[b]Erika Fullbright![/b]

"What under the stars is going on up there?" the waitress complains, halfway up the stairs at the same time that you are halfway down. She is huffy, she is bristly-tailed, she is wearing just the most darling waitress uniform, and she happens to actually properly [i]look[/i] at you at the same time that you properly [i]look[/i] at her.

Mayzie Sighs, balancing a tray on one hand, can be seen seeing past the disguise in real time (as Yuki would say). She's got a pen tucked behind one ear! She's got a miniskirt and stockings with a darling checkerboard design! And she's about to either blurt out that Eclair Espoir is here to a cafe full of warrior-nuns and paladins, or she'll push past you and end up blundering into the duel that's happening up there, and frankly, both of those Aestivali strike me as the sort who would use her as an Avel shield.

You have to do something to save her! And you! From imminent disaster! And not get distracted by the shade of lipstick she's got on! It's a very fetching violet!!

[hr]
[b]Handmaidens![/b]

Morning rolls over, letting out an agonized hiss as she accidentally drives the cursed blade deeper into herself. But she plops her head right in front of Injimo, and that's more important to her than anything. Her hot breath tastes faintly of cinnamon and honey. [i][you need to feed me that. or i'm never ever ever going to remember it when this dream ends! please, mighty paladin, not!heron!][/i]

The way she opens her mouth is vulnerability. Her tongue is the pink of peonies. She must devour this, representationally, to make it so much a part of herself that it won't drift away when she fades away completely and returns to being herself, sleeping in the Mansion of the Aurora. Why do you think maids are so good at cooking? (And, yes, she'll remember parts of what happened, but she wants to be sure. She needs to be sure.)

[i][feed me.][/i] 

[hr]
[b]Yuki![/b]

[i]"Ohohohohohohoho!!!"[/i]

Purnima Karn-Pana is sunning herself on multiple cafe tables that have been pushed together, drinking a cocktail (at this hour of the morning, even) out of a cup which has a little umbrella in it. Her smile is malevolent and self-assured and punchable. Oh, how punchable it is.

"I'll answer that, boys," she says, flicking her tail as you desperately duck under being slammed in the face with the haft of a heartblade (which would do simply awful things to your ability to think coherently for a while). "They're my [i]retainers,[/i] they're attacking me because [i]I told them to,[/i] and they don't have mirrors, you silly thing, you credulous outlander, though... perhaps it wouldn't be too bad for me to be able to look at myself more often..."

She slurps through a straw contemplatively, and then pushes her starglasses up. "Now be a good girl and get kidnapped, will you? We've got a lot of interrogating you about the weaknesses and tameability of the Golden Fawn to get through, and the longer you dawdle trying to fight, like you aren't [i]hopelessly[/i] outnumbered, the more time those scruffy huntresses will have trying to teach him how to bark and do tricks, and you don't want that, do you?"

So here's a question, Yuki. How could Purnima get you to come along quietly and give her advice? I mean, almost certainly not money, but surely there's some sort of price in your heart that she might be able to make a stab at...

[hr]
[b]Hazel![/b]

Keli shoots up like a jack-in-the-box and wobbles in front of you for a moment, just long enough for you to see the secure knots of the Serigalamu worked tightly all about her, trapping her silks even closer to her generous frame, and then Seli bucks from underneath and Keli comes crashing down right on top of you. (Not because she's top-heavy, mind you. Perish the thought.)

"These two were looking to kidnap you themselves," Juniper says with an air of smug satisfaction (somewhere on the other side of perfume and softness). "If we hadn't stopped them, you'd probably be on auction to the highest bidder somewhere in Emerald right now. Don't you appreciate the irony?"

Do you think that's true, o dearest darlingest Hazel? That these two could possibly mean you any harm at all? Certainly not. If they were nefarious at all, then how come Keli is humming apologies to you and fluttering her eyes while wiggling her way into a more comfortable position, in ways that likely remind you of the first time you met? Checkmate, Juniper.