Guest Room
There are many rooms in the Gnarly Tree, but seldom many guests aside from visiting witches. Isolde keeps one room set aside specifically for guests, however – which is to say it is only halfway filled with 'stuff'. The narrow bed has been stripped of its blankets and pushed up against a wall, with the bedclothes piled onto the floor to make a large sleeping nest. Bookcases and shelves and stacked boxes rise to the ceiling, looming ominously, while the only light in the windowless room comes from a simple oil lamp.

Isolde came for Morgan a bit ago and took him off to help prepare for the ritual what will temporarily accelerate the 'demon' growth in Miranda. So, Amelia and Miranda have moved into the guest room. Liliana still hasn't returned from her supposedly 'short' trip back to the gypsy camp for supplies.

"Hmmm, a bit dark and cozy… I guess this room is comfortable for you, Miranda, living underground and all?" Amy asks.

Miranda stretches and sits on the edge of the bedclothes piled on the floor. "Yeth, it'th not that different from the roomth in tha warren," the Lapi says before turning to look at the Kadie. "You're not uncomfortable, are you Amelia?"

There's a quiet knock at the door. "Hey, Miranda, Amelia, vou two in dere?" comes the voice of Liliana from the other side. "Dat took vay longer den I planned. Oy. I gots some t'ings to tell vou!"

Amy goes to open the door, telling Miranda, "I've been underground before, it's not bad for me."

Once the door is open, Liliana comes through carrying a bag over one shoulder. "Me wagon vas a mess. Two of de tribe bucks an' a gang of otters decided to have a party in me wagon, if vou get my meanin'," the Eee says. "I swear, iffin I coul' I sell those two… Feh."

"Otters? Wait… bucks as in Lapi bucks?" Amy asks, eyebrows raised.

"Ves, Danior an his brother. Two of m'tribe members," Liliana says and sets down her bag.

Blinking, Miranda chuckles, saying, "Thoundth like you had your handth full!" Then her ears perk up.  The gray Lapi wasn't really one for the more aggressive recruiting that others of the warren practiced, but still… "Well… You could try thelling them to tha Chalk warren. Or maybe renting them."

"Heh, if dey be worked hard, dat no a bad idea. Mebbe teach dem a lesson," the Eee remarks with a grin. "De rest od de tribe sure though' it vas funny."

Amy hmms, and asks, "Was Axel still around?"

"No vhen I go' there," Liliana answers. "He vas dere earlier, tho. Vhy?"

"Oh… uh… just wondering," Amelia says, a bit quickly. "You know how he is… stuff seems to happen around him. Like clothes going up in smoke and such."

The insides of Miranda's ears turn pink as she replies to the Eee's statement about the bucks, "Well… they thertainly would be worked hard… err… not in the traditional thenthe though."

"Dat so? I no sure I believe vou. Vour heartrate sped up jus a momen vhen vou said dat, like vou tryin' to cover up somet'ing… " Liliana notes and arches her eyebrow a bit. She then waves it off and asks Miranda, "Den, please set up a meetin' so it kin be discussed. Serve dem right. hmph."

"Hmmm, are you old enough to… ah… get anything out of some new bucks, Miranda?" Amy asks curiously.

Liliana starts unpacking a pile of supplies. Various vials of dye, powders, and several different type of pronged brushes of various widths. "Vou need to undress completely," she says absently to Miranda.

"Well… um… Alright. You thould probably talk to Parthley about that then, I'll see if I can get her to come talk to you about it," Miranda says to Liliana, not quite looking at the Eee. At Amelia's question however the Lapi's ears go straight back before perking up again, looking a bit embarrassed. "Ah… well, I don't really think I'm interested anyways… And they'll likely have their time pretty much taken up by other Chalks."

"An, did vou finish de sketch vou vere gonna do on vhat vou vanted?" Liliana asks as she inspects her tools critically, clearing off dried bits with a flick of a clawtip.

"It's a very knotty sketch," Amy reports.

Twitching her nose Miranda scratches the side of her cheek and starts removing her clothing. After all, she did say she would do it. In an attempt to stave off her nervousness she says humorously, "Well, I geuthh itth time to do or dye."

"Better tell Lili now if you want any red or not in it also," Amelia tells the Lapi.

"An stand up straight so I kin check vou out," Liliana says and stands back up herself. "Vou gonna help, Amelia… It go faster dat vay."

Looking a little anxious about it, the Lapi pulls out a small hand-held chalkboard and hands it to the Eee. It's rather obvious that Miranda isn't the best artist by the number of erasure smudges on the chalkboard and the not-entirely smooth curves of the lines. "A deep blue or green I wath thinking."

"Green and gray is like de swamp, blue an gray is like de morning mists," Liliana notes after checking out the picture. She taps her chin, then nods, "I kin handle dat. Easy. Simpler den vhat I did on Amelia's back," she notes. The Eee then goes about doing a detailed inspection of Miranda's body, determining which way the fur tends to lay, her proportions, and flow of her natural curves. "Vou shoul' learn to dance," she notes, "Vou have a goo' body for it."

"What do you need me to do?" Amy asks. "My back was turned last time."

Miranda stands and straightens herself right to the tips of her ears and even holds her arms slightly out so Lili can get a good view of the 'canvas' of herself, trying not to look too embarrassed – though her ears do turn a little pink.

"Ah, no fur-dyeing directly on tha butt though, ok? My bottomth thtill a little thore," Miranda mentions as the Eee gets a good look at her.

Liliana gives Miranda a playful pat on her rump (the unhurt side) and says, "Find a comfortable place to sit. I gots to start on vour head firs'. Vour fur flows downvards, so I need to follow it dat vay. Dis be very pleasan', relax. Vou vill like it an I vill give vou somet'ing to vash it out if vou don'."

Turning to Amelia, Liliana says, "I need help holdin' stuff, like 'er ears, vhile I vork, an someone to help change de combs. Nothin' exciting I afraid."

"I should be able to do that," Amy says, giving a little salute.

Miranda nods quietly and moves some of the bedclothes on the floor around until she has a more comfortable seat, and plunks herself down, fidgeting with her hands a little… "I wath thinking mothtly the pattern would be on tha back, with just a little bit outlining the front, but leaving tha front itthelf blank I think," the Lapi says, but quickly quiets down to let the Eee start working.

"Yeah, nobody would be able to see it up front," Amy says.

"Vell, I see vhat I kin do. I haf ideas. So jus' relax," Liliana says and brings over several pots of blue and green dyes. She motions for Amelia to sit next to Miranda while the Eeee sits on a box so she's a bit higher then the Lapi. "Vhy no-one see her front?" she asks absently as she opens the bottles and sets two small combs into them.

"Too fluffy," Amy reasons.

"Hol' her left ear steady, please," Liliana instructs. She then puts one of the combs between her teeth and takes the other in her hand. "An now, it time to make vou beautiful," the Eee murmurs.

Amy holds the ear as gently as she can, making sure to just use her finger pads.

Miranda still seems to be fidgeting with her hands a bit, but is concentrating very hard on sitting up and trying to keep her ears from twitching, and shes actually doing a rather good job.

"Since it's a vine pattern, maybe you could turn her tail into a flower?" Amy suggests.

"Well… it's only thuppothed to be a pattern that gives the idea of being vinelike. Like it'th climbing me… Not thuppothed to look ecthactly like actual vineth Amy," Miranda corrects the Kadie.

The Eee leans in and starts very delicately tracing a gray curvy line with intermittent breaks in it down the Lapi's left ear. "No," Liliana says flatly. When she reaches the base of her ear, the Eee curves the line in a graceful arc, tracing it along the top of the Lapi's head and stopping around her forehead. Setting that comb back into the gray dye, she switches to the blue comb and starts at the top of her ear again. The curve is a mirror image of the first one and where the breaks were in the first one, this one passes through, creating the illusion of the two colors wrapping around each other. Again, she continues the arc just to Miranda's forehead.

The Kadie hmms, and nods. "Yeah, don't want to look like a tentacle monster is attached to your butt I suppose… "

Miranda snerks and giggles at Amelia's comment, finding it a bit more difficult to sit still while laughing, but still trying her hardest.

Liliana's sharply clawed foot extends and she grips Amelia's calf, circling it more than half way. "No makin' de canvas laugh," the Eeee warns and squeezes slightly. "Now, hol' right ear, please," she says.

Amy squeaks, and switches her grip to the other bunny ear.

Liliana's foot releases. The procedure on this ear is much the same, creating an intertwining pattern that gently flows down the long ear. The Eee inspects the pattern, then nods approvingly and stands up. She walks around and sits down in front of Miranda now. "Keep bot' ears still vhile dat dries?" she asks Amelia, and then looks at Miranda. "Tilt vou head down for me an close both eyes, please."

Slipping her hands under the ears for support, Amy tries to keep them out flat and steady while Miranda moves her head.

Going back to sitting still now that her short bought of giggles is done, Miranda looks like she is finally starting to relax a bit more. She blinks when Lili comes around to the front though. "Umm… Not too much on my fathe pleathe Lili?" the Lapi gently requests. "Just outline it a bit maybe?" she continues as she tilts her head down a bit.

"Trus' me," Liliana says softly and pats Miranda's cheek. Lightly, she places her fingertips on her brow and repeats, "Eyes closed."

" Um… ok Lili, jutht not too much… " Miranda whispers, sounding a bit unsure before obediently closing her eyes.

"How much of me would you have done if I'd let you, Lili?" Amy asks while holding Miranda's ears.

Liliana switches to two smaller combs. "Relax," the Eee says, over and over in a calm, quiet, tone. Carefully, Liliana starts extending those stripes she ended on the forehead. With slow, precise movements, the Eeee starts building a semi-complicated and delicate knotwork pattern down between the doe's eyes and carefully down the bridge of her muzzle. "All of vou," the Eee answers Amelia bluntly when she pauses to get more dye. She resumes the work, taking the delicate knotwork pattern down until she reaches the Lapi's nosetip and stops, curving the ends together to make them look complete. "Dat all I gonna do on vour face. See, no so bad," she says. "How de ears dryin'?"

Amy sniffs at the ears, and resists the urge to blow on them. "They look okay to me."

Miranda smiles when Liliana joins the final line on her face and says, "Thank you Lili. Thith actually feelth kind of nithe."

"Slide a claw along a color an see if any comes off," Liliana instructs as she gets back up. "Okay, kin you lay down on vour stomach and spread vour arms out to vour sides?"

Carefully, Amy tests a line with her claw. She gets an odd image of tiny little homunculi with paintbrushes replacing the combs, but manages not to shudder.

Once Amy has tested her ear Miranda shuffles the bedding on the floor around a bit until she is laying down on her stomach as directed. trying very very carefully not to smudge the pattern on her face.

"So, vhat do vou t'ink of de muzzle pattern?" Liliana asks Amelia as she's wiping clean the smaller combs. Once those are away, she gets out larger ones and straddles her legs over Miranda's back. "So, keep goin', or stop?" she asks.

"I like how it meets up with the ears," Amy says, grinning.

"Hot coco patrol," a familiar voice calls out from outside the room. Shortly later, Morgan appears – still wearing his nightie – armed with four steaming mugs.

"Naked Lapi dyein' patrol," Liliana quips back from where she sits.

" Well, I thaid I would, and I'm thure it will be beautiful when you're done, tho by all meanth keep going Lili… Um… Just be careful when you get to my feet, they're a bit ticklish," Miranda tells the Eee straddling her.

Amy gets up to help Morgan, now that Miranda's ears can lay flat on the blankets. "Hey, Lili, do you have any underwear like Morgan has by any chance?" the Kadie asks, but refrains from yanking up Morgan's gown while he's carrying hot beverages.

Miranda looks up at Morgan as he enters and giggles slightly telling him, "You know, thith actually feelth quite nithe."

"Well if you're dying, hot coco is the cure," Morgan insists as he walks inside. "Sorry I've been busy. A witch's work is never done." He hands Amy two of the four mugs, then glances at Liliana. "She means the purple and lace zolk ones," he clarifies, pointing at his purple zolk nightie which matches them exactly.

Liliana leans over now and starts back near the Lapi's ears, creating branches of the wrapping lines and starts building a latticework of blue and gray color down the back of her head. She shifts a bit and pauses. Glancing backward, the Eee extends her leg out and hooks the hem of his nightie with those prehensile toes . She lifts, then remarks, "Mine are more complicated."

"Complicated?" Amy asks, setting mug down near Miranda, even if she can't drink any yet. "You mean… boobytrapped?"

Morgan looks down at his largely naked lower half, then shrugs. "I told you it's different when she does it," he admits, embarrassedly. He then pulls his nightie back down and walks over to place a mug near Liliana.

Grinning, Miranda tries not to laugh and relaxes as Lili continues.

"No. I haf garters and such, fer holding lacy stockings. Morgan know dis, he vore it before," the Eee remarks with a grin. She returns her attention to the Lapi laying face down and resumes her work. This goes a bit faster, since the larger lines don't have to be handled delicately. When she reaches the point between her shoulderblades, the Eee starts building a circular intertwining pattern there with 'rays' of the color bands spreading out to point towards the Lapi's limbs. "Min' if I cover most o' vour back?" she asks.

Amy sips her chocolate, and then quirks her ears. "Stockings?"

"Yah, vhite fishnet stockin'. Don vear dat much, tho. Claws tend to tear it," the Eee remarks.

"Can you really catch fish with them?" Amy asks.

"I want to get a garter, and some stockings. The only stockings I have are plain wool, for the winter, and the ones I wore when I was little. I just don't have any fancy ones like Lily has," Morgan explains. He lies down on his side beside Lily, propping his head on a hand and curling his tail over himself.

Miranda says, "Mm-hmm… " Miranda mumbles faintly to the Eee, "I am in the grip of your powers… feel free with tha back… " The motions of the brushes as Lili works makes the now relaxed Lapi feel a bit like she's being groomed."

"No, vou can' catch fish wit dem. Dey just look like miniature fishin' nets" Liliana says with a slight shake of her head. With a playful 'mwahahah', the Eee resumes working and building what looks like a tree made of knotted color down the Lapi's back. She takes it all the way to the edges and even extends some of the bands onto her sides. When she's satisfied with the core color, she sits up and says, "Dat got to dry a bit, so, tis cocoa time," she remarks. She then goes directly for her mug, and with a playful glance to Morgan, she asks, "Goin' for dressin' all girl now, den?"

"Dressing, hmm," Amy muses. "Do you have anything that will show this off properly, Miranda?"

"All girl? Well, I'm not sure how different that is from now, really, unless you mean avoiding any of my more masculine clothes. What I meant was dressing in more variety, in more feminine styles. Like garters," the male Kadie explains.

Liliana takes a drink from the mug. "Vell, I guess I shoul' say, dressin' more like me. Tryin t' show off," she says with a playful grin.

"Actually, I don't really think I do Amelia… " Miranda says, blinking on the subject of clothes… "I hadn't really thought that far ahead I guethh… Mostly I jutht have my work clotheth and a few dretheth… but nothing that would thow thith off I think."

"Good t'ing vou haf me aroun," Liliana says, "I broug' some of de dancer clothin' along, wit earrings, even."

"Oh, I don't have the curves to dress like you do, Lily. I'd have to work it to my own body and style," the witch answers. He rolls forward so that he can lay on his own tail, like an oversized pillow. "I'll have to see what I can sew up."

"You think of everything, don't you Lili?" Miranda says, and seems to be relaxed enough at the moment that she doesn't sound apprehensive about dancer's clothes.

"It be part o' my evil charm I be usin' to take over de worl'," the Eee says and waves her hand. "Hmm, legs or arm work next?" she asks.

"Maybe a swimming suit," Amelia says. "I don't have one myself though."

"Or a low-backed dress. I'm sure the Weavers could make one. Sleeveless maybe. It wouldn't be too expensive if you made it from wool," Morgan offers.

"Armth next pleathe Lili… that'll give my cocoa time to cool a bit more." Miranda requests.

"All righ'," the Eee answers and sets her mug down. Checking the dye on Miranda's back and finding it dry enough, the Eee selects the next set of comb sizes and dips them into the dye. She then carefully works down Miranda's arm with the crawling, interweaving pattern. When she reaches the Lapi's wrist, she says, "Amelia, hol' her hand up fer me, please?"

Amy sets down her cocoa and holds the Lapi's hand.

Morgan sits up a bit to get a good look at painted Miranda, saying, "Wow, you really are going all out."

"A dretth might be nithe. I'm afraid I don't do a lot with clothing other than my work clothes," the Lapi says before turning her head to look at Morgan, noting, "Well… I thaid I would… and I alwayth try to keep to my agreementth."

"Eh, she vanted me to, an' I enjoy it," Liliana says dismissively. Using the same micro-combs she used on the Lapi's muzzle, she builds a knotted bracelet around Miranda's wrist. The Eee then leans a bit further and playfully smooches Amelia's nose. "T'anks."

"That's a good policy to keep, Miranda," Morgan says with a smile.

Amelia meeps and brings her free hand up to rub her nose in surprise.

Liliana waggles her eyebrows at Amelia, noting, "I smooch vou better later, no?" She winks, then shifts to work on Miranda's other arm, duplicating the same pattern.

"It'th important to me," Miranda replies to Morgan with an almost sleepy smile.

Morgan grins at Amelia, now. "Better be careful, Amelia," he warns with a wink. "I'll be mad if you steal my girlfriend."

"I don't know if it would be right, Lili," Amy says. "How would Morgan get any sleep, thinking that we're in here snogging?"

"Dat be de poin'," Liliana quips. "Other wris', please."

Amy sets down Miranda's arm, and scoots around to hold up her other one.

"Now I won't get any sleep," Morgan mock-complains.

"You wouldn't get any if you were in here watching either," Amy points out.

Liliana does the same bracelet style pattern around that wrist too and then sits back. The Eee then rocks sideways a bit, dips down, and snogs Morgan. "Poor baby," she says with a fangy grin. "Jus' thinkin' about all vou missin… "

"But I'd be happier," Morgan insists. He rolls his head to meet Liliana's smooch, then gives her an extra one as she leans away. "I guess it's good I went with the nightie, at least."

With her arms done, Miranda carefully lifts her cocoa with a free hand and sips it… then almost snorts into it at the comments going back and forth.

"How so, Morgan?" Amy asks, looking over the rim of her mug.

"I be such a bad influence on all of vou," Liliana notes after a bit of thought. "An jus' t'ink, Miranda, vou gonna act a bit like me after de ritual." She shifts down the Lapi now to start work on her legs. True to her word, she's careful in dealing with the injured backside. It looks like she intends to do her legs in much the same way her arms were done.

"Nevermind," Morgan insists, laying on his tail and wrapping his arms around it.

"Well then… I'm glad I'm getting this done. If I'm going to act a bit like you I might ath well look the part too!." Miranda quietly declares.

"Jus' hope vou don' get de hooves," Liliana notes absently. She lifts up the Lapi's left leg and works carefully around her foot now, extending the pattern down the front. "An, stay away from bucks, I t'ink."

"Uh oh. Should I beware?" Morgan inquires of Miranda, glancing at her around his tail.

Miranda giggles and several of her toes visibly twitch as Liliana begins work on her foot… To try and keep from disturbing the artist at work the Lapi curls and twitches the toes on her other foot instead. Still trying to keep a lid on her ticklish foot she mumbles to Morgan, "I really don't know… we'll have to thee how things turn out… "

Liliana finishes up the other foot fairly quickly with the abstract pattern and sits back. "Vhew, been long time since I do dat much space. Most tend to be small areas. Like Olivia, she won' let me dye her like dis. Only her arms," she notes.

Morgan rolls off his tail now, sitting up so he can drink more cocoa. "Well, I'm just teasing, Miranda. I wouldn't take advantage, I know better," he says between sips.

"My back wasn't big enough?" Amy asks teasingly.

"Compared to vour tail, no. I still vant to vork on dat tail… " Liliana says with a fangy grin.

"Morgan has a tail too," Amy points out, trying to shift the Eeee's attention.

"Vou complain more, so is more fun," Liliana counters.

"It's a nice tail, too," Morgan says, wagging it a little. "And Lily does like some resistance."

"Is all about de chase," Liliana says and gives Amelia a knowing look.

"Is that why Emmett is always after my tail too then, because I resist?" Amy wonders.

Miranda wiggles her own tail, chuckling and looking sleepy and relaxed saying, "Thuddenly I'm very glad my tail ith thmall."

"It makes Chalks hard to read, if you don't know what to watch for with their ears," Amy says.

"Emmett is after just about everyone's tail, sooner or later, if it's a female tail. I'm half-surprised he hasn't tried me while drunk," Morgan remarks lazily. "Speaking of chase, I need to chase somebody."

"I don' have a tail," Liliana points out.

"You can still wiggle it though, or use a scarf… " Amy suggests.

"You do have lots of scarves" Miranda adds.

"Wiggle me bum? Vell, ves, I kin do dat," Liliana concedes.

"I like your 'tail', Lily," Morgan says, leaning up to kiss Liliana's arm.

"Or… since you can't tickle Morgan under the chin with your butt, maybe Igor can fix you up with something," Amy notes, giggling.

"Oh, I know dat," Liliana says, grinning. She reaches down to 'beep' Morgan's nose with a clawtip. She then looks at Amelia, sticks out her tongue, and tickles under Morgan's chin with a wing tip. "Feh, vou don' t'ink very creatively."

"You'd be a better dancer with a big fluffy tail though," Amy says.

"An a terrible flier," Liliana points out.

"I think you look perfectly cute without a tail Lili," Miranda comments, stretching out as her back dries.

Morgan giggles quietly, then buries his head in his tail before looking up again. "Ahem. Lily is just fine as she is, thank-you-very-much."

Liliana sits up as if remembering something. "I gots to go for a bit," she says.

"Something wrong?" Amy asks the gypsy.

"At this hour?" Morgan asks, sounding concerned.

"No really. Jus' remembered I no eat today," the Eee admits. "An dat be bad considerin' de donation needed tomorrow."

"Can't you just bite Morgan?" Amy asks, swishing her tail and grinning.

"Hmm, sorry Lily. I didn't know you'd be staying tonight, otherwise I'd have arranged something," the witch apologizes. "You could ask my mother if she has anything or-" he blinks at Amelia," … Er, better not, considering."

"Coul' just bite vou," Liliana threatens Amelia.

"I need my strength for fighting off vampires," Amy protests.

"Consider it a learning experience abou' vampires," Liliana says fangily.

"No biting, now, we don't want to mix up any blood for tomorrow. I'll escort Lily out, then I'll come check on you two before I return to my mother. We're not quite done – just taking a break," Morgan says, then stands up.

"Better to get an animal then," Amy says. "Wouldn't want my spirit mixing in with yours during the ritual, after all," the Kadie says.

Liliana just shakes her head. "Vou all crazy. Anyvay, I should'nt be gone too long. So, no vorries," the Eeee insists. "An den sleep. Ve all need rest fer tomorrow."

Light breathing issues from where Miranda had stretched out in order to be dyed, and it appears the Lapi has already fallen asleep.