< Enter The Black Roses | Logs | Gathering Of Insanity >
Elora Elora sits on a small veranda on the outside of the Rock of Ages, the newly renovated Manse housing the still untidy and yet-to-be-unpacked offices of the Convention Concerning the Pole of Earth. The manse, in what would be considered a mid-scale neighborhood in Yu-Shan, is constructed as a miniature scale model of the Imperial Mountain --
Elora "even down to the underground parts!" Elora had been thoroughly assured. How one could build a scale model of an infinitely large object was clearly an exercise left to the reader.
Elora Elora's veranda had the shape and consistency of the clouds that hang about the mountain's midsection in the season of Fire, and it slowly floated in a circle around the manse proper. At the moment, one could see the Peach orchards in the distance in a particularly pleasant fashion.
Elora Elora sat in a chair made of simulated sunbeams, holding a large earthenware mug filled with a large quantity of tea and topped off with an even larger quantity of whiskey. Only Serpent Ebb showed up for the "debriefing" meeting, so she's opened the whiskey and added a little more.
Serpent sips his drink.
Elora "So we... sort of accomplished our goal with regard to Ejava."
Elora pauses.
Elora "Did you have any.... thoughts... on... that."
Serpent takes a noticeably bigger swig before replaying.
Serpent *replying
Serpent "Um."
Serpent "The Bishop's methods are...surprising."
Elora "Yes." A long pause. "Yes they are." Upon brief reflection, perhaps Elora is happier that he didn't come to the meeting after all. "Well. Anyway. I have..." -- she clears her throat -- "a date with Delana. I think she's up to something."
Serpent "Who?"
Elora takes a big swig. "Delana. The dark-haired woman who was talking to Ejava at the festival."
Serpent "Oh, her. Right. One with the..." Serpent pauses and considers how mannerly he's got to be around Elora, "...bosoms."
Elora "Yes. That one."
Elora looks askance at her mug, then drains the remainder in a single swig.
Serpent "So, you're going to...see what she's up to?"
Serpent specifically inflects that to make it sound suggestive.
Elora blushes a little.
Elora "Ahem. Yes. Yes."
Serpent "Probably a good idea. They get unruly if you don't tend them."
Elora blushes slightly more.
Elora stands up quickly, gathers up the notes she left on the table, and shuffles them into a disorganized pile that she shoves into her rucksack. "So, uh, I think you should come along to, uh, make sure nothing horrible happens to me." A pause. "You know what I mean."
Serpent finishes his drink. "Sure. Next meeting, I'll bring the whiskey."
Elora nods, and begins walking swiftly towards the exit.
Elora stands in the streets of the Imperial City, having readopted her Resplendent Destiny, this time with the requested red cape attached. She scans the horizon for the "Jade Tower."
pigeon A few blocks to the left, an ornate spire thrusts into the sky, strikingly manufactured out of all five colors of jade.
Elora "Ah. That's probably it."
Serpent "Must be. I'm gonna...go round the other side. Get into character."
Elora nods, swallows hard, and approaches the doors of the manse.
pigeon The two Dragon-Blooded guards at the door keep their eyes straight forward.
Elora attempts to enter.
Serpent circles round and looks for the servants' entrance.
pigeon They close ranks, direlances snapping across the door. The left one utters, in a voice quiet enough to be missed, "Can I help you, peasant?"
pigeon As Serpent circumnavigates the tower, he can't help noticing that the whole thing is surrounded by guards.
Elora "Rotesh Fordera, sirs." She points helpfully to the RED CAPE that she is wearing.
Elora pauses for a moment as the guards seem to grow more angry, then remembers and pulls out the hairpin!
Elora She mumbles something under her breath about being new to this whole high-powered courtesan thing.
pigeon The leftmost guard raises his eyebrow just a tic; then the two quickly pull out of the way. "Excuse me, miss. I didn't realize. Please. Make yourself at home."
Elora nods. "Of COURSE I will," she says, and sashays in.
pigeon Meanwhile, Serpent manages to locate a back door through which servants occasionally scurry and return laden with supplies. It, too, has a guard at the door.
Serpent sizes the guard up.
pigeon He looks like any other guard, except more so. A little bit bored and idle, given that he currently has the most boring job in the place.
Serpent heads up to the door and makes as if to open it, ignoring the guard completely.
pigeon The moment Elora steps into the manse, a few servants scurry up to her, directing her with points and whispers to remove her cloak and shoes, leave her bag, and accompany them up the stairs to the second floor.
Elora removes her shoes, but then balks for a moment. "I, uh, have something. Important. In my bag."
pigeon One of the servants looks first surprised, then amused, then the disapproving glances of the other servants restore him to his normal stolidity. They lead her up the stairs and into a richly appointed sitting room.
Elora sits, as implied by the name.
pigeon The guard gives Serpent an odd look, but lets him pass, although it's clear he isn't sure about this whole thing.
pigeon Once through the door, Serpent finds himself in a cavernous pantry that appears to lead under the tower.
Serpent finds some um, what's here, some pickled beetles, and what's that is it JAM yes CHERRY JAM that will be just right and tucks them into a basket.
Mnemnon Delana sweeps into the room about ten minutes after Elora arrives, dressed in a scarlet number that carefully treads the line between acceptable and scandalous.
Mnemnon Delana "Well, hello there. Sorry to keep you waiting. I didn't expect you so soon."
Serpent considers for a bit, and studiously scrapes some dirt up from the floor and grinds it into his hands. Servants shouldn't be too clean.
Elora nods and attempts to maintain character as thoroughly as possible. "Ah, yes, I, ah, have little occupying me during my stay inland...."
Mnemnon Delana "Oh? Just passing through, hm?"
Elora "The life of a merchant is one of constant travel," she says wistfully.
Mnemnon Delana "You must meet a lot of interesting people."
Elora "I certainly do."
Mnemnon Delana "Which, I think, brings us back to what we were discussing when we met...hmm?" Hher smile fades a tiny bit.
Elora "Ah... yes."
Mnemnon Delana waits, more or less politely.
Mnemnon Delana A few servants run in and out of the pantry, but luckily, they've all been too busy so far to notice Serpent's presence.
Elora looks back and forth a little. "What I know might be very useful to you.... depending on your... specific goals, of course."
Serpent starts heading up the tower trying to figure out where to find Elora and Delana.
Mnemnon Delana laughs a bit. "I thought you'd have figured that out by now."
Mnemnon Delana "Surely it's apparent to you that when we knock off Fokuf, Ejava will be the only person standing between Mnemnon and unquestioned rulership of the Blessed Isle."
Mnemnon Delana "But she's already survived one assassination attempt. We need something more...specific. We need somebody who knows her...secrets." Delana leans in, idly putting her hand on Elora's knee.
Mnemnon Delana "Nice cape, by the way. My favorite color."
Elora blushes and smiles again.
Mnemnon Delana "But enough chat. You say you turned the Roseblack's head, hm?"
Mnemnon Delana "Show me how."
Elora closes her eyes very, very tightly and leaps up to plant one firmly on Delana, leaping up to wrap her legs around the Dynast's midsection.
Mnemnon Delana Serpent approaches the main tower area, only to notice the servants gathered around the pantry door, gossiping and laughing.
Serpent pretends like he can't find something, so as to listen in on the conversation.
Mnemnon Delana receives the kiss with a certain surprised gusto, cupping Elora in her hands. "My, my, how aggressive!"
Elora continues her ferocious assault, all the while shifting her weight to push Delana back towards the wall.
Mnemnon Delana The servants gossip: "Did you see that girl? Man, Delana's slumming. Wonder what she's got that she wants? She must have the Eye of Autochthon or something." Laughter.
Mnemnon Delana One of the servants glances over at Serpent, and furrows his brow.
Serpent laughs for entirely different reasons.
Mnemnon Delana Servant: "Hey, you. Who are you? How did you get in here?"
Serpent "Deliveries, from Kyoshi Preserves at the market... we have an order here for a..." He squints as if trying to remember a name, "Rotesh Forzara?"
Serpent "Ferdero?"
Serpent "Something."
Mnemnon Delana squeaks as she thumps heavily against the wall, then pants, running her hands down Elora's body.
Serpent "Where can I find her? The goods must be delivered in person."
Mnemnon Delana "I..." the butler furrows his brow. "How did you get this address?"
Serpent "Excuse me, are you miss For...whatever?"
Serpent "If you aren't then I have nothing else to say to you."
Mnemnon Delana The butler stares. "Who do you think you are? Show some respect, if you don't want to get thrown out of here on your ear."
Mnemnon Delana "You shouldn't even have been able to get past the guard."
Elora wraps her legs more tightly around Delana's midsection, while groping awkwardly with her left hand. She kisses her again quite hard, then backs her head up, performs a quick and slightly unorthodox manipulation of her own internal Essence stores, and performs a shockingly sudden headbutt, slamming her forehead into Delana's and Delana's head into the wall.
Serpent scratches his chin, considering.
Serpent decides that the butler doesn't have anything useful to say. "I did get part the guard, however. Also, past you."
Serpent moves toward the exit, completely not bothering to suppress the unsettling flickering effect of the Inexorable Advance.
Mnemnon Delana blinks slightly as cracked plaster falls from above her head down into her bosom. She doesn't say anything quite yet, but she also doesn't let go.
Mnemnon Delana The butler shouts as Serpent bursts past him with basically disturbing speed, and hands reach out to grasp him but close too late on air.
Serpent bites his thumb at the butler and disappears into the Manse.
Mnemnon Delana "Maybe I've misjudged you."
Mnemnon Delana clenches one arm around Elora while her other hand blurs out and returns, clutching a candlestick, and makes a beeline for Elora's head.
Serpent ducks into a conveniently empty bedroom and clutches his yellow jewel. "The fairy said something would happen..."
Elora yelps as she ducks out of the way of the candlestick, using her momentum to swing around and kick Delana in the shoulder, carefully catching one thin, gauzy shoulder-strap of her outfit in her toes and tearing it loose in the process.
Autumn As soon as Serpent goes past the door, she passes by a masked person in a gaudy crimson and gold outfit, leaning against the Manse's arch, arms crossed on his chest. His outfit is grand, presenting roaring fires of a revolution, great leaders burning in the writing and decorations on it. "Careless, direct, the sublety of an elephant. Let me guess, you are Serpent Ebb?"
Serpent He is completely surprised when his clothes spin out into strands of gossamer and become green silk general's robes... a WOMAN's general's robes. In his left hand is a crow-feather fan and in his right is the yellow pendant. And one of his BREASTS.
Serpent **as soon as serpent exits the bedroom
Serpent "Hello, um, some person."
Serpent "Maybe you should call me by some other name. Adorable Cobra Maiden?"
Serpent mutters under his breath, "I hope Ali knows how to die because I am going to kill him for this."
Autumn "I was right? And here I thought I was going to annoy Elora."
Serpent squeezes his breast. "Maybe I won't kill him all the way."
Serpent "Yes. Um, Elora is...somewhere. We're going to find her."
Autumn "That is very strange, I heard Serpent had a dick. But it's good to see the rest fit. And I like. Adorable Cobra Maiden." He taps her forehead, "So, mask a girl to meet a girl? I like that thinking!"
Serpent starts moving down the hallway. "Usually I do. Explaining later. Elora now."
Autumn makes a courtsy for her to go first, not that she needed, before following "Please lead the way, then! To fights, to parties, and may Venus spank you blush-red for wishing to kill me."
Mnemnon Delana shrieks as the strap of her dress is torn, tumbling over the couch as the rolls with the kick and coming up with one hand holding up her outfit and the other hand brandishing a knife.
Mnemnon Delana "Ejava's cleverer than I thought she was. It's too bad her taste in assassins isn't as good as her taste in women."
Mnemnon Delana purses her lips and whistles piercingly, and the sound of pounding feet are abruptly heard from, well, pretty much everywhere.
Elora 's eyes bug out at the sound of the guards approaching, and she turns first red and then white. In a somewhat smaller and more surprised voice than she used previously, she says, "You told me to show you how...."
Mnemnon Delana The Sidereals downstairs hear a loud whistle from the floor above, to which the servants react with surprise and alarm. In a moment, the two guards from the door burst into view and start heading for the stairs.
Autumn "... guards? Nevermind, I suppose what I said DOES fit Elora, after all."
Mnemnon Delana blinks, panting, then blinks again...then starts laughing.
Mnemnon Delana continues laughing, until she has to sit down, gasping for breath. The guards look at her worriedly.
Elora stands in place, tentatively acting very slightly less worried.
Mnemnon Delana "...I think, perhaps, I misunderstood." She waves her hand, dismissing the guards that have already arrived.
Mnemnon Delana "I'm sorry, honey, I overreacted. Come here. Delana wants to apologize."
Autumn moves in beautiful arcs around the floor, his feet tapping like in a stage. Soon he is on the stairs, in front of them, and none saw when he did that. "Welcome to the party, gentlemen!" He says... and he begins to dance.... a dance that, like music, sends it vibrations to their bodies... and call them to dance all the same!
Serpent drops the fan, curling his fingers into the 'sting' gesture. His eyes drip with glowing violet tears as he thrusts his hands into the nearer guard's solar plexus.
Elora smiles nervously and walks over to Delana once again.
Mnemnon Delana reaches out to pull Elora closer to her...
Elora Her thoroughly confused mental decision-making process thoroughly defeated by circumstances and unfamiliar urges, Elora gives in fully to the moment.
Random Guard Dude swipes his spear sideways in alarm, knocking Serpent's hand away, even as his feet begin unaccountably tapping and shuffling.
Serpent looks at the guard critically.
Serpent "If you stop doing that, do they stop doing that?"
Random Guard Dude squints at Serpent, not sure how to reply, or really what the hell is happening.
Autumn "Yes, actually. But why would I?"
Serpent "I'm going to, uh, go."
Serpent goes.
Autumn "... you see, my friends." He points to them as a lecture, "This is why you never trust transsexuals. They are bitches, every time."
Random Guard Dude The guards flail wildly at Serpent but are basically incapable of stopping him and shuffling off to Buffalo at the same time.
Mnemnon Delana Serpent easily navigates the stairway and enters the sitting room, only to find something taking place there that is definitely not sitting.
Mnemnon Delana bursts apart from Elora with a stifled shriek, staring at the new arrival. "Who are you? How the hell did you get past my guards?"
Elora shrieks, aiming for an even higher pitch.
Mnemnon Delana It is immediately apparent to Elora that the comely young maiden who just walked in is Serpent Ebb, although not at all clear what the hell that means.
Elora shrieks yet louder and higher, while fishing for modesty cushions from the couch.
Mnemnon Delana!~Liam@Magic Star-E 34 C 7716?.dsl.pltn13.pacbell.net Mnemnon Delana? has changed the topic to: Autumn: "... you see, my friends." He points to them as a lecture, "This is why you never trust transsexuals. They are bitches, every time."
Elora When she thinks Delana isn't looking and her altogether is reasonably cushion-covered, Elora makes a terrified neck-slicing gesture to Serpent Ebb.
Serpent raises his/her eyebrows excitedly, but obediently leaves the room, making a gesture that clearly means, "You will absolutely tell me all about THIS later."
Serpent goes back to find Autumn and extract him. And hopefully recover his dangly bits.
Mnemnon Delana "What the fuck--" she whistles again, pulling a blanket over herself, as the guards pour down from upstairs, and stop, embarrassed. "Some bitch is downstairs and I want you to hogtie her and bring her to me."
Mnemnon Delana Downstairs, the guards are slowly dancing their way up the staircase, crimson with embarrassment and rage.
Mnemnon Delana One of the guards pulls a dagger from his belt and flings it at Adorable Cobra Maiden as she descends the staircase. It hits her in the eye, bounces off, and clanks down the stairs.
Mnemnon Delana The guard is appropriately horrified.
Serpent blinks, looks surprised, and then extends an arm to the guard. "Will you dance with me?"
Mnemnon Delana "Anathema," breathes the guard, fumbling with his direlance.
Mnemnon Delana About a dozen more guards burst out of the sitting room and make for Serpent.
Serpent looks at the guards with some acceptable amount of alarm. Then h-she bites her hand, and the blood that comes out is silver. It flows to coat his entire--her entire body, while two glittering sutras unroll from her hands. The air fills with the sound of bells. "Anathema is right."
Mnemnon Delana The guard opens his mouth to yell to his comrades, but all that can be heard is the tinkling of bells.
Serpent gestures at Autumn. Stop messing around like a little girl and kill someone!
Mnemnon Delana "Sorry, dollface," she begins to pull her dress back on. "Business is business. I do so hate to spoil our evening, though."
Mnemnon Delana "Tell you what," she licks Elora's cheek. "I promise I'll make it up to you. Come on by any time."
Elora nods and grins a little stupidly. "I promise," she says, and dangles her head over the side of the couch.
Autumn Autumn shrugs, opening his arms, "Oh, there you are. I suppose I can finally stop indulging in those gentleman's company... I am sorry, my friends, I know you loved my anecdotes about those bitches, but... let us finish this!"
Autumn fills the air with rose petals, taking off his overcoat for his grand entrance! The extras are already dancing, and now the main attraction comes into the stage... and unfortunately, they must fall out of it! Arcs of rose light streak as he strikes the Dragon-Blooded, gently telling to Get The Fuck Out!
Autumn His mouth opens, but nothing really comes out, he realises!
Autumn Alas!
Autumn He must rely on pantomime!
Elora As Delana continues to get dressed, Elora makes a snap decision. "Wait!" she says, quickly, reaching over to acquire some basic decency for herself.
Mnemnon Delana The rose blasts blow through the guards' armor, and their mouths open in silent wails of pain.
Autumn makes a shadow-scorpion in his hands, stinging the guard's shadows! It was Serpent's Cue! What sort of Serpent is also a scorpion, anyway?
Mnemnon Delana glances over at Elora, eyebrow raised.
Serpent nods. She shouts something inaudible and, leaping across the room in a masterful pas de chat, clamps two guards' necks in her hands.
Elora "I, ah, how am I going to get out of here?"
Elora tries to seem very concerned.
Mnemnon Delana Cobra Maiden tears the flesh of one guard, while the other sidesteps her grasp.
Serpent looks annoyed. This kung fu business is all very fancy, but not all it's cracked up to be.
Mnemnon Delana "There's a walkway upstairs that goes to the manse next door. You can get out that way."
Autumn picks one of their droplets of blood and paints a dot on Serpent's left cheek. First blood!
Elora tries extra hard. "Could you, ah, show me quickly?"
Mnemnon Delana narrows her eyes at Elora, then shrugs. "Okay, but quickly. I have to get back and blow some people up."
Mnemnon Delana leads Elora upstairs and gestures grandly to a skywalk that crosses over part of the palace grounds.
Mnemnon Delana Meanwhile, the guards heft their weapons and charge, as much as is possible when you are irresistibly compelled to tango.
Elora "Thank you." Elora bows, smiling. As soon as Delana has turned away, she smudges the dirt from her face, begins to frown, and stuffs her cloak into her bag, hiding away the Destiny that has clouded her identity.
Elora She leaps off the skyway onto a second-floor windowsill and busts her way back into the manse, racing to reach the other Sidereals before Delana does.
Serpent elegantly - but somewhat inaccurately - poses in a series of dramatic blocks, before realizing, the attacks that DO go past her fingers bounce off her skin anyway.
Autumn deftly sidesteps away from the attack, like a dance, picking the attacker's arm as if it was a female dance partner. His eyes seem to say, 'my friend, we have to stop meeting this way!'
Serpent takes a heartbeat to glance at Autumn, her eyes saying, ::This is more fun than rolling down a hill!::
Elora suddenly emerges from a room on the second floor, eating a pastry with one hand (why did the Gull have to require you to be hungry?) and darting towards the sitting room. Partway through the room, she finds her feet step-dancing of their own accord, and a brief attempt at speaking is unsuccessful even after she swallows, so she simply dances her way across the hallway and re-enters the sitting room from the other side.
Elora Partway through the room, she finds her feet step-dancing of their own accord, and a brief attempt at speaking is unsuccessful even after she swallows, so she simply dances her way across the hallway and re-enters the sitting room from the other side.
Mnemnon Delana spins as a strange woman enters from behind her. "Who the HELL are you? Where the fuck is my security?"
Elora "My compatriots are taking care of them." Elora spits as she enters the room. "Prepare yourself for uttermost defeat!"
Elora swings her staff, its tiny filigree of rainbow-tinted metal glinting ever so slightly, attempting to smash one end against Delana's head before flipping it in her hands to bring the other end forcefully down into the Dynast's sternum.
Mnemnon Delana staggers, clutches at her cracked breastbone, and falls to the ground.
Elora checks her over to make sure she's still alive, then, satisfied that she does not require immediate medical assistance, steps back out to see how things are going below.
Autumn Sometimes, dances must end. Sometimes, even the grand promenades must end. Of course, they end in bed, and that is EXACTLY where he is sending those Dragons! Autumn stops his dance and grips his shirt, ripping it... and sending rose petals all around, blooming into five different versions of himself!
Autumn They come out and strike, beating our men while one picks the blood of that which serpent cut, and paints the wall with it! At the end, the bloom retracts, and it is just Autumn, leaning against a wall, his smiling harlquin mask watching them all with the riting in the wall, in blood, like a banner!:
Autumn 'The scripture of the Maiden and the Bug: It's a party! Grab your mask and come! Dance, bleed, jump, laugh! Don't mind the noise! Beware the bug. It rends. And Might also be a snake. Who knows!'
Autumn ... was there THAT much blood, to begin with?
Elora Elora steps out onto the balcony over the fight, sees the mysterious stranger standing grinning next to his horrific composition, and nearly has a heart attack.
Serpent whirls out from behind a pillar, shaking off her silvery carapace and wiping gore off her fingers. She holds her yellow pendant for a moment and returns to being a mundanely dressed man.
Serpent "Hi, Elora."
Elora "....."
Elora "Hi, Serpent."
Elora "...."
Serpent "Let's go home."
Elora "We need to get the fucking hell out of here."
Autumn "I finally meet Elora! Hello! Was it good for you too?"
Autumn opens his arms wide, hugs Elora, picks her up and twists her around!
Elora develops a new nervous tic around her left eye.
Serpent "I don't know who this guy is, either, but let's figure that out somewhere less...here."
Serpent takes them both by the hands and pulls.
Autumn waves to the guards, and allows Serpent to push him away like a rag doll
Stryck Wiki