| Logs |
2004 December 26
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
December 26
After their first discussion reaches the conclusion that Lauren is not only useful as bait, but is perfectly well willing to be it, talk dies down again as Clairchiare starts looking tired. When he stifles a yawn, Ilirith points out that Clairchiare has been sleeping during the day-- and not even every day-- and so perhaps further plans ought to be made that night. The group is effectively herded out then, and ends up in one of their rented rooms explaining things to those left behind. Aiden slips in about halfway through, having apparently lagged behind a bit.
"So," Kip says thoughtfully. "Lauren will be the stalking-pig, and we protect her." He doesn't look like he has a problem with that, or questions Lauren's capability. The small bouquet of flowers he handed her earlier hang forgotten from one hand, as though he gathered them up after she went off to find Clairchiare without them.
"I can't really fight," Grennit scowls. "I can't... I don't like it."
Seodil is quiet, but smiling. Soleil looks more like he's seen a ghost.
Aiden shuts the door behind him and takes a seat quietly, until he figures out where the conversation stands.
"Horse," Steven provides. "Stalking horse. At least that's how my teacher used to put it." He lifts his shouldes a bit. "But, whichever. Now that we have some idea of what we're doing, where are we going to go looking for them?"
Aiden says, "I'm not sure any of us know the city well enough to make that sort of judgement. We ought to wait for Clairchiare's guild contact. She might be able to set us in the right direction."
Kip shrugs. "Her choice, not yours, firetop." Grennit gives him an evil eye. The young Fall elf smiles a little at Aiden, then tilts his head at Steven. "Why would you use a horse for bait? They're huge... hm. No idea."
Ilirith tosses her yellow hair and says, "I can get that contact here sooner if you want to talk to her before our busy boy wakes up... but we might want to split into day and night groups. There are a lot of you, and the opposition seems to have spies awake in the light and dark both."
Lauren says, "Muh. Kabi's a night person it's OBVIOUS. I don't know about everybody else."
Aiden looks around and says, "I'll go wherever I'm needed, but my reservations about my own abilities stand."
Ilirith says gently, "It's up to you, Aiden... I will not divide you up myself. I could not decide whether or not to split siblings. That will be up to you. I remember your reservations and will do what I can to assist you."
Delighted, Grennit says "It's Kabi? Oh, I'm night group. We should all be night group, to work together, except maybe Kip and Soleil, say, who could stay with Melierel and Zhi and Ayali."
Steven says, "I'm not sure. I think it was used when hunting tigers." That thought discomfits him a little, and he plunges on. "I don't like splitting up but maybe that's best, all things considered. We'll be able to keep at least a few people available 24 hours, then."
Aiden chews on his bottom lip for a moment, as if he's having difficulty making up his mind. He glances up at Steven and says, "How would you split us?"
Isn't it ironic how all the prettiest elves end up on the day side? Grumbling a little, Lauren volunteers. "Guess I'm night shift. 'Cause I have to meet Kabi at least. Don't know about the rest of you."
Ilirith stays out of the grouping discussion and looks thoughtful. Eventually, she says "Kabi should be coming tonight to see Chi anyway, Steven... Aiden. She can tell us how best to go about putting Lauren in a place to attract attention, I think. Might as well wait, and not try to wake her early now that Lauren reminds me."
Kip glares at Grennit. "I'm night shift. With Lauren." His tone adds screw you.
Soleil says quietly, "I'll be whatever Aiden is." And he too looks to Steven for his thoughts.
Seodil smiles, and steps quietly close to Aiden, resting a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "I believe I will be most effective at night, and can perhaps act as an ameliorating influence upon Clairchiare."
Steven nods a little. "I'll be wherever I'm needed. Whichever group needs someone. That's shaping up to be the day, I think.
Aiden says, "I'll go with the night group, then?" He glances up at Seodil.
Seodil nods to Aiden, and looks at Steven. "Come to the night side." He has never watched Star Wars and entirely misses the humor. "Siblings should not, I think, be separated... and there will be less activity during the day, I expect. Those not here should be sufficient."
Steven considers, then nods to Seodil. "You have a good point, all right, Seodil. Besides, I think my eyesight is better at night.
Seodil actually smiles at Steven.
Steven tries not to be disturbed by the smile.
It looks, remarkably enough, like an honest to goodness friendly smile... even on the forbidding silver elf.
Kip and Grennit appear to be inches away from growling out loud at each other, in a quiet discussion of their own off to the side. A few words can be made out, mostly making up phrases like "you should" and "no, you should."
Both of them occasionally glance over at Lauren while arguing.
Lauren shuffles. Seodil smiling is fucking CREEPY. "So we're all on night shift, then? Should we take naps or something?"
Aiden politely ignores the arguing. He has his ideas about who is going to win, but he's not stepping into the middle of this particular catfight.
"Naps," says Ilirith smoothly as she also ignores the corner squabble, "Would be an excellent idea for the humans if you plan to stay up all night. I do not require as much sleep, and will be sure to wake you when your Guild contact arrives."
Lauren flicks a look over at the corner. "Umguys," she attempts without much emphasis. "Um. Whatever you want, it's okay. I'm uh, I'm going to go lie down for a bit. Aiden, which room are we using?"
Aiden nods, "Good advice then." He gives Soleil and Seodil a quick smile and bids them goodnight, then quickly undresses, turned towards the wall, and shifts to wolf form to curl up and sleep. He'll take up less room that way.
Aiden opens one eye and gives Lauren an apologetic look. He heard her just as he was shifting. Apparently the answer is "this one".
Steven nods a little. "That's a good idea. If you're not used to it, switching form staying awake allo day to staying awake all night can be hard."
Lauren eyeballs Steven. Is he going to turn into a bloody huge cat, and is she going to have to sleep with both of them? That's not right at all.
Sol smiles at Lauren. It fairly sparkles. "I'm using this one too... you can stay if you don't mind perverted sluts." He then follows Aiden's example, neatly peeling out of pants and shirt to curl next to Aiden as a large golden wolf... right after licking Lauren's hand.
Lauren ewwwws and wipes her hand on her pants, quietly. Was Sol hitting on her? He was. He SO was. She's not sleeping in a room with a lecherous wolf. "Maybe I should just sleep in the other room. There's a lot of eh animals in here."
Seodil considers Soleil's actions with an almost merry look to his eyes, though his face stays serene. To Steven, he nods. Lauren gets a set of arched eyebrows and the mild comment, "And there will be more. Perhaps you should take your lovers away with you and give the animals some quiet, mm?" Seodil then wastes no time in shedding clothing and becoming a silver wolf next to Aiden, on the side away from Soleil.
"Don't HAVE any," Lauren protests. She gives herself a huffy little shake and heads for the door. "Going to be in the other room," she says, JUST in case anyone didn't know. "Sleep well guys."
Kip and Grennit both pause in their bickering at Lauren's words, then follow her out.
"Not enough room in here," Kip mumbles. "Coming with."
Aiden's eyes follow Grennit and Kip as they leave. He closes them again, amused. Interesting.
"Coming too," Grennit says smoothly. "Gotta keep it even. Later, puppies.. Steven!"
Steven blinks, arching his brow as he watches them head out. He stares at the closed door for a couple of seconds then shakes his head. "Okaaaay...'
Ilirith shrugs cheerfully at Steven. "I do not need to sleep... but I would rather be here than with your amusing youth. I will return here after I see to other arrangements, and wake you when our Kabi arrives. Sleep well." With that, she heads quietly out.
Everyone settles in for their naps and does manage to fall asleep. No noise carries through the walls, paper though they appear to be, til Lauren is woken again by a gentle knock on the wood of her ricepaper doorframe. No one enters. No one is snuggled up to her, either; both Kip and Grennit have migrated toward each other in their sleep and are doing all the cuddling there is to be had in the room. They wake at the knock and smile-- then frown and separate grumpily-- very nearly in unison.
"Mmph," says Grennit, and stalks out of the room toward the one with all the animals. Kip offers Lauren a hand up and a smile.
Lauren takes the hand, grinning. That was SO, SO cute. "Is it night? Is that Kabi?"
Steven has remained in human form, since the other animals seemed quite comfortable enough to dogpile, and he remains on the other side of the room.
"'s my guess," Kip smiles groggily, and leads her out. In the meantime, Grennit has arrived at the furry room a few steps ahead of her companions, to find Steven still two-legged and Ilirith just entering with Kabi. The wolves are awake, but it looks as though Kabi just arrived. To do her credit, the little woman looks only mildly alarmed at the wolves.
"Nice guards," Kabi offers to Ilirith. "What'd you pay for them? Are they trained?"
"Housebroken," says Lauren just a bit snidely. Old habits, and all.
Aiden stays in his wolfish form. No sense giving himself away and he does feel a bit more safe this way.
Steven sits up as Kabi enters, and nods pleasantly. "Hello, Kabi."
As Grennit and Lauren enter, Kabi's eyes go wide with recognition as one hand goes behind her back. Her eyes flicker to Steven, with a weighing sort of look. "Hello... I don't believe I've had the pleasure? Are you familiar with Lauren and Grennit..?"
Steven nods, "Sorry. I'm with Aiden and Lauren and Grennit and the rest. My name's Steven."
Kabi gives Steven a bright, sparkling smile from not so very many feet off the ground. Sitting up, he's about her height. "Pleased, of course. Aiden didn't come, then? Pity. I have a job that might suit all of you and further our mutual goals, and a sword might come in handy. Are you a brawler, Steven?"
Following Aiden's lead or perhaps just their own inclination, the other two wolves also remain furred and seated, watching Kabi with intelligent eyes.
Ilirith hesitates, then says nothing.
Lauren gives Aiden-wolf a quizzical look. "Stop DOING that," she says. "You're night crew anyway. You'd better help out."
Steven blinks a little. He knows that they don't mention their shapeshifting ability much, so he keeps quiet about it. "Well, I can mention it to Aiden next I see him, I'm sure he's in the house somewhere. Er... I'm... sort of a brawler, you could say?"
Eyeing Lauren from a good number of inches below eyelevel, Kabi says "By the way... what do you do, besides toss pottery? I bet you're good for something. You have that look of mischief." Her grin turns to puzzlement at the comment Lauren directs toward Aiden, and Kabi's eyes turn toward Aiden-wolf.
Aiden-wolf just looks at Lauren. His tail thumps against the ground twice. He stays wolfy, though.
Ilirith smiles at Steven. "Sarete did say she thought you'd be good with a staff."
"Uh, I can do...things...sort of..." says Lauren, trying to figure out how to explain the Moopy tricks. But then Ilirith says her bit, and snickering becomes much more crucial. She elbows Kip.
Steven looks to Illirith and smiles a bit. "Well, I guess I can use one." He wonders what Lauren finds so funny.
"Don't talk to pets that way, Lauren," Kabi says. "It only confuses them, and you don't really want to confuse anything that can rip out your throat... oh, please. You can scromp on your own time." There is a bit of a short ninja eyeroll, though she sounds amused. "How does a little entering of a different sort sound? I'll even pay you, and it gets you the attention I think you want, or that wolf's my uncle."
Kip rubs his elbowed ribs and tries to look dignified. Grennit does smirk back, though.
Ilirith smiles apologetically at the group. "Kabi wants to insert you into the local group of hooligans, thugs and muggers, in order to get you to Rathskeliad's attention."
Steven blinsk, looking at Ilirith. "You mean, all of us?"
Aiden stays sitting on the ground, looking at the other attentively. Risky, but we knew it was going to be.
"No, I want them to steal something for me," Kabi says without apparent offense. "Ilirith says she can disguise you all, Steven... but the idea is that Lauren ends up with the goods, and with the credit."
Lauren looks interested. "Oh cool. Let's. This sounds great!"
Steven blinks. This might actually work out well. It gives a second cover to what they're trying to do, and also gives a good reason for us all to be together. "It sounds interesting. Maybe we should find Aiden and the others and all talk about this...
Kabi grins at Lauren. "How do you feel about being the new mage in town, cupcake? You even get henchmen. And... best part... you're trying to take over the local Thieves' Guild. That is what the fugitives from Summer will be interested in... because they're trying the same thing. You'll get contacted, all right... if you're enough of a threat or a potential ally. I know he'd like a mage-queen. I bet he'd strike you a deal if you looked important."
Steven frowns, nodding a little to himself. He wonders at what point he should mention that Rathskeliad knows them on sight.
Ilirith's lips twitch. "Steven, would you like to go find Aiden while I show the ladies to a bigger room, say..?"
Steven nods to Ilirith, standing. "Sure!"
Lauren hops on her toes, enthused. "I'd LOVE henchmen. Disguised, right? Maybe invisible henchmen? That would be the best." Her doubts about being taken seriously as a credible leader of a thieve's guild are quashed, for the moment.
Aiden would shoot a greatful look at Ilirith, but that would give him away. God love you, Ilirith. For some reason, I just don't want Kabi seeing me without pants. Probably because of something she said.
Steven steps out, ostensibly to look for Aiden et al, thinking, She's going to let it get to her head. I know it. And then Aiden and Sol and Seodil are ging to want to kill her all over again. "Be right back...
Ilirith leads the agreeable Kabi and Lauren upstairs with Grennit and Kip, to a more spacious sitting room-- the one, in fact, that Lauren was in when they first all came to the Pink Velvet. The walls are made of fish. Well.. glass, and a curving aquarium that encases the room in a dome of water, plants... and colorful fish. The curving couches are appropriately colored for a blue underwater theme, and quite comfy.
Lauren stretches out her legs and gets nice and settled. She stifles a yawn. Something about the soft blue light makes one want to take a nap--again. "So I'm going to be a mage, huh?"
Sol and Seodil shift as soon as the room is clear of the unknowing, and proceed to put their clothing back on with a speed and grace that speaks of long practice. Sol grins at Aiden. "So. We have a secret. Does she summon wolves with her magey fantastic powers, do you think?"
Aiden shifts back, almost in tandem with them. "Oh. That would help make her disguise more complete, I guess. I never thought of that." He smiles, and proceeds to dress. "That works."
Upstairs, Kabi nods to Lauren. "Ilirith says you smell magical anyway. Do you know how to do much, or do we need to use Ilirith whenever you're supposed to be doing something?"
It takes Steven very little time to note where the rest went upstairs and return to lead Aiden and his pack there in their smooth and clothed forms.
Lauren flutters her hands. "I, um. I never really figured out how to do much. Usually Moopy helps me. I don't know if I can do enough to impress people."
Aiden nods to the others when he comes in and says, "You were looking for me?"
Ilirith frowns, "That will make things harder.. ahh, Aiden. How do you feel about being an invisible minion? Would that help your reservations? This is Kabi, our contact. She has a plan to make Lauren look good to Rathskeliad."
Ilirith quickly outlines the plan, as though Aiden and the other wolves had not already heard it.
Aiden smiles at Kabi, "Actually. We met, briefly." Then he turns back to Ilirith and says, "It shouldn't cause too much difficulty for me, though I wouldn't mind discussing another option with you before you and I make a decision about my form."
Kabi hops up onto the couch next to Lauren and says, "You've already met Rathskeliad, I hear. Now, we'll have to decide if you want to attract him as you are... and make up some story about losing these others he also knows from your last meeting... or if you should be disguised and just hope he likes you that way, too. Mm?"
Ilirith winks at Aiden on the side away from Kabi and says, "We could do that. If you're interested, I might be able to turn you temporarily into an animal, too... if we wanted to pretend Lauren could summon creatures to do her bidding. You too, Steven, if you'd prefer that disguise to being a fighter. What do you think?"
Aiden smiles at Ilirith. "Wonderful idea."
Perfectly straight-faced, Ilirith says "How about a wolf, for yours? Since the ones downstairs were only on loan."
Aiden says, "Oh, sure. That works. I'll do my best to act the part."
Ilirith gives Aiden a little bow. "I think I can manage that." Turning to Lauren, she adds, "Um.. who's Moopy?"
"Wolves are good," Lauren says uncertainly. "Um. We could tell Rath that...Aiden, can you think of a way for you guys to be dead or gravely hurt or something?"
Aiden looks at Lauren and says, "I don't know that you'll have to explain. I doubt he'll be particularly interested in the whys of it. We don't have to be dead, though. Tell him you left us in Fall as soon as you disposed of his bothersome ex, or something."
Ilirith grins. "Sounds good. He never liked Linden much, so play up the rivalry. Say you did it for spite, he'll lick it off your palm... he always was a little bastard." Gently touching Steven's shoulder, Ilirith says "So.. Steven, do you want to be an animal or a two-legged henchman?"
Lauren nods quickly. "Right. You guys were terrible to me so I left. Spite. 'Kay."
Aiden says, "Boring too. He'll believe that."
Steven considers pursing his lips. "Not sure, really. I've more practice being two-legged, but at the same time that might give something away to Rathskeliad. I don't think he remembers me well but I don't know what his memory is like, so something a bit more four-legged might be better.
Kabi looks at Steven, then Aiden, tapping her lip with a finger. "You might actually be more useful as two groups... if Ilirith can cast her spells on you, then go with Lauren, I can go with the rest of you to show you where to wreak havoc. Since it won't be Lauren running the operation anyway, it shouldn't really matter..."
Sol says quietly, "I will be a wolf, as well."
"And I," says Seodil. "I look too much like my brother to be useful in this form.. Ilirith can do the honors." He smiles. It's getting to be a habit.
Aiden nods at Kabi. "Makes sense."
"Fine," says Kabi cheerfully. "I'll guide the furry army. Pity I can't sell Lauren to Rathy, but he'd never trust it. They know I'm not on their side. She'll have to look like she's alone... alone, but damn feisty. Speaking of which." She looks at Lauren. "Who is Moopy?"
Ilirith pats Steven. "You can be a great feline, for variety." She's remarkably good at not cracking a smile.
Steven considers, or at least pretends to consider, then smiles and nods, "That'll be fine, then. Some variety will throw them off."
Lauren looks shifty. "Moopy's not around. Don't want to talk about it."
Aiden says, "Hey, Lauren?"
Kabi rubs her little hands gleefully. "We," she says at a cackle, "will overrun the city with an army of cats and wolves before I'm done. Just you wait."
Lauren says, "Hmm?"
Aiden says, "Be careful okay? And good luck. You're gonna do great."
"I keep thinking everybody's going to laugh at me," Lauren admits. "Thanks though."
Aiden says, "If they laugh at you.. set their hair on fire."
Lauren giggles.
Soleil makes an odd, rueful little face. "Gets their attention every time," he murmurs. And smiles wryly, giving Lauren a small but apparently sincere little bow.
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