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Elora sits in her office, pushing some papers... literally. With a bored expression, she shoves some reports from the "arrived" side of the desk to the "done" side, certain that no one will notice.
Den Bao? chooses just the right moment to politely knock on the door frame, open or no. He doesn't exactly see what's going on, but he has this distinct feeling that the Noble Cause is being shrugged aside. "Excuse me. I was told to report here?"
Elora "Oh. Yes. Come in."
Den Bao? does as directed, smoothing out his gray robes. He's a rather wide-bodied fellow---not exactly overweight, but naturally heavyset, with light tan skin and a completely bald head save for his thick, expressive eyebrows eyebrows. "I assume I am here for introductions and such, madam?"
Elora "I... also assume this. You are?"
Den Bao? bows, just enough to display obvious respect without looking like he's sucking up. "Den Bao, servant of Secrets. At your service, of course."
Elora "Ah. Well... good! Welcome!" She gestures to a chair. "Tea?"
Den Bao? sits, nodding after a moment. "That would be nice, yes. As for you... you are...?"
Elora "Oh. Elora."
Elora doesn't really say anything after that.
Den Bao? raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say thing more, simply waiting for his tea.
Elora hops up and pours a fresh bowl of tea for each of them, setting them down carefully on the desk. "So... I take it you've been assigned to our convention."
Den Bao? "Mmm-hmm." Den takes the bowl and carefully swirls it around in its cup, almost studying it. That done, he has a sip. "I must admit, I didn't expect to be given such an important task, but I welcome the challenge of it all."
Elora nods, but one of her eyes squints a little as she scrutinizes this new arrival, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Yes, I think you'll find it's... quite challenging."
Den Bao? has another sip... then chuckles, shaking his head. "Now, now. You say that like it's a bad thing, almost."
Elora sips on her tea, gently. "Well, here in the Central Convention we have rather... unusual methods."
Den Bao? hrms. Sips. Raises his eyebrows again. Another sip. "I have this distinct feeling this more second interview than chatter over tea. Was there something I wasn't informed of?"
Elora thinks for a moment.
Elora After a moment, Elora takes another tack. "So why did you get reassigned here?"
Den Bao? "The short, friendly answer is that a good friend of mine suggested me to the Powers That Be for my helping him with a few things." He pauses. Another sip. "The long, proper answer is that said friend apparently caught wind of some... trouble headed my way from a certain Bureau and liked me too much to let me deal with the consequences."
"I'll admit, it was a bit of a blow to my pride, but the carrot at the end of the stick was most appealing."
Elora "Well... good." Elora takes a big sip. "We have important business to attend to here." She narrows her eyes a little. "Professionalism and poise are VERY IMPORTANT."
Den Bao? looks at the tea again, then to Elora. "Duly noted. I've some idea of what needs to be done, and I imagine my talents will be put to good use in some manner."
Elora "Well... good. That's very good." She finishes her bowl. "We're currently preparing for an action in Lookshy. Can you have a report for me in the morning?"
Den Bao? pauses. "Lookshy. Why Lookshy? I'm curious... perhaps trying to observe the present matter from outside eyes that would nonetheless have some familiarity with the Realm's nuances?"
Elora looks him up and down. "Well, you are the Secrets, yes? You should tell ME." She puts it in challenging, but not threatening, terms.
Autumn Above them, there is a chandelier. Beautiful shining grass and crystals... and now there is bizarre plumaged creature whose feathers vary from deep green to ashen white and uses a large, ceremonial Linowan Shamanic Mask perching on it. Well. Standing on it, as well as one can stand, upside-down, his weight over it. He pokes Bao on the back of his neck. "Piece peace pisces"
Den Bao? pauses... then grins, broadly. "Oh, I like you. Give me six hours there, and I could likely attain all the information we'd need... or perhaps catch onto whatever little matter might need immediate seeing-to..." And then... he's poked. His first reaction is to spit the tea he was sipping. The second...
Elora blinks at Autumn's arrival, but also lets out a bit of a sigh... at least now things were how she expected them to be.
Den Bao? promptly turns and looks up, more than ready to... snap at the man with the odd gray scarf around his neck. "You have ten seconds to explain yourself."
Autumn "You are a SECRET! You should be good with secrets. And riddles. And THINGS! Why don't you know?" And then he falls deftly on the ground. "Just... why?" He asks with such a dumbfolded voice, as if the answer would define his existence!
Den Bao?' "... I don't know. Do you?"
Den Bao? smiles broadly at Autumn.
Autumn "I do! We all sail in the world between priests and bugs, but they'll never be queens and popes. We are pieces of pisces but not in peace." His scarf goes and tries to steal Elora's tea
"Smiling Autumn, nice to meetcha!"
Autumn pats Den Bao's hand
Den Bao? looks rather unamused at the pat, but relaxes, his overlong scarf falling back neatly into place. "Den Bao. A pleasure." He also seems to be studying this odd, odd fellow with the look of someone who suddenly realizes just what the fuck he's gotten himself into.
Autumn "I posit Jupiter has no sense of humor, Mars has too much, and Saturn is too fucking weird. Whaddaya think, Elora?" He asks, and without resistance, the tea is on his hand.
Elora laughs insincerely at Autumn's crack.
Den Bao? finally turns to Elora. "Much makes sense now. Unfortunately."
Autumn "And pleasure's all mine, Den Bao. As you know, we are pleasure. That's my gift, that's my curse, and that's the mask. By the way, when you meet the Bishop who won't be a pope, try to stand..."
Autumn paces around the room
Autumn walks over to Den Bao, picks his arms, makes measurements of it
Den Bao? makes yet another face, but doesn't resist. His are are of solid size, with some degree of muscle---it's more lean than thick, though, and some small amount of fat remains.
Autumn "... stay no less than 10 yards of him. Yes. Exactly." He sits down, half-removes his mask, and sips the tea
Elora watches with interest, while pouring herself another cup of tea.
Den Bao? "This... Bishop. I assume he is a physical sort, yes?" He calmly smooths out his sleeves, looking rather calm and unruffled considering he's between a mask and a nervous woman.
Autumn "He says goodbye with a punch, hello with a kick, he loves blood, and is too much of boy to ever kick the groin. Very battles, very battles. And one wonder why he'll never be pope. That's what bishops are for, the kicking." He nods sagely. "He wants us to go beat people in Lookshy!"
Elora nods. "He had a hunch!"
Autumn "Elora, let me break this to you. Secrets have hunches when they wanna annoy someone, Serenities have hunches when loins burn, and secrets have hunches when they wanna annoy someone! But fear not, it'll be fun! Like last time!" He points the tea to Den Bao, "So, will you be beating up, shagging up, or writing up? It's our 3 formations, and I did two last time! It was tiring."
Den Bao? looks between Autumn and Elora, and makes a mental note to look into this 'Bishop' later on, for purposes of backup plans and all other sorts of violent possibilities. "I will be watching with eyes that see more than just what the mask allows." He raps a knuckle on Autumn's mask. "Because masks... are still masks, and there is something underneath. Usually."
Elora wouldn't have done that, definitely not. "Den Bao, I, uh."
Elora "I may not have mentioned that when I met Autumn, he was writing entrail poetry in the receiving chamber of our latest assignment."
Den Bao? "... was his grammar correct?"
Autumn stops, and his hand is suddenly holding Den Bao's hand. "There is another and another. If you let one take your masks, they have won. As long as you have a mask, you are immortal. And it is not POLITE TO TOUCH MASKS."
Den Bao? "As it is not polite to introduce yourself with a touch to someone not a lover, not a foe, not a ruler with a ring waiting to be kissed." He smiles, slightly. "We can some to an agreement, yes?"
Autumn scratches his chin "... does this deal come with strawberries?"
Den Bao? "That can be arranged."
Autumn holds Den Bao's hands and shakes. His other hand is somewhere behind him crossing his fingers. "Then, we have a deal! And strawberries."
Elora suddenly has an idea.
"Well, I'm glad we could resolve that like adults. Thank you, Autumn." She slyly pushes the "done" stack back over to the "arrived" side of the desk, then picks it up with her other hand. "Den Bao, now that you've arrived... would you mind taking care of these reports for me?"
Den Bao? smiles. "A deal, indeed." Letting go of the hand, he turns to address Elora... before pausing. "Hrm? Oh, certainly, that shouldn't be an issue at all. Here, let me..." He snaps them up and takes a peek.
Autumn pouts "... you never ask me for reports."
Elora digs a napkin out of a pocket. "Autumn, could you report on... some... Endings for me?" She offers the napkin to him gingerly.
Den Bao? "... ah, basic provisions and requisitions paperwork. In quadruplicate. I swear, damned gods should invest in indestrucably paper. You'd think they could stop stuffing ambrosia in their asses long enough to have a meeting on it..."
Autumn picks the napkin! "I didn't said I would do it, mind, it's just sweet to be asked."
Elora quirks an eyebrow. "Ambrosia... in their... asses."
Den Bao? sits down in Elora's chair and pulls a pen from his sleeve, looking over things and occasionally scribing down something or another. "You'd be amazed what they do for fun."
Autumn "It's quite common, really. Shalrina doesn't like it there, though. Unless I put a lil' domino mask on it."
Den Bao? grumbles at the stack. "I knew I should have Systematiced on paperwork this morning... I still had that post-audit report to write."
Elora is left speechless by Autumn's comment for a moment. She turns around and starts to speak: "Uh, that's... that's my de..." No. Remember, girl. Not worth it.
Autumn props up her chin with the scarf "You look CUTE when you blush!"
Den Bao? "Oh, I won't be long. Maybe a few hours if I hurry. Which..." He pages through the stuff before grimacing for some reason. "... I really can't do. Do you have more tea, it would help the time pass."
Elora looks at the stack of reports, and stands quietly for a few moments.
Then, she decides to announce to the room: "I'm... going for a walk. Autumn, you'll keep an eye on our new friend, yes?" She looks over her desk again. "Maybe fetch him some tea?"
Den Bao? "That would be great."
Autumn "Oh, of course! I know a GREAT tea recipe!"
Den Bao? is getting down to business, occasionally nibbling on the (non-writing) end of his pen.
Elora "You do?"
Elora almost immediately regrets asking that question.
Autumn "Of course! Since you are going for a walk, come with me to the kitchen! See, it involves..." He begins to list the ingredients. Truly, there are things Men Was Not Meant To Know. And now, Woman does.
Den Bao? is still working hard and looking... somewhat content. What the hell.
Autumn walks into the hallway dragging Elora, finally finishing listing the ingredients and their arcane way of preparing "... it tastes like dreams and maiden screams!"
Elora follows Autumn down the hallway, mentally counting each step of the way -- it's soothing. "You... know what those things taste like?"
Autumn "Yes! Dreams are as varied as types of bugs, though. And maidens screams get ripe with age."
Elora is actually too distracted to be properly horrified at what Autumn is saying... for once. "Could... hmm. Something important just happened." She darts over towards the door.
Elora "Bitch!" Elora skids around the corner and continues after her at top speed.
Autumn darts after Elora, quickly picking up the Maiden, and rushing after Elora, using his scarves to pick nearby trees and *jump*!
Elora "Pissbucket!"
Autumn looks at it, and one can imagine he is almost teary-eyed within his mask... looking at this place... so eerie... so mysterious... so... so... "... this place is *perfect* for a funeral orgy."
Elora looks around. "This isn't really great."
Autumn "This place is GREAT! And it needs no piss-buckets. You don't get anything of decoration, Elora. For shame, you're supposed to be the GIRL!"
Elora After her conversation with Serpent earlier, Elora checks down her shirt to make sure.
Elora looks back up, then goes over and checks the fountain over extra-carefully.
Elora holds up one hand and summons an ever-so-Efficient Secretary. "What's the name of the plaza I've wandered into?"
Elora "Well, shit."
"AUTUMN!"
Autumn checking places for the orgy nearby. "Yes?"
Elora "You're into Endings, yes?" She points at the nameplate. "Who's the Dead Maiden?"
Autumn "There IS no Dead Maiden. Besides the Maidens We Kill."
Elora "Well isn't that wonderful." She tries the spider again. "I don't suppose you can tell me the name that used to be on that nameplate."
Autumn walks up to the nameplate and the fountain, and checks it out
Autumn "The Dead Maiden, by Every Fifth Dove, comissioned by Chejob Kejack."
"... how can he comission a maiden that doesn't exist?"
"That's CHEATING. You don't go around making maidens. It's evil and wrong and they need to be deflored!"
Elora blinks. "Please, Autumn." She looks at the fountain again. "Have some respect for the theoretically dead."
Autumn "If he wasn't already detained, I'd detain him for it." He looks at Elora... "... I might, with one condition, E-L-O-R-A." A blink, and he's behind her
Elora reflexively covers her butt with both hands.
Elora "What's that?"
Autumn "You're as curious as I am, right?" His hands clap in front of her. "Let us go find this out! Who did it? And why? And where's that damn running minx? And why do we suck so much at investigating? We need to find out!"
Elora breathes a gasp of relief. That's /so/ much less bad than she was expecting.
Elora "Yes, we do."
Autumn "I mean, who care about wor... er, I mean, heaven will love us if we do this! Or something! There will be champagne and maidens in the bed and no problems. Or at least I won't be so damn curious." He looks around... "So, whose funeral we party here for?"
Elora mutters "Hopefully not mine," probably not loud enough to be heard.
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