A reason to wander [Finished]

[Shade]

Lucio followed the woman into the Rose Gardens. They truly were magnificent. Breathing deeply, he inhaled the scent of the roses. He had noticed them upon entering the Palace, but here it seemed he was in the middle of one huge rose. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Coming to a halt behind the lady, he gently shook one paw to loosen a petal that had stuck there.

"100 years? And they are all still so healthy. Quite impressive." He had a feeling his hostess was quickly losing patience with him. But that was understandable. Playing tour guide to some no-name card who decided to come unannounced to the Courts was probably not in her job description. He was thankful she had given him any of her time at all.

After taking another look around the Gardens he turned back to her. "I really am sorry to be taking so much of your time. Would it be easier for you if I put myself on a list of people already scheduled to have an attendance with with The Queen, or a queen, depending on how this all works out?"

Lucio groaned silently to himself. He really did need to learn to think these sorts of things through better.

[Kari Muffin]

Peaches waved a sleeve covered hand. "Doesn't matter. You're not a problem." She simply nodded at his previous rose comment. The woman shifted her weight as she looked around the rose garden. Honestly, her daughter was normally in the garden at this time.

And there she was. Sitting on a bench reading a book. It must have been quite interesting, her daughter wasn't one who enjoyed reading books. "Xiven!" Peaches yelled out as she watched the girl jump.

Xiven snapped her head around, her tail puffed up. She had been enjoying a rather interesting magic book before her mother had so kindly interrupted. She glanced over at the man that was with her.... what? Mom normally didn't have company that looked sane.

She stood up and walked over to the pair, putting her book under her shoulder. "Hello," Xiven said with a cordial smile. Unlike her mother she had manners and remembered to use them. "Who might you be?"

"You have fun sweetie! I have to go and do some paperwork!" Peaches said with a wide grin. "This lovely Queen of Hearts can help you Mr. Lucio. You can properly introduce yourself, I have to skip off. Sorry for the sudden departure." With that the woman literally skipped off. Now it was time to spy on some unsuspecting people. Mmm. Voyeurism.

Xiven stared at the place where her mother had been. She really loved doing that. Choking back a small growl the woman focused her attention on Lucio. A five of hearts needing help from a Queen? Was he looking for a job?

[Kiki]

Kari, Shade and Satra receive 3 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!

[Shade]

Glancing in the direction Peaches as talking, he saw someone reading a book. As the lady got closer Lucio noticed she was a Queen, and promptly spread his wings out and lowered his head while stretching out his forepaws. For the millionth time in the last few hours, he realized how much easier things would be if he had his biped form.

He stayed low until the Queen had stopped in front of Peaches and himself, and addressed him.

Folding his wings back to his sides he looked up to her face. "Ah, I'm Lucio, your highness."

Turning back to Peaches, Lucio was going to say something else, but she was already skipping away down the hall. Watching her for a second he tilted his head a bit and shook it slightly. She certainly was an interesting woman.

Looking up at the Queen, Lucio settled more comfortably on his haunches, took a breath, and prepared to attempt to explain why he was here.

It was a shame his cloak could only take him places, and not back a little bit in time, he thought to himself. This whole adventure was shaping up to be quite embarrassing.

[Kari Muffin]

She was impressed that he bowed, a little less that he got the title confused. However it wasn't every day you run into nobility unless you worked with them. She motioned to the bench, sitting down was better than talking in the middle of the garden standing.

Once they were sitting Xiven nodded. "Would you like to work for me? I'm in need of connections since I'm pretty young and just forging a path. And I think you would be a rather nice person to talk to every now and again. I'm sorry about my mother, by the way... she's a bit difficult to deal with sometimes." The feline would have said "all of the time" but she remembered some of her manners.

Hopefully Mr. Lucio would be willing to work with her. She wasn't the Queen, but she was still part of the courts... even if it was a "lesser" part.

[Shade]

This was Peaches daughter? Wonders never failed to cease, it seemed. Peaches was so ...hight strung, where this young queen ..was not.

Padding over to where she sat down, Lucio made himself comfortable on his haunches a bit in front of her.

"No need to apologize for your mother Mi'lady. She was a lot more civil to a random vagabond than I would have expected. I did not exactly plan out this trip as well as I could and should have. As I was trying to explain to Mrs. Peaches and her friend, I did not come here looking for a job, exactly. But more so offering my services should they ever be needed, not that I really DO anything. But I travel quite a bit. So what I suppose it all boils down to is offering myself as a roving pair of eyes and ears. And then later if you felt you could trust me, I could sometimes make deliveries you might not want everyone around to know about. And my cloak here gives me the ability to transport myself anywhere I have already been."

Lucio reigned himself in and quit talking. He was nervous. When he was nervous he tended to keep talking and repeat things. He tilted his head and looked up at the queen. Hopefully he did not blunder too badly. She seemed like a really nice lady.

[Kari Muffin]

Xiven really couldn't help herself as she giggled a bit. "I'm sorry, but a wandering pair of eyes sounds like a job to me. If you're traveling for the sake of someone else, and helping them it's a bit like a job. If you start to make deliveries it would be just like a courier service. So..." The feline paused as she looked at the man's cape. He seemed like a very capable sort. He also seemed more prim and proper than her mother ever could be.

"Would you be willing to offer your services to a Queen of Hearts in need of some wandering eyes, Mr. Lucio?" She smiled as she tilted her head and waited for a response. She really wasn't one to judge random strangers, but she rather like this man. He was polite, cordial, and didn't over step his boundaries. If all men were like this the world would be a better place.

Sigh. Well. At least one of them existed.

[Shade]

"Ah. Well yes. I do suppose you are right about all of that. I guess I refrain from calling it a job because having a job sounds like you are tied down to a place, and I have never been comfortable with that. And the deliveries were something I had just thought of now. I know sometimes some things have to be done ...quietly. But coming back to your question. Indeed, I would be quite glad to offer my services to you. Was there something you already had in mind? I can be ready to travel in just a very few minuets.

As he made the offer, Lucio silently hoped he could stick around until at least the morning. He had no problems leaving at the moment, of course, but it had been quite awhile since he went to bed with a roof over his head. Or maybe get a bite to eat of something besides the dried meat and hard cheese he kept in his bag.

[Kari Muffin]

"What I have in mind can wait until you're on the road again. However, I imagine you would like a room to stay the night since it's getting late." Xiven said as she stood up. Picking up her book she smiled. "If you'll follow me I can take you to your room. Your dinner will be delivered at six this evening and if you want to get something from the kitchen now to tide you over, I'd be more than willing to show you where that is."

Xiven couldn't help but grin to herself. This worked out rather nicely. A wandering pair of eyes could be very useful especially if she wanted to know about any plots. Among other things. She wanted to know about the various realms... of course she didn't necessarily want to go to each of the realms herself. She waited for Lucio to make a motion to follow her before she was on her way. Room first and then kitchen if he wanted to go there.

[Shade]

Lucio nodded his head. "As you wish, Mi'lady. And a room would be most wonderful indeed. It's been quite a few nights since I'v had a bed made of anything but stone and dust."

As the queen rose, Lucio stood to follow her. Trotting up beside her, he quirked his muzzle the best he could into a grin and looked up at the woman. "So, what is the likelihood of me being turned into mince meat tonight in my sleep by the ax wielding psychopath your mom was kind enough to warn me about?"

Hopefully she would see the joke in his words and not get overly upset. After he had spoken, it only then dawned on him that, if taken wrong, the joke could be seen as lack of faith in his hostess. Oh Lucio, Lucio he thought to himself, when will you learn to consider the weight of your words before you speak them.

"But I'm sure dinner will be fine. I had a good snack just a bit before arriving here" the weasel continued in an effort to reinforce the fact that he really was not feeling threatened.