Goblin Town -- Logs

After helping Elias, the little group hug him and head out. Marcus has to peel off to get his work done, but Cinnamon, Thorn, and Shane have a tasty, filling lunch together at the pub. Then Thorn heads back to the Infirmary, while Cinnamon and Shane get to work on making the desserts. Many apples are peeled, and what feels like a million miles of pastry are rolled out... and several hours later, the cottage smells divine! Cinnamon being who she is, she's also got something tasty for people to nibble for dinner, if they wish... and as she opens the door to Thorn and Marcus, they can hear the occasional banging and (faintly) swearing coming from under the cottage! Cinnamon giggles as she shows her friends in, "That's Baird -- he's setting up the wiring for me in my new basement, with the help of the elders. He may come up for food too, later. C'mon in, you guys!"

Shane calls out from the kitchen, "If you'd arrived earlier, you'd have heard me swearing over the pastry the same way!" He's telling the truth -- he muttered quite a lot of swear words under his breath when helping with the mille-feuille! Cinnamon giggles as she hugs first Thorn, then Marcus, and hangs up their coats. She has the appetizers/dinner foods already set out on her low table for folks to snack on, since -- as she informs her friends -- the apple tarte tatin needs just a few more minutes of cooking and cooling before being eaten. Marcus brings a bottle of a light dessert wine to go with the food, and gives Cinnamon a brief kiss on the cheek in greeting. It's done in such a way that it just seems natural and easy, as if he's been doing it forever. Cinnamon is distractedly excited currently, so she squeaks a bit startledly at the kiss, but then tries not to make a big deal about it -- though she is blushing as she ushers everyone in. Not only are the desserts coming along beautifully, but she's gotten a text from Veles. Apparently things continue progressing smoothly in Nusantara, and he's reassured her he'll be back in time for the Council meeting! Cinnamon sets out glasses for everyone, makes sure Marcus has a bottle opener to hand, and makes sure everyone is comfortable as they all settle together around the little table covered in appetizers. Admittedly, Cinnamon's idea of 'a few appetizers' is likely enough to be a full dinner to most... but she not only has a huge appetite herself -- she loves being surrounded by happy friends!

It's as they're all nibbling, and the tarte is finally out of the oven and cooling for a few minutes, that Cinnamon thoughtfully asks Marcus, "So, Daki-kun... if it's okay to ask... what're your thoughts on Aoi? If Tao feels he should replace her, will you be voting with him too?" She adds a bit bemusedly, "I'm really confused why she'd head off to New York right now, too. Like, shouldn't she be touching base with all her people instead, to make sure they're all fine? Why on earth does she feel this need for more energy to supposedly defend herse-" Her voice cuts off abruptly at a sudden thought, and she goes still for a few heartbeats... then suddenly sighs sadly, "...ooohh... I think I get it now. Well... crabcakes."

Marcus looks wryly at Cinnamon, "Indeed. I think she sees the house of cards falling."

Cinnamon glances almost guiltily at Marcus -- then studies her hands holding her little plate as she murmurs, "I, umm... I k-kinda... sucked up her fire at the meeting -- the one between her and Nasteexo and Dejiyo and Elias and me. She... she w-was losing her temper and flashed a bit of fire at her fingertips and at her eyes, sorta? -- and Elias jerked back -- he was sitting closest to her -- and, umm... w-well, I wasn't thinking anything except fire can hurt him? So... I ate it -- and she was really shocked and n-not happy...?"

"It was a petty show of force on her part," Thorn says gently. "You were absolutely in the right when you nipped it in the bud."

Cinnamon gives Thorn a small, grateful smile, but then adds, "But, um, see... I think maybe that's the problem? The, er, thing she feels she has to defend herself against? ...might be me... or all the council even, maybe? I mean, she's wrong, but... do you think that could be it?" Internally, she's struggling a little: is she just being overly proud or something? Is silly little her really something that might be at all scary to an ancient, beautiful goddess? [When I put it that way... it really does sound... umm... a little... arrogant? Dumb? -of me...?]

Marcus arches his brows, "You took down Qadan. You can eat her fire. You saved Killa's life by eating the fire that was consuming him. You could take down Jalil because he's also a fire entity. Ko-... Cinnamon, you are a force to be reckoned with. It would never occur to someone for whom power is everything, that you would only use yours for protection -- and not for a show of... well, power."

Thorn shakes his head, "She's being very much paranoid -- not clinically, but effectively. She's looking over her shoulder for a threat that isn't there, if she's trying to defend herself against the council. Mind, you are pretty fearsome! -and she should respect that, at the very least! But she needs to learn -- very belatedly, it looks like -- that just because she's a goddess doesn't mean she's automatically the VIP in the room." He pauses for a moment... then murmurs, "Sentences I never thought I'd ever say..." He hopes he hasn't incurred any divine wrath with that comment! But it's certainly true: Cinnamon put Killa smartly into his place when he tried to scare her, and instead got peaches flamb� -- without the peaches!

Cinnamon blinks, then looks shocked, "I would never hurt Jalil! Not unless he was being bad or something -- and he's super-careful about honor, so I don't think he ever wou-! -uhh..." She blinks, realizing Marcus is making a point -- and wowsers did she accidentally underline that point, too! She blushes, muttering sheepishly, "Well... w-well, I didn't mean..." She blushes even more hotly at Thorn's equally sweet compliment... then abruptly pops up out of her chair, "Ohmygoshsillymetotallyforgotdessertberightback!" She bolts hastily for the kitchen, hoping she gets her blush under control by the time she gets the desserts served!

Marcus watches her go, then looks at the other two men, "We are certain she's a dragon and not a kaninchen, yes?" There's a little bit of fond amusement in his voice, low as it is. He doesn't want to embarrass Cinnamon by letting her hear him call her a bunny.

Thorn grins, "Hares don't usually breathe fire." He pauses, remembering an old movie... then asks with genuine curiosity, "Do they?" Shane bites his tongue. He doesn't speak German, but when Thorn says 'hare,' the half-beansidhe's pretty sure Marcus just called his acushla a bunny! It's something he himself has thought several times when she's scampered off -- especially when it's after a kiss or something flirtatious.

Cinnamon returns a few minutes later, bringing a huge tray with the apple tarte tatin, a carton of vanilla ice cream, and the mille-feuille... along with plates and utensils. She carefully sets down the tray as if it weighs nothing (to her, it really doesn't), then starts happily cutting neat pieces of both desserts. Everyone gets a portion of both items, and the steaming hot tarte is topped with a scoop of ice cream -- at which point Cinnamon happily says, "Okay then! Dig in, and let me know what you all think, please?"

The sound Shane makes when he bites into the tarte and ice cream is... well, even Marcus slow-blinks at it, his spoon halfway to his mouth. The half-beansidhe clears his throat, then says, "It's lovely, a ghr�."

Thorn sniffs the tarte. "Wow," he says, blinking. "They all look and smell delicious!" He glances at Shane; 'La petite mort?' is on the tip of his tongue -- but his internal editor is screaming at him not to say it.

Marcus hides his grin in his own bite of the tarte. He doesn't dare tease Shane as if the man is one of his close friends, but he is quite certain the half-beansidhe leaned forward to let his hair cover his face a little... to hide a blush! It's so very rare that Shane is discombobulated, that it's refreshing. Not that Marcus can blame him; the tarte tatin really is quite lovely, and the elf exclaims, "This is wonderful!"

Cinnamon giggles happily -- she absolutely loves how appreciative Shane is about her cooking! It makes her feel both accomplished... and very appreciated! She has a bit of each, herself, as well... then sighs happily, eyes closed and slowly licking her lips before mmming after each bite. Thorn is absolutely aware of the image Cinnamon is inadvertently presenting to the two healthy men who are both interested in her. So, preparatory to trying not to devour the tarte in one inhale, he watches their reactions to it. Cinnamon is genuinely, completely absorbed in the moment, savoring each dessert. The spicy-tartness of the apple tarte tatin is deliciously matched by the milky sweetness of the ice cream... though she also really loves the luscious creaminess of the mille-feuille! The mmming also makes Marcus pay close attention to his own plate. He and Shane have to be quite a sight as they try to be decorous! Shane clears his throat at some point and says, "The mille-feuille is lovely, but I really think the tarte has stolen the show, acushla."

Thorn looks at his plate; both desserts have significant nibbles taken from them. "I... I can't decide which is better!" he says. "But if I had to choose one, I think the tarte would be the best choice."

Cinnamon blinks as she opens her eyes and tilts her head interestedly, "Really? Huh! Not what I would have guessed." She grins delightedly, "Okay! So... anybody want some more? There's plenty, and I already set some aside for Baird!" As if his name summoned him, there's a knock on the door. Cinnamon brightens, "Oh! Maybe that's him, and he's all finished with the wiring downstairs!" She hops up and patters to the door, calling, "Who is it?!" Baird is indeed at the door, looking a bit musty and dusty and sweaty. He answers the call with his name. Cinnamon giggles as she lets him in, "Goodness, Bairdy! Would you like to use the bathroom first, before food?"

Baird chuckles, "Aye. That'd be lovely, lass." He breathes in the scent, then adds, "But then I want whatever it is that smells so good." He nods to the men already tasting the desserts and heads toward the bathroom. Cinnamon beams at the lovely compliment, then patters off with him to the bathroom, where she hands him a fresh towel, then leaves him in peace. She settles with her friends, still beaming -- people like her cooking! They really like it -- eeeee!

Shane smiles, "He's rarely disheveled. Even after a battle, he usually looks so..."

Marcus nods, "That's true."

It doesn't take long for Baird to freshen up a bit and come back. From the state of his hair, he may have taken a full shower, even though he's wearing the same clothes. Granted, he's ex-military, so taking a five-minute shower is within his skillset. Cinnamon happily gives Baird a plate and tells him to help himself to the nibblies. While he does so, she also serves up desserts for him... then waits for him to say what his favorite is also! She's momentarily forgotten her excitement about her new basement, in the excitement of getting to feed more friends. Baird (out of respect for the effort it took to prepare) doesn't treat the food the way he treated the shower -- he actually takes his time about it, and chats with the folks there. When he gets to the dessert, he considers them seriously as he rumbles, "Mille-feuille is wonderful stuff... but apple pie has always been a favorite of mine, so I'm biased toward this tarte, lass."

Cinnamon laughs delightedly, "Okay, the people have spoken!" She giggles, then adds, "I honestly thought folks would like the mille-feuille more, since it's so darned pretty and deliciously sweet... but we'll go with the apple tarte tatin!"

Marcus smiles, "They're both quite delicious. The mille-feuille really are lovely. I can see why you'd think they'd win the day. But it's not always the first blush that shows the true beauty of something. It's the true essence that matters."

Cinnamon nods thoughtfully as she studies another spoonful of the apple tarte tatin, "Yeah, I can see that..." she grins almost impishly at Marcus, "-and the ice cream doesn't hurt at all as a compliment to it, either, I think!" She's delighted at how much people seem to enjoy her food... and (likely unsurprisingly to her closest friends) completely misses the innuendo.

Shane looks at Marcus and grins. He caught the innuendo and -- oddly -- he's pleased. That makes him blink at himself; he then looks at Thorn, head tipped as if to ask, 'You heard that, right?' Because... no headache. No twinge -- Marcus meant it. Thorn nods once to Shane, then says, "Like I said, I can't decide which is better... but I feel like the tarte wins."

Cinnamon blinks a moment later, brightening and turning to Baird, "Ohmygosh, I almost forgot -- I'm so sorry! Bairdy, thank you so much for all your work on the wiring in the new basement and how'd it go?!"

Baird is watching all of this from his seat and finds himself a bit amused. He's not been around to watch Marcus' slow transition from arsehole to subtle suitor. He smiles at the question, "Went easily. Everything's set up the way it needs to be. You'll have a tidy little cellar down there for anything you need. Plenty of space for... activities."

Cinnamon laughs and almost bounces in her chair with excitement, "Oh, yay that is so awesome thanks so much I'm gonna have so much fun being able to cook even more nummy stuff!"

Baird watches his innuendo go directly over Cinnamon's head -- just like he figured it would -- then looks at the other men in the room, seeing which of them got it. Marcus has a hand over his mouth; Shane is outright smirking. It makes Baird wonder which of them is thinking of BDSM, and which is thinking it would make a good place for, ah... coercive interrogation. He doesn't, however, ask that aloud. Thorn for once didn't get the innuendo... right away. It takes him a little bit to parse the pause before 'activities' -- at which point he looks kind of quickly at the other men to see which of them got it before him. Ah: all three of them... and Cinnamon (of course!) is blissfully unaware.

Shane grins, "I love that this makes you so happy, a ghr�."

Cinnamon beams glowingly at Shane, "It's awesome, asthore! Plus it means I have a place now where Josie can comfortably stand upright if she wants... and maybe I can even have some larger parties here too!" The little dragon happily feeds and chats with and thoroughly enjoys the evening with four of her friends. She shares her upcoming plans for the basement: adding one set of folding stairs within her cottage, adding a covered cellar door entrance outside, partitioning the inside into two rooms, walls and flooring to be added... and then she'll furnish it! "The littler room is going to be my cold room, like Shaney suggested, so I can store food there -- I'm going to ask Elias if he'd like to try some canning with me!" She's happy to take suggestions, as well, on who to hire for the various jobs... so by the time folks are heading home, Cinnamon has a good list, is feeling pleasantly full, and is thrilled at how well the evening went!

Two days later is Cinnamon's anniversary dinner party, where she's both celebrating, and specifically thanking the folks who made such a difference in her arrival on Coblyn. The little dragon has cleaned her cottage top to bottom, and decorated a bit with fresh flowers and greenery swags, at Muriel's excellent suggestion! Shane too has helped with all the decorating, having taken the day off from his normal duties -- or, in other words, he's put the word out that he's spending the day celebrating with his acushla and anything that's not a life-or-death emergency will need to wait until the next day! Josie and Spice both also made themselves available, so Cinnamon is thrilled at the help, as that means her cottage is cleaned in a fraction of the time she had planned. She cheerfully makes lunch for her friends in the middle of the day, and makes sure everyone knows they can absolutely use her shower to clean up before the party, if they'd like.

The little dragon is very happy with how fresh and clean and bright her home feels, and how cozy the living room (where everyone will be seated) looks. She's dressed up a little, her hair in a nice French braid with a sprig of baby's breath tucked into it, and she's wearing some of the nice clothes Aisling helped her find, that make her feel pretty and confident! Josie and Spice go off to Josie's place to clean up, but Shane takes the chance to use Cinnamon's shower. He's gotten used to it, and it's bigger than his own, so it's a bit of a luxury. Once he's out, he asks for help with getting his hair brushed out and braided. Cinnamon giggles shyly, since she's waiting with the brush and (should he want it) a pretty ribbon. She'd prefer to be swallowed whole by the earth before admitting she picked it just for him, of course! She chatters happily to Shane as she brushes his hair, then carefully plaits the pretty ribbon into the braid she's weaving for him, "-and of course I told Hilde Torben was welcome too if she wanted, just like Marcus is with Jaeger so that's eleven of us total if everyone comes but I think they will since just about everyone RSVP'd to me there! All done oooh I think it came out okay here's the mirror what do you think?!" Shane Zens out as Cinnamon works on his darkly gleaming hair, mmm'ing at all the right places to let Cinnamon know he's actually listening. His hair is getting longer, and he plans on letting it grow as long as it will go. After all, his father's hair is long enough that it has to be 'double braided' to keep it off the floor.

Shane very much likes the ribbons Cinnamon picks out for him! He's half-beansidhe, where the men are as vain about their hair as the women, so it wouldn't occur to him that a ribbon would be 'too feminine' to finish off his braid. In fact, it wouldn't occur to him that braiding a ribbon into his hair would be feminine either, since he's seen it done so much. When she's done, he looks in the mirror and smiles, "I like it. The ribbon makes me feel special... and eleven is a good number: odd and prime."

Cinnamon nearly glows with happiness, impulsively hugging Shane, "Eeeeyay it's 'cause you really are special, dath�il!"

Shane cups Cinnamon's cheek and kisses her gently, "You're the special one here, acushla." He smiles and rests his forehead against hers, "People will be getting here soon." No sooner has he said it than there's a knock at the door. He chuckles, "I'll go put on my shirt."

Cinnamon laughs as she patters hastily off -- her asthore says the sweetest things sometimes! -- to continue setting things up. It doesn't occur to her that she doesn't believe him. Instead she calls back, "I've set all the drinks out, dath�il, so you can go ahead and make sure everyone gets what they want, okay? I'll let this one in, and then I'll be in the kitchen -- thanks so much!" At the door, Cinnamon cheerfully calls, "Who is it?!" -- even as she moves the curling wooden hat tree to a better spot. It's Hilde and Torben, and they're bearing gifts: bottles of spiced cider.

Cinnamon laughs and hugs them both in thanks for the lovely gift, then welcomes them both in. The bottles of lovely cider are placed on the sideboard with the other drinks, just as Shane comes out, tucking in his shirt. Cinnamon beams dazzlingly at Shane for a heartbeat, [Ohmygosh he's soooo gorgeous!] -- then blinks and remembers herself, "Oh! Right: Shaney, can you get drinks for Hilde and Torben please?" She herself darts into the kitchen, then starts bringing out the nut-studded cheese ball and the two large charcuterie trays she'd prepared ahead of time as appetizers.

Hilde grins at Shane obviously still getting dressed and teases him gently about it when Cinnamon is out of the room, "Oh, and what had you half-naked right before we got here, hmm?"

Shane nudges her with his elbow and chuckles, "A shower." Then he hugs them both in welcome.

After that, people start coming in rather quickly. Cinnamon makes sure all her guests have arrived, know each other, and are chatting and enjoying the appetizers -- or, in Elias' case, has a gently steaming mug of his favorite tea. Everyone that's there is happy to talk and mingle together. It's agreed at the beginning that no shop talk is to happen, so nothing about the council comes up. It's all happy chatter about inconsequentialities. Once that's done (and Cinnamon too has had a bite or several of appetizers as well, to stave off any hunger rumbles), she darts off to the kitchen to start the last bits of cooking. Soon delicious smells are drifting through the cottage, and everyone is called to seat themselves. The meal is as delightfully sumptuous as Cinnamon can make it! She starts everyone off with a fresh Caesar salad with homemade dressing, then follows that with juicy medium-rare filet mignons wrapped in thick bacon slices, tangy honey and balsamic vinegar glazed asparagus, and steaming potatoes fondant drenched in sauce. The food is all well-received... or, well, more than well-received. People are all but raving about it. Cinnamon is initially pleased... but after a while she feels almost overwhelmed with happiness. These... are friends -- real friends! -and... they really like her! It's something she never expected in her life, honestly. It's... downright amazing!

Cinnamon takes a moment before dessert to give her small thank-you speech, though it's quite short since she's feeling a bit bashful by now! "...so this is a thank you to you all, for making my extremely confusing life at that time a little bit easier!" Everyone applauds the speech and there are several happy murmurs about being glad Cinnamon arrived and that she's been a wonderful addition to the street. Thorn thoroughly enjoys dinner, and at Cinnamon's speech he smiles warmly and ducks his head. He is painfully aware of what his first "assignment" was on Coblyn, and is very, very glad that the charade was ended quickly.... and that he's become a friend to her. When she brings out the freshly baked apple tarte tatin and the ice cream, the little dragon shyly adds, "Also, Thorny, Shaney, and Daki-kun helped me choose this one! I hope you all like it just as much as they did!" The dessert is, of course, delicious, and everyone digs in quite happily. Thorn is glad Cinnamon's dishes and dessert are so well received! It would appear from the reactions that the tarte tatin was an excellent choice.

After the elaborate and delicious dinner, Cinnamon has plenty of fun and silly party games and puzzles, and snacks and drinks, for relaxing around the fire afterwards. She herself ends up seated on the futon between Shane and Marcus, which she (erroneously) considers a really wonderful accident! Since she's trying to thank the important folks who really made her life better here when she first arrived, after all, she asked folks to arrive after dark, for Elias' sake. Since she knows they'll all be staying late into the night chatting and laughing and drinking and generally just having a lovely time, she's also prepared places for folks to crash, if they wish, in her new and nifty little basement. For now, though, there's silly games and much laughter... along with the occasional bit of storytelling over drinks.

As the night goes on, Marcus finds himself getting rather tired. He used to be able to stay up until the wee hours partying, and get up early the next morning to start all over, but he still hasn't quite bounced all the way back from his assault and the aftereffects. Still, it's such a wonderful night that he doesn't want to leave. He's settled on the couch next to Cinnamon too, and he really doesn't want to get up and lose that seat. Further, he suspects he's mostly here because he's Jaeger's son, and Cinnamon would have thought it rude to invite one without the other. He knows he wasn't exactly one of Cinnamon's bosom companions in her early days on Coblyn, after all; in fact, he was on the 'opposite' side.

Having the conversation organically move around the room so easily and pleasantly means that it washes over him in a warm, pleasant wave of sound within a safe, comfortable space. The weary young elf starts to unwittingly droop a bit as well, until without even realizing it he is half-dozing, with his head settling onto Cinnamon's shoulder. The little dragon blinks when she first feels the light touch on her shoulder, glancing over... and then smiling. She doesn't say anything though -- just makes sure she's in a good spot and braced for Marcus to lean on her as much as he needs to. She's oddly touched that he seems to trust her enough to do this, too! Shane glances over when Cinnamon shifts a bit to brace herself and actually smiles a bit too at Marcus dozing like that. He can't blame the other man. His acushla is, after all, exceptionally comfy to sleep on!

Sadly for the dozing elf, another side-effect of his assault is that he still has periodic nightmares. As he slowly drifts into true sleep, his body heavy and warm with the feeling of safety around him... one of those dreams reaches out and grabs him in his clutches. He startles awake, jolting upward with a muffled cry.

Cinnamon startles at the yelp right next to her ear, a shocked squeak escaping her and her drink sloshing at her sudden motion. Unfortunately, a little bit of it ends up splashing onto Marcus' lap! Fortunately it's only warm, rather than boiling hot... but it is sweet, so likely also a bit sticky. Other people around the room startle at the sudden motion and sound as well; Jaeger asks in a half-laughing, half-worried voice what that was all about?! The elder elf doesn't want there to be some sort of scene at such a lovely, pleasant event, after all -- not after his son has been doing so well!

Marcus is flushed and feeling a little humiliated -- first, to have fallen asleep at a party where he was lucky to be invited; and second, to have had one of those embarrassing dreams. Seated next to him, Cinnamon blinks again as it suddenly registers: Marcus is embarrassed! Poor guy... she reacts impulsively, hastily brushing her hair back in the signal she and Shane share to tell him not to listen too closely, then hands him her drink as she exclaims, "Ohmygosh, Marcus, I am so sorry!" Shane, seeing the signal, gets up and moves into the kitchen to let Cinnamon do whatever it is she needs to do. He knows any mild untruth she's going to tell isn't going to be harmful, after all. He just doesn't want a headache tonight! She starts dabbing at the wet spot with her napkin, gabbling, "I'm such a ditz sometimes I didn't mean to be so clumsy and spill my drink on you oh and I messed up those nice trousers darnit really I'm truly truly sorry, Daki-kun!" She sighs ruefully as she looks at the now-damp napkin and the still-damp trousers... then grins wryly at Marcus, "Tell you what -- I can loan you a blanket if you like, and you can clean up in the bathroom, and we can toss your trousers immediately into the wash so they don't stain?"

Marcus blinks, picking up on what's happening. He too starts dabbing at the wet blotch with his own napkin, though that's also partially so Cinnamon's attention isn't drawn to what having her... sort of stroking his leg? -is doing to him. But stars and stones, she's being so... so sweet about this?! He laughs warmly, still flushed and a bit dazzled, "I would appreciate being able to clean up, but I can probably go and have my trousers washed..."

Shane came back on the end of that, and blinks. Then, because he wants to make Cinnamon happy and apparently making Marcus comfortable is going to make Cinnamon happy right now, he comments, "I have a couple pairs of clean trousers here if you want to borrow a pair. I know they're big enough... and you can borrow a belt?"

Marcus is still bemused: why is Cinnamon lying for him? This was the other way around, really -- he startled, and that's why she spilled the drink -- not the other way around...? His heart is warming up at the way she's helping him save face -- at the way she and Shane both are helping, actually! He relaxes and agrees: it would be nice to clean up. Cinnamon blinks at Shane -- then beams! She's seen his jeans, and wowsers does he look fiiiine in them! She wonders a bit excitedly if Marcus will too -- but then hastily quashes that thought when it registers: jeans are not the same as trousers, right! A bit embarrassed at her impulsive thoughts, she hops to her feet and offers Marcus a hand, "Okay then! Let's get you off to the bathroom to clean up and change!" She sheepishly adds to everyone else watching, "So sorry, peeps! Didn't mean to interrupt!"

Everyone assures Cinnamon it was nothing! As disruptions go, this was quite minor; the party is still going well. Things settle back down as Shane fetches a pair of his jeans from the loft, and to Cinnamon it would seem he used the words 'jeans' and 'trousers' interchangeably. He reassures Marcus that all the hardware on them is brass, and there is no steel. Marcus heads into the bathroom and changes from his stained trousers into the slightly larger jeans. Shane is, after all, built on a slightly more muscular line than Marcus. They aren't so large, however, as to look comical. Cinnamon also notes that she can take the trousers off to be immediately washed, if Marcus wishes? The two Germanic elves decide the trousers can be taken to be laundered at the Residence later. The fabric is silk, after all, and needs to be taken care of in very specific ways. Cinnamon neatly folds up the trousers, in that case, tucking them into one of the paper bags she's gotten while shopping. She sets them down at the end of the futon, unwittingly letting everyone know that's where she expects Marcus will sit when he returns -- which makes a few of them smile! Thus, once Marcus is cleaned up and wearing the borrowed jeans, and settles back in, he's happy to find his seat next to Cinnamon is still available!

Eventually people begin to realize the time, and start to say their goodbyes and head home for the night. Marcus, however, lingers, trying to figure out a way to subtly let his father know to go on without him. Cinnamon has had a truly wonderful evening! She's feeling comfortably full, almost bubbly with happiness, and giddily warm at having so many truly amazing friends. She does her best to be a good hostess: helping people find their coats and other stuff, offering crash space for those who might be feeling tired or a bit tipsy, and hugging and thanking everyone for coming. Everyone assures Cinnamon they can make it home safely. There are hugs and smiles, and laughter when leftovers are urged on them to take home for later nibbling. Eventually it's just Marcus, Shane, and Cinnamon left, insuring that Marcus can safely ask his questions. The elf noticed Shane left the room when Cinnamon began her little charade, but he's staying nearby now -- so Marcus is sure he'll get the true answer when he courteously asks, "Cinnamon, may I ask you a question before I go?"

Shane's ears, if they could, would prick up at the formality in that request! The half-beansidhe just wants Marcus to shoo, so Shane can cuddle his acushla into bed and settle into rest. Well, maybe a little more than cuddling before sleep... but mostly to get to bed and rest. Cinnamon blinks up at Marcus, then straightens from where she was picking up glasses. She pushes up her glasses and grins uncertainly, "Um... sure? Though... I may not answer, okay?"

Marcus smiles quietly, "Of course. Why did you... why tell people that you spilled your drink on me, and that startled me into yelping like a hound whose tail had been stepped on? You know it was the other way about, yes? I... I yelped first." He stops himself from mentioning the dreams. They aren't something he wants to bring up here and now.

Cinnamon grins a bit sheepishly as she nods, "Yeah, I know." She pauses, considering for a bit: why did she do what she did? Finally she starts speaking again, though her words are slow as she thinks them through, and checks for veracity before saying them, "But I... I did it because, umm... well, you had your head resting on my shoulder, right? -and... you looked so peaceful there, for a bit -- almost like you were sleeping, you know?" Marcus flushes. He had been sleeping, which he feels was extremely rude of him -- but he nods, letting her know she should go on.

Cinnamon thinks a bit more, then continues speaking slowly as she sort of 'feels out' her emotions, "So... so when you sort of jerked up like that, and were really shocked looking, and I spilled my drink on you?" She blushes slightly -- she's not about to mention how much she'd really liked Marcus trusting her that much! Instead she continues, "You were... well, like, you were glancing around a bit wildly for a second or two, you know? -and... that's when I realized: you must've had a nightmare or something!" She sighs, adding wryly, "-and nightmares? They really suck." She takes another breath, then goes on, "So, like, I know that when I have nightmares and they jerk me awake, I always feel like a stupid ninny for -- for thinking such ridiculously awful things could happen, right? -and even then, I don't have to face a roomful of staring people either! So, um..." the little dragon blushes a bit again, hoping Marcus won't take this wrong, "s-so when I noticed your, er, y-your ear tips starting to turn red, well, I... I -- I j-just sorta impulsively said it was my fault! That way, I figured you, um, y-you... wouldn't need to feel bad or anything, right? Or, at least... I hope you didn't?"

Marcus listens and blinks, a little shocked that Cinnamon realized what was happening. He had half-hoped she'd think the shocked yelp was him slipping out of position and not knowing where he was. When she mentions his ear tips going pink, one hand reaches up to trace along the line of one of his own ears. He also glances at Shane, who's listening to this with a passive, quiet face -- no smirk, no wince. What she's saying... it's nothing but the truth -- and they're both... are they both sympathetic? "It... thank you. It helped. Yes."

Cinnamon brightens at that, her face lighting up with happiness, "Oh, good! I'm glad to hear that!" She impulsively gives him a quick hug, then leans back enough to firmly check, "How're you feeling now? Are you okay to walk home, or should I call Tre, or do you need to crash for the night?"

Marcus blinks at the hug and it takes a beat for him to hug back, being brave enough for a moment to rest his cheek against the top of her head, "I'm feeling much better, actually." At the offer to crash for the night, he opens his mouth -- and then catches Shane's face. The other man doesn't look angry exactly, but there's a definite air of 'please leave' to Shane's expression -- which inspires Marcus to reassure the little dragon, "Oh, I'll be fine getting home. I've got Mutter's daggers with me, and I'm quite sober and rested after my nap." He even manages to make it sound light and playful, though Shane does wince slightly at the 'rested' part.

Cinnamon checks, "You're sure?" -- but at Marcus' reassuring smile, she smiles back at him, "Okay, then. I hope you enjoyed yourself in spite of the nightmare!"

Marcus nods, "I'm sure... and I had a lovely time -- despite the bad dream. I promise." He takes his leave after also promising Shane that he'll return the jeans tomorrow.

Cinnamon closes and locks her door, taking a deep breath and sighing it out... then turns and grins delightedly at Shane, "Ohmygosh asthore wasn't that an amazingly wonderful night I had so much fun I hope you did too?!" She giggles, darting towards Shane as she burbles happily -- and then nearly jumping into his arms!

Shane laughs happily at Cinnamon's delight, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "Yes, a ghr�, it was amazing. Everyone had a lovely time. They were truthful when they said that, at the end of the night." He spins around with her, grinning, "And I vote we go to bed and clean this up in the morning!"

Cinnamon mmms happily as she nuzzles her sweetheart -- then laughs! "I'm good with that! Plus, weren't Josie and Spice awesomesauce with helping with cleanup both before and after?" She glances around -- then laughs and snuggles up against Shane, "Only problem is I really like being in your arms! Oh nosers how can we go to bed and I'll lose that?!"

Shane grins and kisses the top of Cinnamon's head, "Maybe we can even snuggle up and have a look at the book I got you about neolithic goddesses?" It was a short while ago that Shane brought Cinnamon a book about paleo- and neo-lithic goddess figures, wanting to demonstrate to his nervous, self-conscious acushla that women who look just like her have been revered throughout the ages. The big issue is that he brought it during an extremely busy time, which means the little dragon hasn't yet had time to read.

"Oh!" Cinnamon brightens, "Oh, yeah, that'd be great!"

Shane takes a moment to add, eyes soft, "It was very brave of you to draw all the stares to you. I know that's scary."

Cinnamon blinks a bit bemusedly at Shane -- she'd acted so impulsively that she'd not even realized she was doing that! "Uh, what?"

Shane smiles, "When you claimed to have spilled your drink and made Marcus cry out. You drew all the looks to you instead of him. It was very brave."

Cinnamon thinks about that for a moment... then blinks slowly, a flush flowing across her cheeks, "Ohmygosh, Shaney, I -- I didn't even realize! I just -- j-just reacted, you know?" She's silent for a bit longer... then grins shyly, "Well... w-well, um... yay, me?"

Shane hugs her tightly and kisses her forehead, "Indeed. Yay, you, acushla." He smiles, cuddling Cinnamon close as he off-handedly asks how she enjoyed the book -- which is when the little dragon admits a bit sheepishly that she hasn't yet looked at it. The half-beansidhe looks concerned, "Did I overstep with it? Wanna have a look together?"

Cinnamon thinks about that for a moment, glancing around her little house. Everything that needs to be cleaned and/or put away has been. The house is still a bit messy... but it's mostly just 'cushions and chairs out of place' messy, and she can live with that until tomorrow. There's a little thrill of excitement for her too, in that Shane bought her a lovely present! So she nibbles her lower lip as she thinks... then grins shyly, "Well, want to get a hot drink each, and then we can cuddle up together and have a look at the book?" A moment later she hastily adds, "Oh! Nono -- of course you didn't overstep!" She blinks, then slightly confusedly adds, "Though why... why would you think giving me a nice gift is overstepping?"

Shane doesn't say aloud that part of the reason he gave the book is to convince her it's okay to get naked -- instead he says only the other, also-true part, "Some people feel uncomfortable getting gifts. But this one... you're right. Let's get some drinks and have a look."

Once they're settled, Shane rather casually takes off his shirt (because he knows Cinnamon's rather fond of his chest) and snuggles up against her as she opens the book to start looking through it. The little dragon has to almost bite her lip to keep from squeaking happily -- she so loves how yummy her Shaney [eeeee her Shaney he said it himself eeeee!] looks without a shirt on! She kinda loves how he looks without much of anything on, too... but that tends to still leave her blushing and quite speechless. This way she can still think straight! She wiggles happily close when they snuggle up together... then has a sip of her hot, sweet tea before sighing contentedly. She's not entirely sure what this big picture book he got her is all about, but... heck, she loves sharing stuff with her asthore! "So, umm... what is this book all about, please?"

Shane starts turning pages, and the very first goddess figure is a large, beautifully photographed view of the Venus of Willendorf, along with an explanation in the Introduction: this is a book about neolithic and paleolithic goddesses, and explores how the cultures of the time formed around the life-giving goddess, as well as how different female figures were revered. He smiles and murmurs against her ear, "That... go on. Have a look through it. She reminded me of you." One warm, heavy hand rests on Cinnamon's thigh, as Shane nibbles an earlobe with a happy hum. Cinnamon makes a small, startled/happy squeak at the very deliciously distracting ear nibble! She tries to focus on the book... but it's hard when her Shaney's being so distracting! Plus... wow, the woman in the photo is... like, totally morbidly obese! She knows the term well, having had it thrown at her often enough in her pre-dragoning life... so... oh, dear. Shane sees her like this person? Er, not person -- umm... thing... statuette? Uh-ohh... her brow furrows as she turns the page. Hopefully it'll get to prettier pictures soon...?

The next page has a goddess figure that's all hips, and another that's an exaggerated hourglass. None -- not a single one of them -- are the currently idealized super-skinny figure. Shane continues talking quietly about what he knows of these cultures, and how the maternal and exaggerated figures were considered divine. He's lazily stroking Cinnamon's thigh and occasionally nibbling her neck and shoulder as he speaks, looking through the book with her as he tries to help her to associate these images with pleasure. Cinnamon, however, looks puzzled -- is Shane saying these women were goddesses?! But... how? They're... fat! Really fat! He's right in that some of them kinda look a bit like her, but... she knows she's not a goddess. Though she doesn't consciously realize it, throughout her entire childhood she had her own visual 'disgustingness' hammered hard and repeatedly into her head... to the point that she has both unwittingly and powerfully internalized that information. People that look like her aren't divine... they're awful.

Shane lets Cinnamon get engrossed in the book before he nibbles at her earlobe -- knowing that gets her all wiggly -- and then lets his fingertips slip beneath the hem of her shirt. He makes a happy mmm'ing sound -- he really does love the soft, delicate skin of her stomach and thighs, and the round, lush shape of her body. However, while Cinnamon is becoming slowly, perplexedly engrossed in the book, it's not enough to overwhelm her very real fears about her stomach being touched, and repulsing her beloved to the point that he leaves! She doesn't like making Shane sad either, though... so when his fingers begin to softly slip around towards her abdomen she giggles nervously and tugs her shirt firmly back into place. Then she nervously checks: would he like to look through the book with her? Does he, umm... oh! Does he know any stories about these, umm... well, very strange-looking... g-goddesses...? -if that's what they really are? Or... oh! Are any of them still alive -- is that how people know they're goddesses?

Shane may be many things, but dumb is not one of them. He recognizes one of his beloved's nervous feints as well as the next person, but he's kind and he loves her, so he lets up on the petting and nibbling to go through the book with her. It's oddly reassuring, in a way Cinnamon didn't expect, to hear Shane's calm, much-loved voice effectively telling her over and over about how deeply loved and respected these strangely and amazingly (to Cinnamon) obese goddesses were. It's so very startling to hear how the cultures were, in a sense, formed around the figure of the birth-giving Mother. Shane murmurs, "A lot of humans now, they put emphasis on the Father God, but I mean, c'mon... what does the dad do in making a kid? Not a lot. In the procreation sense, his contribution is a very small amount of time." He goes through the whole book with her... and it's not until they've closed the last page that he take a deep breath, takes both Cinnamon's hands in his, and asks in his gentle, Shane-like way, "Acushla, can you tell me why you're so worried about me touching or seeing your stomach?" He doesn't want to say tummy because this is a serious conversation -- but in his mind, he thinks of it that way: sweet and round and adorable.

Cinnamon freezes in horror for a shocked heartbeat, her mouth open to reply but absolutely nothing coming to her to say, past a terrified 'he knows!' She tries desperately to get some words out, but it becomes a messy, incomprehensible tangle -- denial, except she knows that's a lie and stops partway through; reassurance that it's not important to her, except she knows it is; confusion as to how he figured it out since she thought she was hiding better than that... it becomes a lot of stuttering and spluttering, and partway through she simply starts crying when it registers: if he knows, then doesn't that mean he's that much closer to leaving her? At that, Shane does one of the things Shane does best: he wraps her in his arms and holds her through the fright-storm of tears. This isn't just Cinnamon runningherwordstogether. This is true terror, and not being able to get words out coherently. His knack is invaluable as he picks through what she does manage to get out: she's terrified he's going to leave if he sees her 'disgustingness'... and by disgustingness, she apparently means if he sees her nude. Shane has another internal flare of anger at her ridiculous family, and the bullies she was subjected to through them.

Only once she's cried herself out in his arms does Shane speak, his voice warm, deep, and gentle against her ear as he murmurs, "A ghr�, I'm not going to leave if I see your lovely form bare, I promise... but I have no way to prove that to you if you won't allow me to see you." Cinnamon sighs wearily -- emotional tear-storms are exhausting! -- but tries to think that through... for her Shaney's sake. She's a bit worried, though, that he's just saying that -- after all, he hasn't ever seen her nude! Heck, she too does her best to not look at her nude self in the mirror at all. She keeps clothes on herself as much as possible... it's a trick she learned from too many cruel gym classes. By now she too can easily recognize gross when she sees it! Shane lets her sit with his query for a while, then gently points out, "Right now, you're miserable due to your fears concerning this, right?" When she hesitates -- then nods tightly once, he asks, "Okay, then... is it better to have me be here but always be frightened... or to let me prove to you that I truly mean it when I say I'm not leaving -- and not be terrified anymore?"

Cinnamon grapples mentally with that for a few seconds... how to politely point out that it's better to be frightened but he's there, rather than have him be gone? Just knowing he's there... somehow makes the world a little bit nicer for her -- a slightly kinder and friendlier place. Knowing he's gone, though -- she doesn't even want to consider the aching, ripped-out hole that would leave in her! As if he can hear her thoughts -- or as if he was anticipating this argument -- Shane adds with gentle wryness: "Acushla, didn't you tell me you didn't want me to make a promise of monogamy? You told me you didn't want me to feel trapped, yes? You didn't want me to feel miserable and stuck because of a pledge I made, right?" Cinnamon nods immediately at that, despite feeling rather uncertain about where this is going. Once he gets that yes from her, Shane wraps his arms securely around her so she feels held and cherished... then speaks gently, "Okay. So how is you doing things you think are going to delay my departure -- the departure that isn't going to happen -- any different than me trying to do things to make you feel comfortable and safe in my love for you? They're both ways of trying to make things last. Mine by reassuring you that you've no reason to worry about me leaving. You by trying to hide parts of yourself you think will scare me away, a ghr�. Which, I promise you on the stones and stars, isn't going to happen."

Cinnamon frowns as she puzzles through that... then tries her best to slowly and stumblingly put her scrambled, terrified, and inchoate thoughts into words, "I... but I d-don't... I mean, I, er, asked you not to... to do those things because... because it'd be wrong? B-because I... I don't want you to feel trapped at all, or... or like you have to stay because you promised or something... you know? I -- I don't want to be like Candi... at all!"

Shane nods his head slowly as he listens, feeling like he's working his way through a minefield made of his beloved Cinnamon's psychological trauma... where one wrong step could blow everything up. He's going carefully and bringing all his empathy to bear, but he can't help a little twitch of a smile and a gentle hint of playful teasing in his voice when he quietly asks, "Oh, and Candi never used lack of access to parts of her body as a weapon against the poor jerks she managed to lure into her clutches?" He knows quite well the body parts Candi locked away are the ones Cinnamon is giving him more more access to, and that Cinnamon would never withdraw affection as punishment, but he's trying to use gentle humor here. Cinnamon, however, doesn't immediately realize this is humor -- she stiffens in horror in his arms, her eyes widening in fear and denial. No! No, that's not -- she didn't -- oh, c-crap, is she being just like Candi?! Nononoo how can she quickly convince Shane she really isn't like her little sister at all really she doesn't want to be at all nooo?!

Shane immediately hugs warmly and shushes gently, rocking Cinnamon in his arms a little, "Hey! Hey, a ghr�! I was just teasing a little there! You are in no way like Candi, acushla -- I promise. I'm just trying to show you how much you aren't like her! If nothing else, you actually care whether other people feel pressured or upset... and you have a beautiful brain and heart." He wrinkles his nose, "And you don't give me a migraine just by breathing near me." He takes a deep breath and adds with sincerity, "You are my love and my light, acushla. My pulse."

Cinnamon is shaking a little as she reflexively hugs Shane tightly back... but her thoughts are racing madly, and her eyes are still fear-widened. Her words are still stuttery and stumbling, but this time it's less terror, and more due to her trying to actually speak about ideas and concepts which she's never before actually had! It takes a while for her to be able to verbalize, but she does eventually manage to ask: "But you -- b-but... you, you've, uhh... like, so many beautiful women have been with you -- you're so pretty, they really like you! How can you believe -- r-really believe -- that compared to them, that... that I'm... er, n-no, more like that you, you are... th-that you... can actually be in love with m-m-me -- er, no, s-sorry, I mean with... w-with my... with such a... m-my... lumpy fat body?! Umm... n-not just, you know... like, m-my... p-personality?"

Cinnamon is also, in a way, stalling a bit for time -- because a few things are finally -- finally! -- registering for her... and she's struggling to sort those shocking ideas out in her head so they all make sense. She's not aware of the concept, but Shane has been slowly restructuring her formerly rock-solid worldview: she is absolutely ugly and unlovable -- everyone can see that! The entire world knows it, the moment they look at her. Abruptly losing one's mental foundation (however unpleasant that foundation might be) can be hard to handle! The little dragon finally manages to sort things out enough in her head that she can organize her thoughts a bit more coherently, and she has a terrifying realization: if... if Shane saw all of her, but actually stayed -- however unbelievable that is... it... wouldn't it actually, really be a tremendous emotional relief for her? She wouldn't have to worry any more about hiding half of herself all the time from him. Further, even if she was right, and he left... isn't that (weirdly) somehow better and... and more honest... than effectively trapping him into staying with her, by denying him something he wants -- the way Candi did/does sometimes?

Shane takes Cinnamon's almost bloodless-pale face in his hands, noticing she's shaking and hoping she's there enough to hear him when he firmly insists -- in reply to her last question, the one she's almost forgotten: "I don't lie -- and you know that! So I'll keep telling you that until you believe me: I love you! All of you! Your brilliant mind, your shining soul, your caring heart, your lovely lush body -- all of you -- and I'm going to keep saying it and proving it for as long as you need me to, to truly get that I mean it -- to get that I'm telling the pure, honest truth!"

Cinnamon stares off into the distance for a few seconds, feeling a curiously nauseating/uplifting mix of absolute terror and resignation mixed with hope. Her face is pale as she whispers through trembling lips, "O... ok-kay..." -- and then she abruptly grabs a pillow next to her, holding it over her face with both hands. Her voice is muffled and shaky, "G-go on then... d-do it! Do it now, please -- before... b-before I-" A tiny, terrified thread of remaining self-preservation hastily edits her initial response from: '-before I throw up!' to the spoken: "-before I chicken out!"

Shane is almost surprised at her acquiescence, but he's not one to pass up a blessing. He smiles and nods before Cinnamon hide her face, then takes a deep breath. Murmuring soft words in Irish and English -- little terms of affection and endearment -- his sure, deft hands work on undressing her. Just like the first time she let him do something like this, he asks as he goes, "Can I pull up your shirt?" His voice is soft, warm, and sultry... because with her face covered, he wants to make sure she can hear and feel his reactions to her.

Cinnamon's reply isn't terribly coherent -- she's trying hard not to cry while her glasses are smooshed up against her face, and it takes her a bit to even realize she was being asked a question! The little dragon has unfortunately thoroughly internalized what she was taught as a child: she's monstrously overweight, her stomach looks disgustingly huge, and sight of it will drive off anyone with even a modicum of good taste -- which, she knows, Shane absolutely has quite a bit of. Well... except in regards to her, apparently...? When she doesn't stop him, Shane gently pushes the hem of her shirt up to beneath her breasts -- which causes her to shudder miserably: he can see her now -- all of her! This is It. She braces as much as she can for the revulsion, trying not to simply hunch up and hide... and to swallow down her tears.

Instead of being disgusted, Shane is busy thinking he'd rather just remove the skirt and shirt altogether... so he could lay out his own personal goddess, bare on her mattress... but he can tell they aren't there yet. Speaking of her skirt... he tucks the waist of it down an inch or so as well. Instead of revulsion, what Cinnamon hears is almost a purr in her asthore's voice, "Ohh... a ghr�, so lovely..." His head dips down and his lips brush across Cinnamon's skin along the top curve of her stomach, fingers brushing along the side -- which causes her to quiver in a mix of nerves, ticklishness, and fear. "So soft..." Shane's cheek brushes along the curve and his breath slides along her skin, "Your skin is so wonderful and you're just so..." There's the sound of a shiver and there's definitely a little hoarse purr in his voice, "Lush and sweet. I love getting to lay my head here..." he demonstrates that for a breath, "and now..." His lips brush here and there, making a playful little circle around her navel -- which makes her squeak and jump, "I get to kiss and pet!" Palms skim over Cinnamon's tummy from bottom to top, moving to cup her breasts for a moment, "Such delicious curves to nestle and press against." With that last comment, Shane shifts, his knees moving to the outside of her thighs and then she can feel warm skin against her stomach: his own belly against hers. It's a very suggestive position, though not quite as suggestive as it could be. "Look at me, acushla?"

Slowly, Cinnamon starts to register Shane's reactions... to her! -- and those reactions make no sense at all to her terrified, adrenalized mind! She's panting nervously as her near-death grip on the pillow starts to relax slightly -- just so she can breathe, she reassures herself -- but... at Shane's request she finally slowly lets the pillow slip down just enough that her wide, fear-widened eyes peer over the top. Due to her utter terror of seeing Shane's impending disgust at how she looks, her internal editors are seriously off-line! -which is why she bewilderedly stutters, "Wh-whuhh... what are you doing? Are you... teasing me?!"

Shane smiles, eyes half-lidded, and half-purrs, "No. Well, not the way you think." His voice is low and husky and his hair is out of its braid, falling around his face and hers as he leans forward and braces himself over her shoulders on his hands, "I wanted to demonstrate something." A slow roll of his hips presses what's starting to become a familiar weight and hardness against her lower stomach. If he'd nudged himself between her thighs instead of straddling them, it would have been pressing against a warm, sensitive spot on her body -- but that contact is something he's sure she's not ready for. "Touching you like that, stroking your skin, feeling how soft and lush you are? This is what it did to me, acushla." He absolutely does not mention it also made him think about whether she'd like to emulate some of those fertility goddesses and let him slip inside her... or whether she'd like to try to make a baby with him.

Cinnamon blinks confusedly up at Shane, pushing her glasses up with one hand; the other is still holding the pillow over most of her face. She blinks again, her gaze getting distant as she takes a moment to sort of... 'resettle' back into her body, to feel what Shane's doing, like he asked her to... and then she squeaks in shock, and the pillow whips back up over her face! Shane has just a split second to see the hot flush heat up her face... but he also knows by now: that particular squeak means she's now more embarrassed than truly terrified. Shane lowers his body and nudges the pillow aside just enough to whisper into Cinnamon's ear, "You're adorable when you blush. Also, your tummy is adorable... soft and strokeable and warm." He shifts and ducks his head to kiss it again, "...and kissable." There's a tease in his voice as he adds, "Almost as much as those lovely, delectable breasts of yours." He has shown himself to be quite the fan of those recently.

Cinnamon peeks almost timidly up at Shane when he gently shifts the pillow... but then squeaks and hides her face again at his words! She still hides for a few seconds... but then, slowly and uncertainly, she lowers the pillow juuust enough to peek over it again at Shane. She looks utterly bemused, "Y-you... are you... for realsies? Truly? You're not... n-not, y-you, I-I... I, umm... uh, I m-mean... you... y-you really mean tha- wait, how could you...?!"

Shane's voice is sweet and playful, but still holds that breathy purr, "I know that's your trauma talking, acushla... because you know I don't say things I don't mean." He starts kissing his way down her belly again, backing slowly down the bed as he murmurs, "There are some other lovely kissable spots on you to explore..."

Cinnamon is currently baffled enough that she only barely registers asking a really rather stupid -- possibly even potentially insulting -- question of a truthsayer. Instead, she's staring in silent bemusement at Shane, unwittingly as cute as a kitten just barely peering over the top of the pillow... because in her head, the cognitive dissonance is pretty much occupying her entire thought process. The metaphorical rock -- the absolutely unquestioned, factual base of her existence for the past twenty-plus years -- has been: she is indisputably unattractive and disgustingly overweight. At her very best, she's plain but tidy! Although... oh! There's a possibility she'd not thought of! She's a dragon, and magical, so... well... maybe her disgusting tummy just... vanished, somehow? Without her noticing? She blinks down at the top of Shane's head... then cautiously, slowly holds the pillow out enough that she can look down her own front.

Well... bugger. Nope; it's still there. Cinnamon is unhappy enough about that, that she doesn't even really register the extremely naughty (to her) word -- she just sighs, utterly confused. Her stomach is huge and disgusting. She knows this -- it is a painful and lamentable Fact of Life. Yet now, this man... this gorgeous, sweet, loving, funny, caring, invariably honest man... is telling her the exact opposite! He's telling and showing her, in fact -- that he's deeply aroused and excited by... by her! Her... right now, and just the way she is. It's almost incomprehensible to Cinnamon. Logically, it's simply, incontrovertibly impossible... except... one of the truths she accepts as just as immutable and self-evident as her ugliness... is that Shane... does not lie.

It's abruptly all a bit much for Cinnamon, and she hesitantly reaches out and lightly touches Shane's shoulder, "Sh-Shaney? Asthore, umm... could we... I... I n-need a moment, umm... p-please? C-can we just... just cuddle for a moment?"

Shane (being Shane, and all about enthusiastic consent) takes any kind of questioning as a timid but definitive 'no.' He immediately stops what he's doing, to swoop up and wrap his acushla in his arms, "Any time you want."

Cinnamon gives a small sigh of relief, even as she pretty much nestles directly into Shane. She tucks her head under his chin, and curls her hands together under her own chin... and though Shane can't see it, her eyes are still wide with confusion as her tangled, messed-up, struggling thoughts keep tumbling through her head. Her soft mumble is hesitant -- jerky with starts and stops, "I just... you... I mean, you -- soso pretty! ...y-you know? But... that's not... it isn't -- not ever! ...I can't... because fat! I d-don't know how, umm... how it could... but then you..." After a bit she sighs, falling silent even as she unwittingly turns her entire, ferocious focus on... on somehow figuring out this... this peculiar, utterly impossible... it simply can't be right... but Shane! ...but then again...

Shane is calmly silent as Cinnamon talks -- or, well, babbles -- because this isn't even Cinnamon runningwordstogether. These are barely fragments of sentences -- her thoughts must be going incredibly fast for her to not even be able to finish her words! A few moments later, though, the little dragon blinks and her nervous breathing slows as she remains utterly still for a few heartbeats. Finally... her voice is still soft, but clear this time instead of mumbling, as she muses a thoughtful, "...eyes." She considers that for another long, silent moment... then more strongly adds, "Eyes! Hmm... Shaney, you have good eyes, right? Like... like Josie thinks you do too, right?"

The half-beansidhe makes a thoughtful hmming sound before he replies, "I believe so, a ghr� -- if, by good eyes, you mean I see things as they actually are rather than how someone else tells me I ought to see them."

Cinnamon straightens a little in Shane's arms as this slow-dawning idea indicates, to her, a possible path out of what's so far been some really uncomfortable cognitive dissonance! "Then -- then that means... maybe -- m-maybe Josie's right again, and... and -- and their eyes are bad about this too?!" Common sense (read: deeply unkind childhood training) tells her she's grasping at straws, though... so she falters, "Umm... m-maybe...?"

Shane nods slowly, "Josie is very right. Your bio-family are blind, bigoted, over-privileged, entitled idiots." He gives a shiver, "The way Candi thought she could put her hands on me? It was skin-crawling. If a guy did that to a woman, it would be unacceptable!" Cinnamon hears the upset in Shane's voice and absently strokes his bare chest -- if she can reassure him, that lovely purring tone will come back into his voice... and she likes that so very much when she's having difficult thinky-times! Shane kisses the top of Cinnamon's head and murmurs softly, "But you? My sweet, beautiful, soft, luscious acushla? I can't get enough of your hands on me... or mine on you. I'm trying to go slow and be gentle because I don't ever want you to feel like you must do something just because I want to, and I've got the libido of a nineteen-year-old human." He smiles wryly, "Quinn tells me that's likely to be true for at least another decade or two. He's not sure exactly because I'm half-human. For him, he said that particular height of sex-drive lasted well into his first century. But I do want you."

Cinnamon sighs softly, relaxing a bit against Shane -- he can almost feel the tension slowly sliding out of her. She's still thinking very, very hard though, so her tone is absent as she murmurs, "Oh, yeah... Sparrow has that problem too, I think, from what Kestrel said..." She's lightly rubbing her cheek against Shane's chest -- he's incredibly warm and comforting-feeling! -- as she's sort of mentally sorting things out, but aloud, "So... so if they were wrong about that, and it is possible for a guy to like me... and here you are, and you don't lie! ...and also y-you've seen me... or -- or my t-tummy, I mean, but... b-but you're still here...?! -and you even- er... y-your..." She glances down a bit frustratedly... then abruptly has to stifle a giggle! A moment later she leans her head back against Shane's shoulder so she can look him in the eyes, one hand covering her mouth and her eyes dancing with laughter in her embarrassment-flushed face, "Shaney, asthore, what, uhh... wh-what do guys, err... I mean, like in regular conversation, you know? B-because I -- I c-can't keep calling it a -- a b-braunschweiger, or th-the big thingie -- that... that seems... disrespectful?" A heartbeat later she almost squeaks, "Ohmygosh, p-please tell me I didn't just -- j-just say something really-really stupid there?!"

Shane laughs -- he can't help it! "Braunschweiger? You've been comparing my cock to a braunschweiger?" Cinnamon squeaks and hides her face against Shane's shoulder! He's so taken aback and amused by the comment that he forgets to keep his language clean... though she did ask what guys call their equipment. He grins and clears his throat, "Depends on who they're conversing with." He rubs his forehead with his fingertips, still smiling, "Okay. You get to hear a little bit of my gutter-mouth here, acushla. Some of the words for it are cock, dick, junk, prick... and there's always the clinical word penis. Or are you talking about the reaction? Erection. Hardon. Stiffie. Chubby. Though those last two? I think they sound a little juvenile. Believe me, though -- there's a thousand other terms for it that are even more euphemistic." His smile goes impish again, "And yes, please: let's not refer to it as my 'big thingie' -- just as I'm not going to refer to that lovely thing between your thighs as a 'hoo-ha'!"

Cinnamon is shaking as she leans her forehead against Shane's shoulder, though because she has both hands over her mouth, it takes Shane a moment to realize: she's trying madly to stifle her laughter! Eventually it spills out, though -- and she just gives up and giggles in delighted embarrassment. Only once she can catch her breath again does she bite her lower lip a bit -- to keep from bursting into laughter again -- and nearly wheeze, "Oh-ho-hoh... hoh-kay! No... n-no b-baun- b-brow- baub-" -- and then it's all too much for her again, and she erupts into laughter once more, at not being able to properly pronounce the word 'braunschweiger.'

It takes a bit longer, and a pause to wipe her eyes and glasses from the tears of laughter... and a very tight, relieved hug that her beautiful, darling, amazing treasure of a sweetheart isn't mad at her for being such a silly twit! But finally Cinnamon sighs happily, curling up against Shane again, and gathers one of his hands into both of hers. With that confidence builder, she's able to get out, almost defiantly, "Okay. I -- I'm g-gonna use what you use, asthore -- I'mmm... I'm gonna -- gonna say c-c-c-..." deep breath, "c-cock!" She winces and blushes at the squeak in her voice -- then hastily adds, "A-and, and if, if y-you want..." another deep breath, "I -- I don't care if you, if-f-f y-you... k-k-k-kissmytummycauseIllllikeit!" She winces again, and after a moment mutters to herself, "Ohmygosh I have got to learn how to talk someday without sounding like a squeaky toy!" Shane groans because, honestly, hearing Cinnamon say that particular word does something to him! Maybe because it's not language she normally uses -- which causes her to blink and worriedly ask, "You, y-you... don't like it?"

Shane leans in, voice taking on that purring timbre she likes so much as he whispers into her ear, "I very much like you calling it that." He slides a hand over her stomach, almost to the bottom of her breast, as she sighs in relief, the smile coming back to her face... although her face is also heating up quite a bit! Shane adds, "A lot, actually. I just try to keep my language clean in mixed company because it's what a gentleman does, love. But there's something intimate and arousing about saving that language for the bedroom, hmm? I'm glad you like it, too -- me kissing your tummy, I mean. I want to be able to kiss every lovely inch of your body." With that, he lets his hand wander up to briefly brush the side of her breast in illustration, before dropping away.

Cinnamon is still pink, but she gamely replies, "I -- I -- uhmm, ok-kay? B-bedroom language only." She pauses, considering that... then relaxes a bit. She giggles, adding, "Probably best to go slow on that, too... especially if I keep squeaking each time I say it, darnit!" She flushes a bit more hotly, and has to take a deep breath, before she can add, "I... I-I w-want you to do that t-too, asthore? But, umm... b-but it... I... I, umm, may... m-may need to go a little slowly, puh-p-please? 'Cause this... all th-this is, like... really-r-really new to me!"

Shane actually makes the cross-my-heart gesture, "As slow as you need." He brushes a lock of her hair behind her ear and murmurs, "You have to tell me if the words I say upset you, too... because there are words for your body parts as well. There's one I won't say because about seventy percent of the women I know find it shocking and upsetting. Vagina is the clinical one for the inside; vulva for the outside." He nuzzles in against her hair, his voice a bare, warm breath that sounds similar to how he is when he's feeling quite... frisky, "But words like yoni and pussy are certainly more sensual..."

Cinnamon wriggles happily at the ticklishly delightful nuzzle, then grins shyly, "Y-yoni sounds... sorta mystical? -a-and," she takes a deep breath, "p-pussy, it's... sorta... like, fuzzy and -- and w-warm sounding?" Hastily she adds, in case Shane doesn't like those terms, "Uhmm, though that's just... just m-me, I mean...?" A heartbeat later she blinks, eyes widening, "Oooh, I get it now -- it's a little rooster!" She giggles, adding, "That's why it's standing up and going cock-a-doodle-doo, right?! Though..." She looks consideringly at Shane's lap, where his kilt is tenting quite suggestively, and giggles again, glancing up at his face, "To me, it almost seems more like a snake than a rooster... a happy little snake looking for a nice, warm, safe little burrow to curl up in, maybe?"

Shane's eyes twinkle as he replies, "That would be because yoni is a rather mystical term, acushla... and yes, pussies are soft and warm and lovely to pet..." he nuzzles into Cinnamon's neck and kisses her there, "-and the petting often makes someone purr." Then he chokes on a laugh about it being more like a snake, sitting up again, "Okay... so one goofy slang term for it is 'one-eyed trouser snake.' But I've never had it compared to a serpent before. Then again, you are a reptile much of the time."

Cinnamon giggles a little ticklishly again at the lovely nuzzling, but then sighs happily and almost leans into the kissing... and without realizing, she does indeed make a happy little sound! She giggles again at his last comment, cheerfully adding, "Snakes and lizards are good things -- Sparrow told me all about them! I thi-" She opens her mouth to continue speaking -- but then abruptly remembers her previous thoughts on Sparrow's phrase for Shane: 'Long, tall, and noble' -- and her face goes instantly flame-red! She hesitates for a moment... but when Shane tilts his head to study her face, murmuring, "Acushla?" ...she impulsively decides: she's going to tell him! She's going to trust him and share... because he's been incredibly patient and sharing with her too, after all!

The little dragon takes a deep breath, then grins a bit nervously at Shane, "O-okay... so. So, y-you remember what Sp-p- Sparrow calls you, right? 'L-long, tall, and noble'? Umm... a-and you remember when we were out camping, after helping the Acorn trod, and, umm... y-you asked me if everything was all right, while I was in my tent?" Shane nods slowly, a wryly bemused smile on his lips -- and Cinnamon's brain derails for a few seconds: [eeee, he has such beautifuldelicioussoftyummylipswait wait wait focus here, girl, sheesh!]. It takes her a bit, but eventually the little dragon shyly, stutteringly explains why she made the silly noise in the tent, and what she was thinking just then... though in the here and now she's determinedly staring only at her tightly clasped hands in her lap.

Cinnamon concludes with, "S-so I, umm... I d-don't know if it's really long or not -- your rooster, I mea- ack, n-no! No, c-c-c- -- I mean c-cock!" She winces again, then sighs at how ultrasonically squeaky her voice gets when she's this nervous... but then, despite still being as red as a rooster's comb herself, she doggedly continues, "Darnit! Uhm, where was- ahh -- s-so I don't know if yours is, er, unusual or n-not? 'Cause I, um, haven't seen a lot of them -- oh, or if he's b-been one of your lovers or not, buh-b-but... um..." She hesitates, then glances nervously sideways at Shane, her voice tiny, "Was this... was I, um, just... too much info there, or... or s-something? Anything?"

Shane smiles and kisses Cinnamon's adorable nose, "No, I haven't had sex with Sparrow. I am very much straight. I have kissed a guy or two in the spirit of exploration, under the premise of how do you know if you haven't tried it, but it wasn't my thing -- no sparks... and I think the long and tall in that sentence are redundant. I am...." He clears his throat, "Not to brag; I am somewhat larger than human average, but I'm not a medical oddity."

Cinnamon giggles shyly at the sweet-cute kiss! She thinks a moment... then sighs happily and relaxes, leaning against Shane again -- and this time, wrapping an arm about him as well, "Okay. So can, um... tummy kissing stay a private-intimate thing t-too please?" She's pretty sure he'll say yes, without mocking her or being annoyed... and she's almost surprised at how amazingly... wow, how really calm... cherishing, even... that knowledge feels to her.

Heck, she knows she's amazingly lucky that someone so beautiful and awesome and -- and all around fantastic as Shane is! -is... she giggles internally as the first word that pops into her mind is 'crazy' -- that someone as all-that as Shane is, is crazy enough to really-really like someone as messed up as she is -- or, er, as she appears to be? Positive thinking, right... the little dragon smiles, closing her eyes and resting her cheek against Shane's chest as she remembers a cute saying she saw long ago: 'The goal of life is to find those that are your kind of crazy.' She hopes -- she's starting to maybe believe -- that she's lucky enough to be Shane's kind of crazy... and she'll get to hang around him for a good, long time.

Shane chuckles softly and murmurs, "Any kind of kissing below the neck -- aside from perhaps kissing your hand -- is going to stay private, acushla." He strokes her hair as she rests against his chest. They're making huge strides! This was definite, wonderful progress.

Cinnamon has a lovely, lazy, leisurely morning with her beloved, the next day... which means she's feeling particularly bouncy and exuberant when she and Shane are finally up and about! The little dragon is oddly thrilled at how well last night went -- both the party, and her night with [Ohmygosh my asthore's just the most amazinggorgeouswowsers person!] Shane! As the young couple are making and eating breakfast, and cleaning up from the previous night's party, Cinnamon nearly burbles happily about her thoughts and plans, "-it's only three weeks until the next council so I thought maybe take you and JoJo and Spicy to Greenland if it's okay with Grandfather Shaman but I don't really know any of the Inuit to take Sparrow to go see but maybe he knows some? I dunno I'll ask but then also did you know there's a sushi place on the Street wait you must know it's in your building's basement right? -and Marcus said he'd take me there so I could try raw fish oh! -that reminds me did you know there's actually a fishpond on top of the Elm mansion isn't that weird? and cool?! -and I want to maybe talk to Brynn about trauma like you suggested right and oh! -also I wanted to ask Iason about his comment about Vlad Dracul and a dragon too but that's all I have what're your plans for the day dath�il?!"

Shane listens, grinning as Cinnamon burbles along, nodding in some places and speaking in others, "I know about the sushi place. It's really excellent. You don't so much order food there as take what you're given and understand that it will be amazing." He takes a few bites of his food and considers, "I think... I think talking to Brynn is going to be important for you. You're getting through some of the rubbish your family has instilled in your head, but there's still a lot to try to pry out of there."

Cinnamon had paused to take a big drink of her orange juice, though she blinks interestedly at Shane over the glass at that. After thoughtfully swallowing, she grins a bit wryly, "...ew?" She giggles, adding, "Makes it sound, like... all mucky and icky in my head -- like a swamp or something!" She laughs, then cheerfully notes, "Well, if I see him I'll ask if he can spare me some time then, okay?" Then she tilts her head thoughtfully, "Maybe... maybe he'd like a meal or something? Or -- oh! Does Caradog pay him, like he pays for all the work Iason does?"

Shane looks at her with a gentle smile, "There are still bits of quicksand in there that you get caught in, a ghr�. But I think you'll find Iason quicker than Brynn, so maybe let's go see him and you can leave a message for Brynn... and yes, Caradog pays him. Though other people also trade with him."

Cinnamon nods interestedly, unwittingly skipping right over the 'quicksand' comment! "Okay, cool! Any idea what Brynn needs? Or likes?"

Shane smiles, "He likes sweet treats... and he can always use clothes. He tends to be a little rough on them. You've seen him. His clothes are patched for a reason."

Cinnamon nods thoughtfully as they finish up breakfast, "I can do sweets, sure!" She slings her big (and slightly creaky, from the weight) leather bag over her shoulder and heads out for the day with her [so beautiful Ohmygosh I am so lucky!] sweetheart, "Though why is he rough on his clothes? Er, if it's not rude to ask, I mean?"

Shane grins, "He's part goat. He..." The half-beansidhe seems to be looking for a word, "...gambols. He's a playful creature, and they get torn and mussed."

Cinnamon blinks startledly up at Shane... then bursts out laughing! "Ohmygosh, Shaney, really?! Oh, wow, that must be absolutely adorbs to see!" She giggles, adding, "I bet he's a spiffy dancer too, maybe?"

Shane laughs, "Yes. Yes, he's an excellent dancer. Very graceful." He squeezes her hand as they walk, and eventually nods toward the infirmary doors, "We're here."

Cinnamon giggles happily, "Awesome! Maybe there'll be a block party or something during the year, and I'll get to see him -- or maybe even get to dance with him!" In the same breath she cheerfully adds, "Hi there Nikos are Thorn or Iason available?" A heartbeat later she grins, "No emergency! Just a curiosity visit, please!"

Nikos smiles and waves, "They're both here. Go on back! There are no patients currently."

Cinnamon beams and thanks the little daemon, heading on back with Shane -- and, if he lets her, still holding his hand! She finds Iason and Thorn together in the little herbiary, heads together and looking at the plants as Iason talks about the various wonderful properties of the various herbs. Cinnamon waits until the big centaur looks up, then grins and wavies, "Hi, guys! Um, I hope this isn't a bad time, but I wanted to ask Iason something? I mean, about, er... Vlad Dracul and why he always had a dragon and what that means? ...please? Er -- if that's okay?"

Iason looks up with a smile at the half-beansidhe and dragon as they arrive, "Welcome! It's not a bad time. Vlad Dracul? Well, his totem was the dragon... and he usually had a dragon ally."

Cinnamon nods interestedly, "A, um... zmei?" She blinks, then equally interestedly murmurs, "I wonder... if Veles' zmei knew Vlad?"

Iason nods, smiling, "Indeed; a zmei. I wouldn't know about whether Veles' zmei knew him. Vlad was ancient, and has been dead for a goodly while. But the reason he was so powerful and so well-known was that he lived almost exclusively on dragon blood."

Cinnamon looks intrigued, "Huh! So he was, whatsitcalled... undead?"

Iason blinks, "He was a vampire," then smiles, "better known as Dracula."

Cinnamon blinks again, "Oh! In that case, I wonder if Elias knew him too!" She grins, "Oh, right, good point -- my bad! So... oh! That's why you said that, when I wanted the blood for Elias, right? Because it's another dragon-vampire alliance kinda thingie?"

The centaur nods, "Elias is already very old and more powerful than I think anyone really realizes." He looks around the room, chuckling, "Though I believe the three of you realize more than most. He would never abuse his abilities, though; he's benevolent in the most true sense of the word. But him having a source of dragon blood again? The pair of you will make Coblyn one of the safest places on earth for supernaturals."

Cinnamon's eyes widen a little -- and then she beams, "Oh, yay! That's awesome news -- thank you so much, Iason! I would absolutely love to be able to do really good things like that!" Shane looks... almost awed. Cinnamon misses that as she hesitates, getting a thoughtful expression on her face for a moment before she adds, "Though... wait, are you saying other enclaves are in danger?"

Iason's brows draw together, "No more than usual. But there's a difference between 'safe neighborhood' and 'gated community with 24/7 security patrols'."

Cinnamon tilts her head at Iason, "So... which are you saying Coblyn is, then?"

Iason smiles, "I'm saying Coblyn could be the gated community. Though that may be a bad analogy. All enclaves are gated in some way."

Cinnamon grins rather proudly at Shane, "Well, we've certainly got the awesome security patrolling down pat -- oh! That reminds me: Shaney says I can leave a message for Brynn here! Is that okay? I'd like to talk to him at some point when he's not busy!" She happily makes a mental note to tell Janet, in the little dragon's next letter to Shane's mother, about the lovely things Iason said about Shane in regards to making Coblyn really safe! Being as self-effacing as she is, however, it doesn't occur to Cinnamon to include the news about her being a significant part of that as well!

Iason smiles again, quite broadly, "I'd be happy to take a message for Brynn. He stops in here quite often... sometimes even sees people here if they want some privacy."

Cinnamon beams, "Awesome, thank you so much!" She happily hugs the big centaur in thanks, though Iason (being Iason) knows to bend down to receive hugs from smaller people... so she's not hugging one of his forelegs! Cinnamon's message for Brynn inquires as to whether he'd like to have lunch at her place sometime, so she can ask him about trauma -- and, if he'd like, she'd be happy to have some sweets for dessert for him? Also, could he maybe write up a report, or tell her, or something similar, about how the three supernatural-assassin brothers are coming along? After that she asks Thorn if he's free for a bit, as she'd like to gather up Spice too, and all head to the Elm Mansion... where she's hoping Marcus will be willing to join them at her place for, say, lunch, so the little group can all sort out all the receipts from the Nusantara trip!

Marcus instead invites them all into the Elm Mansion, so he can help out with the organization of the receipts, and he does more than just that as well -- he has a smorgasbord prepared! Sorting receipts isn't the sort of thing one might want to break in the middle of to eat, so instead he has Chef prepare an array of nibblies that can be eaten with one hand, whilst using the other to deal with paperwork. Also provided are tea, coffee, and sweet fizzy drinks that aren't quite like outside-Coblyn sodas. Cinnamon is quite touched at how kind Marcus is being! She and Spice both pull out laptops, and Spice has a small portable printer/scanner as well. After several hours of sorting chronologically, analysis and discussion over which bills go to whom, then more sorting according to group, then photography of the bills which can't be scanned (a banana leaf with numbers scratched on it simply does not go through a scanner, no matter how neatly it is folded!)... the actual numbers can be crunched. While Cinnamon is doing that, the others start printing handouts for all the councilors... including collating and neatly binding all the paperwork into tidy, supernatural-non-allergenic folders.

Cinnamon is also extremely careful with what she's billing the Council for, and what she's intending to cover herself. She has a copy of the Council's Book of Rules with her, and when necessary the little group either asks Jaeger for input, or checks in the book. The elder elf is also present, but mostly for moral support, wandering in and out of the room at random times. He's dressed casually in trousers and a tunic and has ink on his fingers, which he explains is from taking care of Elm correspondence for the upstate trod. In the end, Cinnamon does not argue with either Marcus or Thorn, whenever they note that this or that receipt, or portion of a bill, should be theirs to submit to (respectively) either the Council or Iason... but several times when Cinnamon isn't absolutely sure about whether a bill would be more properly hers or the Council's... she errs on the side of simply taking it herself.

Cinnamon grins at Jaeger at one point, as she notes, "Having your advice will be really good for getting this passed smoothly, I bet, despite it being a really big amount! Hmm... actually, I think I'll go visit with Jarek too before the Council, about this. He is the host for this one, after all."

Jaeger nods, "Indeed. He will be." He laughs warmly, "He may swear somewhat, since he was very glad to get rid of treasurer duties, but it would be a good idea... and he won't be swearing at you -- just near you."

Cinnamon giggles, starting to turn back to her computer -- but then blinks and exclaims, "Oh! Actually, Jaeger? Can I ask you a question about, umm... a really long-ago council meeting? I'm hoping you saw this incident, since I really would love some guidance on this... but were you there that time that Liam just... took the 'Dispossessed' peoples? The indigenous folks up in the North American arctic?"

Jaeger blinks, stroking his chin, "Was I there? Yes."

Cinnamon adds almost apologetically, "I'm asking because I'm trying to figure out how one tells folks that they have a new councilor... without it sounding like some sort of... like, insult or forgetfulness or indifference or something, you know?" She sighs, adding, "The ones I've met are really nice people, and I really don't want to be rude to them even by accident... or have them think I don't really want them or anything, you know? So... how was that done, please? Do you know?" She knows she likely could have asked Marcus the same question, about the southern Europeans... but she really doesn't want to potentially hurt Marcus' feelings by doing so!

Jaeger settles, half-perching on the arm of a settee and making it look graceful rather than uncouth, "The councilor who covered them at that time was not one of Josie's ancestors. They were not even of her tribe. They were a lynx shifter, and lynxes are not the best at being pack-minded. The people you're speaking of were so far away, and so different in their culture, that the councilor had a hard time keeping them happy."

Cinnamon nods curiously as she listens, "Elias said there was an argument between that councilor, and someone else -- the Siberian councilor, maybe? -- and it was so bad that Liam just finally lost his temper and said he'd take them. But... while I think both Sparrow and Josie would do an awesome job, I want to be sure the people themselves are happy about it too, you know? That's what I'm worried about doing right."

Jaeger nods gracefully, "Oh, indeed. So, the Siberian councilor -- that is to say, the councilor who was covering those parts of Eastern Europe at the time -- was arguing about taking them. It got heated. Liam, being the person he was, finally just... well... snapped. He didn't go on a rampage or any such thing, of course. He simply lost his temper and did what the Thirteenth Chair does: he made a decision as a deciding vote, and voted to take them himself. I honestly think he thought it would be easier and better for them to take them on than to have them being handled by either councilor." Cinnamon listens, wide-eyed and fascinated -- she loves hearing about her great-great-great, even if she's sure she couldn't ever be as amazingly cool and confident as Liam! Jaeger continues, "After that, messengers were sent letting the peoples that had been transferred know that they would now fall under Liam's protection. I can't remember exactly how it was worded... very diplomatically, I'm certain, and likely with much research as to how to make it respectful to those tribes and peoples."

Cinnamon nods slowly, "Okay... okay, then... then I just have to find those notes, right? Or... hm. I was planning on taking Josie and some other folks to meet the Greenlanders I know, and I should ask Sparrow if he knows any of the Inuit... but visits and verbal reassurance from me and those notes... that should be okay, shouldn't it? Do you think?" She's worried about this, but she trusts Jaeger's wisdom -- and she's already made a mental note to check with Elias and Llewellyn too. If anyone would be able to easily turn up some copies of the notes sent, Cinnamon figures it'd be one of those two!

Thorn looks up and raises a pencil, "Um, maybe joint messages from both the, uh, outgoing councilor and incoming? With all the necessary research to make them culturally appropriate and diplomatic, and stressing that it's more administrative instead of disciplinary?"

Cinnamon nods to Thorn with a smile, "Right, I figure it should be something like that -- good point!"

Thorn adds, "If you really want to underline it, meet with them, with both councilors, if time permits."

Cinnamon nods again, "That's why I'd like to take Sparrow to meet some Inuit too, if he knows any." She adds hopefully, "Would you like to come, Thorny, on these trips? Spice, would you like to come with Josie on the Greenland one?"

Thorn nods, "Oh, sure! It'll give me a chance to help out with any supernatural injuries or diseases that there might be.""

Cinnamon beams, "Thank you!" She looks even more hopeful as she glances at Shane too! She's trying hard not to look too obviously at Shane and Marcus, of course... but she thinks it'd be a lot of fun if they came too!

Spice grins, "Where JoJo goes, I go... mostly. I'm stuck like fuckin' glue to my lady."

Shane chuckles at that -- he knows that feeling only too well! "I'm going, obviously. Someone has to wrangle all the dragon gear."

Marcus looks curious, "Is this the same place we went before? With all the colorful clothing?"

Cinnamon beams delightedly at Shane and Spice, "Awesome!" -- then smiles and shakes her head at Marcus, "No, I don't think you were there for that visit. Are you thinking of the council meeting in Iceland?"

Marcus ahhs and nods, "Yes. Iceland. Not Greenland. Then I would be quite interested. It would be seeing somewhere I've never been." As if he would have said no to going to Iceland again. Shane arches a brow at him. That wasn't quite a lie, but it was certainly some fancy verbal footwork.

Cinnamon blinks a bit confusedly at Marcus, "Um, well, while you're welcome to come along if you'd like... are you saying you didn't like Iceland? Because... well, if that was, like, too cold for you? Greenland's going to be even colder, y'know?" She pauses, considering for a moment, then adds, "Well, it is spring there. I don't know how much it warms up during spring."

Marcus shakes his head, "That's not what I'm saying. I very much liked Iceland. I meant that seeing Greenland will be lovely." He smiles, "-and I promise I will bundle up very warm and not wander off and freeze to death."

Cinnamon grins uncertainly at Marcus, "Yyyyeah, no -- don't go wandering off or anything, please!" Her glance at him is a bit bemused -- she feels a bit like she missed something there, but she's not sure what? She adds to everyone else, "Okay then! I'll send a message to Sparrow, and another to... I think Elias and Llewellyn? -and then we can finish up here -- oh! I should ask Merial if she'd like to hear the hydroponics talk with Jiajun too!" She beams at Jaeger as she adds, "Thank you so much for the advice!" Jaeger nods and pats Cinnamon fondly on the cheek before wandering out again. He somehow manages to make meandering look graceful and not a bit pointless.

Cinnamon giggles softly at that, then sends out all her messages before returning to finishing up the billing work with her friends... and results come trickling back in. The message from Llewellyn says he certainly has the minutes from that meeting as well as the official copies of the letters should they wish to come and look at them. Cinnamon gives an excited squeal when that message arrives, and happily shares it with her friends -- how exciting! She makes plans to call �mak that night, to see if a trip can be arranged for later in the week. Muriel seems interested in the hydroponics, but also somewhat leery. Sparrow's reply is that he doesn't know any Inuit folk, but he knows a pair of Aleut brothers. Elias' response is that he doesn't have the info Cinnamon wants, but he suggests she should contact Llewellyn for it. Overall, Cinnamon is quite pleased!

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Last modified: 2025-Feb-25 17:51:49

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