The makeshift campsite of the Curators, Lilac, Long-Shadow, and Xander is nestled amongst the dunes of the wasteland. With the tents being colored like the dirt (due to the dust blowing on them constantly), it at least has helped obscure their location.

With plan in hand, the group has actually been of a better mood as of late. Each member has been training for their part of the upcoming dive into the camp to ferret out information about what exactly the Cinders are searching for and what, if any, the group can do about it. It's break between practices and Kin is sitting cross legged by her tent. A small fire burns nearby where she boils some water for tea. She's whistling to herself and weaving something in her hands. Beside her rests the mirror mask. Beside that is a bundle of cloth, presumably keeping the lens under wraps unless it is being used.

Meanwhile, Lilac has been trying to gains some control over her mysterious transformations. Having little idea where to begin, she's tried a scatter-shot approach: concentrating, words, gestures, a bit of pain, imaginative role playing, and so on. Still, the key to her transformative abilities eludes her, but she isn't willing to give up. "Maybe if I just try my hand," she tells no one in particular, holding a hand up and flexing it.

Kin holds up whatever it is she's working on. It's longish, thin, and white. She purses her scaled lips, then nods to herself and goes back to work. That is, until her teapot starts whistling. "Tea will be ready soon, Lilac, you may wish to take a break for a bit. Besides, perhaps it requires a more natural nudge to change. Forcing it may not work," she says absently as she lifts the tea off the fire with a rag and drops some leaves into the steaming water to brew.

Lilac, squinting at her hand with such focus as to make her brow crunch up, nods a little. "For all I know, tea will make me change. I don't know what whoever cursed me was thinking – why me? I'm just a bard. A great bard, in fact, but a bard. What am I supposed to be doing? Did I run away, or am I supposed to be here? I wish I knew … "

"Or maybe you were drunk and just offended someone by singing about how overweight their wife was. It may not have much reason at all. Answers will come in time, I am certain," Kin notes as she idly stirs the tea with a thin strip of wood. "We all have questions. I do not yet understand my significance to their plot, either. I can appreciate your frustration, as I have my own. But it is best to not dwell on it too much, it clouds the mind."

"That seems very irresponsible, cursing someone with something as dangerous as me just for singing a bad song!" Lilac lets her hand fall, then walks over to where Kin is. "I like to think it pays to think, but maybe you're right, Kinny. Maybe it's something very simple for both of us, like what you said, and maybe Hakuu just collects people who are pretty like some people collect art. I guess we'll know, sooner or later."

"It could be. It is hard to say. My heart tells me it is more than that, but I cannot dwell too much on it. I must focus at the task at hand. Imitating the other women is difficult, but not impossible. For once in my life I'm grateful that my father insisted I learn dance and court manners," Kin says as she starts to pluck leaves from the pot with her claws. "It also helps that I have other distractions to focus on. And … may I ask you a personal question?"

Lilac takes a seat beside Kin, leaning forward to sniff at the tea. "A personal question? Sure, Kinny, you can ask me anything," she answers.

Kin holds up what she has been working on in her free hand. It's a delicate braid made from a small section of Kin's mane. "Do you think Long-Shadow will like this? I wanted to give him something before I entered the camp. In case anything happened to me I wanted him to have something to remember me by," she says. Amusingly, the Kiriga keeps starting at the pot while she holds up the braid, she's never good at talking about anything she feels.

The human reaches out and runs a finger down the braid, tilting her head at it. "Well, I think he'll like it. I don't know him very well – I can't understand Sign and I've never really met Savanites before – but if what I know about him so far is right, I bet he will like it. He'll probably smiles, wiggle his ears, and hold it to his heart." Lilac wags a little at the thought.

"Well, I hope so. I do not know the traditions mammals use to show affection," Kin admits and glances up. "And not that I expect anything bad to happen to me, it's just I do not want to miss the chance to, well, if anything goes bad. I want him to know he's meant a lot to me."

"Oh, I think he knows, Kinny," Lilac says, reaching over to pat the other woman's hand. "But a gift is good! And you know, we mammals are all pretty different. I don't know how Long-Shadow's people show affection either, really. My people, we give gifts, we ask each other to dance during festival time, we spend time together, and we share burdens. Then again," Lilac cocks her head the other way, "I guess we're not all that different!"

"Affection among Kiriga nobility is … complicated. It often requires intricate poetry, dance, and dining," Kin explains and shrugs. She starts pouring some tea into some rough clay cups. "With him … I think just being close and spending time together is enough. He has always been very gentle and kind towards me. He does not see me as … , well, a slaver. I wonder if he was ever a slave."

"I don't know, my family was never even near rich enough to own slaves even when it was more popular in the world. We worked our own homes and fields," Lilac admits. "You shouldn't hold yourself responsible for all your people have done, though! You're just one person, Kinny, You can't bear the world's burdens."

"My family had slaves once. Not Savanites. Other Kiriga. Those of the lower classes," Kin notes with a small shrug. "We were kinder than most families, though."

Lilac reaches up and taps her collar. "I guess that's where this came from. Do you remember who wore this, before I did?"

"I believe it was Xiao's mother's. When slavery was abolished, their family remained with ours," Kin answers and offers a cup to Lilac.

"Oh, that's good. I was a little worried it have negative emotions attached," the human admits. She takes the cup and inclines her head to Kin, smiling before sipping. "I'd stay with you, too."

"Well, remember it wouldn't have been just me you would have served, but my father and mother too. They are more strict than I am," Kin points out as she lifts her own cup to her lips and takes a drink. "But then, we are also no family like Hakuu's, either. He is a mystery to me. Sometimes he seems very kind, others, very cruel."

"I used to think I knew about him, but now I'm not so sure. I have no doubt he has a cruel heart, but his desires mystify me. I've sen his home, and it scares me. But, he clearly has an artistic soul, and it's a little interesting. In a story, he'd be a good villain. He's compelling at despicable, all at once," Lilac agrees.

"Also, remember that in Jadai if you are not of the nobility, life is much harder. So, choosing to stay with us even after slavery officially ended was a better life choice for them. So, in some ways slavery still exists, just without those collars," Kin points out.

At Lilac's words, the Kiriga can't help but smirk a bit, "I feel the same. He is a mystery and in a bizarre way it is almost attractive. Now, before you start lecturing me, I have no intentions of trying to get close to him; it is merely an observation. I can at some level perhaps understand his handmaiden's devotion."

"I guess I can, too, even if I wouldn't mind seeing him stuffed," the human admits. She glances off in the direction of his camp, shaking her head. "I never met him directly, I've only watched the two of them. I don't know if they even know who or what I am, except that Hakuu seems to know I have another side. Or, maybe, Hakuu has only seen that side, and it's my human form he doesn't recognize. And, I'm worried about what Anisa said – they hate humans. I didn't expect that at all."

"The side I saw of him is … impatient. He is also sure of himself and that he should be in charge. But he wasn't entirely unpleasant to be around; you just had to be careful," Kin explains with a small shrug. "I was not aware they hated humans, either."

"He seemed a little impatient when I watched him, too, but also calm. It was hard to say, since he was speaking Imperial and I couldn't understand him." Lilac shrugs a little, taking another sip.

"You should really learn to speak Imperial. It is not so hard. If we split your tongue a bit it would be much easier," Kin says with a completely deadpan expression.

Lilac lays her ears back. "My body has been through enough changes, I think," she insists in an almost whine.

Kin sticks out her tongue and wiggles the forked tips independently rather playfully. "I am merely teasing you, Lilac. You should know this by now," she says.

"You're so mysterious sometimes," Lilac says, ears perking up. She sticks her own tongue out back at the Kiriga, then grins.

"Species trait. Perhaps I am a good match for the painted artist," Kin mutters, then shakes her head a bit. She sets her cup aside and picks the mirror mask up so she can peer into its surface. "This is no different than a collar," she notes, "Other than it allows you a rather unique view of the world. It was beautiful in its own way."

"I rather wish I could see it," Lilac says. "It sounds rather nice, even if it's a beautiful world I don't belong in."

"If you saw any paintings in Jadai, it more or less looked like them," Kin explains as she examines the odd buckling harness that holds it tight to the wearer. "I have to ask, how creepy am I when it is in me?"

"On you? Um, a little creepy. Your color gives you away, but I can still … well … I, um … " Lilac frowns, looking down at her reflection in her cup of tea, "I can still see … my own face … when I look in those masks. I saw myself, when I was fighting. I remember that more than just about anything else. And, I remember her trying to kill me. It was all very scary, so whenever I see those masks, that's the first thing I remember."

"So, you fear yourself, then?" Kin asks as she sets the mask back into her lap.

Lilac lays her ears back, but nods a little. "I think I do. I'd never seen myself … like that … before. I think I scared myself, and maybe that's why I couldn't win," she explains.

"You are not frightening when you shift. Not to me, anyway," Kin offers. It is merely another side to you. It doesn't make you wrong or less of a person; merely different." She pauses to take a drink from her teacup, then adds, "And that may be why you can't shift. Because you are deep down, afraid to."

"Oh." Lilac's ears go askew. "You think so? I can't shift because I'm afraid of myself? Like, I can't accept myself? Or my inner demons? That's so poetic." Her tail wags, a bit nervously. "I don't know how to not be afraid, though! I see that snarling face, and I scare myself. I remember people treating me like a pet, and I wonder if I'm losing my humanity."

"Is that a bad thing? I am not human, yet that does not bother you," Kin points out. "Do you not remember how scared the child Lapis were of me at first? At least when you shift you have fur, comfort to them. My 'skin' is made of overlapping plates. It is all a matter of perspective, Lilac. Why should it matter what species someone is?"

"So you're saying, I should just … accept being a beast and a human? Or a human beast? That I'm trying too hard to reject the beast, because I'm afraid of becoming something else?" Lilac reaches up and rubs a ear, which flicks. "That's very deep."

"Accept what you are. Denying it doesn't change it, it just makes you feel … confused," Kin says with a small nod. "In a way, you could be thankful for it. Think of how you get to see the world from two perspectives. One on two legs, one on four. Few others ever get that chance."

Lilac nods a little, looking down at her reflection again. "My people teach us to be afraid of people like me. We hunt them, and drive them away. The mages of the past used shape shifters … people like … me … to fight for them. That's why I can't go home. My family would know, and whatever happened, it'd be bad. The village would probably know, too. Any village mustn't know what I am, or they will at least chase me off. That's why I left Sylvania, more than anything. I couldn't stay any longer." She takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. "But I am what I am, whatever that is. Without this, I couldn't have helped you, I couldn't have probably helped me either. Now, I can help someone help the world, and that's pretty good, too. Home's where the heart is, isn't it?" She looks up, then leans over and prods Kin in the chest lightly.

"For some, yes, I suppose it is," Kin agrees in a rather non-committal way. "But it doesn't mean you won't miss the place you grew up, or those you were close to. Even with my family … I miss them. My father and I were not close, but I still miss him. But as I try to remind myself, I cannot dwell on that. I have a purpose; to stop Hakuu from whatever evil he intends to bring to the world. With my life if need be."

"My family is better off not knowing that I'm doing or what I am. I can protect them by staying away, then they can think I'm off chasing my dreams – which I am!" Lilac then prods Kin again. "Well, whatever happens, I'll be there for you. And, if anything … well, bad happens … I'll try and make sure you family knows how great you are. I'll go back to your shrine, and tell your ancestors!"

"I would appreciate that. I do not wish something bad to happen, but I also must be honest with myself about it. We face very difficult odds, Lilac. We are willing to fight honorably, they are not. Not to mention how much they outnumber us. I can only hope we find a way to steal out from under them that which they seek," Kin says impassively even as she's getting poked. "I just hope we re not doing something foolish."

""The difference between foolish and heroic is success," I once read. We'll just have to succeed, then," Lilac insists.

"And who writes the story afterward. Even a hero can appear the fool with the right words," Kin says, "But, yes, such is rather true. And who knows, perhaps in time we could afford a life mage to fix your condition. Or maybe make you something completely different yet. As a Kiriga, I would think you would have black scales. Hm."

Lilac squints at Kin. "Are you teasing me, again?"

"It depends," Kin answers.

Lilac's ears perk up. "On what?"

"On whether or not you find the idea appealing at all," Kin answers, now grinning.

Lilac laughs, shaking her head. "I have no idea. I've never been a Kiriga, I wouldn't know where to begin! I don't know if I could be anywhere near as elegant as you are, Kinny," the woman admits.

"Elegance can be learned. And think of the advantages, Xander would no longer make comments about you. There is something Kiriga bodies lack that he is drawn to," Kin points out.

Lilac looks down at her chest, blinking. "I'm not sure how I'd feel about losing those. I might feel like a little girl again, which would be weird." She shakes her head at the thought.

"Ah, so that is what it is. I would think you would be grateful. Doesn't the bouncing get tiresome?" the reptile inquires with a tilt of her head.

"Well, you can restrain that a bit and you get used to it," the human explains. "Plus, I don't really have them as a beast."

"They are for feeding your young, are they not?" Kin inquires as she puts the teapot back onto the fire to warm. "Kiriga young are born capable of eating normal food. You may or may not have known that."

"I didn't," Lilac replies, eyes widening. "Isn't that painful? That'd be something else I'd have to consider, if I were a Kiriga!" Se then leans forward and whispers, "From the look of it, I guess beast-folk have lots of small children."

"Really? Curious. Kiriga normally give birth to only one child at a time. According to history my kind used to lay eggs, but that led to the loss of many young. Legend tells that the Gods then blessed us with the ability to carry and hatch the egg inside us and then the child would be born much as it is for you mammals. Thankfully, our horns and claws develop later than our teeth or it would be very painful," Kin explains as she stretches upwards a bit. "Some Kiriga even still lay eggs, but it is uncommon and often not spoken of."

"I have not known any Kiriga who were born from eggs," Kin clarifies, "So, that may just be a rumor used to frighten children."

"Wow," Lilac admits, impressed. "That's really interesting. I heard the Naga lay eggs, but I've never seen for myself."

"I would rather imagine it to be quite painful. At least live-birth young can flex. Eggs … not so much," Kin explains. "Not that I'll likely ever be a mother. How about you? Do you wish children some day?

Lilac shakes her head. "I haven't really thought about it. I mean, I used to, back when I was still living in the village. It was expected that a young woman would settle down and marry before long. But, I always wanted to travel. After I met the wandering bard troupe, I knew what I wanted to do, and settling down wasn't it. I'm not ready to settle down. And, it's probably even more complicated for me with what I am now anyway, so no children fr me for a long time," she answers.

"Was it the wandering troupe that caused you to be the way you are now?" Kin asks and motions to Lilac's ears and tail. "Were they also mix-breeds?"

Lilac blinks at that. "What? Oh, no!" She shakes her head rapidly. "They were ordinary Sylvanian folk: an eeee, a few Lapi, a human, and a Rhian. Now that I think about it, I don't think they ever left Sylvania. I bet they just traveled around our country, spreading news, and playing for a living. It seemed very exciting at the time." She reaches up and touches her ears. "This happened after the curse. I think it's a leftover, like my beast-side isn't completely hidden under my skin."

"And you do not remember when the curse happened, correct?" Kin asks next as she resumes her examination of the mask buckles. she practices latching and unlatching them completely by feel.

"Not at all. Like I said, I woke up like this and had to steal some clothes. After that, life was really hazy until I met you. I felt like it happened like a book. There'd be chapters focusing on the story, then long periods that were glazed over, before more focus. I think the times I can't remember are when I was the beast; that's also why I ended up all over the place. The beast likes to wander around," Lilac answers. She leans forward and peers at the buckles, then shakes her head.

"I'm making sure I can unlatch this by feel if I need to get the mask off quickly," Kin explains when she notices Lilac peering at her hands. "I should probably try to dress up like them again and work on my movement. If you want to watch and advise, I would appreciate it. I do not want to stand out too much in terms of being different from them."

Lilac nods a little. "I'm not sure what help I can be, but I'll try. You could even pretend to be tongueless, if you wanted, to avoid having to answer questions," the human advises. She scoots back a bit, giving Kin some room.

"That is a good idea," Kin says with a nod. She lifts the mask up as well as the crystal. "Give me a few minutes to change. Please, have some more tea if you want some," she says before slipping into the tent to change.

"Okay, Kinny." Lilac pours herself some more tea, then lays back in the dust with her cup on her belly.

As Kin slips back into her tent, the sound of shifting sands can be heard slightly outside of the camp, and is soon followed by the sight of Anisa. Dusting off her pants and knocking the sand from her ears, the doe comes over to the fire. "Well, it looks like we found a few workable spots to move the camp. We found a small rock outcrop not far from the ridge – its close enough that Kin can flee to it and hide if things go all turnips down there."

"All turnips," Lilac repeats from her spot in the sand, "heehee." She lifts a hand and waves to Anisa, then gestures at the tea pot. "Hi, Anisa! Have some tea!"

Smiling to the bardess, Anisa walks over and flops down next to her. "Don't mind if I do. It's not mateh, but it'll do in a pinch." Taking the kettle, she pours herself a cup. "Where's Kin?"

"Kinny's off dressing up like a handmaiden for practice. Don't be surprised when she pops up and scares my tail in a puff," Lilac answers.

"Its definitely a creepy look," Anisa says, taking a small sip from her cup. "But I guess its better that she does it. Its preferable to sticking out like a sore thumb if she trips around a lot or something."

Lilac nods to that. "It sure is. Say, Anisa," she sits up a bit, "do you think that I'm going about trying to force my beast-side all wrong? Kinny says I shouldn't force it, that maybe I should accept it, and let it come to me. What do you think?"

Anisa looks at Lilac oddly for a bit, her ears slightly askew. "Well… I guess she could be right. Forcing it hasn't done anything for you so far, so maybe its one of those 'just relax and it'll come' things – like those weird paintings in the Bazaar that seem to pop out if you look at them long enough, but if you try to force it, you just go cross eyed." She takes another sip. "Besides, its magic, so who knows what causes it."

"Who knows," Lilac agrees, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe we'll find out when we get to Sylv- … Oogh, Sylvania. I'll have to wear a hat." She shakes her head, uncomfortable with the whole idea of returning. "Anyway, the answer may be there. Of course, maybe there's a lot of people like me there, too. And The Raveness."

Anisa shrugs, "I've never been there, so I couldn't tell you. I do know that merchants in the Bazaar talk about Sylvania as being pretty weird, though." The doe crosses her legs, letting the mug rest in her lap. "What exactly is The Raveness, anyway?"

Lilac sits up all the way, putting her cup in her lap. "The Raveness was … is? … a real person. She was the wife of a southern Sylvanian lord, who died during the battles there. It's said The Raveness, which is her title, employed a sinister army to defend her lands. Her castle still stands, but it's supposed to be a ruin, and it's in the part of Sylvania Gallis has attacked. It's really remote, even for Sylvania. Or well, it is now. It would have bee a pretty large town by our standards, back then." She frowns a little. "She's also a Korv, as are her people. We think she's connected to all this, because we think she had access to something like the artifact the Cinders had. And, I know it's weird that we don't know what happened to a large town, but, well, Sylvania is full of dead towns."

Anisa follows along, nodding as Lilac explains. "But why would she have done this to you? Did you do something to make her mad? A song she didn't like?"

"I have no idea! I don't even know if she's really around, or if she did this. I just know she's the best answer I have so far," Lilac answers, shrugging again. "From the legends, she worked mostly with Korvs. It's all a mystery to me."

The front of Kin's tent pulls back. With deliberate, though small, steps, a zolk-robed Kiriga glides out. It's Kin, of course, but she's done herself up completely as one of Hakuu's handmaidens. She's wearing a blue with silver accent zolk kimono. In her left hand she carries the crystal lens which is presumably allowing her to see. In her right she carries one of her fighting fans. At her side the the other one of her fans is tucked lightly into her obi. And like earlier, the smooth, mirror mask has been sealed over her face and snout. She takes a few more steps toward s the two, her kimono shifting as she walks, moving just enough to reveal that she has taken another one of her obi's and cinched it firmly around her thighs and knees like the women had. The result is she has to move with her legs close together and sliding, each foot placed carefully in front of the other. "Is the look correct?" she asks, "I cannot remember, but did the maidens have their manes mostly down or were they tied back?"

"Oh they- ahhh!" Lilac explains as she turns around, ears shooting up and tail tucking. "Oh, my word," she wheezes, holding her chest with one hand and her tea with the other. "I'm never going to get used to that."

Anisa starts to reply to Lilac, and instead shoots her ears up in surprise as Kin emerges. "Dagh, you look just like one of them! Er, aside from your scales, that is." Setting her mug aside, the doe gets to her feet, and gives the Kiriga a more thorough look over. "Were they wearing their knees like that when they fought? I don't remember that part."

"Not when they fought, no. But it was my understanding when they were moving around that they remained bound as such," Kin explains, though her voice tone is slightly muffled by the mask she wears. With lazy grace, she spreads and sweeps the fan in her right hand, drawing it across and then up where with a limp wrist, she fans lightly at the mask. "I think they wore their manes down," she says after a moment. Her fan collapses with a snap and she reaches back. The long, thin, strips of wood are pulled from the bun and her mane drops loose; certainly not the norm for this Kiriga. Her mane is extremely long and ripples outward in the light breeze, dancing like a cloud.A few of the strands blow forward and drape over the silver surface on her face."

Lilac lifts a hand, as if to paw at the flowing hair, then stops herself. "Gah," she breathes. Shaking her head, she says, "I don't remember the fighters very well, but I remember the ones in his home. They walked very delicately."

Anisa gives a small incredulous smile as Kin's hair flows freely. "Wow, I think you have that part down pat. Its enough to make a girl wish she had head hair too!"

"All I got was hair everywhere," Lilac says with a bit of a laugh. "I think Kinny has us beat on hair, too."

That gets a chuckle from the Kiriga. "Until it gets in the way, falls in your food, or has to be brushed out daily to avoid massive knots," she says. The woman then starts to walk around campfire slowly, feet placed one in front of the other gently. "How fast did they walk in his home, Lilac?" she asks.

"Slowly, if I remember right. It was all very elegant. I think the one I saw serving Hakuu was a new one – she didn't seem as sure as the others," answers the human.

By reflex, Anisa starts to walk over and help Kin around the camp fire, but then remembers that she can actually see in that thing.

"Perhaps some of them can be saved from him," Kin muses as she continues to walk very slowly and carefully, trying to do it with as much grace as she can manage. "Did you notice if their hands had two or three fingers, by chance?"

"No, sorry Kinny. All I really remember about them is that one is mute because of him," answers Lilac.

"I would expect they have just two fingers. Missing nobles would have aroused suspicion," Kin says again. She then actually offers the crystal to Anisa to hold. "If you would hold this, I can do some fan practice. And have you given some thought into what you might need were you to sneak into the camp as well?"

"I'm not so certain that'd be wise," Anisa says, taking the crystal as offered. "Unless you saw any female mercenaries at Hakuu's place, I have a feeling I'd stick out like a sore thumb." The doe takes a seat nearby, placing the crystal in her lap. "Gibson and Xander might be able to slip in with you… but then again they may know what Gibson looks like."

"Lilac was accepted by the mercenaries as one of them. So, if they accept women, what would you require?" Kin asks. Now both hands free, she draws out her second fan. With a light snap of her wrist, it spreads open. The next few steps the Kiriga takes become an eerie serpentine dance. Her torso ripples slowly and twists into almost an 'S' shape as her arms sway and glide in the air, the fans sweeping lazily and gracefully along with them. The breeze generated from them seems to swirl around the woman; her mane dancing like a cloud, or perhaps like she were immersed in water.

Anisa watches the serpentine dance, trying to keep her mind from going into a lazy hypnosis. "I guess I'd need one of their uniforms, or whatever it was that they were wearing. Something to let me blend in with them."

"Actually … they thought I was there to do their laundry," Lilac admits, ears wilting.

"AND they got very touchy-feely," adds the human with a hint of indignation.

"Perhaps they have some full body uniforms that covers enough that they wouldn't be able to tell you were a Lapi," Kin notes as her dance continues. After a few more steps her right leg lifts and she spins on the ball of her left foot. The fan in her right hand draws in while the one in her left is lifted high above her head. "But you would need to tuck your ears in for that. Would that bother you, Anisa?" she asks when her spin finishes.

Anisa feels up at her over sized lobes. "Actually, it is kind of uncomfortable, and it makes it hard to hear if they're covered." She shrugs, "But I guess I could stand it for a little while. I won't have a mask like your's though, so it'll be harder for me to find my way around."

"Is Lapi eyesight bad, then?" Kin asks, "Are you like the Eeee which navigate primarily by sound?"

Lilac lays back in the dirt, taking a moment to wiggle in. "Maybe you can get in as a camp follower? I saw their camp back in Jadai, and they have people who take care of the other things an army needs to do. An army runs on its stomach, you know! If you could pretend to be a cook, that'd be a big advantage for us all," the woman suggests.

"Bad? I don't think so," Anisa feels at her eyes self consciously. "Its just that I feel better when I can hear. Eyes only look ahead, but ears can hear everywhere." Turning to Lilac, the doe grimaces. "I guess that could work too, although I don't know how much movement that'd allow me. Plus… being a cook to all those lowlifes? Even just pretending? Yech!"

"That is not a bad idea. Your family runs a tavern, so surely you would know the proper procedure for being a cook," Kin agrees as she lowers herself, her digitigrade legs folding in on each other. Her fans snap shut as she twirls them. They come to rest with the chitin tips lightly touching the insides of her forearms.

Lilac holds a hand up placatingly. "I know, I know! But, I think it's safer. People don't look at cooks, they look at food. Everyone's happier towards someone who makes them something to eat. You could try and get information by going through the trickiest door of all: their stomach. It works on me," she insists.

"Or you could poison them all," Kin offers.

Setting her ears back, Anisa nods to Kin. "Yeah, I know how to cook – mom made sure of that." She sighs, and nods to Lilac. "You're probably right, but then again, how would I slip in with them? The cook staff probably know one another." She looks to Kin puzzledly. "Poison them? That doesn't seem very sporting."

"That's a good question, and one I don't have an answer for. Sorry Anisa, there's a lot we don't know, it'll all be risky even at best," the human admits.

"We are a small group, they are an army. There is no 'sporting' way to deal with them," the Kiriga points out. She extends one foot slowly out in front of herself and rises back up on one leg. Her arms held close, the fans in her hands start to spin, then snap open once more. If one was to look close, her method of spinning the fans is to quickly rotate them between her three fingers. Once she reaches her full height, she arches her back, being to an almost unnatural 'C' shape.

Lilac glances at Kin, although it's apparent she doesn't want to look at her too long. The human keeps averting her gaze, looking elsewhere. "We don't even have to deal with them all. If we can just locate what they want, and assuming we can carry it, we could take it and leave them searching here for years," she suggests.

"Or until one of the Cinders realizes its missing," Anisa adds. "If its anything like my crystal, its connected to alot of other things. I think that's how Vandringar tracks some of these things down."

"We could always try to, well, get rid of Hakuu and Vandringer," Lilac offers hesitantly. "They are the heads of all this, right? Without their backing and money, I bet all of this would break up."

"Just as long as we are gone by then it does not matter," Kin points out. Slowly, she unfurls from the 'C' and resumes her careful walking around the fire, fans dancing and swaying. With the restrictions on her legs, she cannot move as much, so her compensation is to add a lot of twisting to her movement. "As for killing them, that may prove difficult. Vandringar appears to be very strong, as is Hakuu. I also do not know how skilled they are in combat."

Anisa gives a small laugh. "Please, be my guest – but first you have to get to them. Hakuu definitely has himself protected well, and the last time I faced Vandringar's people, it almost cost me my life. Trust me, if I ever got the chance to take Vandringar down… well… " The doe shudders a bit.

"I guess it was a long shot," Lilac admits with a hint of a sigh. "And what do I know? Fighting isn't even my specialty!"

"Be honest, Anisa. Could you kill Vandringar if you had the chance?" Kin asks. She pauses mid-dance, her mirrored face swiveling towards the Lapi.

A dusty figure shuffles into the firelight, the brown fur of his head smoldering slightly (although not obviously burnt). Xander coughs and notices the women. "Oh… hello. Am I interrupting?"

Anisa looks Kin straight in the eyes – or at least where they should be – and after a long and sober pause, finally answers. "Yes." She fidgets a bit, looking down to her feet and drawing random traces in the sand. "I didn't think I was capable of it before, but I was. And its because of… him that I even learned I could. I owe him payback for that." The doe avoids the gaze of the others, and doesn't even look up as Xander approaches.

Xander sits cross-legged at the fire and cocks his head slightly at Anisa's statement. Then he recites, "White as naked bone, Fist and foot as hard as stone, Anisa prevails."

Lilac lowers her head a little, staring in to her cup with her ears back.

"Good. Then do not hesitate should the chance present itself," Kin says simply. She crouches back down again and releases the bindings holding her legs and lets it fall quietly to the ground. "And good day, Xander. Why are you reciting poetry?" she asks before resuming her 'dance', now unfettered.

"I compose it between spells, to help clear my head a bit," Xander admits, then droops his ears. "Sorry, it probably sounds corny. I was trying to match the Jadaian tempo."

Anisa doesn't answer Kin, but continues to draw little stick Lapis in the sand. She starts to glare at Xander, but then her look softens at the mention of poetry. "What kind of poetry is that?"

Xander says, "Hokku."

"No, it was not corny, Xander," Kin answers. She resumes her dance, only this time her steps are longer and occasionally interspersed with twirling jumps. Her fans swirl around her like decorate saw blades and her mane whips around her in a blanket of white.

Watching the unnerving display of grace and the alien appearance of the mask, Xander recites, "Golden Kin Ryuu, Her fans dance in the red wind, Foes fall like petals."

"Have you had any luck in controlling your transformation yet, Lilac?" Xander asks the human.

Kin does a final twirl in the air and drops gracefully to her knees. Her kimono spreads out around her and she draws in a slow and steady breath. Her fans snap shut and she says, "I am as ready as I will ever be. Thank you for your advice and talk."

"Well, Kinny and Anisa have given me some ideas, so I'm going to go off and try them soon, I think," Lilac answers the mage.

"Mysterious girl, Anger her at your own risk, Lilac hides her claws," Xander recites, and then explains, "Your 'curse' seems tied to wild or primal magic, which is usually linked to emotional states. Try evoking a sense of panic, fear or anger. If it helps, try to picture yourself trapped in a small cell. With me."

Lilac stares at Xander, and then laughs! "Oh Xander, you may be many things, but you're not scary. If anything, I feel bad for you half the time," Lilac responds. "But, I do like the poem. Maybe I'll use that."

Tugging on one of his ears, Xander asks, "So… does that mean you'd be okay with sharing a tiny cell with me sometime?"

---

With practice done, Kin has removed the mask. She hasn't, however, tied her hair back in its usual bun; she's left it flowing freely behind her. Lilac has gone off to continue practicing in private; perhaps she figured she would felt having others around may also be making it more difficult. Anisa has left as well to seek out Gibson and further plan basecamp protection strategy. So … that just leaves Xander in the camp where he was sitting earlier. Kin emerges from her tent, bowl tucked under one arm and a bundle of cloth and comb in the other. She heads towards the Lapi.

Xander stares dumbly into the fire, and has largely stopped smoking, although his fur is still frazzled. He looks to Kin and seems to take a moment to recognize her. "Oh, hi there Kin," he says. "Finished practicing?"

"For now, yes," she says and sits down near the Lapi. "You looked lost in thought," she notes as she reaches out and carefully plucks at his frazzled head fur. "May I ask what you were thinking?"

"Thinking?" Xander asks, then blinks in surprise. "How long have I been sitting here?" he suddenly asks.

"At least fifteen minutes or so. Long enough for me to go change a bit," the Kiriga points out. "And you are a frightful mess."

Xander rubs his head fur, and says, "Last think I remember is… oh, the Flaming Armor spell glitched on me."

Kin bats Xander's hands away from his head. "Just settle. I'll take care of it. I wanted to talk to you anyway," the dragon says. She dips one of the strips of cloth in the water and starts her work on trying to wipe away the soot in his head and smooth down the frazzle a bit.

The Lapi's ears droop from Kin's ministrations. "Oh… umm, what did you want to talk about?"

"Why did you not mention you do poetry as a hobby?" Kin asks as she gently works over his head and ears with light strokes of the cloth. After each pass she rinses it out in the water to clean the collected soot. "Lilac has said I am a mystery … but I think you are about as equal in that respect."

The buck seems confused for a moment. "Err, what makes you think I compose poetry?" he finally asks.

"You were speaking poetry earlier when you returned to camp. You spoke one about Anisa and one about me," Kin tells the buck. "Do you not remember? You called me Golden Kin Ryuu."

The insides of the rabbit's ears turn bright red, and he asks, "Did… did I really do that? Oh, no… Anisa will never let me live this down… "

"Yes you did. I thought it was charming," Kin tells Xander as her work on his singed fur continues. "None of them were of romance, if that is what you are worried about; they were just about how each of us are." She stops cleaning when she finally notices the reddened ears. Her head cranes down and around a bit so she can look a bit upward and into Xander's eyes. "What is wrong?" she asks.

"Ah, it's just that, in my culture… men who recite poetry are generally viewed as, well… " Xander stutters. "Less than masculine. I'm sure it's different for yours. It's just something Mages learn to help them to remember and compose spells."

"And you wish to appear as masculine?" Kin asks the Lapi as her head tilts to the side a bit. She doesn't let her eyes fall from his as she speaks.

"Well, yes, I mean… wait? Appear as masculine?" Xander asks, seeming to shrink down a bit. "You mean I'm not even thought of as masculine at all to begin with?"

"What I think should not matter. It is what you think of yourself which matters," Kin says as she pulls herself back a bit. One of her delicate hands comes up to cup his chin and try to lift him back up a bit. "But if you do wish to know what I think of you, I think you are very masculine, Xander," she tells him. "And it is not because of how you appear, but how you have acted."

Xander smiles a bit. "Really?" he asks. "I mean, compared to Long-Shadow I didn't think I'd even register… "

That gets a rather peculiar look on the reptile's face. "You charged that airship with your familiar," Kin points out, "And you came to speak with me after the battle with the women. You were willing to speak your mind on my culture without fear. How could I not think of you as masculine?" She stops there for a minute, then says, "And what do you mean by register? I do not understand."

"Sorry, it's just a hierarchy thing," Xander explains. "Lapis are prone to it, and so are a few others species: alpha-male syndrome. It's… complicated."

"I did not think you cared what I thought of you," Kin admits as she finally resumes her cleaning of his fur. For the most part she's gotten the soot out.

"Err, why wouldn't I?" Xander asks. "I care what everyone thinks about me. I guess in your culture, there are people that are literally beneath acknowledging or something?"

"Well, there is that, but that is not the reason. I just thought you didn't care what I thought. I … to be honest, I feel like you see me as very alien. You do not treat me like you treat everyone else. I thought I made you uncomfortable or was too creepy," the dragon admits. She holds up her clawed three-fingered hand, then places it over his four fingered one. "We are very different."

"Not that different," Xander says, and actually kisses the back of Kin's hand. "You're very beautiful and exotic and… well… out of my league really. I'm just a wet-behind-the-ears Journeyman, and you're practically a princess."

That gets … a peculiar hissing sort of laugh from the Kiriga. "I'm a woman who disobeyed her family and walked away from that life is what I am," Kin comments as she picks up a brush. She uses the brush to on Xander's ears first, smoothing out frizz. "And you are also forgetting that Hakuu is of even higher nobility than I am and I do not wish to be his wife. Someone's 'status' doesn't mean a whole lot to me, it is their actions that matter. I am not good at saying it, but I like you, Xander. I am glad you are my friend."

The Lapi perks back up at the comment. "So, it's okay if I flirt with you then?" he asks.

"As long as it is okay if I can respond in any manner I choose," Kin answers rather cryptically and in complete deadpan, "I might flirt back, for example."

The ears go back up now too. "Really? Would you mean it?" the buck asks, daring to waggle his eyebrows.

Kin taps a claw tip against Xander's nose. "Why would I not?" she has to ask … of course it doesn't really answer the question either.

"To drive me crazy, of course," Xander says with a grin.

"I am a woman of honor, Xander," Kin says as she tugs one of his ears lightly. "If I flirted back, I would mean it. Believe it or not, Xander, you are handsome and charming in your own way. And besides, there are better ways to drive you crazy."

"There… are?" Xander asks, as if uncertain that there could be.

"I would ask Anisa or Lilac to flirt with you instead," Kin answers simply.

Xander's whiskers twitch, and he concedes, "Okay, that would do it."

"But that would only be last resort. I am a reptile … cold blooded, not cruel blooded," Kin says and manages a somewhat toothy grin. Back to the brushing Kin goes. "Now, in all seriousness, I am glad you are my friend, Xander. You do know you were the first friend I made in that strange sky city, yes?"

"Really?" the buck asks, but smiles proudly. "Well, I promise not to let you down, Kin! Just let me know how big of a distraction you need for sneaking into that camp, and whether or not you want anything left standing after you leave it."

"I am not sure if I need a distraction quite yet. I am hoping to slip in quietly," Kin explains voice dropping lower, "Though in truth I am a bit scared. If they do capture me … well. I expect Hakuu would do horrible things to me physically. I can face battles and swords … but I fear a cage, Xander. More than anything."

"Err, do you want me to blow up the big tents then if you don't come back out after a certain amount of time?" Xander asks.

"Is there any way I could signal that you would recognize so that you know if I am in trouble? I hope to be gone no more than a day, but I cannot predict how long until I know more of what is down there," Kin explains. "If you just blew up something randomly, you might hit me or Lilac."

"Well, the simple way would be for you to send an all-clear signal at a certain time each day," Xander says. "Then if the signal stops, we'll know you're in trouble. It could a smoke signal, or flying a particular pennant, or just having some object be in a particular place… "

"Well, the mask itself is a mirror. How about if I try to reflect light from it every couple of hours from some location in the camp," Kin suggests, "I don't remember seeing any light reflections from the camp normally when we were spying before.

"Alright, try to flash at noon each day," Xander says. "That should be visible from anywhere along the canyon rim."

"If anything really bad does happen … I don't want any of you to take unnecessary risks to try and rescue me. The world is at stake," Kin says quietly and dips her head. Her white mane falls over her face. "And before you tell me I need to forget my heritage, it's not that. I just don't want to see any of you hurt."

"Don't worry, daring rescues are my specialty!" Xander says. "Besides, do you really think any of us could stop Long-Shadow or Master Tooth from attacking the camp if you suddenly went silent?"

"Well, no," Kin admits and peers upward through her mane. Her clawed fingers come up and lift away her mane as she says, "Long-Shadow is not very experienced with fighting, but he would come. He cares a great deal for me. He considers me a Savanite, did you know?"

"Well, you are golden, just… without spots," Xander notes.

"He offered to paint them on," Kin says with a lopsided smile, "You've seen me unclothed a few times and up close once. How would I look with spots?"

The Lapi has trouble getting past the image of Kin naked, much less spotted. "I don't think you can look anything other than stunning no matter what was painted onto you," he finally says.

"You flatter well, Xander, thank you," Kin says and pats the buck's cheek. "In a week or so I will need you to help polish my scales again. That is, if you are still willing."

Swallowing hard, Xander says, "I'll try to be professional about it."

"You didn't have any problems last time," Kin reminds the buck, "I am sure you will be fine."

"Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you?" Kin adds in question as an afterthought.

"Well, it's certainly something to look forward too," Xander says. "As for easier… uh, either have a chaperon present or… well, have a chaperon present."

Kin considers that, then nods. "Ah, that would be simpler than what I was considering," she agrees.

Xander blinks, and asks, "What were you considering, then?"

Kin doesn't quite answer that. Her head tilts to the side and her brow arches very slightly as she looks at the Lapi through half-lidded eyes and under stray strands of her mane. "Oh, it is unimportant what I was considering," she says and waves it away with a sweep of her hand.

"You're driving me crazy, you realize," Xander says, ears drooping again.

"Sorry," Kin says and leans over to lightly nose his cheek with her snout. "In truth, I was going to offer to try and calm you before hand," she answers as she tries to lift his ears back up.

"Calm me… " Xander asks, and holds his ears back up. "You mean, with tea?"

"Well, there I would have needed advice," Kin admits, "I do not know what you would find calming."

"Oh, lots of things!" Xander says, smiling. "And I'm sure there a few of them that won't get me pummeled by Anisa or Lilac either."

"They're very protective of your virtue, you know," Xander adds.

"Why would they pummel you?" Kin asks, then blinks. "They are?"

"They've probably warned you not to encourage me," the buck suggests.

"Yes. But it is up to me if I choose to share my virtue with someone, Xander, not them," Kin notes and smiles. She pats his cheek again, then says, "Now, I should finish fishing your fur and calm myself. I will be in the mask for a long time soon, I think. I just hope I am ready for it."

"The grooming relaxes me," Xander notes, then shudders at the mention of the mask. "I don't trust that thing, and I hope wearing it for a prolonged time doesn't mess with your head."

"That worries me a bit," Kin admits and resumes the brushing; the strokes digging deep into his mop of fur. "I fear actually becoming like them, if that makes any sense. What if I start to worship him like they do? It seems silly but. But what real choice do I have? It is the only upper hand we have right now."

"Well, the only hand we have," Xander notes. "We lost any chance of an upper hand when those women of his found us. The camp will be on alert, and their Mage – if they have one – will be ready."

Kin nods. "I know. I wonder how long they've known we were here," she says, "And with your knowledge of magic, what is the likelihood that the mask could have long term effects?"

"And do you think he used mind magic on those women to make them like they were? They were completely devoted to him and he did some horrible things to them," Kin adds.

"The magic on it was from the Sphere of Light, I'm fairly certain," Xander notes. "So the masks themselves would not directly alter the wearer's mind… but if it was the sole source of sight for them – and from the sewn shut eyelids I think it's safe to assume that – then by controlling how they perceive things it can eventually condition them."

"Well, that would take a long time, I imagine. So, I would expect that I should be fairly safe if it is only a few days, correct?" Kin asks. "In terms of being comfortable … it is surprisingly so. It fits me perfectly, as if it was molded for my face."

Xander nods. "To really condition you would require cutting off your senses and binding your limbs for a considerable time, until you started to hallucinate for lack of external stimuli. Then you'd be ready to accept whatever the mask showed you. Naga Mind Mages would sometimes do something similar to themselves to heighten their concentration. But they could end it at any time they wanted to."

"That is creepy," Kin admits. "Something that has worried me is … do you think Hakuu actually did use a mold of my face to make that mask? And if so, do you think it may have been intended for me? And before you ask, he did have a model of my face, he did a full body cast of me once."

"Perhaps," Xander says. "It would make sense for him to condition you like that, but if the mask was made specifically for you, then why use it on a handmaiden? It could be coincidence, especially if he chooses women who share similar features."

"I don't think I could be so easily conditioned that way," Kin insists.

"Not if you're expecting it," Xander says. "And speaking of which, what do you think Hakuu expects you to do next?"

"But it would seem more likely that he chooses women of similar features, yes," Kin admits. "How the mask represented me was … Hakuu represents me as extremely beautiful. It was strange."

"In terms of honor, I should confront him directly and honorably. Sneaking in shouldn't be expected," Kin explains. "Honorable warriors do not sneak."

"Good," Xander says. "That and his wanting you captured alive are two things in our favor. And once I get my Armor spell working, we'll have a way to hopefully rescue you too."

"So, you think he will catch me, then?" Kin has to ask.

"I have to plan for it," Xander says, reluctantly. "I'm basing my spell off of an old Olympian military technique called a phalanx: a group of soldiers would lock their shields together all around and above them, so nothing could get through. It worked great up until they met Amazonian cavalry. I'm trying to create a moving barrier of flame to protect those within it."

"Well, I hope you will never need it," Kin tells the buck as she finishes work on his hair and ears. "And I should let you resume practicing in any event. Thank you for talking with me, Xander. Or would you prefer I call you Hotfoot? I am not sure which you like more."

"Well, those who are close to me tend to call me Hotfoot," Xander admits. "So you're welcome to use that name if you like."

"It just seems insulting. I do not want to be insulting towards you," the Kiriga admits.

"It's not an insult," Xander says with a grin. "It's just a nickname based on the spell I do best."

Kin nods and stands. "Well, then that is good to know. Well, I shall leave you to your practice," she says with a bow, "Good day to you, Hotfoot. Thank you for all you have done."

"Thank you, Golden Kin Ryuu," Xander says as he stands and gives a little bow. Then he brushes Kin's mane away from her face and gives her a little peck on the cheek before heading off to his practice area once more.