Finding Old Friends [Finished]

[Dark]

The idea of an adventure did sound rather exciting and she’d never been to the Josiggy Marsh, or the Lowlands, or really anywhere for that matter. She’d finally get that chance to travel! And if she got to eat some rats along the way—all the better.

She sidled up to Shinrai with a grin, “Mnem is right, you know. There are plenty of people—two that I know of personally—that would be more than happy to accompany you on your mad quest to enact revenge or…whatever. What’dya say?”

Where she really kind of wanted to go, of course, was the Tulgey Woods just so she could say she’d been, but that would have to wait for another time. Maybe on their way back from committing dastardly deeds of murder and mayhem, she and Mnem could explore a little. It was vaguely on their way back to the Capital. Yes. Pure genius, as always.

[Trebias]

“Revenge or whatev- You’ve got a short attention span!” El barked at the cat. “If you’re going to eavesdrop, at least do it right!”

It was really up to Shinrai whether they came or not. He understood why Whip took flak from Elias; he didn’t really give the horse much choice. But Rai never seemed the type to quake in his boots because of someone, or at least that’s what Elias thought. Maybe it was something he picked up in therapy here.

“Well, you’re up for taking care of some Lowlanders, so that puts you a scratch above neutral in my book. If you’re not too crazy and don’t slow us down, I don’t have a problem, but I'll leave it up to Whip. Maybe we can tie ship ‘em off to the Wastes.” He smiled at the thought. Some day they’d have the power to ship Lowlanders to the wastes by the cartful, and he would cackle with glee the whole time.

[Dark]

There was a fine line between genius and madness, and Minh was just a little bit south of the equator. Not that she’d ever let that tiny inconvenience slow her down; if anything it added just the right amount of edginess, without which she could never dream to be so innovative in her thinking. In the end, genius wasn’t worth anything without a little dash of crazy. At least, that’s what the old hag (“It’s grandma, you insolent little miscreant!”) had always said…among other things.

Still—the canine suggesting she would slow down their little assemblage was utterly ridiculous. She could run circles around the old man. (Though it was probably better not to call him on that, because she really didn’t think she was in that good of shape. Ever.)

“Oh, I’m sure Shinrai won’t mind: we go long back. As for the reven—whatever reasoning it is that I apparently missed—it’s all cool. Tying people up is cool. It’s all just—cool.”

[Bee]

Mnem sighed in the face of Minh's debilitating lack of social skills. She wondered if it were at all possible for the feline to broadcast an aura of anything other than ask me about my crippling insanity! but the speculation was probably useless. Minh evinced that impression about as effectively as unstable plutonium evinced deadly radiation.

"I believe what my daft little friend here is trying to say," Mnem piped up, "is that we are perfectly capable individuals who would be of great use to you in your travels."

Mnem was actually rather bored by the kind of scenario the other canine seemed to be proposing--hate Lowlanders, exact revenge on same, etc., etc. It was always revenge-this and revenge-that with some people. (She had encountered them before, looking for poisons. "I've spent my whole life tracking down so-and-so for this crime committed when I was a toddler! I will see them dead! How much for the poison?" They all kind of blurred into the same nutcase after a while.)

Nevertheless, she was not about to pass up the opportunity to embarrass Shinrai (she even felt a bit of fondness for the stallion; perhaps sleeping with someone and then drugging them into submission before experimenting on them would kindle that small spark of affection), and at some point she was sure she could twist events to her own amusement.

She gave the stallion a very intent stare, a small smile curving her muzzle. "What say you, Shinrai?"

[seraaches]

Shinrai’s ears went back in agitation again; he wasn’t certain why Minh and Mnem felt so intimate with him, but it bothered him a great deal. If only he could remember… but no, it was still little more than a haze. His tail lashed from one side to the next in evident agitation; ironically, at times he seemed more cat-like than the feline.

He just hoped he hadn’t told the pair of females his entire life story; it was none of their business and his memories were too precious to be shared out on a stage of wotever was between the three of them. Agitation threatened through his body again. No matter. Let it go.

Shinrai gave a low sigh; he didn’t actually want the pair with them; though Mnem might have a point about them being capable. Maybe. ”If you think they’ll be of use, El, then all right. But they’ll be under your command.” He eyed the females doubtfully. ”The Marsh isn’t some sort of playground; it’s dangerous.” And he fully expected some sort of smart comment from one or both of the pair; they couldn’t understand wot he meant.

[Bee]

Mnemosyne tried not to let her ears flatten in irritation, though at the moment she was feeling more than mildly annoyed. Mnem preferred to be addressed directly, not talked about as if she were not within earshot. Hadn't Shinrai's mother ever told him what a terribly rude habit that was?

And aside from that, the stallion was missing the point entirely. "Dear Shinrai," she said, "everywhere is dangerous. That doesn't mean it's still not a playground."

The element of danger made it even more fun, actually, but she didn't suppose the stallion held truck with that sort of philosophy. Or any philosophy that was even distantly related to the idea of fun.

"And we'll be under our own command, thank you."

[The Jenn]

Sera, Dark, Bee and Trebias both receive 2 tokens each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe. This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe. Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!

[seraaches]

The stallion shook his head, for once refusing to back down. ”I may not remember exactly wot happened,” the horse admitted in a low, flat tone. ”But I do know it involved the pair of you and your plotting.” He glanced resolutely from one female to the next. ”I know you planned it and got away with it, but this isn’t one of your…. Games.” A lip curled in disgust. ”Whether or not you want to admit it, and however you want to view this, I don’t care. But I will not—” The grey-green gaze flicked from canine to feline with a sudden authority he hadn’t invoked thus far; it was the authority not only of a higher rank, but of experience. ”Will not allow two trail-green Cards out in my wilds under no jurisdiction but their own sadly unknowledgeable command. Though it might be a blessing to us all if I let you go out there and get yourselves killed, oddly enough I won’t. This isn’t your playground; it’s mine. You will follow Elias’ instructions or you will remain here.” An implacable air surrounded the horse and it was evident that he would find a way to leave them behind if they didn’t agree to his rules.

One of the few things Shinrai was absolutely adamant about was proper safety in Josiggy Marsh; they couldn’t afford any further hate directed towards his homeland and he would not be party to any sort of encouragement in that path. And if they didn’t agree or didn’t seem sincere, he would knock them unconscious, call a constable; do –something- to guarantee that they couldn’t follow –his- path back to the Marsh. If they decided to follow on their own, fine, that wasn’t on his head; but they would not be going with him if they weren’t playing by his rules.

[Dark]

Minh bristled with indignation as he pulled rank, unable to stop the unhappy meowl that bubbled up in her chest from turning into a hissed warning. Rank be damned—she wouldn’t let a male brimming with testosterone-boosted superiority belittle her. She wasn’t some hapless cub, looking for protection.

She looked at Elias, who she rather liked from what little she’d seen of him—she wouldn’t have minded overly much tagging along behind, except for the fuss Shinrai was making over it. He was being a hypocritical miscreant: the rules seemed apt to change when you were the one making them, it would appear.

Glancing to Mnemosyne, she raised a brow in question. If Shinrai was going to be so difficult it would be much easier to make the journey on their own, and Minh had always been rather keen on the idea of back-packing cross-country. She hoped Mnem felt the same way.

[Bee]

Sadly unknowledgable, eh? How very like a man. Mnemosyne did not consider herself to be brimming with the sneering misandry that some of the females of Yarrow Gardens happily claimed, but in that moment she felt contempt and irritation rise like acrid bile. She had the sudden urge to let fly with all the things she most certainly was knowledgable about, not the least of which was dangerous territory. She considered telling all manner of terrible tales about some of the more--unsavory--people she had dealt with when running her business. She bit it back, though. Some things were best kept to one's self.

Mnem would have enjoyed accompanying them if she could retain autonomy. She would even defer to the voice of experience when necessary, because she was not stupid, but she would not operate under the assumption that she was unquestioningly to obey the whims of someone else. She did not deal with authority well.

And by the rising of Minh's fur and then the inquisitive look she threw in Mnem's direction, Mnem could tell the feline harbored similar feelings. She still had every intention of making the trip. Just on her own terms.

Deciding it prudent to keep their intentions relatively cryptic to their companions, Mnem merely locked eyes with Minh and nodded.