Goblin Town -- Logs

Cinnamon happily spends the rest of that day working on learning Mandarin Chinese, so it's heading into late afternoon when she gets a knock on her door. It turns out to be Hilde again, hand-delivering her invitation to have the next council meeting in Iceland -- and taking a moment to thank Cinnamon for having the idea. Hilde laughs, explaining that the local enclave (when called) had first checked that Hilde remembered it would be very! Cold! there at this time of year -- but at her cheerful agreement, and lack of concern, the ljosaelfar became both delighted and excited at the prospect of getting to host a council meeting. Both young women giggle together when they quietly agree there's no need to mention Killa at all, should anyone ask anything regarding the choice of Iceland! Instead they share mugs of hot chocolate as they chat together a bit... and shortly thereafter Hilde's on her way again -- she has more invites to either hand-deliver or drop off for posting, after all!

Cinnamon beams as she studies the invite. Not only is it beautifully calligraphed in a lovely shade of ink and on thick, rich paper -- but it's also her first official one, addressed specifically to her! She sets the pretty thing down on her mantlepiece, then makes a note to find out what kind of clothing is necessary to stay warm in Iceland, so she knows what to get for the trip. After that she checks the time and a time zones map for the Americas.

Hmm... while she doesn't know where Killa and retinue are precisely, it looks like (at worst) they'll be either one hour behind, or two hours ahead of her. Also, it's not really evening yet, so... should be okay! The little dragon happily texts Daniella: Hi, Daniella! Did you all get home safely? How are you feeling? Are Killa and Jes�s taking enough time to let themselves heal? A moment later she blinks, then grins ruefully as she adds, Just to check so I'm not being rude: are you the only one that reads your phone? Like do you have a password or somesuch on it? The little dragon would like to comment about her finagling in regards to Iceland, of course... but not if anyone else might see it! She doesn't want to even accidentally get poor Daniella into trouble.

It only takes a moment for a response to come back: I am the only one. My lord barely knows how a phone works, and no one else touches it.

Cinnamon laughs aloud at that, then cheerfully types, Awesome! So how are you and everyone else? Also I think I have some good news for you!

Daniella returns, Everyone is well. Jes�s is recovering on light duty and my lord is almost his old self again. What is this good news?

Cinnamon beams almost proudly as she swiftly types, Remember how you said you wished Killa would take the next council meeting off, and send a rep, so he could heal? Well, I talked to Hilde... and the next meeting is going to be in Iceland! She giggles softly to herself as she adds, I hope that's helpful for you!

It's a little longer before the next response, but Daniella is obviously pleased, Iceland is possibly the most inimical place I could think of for it to be. That is excellent news! It's followed a few minutes later by, I will thank Hilde for this.

Cinnamon bounces excitedly, whispering a pleased, "Yay! Yay, I did good!" to herself... then settles down enough to cheerfully type back, I'm so glad you like it! Hilde knows to keep the reasoning quiet, no problem. Also, I'm guessing it'll be you that has to go to Iceland, right? Is there anything I can do to help you there?

Yes. I have people I trust to stay with my lord. But with things in flux, I will be his proxy. I will let you know if I have things I need help with when things are closer. Cinnamon cheerfully agrees to help however she can, and wishes Daniella the best in caring for her people and Killa... then bids the woman a good night before signing off. She's well pleased -- it looks like she's guessed right on how to help, again! Maybe she's starting to get the hang of this councilmember stuff?

The next day is when Jalil has promised to teach Cinnamon how to make Turkish coffee -- she's kind of excited! Of all the reveal faction, Nasteexo and Jalil seem the friendliest to her, and she'd like to get to know Jalil better. This, she hopes, is a good first step in doing so! Consequently she wears one of her nice blouses that Liane tailored specially for her, and makes a careful effort at a French braid again. She's been practicing those! She's not as smooth and quick at them as Shane is, of course... but while checking the results in her mirror, she decides that she's not too shabby at it!

Cinnamon has also read and heard that Turkish coffee is often served with something sweet. While she doesn't know of a Mediterranean sweets shop on Coblyn, she's found a nearby one in Boston proper, and placed an order to be picked up this morning! Checking out the store's website, she hadn't been able to decide which sweet sounded best, nor had she known if Jalil had a favorite -- and so she'd ordered a little bit of several sweets, so there'd hopefully be something they'd both enjoy a lot! Cinnamon figures that between baklava, Turkish delight, Turkish almond cookies, and something intriguing called tulumba tatlisi -- a crispy-fried, churro-like thing soaked in lemon syrup -- there should be at least one that pleases Jalil!

The little dragon collects up her purse, carefully locks up her little house, then patters off to collect her Turkish sweets sampler box before meeting with Jalil. She returns to Coblyn about an hour later, a big shopping bag on one arm and her eyes sparkling with anticipation -- these sweets smell simply divine!

Jalil himself meets Cinnamon at his door, and welcomes her in. He's wearing surprisingly modern clothes, at least from the waist down. His pants are blue jeans, and he has a pair of leather thong sandals. His shirt, however, is a deep blue tunic embroidered at the collar, sleeves, and hem in gold and silver. He smiles warmly at her, his dark glasses in place, "I am glad you could come and see me! Please, please, be welcome!" Beside the door there are several pairs of cloth slippers in various sizes.

Cinnamon beams up at Jalil, "Thank you!" She offers the big bag, adding, "I hope it's okay -- I brought some Mediterranean sweets as a thank you gift for your taking the time to be so nice and instruct me!" As she steps in, she blinks down at the slippers... then oohs, "Is this, like... good manners says I leave outdoor shoes here, and wear slippers inside? I read about something similar in some of the Asian countries too?"

Jalil smiles wider and takes the sweets, "These will be lovely! Turkish coffee is very strong, and having a sweet helps to offset that for someone that is not used to it." He nods at the question, "Yes, that is the custom. The shoes I am wearing are my inside shoes. Please," he motions to the slippers, "I promise that they are very clean. They are cleaned and made sure that they are purified between anyone that might wear them."

Cinnamon smiles as she toes off her sneakers and tries on a pair of slippers, testing until she finds a good size for her feet, "Happy to, Jalil! I want to learn proper behavior, after all -- both for the Turkish coffee ceremony and for your culture." She pads after Jalil once she has a good pair, cheerfully adding, "I love learning new things!" She hesitates... then shyly adds, "Besides, if the Turkish culture is like your beautiful clothing, it must be really amazingly gorgeous!"

Jalil smiles, "Many cultures in that part of the world are fond of decoration and bright colors." He gestures for Cinnamon to follow him, though instead of passing through to a kitchen, he heads into a room which contains (among other things) a low table with a burner on it. There are two coffee cups, two saucers, a cezve, spoons, a plate with sugar cubes and tongs, a glass pitcher of water, and a small canister with an airtight lid.

Cinnamon looks around in fascination, though she's careful to follow Jalil's lead. She doesn't want to accidentally be rude, after all! The fire spirit motions for Cinnamon to sit down, "Please, sit. I'll return with some plates for all these lovely treats. It's just you and I here today. I've given everyone else time to do whatever they'd like today."

Cinnamon beams, "Okay! Thank you!" She glances around thoughtfully, guessing that the fat cushions by the low table are what you're supposed to sit on. Excellent! With Jalil out of the room, she can settle herself without fear of looking clumsy or comical while dealing with a new-to-her sitting arrangement. She nudges one of the cushions back, kneels carefully by the table -- not quite on all fours -- and reaches behind herself to pull the cushion back under her bottom as she slowly and carefully settles back into a sitting position. She's likely a bit... ungraceful, but she decides with relief that she didn't do anything too embarrassing!

Jalil is gone long enough for Cinnamon to get comfortably settled before he comes back with a tray on which he has arranged the sweets. He moves to sit beside her rather than across from her, as he puts the tray down, "Now. Turkish coffee is different than most coffees. Most coffee you are used to, the grounds are strained out or the water is poured over them in a filter. In Turkish coffee the grounds are very, very fine, and they are poured into the cup with the coffee. You let them settle to the bottom. My favorite blend also has some cardamom in it." He starts to pour water into one of the small cups and then into the small, long-handled brass pot, "Do you usually like your coffee sweet?"

Cinnamon nods interestedly as Jalil explains, then pauses at his query. After a moment she replies, "I... don't really know, actually. I'm starting to think I've never had good coffee, you know? My pa- er, my birth parents always drank instant coffee, which I detested, so I've usually had tea." She grins excitedly, "Can we experiment?"

Jalil nods, "We can. Do you like your tea sweet?"

Cinnamon nods, "For the more black and bitter teas -- yes, please!"

The djinn nods and smiles again, "Then we will start with az seker... a little sweet." His teeth flash slightly as he adds, "Like you." Cinnamon blinks at the compliment -- then blushes hotly! He laughs warmly and pours the water into the pot with one sugar cube, two teaspoons of the soft, fluffy coffee grounds, and the one and a half little cups' worth of water he measured out. As he keeps working, the little dragon grins a bit embarrassedly at herself, sternly reminding herself to focus! He puts the little pot on the flame of the small burner he has on the table, and begins to stir, "You mustn't let the water boil. That will make the coffee bitter. Coffee should not be bitter. It should be strong, yes -- but not bitter."

Cinnamon nods at the instructions, leaning forward to watch with intense interest, "So... so the stirring is to keep it from a big, bubbly boil?"

Jalil nods, "Yes -- and to make sure that the grounds and the sugar are mixed properly. I use sugar cubes, so I want to make sure they dissolve. Some people use granulated sugar." He is watching carefully, and motions her to lean in with him, "Watch. We are waiting for a fine foam to form around the edge. That is important."

Cinnamon nods again, leaning forward and pushing her glasses up so she can see really well. Her voice is soft when she murmurs eventually, "Oh! There, there... is that it? Is that the bubbling starting?" A moment later she thoughtfully adds, "How pretty... look! You can see a rainbow shimmer on the bubbles that are at the edge there!"

Jalil has stopped stirring by now and he nods, turning to smile down at Cinnamon as she concentrates on the surface of the coffee. The smile is warm and a little secret, since she cannot see his face due to the way she is concentrating on watching the foam... "Yes. Quite lovely." He raises the cevze and carefully pours the foam into the tiny coffee cup, or fincan, "This is called raising the coffee." He puts the cevze back on the heat for a few seconds longer, "I like to raise the coffee twice." He prepares the coffee of the second rising for Cinnamon: carefully pouring it into the fincan, then wiping away little drips from around the edge of the small cup before offering it to her -- she is the guest, even if he is far older than she is. "Let it sit to give the grounds a moment to settle. Feel free to nibble something while you wait and while I brew my own."

Cinnamon misses Jalil's observation of her -- she's quite engrossed in the gentle foaming of the coffee! She sits back again when he raises the coffee, her eyes wide with enthusiastic interest, "Cool! Why is it called 'raising,' do you know?" She carefully accepts the delicate little cup with both hands, unconsciously applying Japanese ideas of respect to this rather attractive ritual moment... and at Jalil's instructions, she gently settles the cup onto the saucer, then beams at Jalil again, "Okay! So do you have a favorite kind of sweet? Did I manage to accidentally get one you really like, maybe?"

Jalil explains, "You are allowing the foam to rise... to the top." For his own, he adds three sugar cubes before putting the coffee pot on the burner, adding, "You brought Turkish delight. I must admit that I am probably overly fond of sweets." He stirs the coffee gently for a minute, watching it carefully before stopping. Long, agile fingers reach for one jelly-like, sugar-dusted cube and pop it into his mouth before he goes back to watching the coffee.

Cinnamon beams happily, not quite wriggling with pleasure on the big cushion -- she found something he liked, yay! She's trying a bit of the tulumba tatlisi... and discovering that it's definitely one of those 'lick your fingers clean' types of nibblies! She's completely unselfconscious about licking her fingertips -- though if she realized she was being observed, she'd likely turn red as a beet! When she's done she makes a happy 'mmm!' sound, then grins sheepishly, "Sorry! Just never had this before -- I think I really like the lemon syrup!"

Jalil laughs, "Many sweets from that part of the world are very syrupy!" He finishes brewing his own coffee and sits back, letting the grounds settle with a happy sigh, "It is good to have a quiet moment with friends."

Cinnamon beams at that! She finds she'd like to be friends with Jalil, if this is what he's like when away from the Council. With a small, contented sigh, she nods, "I agree!" Then she grins teasingly, "After all, I really like sweets too -- so if we're going to be overly fond of them, let's do so away from folks that try to make you feel guilty about it, right?"

Jalil laughs at that and nods, "Let it be our little secret, eh?"

Cinnamon giggles happily and nods! She nibbles one of the Turkish delights, then grins as she adds, "Have you ever read the Narnia books? The first one mentions Turkish delight, which meant I so wanted to find out what it was! It was great fun the first time I found a shop that had some." She blushes a bit as she admits with a shy grin, "I... bought it on the sly, so my birth family didn't find out... and ate it all myself, over several days!" She giggles as she concludes, "So I guess I already have a history of secret sweet loving!"

Jalil clucks his tongue, "You should never have to hide from your true family. I have not read these books. But I am glad you found something you enjoyed from them."

Cinnamon smiles thoughtfully, "Hmm... I think I agree, Jalil -- true family loves you regardless, don't they?" She considers the fire spirit for a moment, over her tiny coffee cup, before she slowly adds, "If it's not rude to ask... you have true family, yes? People who love you for who you are?"

Jalil smiles, "I have people who love me. When you are my age, keeping family can be difficult."

Cinnamon nods gravely, "I'm starting to realize that, from observation of others." She muses silently as she lightly taps up the last bits of powdered sugar with a finger, then thoughtfully licks it clean as she thinks... then looks up at Jalil again, "Is that... um, again: if it's not rude to ask? Is that why you want to reveal to the humans? Do you love humans, or something similar?"

Jalil nods relaxedly, "I do love humans... and I think that the world suffers from the separation between the humans and the divine. Just look at the way they have misinterpreted all the joy that was given to them?"

Cinnamon looks both intrigued and puzzled, "How do you mean, please?"

Jalil sips his coffee for a moment, "They are meant to love one another. Be kind to one another. Help one another." He makes a motion, "Instead..." he just shakes his head, "They are cut off from the light."

Cinnamon is silent as she considers that carefully... then slowly, she muses aloud, "Do you mean like... like how Christianity is about this guy that says to do unto others like you'd like to be done yourself... and in his name, supposedly, there've been inquisitions and crusades and stuff?" A heartbeat later she blinks as she realizes Jalil is drinking the coffee! She watches carefully how he does it... then with delicate fingers she lifts the tiny cup and has a slow sip of her own. She tilts her head as she lets the coffee roll across her tongue... then looks slightly surprised. What a lot of -- of flavorfulness! This is so much nicer than what her mother used to make! Cinnamon swallows, a bit of surprise in her voice, "Wow, coffee is good!"

Jalil laughs warmly, "Most things are better when they are prepared correctly. If your parents drank instant coffee, they were drinking something that had been taken far, far from its roots. Some people simply prefer to get caffeine however they can." He takes another quiet sip of his coffee, then continues, "I mean exactly that. People have, as I have heard some British people say, lost the plot."

Cinnamon nods slowly, having another delicious sip of coffee as she ruminates -- and savors the coffee! After swallowing, she curiously asks, "How would you help them see the light again? I mean... well, I've been talking to as many folks as I can, trying to understand the reasons people have for their opinions, but I've also realized that, er..." she doesn't want to name names, so she hedges slightly, "some of them, um... don't really seem to have a plan past, ahhh... sort of jumping out and going, 'Tadaaaa! Here we are!'" She grins sheepishly as she adds, "Sorry, I don't mean to sound flippant... I just don't know how else to say it, you know?" She grins slightly to herself as she realizes: actually, that really does kind of sound like the non-plan which Marcus related to her!

Jalil considers, "I do not think we should just reveal ourselves, all at once. I believe we should begin with the most faithful." He smiles slightly, "Not the... ah... zealots that are so zealous as to seem untrustworthy. But those that have strong faith -- the ones that believe strongly but know themselves to be trustworthy in their own minds... and then, slowly, to those who have faith but who might not be truly convinced of it."

Cinnamon hmms... "Like... the devout that aren't all about smiting the heathen, sort of? Those types of folks?"

Jalil nods, "Yes. The devout who are not using their ideals for hate."

Cinnamon blinks at an interesting thought, "Oh! Aren't you... like, in the Muslim holy book too? The, er... is it ifreeti, or djinni that are in... the Koran, that's it!" She frowns as she tries to remember, "Or... am I thinking of the Thousand and One Nights...?" She tilts her head, "No, wait... you're older than Islam, aren't you?"

Jalil laughs, "Yes, we are in that book -- and yes, I am older than Islam. But for us to be in the book, we had to be around when the book was written, yes?"

Cinnamon grins as she nods, "Good point, yes!" She tilts her head thoughtfully as she adds, "So you don't see yourself as demanding worship, I take it, but more like... showing humans how to find joy in... in their spiritual lives, maybe? -and their regular lives too?"

Jalil snorts a quiet laugh, "Worship me? No. I do not demand worship. Respect, yes... but not worship. I see myself as showing humans how to respect one another, as well as the great spirit of creation that wants them all to care for one another... to better themselves and one another."

Cinnamon sighs softly, her gaze distant as she sits with the delicate little coffee cup held gently between her fingers, "Wow, that... that sounds really nice, Jalil. I hope that someday you can do that -- get the humans to treat themselves and each other more kindly." She takes a deep breath and sighs it out, then smiles wryly at the djinn, "Look at me getting all moony... sorry about that." She has another sip of coffee, then thoughtfully adds, "Is that why you want to re-parcel out the territories, then? I initially thought it was just 'cause you had the hugest land mass to handle... but now I wonder if it's so the councilmembers have to spend more time around their new people, or something -- and in learning more about their people, maybe they'll do more with their people too?"

Jalil says slowly, "There are a lot of reasons for that. Some is that yes, I have a lot of land mass... and not all the people under my care are actually 'my' people... and some is that... well... it is hard to explain. I want everyone to look at who they are representing -- to really understand the people they are holding under their care. There is wider contact now; there is less isolationism. I... worry. I am concerned that there may be people who are not properly represented. Aoi, for instance, is supposed to represent India... or perhaps Snow is. But... I believe neither of them understand the Hindu gods and spirits."

Cinnamon nodnods with enthusiasm, "Right?! I've been learning as fast and as much as I can about my peoples -- and I even met one while sailing on the Atlantic -- and his first comment to me was 'where did you learn my language?!'" She grins as she adds with a bit of embarrassment, "He, ah... tried to eat me first, so we were... a bit, um... wary of his trying again." She realizes just how weird that sounds, and hastily adds, "Oh, and um he was a shark shapeshifter!" Then she adds more wistfully, "But, umm... I'd really like to understand all the relevant gods and spirits? I'm just not entirely sure how to find them all, you know? So, um... how do you find them?"

Jalil actually laughs about the 'tried to eat me' bit, but it's not a mean laugh. He, after all, comes from a land where there are dangerous beings -- he himself is actually a dangerous being, "Honestly? Sometimes you just have to go and look. I spent a year in the jungles, once, finding nameless nature spirits. It was wonderful -- and tiring."

Cinnamon's eyes widen in fascination, "A year?! We can do that -- just leave for a while? That's okay for councilmembers?"

Jalil smiles, "If you have someone you can trust with your proxy, yes. I did at the time -- and this was... decades ago."

Cinnamon beams excitedly, "How cool! Maybe I'll go visit some of the Arctic indigenous peoples after the next council meeting in Iceland, then!" She thinks for a moment, then interestedly adds, "So you don't have any particular terrain changes in mind, I take it... so much as that you want folks to take the time to really know the people they're supposed to be representing?"

Jalil's voice is thoughtful, "I want people to think about it... and if the changes are needed, to make them." He shrugs, "The world has changed since the council was created, and there have been many changes just in the last handful of years." He smiles, "I hope you understand my mind a bit better now."

Cinnamon blushes a bit, but answers readily, "I would like to think so, but to be honest I was more interested in maybe making friends than just, umm..." she waves a hand, searching for the right phrase, "like... oh, just picking your brain, you know?" She grins shyly as she adds, "I mean, j-just if you want to, of course... er, b-be friends, I mean?"

Jalil nods and smiles, "I would like that very much, Cinnamon. Friends are important."

Cinnamon nearly glows with happiness, "Okay! -and I so agree!" After that she's happy to just sit and chat with Jalil, if he wishes -- sipping and appreciating the coffee, nibbling the sweets, and (if he'll help her to do so) perhaps even trying to make the next round of coffee so she can both serve him too, and show him she's learned well!

It's near noon on a cool, brisk fall day, and Cinnamon has just spent the morning getting the Council's accounting books from Jarek -- along with a thorough run-down on what the job necessitates. She's quite concerned to do the best job she can for folks, after all! Plus she's fascinated by what different councilors wish to be paid with... though, of course, that won't affect her professionalism. She's happily pattering back to her house for lunch, her arms full of the large, heavy books as she hums happily to herself, and cheerfully greets those she knows. Thus, when she spots Aisling she naturally calls out with a smile, "Afternoon, Aisling! How're you doing?"

Aisling smiles as she spots the happily bustling little dragon. The beansidhe has been enjoying watching Cinnamon blossom, though Aisling has also been somewhat mischievous in the way she's been nudging it along. "I'm doing well! You seem to be having a good day. Settling into your new role?"

Cinnamon beams and nodnods, pausing and slinging the large book bag over her shoulder for a moment. As she brushes back her bangs and whew!s quietly, she grins, "Working on it, at least? But I figure if I want to help, doing something I know how to do well is a good start, right?"

Aisling nods, "Of course! Offering what we're good at is how we help our communities. Forcing ourselves into niches that don't fit us is how people end up discontent and angry." Her yellow eyes twinkle, "Oh! Can you do me a favor? You seem to be headed the right direction for it, and it would make my day a lot less hectic. You know how trying to run up and down the whole street can be, when you've got eight errands on the north end and that one errand that's all the way down on the south end."

Cinnamon laughs ruefully as she glances down the angled bit of Coblyn Street that they can both see, before it jags around a corner and disappears, "Oh, yeah, totally get that! I've gotten so I try to sort my errands out and do them by where they land on the street, in fact!" She grins as she looks back at Aisling, "Sure, what do you need? As long as it doesn't involve, like... live chess games, or flying a jet through Coblyn, I'm game?" She giggles to herself at the thought of attempting to fly a jet through Coblyn... considering some of the wiggly street's turns and corners are shorter than a jet itself would be! Yeah, no... she has enough trouble walking some of them as a dragon!

Aisling laughs and reaches into the little cross-body satchel she wears, retrieving a folded piece of paper. She takes out a small pencil -- many denizens seem to carry them instead of pens -- and jots down a quick note before folding the paper again and handing it to Cinnamon, "Can you get this to Shane for me? I need him to do a couple of things for me, and messages are best delivered in person around here... especially given some of the errands I need him to do for me."

Cinnamon brightens a bit as she accepts the note, "Oh, sure! No problem... I am kinda heading towards his home, after all." She considers, then grins, "Well, not that he stays there much during the day, but I can always slide the note under his door. Is that acceptable too?" She figures that Shane's apartment is actually a bit past her own... but no worries! She's happy to talk to Shane for a bit, for Aisling. Maybe they can do lunch at the same time! She grins, cautioning herself: he might be busy, after all -- he does actually have a job here to do!

Aisling nods, "That works as well. I don't know anyone here that would be so foolish as to break into Shane's place."

Cinnamon blinks -- then laughs at that! "Yeah, that'd be silly!" She beams cheerfully at Aisling as she carefully tucks the note into a pocket, "OK, I'll get it right to him, if he's home!" As she shifts the book bag back around to hold it in her arms, like Shane taught her to protect against thieves, she waves a hand, "Have a nice day, Aisling!" The beansidhe smiles and waves back before turning and heading off down Coblyn. In truth, she knows for a fact that Shane is home. She saw him earlier today and knew he was headed that way.

Cinnamon is singing quietly to herself, her already good mood improved: she might get to see Shane today for lunch! Usually she eats alone, after all... wait, wait, mustn't get her hopes up! He is a busy man, after all! She leaves the accounting books in her cozy little home, then self-consciously tidies her hair a bit as she goes pattering down the street towards Shane's apartment. It certainly is a lovely day today!

Cinnamon climbs the stairs to Shane's apartment, then pauses for a moment to pant and catch her breath... then patters over to knock on the door. From the way the curtains are tied back, she's guessing he's home! She waits for a few seconds... then decides it's best not to appear too eager, right? She turns, resting her hands on the wrought-metal banister as she looks out over the section of Coblyn she can see here... and smiles and waves if she spots anyone she knows.

Being who he is and doing the kinds of things he does, Shane tends to always answer his door -- after all, there's always the possibility that it's an emergency. The half-beansidhe would be called a paladin by some, but he makes a living doing whatever needs doing, and he doesn't see anything as beneath him. As a result, he had been out earlier doing some literal heavy lifting for one of the shopkeepers on Coblyn, getting rather dusty, dirty, and sweaty. Consequently, he's in the shower when Cinnamon shows up.

Naturally, Shane isn't the least bit body shy either -- so all he does is grab a towel and wrap it around his hips before he answers the door. His hair is slicked wetly down his back and there's water still beaded on his chest as he holds the door open with one hand, "Oh, Cinnamon! Is everything OK, acushla?"

Cinnamon swings around at the sound of the opening door, a smile on her face as she says cheerfully, "Hi, Shane! Aisling asked me to give youuuu... uwww... wuuuuhhh..." Her eyes go very wide, and her voice trails off as if she's forgotten she was speaking -- as her shocked and fascinated gaze travels slowly down Shane's front, all the way to his wet, bare toes... then comes back up again... though there seems to be a visual gravity well at about the level of Shane's chest -- she can't seem to get her fascinated gaze any higher than that!

Seconds later, Cinnamon abruptly realizes her mouth is still hanging open! So, despite turning a bright tomato red right up to her hairline, she makes a truly heroic effort to force her eyes up to Shane's face! She manages a determined (almost rictus, in fact!) smile onto her face as she fumbles for the note in her pocket. Shoving her hand out with a piece of paper in it, she doggedly makes herself continues, "Uhh, w-wh... r-right! She w-wants you t-t-towel th-this, uh... th-this note!"

Shane smiles and lets go of the door, taking the time to tuck the towel into itself so it will stay put now... that he see it's not a tearing emergency. If it were, Cinnamon's demeanor would have been a lot more urgent -- and she wouldn't have been simply watching the street, "Sorry it took me so long to get to the door. I was rinsing my hair... shampoo in the eyes sucks. Even if it's good, all-natural shampoo." He's grinning a little, though being a gentleman, he doesn't want to make her feel any more embarrassed than she obviously already is right now -- so he doesn't mention the slip of the tongue. He reaches for the paper, arching a brow and feeling a little quizzical as he realizes that he saw Aisling less than two hours ago...?

Cinnamon blushes hotly again, though this time it's due to chagrin, "Oh! Oh, I'm s-so sorry, Shane -- I, I d-didn't mean to interrupt y-your shower!" She dithers for a second, then decides she shouldn't wait for Shane to read the note -- it might be private, after all! Plus, escape from incandescence is sounding really good right now... so she vaguely waves one hand, "I, uh, I, I, er -- I'll j-just head out nowsorrydon'tmindme!" The last bit comes out in a rush over her shoulder -- as she nearly flees the premises in embarrassment! As she clatters hastily down the stairs she's fiercely berating herself, as well -- she'd had the strongest urge, when waving her hand, to just... lightly stroke Shane's chest! She scowls, muttering to herself, "Oh my gosh, really, Cinnamon?! Rude, much?!"

Shane blinks as Cinnamon flees down the stairs and then down the street. It takes him a few minutes, in fact, to look down at the 'note' in his hand... and realize that it's a hand-written receipt from Astrid at the bookshop -- for a few "imported" sci-fi novels. He grins as he realizes Cinnamon was so flustered that she handed him the wrong piece of paper! Well, that's easily enough fixed: he'll just get dressed, go find her, and get the actual note. Also, part of him is rather pleased that Cinnamon clearly liked what she saw! He's humming as he closes the door. He does need to finish his shower, but that'll only take a few minutes...

It won't be until a block or two later, in fact, that it will hit Cinnamon as she's going through her pockets: she still has Aisling's note! Cinnamon must have handed one of her receipts to Shane by accident, due to her shock at seeing Shane almost n-n-naked! Unfortunately the little dragon is far, far too embarrassed to go back and ask for Shane again.

Back at his apartment, Shane takes a very deep breath and steps back into his home, closing and locking the door. Either Aisling set Cinnamon up, or the little dragon gave him the wrong note! Regardless, he closes his eyes and counts down from ten. That had been... a close one. Having good biofeedback training has saved Shane in a lot of situations. It allows him to control his pulse rate and respiration, and slow down speeding thoughts. It also allows him to keep control of his body in more visceral -- more... sexual ways. Because watching Cinnamon's gaze slide down his body, and seeing her eyes widen, and hearing that Freudian slip? If he hadn't been able to keep control of his body's vascular system, things might have gotten very awkward -- because towels really, really don't hide much! Shane may not be porn-star proportions, but he has gotten some very pleased comments on the proportions he does have.

But now Cinnamon has scampered off again, so he can get back to his shower and stop controlling his vascular system. He drapes the towel back over the towel bar and turns the water back on before stepping under the spray. The half-beansidhe closes his eyes and relaxes, letting his body's natural response to his acushla's lovely smile, and her nearness and obvious appreciation, just... happen... and then he does the only thing he's been allowing himself to do to relieve that reaction.

Shane had quickly realized the little dragon really didn't understand the very laissez-faire attitudes on physical affection and sex in the supernatural community. That meant if he wanted to be hers, he'd have to be only hers. Fortunately, that's something he'd absolutely and gladly do! So, instead of spending time in a friend's bed, he's spent a lot of time (a lot more time than he'll ever admit) taking care of himself.

His head hangs forward and down, one hand braced on the shower wall as he imagines leaning in to kiss the sweet, shy little woman who's stolen his heart and affections. The other hand he slides over his chest and down his stomach, allowing himself to imagine she's not afraid to touch him... that she trusts him enough to know he's not going anywhere. He groans, imagining what it would be like to be so intimate and trusting with her... though he can't allow himself to take long. It's quite possible she'll figure out she's given him the wrong piece of paper, and return -- and if she doesn't, he'll take this one to her. Being here, thinking heated and sweet thoughts about her, is something he cherishes... but getting to see her and her actual smile? Better.

After some very happy thoughts, Shane washes carefully -- he knows both Liam and Cinnamon had and have that keen draconic sense of smell/taste, after all. Then he dries off and gets dressed in his normal street-going rig, swords and all, and heads out to Cinnamon's place to correct the mistake; he figures she's had time to settle by now. If it turns out it wasn't a mistake on Cinnamon's part, though, and Aisling really did set her up as a playful prank... then he'll also later go and give his trodmate a measure of playful-but-not hell about trying to push them together before it's time.

Cinnamon is, in fact, making lunch for herself in her little house, muttering exasperatedly under her breath about being such a doofus! The recalcitrant note is resting on the little side table by the door, and she glances almost accusingly at it several times as she whips a quick, cold lunch together. As she's futzing in the kitchen though, there's a light rap at the door, followed by Shane's voice, "Acushla? It's me. I think you handed me the wrong thing."

Cinnamon squeaks in shock, straightening up and whirling to stare at the door -- for only a heartbeat, actually, since the pan she's holding falls to the floor with a tremendous clatter! She jumps and squeaks again, startled enough that she's momentarily speechless -- then hastily scoops up the pan to stop the noise. Then she freezes, staring at the door with the pan clutched in both hands -- it's Shane! Oh, crab cakes... he's figured out what a complete doofus she was! Can she hide? She glances towards the back of the little cottage... then blinks again, staring down at the pan. Uh, nope! No hiding after all that noise!

Shane doesn't knock again. He's sharp-eared and heard the clatter of the pan, but if she decides not to answer the door, he won't push it. She did turn awfully scarlet, and he's not so big an arsehole as to push it. Inside the little house, Cinnamon sighs, setting the pan down on the stove again, and trudges towards the door as she calls, "H-hi, uh, Sh-Shane... ummm, moment, I'm coming..." Hopefully he won't laugh at her for being such a dummy. Outside, Shane waits patiently, schooling his face into normalcy. He's not going to look worried, and he's not going to be grinning. He knows she'd take that to mean he's making fun. Cinnamon carefully unlocks the door, then opens it as she picks up Aisling's note. She can't quite bring herself to meet Shane's eyes as she holds out the correct piece of paper, and her voice is rather subdued, "I'm sorry I w-was such a d-dummy... here's the right note..."

Shane smiles. It's just his normal 'Hi, I'm glad to see you' smile as he passes her the receipt and takes the note, "Dummy? Why are you a dummy? My sporran is crammed so fully of scraps of paper and notes and other stuff that I'm always grabbing the wrong thing out of it. Besides, this just means I get to see you for longer than eight-point-two seconds." His tone of voice is completely sincere, and he's telling the truth. She's seen him have to sift through the leather pouch he wears at the front of his kilt, looking for something and muttering to himself.

Cinnamon blinks startledly up at Shane, her attention caught by one of his statements. Almost breathlessly she manages to stutter, "Y-y-you, uhhh... y-you w-want to, t-to, er... uh, I m-mean, you w-want to s-s-see me m-more?" She turns slightly pink at her daring -- that's an awfully personal question, actually!

Shane smiles almost curiously at the little dragon, his voice calmly sincere, "Of course I do. You're my friend. You're fun to be around. Why wouldn't I want to see more of you?"

Hastily Cinnamon adds, "L-l-luuhh... like for l-lunch m-maybe?" She winces internally at how her voice raised to a squeak at the end of her sentence -- then tries a nervously brave smile, even as she's thinking furiously fast, [Please don't laugh at me please don't laugh please please please...!]

Shane looks pleased, "Sure! I mean, I'm sometimes doing things in the middle of the day and can't take a break for lunch... but I'm sure you're often busy at lunch too... but I like taking time to sit down and eat with the people I care about."

It's only when Cinnamon takes a delighted gasp of air that she realizes she'd been holding her breath! She grins shakily up at Shane, then glances over her shoulder as she speaks without really thinking about it, "Oh, I usually eat lunch alone, here..." She's busily wondering: what has she got to quickly feed Shane, eeeee?! Wait, wait -- doesn't matter! She'll feed him peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches if that's all she's got! She whirls back to Shane and grins shyly as she steps aside and opens the door wider, "W-would you, um... l-like to come in, then?"

Shane blinks, then says, "Well, then I'll come by more often!" He also makes a mental note to quietly let Josie, Spice, and a couple other folks know that Cinnamon is having lunch alone. This is going to change if he has anything to say about it!

Cinnamon tends to work from home, of course, as a part-time contractor for the accounting company she previously worked full-time for. She's not sure exactly how it happened, but somehow Shane realized she usually ate lunch alone... and so when his schedule allows, he sometimes comes over and has lunch with her. Consequently, she tends to make about twice as much as she would ordinarily eat, which she tells herself is so that she has tasty leftovers, and doesn't have to spend as much time cooking... but which also works very well as always having a nice, hot lunch available should Shane drop by!

It's during one of those lunches, in fact, that Cinnamon gets a thoughtful look on her face, "Hey, Shane... did anyone ever meet Liam's current wife?"

Shane mmms? -and finishes his mouthful of food before he says, "I'm not sure? Elias might have...? But Liam tried to keep his human families sort of safe and out of harm's way. We knew about Rebecca because he adored her and talked about her. And he talked about you."

Cinnamon grins with shy embarrassment, her cheeks flushing as she studies her stew for a moment. Finally she looks up at Shane and says with determination, "W-well... well, I think sh-she deserves to know that Qadan was caught! He murdered her husband, after all, right?" She sighs, deflating a bit as she adds, "But... I'm scared that I won't realize I'm leaving a trail to her, or something." Hopefully she asks, "So, umm... by any chance, do you know how to make sure that, um, that you're not being followed?"

Shane smiles, eyes softening as he looks at Cinnamon, "I think you're right. She'd want to know. And I can make sure we get to her safely. For us and for her." He reaches across and gives Cinnamon's hand a little squeeze. "Want to let Elias know?"

Cinnamon turns pink with pleasure at the nice gesture... then blinks in surprise as she registers Shane's actually asking a question too -- gotta focus! "Oh! Do you think he'd like to go too?"

Shane smiles, "I think that Elias would only be able to go at night. Do you think Rebecca would want to stay up that late?"

Cinnamon shakes her head bemusedly, "I... I don't know!" She thinks a moment, and then brightens, "Oh! But I have her number -- I can ask!" She hops up and darts over to grab up her cell phone. She's tapping in the number as she re-settles, and she grins excitedly at Shane while she listens to the first ring.

It only rings a couple of times before a voice answers warmly, "Mary! I'm so pleased to hear from you!"

Cinnamon grins shyly, "H-hi, Rebecca! I hope I haven't, um, caught you at a bad time?" She adds even more shyly, "I, um... I'm going by C-cinnamon now, too?"

Rebecca's smile is audible, "Ah. Yes, Liam told me that a lot of people in his world went by other names. For safety, he said. That's a lovely name -- Cinnamon. How are you, dear? When you're my age, there are no bad times. I was reading a book on the back patio."

"Oh, good!" Cinnamon sighs softly, then takes a deep breath and adds, "So, I, umm... I w-was wondering if it would be okay if I brought some f-friends to visit you?" Hastily she adds, "They're all very trustworthy and close friends of Liam's too, of course!" She blinks as she realizes she's so nervous she entirely missed Rebecca's questions! She adds with embarrassment, "Oh, I'm sorry -- I d-didn't mean to ignore you! I, um, I'm..." She pauses, realizing with a touch of surprise: actually, she's doing really well? With a smile, she adds, "I'm doing really great, actually?"

Rebecca's voice sounds pleased at all those things, "Oh, please do! I'd love to see you... and some of Liam's friends." She pauses delicately, "These are some of his friends from... that world?"

Cinnamon nods, forgetting she can't be seen, "Yes, ma'am! One of them, Elias? He's the person Liam sent me to, to help me find my feet here." Her small smile is wry as she adds, "He's... a little odd looking, but he's a real sweetheart!"

Rebecca laughs softly, "Oh, Liam spoke of Elias often! He said he had an allergy to sunlight. Porphyria, he said." She lowers her voice as if she might be overheard, "Knowing who Liam is, I think he was saying Elias is a vampire."

Cinnamon grins shyly again, "Ahhh... yeah, he, um, he actually is! B-but he's really nice, promise? And, um..." she glances towards Shane, then continues, "I, uh, I'd like to bring someone named Shane -- he's a half beansidhe? -- along because I... well, I don't want to even accidentally lead someone to you that shouldn't know about you, you know? So... so Shane's really good at security and taking care of folks and... and stuff...?" She's blushing hotly by now, and not really sure why -- so she hastily plunges on, "Uh, b-but that'd mean, um, coming after dark, so... so, um, w-would that be okay with you?"

Rebecca smiles, "I don't sleep much, so go ahead and bring them, sweetheart. I'll make dinner... for you and Shane. Elias will have to bring his own." There's some teasing in her voice. It's easy to see that she was probably a match for a man that was supposed to have been something of a handful when he was alive.

Cinnamon laughs happily, "Okay! What day would be good for you, please?" She chats back and forth with Rebecca for a bit, settling on a time and date, then cheerfully bids her a good day and goodbye. After hanging up, she turns to Shane, eyes sparkling, "Okay! She's happy to see us!"

Shane grins, "Cool!" Cinnamon arranges the day with Shane, then asks if he'd like to come along to invite Elias too? Elias is delighted as well.

On the day agreed-upon, Elias meets them. Shane has talked Elias into wearing something a little more twenty-first century and a little less 1967. The vampire brings along a bottle of his homemade wine, and a bottle of something for himself to have while the others are eating, so he isn't just... sitting there looking awkward. He seems quite excited to meet his old friend's wife. Shane dresses in jeans, a button-down shirt, and a pair of Docs, looking about as normal as it's possible for him to look. Cinnamon beams as she enthusiastically hugs both men, "Thanks so much for coming with me, guys! I wanted to let her know that Liam's murderer was brought to justice, but this way we'll hopefully give her happy feelings too, you know?"

Elias nods and smiles, "Liam loved her very much. In fact, he was almost giddy over her." The vampire laughs, "Have you ever seen a millennia-old creature giddy? It was a delight."

Cinnamon grins shyly, shaking her head, "I haven't, no... but she's a really nice lady." She giggles, "She seems to have kept up with him just fine!"

Elias nods, "Oh, and she did. When they met, she kept him on his toes."

The drive to Rebecca's is quite nice, even if Shane does take them -- as he puts it -- 'around their ass to get to their elbow' on the way. Cinnamon giggles and blushes at Shane's comment, but doesn't say anything. When they pull up, Rebecca is waiting for them on the porch and she's smiling widely, arms outstretched, "Oh! I'm so glad you made it!"

Cinnamon beams as she gets out of the car, trotting up the steps to give Rebecca a warm hug, "Thank you so much for seeing us, Rebecca! This is Shane, and that's Elias coming up the walk." When she steps back from the hug, she grins at the two men, "Guys, this is Rebecca, who helped me realize who and what I was! Er, am!"

Shane smiles and hugs Rebecca too; she beams up at him, "Well, aren't you a tall one! Tall men are always good to hug." Then she turns to Elias and takes both his hands, once he puts down the bottles he's carrying, "Elias, it is so good to finally meet you. My Liam spoke of you like a brother."

Elias smiles, lips closed as he replies, "And he spoke of you like you were more precious than gold... and we both know what that means to a dragon." That makes them both laugh. Cinnamon sighs happily as she watches, her hands clasped together. She's so glad Rebecca is okay with a vampire! She wonders, too, if this is helpful or healing a little, maybe, for Elias as well... to finally meet the (current) wife of his oldest friend.

Rebecca smiles back and peers up at Elias, "You're trying very hard to hide your teeth, but I was married to a dragon. Are they like in the movies?"

Elias chuckles and shakes his head, "No. No, they aren't. They're... rather a lot more startling than that." He clears his throat and carefully opens his mouth to let her look.

Rebecca gasps and lays her hand over her chest, eyes wide, "Oh, my -- you're like a shark! How amazing! I always thought it was ridiculous that they showed vampires with just two fangs. Fangs are for injecting venom. Trying to pinpoint an artery with just two teeth like that seemed so very inefficient!"

Cinnamon has to cover her giggle! Shane leans down to murmur to the little dragon, "I think I see why Liam chose her..." The little dragon grins up at Shane, her eyes shining as she nods. There's a small part of her that even wistfully wonders what it might have been like to be raised by a mother like Rebecca... but Cinnamon gently shoves that thought aside. For now, tonight... is for Rebecca, not regrets.

Elias blinks slowly and closes his mouth... then laughs, "You are one of the very few people I have ever met to make that connection. Yes. Creatures like snakes have fangs to inject venom. Blood-sucking creatures are not usually endowed that way. I see why my friend loved you."

Rebecca smiles warmly at that, adding, "Now, come in -- and I promise not to fuss at you all for staying away so long this time! But you have to promise to come back more often after this, OK?" Cinnamon grins with relief as she follows her friends into the cozy little house. She's glad; coming with friends was the right decision.

The house is like Cinnamon remembers: books everywhere. Rebecca's little reading nook has a cup of tea beside it and she invites everyone to have seats on the comfortable furniture. She shoos the long-legged Shane to sit in a large easy chair, "That's Liam's chair. He was so much taller than me! All the rest of the furniture is for people with normal-sized legs!" This makes Elias laugh and nod, "He was an imposing gentleman!"

Rebecca smiles and says, "I'll be right back. I have tea and I made muffins." She bustles away on her brightly-colored Crocs and comes back a few minutes later balancing a tea tray, which Shane hops up and takes away from her immediately upon seeing just how big it is. That earns him a wide smile, "Such good manners!"

Shane grins at her, "Me mam would scowl at me if I let you keep carrying that once I saw it." He leans down and says confidentially, "I should have offered to carry it before..."

Rebecca waves that away, "It's my house and you're a guest!"

Cinnamon watches with interest from her spot, curled up in a cushy armchair. She's pretty sure she should wait a bit and let everyone make friends -- maybe even eat the dinner Rebecca promised -- before the little dragon brings up Liam's murder. However, she'd like to be helpful too, though she's not quite sure how. Maybe... maybe offer to pour? Shyly, as Shane's setting the tea tray down as directed on a low coffee table, Cinnamon says, "W-would you like me to p-pour, maybe, Rebecca?

Rebecca smiles, "No. That's my job. And dinner will be ready before we're even done drinking the first cup!"

"W-well, is there, um, anything I can help with?" Cinnamon would like to be useful, but she's not sure what to do, and she doesn't want to get in the way.

Rebecca smiles and says, "You can help me bring out the bowls. We're going to eat in here, I think. My dining room is... well, there are books all over in there, too. And Liam and I rarely ate anywhere but in here." Indeed, what she motions to are some very nice, sturdy TV trays. They aren't the chintzy little tin ones. They're made of good, solid wood.

Cinnamon smiles at that and agrees to help when Rebecca's ready. Until then she'll sip her tea and listen quietly as Rebecca, Shane, and Elias all do the usual polite 'getting to know you' chatting. It's... surprisingly soothing! Once the little dragon realizes how calming this makes her feel, she starts making mental notes as well on how Rebecca opens the conversations and invites people to talk, via the questions she asks. Cinnamon badly wants to someday have her little cottage be as cozy and welcoming -- and herself as well! -- as Rebecca is here, after all!

While Shane and Elias are explaining a bit about their respective jobs, Cinnamon quietly shifts the nice wooden tray tables closer to each person -- she figures that will make a good place to rest one's teacups too. She'll wait until Rebecca asks for help with the bowls, after that, simply relaxing a bit, listening and watching, and sipping her tea.

Rebecca asks Cinnamon to follow her into the kitchen, when there's a pleasant pinging alarm from there. There's a slow cooker bubbling away and the scent of cooking bread. It turns out there's a stew in the CrockPot and fresh bread coming from the oven. The little old woman loads up another tray with the actual crock from the slow cooker and a ladle, as well as the fresh, hot loaf of bread. She starts reaching down bowls and utensils from various cabinets and drawers, adding, "If you can carry the stew, that would be wonderful." She lowers her voice, "I suspect that Shane would insist on carrying everything if we'd let him. He's got proper gentlemanly manners. You don't find many like that these days!"

Cinnamon lightly touches the crockpot, checking to see if it's too hot to carry... huh! Apparently not! She's distracted by Rebecca's comment, and doesn't really register that she's lifting a tray with a piece of heated crockery full of gently bubbling stew on it -- because she blushes hotly, her shy, small smile rather happy as she tries not to sheepishly mumble her reply, "He's, um... er, y-yeah? H-he's... really nice!"

Rebecca's eyes twinkle and she lowers her voice, "And very handsome, too!" Cinnamon blushes even more hotly! Rebecca giggles and, for a moment, sounds like a young slip of a girl gossiping with a dear friend. Then she manages to get a less impish look on her face as she leads Cinnamon out into the living room with the food and dishes. This time, she doesn't let Shane take it away from her.

Cinnamon carefully places the tray with the crock on it in the center of the little coffee table, then beams, "Rebecca made stew and bread!"

Elias compliments the smell of the stew and the bread and assures Rebecca that it is in no way impolite for the others to eat in front of him, as he enjoys the camaraderie of meals with friends. He does have a bottle of... something... he's holding. He seems to be sipping from it, but it's difficult to tell if he's actually drinking or just bringing it to his lips occasionally. The stew turns out to be a rich, hearty, and quite delicious mutton stew with potatoes and turnips.

Cinnamon sighs happily several minutes later, having polished off a large bowl of very tasty stew, as well as a few slices of the fresh bread. "Mmm... that was wonderful, Rebecca -- thank you so much!" She hesitates as she sets down her empty bowl and spoon, glancing thoughtfully around to see if the conversation has settled a bit. She doesn't want to interrupt anything more pleasant with her news, after all. Conversation has settled enough to give Cinnamon a place to speak if she wants to... so after a moment to settle her (slightly nervous) thoughts, she smiles a bit hesitantly at Rebecca, "So, umm... w-would you like to hear, ahhh... the story of, umm... of some research I did?" She winces mentally -- smooth, that was not! Well, perhaps everyone will forgive her a few nerves... hopefully!

Rebecca smiles over at Cinnamon and says, "What kind of research is it, dearheart?" She has seemed quite happy to have visitors.

Cinnamon takes a deep breath, then plunges into the story, "W-well, I... I h-happened to notice that there'd been an awful lot of turnover, in, um, th-the Council? Like, in the past... five, ten years, right? So... s-so I looked into it..." She proceeds to tell the story once more, though she keeps it fairly concise, not wanting to bore Rebecca with names and people she's perhaps never heard of and may not care about. When she reveals that it was Qadan, though, who murdered Liam, and why... she pauses a moment to check and see if Rebecca is still okay.

Rebecca is listening and nodding. By the time Cinnamon is done, the older woman is crying. Not sobbing, but there are tears rolling down her cheeks and she's clutching a handkerchief that Shane produces from somewhere. Cinnamon looks stricken! She glances anxiously at Shane and Elias -- do they think she should stop?! Rebecca sniffs and says, "My poor Liam..."

Cinnamon leans forward, gently resting her hands on Rebecca's as she says anxiously, "I'm s-sorry -- I'm sorry, Rebecca! I, I'll stop if you want?"

Rebecca shakes her head, "No. No, you don't have to stop. I would like to know. But I do miss him so."

Cinnamon hesitates... then gives Rebecca a careful hug. She knows those are for friends, but... well, Rebecca really has been a friend to her, she thinks! Also, she knows hugs always make her feel a bit better... maybe this one will similarly help Rebecca, even if it's not from Liam himself? "O-okay, I'll... go on. But, er... after a moment for us to, um, to breathe... okay?"

Cinnamon waits until Rebecca has had a moment before she sits back to continue the story... though there's not much left to tell, really. Mostly Cinnamon is happy to be able to tell Rebecca that Qadan was captured, confessed (even if under the influence of drugs), and has been removed from the Council and shipped back to Mongolia. The little dragon also mentions with a smile that Snow, Qadan's replacement, seems both more concerned with regular folks instead of just power... and to be a very nice person! Once she's done, Cinnamon adds shyly, "I... er, I hope th-this wasn't too sad for you, but... w-well, I thought you might like to know...?"

Rebecca not only accepts the hug, but hugs back warmly and tightly -- apparently she very much considers Cinnamon a friend. "Oh, I am sad about Liam. He was the love of my life. But it's good to know that his death wasn't in vain. What you're talking about was important to him. He didn't tell me all the details, but he did talk about it to me."

Cinnamon sighs in relief -- sounds like coming here was the right choice, then! She smiles shyly as she says, "I'm sorry I can't bring him back, 'cause I would have loved to get to know him. But... I'm glad I could help root out and stop the bad folks who were part of the conspiracy that got him killed." She's silent for a moment, considering... then quietly adds, "Is there anything else I can do for you, Rebecca? Anything you want or need? I may not have Liam to learn from, but... I... I think he'd want me t-to... to be your f-friend, if you want? --a-and to do anything I could to... to help make sure you're happy and safe?"

Rebecca smiles, "Like I said when you got here, you can come visit more often." She reaches over, having to lean to do it, and squeezes Cinnamon's hand, "You're my granddaughter in a way, after all. Step-granddaughter, I suppose. But I don't see why I need to bother with the step part. Liam never bothered putting all the greats in front of it when he called you his granddaughter."

Cinnamon grins shyly, reaching out her hand so Rebecca doesn't have to lean as far, "I, um... I-if you d-didn't mind, I... would... kinda like to have a grandmother like you? Uh, a-and yeah, I... I call him my g-greatsire, since I don't know how many greats there should be either!" She turns slightly pink -- this feels very forward of her! -- but resolutely keeps eye contact instead of ducking away like her previous experience has taught her to do. Rebecca is more like the supernaturals than Cinnamon's genetic family -- the little dragon is (surprisingly) pretty sure she won't get laughed at by Rebecca.

Rebecca smiles and gives Cinnamon's hand a gentle squeeze, "That works, then. You'll come visit more often, and I'll have a granddaughter to spoil."

Cinnamon laughs in relief, "It's a deal!" She has no idea what Rebecca means about spoiling her, however. She's never experienced that, and it hasn't quite registered that in a sense, that's what Candi has received throughout her entire life. As far as Cinnamon realizes, Rebecca just wants to occasionally make dinners for her! The little dragon smiles as she adds, "Is it okay if I bring friends too sometimes?" She's thinking, in specific, of Josie and Spice.

Rebecca smiles, "Bring friends, yes! These two are always welcome. Or if you have others you want to bring! Anyone you think would be safe and might enjoy a natter with an old lady." Shane grins and says, "If this is the way you cook? I'll be here all the time!" That makes Cinnamon giggle, and Rebecca beam. Apparently she finds Shane every bit as charming as Cinnamon does. The little group simply sit, relax, and chat together, in the way of new friends becoming old friends. It's surprisingly warm and calming to the little dragon... and she realizes that returning more often to visit Rebecca will not be a chore, but will rather be something she's going to enjoy.

Once the little group returned from Texas, Marcus spent some time carefully considering things. Cinnamon is not his usual "type," but she has shown herself to be in the esteem of quite a few people. Further, despite his usual preference for willowy types, he has had lovers amongst other body types, so it's not as if having Cinnamon as a partner would be unpleasant. He has, in fact, seen that her smile can be dazzling. He magnanimously concedes to himself that she is quite a magnificent creature when in dragon form... and he has to admit she is also becoming quite powerful as well... not to mention that it rankles just a little that his father seems to believe that he -- Marcus -- is not worthy of her -- Cinnamon!

To that end, Marcus begins to formulate a plan, though it will take a bit to put into action. It will be a while before Cinnamon has a chance to realize just how easily Germanic elves can melt into a forest -- though she'll soon learn this in the French Basque region. It's admittedly not quite as easy for Germanic elves to melt into the background at Coblyn, but Marcus can in fact remain unseen when he really wants to -- and so he uses that ability to study Cinnamon's comings and goings on the street. He's also able to be more subtle than the little dragon has yet been witness to. Thus, with a few questions here and there, he manages to suss out that the little dragon tends to frequent Astrid's cozy bookshop for an afternoon tea.

Cinnamon has, in fact, struck up a warm and cheerful friendship with Astrid at the bookstore, which means that Astrid occasionally orders in books for the little dragon. Consequently Cinnamon often heads over in the early evening, after work, to browse the shelves and to see if Astrid has anything for her. Either way, Cinnamon often ends up reading contentedly there, over a gently steaming cup of tea... which she loves. It's a marvelously peaceful way to calm her brain down after a busy day of learning or accounting or whatever.

After some little consideration, Marcus begins to put his plan into action. The Elm residence on Coblyn has quite a good library, so Marcus looks through it to find something he can coincidentally offer to loan her, after having used it to strike up a conversation. He settles on a small book of poetry -- one he's actually read several times himself, and knows well. It's also one that he suspects will be suitably obscure to Cinnamon, since it's by a German author -- though this is an English translation -- and therefore it will give him a chance to explain to her... which means they'll have something to talk about that won't bore him to tears. Plus, since it's very symbolic and mildly erotic love poetry, well... Marcus smiles to himself and sets off.

Cinnamon is particularly pleased with herself today, since she'd earlier gently impressed upon Spice that having international and satellite capabilities on her own cell phone is likely to be important in the future -- especially if she's helping Cinnamon with something! Consequently the little dragon had checked with Josie to be sure the big, fluffy werewolf would back her up on that... and, once that was assured, had offered to pay for the extension in Spice's cell service. She doesn't know if Spice will allow her to continue paying for the service... but at least the first six months are now taken care of! The little dragon makes a note to herself in her notebook to also look into helping both Spice, and Veles when he returns, in finding housing on Coblyn, if they want... or will Spice want to return to college? Hm, Cinnamon will have to check and see what her friend wants.

Meanwhile, at the Elm diplomatic residence, Marcus checks himself in the mirror by the front door. The suit he's wearing is designed to specifically draw out the blue of his eyes -- it does tend to make them shine! Marcus has found that seduction does not start with the body, but rather with the face and voice. Eye contact is key -- and this elegant suit will draw her attention to his eyes.

Elsewhere, Cinnamon tucks away her notebook, then enters the little bookstore with a internal sensation of happy anticipation. She calls a cheerful greeting to Astrid, then grins when regretfully informed that there's nothing there for her yet, and replies, "No worries, Astrid! I'll just do the usual, then... some browsing, and then some tea, if that's okay?" Astrid is happy to have her friend do just that; she gets the tea brewing so it will be ready.

Unbeknownst to Marcus, his inquiries on the street have not gone completely unnoticed! As a fellow fire spirit, Jalil has a friendly interest in Cinnamon, if not quite a romantic one -- at least not at this particular time. Further, he does not quite trust Marcus... and he also has more than a little mischief in his own nature! Coincidentally, the djinni is just wandering down the street when he spots Marcus coming the other direction, gaze intent upon the bookshop. The rather snazzy way the young elf is dressed, and the fact that he's already carrying a book, makes Jalil curious... and then a few things come together in the djinni's mind. He laughs quietly to himself, diverting into the bookshop as well -- it's easy for him to be unseen when he wishes to, as well. Timing will be key.

Cinnamon is currently actually somewhat oblivious to her surroundings -- she's in one of her favorite environments! Surrounded by books, and in a place she knows is safe from her genetic family, she's blissfully lost in contemplation. Which delicious tome will go home with her tonight? Into which exciting story will she contentedly lose herself? It takes some deliberation, of course... but she finally gives a small, happy sigh and turns for the register. An hour of sipping tea and reading in the paperback she's about to purchase is simply the lagniappe to this pleasurable experience for her! She's almost a little surprised, in fact, as she thinks about it... there are so many small but delightfully meaningful rituals in life to enjoy, when she's sure no one will make fun of her about them! Her small smile is thoughtful as she waits in line... and then she beams delightedly at Astrid as she thanks the small woman for selling her the book. Tea next... happysigh again!

Jalil is happy to browse as well... and to watch Marcus watch Cinnamon. Oddly, the young elf doesn't actually seem impatient -- he's actually using the time to study Cinnamon. After all, a well-planned seduction includes noticing details about the object of the seduction. Did she linger over the section on Arthurian romance? Is she a lover of biography? Did she peruse the history section for a longer-than-normal time? Did her hair actually used to be that red? How odd. Marcus seems to remember thinking just how mousy she was when she first arrived... but now it looks rather nice in that angle of light...? He decides to let her get settled at her table, and a page or two into her book, before he starts his approach.

Cinnamon beams quietly to herself as she arrives at her usual table. She's got her new book in her shoulder purse -- so Astrid doesn't have to waste a bag -- and her cup of tea with her. She sets the tea on the right, precisely where she likes it, then pulls her new book and sets it front and center, in the place of honor... preparatory to hanging her bag on the back of her chair. She doesn't know Marcus is watching her, but were she asked, she'd admit she prefers urban fantasy to Arthurian romance -- there was a glut of Celtic-themed books a few years ago, and she's lost any appetite for them by now. Historical romance can be fun, if the heroine isn't a pushover -- Cinnamon likes heroines that inspire her! She hasn't quite admitted to herself consciously that the heroines she likes would never put up with her genetic family's crap. She also likes the more Victorian historical romance novels -- the careful, elegant dance of manners suits her temperament far more than the so-called alpha male heroes who practically ooze physicality as they invariably toss their conquests off their feet! Though it's not consciously registered for her in this either, consent is of huge importance to her... especially since she's only now finding out about it. Sometimes she finds herself wishing she'd known about it earlier, so she could have set better boundaries with her genetic family... but then she usually firmly reminds herself that she has now, and they can't find her, and all's good!

Marcus is just starting toward the table when Jalil -- with the timing born of being a fire elemental, a warrior, and full of mischief -- moves across his path and reaches Cinnamon's table... just enough before Marcus that it seems completely coincidental! Jalil's timing is impeccably perfect: if Marcus were to approach now, the young elf would be interrupting them -- and that would not only be rude, but it would also certainly not be conducive to an intimate, flirtatious conversation! Besides, there are only two chairs at the table.

Ten or twelve feet back, Marcus scowls at the djinni's timing and steps back out of sight. If Jalil just says hello and moves along, things may be salvageable... the fire spirit puts his hand on the back of the other chair and smiles, "Cinnamon! How wonderful to see you!" He glances down at the cover of the book and chuckles, "I actually read one of those. Some of them read as if someone has been having rather fuzzy dreams of what it's like to live in an actual enclave... and some of them read as if someone has no idea at all!"

Cinnamon blinks startledly up at the person interrupting her mental reverie... and then her face lights up, "Oh! Hello, Jalil! I, uh... oh!" She blushes -- he thinks it's wonderful to see her?! How... wow, how nice! She's beaming up at him as she replies, "Oh, um -- oh, really? Has, er... has anyone actually written about enclaves in books like these?" She blinks at that... actually rather fascinating thought, then tilts her head and grins, "Would you like to join me? Oh, or, um, are you busy?"

Jalil smiles warmly at her, "I would love to join you." He pulls the chair out and settles in as he adds, "I was just browsing myself, but nothing caught my eye tonight." From his hidden vantage point, Marcus scowls and mutters to himself in German -- then takes a deep breath and calms himself. It's a minor setback -- nothing more. There will be other chances. Jalil can't hear Marcus, of course, but he can almost feel the steam coming out of the young man's ears! The pleasure of knowing that, however, is actually only part of the pleasure of spending time with a young woman he is genuinely fond of.

Cinnamon is rather touched at how nice Jalil is being! She makes sure he gets a nice hot cuppa as well, and happily chats with him for more than her planned hour. The fire djinni is widely read and quite fascinating, after all, so they end up discussing a wide variety of subjects: supernatural enclaves in 'fictional' stories, human and supernatural dreams, the potential physical capabilities of young human female martial artists, and much more. By the time Cinnamon has to return home, in fact, she's almost blissfully full of tea, fascinating new knowledge, and a great deal of happiness! She sleeps well, innocently unaware of the machinations swirling around her.

Marcus' next seduction attempt involves what he knows of Cinnamon's market day. Like many on Coblyn Street, the little dragon spends one day a week visiting various vendors and picking up the week's supplies. Marcus doesn't know how easy it is to just pop 'round the shops out in the human world, so he doesn't understand how different it is here. Marketing day is a much more relaxed and pleasant time than the hasty, soulless trip to the supermarket; it's more like what humans think of as a farmer's market. Marcus has stationed himself at Uta's bakery and is lingering over a Danish and a cup of coffee as he awaits Cinnamon's appearance -- when he will be pleasantly surprised, ask her where she's off to, and then offer to go with her. Then he'll have the whole day to talk with her, flirt with her, and hopefully begin to charm her. That is, if they manage not to run into Shane. Shane will be a problem because even Marcus can tell how taken Cinnamon is with the half-beansidhe. He has yet to realize the feeling is mutual, however, since he expects jealousy from men... and Shane doesn't have a jealous bone in his body.

In her cozy little cottage, Cinnamon is already up and about -- she enjoys her market days! She has her shopping list pre-written up, since she intends to try some new recipes. Right now she's singing happily to herself as she washes up after a nice, hearty breakfast. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day... and maybe she'll spot Shane as she's shopping, too!

Marcus is considering just where to guide Cinnamon at the end of the day for an intimate little dinner. Not the residence. That would be too obvious and, he thinks, too fast -- he's picked up on the fact of her complete inexperience. Slow is the way here, but somewhere that he can keep her attention and start the slow burn. He's smiling to himself with the anticipation of the hunt, when he sees Jalil swing past him on the street and right up to Cinnamon's door! The young elf sits up suddenly, stopping himself from swearing by only a hairsbreadth. Jalil cheerfully waves at Marcus while passing by, as if he just coincidentally noticed the elfin councilor rather than spotted him there and suspected him of laying in wait. Then the djinni knocks jauntily on Cinnamon's door.

Cinnamon blinks at the unexpected knock... then sets aside the mug she's drying and calls, "Who is it?" She flips the towel over the rack as she heads for the door, preparatory to answering it -- as long as it's no one awful outside, that she'd rather not speak with! She grins at that thought; she's rather pleased that most folks seem pretty nice to her!

The djinni calls, "It's Jalil!" He's just managing to keep the gleeful laughter out of his voice.

"Oh!" Cinnamon brightens, opening the door to beam up at the djinni, "Hi there! Isn't it a lovely morning? What brings you my way, Jalil?"

Jalil smiles, "I was on my way to do some of my shopping, and I thought I remembered you doing your marketing today! So I thought I would stop by and see if you wanted to join me. It's always more pleasant with company." Behind him, Marcus' jaws are clenched as the elf takes several deep breaths to keep himself from actually snarling in frustration.

Cinnamon considers that for a moment... then grins shyly up at Jalil, "Actually... that sounds like fun! Do you mind giving me just a moment to put on my shoes and grab my bag? I'll be right out, okay?"

Jalil smiles, "Certainly! I would never rush you."

Cinnamon thanks Jalil with relief, then hastily darts back inside -- and politely not closing the door on him as she does so -- to grab her things. Jalil takes the moment to look around what he can see of Cinnamon's little cottage, still smiling... though he doesn't try to come inside because he hasn't been invited. It looks like quite a comfortable little place! He's also pleased to see all the protection charms that are put into place. A moment later the little dragon steps outside, carefully locks up, then turns and beams sunnily up at Jalil again, "Okay, ready! What's your list look like? I was going to try some new things, myself."

Jalil chuckles, "I don't so much have a list as go and see what looks good -- with the idea that I know I need to have a lot of protein, and that my people will be quite cross with me if I do not bring them back some sweets." Cinnamon giggles at the comment about sweets -- and she's also quietly impressed that Jalil cares about his people! As they turn, he smiles and adds, "Oh! Also I saw Marcus just there!" He raises his hand and waves again at the Germanic councilor -- who manages to look friendly and smile back. After all, part of being a diplomat is looking happy to see someone -- even when you really want to rip their throat out!

Cinnamon glances over... then smiles and waves as well, "Hi, Marcus! Aren't Uta's pastries the absolute best? Have a nice day!" She grins up at Jalil, then, her voice wry as they both head off arm in arm, "Oh, I know, about protein! If I don't eat a bunch, my stomach growls so embarrassingly sometimes, after dragoning!"

Marcus' next gambit is a little more involved, as he's realizes he's going to have to get... creative. Caradog is having a command musical performance at the palace: a globally renown -- at least amongst the supernatural community -- singer and their accompanist. The tickets are very limited, so the competition to get them is fierce.

So fierce, in fact, that Marcus is not able to score any. Ah, well... he'll try something else. That night also happens to be a poetry reading at Astrid's little bookshop, and the young elf knows more about poetry than music in any case. He doesn't let many people know that, however. It's a bit of a private passion, and letting people know too much about one's private passions can be... a bit too vulnerable. Still, it will be something that he enjoys, which will make his efforts that much easier... and! And he's figured out the best place to "coincidentally" run into her and ask her if she'd like to attend a poetry reading at her friend Astrid's place -- and then just casually ask if she'd be interested in an early dinner beforehand! He knows this is the day she's off Coblyn, after all, and Cafe Prague is near the mouth of Coblyn and near the Residence... and best of all, nowhere near Jalil's home! In fact, it's at enough of a confluence of places that his father could never accuse him of interfering. It's just him being friendly!

Cinnamon, of course, is once again blissfully unaware of the events swirling around her! She's spent a very pleasant morning browsing various Boston libraries in search of good research books on the cultures of the people she's supposed to represent. With the assistance of some wonderful librarians, she now has a collection of about ten or twelve good books to read, all neatly tucked into her bag. She's returning home alight with the glow of a job well done, looking forward to a quiet evening of reading -- for the simple reason that she's not even aware of any outside events occurring that night.

The runners Marcus has paid to keep him apprised of Cinnamon's return signal him when they see her a block or two down from the mouth of Coblyn, giving him time to start in that direction. Everything is perfectly timed -- he'll cross paths with her exactly in front of Cafe Prague. He smiles as he checks his look in the mirror, takes a breath, shoots his cuffs, and heads out the door again, keeping his walk to a casual stroll. The clothes are again the color of blue that brings out his eyes. It's also the color that he's subconsciously noticed seems to make her the most comfortable with him... or at least the color he's been wearing when she's been most relaxed. The fact that it just happens to be the same color as his more casual clothing hasn't gelled yet in his mind.

Further down the street, Cinnamon is pattering happily along, greeting friends as she goes and occasionally pausing to admire something held up for her by a friendly sales person -- she even ends up buying a pretty rainbow crystal twirler to hang in her window and catch the sunlight. Being in a very good mood, she's beaming and friendly to just about everyone she sees, in fact!

As Marcus is about fifty yards away from Cinnamon, the door to the Bank opens and the face the Elmtrod councilor was most fearing to see appears: Jalil -- directly in Marcus' path and just far enough ahead to block Cinnamon's line of sight to Marcus! Worse, the djinni is even calling out to the little dragon in a friendly way, waving at her and picking up his pace enough to definitely intercept her before Marcus can! Marcus grits his teeth -- the only way he could reach her first now would be to put on a very obvious burst of speed -- the kind that would make any semblance of 'casual encounter' fly completely out the window! In the elf's head, some very creative cursing is on-going!

Cinnamon hears her name called and glances around hopefully -- is that Shane? She blinks at sight of Jalil, then brightens. He's almost as nice, actually! She grins and thanks the shopkeeper, then turns and waves back, "Hi, Jalil! What's up?" Shouldering her book bag, she cheerfully heads his way, "Isn't it a lovely evening?"

Jalil laughs his warm, rich laugh, "It is! And it is better now!" Cinnamon giggles and blushes with pleasure at his response, then watches with interest as he reaches into the deep pocket of his elaborately-embroidered galabeya -- to produce two heavily gilded and elaborately-calligraphed squares of parchment, "I have two tickets to the concert tonight at Caradog's palace! I was hoping you would attend with me. The music will be such as to make your heart soar, and bring tears of joy to your eyes. It is not to be missed! I would be honored to share it with such a good friend as you."

Marcus stops in his tracks. Where did Jalil get those?! Marcus tried for days -- and there was no getting them for love nor money! Usually the Germanic elf is able to get into anything at the palace, due to Caradog's tendency to show preference to the other sidhe-type entities...

Cinnamon's eyes widen at the poetic description of the music, and she almost squeaks with excitement when she replies, "Oh, Jalil, that -- that's so nice of you! Oh, wow, I would love to go!" She laughs delightedly, clapping her hands and bouncing on her toes, "Oh my gosh, that is so awesome of you -- oh! Can I, um, is there something nice I can do for you too, in thanks?!" She thinks quickly for a moment, then checks, "When's the concert? Do we have time to get a nice meal, maybe?"

Jalil looks delighted, "I would be honored to have dinner with you, my friend!" He looks around and spots the cafe right there, "Ah! Cafe Prague! We have time to let Vanya tell us both that we are not eating enough."

Further up the street, Marcus fumes -- he can feel his temples begin to throb. It's almost as if Jalil is reading his mind! Admittedly, what Jalil is actually doing is bribing the same people Marcus is bribing -- because the djinni really is fond of Cinnamon. He enjoys spending time with her, and doesn't want Marcus to just manipulate her -- and besides: his mischievous streak is enjoying himself tremendously! Frankly, if having to work for the little dragon's attention makes Marcus realize people actually value and enjoy Cinnamon's company, the young elf might finally register that the little dragon is actually someone to pursue for other than political gain.

Cinnamon has no idea of Jalil's thoughts, though she'd be deeply touched -- and quite embarrassedly startled! -- if she did know. Of course, she has no idea of Marcus' thoughts either... and she'd be admittedly far less impressed if she did! She giggles delightedly at Jalil's comment, nodding as she adds, "Oh, yes -- let's! Vanya's fun too, even if he does seem to always sneak up on me!" She laughs again, happily taking Jalil's offered arm.

Jalil smiles, "Bears are large predators. They sometimes must be sneaky. But he is just very gentle and tries to walk softly." He chats happily with her about music and food as they head into the restaurant together, and Marcus watches this in consternation -- none of this has gone according to plan! Besides, what is Jalil up to? Marcus doesn't think Jalil has any political reason to be pursuing Cinnamon... does he? The Germanic elf is starting to wonder if there's something he's not perceiving about the little woman's company, that others are seeing. Shane seems to spend a lot of time with her as well, after all, while Josie is always wandering around her too. Elias is exceptionally protective of her, but then Liam and Elias were like brothers, so that explains that... thoughts tumbling, Marcus grumpily turns back toward the Residence with a storm cloud rumbling metaphorically over his head.

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Last modified: 2019-Jun-12 19:53:32

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