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 Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:31 pm
It was the middle of the day. Spookdays were always so quiet, with a lack of visitors and the weekend coming slowly to a close. There was an odd knock on Malodore's door. It sounded like someone was gently kicking on it with their foot, instead of actually knocking. This particular visitor would normally send a greeting after she knocked, but she was being mischievous, and remained quiet this time.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:33 pm
Luce sat up.
Luce's ears perked.
Luce... sniffed.
Luce relaxed and rolled over.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:36 pm
Riley totally guessed that meant Malodore wasn't home and left.
Lucky for everyone reading this, Riley wasn't that impatient. So she edged the tip of her boot out and knocked four times with it again. She reached out for Luce's mind, and although she couldn't quite understand what Riley wanted, she'd get the hint.
Go get Malodore, girl. Go get it.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:48 pm
Luce flicked one ear. She got up. She yawned and stretched at the same time, pink tongue curling up at the end. She scratched behind the other ear.
Then, finally, she sprang forward and bounded through the door, turning to mist and slipping through both door and Riley's legs beyond. Her paws went thump on the hallway floor as she re-solidified, wagging her tail at the mindflayer before bounding down the hall.
"Tresorina! Che ci fai qui?" came a familiar voice from the stairwell. Luce barked; claws reached out and scooped her up. A moment later the plague doctor stepped into the hallway, turning towards Riley.
"Ah!" Its beak opened in a smile, and it hastened its steps down the hallway towards her. "Che ci fai qui, mia cara?" Luce's tail thumped against its side.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:56 pm
Riley hadn't expected Luce to go through all the trouble of leaving the room to get Malodore for her. Nevertheless, it was a clever move on her part, and Riley turned to watch her bound off just in time to face Malodore when it turned the corner to greet them. She kept her arms pinned tight behind her, but otherwise remained unmoving where she was.
I came to show you something. A bit of a surprise, you might say. Nothing too exciting, but still, I'd wager you will enjoy it as much as I do.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:15 pm
"Oh?" Malodore tilted its head to one side, then leaned over and lightly - a bit awkwardly - bumped the tip of its beak against her cheek. "What have you brought to delight my curiosity?"
Luce lifted her nose into the air and sniffed, also curious.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:19 pm
Riley's expression lifted when it bent in to brush it's beak against her, and she returned the token of affection by leaning in further, grazing against the length of it's beak with her face.
You'll just have to let me in so I can show you. She emitted quietly as she pulled away. I want to put them down soon, anyway. They're getting kind of heavy. Her voice was wrapped in a silken thread of amusement, which could be felt more than heard - she never had a chance to play coy or mischievous. She was enjoying it. Just a little bit.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:24 pm
"Them?" Malodore tilted its head the other direction, and Luce's little nose twitched more intently. "Vile temptress. As you wish, signorina." It opened the door with a flourish, then bowed and gestured for her to enter.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:33 pm
Aww. Riley would have grinned if she had a mouth, at such a sweet compliment. She slipped inside, keeping her back turned away even as she passed the doorway. She simply tilted herself until she was walking backwards a step or two, and waited for it to enter as well.
Patience was never her virtue, and she didn't hesitate to wait until it had closed the door before talking about her surprise. So. I was doing some research using the vast information database available online, and I came across an amazing website. Now, normally this isn't my kind of thing, but I knew it would intrigue you. So I signed up for it.
She hadn't yet explained what she had signed up for, however - her eyes glimmered with something akin to pride. She was certain she'd found the jewel of the interweb.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:36 pm
Malodore's gaze narrowed. "Promise me this has nothing to do with gnomes, Icky Stix, gnomes eating Icky Stix, Icky Stix eating gnomes..." it said, suspiciously.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:46 pm
Riley almost dropped the items she was holding in shock.
What.. why.. would I.. even.. what.. wait. There's a website where Icky Stix eat gnomes?
Mental note to look that one up later.
She shook her head fervently and her eyes returned to their pleased brightness. No, nothing like that. I can't even fathom why you would think I would.. but nevermind. It's actually pretty wonderful.
She bent in, as if she had a secret to tell. This company apparently sells you books. Eight of them, and they charge a single silver seed. One silver seed, Malodore. I usually buy my books at the Burns and Crucible, but - at first, I thought, perhaps the books they sell were rubbish. I mean, one silver seed. Who does that?
She brought her hands out from behind her back, and in each of them were held four books, being held carefully in a fan formation. The Science Fact Club, that's who. Each book had bright, dymanic covers, as they heralded the biographical stories of several different kinds of monsters and creatures. One of them, however, was a red and yellow book with a funny little graphic on the cover - it's cover read "Mad Science for Dummies." She quickly put the books down and removed that one from the pile. Whoops, that one was for me. Ignore that.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:58 pm
"Hmm... that sounds almost too good to be true," Malodore remarked, picking up one of the books at random. "Red Dragons..."
It paged through the book, and while its expression didn't change, the sense of its thoughts got more and more perplexed. "Do they really... do this?" it asked, holding the book open to an illustration of two red dragons playing with a unicorn.
... or, at least that's what it looked like at first glance. Closer examination would reveal the 'play' to be slightly more salacious....
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:10 pm
Riley was a member of a race of the most intelligent species in the universe. She could name some of the most obscure facts off the top of her head. She could mentally compute complicated math faster than a computer.
But the idea of finding eight science books for sale for one silver seed had somehow blinded her to the content of the actual books involved. (Or the fact that she'd just signed up for a lifetime membership with a hefty yearly fee.) She plucked the book out of Malodores hands, and held it up to inspect the picture.
She may not have been clever enough to check the content of the books she'd bought, but she was more than clever enough to know exactly what those dragons were doing. She shut the book closed with a snap, and started to collect the pile back into her arms.
I have made a mistake. Her voice was now cold, crisp, and perhaps just a bit hurt. This is not what I meant to bring you. It is an unsavory gift. I had hoped we would get to sit together and read a bit, but.. well. Clearly I have failed. I will have words with the company. I apologize for the disturbance, Malodore. She refused to look in it's eyes the entire time.
How embarrassing. And she'd been so excited to share her discovery, too.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:13 pm
"But I wasn't done reading," Malodore said, looking confused and a little hurt. Why had she taken away that book? It was so...
... um...
.... interesting. In a sense. The same sense one might have were one watching a train wreck.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:18 pm
Oh, Jack. How was she supposed to respond to that? It wasn't as if Malodore had been insulted at the books, and as much as she would try, she had a feeling she wasn't going to actually be able to return them. Burn them, perhaps. But return them? Unlikely.
She set the pile back down on the table, but her hand remained atop them.
Well, fine, but.. just. As long as you are aware that these aren't the trusted sources of information I had thought they were when I bought them. I think.. no, I am confident, that red dragon's don't- She had opened the book again, and her head turned to one side, surveying the picture with a new objectivity. Actually, for all I know they do. Jericho's never mentioned it. Does he act weird around Calder? He's not a unicorn, but close enough. She dropped the book down, and pulled out the one she'd kept for herself.
I still have hope for this one, however. It's one of a long series of helpful books. I chose it because I think it will help me to be more useful to you.
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