their chosen door slides back, however, there is Clairchiare-- looking anxious and a little frizzy. His cotton candy pink hair now ends just above the shoulders, and he looks somehow younger this way. He doesn't speak. The room holds a long low table and cushions, space for everyone to site-- and yes, Clairchiare is indeed clothed. Counter to his court finery, it's very simple, a short wrap-around white tunic over black pants that resembles nothing so closely as a gi.
Aiden comes into the room, quiet and subdued and sits with a quick nod of greeting to Clairchiare..
Lotte bites her lip and stares at Clairchiare, waiting for someone else to speak.
Zhi and Kip won't be fulfilling Lotte's wish; they sit mutely.
Lauren relaxes immediately. She even smiles. "'Lo Clairchiare," she says gently. That's nice and straightforward.
Steven bites his lip, remaining quiet, wondering who's going to break the silence fir -- Bless you, Lauren.
It seems to help, actually. Clairchiare smiles as if startled into it, and says "Hello, Lauren," soft.
Lauren glances around the room. "Nobody else knows you're here," she adds. "It's cool."
"Oh," says Clairchiare. "Do you... want pastry?"
Lauren checks the faces of her companions. "We want pastry, right?"
Sol says solemnly, "Everyone wants pastry."
Steven blinks. "Uh... sure. Pastry sounds... great." He feels very out of sorts here.
Aiden glances across the table at Clairchiare, extraordinarily uncomfortable and not quite sure what to say or do.
The lingering server departs in a diaphanous haze of draperies, probably to get the pastry. Clairchiare looks distressed and clearly has no idea what to say now. Then he brightens, a little. "Tea?"
Aiden says, quietly, "Tea would be great, Clairchiare.."
Clairchiare nods, "I'll ask when she returns. I'm not coming back."
It's said all with the same emphasis-- that being, not much and very understated.
Aiden nods, "We're not here to take you back or try to convince you, Clairchiare. We wouldn't."
Clairchiare nods back and doesn't say it. Then he does, after a brief look at his brother. "Why?"
Aiden simply says, "We were worried about you." He doesn't elaborate beyond that.
Steven nods in agreement with Aiden.
Clairchiare looks as though he'd like to cry. He doesn't. He says, "Oh." And the pastries arrive, tiny bite-sized perfection of fruits and jeweldrops of jam and bits of secret dough in sugar. After leaving the wide tray, the server wafts out and Clairchiare says again, "Why?"
Aiden looks down.. He can't meet Clairchiare's eyes anymore. "Because you're family and that's what families where we come from do."
Clairchiare closes his eyes, then says "I'm sorry. For everything. But you'll understand. I have to find them."
Steven bites his lip. He hadn't expected Clairchiare to say that, but he guesses it makes sense. He tries to formulate somethign to reply to that. "They'll hurt you if they find out you're looking for them,"
Aiden says, "You don't have anything to apologise for, it wasn't your fault." He pauses with Clairchiare's last statement, but nods and says nothing.. there's nothing he can say. That's his mother...
Lauren blinks. "...them?"
Lauren remembers, and colors again. "Oh," she says. And that's all.
Clairchiare shakes his head, then opens his eyes toward Steven. "They won't." Pause. "She won't." He winces at Aiden, then just shakes his head and says "If we'd trusted Rathskeliad... we'd have had a better chance. Still. His own mother... I can't look at him. I'm ashamed I didn't go to him, and now he knows I didn't."
Seodil stirs very slightly, and is still. He reaches out and eats a pastry, then another.
Sol looks at Aiden.
Aiden reaches to touch Seodil's leg under the table, a simple gesture of comfort, "Clairchiare? Why do you want to find them?" He knows he shouldn't ask.. His questions are at least part of what's landed them all in this room, but.. if Clairchiare is going after them to hurt them.. he'd rather convince him to just come with them to Fall.
Clairchiare shrugs, "I'll know when I get there."
Lauren abruptly seems to notice that there are, in fact, things to eat here. She starts in on them too, but stays well clear of Seodil's side of the tray. There's something in Seodil's look that promises bloodshed for impinging.
Aiden blurts out, still in his quiet tone, "Don't go. You'll regret it. Just.. come with us.. away from all of them.."
Lauren has the deep, certain feeling in her heart suddenly that her caution is so very well-advised. Seodil continues murdering pastries on his side of the huge tray with singleminded intent.
Clairchiare stares. "Come with you? I... I can't. Aiden, half the people I love want to kill the other half. I can't just walk away."
Sol reaches for the pastries and starts in.
Aiden says, plaintively, "Getting yourself in the middle of them and getting killed isn't going to make them stop.."
Clairchiare waves his hands, "I'm the only one no one else is trying to kill. Yet."
Aiden runs a hand across his forehead, "Oh, god, Clairchiare.. I'm so sorry."
"Not your fault either," murmurs Clairchiare, and reaches for a pastry. He doesn't eat it, though. "Stay the night. I'll... try to think of something better to say by the morning. I don't know if I'll see you again and I really appreciate the company."
Aiden nods.
Zhi speaks up, quietly. "That will not delay us, if anyone was concerned. We will stay."
"R-right," Lauren murmurs through crumbs. She sounds nervous again.
Kip says in what he probably means to be a fierce voice, "I am not sleeping alone. What if they come?"
Zhi looks over at Kip, then buries his face in his hands, shoulders shaking suspiciously.
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