Lorenzel, Part 2

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Porcelain Fish
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Re: Lorenzel, Part 2

Post by Porcelain Fish »

Maduin gave the shirt in Brad's hands a critical look. "Brown isn't a bad color when it isn't dull and you have the proper accents, but something with a bit more vivid color would suit you far better, and probably a size smaller as well. It'll help show off your broad shoulders, and a shirt that fits well is much more attractive." A brief scan of the rack revealed a button-down shirt in a rich, slightly dark crimson, almost a wine-colored maroon, and Maduin promptly appropriated it and handed it to Brad. "Try this on."

He almost laughed when Lillith looked at him with uncertainty clear on her expression as he neared, fondly recalling another dark-haired girl who'd eyed him with equal trepidation the first time he'd dragged her into a dress shop and laden her down with an armful of skirts, blouses and sundresses.

He held up his discovery, giving the skirts a little swish that made the blue and white patterning dance, and flashed Lillith a winsome smile. "I think you'd look simply lovely in this, Miss Lillith. This particular line of dresses was very much in vogue two years ago in Tsuiraku. It's somewhat understated, certainly not as flashy as the ruffled garland prints that are the rage right now, which only adds to its charm in my opinion."

He held up the hat and the jacket. "And either one or both would go excellent with it, although it's quite capable of holding its own. Why don't you try them on and see if you like them? I'll see if I can't find a few more treasures in the meantime."

He hardly waited for an answer but left her holding dress, jacket, and hat and was off once more, absently keeping an eye out for a pair of slacks that would go well with Brad's shirt as well, humming contentedly to himself. His eye caught on a long-sleeved jacket of soft green corduroy that he thought Drusia might look rather fetching in.
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Drusia
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Re: Lorenzel, Part 2

Post by Drusia »

Drusia:

"modest and earth colored"

"Ah," I reply, smiling. Too bad, earth tones with her hair will leave her looking like a particularly pretty mudhole. Now, some plant colors to complement her natural browns - she could be a autumn beauty, in golds and reds, or a summer sprite in some bright greens.

That aside, her quiet nature is rather worrying. Quiet usually means dangerous or afraid. Or both. Not good.

Speaking of quiet and dangerous, who is that person in front of the store. And why is she looking at us. No, not us. The girl.

Well then. Somehow I don't think this is a coincidence. Another peregin tracking the girl... either she really is an Errant, and this one's seen the damage she's caused... or she's not, and this is going to get very messy very fast.

While the others shop, I linger near the door. As the woman quietly enters the store, I step up next to her.

"Peregin Drusia," I murmur to the woman, identifying myself. "And you are?" I pretend to admire a fairly dull dress and wait for her reply.

-- Drusia
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Graybeard
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Re: Lorenzel, Part 2

Post by Graybeard »

The tall woman looked at her questioner, saying nothing. However, her mind magic was speaking to Drusia in the private telepathic language of the elves. "Crappy opsec there, use telepathy around the humans whenever you can. They're too dim to pick up on that. Orally, some of them speak a language that's close enough to our own that we shouldn't use it. Anyway, I'm Peregin Bauti. I remember you being in on the Errant War ... on the wrong side." Elven telepathy wasn't quite as articulate as their spoken languages, but there were still more than enough nuances to express a sneer.

---------

"Where'd they go?" Sister Rose asked Argus, concern evident in her voice. They'd had no succcess in gaining the attention of the shopkeeper, whose mind was filled with prospects of making a killing off this well-to-do customer. Rose was about to go interrupt, considerably more rudely than was her normal behavior, when she noticed Harker running toward the pair. Uh, oh ... I should have moved sooner...
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Porcelain Fish
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Re: Lorenzel, Part 2

Post by Porcelain Fish »

Maduin was fully in his element, three pairs of trousers in black, gray, and khaki over one arm for Brad, along with two more shirts, one a warm, buttery yellow and the other a rich, vibrant green. In the other arm he had a lovely warm reddish-brown skirt and a green top for Lillith along with a blouse in a nice rose, and the green corduroy jacket he'd been eyeing for Drusia in one hand.

He was heading back toward the front of the store to check up on his companions, and noticed Drusia standing near the door with another tall woman. He might have thought they were acquaintances but for the conspicuously indifferent expression on Drusia's features and the all-but-openly contemptuous look on the other woman's features. Rivals perhaps? Granted, the newcomer didn't look like she enjoyed singing, or enjoyed much of anything at all really.

He handed Brad the clothes he'd found and went to check on Lillith, keeping a wary eye on the two women in the front of the shop.
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Sareth
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Re: Lorenzel, Part 2

Post by Sareth »

Lillith found herself completely flumoxed by the blue and white dress. He really wanted her to try it on? How could he know her size? Or that she would look good in white? And white? White? They were traveling! White would show every speck of dirt from the road. It was ridiculous to be wearing white as a traveler.

She moved to put the dress away... and inexplicably found herself turning into the changing room.

Moments later she found herself standing before a mirror with a white and blue dress on.

She had to admit, it swished nicely...
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Drannin
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Re: Lorenzel, Part 2

Post by Drannin »

"Harker, what's...?"

Argus had just began his question when Harker skidded to a stop, breathing heavily. That was a surprise; Harker had excellent endurance, which meant that the little beaver had really legged it down the street.

"Followed others... went clothes shopping... thought I should keep an eye on the store... and here... for when you came back." Harker wheezed, desperately trying to get his breath back. Argus nodded. Harker was just being considerate. Or, rather, doing his job. Consideration wasn't Harker's strong point, usually.

"So... why do you look so panicked?" Argus asked in concern.

Harker looked up, and there was genuine fear in his eyes. "Boss, I saw this tall lady walking over to the store. And I've seen her before. Two years ago, I was doing some work in this village, and she comes to town like she's on a mission. And she was. Looking for a girl who lived on the edge of town, a real quiet sort. By that night, the whole village was in flames. But I got a good look at her, boss. It's her. She ain't even disguising herself much here. And I'd recognize those eyes anywhere."

Argus felt a cold chill run up his spine. "Harker, what are you saying?"

"She's an elf, boss. Hunting half-elves."
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Graybeard
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Re: Lorenzel, Part 2

Post by Graybeard »

For the first time since that unforgettable, horrible day on the coast, Sister Rose literally felt her blood run cold. "Let's go! Time's a-wasting!" She turned and dashed back to the wagon, oblivious to the two screams, and matching thuds, coming from within the shop; the shopkeeper and wealthy customer had both sighted Harker at the same time, reacted identically and strongly, and fainted dead away...

---------

Meanwhile, Peregin Bauti was on a roll.

"I see that you've set yourself up with a little entertainment," she thought at Drusia, the mental sneer still evident. "A nice, meek little Errant to dispose of ... I'd even say a cute little Errant to dispose of ... and with the sporting interest of trying to do it without her human escorts interfering, I suppose. Good for you. I just have a routine hunt ahead of me, for some Errant assassin I found out about over in Nautkia. There won't be anything, shall I say, artistic about that one. But you ... you have the opportunity for a really esthetic kill." She paused for a moment. "Unless you're planning to go all Sarine on her, now, instead of doing your job. But you can't be thinking of anything like that ... can you?" Could a mind leer and wink at the same time?...
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Porcelain Fish
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Re: Lorenzel, Part 2

Post by Porcelain Fish »

"Lillith, I have a couple more things I think you might like." Maduin stood just outside the dressing room, cheer beginning to fade, because things at the front of the store looked to be heading rapidly downhill.

He looked back as the curtain was swept aside, and his eyes widened slightly.

Lillith wore the dress even better than he'd expected. If the blue had been any stronger, the print any less subtle, it might have clashed with her complexion and hair. As it was, the clean, sweeping lines of the skirts complimented the lines of her body without being too revealing. He'd thought the dress might be slightly too large, and indeed, the hem hung a little lower than mid-calf where it was intended, closer to the ankles, but the top was perfect, deep enough to accentuate the graceful lines of her collarbone but not so deep as to reveal cleavage, the sleeves just at her elbows, the lace just enough without being too showy. The end result wasn't quite a ballroom belle, but it was certainly breathtaking, and Maduin felt a distinct sense of accomplishment.

He smiled brilliantly at her, Drusia and her apparent rival temporarily forgotten. "Miss Lillith, that dress is made for you." He held up the reddish-brown skirt and the rose-colored blouse. "I think these would also look quite fetching, though I have to say, this shop would be hard-pressed to provide anything equally as flattering as that dress. Try them on and let me know if you like them."
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Drusia
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Re: Lorenzel, Part 2

Post by Drusia »

Drusia:

"Crappy opsec there, use telepathy around the humans whenever you can. They're too dim to pick up on that. Orally, some of them speak a language that's close enough to our own that we shouldn't use it. Anyway, I'm Peregin Bauti. I remember you being in on the Errant War ... on the wrong side."

I supress a shudder. I hate telepathy. Too hard to lie this way. And I can already tell I'm not going to like this conversation. Now... Peregin Bauti. Bauti... I seem to remember some unpleasant stories about her and collateral damage. Great.

"I see that you've set yourself up with a little entertainment," she continues, "A nice, meek little Errant to dispose of ... I'd even say a cute little Errant to dispose of ... and with the sporting interest of trying to do it without her human escorts interfering, I suppose. Good for you. I just have a routine hunt ahead of me, for some Errant assassin I found out about over in Nautkia. There won't be anything, shall I say, artistic about that one. But you ... you have the opportunity for a really esthetic kill. Unless you're planning to go all Sarine on her, now, instead of doing your job. But you can't be thinking of anything like that ... can you?"

<"If you're concerned about my dedication,"> I reply mentally, <"Maybe you should look into the Errant I killed last night. Unlike some Peregin, I prefer my missions to be clean and quiet, no embarasing explosions or body counts. And you can't have precision unless you study a problem first. I've only just met this one,"> I nod towards the half-elf girl, who's clutching a particularly pretty blue dress, <"And until I'm aware of her techniques and what she's capable of I won't try anything. And, since as you said you have your own problem to eliminate in Nautkia and I have this situation under control, perhaps you could let me get back to doing my job?"> I work hard to keep more than mild annoyance out of my mind.

"Unless," I say aloud, but still softly, "You'd like to go somewhere for another sort of fun." I smile at her suggestively. "It has been a long time since I was with one of my own kind...." I bat my eyebrows at her flirtily.


OOC: I went with <> around my mental dialogue to distinguish it from the non-mental stuff. Also because Poe used spiky word bubbles.
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Graybeard
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Re: Lorenzel, Part 2

Post by Graybeard »

[OOC:
Drusia wrote:OOC: I went with <> around my mental dialogue to distinguish it from the non-mental stuff. Also because Poe used spiky word bubbles.
Excellent idea; I'll follow suit here. /OOC:]

The leer that spread across Bauti's features was physical, not mental, and it was almost a parody of evil. "Excellent. I might just take you up on that offer, once we've both done our business here. I'm with you, it's been a long time..."

Then she switched back to telepathy. "<But don't push me, peregin. I don't give a rat's ass what happens to these humans. They breed like rabbits, after all, and if a few of them get killed while we're making the world safe for our own kind, there'll be more to replace them soon enough. We still do what we have to. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get back to looking for this 'Cithule' or 'Wolf' or whatever he's called. He's actually supposed to be dangerous enough to make it interesting. You do the same, if excessive ... concern ... for your cute little pet Errant doesn't stop you. And if it does...>" She didn't finish the thought, but left the store without a word and entered a tavern across the street.

A highly agitated Sister Rose and Argus pulled up outside the general store just in time to miss the whole show. "I just hope we're not too late," Rose breathed as they secured the wagon. "Let me take a quick scan here and ... oh."

Someone close to the door of the store was in a very bad mood. And peeking inside, it looked like Drusia was the only one standing there. "Are you all right?" Rose asked, not sure what answer she was hoping for.

[EDIT: A very belated retcon here. A Cimmerii wouldn't be quite as ... wanton ... as Bauti is, so let's let her be Rinkai instead; that fits some other, later things better, without changing anything significant to date.]
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