by Oleai » Tue Jul 24, 2012 3:40 pm
(( Excuse the long post, as I get Oleai caught up. ))
Oleai Canyonsunder had spent the night in the attic of a general goods store, in which she'd found temporary employment. Cantiga was the largest city she'd ever been in.. the ONLY city she'd ever been in. Following a faux pas involving her 'borrowing' some equipment for the road, the gentle shopkeeper, a man named Monroe, had decided to take in the unusual (and clearly far from home) Plainsrunner. She'd found the attic to be a very uncomfortable place to sleep, always preferring to be under the open sky when she lay her head down for rest - but this was safe.
She awoke to the sound of talons on the rooftop! Startled, Oleai slowly opened a nearby hatch that led above; sticking her long ears out to listen, before finally taking a peek in earnest. A pair of Skyrazors! With Elves ontop of them! She'd seen a few of them in the preceding days, but never this close! She fidgeted excitedly.
"So what do you think about this whole...get together Talorn?" One of the Elves said to the other. He was nearby a Green Razorbeak.
"First time in a long while I've gone somewhere and not almost gotten shot or stabbed at first sight. Personally wondering how long until a tumble breaks out, amazed that everything is almost busy as usual for most." Talorn replied, sitting up on what was one of the most beautiful creatures Oleai had ever seen! A royal purple Razorbeak that just seemed to have an 'air' about her. Oleai would've said something, if not for Monroe's call.
"Bunny! Get on down 'ere and help!"
She then turned her attention toward the city below, all the crowds of people and so many heading up toward the Castle. That familiar curious excitement made her legs twitch, and down the hatch she went - Closing it as silently as she could as not to attract the two Elves. Scurrying over to her backpack, she quickly drew out her old garb. Strapping on the top on the loincloth before bounding downstairs, skipping two steps at a time. The shop was simply overrun with patrons! Oleai's ears perking up and eyes going wide at the number of people perusing Monroe's wares.
"Hi Monroe! What's all the going-about .. about?" Oleai asked as she closed the gap between herself and the shopkeeper - Already the Lagomora was drawing eyes; and it didn't help one bit she forgot her robe upstairs.
"Hi Oleai" He replied, mimicing her, "No idear! But the money's great!" Monroe exclaimed, drawing a few looks from the patrons. "Go on an' get tae work, Bunny."
With a nod and a giggle, Oleai set to greeting customers and selling wares. The whole concept was foreign to her, at first. These little coins and pieces of paper hardly seemed worth giving away such fine things for - But Monroe assured her it was worth it. Still, it helped that he'd forced her to memorize the 'acceptable' prices for every item in the store. Leading to a slightly awkward delay as she ran through the numbers in her head each time she was asked a price.
A red-haired and quite-tan man had approached her, asking for a simple knife and a jug of water and some dried meat. The knife was one of Oleai's, she had insisted Monroe take in exchange for the job and the room. The fact he'd put it up for sale so soon after made her sad, but it was his to do with what he wished. "Hehe, I've never seen such red hair! It's really handsome!" She'd flirted a bit, idle and going nowhere, the man had soon left with his purchases and things began to calm. The Crowd outside seemed to be moving toward the Castle faster now. Whatever this was, it -HAD- to be important.
"Monroe! I wanna go see what's going on. Is that okay?" She hopped back and forth in place, from one foot to the other, excitedly. Monroe took a look around the shop, and with a kind smile he agreed.
Oleai bounded upstairs, simply leaping up the flight of stairs in lieu of actually climbing them. She packed all of her belongings into the backpack, taking some time to adorn herself with all the fancy tribal jewelry she'd managed to bring from home. Pulling on her Windspeaker cloak, and hanging her inscribed-tambourine off a hip, she trotted back downstairs to offer Monroe a sweet kiss to the forehead before wandering out into the bustling city street.
The noise was unheard of! She'd been in crowds before, but it was the diversity that got to the out-of-place Plainsrunner here. No time to waste!, she thought. Beginning a light jog up the hill (Read light jog as about 20mph) - blowing past the crowds and drawing out shouts and stares from the various groups. Everyone moved so slow! The Castle gates, flanked on all sides by guard posts and long queues of people waiting to get in. Oleai waggled her fingers before leaping upward as high as she could. Fanning her arms out and with a small breath of air, and an exertion of her will to summon forth an updraft - The air catching her parachute-like cloak and holding her aloft briefly as she looked everything over. There was Elvenblade, who seemed to be taking a group of people to one side for some kind of special inspection. "Graaaw!" A sharp cry from behind her, as one of the patrolling Skyrazors comes a little too close for comfort. About time to descend! Oleai parachutes down, catching the attention of nearly the whole crowd. Elvenblade was with that group in the back, and now seemed as good a time as any to approach the front.
Oleai bounded through the queue, "Hehe! Sorry! Excuse me! I don't wait on lines, pardon me." Until she'd reached the front, the angry protests from the crowd behind her weren't too forward, as most just seemed surprised to see a Lagomora at all! Let alone one like Oleai. Stopping just behind the front of the line to 'wait her turn.' When the time came, she approached the guard with a large smile on her face.
The guard raises his head, appraising the Lagomora down his nose, holding himself in such a way that he can be sure she'd notice the guns holstered at his waist. He raises the clipboard, looking at her with a practiced bored expression. "You know the drill. Name, associations, who you represent..."
Oleai went wide-eyed for a moment. She had no idea what 'the drill' was, but patted her sides to feel for anything she could use to identify herself, anyway. It didn't help she was in her loincloth and cloak, silently cursing the backpack left back in the attic. Aha! "Oleai Canyonsunder! I.. Well, here!" She lifted the tambourine with both hands to thrust forward at the guard. The burnt-in Plainsrunner emblem clear on it's skin.
He raises a brow at the presentation, turning back to his roster and scanning through the names. "Didn't know any of you folks were getting involved in the hunt."
After a moment, he frowns, flipping the pages once, twice, before shaking his head. "I don't have any reps for the Plainsrunners here, but I'm also not looking to start any trouble and get sunk by Elvenblade for not letting a deligate through." He moves out of the way motioning her forward. "Straight ahead, through the giant doors, and straight up the main corridor. You can't miss it."
Oleai shot the guardsman a wink, and bounded past at her usual speedy pace. A slight hop to her step. The hunt? What does that mean? Oh, I hope this is something big!
She'd found herself soon thereafter in the great hall, -just- in time for the briefing to begin. Her large ears pointed up toward the stage as Elvenblade explained the situation. Oleai nestling both her fists under her chin to listen, side-stepping into a quiet corner near a table of oddly-familiar people. The briefing complete, Oleai finally recognized the man from her shop earlier, and that Elf from the rooftop! She'd glanced around the table, making a bit of a face at the Nekana amongst their party. Her people never trusted the Nekana, though Oleai had never met one personally. Monroe would always send Oleai to the back if one happened into his store.
The Nekana had some secret info, a head-start beyond everyone else gathered in the great hall. If this 'Null' lady was as dangerous as they say, and the bounty anything we could imagine? This could verywell be Oleai's ticket home. The Lagomora woman took two long strides over to the table just as the Nekana spoke, "Is everyone else in agreement then? The more of us there are together, the better the chance we've got of coming out on top. Never worked with this many people, but I'm willing to do it for this."
Lowering her hands, she spoke up to interject. "I'm in!" She exclaimed, doing her best to smile, despite the nervous shifting of her legs.