Boss Houiri's Territory, Rithm, 8 years ago (Heather's perspective) continued...

Houiri's sudden shift of attention to her made the girl feel very uneasy. Despite having sworn to herself that she wouldn't let Houiri frighten her any more, she was only just beginning to work on that, she still felt the fear when he was present. Though she felt an urge to immediately defy him, just to prove to him as well as herself that she wasn't going to let him control her any longer, she knew that wouldn't be a smart thing to do. Firstly, she wasn't nearly ready yet, not prepared and skilled enough, to let Houiri know where he stood with her. Secondly, to let him know now would ruin any chance of preparing in secret to make her escape later. Thirdly, and most importantly, if she followed her impulses now it wasn't only her it might effect. Like Dirac, the girl could read something of Houiri's mood, and like him she could tell he was looking for a reason to hurt someone. If she showed any sign of defiance now, it might not be her he hurt- especially since she was one of his prize projects. But he might hurt Dirac to hurt her though- that would be very like Houiri.

With a determined effort not to let her fear show on her face- and carefully not glaring at Houiri the way she had been when his attention was solely on Dirac- the girl walked over and took the chair Houiri had pointed at, taking care to pull it out a little before sitting, so that it was now ever so slightly closer to Dirac than Houiri. Taking her seat, she waited to see what Houiri would say or do next, her mind on high alert. Houiri had never asked her a question before, let alone asked her opinion. It was unprecedented: Houiri didn't ask her anything, he either gave her orders or indulged in shouting at her, or trying to frighten her with unpleasant remarks or tales. So for him to actually seek out her opinion- seriously or otherwise- was uncharted territory. The girl hoped Dirac had a better idea of what was going on here than she did, because right now the girl felt as though she was at the mouth of a very dark tunnel with no end in sight...

OOC: Still here, still doing this =)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Houiri smiled as she sat down. But it wasn't a nice smile. Tapping a claw against his cheek, blank eyes regarded her like something that might be tasty if cooked right, "it was very nice of Dirac," he started in a voice that was all mock amiability, "to recommend Basel like that, don't you think?" He didn't wait for Slug to answer, "of course it was." Houiri leaned back, pressing his claw tips together, "given the chance, I wonder if you'd do Basel the same turn,--" he raised a brow at her, "--or recommend his termination?" He barked, "answer. Now."

OOC:  Sorry, if its on me I think I'm lost.  Plus work is kicking my ass.

OOC: No sweat, nothings really happened =D just read the first two IC bits of my second to last post (third to last if you include this one). Those address the parts that're relevant to your characters.

Boss Houiri's Territory, Rithm, 8 years ago (Heather's perspective) continued...

Faced with a potentially deadly dilemma and very little time to answer, the girl fell back on what she'd been taught throughout most of her young life, and hoped it would be enough to sail her through these dangerous, uncharted waters. "Personnel are resources," she answered quickly, hoping her voice didn't betray any anxiety, "and are to be used as such. If a resource should remain useful, exploit it. If it ceases to be useful, eliminate it. That is only common sense after all. If Basel can still be of use in one area then he should be used in that area, however deficient he is in others. If he is altogether deficient," here the girl's voice became colder- she had no love for Basel after all, "then terminate him. If he is cruel to those of similar standing to himself," here the girl's eyes flickered momentarily in Dirac's direction, "or those of lesser standing, then what does that matter to you? After all, so long as you remain in charge and he remains subservient and obedient to you, it is not an issue you have to worry about. Even if he eventually chooses to be cruel to the wrong individual, and pays with his life for that cruelty, what loss is that to you? It just means that one more expendable asset has been expended," the girl concluded. Having said this she fell silent as she waited for Houiri's response. Hopefully he didn't have any more surprises to spring on her...

OOC: Apologies for my prolonged absence, but I'd like to continue now at as consistent a pace as possible and see this through to completion. Anyone who is interested in doing that with me can reply either with an IC or OOC post. I'll respond accordingly to the replies I get or don't get, and if there are no replies I just want to say it's been great working with you both. You guys have helped me consider and answer questions that weren't even in my head before, and that allowed me to build a better, more interesting world =) so thank you for everything!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her answer appeared to thoroughly please Houiri, but Dirac knew that wasn't always a good thing. He pushed the thought aside as his employer turned his eerie eyes back to him, and smile still in place, tone perfectly cordial, said exactly what he knew would drive a wedge between Dirac and the girl. "That is exactly," Houiri said, "the sort of answer I would have given." His mercenary didn't react overtly, but the creature saw a flicker of uncertainty stir within his eyes (quickly downcast) and within his gloved fingers (curling back ever so slightly, as if they wanted to form fists). He smiled a little bigger, tracing Dirac's thought process: if the girl answered as Houiri himself would, if she grew to be as he, how could he hope to ever bring her into his world? How could he risk--and so forth. His doubts would burrow, take root, lurk, and resurface to keep him at arms length. He was sure of it. "If there'll be," the man's quiet, sad voice eventually cut through the silence, "nothing else, my shift is about over..."

"That will be all," Houiri replied, "go and gather what you need." The mercenary placed both hands on the table, pushing himself to his feet. He started to turn away, but--"Pet,"--his employer stopped him, "the card." Dirac nodded absently, and plucking the four of spades from the sink, pocketed it before exiting the room. He didn't look back.

"You think," Houiri began again once the door had shut, "that these--" he gestured at the walls, "--are all that holds you here? These are only walls. Physical barriers. State of the art, of course,--" he leaned back, resting a claw against his cheek, "--but still. These are escapable." Houiri smirked, "some say there is no such thing as an inescapable fortress. But they're wrong. The walls we build up here--" he touched the side of his head, "--can be quite difficult to escape. Some never do. Look at our friend Dirac." Her creator chuckled softly, "and you think if you leave you will be free of me? Naïve, child. So long as you are alone, so long as you have no friends or family, the thought will always be there: maybe Houiri was right. Maybe I am only a mistake." He nodded, "yes, I think you'll find that is another kind of cage. I'd go so far as to say it is probable you would return of your own accord, eventually." The older creature rose, looking down on her, "you were never wanted. But at least here you might be useful. That is all you can hope for." He shuffled toward the door, paused, and turning his head, regarded her with a particularly cruel smile, "after all, Dirac is a good man and you're a monster. Good men don't associate with monsters. Not forever. Not if they don't have to. It's almost...pitiable. Your efforts." He chuckled again, "I pity you." And then the door was closed, and all that could be heard was Houiri laughing from the other side...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I aspire to be contrary, I don't think that's terribly hard to deduce. But Ottilie, Ottilie is contrary."

"Sometimes he's almost me friend. Almost."

OOC: First post in a while now, so pardon me if its a little creaky! I felt the inclination to work some quotations in here, so hopefully they'll add some flavour to the post without drawing it out. Also, hurrah for the revival of T.E.P!

IC: Boss Houiri's Territory, Rithm, 8years ago (Heather's perspective) continued...

For several minutes after Houiri had gone the girl glared fixedly at the door. There were tears on her cheeks, but her eyes were ablaze with livid fury. Her jailer had just delivered a particularly low blow, trying to drive a wedge between herself and Dirac. Dirac might doubt her now, but surely he'd reason it out later? Ever since the beginning of her short life she'd seen that doing what Houiri wanted you to do, saying what he wanted to say- that was what kept people alive here. Yes, Houiri might value her above others- even if he thought her flawed- but that wouldn't prevent him from ordering her termination if she gave any indication of developing into anything other than what Houiri wanted her to be. But hadn't she told Dirac that she wouldn't abandon him? Hadn't she told him that she'd learned from him, and that was why she wouldn't abandon him to Houiri? Surely he'd remember that eventually and realise that she wasn't the monster Houiri had made her out to be- wouldn't he? The tears dripped onto her small table. She brushed them away with a rough jerk of her hand, enraged and aggrieved at the same time. As for Houiri's remark that only here could she hope to be useful, that she would return of her own accord eventually...Had he actually heard what she'd said to Dirac? No matter what Houiri thought, the girl had already chosen for herself a way she could be useful beyond the walls that surrounded her, a way to transcend the purpose for which Houiri had created her. She would escape into the world. Once there she would prepare herself, she would learn whatever she needed to learn, no matter how long it took. Then she would return. Oh yes, she would return, but not the way Houiri predicted, not to serve him for lack of purpose elsewhere. No, she would return to fulfill her purpose- by rescuing Dirac and slaying Houiri. The girl considered what Houiri had told her, that good men don't associate with monsters forever, not if they don't have to. If she rescued Dirac that would prove to him that she wasn't a monster wouldn't it? And if she killed Houiri, then Dirac wouldn't have to associate with him anymore. For if she was a monster, then so too was Houiri, and at least she could protest that she'd been made that way- but what excuse was there for Houiri? He'd been so busy trying to create monsters, that he hadn't noticed the worst one he'd created looked out from the mirror at him everyday. And which was worse, to be made a monster without any say in the matter, or to make yourself a monster without realising it? Or, if Houiri did realise it, then didn't that make him even worse?
The girl brooded in grim silence over the other things Houiri had said. As she did so, something came to mind. An old poem she had stumbled across on the Web during one of the brief times she'd been allowed to surf it. An old poem written by a human when he was held captive:
Stone walls do not a prison make
nor iron bars a cage;
minds innocent and quiet take
that for an hermitage;
if I have freedom in my love,
and in my soul am free,
angels alone that soar above
enjoy such liberty.
Well, the girl thought, Houiri himself had almost admitted to the first part- walls weren't a prison that could hold her forever, but what about the rest? She thought of Dirac- he wasn't free in his soul or his love. Houiri had used his love for his family to chain his heart and soul, which was why Dirac was allowed to leave the stone walls behind. But what about her- did Houiri's refusal to let her outside the walls mean that she had freedom in her love and soul? Perhaps Houiri thought so- but the girl realised that maybe it wasn't completely true. She loved Dirac, and Dirac was held by Houiri. But that didn't mean she wasn't free in her love, because she knew that Dirac would want her to escape if she could. But who, besides Dirac and his family- people she'd never even met- did she love? No one. And who would she ever be able to love outside the walls? Who would she be able to trust? Maybe she already carried more chains than she'd realised. The girl felt her claws slice her palms again as she balled her hands into furious fists. She hated that realisation, she didn't want Houiri to be right! Then something else resurfaced in her memory, a proverb written maybe three thousand years or more ago, by a very wise man. It was a very short, simple proverb, but the girl found it a very profound one. Above all else, guard your heart, the proverb went, for it is the wellspring of life. The girl knew this to be true in more ways than one.

At the time the proverb had been written, the girl knew, the word 'heart' had meant something like, 'the residence of the mind and emotions, the core of one's being'. And she'd heard enough stories about people who died of broken hearts, or killed themselves because their hearts had been broken to know the truth of it being the wellspring of life. But it worked in more ways than that though. The heart as an organ in the body, pumped blood around the body, sustaining the life of the body- a literal 'wellspring of life'. In battle, people almost always wore armour over their upper body, even if they wore it nowhere else, because a wound to the heart was almost always fatal, so protecting it- guarding it- was very important. Yet, the girl wondered, how good a job had either she or Dirac done guarding their hearts? He'd been chained to Houiri by love of his family. And although she wasn't exactly chained to Houiri by her love for Dirac, her absence of love for anyone else might stop her ever surviving in the outside world. Was that what Houiri had meant by her never being free of him as long as she had no friends or family? As the thought occured to her, another one asserted itself: If that was what he'd meant, then she knew what the cage looked like now. She could guard her heart against it- and against anything else Houiri might say to her. Still glaring at the door, the girl spoke quietly in her own language. "Fool," she said softly of Houiri, "never show me a cage you want to trap me in, if you don't want me to avoid it.."
OOC: well, that was a long post! The quotations are Richard Lovelace's poem 'Stone Walls doNot a Prison Make' and Proverbs 4:23 respectively.  

OOC: Sorry this took so long Gem! I'm a little rusty.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having seen Toby, Henry, and Kevin off Ottilie and Elsie made their way back up the Eulerian path to where Nochtli waited to be compensated for his various services. The P.I.A. agent was at first skeptical when Toby abruptly announced that they needed to leave; Raven had captured Sunshine and departed the troublesome world he'd landed upon. Before they could come to words over the matter however the trio took off, forcing the girls to follow them some ways only to ultimately witness their vanishing into thin air. This in and of itself wasn't terribly astounding (Ottilie had seen her share of things far more bizarre and Elsie saw strange things every day), but it was disconcerting. Luckily when the agent contacted the P.I.A. they reported that five presences (two leading and three following) had bypassed their moon base and were currently moving further and further into deep space. Whatever else might happen it seemed they had the matter in hand and there was nothing more Elsie could do in the Complex. Which left Ottilie wondering, "what'll ya do now?" Her companion shrugged, folding her hands behind her head, "sent for a probe, so its back to my ship. I'll probably hang 'round just in case it finds something else, but if it doesn't I need to be on board so I can return to HQ ASAP." She glanced at her, "what about you?"

"After I pay the doc I need ta find Jerin...f'he don't find me first, I mean." Elsie wrinkled her nose, "your funeral, Irish."

"Hope not." The agent scowled, "I still don't get why ya won't come with me. Especially given the knocks you've already taken. Is treasure really worth more injuries--or worse?" Legs listened in boredom, having gone through this conversation more times than he cared to count, but Ottilie smiled earnestly, Nemo pinging alongside her head, "some o'it." Elsie quirked a brow at her, "let me guess, the kind you're talking about is morally valuable?" Ottilie tapped her nose*. The older girl sighed, "surprise surprise," and quickened her pace, saying matter-of-factly, "welp, don't say I never tried to do anything for ya..."

*As in, 'on the nose', you got it, etc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Jack Frost leading the group was able to locate and dispatch of three more pogs, and shortly thereafter found themselves in the corridor where Nochtli perched atop the chest that seemed so precious to him, smoking his pipe pensively. Cho and Burnu were of course extremely pleased by this turn of events, and ran ahead of the others to rejoin their fellow assassin. Once the good doctor assured them he was fine his attention shifted to Jerin, who'd paused some distance away. This made Dirac uneasy, and his gaze darted from golden furred primate to black and white vagrant. Nochtli smiled slowly, dropping scrutinizing eyes to tap his pipe against the edge of the chest, "don't I know you from somewhere...?" Jerin offered an apologetic smile, tension apparent in his shoulders, "I have been busy."

"Hm," Nochtli chewed on the end of the pipe, looking first at Dirac, then Aurora. Jerin noticed, "how rude of me--" he indicated Dirac, "--this is--"

"--I know perfectly well who he is. Houiri's insignia is one of the more recognizable and he employs only one human," Nochtli interrupted coolly. This relieved rather than offended Dirac, who didn't particularly relish being the center of the group's attention. Jerin frowned, but turned to Aurora, "very well. This is Aurora, a former pupil of mine." The elderly creature sat up, a little more interested, "the Aurora?" Jerin smiled humorously, "and how would a poor gentleman of fortune such as I go about determining that?" Nochtli rolled his eyes, addressing her instead, "my dear, what is one as lovely and, if you are indeed the Aurora, as multi-talented as yourself doing in the company of this--" he gestured at Jerin, "--unkempt character?"

OOC: No problem Jess! Now let's see if I can dust the rust off with the first Aurora post in a while....

IC: Aurora was more than a little uncertain of how to respond to becoming the object of Master Nochtli's attention. Though she'd known on one level that her activites in her present career might have reached the ears of the Thousand Needles, having that confirmed from the source wasn't something she'd anticipated happening at any point in the immediate future- or not prior to the group's meeting with Cho and Burnu anyway. And given that Cho had expressed only minimal interest in her- her eyes being for Jerin- and Burnu seemed content to merely acknowledge her presence as another professional and not concern himself with anything about her beyond that essential detail (unless he was silently taking notes the way Aurora herself did), to have no less an individual than Master Nochtli, Golden Altar of the Thousand Needles, not only demonstrate familiarity with her name but interest as well- it was a little daunting. And while she wasn't averse to being called 'lovely'- though she wasn't especially vain- Nochtli had called her 'multi-talented' as well, a compliment that immediately caught her attention. Did that compliment mean more than it appeared to? True, over the past decade and more Aurora had proved herself skilled in a great number of areas within her present occupation- and identity. However, was that all that Nochtli meant when he called her multi-talented, or was he hinting at something else? He was, after all, older than herself or Jerin, or maybe the two of them put together, and had acquired a great number of skills over the years. Might it be that her constantly re-inventing herself in a new career and a new identity had failed to fool him, and that- thanks to the number of years that he had lived- he was able to trace her history back much further than other people might? Did he know her true identity? After all, he'd made the 'multi-talented' remark conditional on her being the Aurora. Maybe he wasn't certain of her present identity, but was certain of a number of past identities belonging to the true Aurora- to her. All these thoughts and more flashed through her mind in an instant, displaced by the most important thought that followed: How should she answer Master Nochtli? After all, the reasons she had for being in Jerin's company were rather mixed: She'd met him by chance, she'd been directing him to where she'd met Ottilie, she wanted to insure the Treasure remained in the best hands or no hands, she needed to understand what Jerin truly valued- those and other reasons besides. Thinking carefully upon how exactly to phrase her thoughts, Aurora pressed the tips of her fingers together and bowed to Nochtli as she answered his question.

"My humblest thanks," she said, "to the legendary Master Nochtli for ackowledging my modest skills. I met my old teacher here," she continued while indicating Jerin on the words 'old teacher', "by chance. Or say rather, by no deliberate design of my making. And having learned of his quest here in the Eulerian Complex, I decided to accompany him for the following reason: That although I am no longer a student of any official body, I am still a student in the school of life. And while he may no longer be my instructor, I believe there is still a lot I can learn from Jerin, since he is- in my experience- unsurpassed in the art of teaching by example. And if you will indulge me," Aurora continued, "to clear any doubts you may have about my name? If my word will suffice, then I humbly inform you that, though many have since taken the name, there was no Creature, in my profession, with the name Aurora before me. Thus, whatever degree of recognition or notoriety may be attributed to that name belongs largely- if not entirely exclusively- to my humble self".

Having said her piece Aurora fell silent again, hoping she had answered Nochtli's question to his satisfaction, and wondering just how much he might read into her answer. Hopefully confirming her identity as the Aurora wasn't a mistake- after all, even confirming a pseudonym to a legendary assassin could be deadly. And even if he wasn't interested in killing her- and he certainly didn't seem to be- would confirming a name and the reputation associated with it be construed as bragging? Moreover, what might he make of her reasons for accompanying Jerin? Saying that she'd met him by chance was completely plausible- and true- after all, but what of the rest? It was also true that she was a student in the school of life- but then, so was everyone. And to say that Jerin was good at teaching by example- while true- was to implicitly suggest that she was learning from him by observation. By watching him. Which begged the following questions: What was she watching him for? What was she trying to learn from him? Why was she trying to learn it? Hoping Master Nochtli didn't choose to enquire after that particular information-and that Jerin himself didn't take too great an interest in her answer just now- Aurora waited to see how, or if he might answer her...

OOC: Well that's quite a long post for the first in a while! I hope it passes muster!      

OOC: Aurora's status--not off the hook yet =D

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nochtli smiled, kohl-rimmed eyes revealing nothing about what this information did for him, "I see. Thank you." It seemed Aurora was off the hook then, for he took another pull from his pipe and turned from her to exhale a lazy, meandering trail of grayish-blue smoke into the air. But, "and what have you learned from your observations of him?" He cast a sidelong glance at her, "or are your findings another secret?"

If Aurora had been uncertain as to how she should respond to Master Nochtli's last question, this one was even trickier. To say simply that her findings were a secret could well arouse the suspicions of everyone present- some of whom at least would be in company with her a while yet and furthermore, might be considered a very impolite reply to give to someone who was very much her senior- someone like Master Nochtli. On the other hand, to say they were not secret was to give Master Notchli- or anyone else in the group for that matter- free reign to ask after those observations, which could very easily become an uncomfortable scenario for all concerned. And of course, if she started talking about what she'd learned from and suspected of Jerin, the subject of her observation might not only take a more active intertest in the conversation but keep a more suspicious eye than usual- if that was possible- upon her. Aurora's thoughts whirled frantically through her head; how could she answer without offending Master Notchli- an offended assassin was a dangerous thing to create- or attracting an excess of suspicious and maybe hostile attention from Jerin? She resolved to try tact. Once more bowing respectfully to Master Nochtli, Aurora gave her answer.

"First and foremost, esteemed Golden Altar," she said, "I have learned that there are still plenty of pearls of wisdom I can yet glean from my former teacher. Secondly, that a person should always enedeavour to keep on learning all their lives. Thirdly that, if there is one thing that is predictably consistent in the life of my old teacher, then it is his constant capacity to be unpredictable. However," Aurora concluded, "thanks to the aforementioned principle anything else I might otherwise have gleaned from him is sketchy and inconclusive. And far be it from me," she said to Master Nochtli, "to bore you with unfinished and inconclusive theories". So saying Aurora lapsed into silence once more, hoping that her answer was courteous enough not to offend and general enough not to atract undue attention- and not too obvious an attempt to deflect any more potential questions...  

Nochtli chuckled, a dry, crackling sound, and wagged a finger at Jerin, "your student indeed." The Oasis renegade had been silent throughout their discourse, one claw making absent circles against the thumb of the same hand. At this he smiled, "among my best," and seemed to come back to himself (for Jerin was, by all accounts, an opportunist), "speaking of, Aurora has recently expressed an interest in your fair profession." He continued, his tone smooth and persuasive, "would you be so kind as to direct her in such matters if she wished? As a personal favor to me, of course." Nochtli raised a brow at him, "with your recommendation? Of course." Cho said nothing, but her eyes flickered to meet Aurora's significantly. Before anyone could add anything further however a low rumbling overtook the conversation, and Burnu thumped his stomach with a sheepish fist, "'pologies. Gettin' ta be 'bout that time."

"It is," the elderly creature agreed, "I beg your pardon. I should have mentioned earlier that I'm waiting on a young lady's trade. Once she returns we'll be on our way."

"Young lady?" Jerin inquired, very interested. Nochtli peered up at him from under lids heavy with kohl, smiling slyly, "a Miss Ottilie O'Dethburr."

"How long ago was she here?"

"Within the hour." The doctor paused, leaning back to puff at his pipe, "she, and five others. A decipede within her company, two creatures of indeterminable professions, one half bred youth who seemed to be with them, and one of the P.I.A.'s finest. They were arguing when the one called Tobias declared, rather suddenly, that he and his friends needed to leave to rescue another friend of theirs. Then they simply took off," he swept a hand up the path, "so, Ottilie and the agent went after them. But she, Ottilie, called back to me before she disappeared, saying she'd return to compensate me for attending to Tobias's shoulder."

"I see," Jerin said, already staring in the direction he'd indicated. Nochtli shook his small mane, leaned back, coughed, "don't cross Elsinoire Baler." The other frowned, gaze still set on the path, "who...?" He rolled his eyes, "Elsinoire Baler. The agent. That agent."

"What of her?"

Cho and Burnu exchanged a puzzled look and a shrug as Nochtli calmly explained, "last week the P.I.A. and the W.W.C.* dissolved Brolly Corp**. When their altercation turned violent one Elsinoire Baler single handedly killed every member of the president's personal guard before apprehending the president himself." Nochtli grinned, smoke escaping from between his fangs in devilish curls, "it is also rumored that she remotely provided the P.I.A. with the evidence that convinced them the dissolution was necessary." He hunched down, exhaling the last of the smoke along with a deadpan query, "news to all of you...?"

*World Wide Council. They're a bit like the UN.
**Brolly Corp is/was a massive multinational corporation specializing in the research, development, and production of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals (though they had a hand in many other markets besides these). They employ/employed a large number of mercenaries, both in house and freelance, and their rates are/were among the highest offered to mercenaries in the world. They have/had been accused numerous times by various councils and other corporations of illegal activities, including (but not limited to) constructing viral weaponry.

"Not to me," Aurora said with a thoughtful look in her silver eyes, "I heard that Brolly Corp had been dissolved before I headed out here. After all, if I didn't keep track of things like that in my profession- then I wouldn't be in my profession. I simply hadn't discovered the identity of the agent who brought them down though. Interesting...," Aurora trailed off on that last word, keeping the rest of her musings to herself. Well, at least she now had the agent's name: Elsinoire Baler. That meant she now knew the names of everyone within the group. It also meant she had a better idea as to the extent of Elsie's skills. Coupling the new information with what she'd observed of Elsie, Aurora could say that Elsie was a bold and competent fighter. Unfortunately, that had never been the problem with this particular agent. As Aurora had noted earlier, Elsie seemed to be as good at causing trouble as Ottilie was at wandering into it. It was this line of thought that caused Aurora to wonder if the altercation between the P.IA. and Brolly Corp might not have turned violent because of something Elsie did or said to begin with. Burnu, Aurora recalled, had said that the people to whom Elsie belonged were far from peaceable, arguing with everyone else and quite often amongst themselves as well. Elsie, it seemed, was a true child of that tribe. Well, hopefully with Tobias and his friends gone, Elsie would have no reason to stay with the group and go her own way. Aurora's eyes flickered over to Jerin as she considered this. Then again, perhaps not. Elsie was already suspicious of Jerin, and Aurora suspected that, having got hold of that bone, she wouldn't drop it easily. They might have the- pleasure- of her company for a while yet then. Aurora put that line of thought aside for now and turned her attention to other matters.

Though keeping her face impassive, Aurora frowned inwardly as she considered Jerin's most recent actions. Either he simply hadn't paid attention to what she'd said earlier about wanting to achieve things her own way without having a 'phoenix' to repay later, or he'd listened and come to his own rather different conclusions. And while she had no objections to learning such medical expertise as Nochtli could doubtless bestow upon her, Aurora had no desire to gain the privilege simply because Jerin had recommended her. She'd far rather have done something to merit Nochtli's favour in her own right than owe a debt of favour to Jerin for Nochtli's tutelage. Because of that, she might now have to pass up a golden opportunity to learn from one of the best. Then there was the look Cho had given her. Probably, she had been warning her that here was a manifestation of the double-edged nature of Jerin's favour. But had she been trying to communicate more than that? Aurora wasn't certain, but she would err on the side of caution and watch to see if any deeper meaning presented itself as the journey progressed. A lighter, more pleasant thought entered her head as she looked down the path Ottilie had taken: At least once the girl got back, she could finally attend to her patient- though that might involve giving her another knock on the head for wandering off into the Complex almost alone and without her belongings when she should have been resting. With open eyes and attentive ears, Aurora watched the path and the group, waiting for her patient to return.     

OOC: I'm in the process of reformatting all my posts from this play into a single word document, so every post from now on will follow the new format I'm using to make transferring them easier on me =) just a FYI!

And technically, Jerin is with the King of the Underworld. Wink wink.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    As they approached the path they'd left Nochtli upon Ottilie took Elsie's arm suddenly, stopping her. "Jerin," she whispered, "he's with the doctor. Ya'd best go 'nother--"
    "--I don't care if he's with the King of the Underworld! This is the only way out I know and I don't want to hang around here longer than I have to!" Elsie retorted brazenly, shaking her off, "besides, I'm not afraid of that loser!"
    "B-but--!" Ottilie started to stammer, though this only served as an impetus, for the agent marched faster and more stubbornly than ever. The younger girl sighed, but hurried after her anxiously...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Burnu only laughed at Aurora’s comment, "s'the Dyara fer ya Sheila," and Cho pursed her lips, "regardless, she is still a very disagreeable girl."
    Jerin said nothing, but to Dirac it looked as though he was genuinely surprised by all this news. He scratched the tuft of fur on his chin, eyes wide with thought, and digging in his pocket removed his A.P.D., probably to verify the elderly primate's claims.
    Dirac himself had not heard about Brolly Corp's dissolution, having been quite busy searching for the Complex at the time. Still, he found he could believe it, because it explained why Houiri hadn't checked in with him (no doubt he was entirely engaged in salvaging what he could from the wreckage the earth shattering liquidation had caused where his own interests were concerned). The human also found he was grateful to be in the Complex for the first time since it put him far away from Houiri's certain ire over the business.
    "Hm," Nochtli sat up, scratching his cheek with long fingers, "if those in power had done a better job at being in power the dissolution would not have come to pass." This statement seemed addressed to no one in particular, though Jerin paused in his rapid typing to press his hands to his cheeks in mock horror, exclaiming in a high pitched voice, "it's just the end of the world!!" He followed this with a roll of his eyes. Nochtli scowled, "what are you doing here, Jerin?"
    The black and white creature chuckled, gesturing at him with his free hand, "re-building bridges." Nochtli pressed his lips together tightly, "I meant why did you come to this Complex in the first place?" Tucking his A.P.D. back into his breast pocket, Jerin smiled, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms comfortably, "to find Ottilie, of course." The doctor growled softly, thumping his staff against the chest, "to what purpose?"
    "Why, Ottilie is my friend. And missing her as friends do, I decided to find and then make myself useful to her in whatever capacity I deemed appropriate. What purpose could be greater?"
    "So you're some sort of Pro bono butler now? Wonderful," Nochtli rejoined, voice thick with sarcasm. Jerin only laughed, and pushing away from the wall, pressed his hands to his heart theatrically, "servitude? Nay, but in lordship above, since he had both his lady and his--" but he stopped there, ears standing to attention.
    Elsie rounded the corner a moment later, Ottilie following nervously after. Seeing them grouped together, the agent stopped and put her hands on her hips, asking with a quirked brow and wry smile, "we interrupting circle time, kitties?"

OOC:  Pseudo-here and totally lost.  Between having a kid living her for a month and many other drama llama things I'm just now returning to semi-normal.  Then my cousin's house is burgled and burnt to the ground...   I'll try to catch one of you online so I can figure this out.

OOC: This is embarrassing, but I actually wrote your characters out a few posts back. On May 25th I returned from a hiatus of my own and posted this, basically asking if anyone was interested in continuing since I'd been inactive almost two months. Gem responded to the affirmative, and I waited three weeks to see if you'd post a reply as well or message me. That didn't happen (obviously) and I saw your name pop up a few times on the visitor's list during the interval so I concluded (wrongfully) that you'd read the post and just weren't interested in continuing. Sorry about that, and sorry to hear about all the crap you've been through =( I hope your cousin gets back on his/her feet okay. My childhood home was burnt out by fire and had to be gutted on two separate occasions (no joke) so I don't even need to imagine how difficult that is because I've literally lived through it and lost everything twice. If you're interested in re-joining once you get fully situated again start with this post and then read the (currently) six posts that come after it to be brought up to speed and plan a suitable re-entry for whichever characters you like. Per your suggestion you can also try and catch Gem or I in Yuku Chat if you've got any questions or message me directly. Hope things settle down completely for you soon and the drama llamas move on to other pastures.

While seeing Elsie again might have irked Aurora even moments before, the conversation between herself, Master Nochtli and Jerin had, for now, had the effect of placing her lower down on Aurora's list of priorities. The fact that Ottilie had arrived back with Elsie caused the agent to sink a further place on the list. It wasn't that Aurora didn't hear Elsie's comment, or ignored it, but simply chose not to respond to it now, her immediate concern being the condition of her returned patient. She swept her silver eyes over Ottilie with a scrutinising gaze, checking the number of bandages and bruises against her memory and comparing. Ottilie didn't seem to have suffered any more injuries since Aurora had treated her- or if she had they weren't serious ones. Disregarding- but not ceasing to monitor-the presence of Elsie or her comment, Aurora addressed the newly-returned Ottilie.

"Well," she remarked calmly, almost light-heartedly, "I see you've been road-testing your bandages while you've been gone and have taken the time to do a thorough job of it". Ottilie seemed to notice for the first time how ragged the ends of some her bandages had become only as Aurora made the comment. Seeing this, Aurora took on a stern, but obviously light-hearted voice, adopting the tone of a strict mother as she spoke again. "And speaking of time," she said, "young lady, what time do you call this? I wrapped you up and tucked you in more than half an hour ago. Have you been sneaking out to play with the big boys again? You know how I feel about that, you know they play rough- that's how you got those bandages the first time. Well, no more excuses dear, I'm going to give those bandages a checking over now, if I have to tie you down to do it. After all," Aurora concluded still in the light-hearted voice, with a nod towards Master Nochtli, "I wouldn't want my patient making me look bad in front of an expert".

OOC: As Ottilie apologizes to Aurora in this post, so too do I for my prolonged absence, Gem =/ I had a job, but I've since found it necessary to quit so I'm back to square one. Posts will be coming, though (as before) on an as-I-get-around-to-them basis.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Ottilie frowned, but before she could compose a proper explanation Legs tensed and took a more offensive stance on her shoulder, uttering a low, gravely chirr while Elsie pulled a laser on Jerin, who had nearly made it to where they stood. The agent glared at him, letting her finger tease the trigger just enough that the weapon hummed threateningly. Jerin stopped short and leaned away, putting his hands in the air with a tight, wry smile. Cho and Burnu made as if to go to him, but a grunt from Nochtli and off-handed wave from the Oasis renegade himself halted them. Fearful things might turn violent despite this, Ottilie stepped in to touch Elsie's arm, "s'ok. He's only glad ta see me. He don't mean nothin' by it."
    "Ha! Bet he doesn't--" Jerin sighed, shifting impatiently, "--I assure you, madam, I am of good character where ladies are--"
    "--No one was talking to ya!"
    "Jerin, please, yer makin' this worse--"
    "--Moi? What have I done...?"
    "That's a laugh," Elsie snapped. Legs made a face, "oh for the love of--" and remarked to Ottilie, "--I'm not exactly thrilled by the situation either but you don't see me pulling guns on anyone--"
    "--only bolts and wires, bug?" Junk drawled readily. The decipede jabbed a claw at it, chattering back, "that was for earlier!"
    "Knock it off, Junk," Jerin hissed through clenched teeth. His robotic companion fell silent, but when Ball and Jack Frost droned amusedly it didn't hesitate to give the latter a significant zap!. Ottilie took a deep breath, comforting the offended droid with one hand as it swooped to land on her free shoulder, "...right. S'he done then?"
    "What hasn't he done?" Legs grouched, causing her to shoot him a look.
    Elsie narrowed her eyes, "what do ya mean? I don't need--" the younger girl held up a hand, "--f'I may, I only mean there's gotta be a legal reason ta keep 'im. Wouldn't be correct otherwise aye? An' fars I know Jerin hasn't done anythin' wrong. So 'less yer 'ware o'sumthin' m'not perhaps s'only a kind o'misunderstandin'. F'ya tell what yer chargin' 'im with m'certain we can figure it out." But the truth was Elsie didn't have a reason to keep Jerin. Other than trapping her behind some wire (which he claimed had been an accident), Ottilie was correct: they had yet to witness any actual wrongdoing. The worst part was Jerin knew it. He kept his hands up politely, but the tips of his ears curled to match the corners of his mouth, twisting into a smirk. So she scowled and hated him, but holstered her weapon. Ottilie nodded, "thank ya," fer tryin', she added in her own mind. Then he dominated her attention (as was his tendency), eagerly moving close enough that she took a step back, "my gratitude as always, dearling, but are you all right? Your head--"
    "--s'fine, s'a lot o'bollocks o'er nothin'," Ottilie assured him, hoping he would recall how nervous he made her and back off. Unfortunately Jerin only frowned, extending a hand, "nevertheless, I should like--"
    He never got to say what he should like though, for when he leaned down his would be captor pressed two claws to his mouth audaciously, checking him, "--Sir. While I appreciate yer concern, yer fergettin' me 'gain." Cho and Burnu both looked just as if not more surprised than Jerin, and even Nochtli who seemed utterly unflappable sat up a little straighter, blinking rapidly at the scene. Ottilie moved so she could address Aurora as well, and continued, "an' me wanderin' weren't fer nothin'. I'd ne'er leave a battlin' party f'it weren't o'more use fer me ta be elsewhere." She looked straight at the female mercenary then, adding more gently, "ya couldn't o'known that o'course, which is why m'sayin' s'much now." Pausing, she considered what Aurora herself had said. It seemed the other girl had been joking, but Ottilie didn't know her well enough to be certain of the fact and so erred on the side of caution, "lotta individuals o'the medical profession've said similar ta ya..." she turned the bead round her neck over and over absently while she talked, "...thing is, no matter how I try ta do as they like I always seem ta end up doin' otherwise an' disappointin' 'em." The younger girl shrugged, offering Aurora an amiable (yet frank) smile, "so I do 'pologize fer leavin' ya as I did, but from now on neither ask me not ta nor presume I won't fly on me own. I don't make that promise anymore 'cause I can't be sure I'll keep it. F'its important ta ya you'll have ta look after it yerself." Ottilie looked down, avoiding Jerin's gaze, reiterating, "don't expect me not ta fly..."

Aurora responded to Ottilie with a slight nod as she listened. She had been fairly sure that Ottilie wouldn't wander off at random unless she felt that wherever she was going, whatever she was going to do it was important- but it was nice to have that confirmed. As for the rest though... Aurora allowed the ghost of a wry yet amused grin to twist her lips. She supposed that, given the way Jerin had described her earlier, she could have expected Ottilie to be an awkward patient. Allowing the smile to spread a little more, Aurora replied to Ottilie.

"I suppose I'm fairly warned now," she remarked, "so I can't voice an objection on those grounds if it happens again later. And since I'm not strictly a member of the medical profession, I'm not going to ask you not to go a-roving again later on. However," she continued once more making her tone light-hearted, "I will say that its probably just as well for both of us that I'm not your family doctor. For me because you'd probably have driven me to distraction by now, for you because I'd probably have taken to tying your feet down to keep you from roaming. And I will say to you," Aurora continued, "that even if I let you go a-roving, you can expect me to want to give you a checking over every time you come back for as long as you're my patient- including this time. And," she added when it looked like Ottilie might be considering asking her to refrain, "you don't get out of it by saying that it's a lot of fuss over nothing- I was the one who cleansed, stitched and dressed your injuries, I know the extent of them. I don't have to do it right away," Aurora informed her footloose patient, "but I'm going to insist that it is done before we get going again".  

    Decidedly pleased with so tempered and agreeable a response, Ottilie let her guard drop, smiling and speaking more in accordance with her gracious, cheerful nature, "o'course! T'would be small o'me indeed ta deny ya that or anythin' within reason when ya've treated meself and me mechanic thus, an' pointless ta argue 'gainst the idea s'well seein' as ya've already been 'bout me head as ya say. Barrin' all that I should like ta have it looked ta soon as I've settled me debts with yon doctor." She indicated Nochtli, firm on this point, "fer I couldn't keep 'im ere long in good conscience when his kindness ta Toby and meself has been no less than yer own. Otherwise I should let ya be 'bout yer work straightaw--"
    "--OKAY, Irish, lets get this over with so I can get," Elsie broke in grouchily. Point made to her satisfaction, Ottilie nodded and hurried off to retrieve her yams, which she thereafter presented to Nochtli in accordance with their customs. "Get?" The older creature queried as she sat back from him, starting to unwrap her head so Aurora could begin with it immediately. "Aye grandsire. Once Elsies overseen this exchange she's ta report back."
    "Blah blah blah, Irish, time stands still for no agent," the older girl added, impatient. Ottilie smiled ironically at this comment, but offered no reply. Nochtli began to sift through the yams, saying as he did, "I see. I do apologize for keeping the young lady then. I assumed her being here was a kind of premeditation on your part."
    "Premeditation...?" The Oasis creature asked with a frown, folding the bandage in her lap, "fergive me ignorance, but why would I've sought the escort o'a P.I.A. agent in so remote a Complex...?"
    "It is not her profession that's appropriate here, my dear. I only thought it well you brought a Dyara with you to handle the serpent who dwells near the center." Seeing Elsie's hands close into fists at the mention of the word, Ottilie interceded quickly, "there's that word 'gain, 'Dyara.' What exactly do it mean? It seemed a kind o'insult earlier, but now m'not so sure."
    "What? Did ya not grow up in yer mum's country*? S'very odd, them bein' unknown ta ya," Burnu observed with a puzzled look. The younger girl colored, "no sir, t'were me father's land. I've only been ta the outback a handful o'times, an' ne'er fer very long."
    "Ah. As you suspect, the Dyara are not an insult, but a clan of creatures. Dyara meaning bone, the bone clan." Nochtli gestured at Elsie, who regarded him with narrowed eyes, "so called because theirs are of a peculiar density which renders them nearly unbreakable. Additionally their pride and morality are as well known as that of the serpents they are capable of charming and forming bonds with."
    "I see..." Ottilie began slowly, deeply troubled by this talk of serpents, especially with one reportedly so near the center where she was to go. Elsie had rather more to say on the subject and no serpents in her immediate future, and so overtook the conversation easily with a snort, "what a load of crap. I never saw anyone who looked a bit like me, never mind a whole clan."
    "As you like it," the elderly primate said calmly, "though given the size of the outback, your being separated and lost so entirely from your kinsmen is not improbable."
    "If they were any credit to the word I wouldn't have been lost long," Elsie replied severely. Nochtli shrugged, "again, as you will madam," then smiled wryly, "I dare say you would have done the job credibly here. A true Dyara can cause a serpent to recoil mid-strike with a single bold act." He had nothing further to add, and changed the subject, "these suit me very well. Thank you, Miss O'Dethburr." He said of the yams, and next to Aurora, "Miss Aurora, if it would not bother you terribly, I should like very much to observe you as you work. It is not often Jerin recommends anyone to me, for you see he has a sister who was among my greatest students, and in his knowledge of her and so many other fine ladies he tends to insist very few present candidates worthy of my consideration." His dark eyes regarded her shrewdly, "I can only conclude, therefore, that you are a young lady of considerable talent, or personal interest to him, or both."

*Though not always the case, when two creatures pair off with the intent of raising their offspring together they typically settle in the mother's land. In Ottilie's father's situation however this was impossible, since he was born in the Oasis and only capable of existing on a permanent basis therein.

Aurora allowed her smile to grow a little more at Ottilie's positive response to her recommendation, before returning to her more usual neutral expression as she took in the conversation unfolding around her. That Elsie seemed to be preparing to leave the group was news that would probably please everyone, with the possible exception of Ottilie. That a Serpent dwelt close to the centre of the Complex though was not such good news. Aurora mulled over the problem as she got her medikit out again- in all probability nothing would actually be needed beyond a quick but thorough inspection of the injury and probably some fresh bandages, but it helped to cover as many bases as possible. She listened carefully as Nochtli explained to Ottilie about the bone clan. Apart from the additional detail that a Dyara- a true Dyara- could cause a Serpent to recoil mid-strike with a single bold act, his explanation covered the same ground that Burnu's had. Idly she wondered what the odds were of her present company just happening to have- amongst their members- someone who might be capable of forming a bond with a Serpent before discovering that there was a Serpent ahead that they might need to form a bond with. The situation was double edged though. Since Elsie had been separated from the clan she seemed to belong to, she might not be capable of forming a bond, or be capable but not know how to. On the other hand, supposing she did form a bond, she might then turn the might of the Serpent against such members of the party as she didn't like. With that in mind, perhaps it would be better for everyone if Elsie left the party and they took their chances with the Serpent? Before she could dwell on that too long, Ottilie finished unwrapping her head and Nochtli directed his attention towards her.

"Miss Aurora, if it would not bother you terribly, I should like very
much to observe you as you work. It is not often Jerin recommends anyone
to me, for you see he has a sister who was among my greatest students,
and in his knowledge of her and so many other fine ladies he tends to
insist very few present candidates worthy of my consideration," Nochtli informed her. His dark
eyes regarded her shrewdly, "I can only conclude, therefore, that you
are a young lady of considerable talent, or personal interest to him, or both." Aurora's mercurial eyes shifted between Nochtli and her patient as she formulated a response. There was no possible way either Legs or Ottilie could have failed to hear her name just now. How, she wondered, might Ottilie or Legs regard her now, knowing that she was Aurora- or that Nochtli was content to acknowledge her as Aurora? More importantly, how should she respond? As she asked herself that question, sudden inspiration hit her- this might be an ideal opportunity gain herself some merit outwith Jerin's recommendation! Respectfully inclining her head to the older creature as her hands went to the contents of her medikit Aurora gave her reply.

"Seldom does a humble student attract such attention from a renowned master," she replied, "therefore it would be my honour and pleasure to have you observe me as I work. And if I might be so bold," she continued, "it would be my  honour and a great privilege if such an esteemed master as yourself might make his estimation of me on the basis of my work rather than the recommendation of a former instructor- even such a distinguished instructor as you find me in the company of. In light of that I would give my consent immediately- if it were solely my decision. However, since I work not upon a canvas but upon the flesh of another individual, I could only give my consent if my patient is willing. Therefore the decision becomes hers". Speaking directly to her patient now Aurora asked, "how would you feel about such a procedure Miss O'Dethburr? Do you object to having two medics scrutinise your injuries?"      

    "M'fine," Ottilie drawled absently. Shaking her head, she glanced back at the pair, "er, that is ta say I can't say s'the first time more'n one medical professionals looked at anythin' I've done ta meself. 'Sides, was ta be two anyway," she indicated Legs, peering out at Aurora guardedly from between the curls on top of her head, "f'I flinch a t'all he's like ta start chirpin' sumthin' fierce but he don't mean nothin' by it, so don't pay 'im no mind."
    Legs had a retort, but whatever he chattered Ottilie chose to ignore, giving Elsie her attention instead as she knelt beside her, "counts right*, so I'm outta here." The agent paused, and seemingly in an attempt to be pleasant said, "good luck, I guess. You'll need it." The younger girl smiled, "right. Thanks fer e'erythin’, Elsie. Luck ta ya s'well."
    "Yeah yeah..." she actually smiled then (but perhaps it was only because she was leaving), "ya see any serpents, go for the head--"
    "--heads," Nochtli corrected, seating himself next to Aurora, "she was a two headed serpent."
    "Ya mean she had a tail that looked like a head?"
    "No," the older creature insisted, "two functioning heads. The species is rare, but there's a name for it..."
    "Amphisbaena, teacher," Cho supplied helpfully.
    "Ah yes, thank you, Cho."
    Elsie snickered, slinging an arm over one knee, "there isn't any such thing, old timer. I'd know. Ya must not have seen clearly, or there were two serpents, or--" Nochtli kept his eyes on what Aurora was doing, "--Burnu, if you'd be so kind as to turn around?" The larger creature scratched his cheek, but did as he was asked. Shifting, Nochtli extended a long arm to rifle among Burnu's spikes, "she struck at him, though not to eat--" further searching produced a long shred of snakeskin, pale and silvery blue in the moonlight, "--I do hope the P.I.A. database is available to you."
    "It is," Elsie scowled, snatching the proffered skin, "but it's not going to tell ya anything but the obvious, it's a serpent," she held it up, pushing a button on her wristlet, "a big one--" a light swept over the skin, and the little machine hummed thoughtfully, "--but still just a--"
    "--No match found. Species is unknown,” the computer informed her primly. Elsie paused. Nochtli smiled wordlessly. Glaring at the screen, she punched a few more buttons. The light swept over the skin again, and the computer resumed its humming before it maintained, "no match found. Species is unknown."
    "Great!" Elsie exclaimed, "now this piece of crap is malfunctioning!" And grumbling, she turned away from the group to fiddle with the device. Ottilie frowned, brow furrowing, but Nochtli only grunted, saying to Aurora, "you have a steady hand. A few months opening and closing my cadavers would do you some good, but you seem to have a natural aptitude for the work."

*As a representative of the law, Elsie was obliged to insure the medical attention Toby received was equal to the amount of yams Ottilie procured for Nochtli. 'Counts right' indicates the obvious, that the amount of produce was correct for the procedure.

Aurora was doing a commendable job of multi-tasking as events unfolded around her. She was, at that precise moment, working on Ottilie's head injury, listening to the conversations unfolding around her, and compiling mental notes while she formulated an answer to Nochtli. Unlike Elsie, Aurora was disinclined to be sceptic of the existence of double-headed Serpents. Perhaps this was because, due to her long life and constant shifting of careers, she had been further and seen more than a good many people- even her contemporaries- might have done, leaving her more open-minded where myths and supposedly mythical species were concerned. Then again, it could as easily be attributed to her present career, in which the pragmatic attitude of never taking any warning- however strange- for granted unless it is undoubtedly nonsense, proves mainly advantageous. Heeding Ottilie's words about Legs as he peered guardedly at her- adding to the total number of individuals watching her work with a critical eye- Aurora kept her eyes on her task as she replied to her patient.

"I'll keep that in mind," she informed Ottilie, "and you'll be pleased to know that you haven't laboured further on the masterpiece of a dent you've worked into your brain case. It looks to be healing well, the wound is clean and the stitches are tight. I'm going to err on the side of caution though and disinfect it again to make sure it stays clean. It may sting a little though, so I'll have to ask you to do your best not to flinch- I don't want your companion reading me my rights after all," she finished with a slight smile. Having said this, Aurora slowly cleansed the wound and inspected the bandages, cutting away the ragged ends with a swift sweep of one claw and checking that they were still clean enough to be used again. As she did this, her ears perked slightly while she listened to the results of Elsie's scanning the Serpent skin. No match found? That couldn't be something a P.I. agent heard very often. It also increased the odds of the Serpent at the centre being, as Nochtli had said, one of the rare Amphisbaena. While the prospect of encountering a member of a very rare species might have otherwise been heartening- it was one of the reasons she'd come to the Complex after all- it was offset by the fact that said rare creature was a Serpent with not one head but two, thus making it at least doubly dangerous. Before she could dwell long on that though, Nochtli spoke from his seat next to her as she finished working upon her patient."You have a steady hand," he told her, "a few months opening and closing my cadavers
would do you some good, but you seem to have a natural aptitude for the
work". Aurora kept her eyes and hands focused upon her task- knowing that Nochtli, as a master medic, would understand the importance of this- while she answered him in a soft voice.

"I thank you for taking the time to assess my capabilities," she answered, "it has been a privilege to have one such as yourself observe my work. And at the risk of foregoing an unprecedented opportunity," she continued, "I humbly recall your attention to the one request that I made of you before I began my work: That now, having seen me work, you might make your estimation of me- as either worthy or unworthy of your attention- on the basis of my work? In your own good time of course," she added, "since I wouldn't presume to press a master for an immediate decision, and I doubt that, once having come to your own conclusions, you shall have any trouble in communicating your decision to me".  

    "While I appreciate your sense of propriety, I do not need another minute to draw any initial conclusions. You are worthy of my attention," Nochtli declared. This might have been nice to hear if it were all the witch doctor said, but he followed these comments immediately with, "well done, Jerin."
    Jerin looked up from his seat against the far wall. He'd been sulking there since Ottilie put him in his place, but a favorable word turned his mood easily. "Of course," he smiled between long fingers, "I like to be of good use to my friends."
    "Hm." The doctor replied, shuffling back to rest his hands on top of the mysterious chest, "she has some way of getting in contact with you?" The Oasis renegade shrugged amiably, giving no definitive answer, but it appeared to be enough of an answer for Nochtli. Looking over his shoulder at Aurora, he said, "should you wish to further your medical career under my tutelage, speak to your 'old teacher' there. He'll direct you to me." And that was that, for the elderly creature turned away then and began gathering his things for departure...

Aurora nodded respectfully in response to Nochtli's words as, having just finished with her patient, she began to repack and put away her medikit. Her neutral but respectful expression and air of calm reflected nothing of the annoyance she felt inside. Having assessed her ability and pronounced her worthy, the elderly creature was still going to insure that she would have to go through Jerin in order to contact him, thus potentially indebting her to Jerin- a scenario Aurora was keen to avoid. Though it was true that studying under Nochtli would probably indebt her to him, Aurora was more prepared to accept that simply because she half-suspected that Nochtli would require that the debt be paid in such a manner as lay within at least some of the specific fields of her own specialisation. Or possibly, repayment might involve her using the skills acquired under him for such purposes as he deemed fit. Either way, it was a situation somewhat more favourable than being indebted to Jerin simply because it was impossible to tell how, when or where Jerin might choose to call in a favour owed him. He might ask a person to do anything- even the impossible.

That was the trouble, Aurora mused, with occupying her present station in life- of being simply near the mountaintop, instead of on the mountaintop- or close enough to the top to be past the clouds. Everyone further down the mountain wanted to be further up- either in your place or higher. And even if the sun did shine on you, those higher up the mountain could always send you a cloud to go with your silver lining. Nochtli and Jerin were both higher up the mountain than she was. And Nochtli at least, was seeking to use the situation for his own ends. His remark about those reckoned to be an authority in the underworld doing a better job of being an authority, of taking a more active role, had not been lost on Aurora- or at least, their implications hadn't. By directing her to contact him through Jerin, Nochtli was, in some way, seeking to cause Jerin to become more active again. Given Jerin's remark about the other six of seven some while ago, and the mysterious projects dedicated to the purpose of keeping them from him that he had vaguely mentioned, Aurora had found herself questioning the wisdom of getting Jerin to be more active. It seemed to her that getting Jerin to become a powerfully active presence in the underworld again would be a little like awakening a dormant volcano: difficult to do, but deadly once accomplished, with a high probability of everyone getting burned. And given what she remembered of the world- and what her father had told her of it- from the time that the Lucky Seven had been the unparalleled rulers of the underworld, Aurora was pretty certain that she had no desire for Jerin to become active again. If it didn't lead to warfare at all levels of the underworld hierarchy, it would almost certainly mark the start of a new dark age if Jerin became an active power once more. And where would that leave Aurora if she were indebted to him? Perhaps she should start thinking of a new career- a civilian career- to get into, Aurora mused, because she had no desire to be still in her present career if there was to be a major power-shift soon. She finished packing away her medikit and returned her backpack to her shoulders, mulling over everything that had been said and done as she observed those around her...   

    Once Nochtli had added Ottilie's yams to the undisclosed contents of the metal chest he and Burnu fell to wrestling with a length of bungee cord tied round one of the larger creature's many spikes, their intention to secure the strongbox between them. Jerin roused himself and came forward to assist the pair, and for all his earlier vexation Nochtli's demeanor was considerably more affectionate towards him, and the three talked like old friends.
    Meanwhile Ottilie stood (Aurora being finished), her lively mind taking stock of their surroundings even as Legs crawled among her curls, scrutinizing Aurora's work with suspicious chirps. Finding nothing to suit her purpose, the younger girl sighed*, and stooping, fell to prodding a piece of blue amber** set just above her heel. It was no easy task, but with considerable effort she managed to pop the smooth, oval shaped resinite from its prongs, and once in hand, she considered it. Pleased to find the amber clear, unscathed, and of a particularly lovely shade of blue, Ottilie turned to Aurora. The older girl appeared to be deep in thought, pulling the straps of her backpack over her shoulders, and she hesitated a minute, not wanting to disturb her. Finally she said, "Miss Aurora?" When her silver eyes met Ottilie's large black ones she continued softly, "once ya tended me mechanic an' restored 'im ta me. Once ya stitched up me head when I were out o'sorts. An' now ya have tended ta it 'gain. T'is three times ya've been in me service already an' I beg yer gracious pardon fer the lack o'compensation thus far. Please accept this fer yer trouble, an' perhaps a few future troubles, s'well as me gratitude, an' shame me not by refusin' it, 'less ye be shamed***." Here she offered the amber, which caught the moonlight and reflected crescents of soft cerulean in her palm...

*Since there is nothing appropriate in the surrounding environment Ottilie can compensate Aurora with for her medical services, and since she has no credit or valuable possessions she is able/willing to part with on her person, she must resort to paying with pieces of her armor.
**Blue amber is found in the Bushlands. Formed from the fossilized resin of certain trees, it is extremely rare and of high monetary value among creatures. It also has a hardness greater than diamonds, making it an ideal component in battle armor.
***An old creature saying. Refusing to take payment is considered as shameful as refusing to give it, especially where wild creatures are concerned. Ottilie would adhere to this custom strictly, seeing as she is from the country.

Aurora considered the amber Ottilie offered her, her outward expression revealing nothing of her thoughts. She was of course, aware of the customs of her kind, and aware that it was a standard procedure to give payment to those who offered a service- whether they asked or not- and that it was also standard procedure to accept payment, on the condition that the payment was acceptable. However, the environment in which Aurora had been operating for the last several years was not always so straightforward. If people didn't ask for payment, you could get away with not giving it. If they asked for a certain form of payment you could make your payment strictly- and only- what they had asked for, even if they had clearly implied that they would prefer something else as payment while naming their price. If someone didn't pay you, you could either pursue the matter or let it slide,depending upon which you believed more profitable. After all, favours owed were their own currency, and probably the one form of currency that never went out of circulation. If you allowed someone to owe you a favour for services rendered, they would often pay you back handsomely later. If someone thought they'd got away without paying, you could let the matter lie and then bring up the unpaid debt at a later date when you wanted them to do something for you, putting them in the awkward position of being unable to refuse you. None of these were what mattered to Aurora at the moment though. The simple truth was that she had no need of payment from Ottilie, and that keeping her alive and well to see just what sort of dynamic there was between Ottilie and Jerin- and so in turn what Jerin might value in Aurora- was its own reward. She could hardly explain that to Ottilie without coming across as devious and untrustworthy though, but at the same time she couldn't refuse payment without coming across as a social pariah- and an extremely unusual mercenary indeed. Choosing her words carefully, Aurora answered Ottilie.

"The payment you offer is more than generous," she remarked, taking the resinite and holding it up to her eye-level as she inspected it, admiring the quality, "and I will gladly accept it as payment for the two times I have aided you and for possible future incidents. Your mechanic though owes me no debts- I saved him and returned him to you only after he prevented a specialist sniper from taking a shot at me while I was dealing with multiple opponents. That makes us even. However, I want you to hang onto this for now," she continued as she lowered the resinite from her eye-level again. Before Ottilie could offer an objection Aurora continued, "don't think I'm refusing payment- I'm not," she said, "but I have good reason for wanting you to retain this for now: It belongs to your armour and your armour has done a commendable job- so far- of keeping you from worse injuries than you've already suffered. For as long as you're my patient I want to restore your health, but if you're paying me with pieces of your armour-," here she smiled briefly, "- then your means of payment effectively frustrates my original intentions. Keep this for now- it is my intention to accompany Jerin- and therefore probably you by extension- to the heart of the Complex. Once there I may choose to stay further or leave, following my own path. When that time comes, that is when I will ask you to return this to me- and pay anything for subsequent services that this cannot cover, should that become necessary. Unless by that time you have something else acceptable to compensate me with. For now though, hold onto your armour," Aurora advised Ottilie, "let it do it's job and in the process, allow me- as your doctor for the duration- to do mine".  

    Ottilie listened attentively, but when Aurora had stopped speaking Legs emitted a low chirrumph, drawing her attention. He then chirped and chattered animatedly, punctuating his discourse on the matter with gestures at the amber, and finally concluding with a grumble, two pairs of crossed arms, and a pointed look. Ottilie nodded, turning back to the female mercenary, "yer proposals acceptable. That said, me mechanic--an' meself s'well--mean ya ta understand ya shall be compensated only in blue amber from our side. We've nothin' else we're able or willin' ta part with an' we don't expect ta come 'pon anythin' else save the Complex's natural fodder*, which yer more'n welcome ta have first crack at. When ya choose ta leave our company though ya shall receive not less than what's already been offered, and f'its ta be more--" here she indicated the other pieces of amber dotting her armor, "--t'will be more o'the same." She finished calmly, "f'these terms're undesirable, please speak ta that end now."
    "You ought to take what she offers at once, Lady Aurora--" Cho advised, making Ottilie start. Being a true kunoichi, the pretty creature had left her position against the wall and slipped among them at some point, "--for if my beloved means to protect her she shall not lack for it, and one piece of armor will hardly be missed."

*I thought I should clarify that Ottilie is referring to any food, water, medicinal plants, etc., that they might come upon and not to anything man-made or brought into the Complex from the outside world (such as, oh, I don't know, the treasure in question).

Aurora gave a brief nod of her head as Ottilie finished speaking, acknowledging the terms the younger girl- and her mechanic- had laid out. "Those terms are neither undesirable or unacceptable," she informed them, "and if I find that some of the Complex's natural fodder suits me better, I shall credit it to your account, since medicinal plants may prove more immediately valuable to me," she remarked with a smile, "if I am to continue in the company of yourself for a while". Hoping the last comment didn't make the younger girl blush, Aurora then turned her attention to what Cho had said. Unlike Ottilie, Aurora hadn't started when Cho spoke, since this time she'd actually heard the kunoichi's approach. In light of the answer she had for Cho's advice though, she hoped that lack of surprise didn't irritate the Thousand Needle member. Bowing her head respectfully to her elder Aurora spoke again.

"I thank you for your advice esteemed Lady Cho," Aurora informed her, "You have- in our short acquaintance- been most generous in bestowing your wisdom upon one younger than yourself. However," Aurora continued, "what a person ought to do is ultimately determined by the purposes that individual serves- or chooses to serve. But even if that were not so, surely I do not need to call to the mind of one so well-versed as yourself the account of Achilles and his particular weakness- that of a vulnerable heel? Or the verse which details the consequences of a shortage of horse-shoe nails? In light of such things as those I shall defer collecting payment for now," Aurora concluded, "since- at the end of the day- I would rather not leave open even the possibility of my patient's armour being more vulnerable in one area than is strictly necessary". So saying Aurora fell silent again, her silver eyes watching both Ottilie- and her mechanic- and Cho as well. Let each make of her pronouncements what they would. After all, whatever response they gave would allow Aurora to learn something more of the company she found herself in. And perhaps their responses would reveal to her something of the extent of what they had learned- or believed they had learned- of her.

OOC: I've been hired part time again so posts may be a little slower. Also, the group will be moving shortly. I just felt it would be out of character for Cho to depart without saying anything to Ottilie given Jerin's (obvious) preference.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Very well," Ottilie said with a nod and a grateful smile.
    "As you will," was the kunoichi's only cool reply. Her violet eyes flitted from Aurora to scrutinize the other girl then. Apparently pleased to confirm what she had gleaned from further away (Ottilie was fairly plain, and thus in her mind incapable of turning Jerin's head in any serious way), she addressed her cordially, "I apologize for startling you, especially when we have yet to be introduced. You may call me Cho."
    If the Oasis creature felt there was something odd in her manner her own prevented her from thinking on it, "pleased ta be makin' yer acquaintance, Miss Cho. M'called Ottilie," and she indicated Legs, "an' this's me mechanic, Legs."
    "Charmed," she chimed, though the insect regarded her with reservation. "Seldom have I been this close to a decipede."
    "T'is not fer lack o'manners I assure ya," Ottilie rejoined, "they fear entrapment much as the next*, an' with more reason given their myriad talents."
    "How prettily you put it," Cho laughed, "indeed, my father has told me as much of their disdain for outsiders. Yet this one sits so nicely upon your shoulder, and I have seen him touch your neck in a comforting manner not less than twice." She tilted her head to one side, teasing, "your personal charm must be considerable."
    "Nothin' o'the sort," the other said quickly, shyly rubbing the side of her snout with a fore claw, "f'anythin' time an' circumstance're the true culprits."
    "I see," Kiku Cho continued carefully, looking from Ottilie to Aurora, "before your return Miss Aurora indicated she came to be involved with Jerin as a student. Was it just so with you, Miss Ottilie?"
    "Miss Aurora'll have ta excuse my sayin' t'were a scenario far less horrifyin' ta me," Ottilie smiled wryly, "an' I can't say m'involved with Jerin in any capacity, or was I e'er."
    "Never? But I gathered from him you were very close."
    "D'ya consider yerself very close ta 'im?" Cho frowned at this question, perhaps finding Ottilie impertinent, or perhaps simply not understanding why it was being asked, "I dare say I do," she offered guardedly.
    "An' ya believe e'erythin' he says?" Ottilie queried with such seriousness and such a frown upon her youthful face that Cho had to laugh again, "goodness, you are quite severe for such a young thing! Miss Aurora, what do you suppose Miss Ottilie's proper age to be? I myself do not think her a day over twenty and two, and even then I suspect she is younger."

*All wild creatures (which is to say the majority of the population) are typically wary of any individual unfamiliar to their company or environment, much like wild animals. Decipedes in particular fear and dislike outsiders, as once upon a time their kind were more frequently kidnapped for their mechanical abilities.

OOC: My comp acted up and caused my post to vanish before, so I've had to write this out all over again! X_X

IC: Aurora, for all her outwardly impassive expression, was listening with interest to the exchange taking place between Cho and Ottilie. Her keen mind was at work, following a pattern developed over the many years she had worked as a mercenary and in other similar professions; a pattern that she followed when dealing with almost any information, especially the kind that might be useful later: Observe, analyse, evaluate, utilise. This was a system of thought that, together with her prodigious memory had not only proved highly successful over the years; on a number of occasions it had been life-saving. Furthermore, Aurora believed that her observations now were starting to shed light on things said and done earlier within the confines of the Complex. Earlier on Cho had informed Aurora that Jerin wished to be close to her- and that she, Cho, did not want that to happen. Therefore she had advised Aurora to discover what it was that Jerin truly valued and in so doing discover what it was that Jerin valued within herself- and in so doing, enable her to protect herself against Jerin. This had led Aurora to the decision that her best bet was to observe Ottilie, since Jerin seemed to genuinely value her. Aurora now believed that her observation was starting to yield fruit, and that the exchange now taking place was allowing her some insight into the dynamics of the relationship that existed between Ottilie and Jerin.

From what she had observed so far, it seemed that there was an element of unrequited affection between the two, similar to that which existed between Cho and Jerin- with the difference being that in this case it was Jerin who had an affection for Ottilie that was unrequited. However, there were a number of factors that complicated the relationship between them. Firstly there was the strong evidence of an ongoing enmity between them- or at the very least a very strong rivalry. Therefore, any overtures of affection from Jerin's side were likely to be met with the deepest suspicion, if not outright hostility from Ottilie's standpoint. Further complicating the matter was the admission Jerin himself had made to Aurora earlier; that Ottilie fascinated him. "I try to be contrary," he had told Aurora, "but O; she is contrary". Aurora was certain that anyone who could so powerfully draw Jerin's attention would end up on the receiving end of an interest that could be described as obsessive- and by virtue of that intensity wish nothing more than to be rid of such attention. Then there was another facet of the relationship, one that Aurora found especially interesting that had been highlighted by the conversation now unfolding in front of her. Though she had said it in fun, to tease the younger girl, Cho had remarked that Ottilie must have considerable personal charm. Though Ottilie had directed precious little of it Jerin's way since their reunion in the Complex, Aurora was inclined- all joking aside- to agree with this remark. But Ottilie's response had been something of a revelation: She had shyly denied any such charm, claiming that time and circumstances were responsible for that impression, before further denying any close relationship to Jerin. This led Aurora to believe the following: Firstly, that Ottilie sincerely believed that she had little personal charm- a fact which served only to accentuate it. Secondly, that because of this, Ottilie found the notion that she could turn the head of Jerin- or anyone of similar stature, reputable or otherwise- inconceivable. Thirdly, that this modesty on Ottilie's part, the humble opinion of herself that served only to highlight her virtues, would draw Jerin as powerfully as a magnet draws iron. Nor was Cho's cordial treatment of Ottilie- despite her jealousy and suspicions prior to meeting the girl- lost on Aurora. Cho, it seemed, believed that since Ottilie was less than dazzlingly beautiful she could not possibly turn Jerin's head in any serious manner. While the long history of females of repute both good and ill that Jerin had been with might go some way to justify that, Aurora believed that someone who fascinated Jerin so clearly and profoundly as Ottilie did would draw Jerin's affection as surely as gravity draws the falling apple, regardless of what that individual may look like. Before she could dwell on these insights though, or the possible implications they might have for herself, Cho's voice invaded her thoughts.

 "Goodness, you are quite severe for such a young thing!" Cho exclaimed with a laugh. Then, directing her words to Aurora she continued, "Miss Aurora, what do you suppose Miss Ottilie's proper age to be? I
myself do not think her a day over twenty and two, and even then I
suspect she is younger". Aurora considered the question- and what she knew or believed about Ottilie- a moment before answering. "I would say," she remarked, "that Miss Ottilie is old enough to have gained a pearl or two of wisdom, but is young enough to maintain a predominantly optimistic outlook on life. When it comes to figures though- well, I'd have to ask Miss Ottilie outright. Anything less would be an estimate or guesswork after all- and you know how mercenaries feel about that". So saying Aurora fell silent again, wondering to herself what the others would make of that pronouncement. The last part had been an allusion to a part running-joke, part-truism within mercenary circles. While it was true that they preferred to operate on definite and precise information, quite a lot of mercenary work involved improvisation and guesswork, modifying a predetermined plan to an actual live situation. On the other hand, try to pay a mercenary a sum consisting of estimates and guesswork, and you'd pretty quickly find out how strongly they loathed imprecise figures! Observing carefully those around her, her expression neutral, Aurora waited to see what sort of reception her words would receive.  

    "I've always said," Jerin observed, "Ottilie was anywhere between twenty and a hundred and twenty." She frowned, granting him the slightest look. Nochtli's chest secured, he was lounging among Burnu's spikes while the former and latter discussed their escape route. With elbows propped up on the points to either side and fingers intertwined loosely, his overall position radiated an ease nearly as slovenly as the smile that lifted the corners of his mouth, "my shadow attends. Am I close?"
    "Miss Aurora were closer," she insisted coolly, "though only time'll tell f'it's the truth."
    "My my. So critical--"
    "--S'pose I am?" Ottilie crossed her arms, "s'wrong with that? A body should begin by bein' critical o'itself. Those who like ya too well are as bad as those who like ya not t'all. One makes ya overconfident while the other makes ya insecure, an' then where're ya f'ya made no preliminary estimate o'yer own abilities but lost?"
    "A pretty point, Miss O'Dethburr, but I think you do not account for individuals with less than admirable senses of self worth."
    "I account fer none save meself, Jerin," she said, sternly, "an' I don't presume ta know s'best fer anyone but. I put that ta ya, an' I leave it ta ya. I've a route ta plan." So saying she removed a folded piece of paper (the map previously proclaimed useless*) from her inner breast pocket and nodded to the three assassins in turn, "once 'gain, thank ya fer yer assistance, doctor." Nochtli returned her nod from his new perch, a spike just above Jerin's head, "were you not accompanied by as talented a medic as Miss Aurora I'd advise you to leave this place at once. Head injuries should never be taken lightly." She shrugged apologetically, "s'lucky fer me she's here then, 'cause I can't say m'at liberty ta consider the option." He sat back, sniffing, "mind yourself, Miss O'Dethburr. In all matters."
    "I'll do that. Thank ya," was her calm reply, though inwardly she dwelt on his final words as she turned to Burnu, "no hard feelings, mate. Pleasant journey," and to Cho, "thank ya fer yer conversation miss Cho, s'been most instructive. F'ya will pardon me now?"
    Still thrilled by the younger girl's most recent exchange with Jerin (for Ottilie seemed to like him not one bit) Cho bowed her head courteously, "of course. You obviously have business here. We do not wish to keep you from it."
    "My thanks," Ottilie returned, and moved to stand with her back to the group, where she unfolded and pretended a vivid interest in her map (useless earlier certainly, but presently quite useful in getting her out of the conversation).
    "Come Cho," Nochtli said, "we must hurry." He locked eyes with Aurora then, countenance severe, "some advice. Keep your charge in sight if you mean to retain her. Even the best medic cannot aid what is constantly lost to this world." The gravity of his expression lessened somewhat following this statement, and he reiterated, "should you wish to find me, contact Jerin." He ruffled her former teacher's hair with long fingers, "he's a bit scatter brained, but he won't forget when furthering your education was his notion to begin with," and winking at her, the golden furred creature added, "his vanity compensates, as they say."
    "A body should begin by being critical of itself," Jerin chuckled, and though she kept her back to him, Ottilie scowled at the tiny paths on the paper in front of her...

*Waaaaay back in my very first post.

Aurora inclined her head politely as Nochtli addressed her, before replying in respectful tones. "I thank you for your advice Master Nochtli," she said, "and I shall endeavour to adhere to it. However, putting into practice that which is simple in theory can often be far from simple, as you are doubtless aware. And in regards to your most generous offer, I shall most certainly give it the consideration it deserves- though I hope you will pardon me if I say I shall do that only once I occupy a setting that affords me the luxury of doing so? After all, if I do not give my focus to survival in this location, decisions about the future are unlikely to matter". Having said this Aurora became silent again, not for lack of things she might say or subjects she might wish to broach, but for a rather more pertinent reason. While most of those present had either been sparing with the information they had shared or careful to couch that information in carefully turned phrases the ambiguity of which left them open to many different interpretations, Aurora had begun to suspect that they were all getting dangerously close to saying too much- or at least that they were too close to saying too much in their present company.

While Jerin and the Thousand Needles might share information with a certain level of freedom and while herself, Ottilie and Legs might perhaps come to be somewhat less guarded with each other- if left to themselves at least- the simple fact of the matter was that they weren't alone. For one thing, Dirac was with them. And Aurora suspected that no matter how much time he spent with any of them- except perhaps Ottilie who seemed very naturally open and trusting where all save Jerin were concerned- he'd never become any less guarded or more open. In addition to that, Aurora hadn't forgotten about Elsie. The agent had been sitting fiddling with her device for some time now, but Aurora was willing to bet she had been surreptitiously listening in to everything that had been said. Certainly she would have done the same thing in Elsie's position. If that was the case, then Elsie now knew that she called herself Aurora, that she and Jerin had crossed paths before now, and that the three creatures who had joined them briefly called themselves after the Thousand Needles and maybe believed themselves to be those legendary assassins. If they talked much more, instead of getting on the move again, one of them migth say something that would give Elsie due cause to arrest or detain them. What might happen then Aurora couldn't say, but she could guess that it wouldn't be pretty.

It was this line of thought that had led her to give such a vague response to Cho's question about Ottilie's age too. After all, if she had stayed on the subject longer, if she had answered with a figure, it might have given one of the others the opportunity to ask how old Aurora herself was. And even if she had answered that with a random figure, she was certain that Nocthli at least- and probably Elsie & Ottilie too- would have filed that scrap of information away for later. It was possible that Nochtli might even already know how old she was, might even already know who she was. Elsie probably didn't know who she was, beyond a mercenary who claimed to be Aurora. But if she had an age to work with- even a false one- she'd probably start to pick away at the puzzle, in the hope of finding something she could charge the mercenary with. How Ottilie might put the information to work Aurora wasn't certain, but she was certain the girl would look into it- or have it looked into- for one reason or another. As for Jerin....he already knew she'd been around for over 90 years, she had been a student of his after all. All things considered, Aurora felt that the sooner they got going again the better...       

    The doctor merely nodded, regarding her (or her general direction) unfathomably. Meanwhile Cho embraced Jerin as he descended, ignoring how he flinched at her touch, "when what you are working with inevitably bores you, beloved, do stop by and see us..." she let her eyes wander to Ottilie briefly before smiling and stretching to nuzzle his cheek, "...you will not find me boring. I assure you."
    "Ha!" Jerin laughed nervously, pulling his head back as much as he was able, and though Cho's affection hadn't caused Ottilie to bat an eye this drew a cursory glance, "well! V-very good. Foarte bun*. Très bien**. And I thank you."
    "Cho," Nochtli insisted gruffly, and she flounced away, masking her pretty features only after she'd blown Jerin a kiss over her shoulder. The Oasis renegade cleared his throat, but Burnu addressed him first, "luck, Jesty. No hard feelings right? 'Bout the Sheila, I mean--"    
    "--no harm, no foul." Jerin said pleasantly, and the larger creature relaxed--until he transitioned, "your sister is well?" Burnu tensed, "Bulu? Yes, but--"
    "--Excellent. Source willing, I'll be speaking with her shortly. Do pass that along...?"
    Burnu appeared less than pleased with this (Ottilie was quick to notice, observing from out of the corner of her eye sadly), but nodded once, "...'course. She'll be happy ta hear yer 'live..."
    Jerin chuckled, "I'm sure."
    "--Jerin." He turned his head, raising a hand in the same movement to catch a small pill bottle. Nochtli retracted his arm, "you're better for them."
    Though Ottilie attempted to steal a look at the label the bottle was in his pocket before she could discover anything of its contents and he was replying amusedly, "suspiciously serendipitous..."
    "Try not to annoy your company, Jerin, for I do think Miss O'Dethburr to be looking for any excuse to dislocate your jaw."
    "S'good advice," Ottilie interjected with a raised brow. "Indeed," Jerin grinned, "thank you."
    "Likewise," the elderly primate said cryptically, placing a hand on his secured strongbox as he moved to perch on Cho's shoulders. She in turn climbed upon Burnu's back, fitting dainty hooves between his spikes to maintain her balance as the larger creature curled back into a ball, "luck to you all. I'm sorry to say you'll need it," were Nochtli's final words. Then Burnu began to roll away, Cho running in place atop him, and presently the trio disappeared around the far corner.
    "I think that went agreeably enough," Jerin broke the ensuing silence, turning to Aurora, "though, I really never can tell with him." He smiled, "in any case, thank you for humoring Cho as you did. I know she can be--" he pushed some hair out of his face, "--trying. To say the least." The Oasis renegade hesitated a minute, his face betraying some inner conflict. But then he steeled his expression again and continued, "serpents are seldom anything but nasty customers. Are you certain you wish to continue? I'm afraid my course will not alter unless Ottilie's does, but you are free to depart if you feel the risk outweighs the gain."

*'Very good' in Romany, Jerin's native tongue.
**'Very good' in French, the other language he speaks.

Aurora considered carefully what Jerin had told her, inwardly admitting that now would be a good time to turn back should she wish it. She was still intact, she had seen quite a lot of the flora and fauna the Complex had to offer, and she had made some potentially useful contacts- though at least one of those came with a condition. A problem that was common, as she had said earlier to Jerin, when dealing with any real life 'phoenix'. However foreboding the way ahead though, she had as many reasons for continuing as falling away. There was still the whole, mysterious matter of the Treasure at the heart of the Complex & who- if anyone- should lay claim to it. There was the matter of discovering, as Cho had advised her, what it was that Jerin valued, and in so doing discover what he valued in her- in order to protcet herself. Then there was the reason that Aurora gave to Jerin as she voiced her answer. "I knew it would be dangerous when I came here," she remarked  calmly, "but I've dealt with danger before and lived- as evidenced by my armour. Serpents are, as you say, seldom anything if not nasty customers, but that being the case I have all the more reason to stay. After all," Aurora continued with a gesture towards Ottilie, "I have yet to see my patient restored to good health. I realise that I might have to wait until we've reached the centre of the Complex and back again before I see that, but Master Nochtli did advise me not to let her out of my sight from here on in. Plus, I have still to collect due payment from her, and I said I would do so upon reaching the centre of the Complex. Whatever the practice amongst other mercenaries, I take care to insure that my word can be trusted where business arrangements are concerned. If I am to collect my payment from Miss Ottilie at the centre, I must reach the centre first. In light of that, I shall be staying - at least until we reach the heart of the Complex," Aurora finished. Having said her piece she fell silent again, brooding on something she had been considering since Nochtli had mentioned the double-headed Serpent.

Serpents, as Aurora knew well, were not merely unwelcoming; they were also beings of immense size and keen intelligence. To get past-or through- a Serpent was no easy undertaking, and they could give even the most skilled individual difficulty. Yet it could be done, and Aurora had- in her youth- made an invaluable discovery upon some of the dustier shelves of the university library of her native land. A book about Serpents written by an individual who, maybe 1600 years ago had gained a prominent reputation as a trouble-shooter where Serpents were concerned. Though he had freely admitted within the pages of the book that he was far from invincible- contrary to popular belief then and later legend- in detailing his experiences of both successfully and unsuccessfully dealing with Serpents, he had given the young Aurora some much-treasured advice and insight that had proven key to surviving her own encounters with Serpents in the years ahead. The Creature who had written the book had gained a nickname that became almost a title of honour, a name taken from an older legend from the Emerald Isle. Aspatria. That was what they'd called him. Armed with his knowledge and advice, Aurora suspected she could survive an encounter with even a double headed Serpent if it came to that. She gazed thoughfully at the path ahead. Whatever lay that way, things were bound to get interesting...   

    Jerin frowned, but nodded once, "...as you will."
    "F'all be settled we'd do well ta move," Ottilie spoke up decisively, re-folding her map, "s'a great deal what happened ta me an' some o'it has us pressed fer time--"
    "--More so? Do tell." Jerin queried humorously. Rolling her eyes at him, Ottilie indicated the path ahead, "walk an' talk, double J," but turning to the still present Elsie made even the anxious younger girl pause. The agent hadn't spoken for some time, her grumbling and pushing of her wristlet's buttons having ceased altogether to leave her standing, arms crossed, seemingly contemplating the wall. Given the older girl's typically boisterous nature the change was eerie (to say the least), and Ottilie addressed her warily, "er...Elsie? Thanks 'gain fer savin' me. M'bout ta head in, so--"
    She whirled then as if struck, a mad glint in her eyes and a big grin on her face, and taking Ottilie by the shoulders, shook her excitedly, "--Irish! This is great!" What followed was Elsie dashing in the direction of the center, not the exit, all the while calling back, "I nab myself a two headed serpent and it's the same as bringing in a couple a intergalactic ne'er do wells! Better, even! It'll be no more Wisp watching for me--!"
    "--What? Elsie, wait! Ya can't mean ta--"
    "--capture a serpent? Is she serious? Has she seen a mirror lately?" Legs chattered crossly, clinging to Ottilie's shoulder as she ran after the older girl.
    "'Course I mean to! In your best interest anyway, isn't it? After all--" and she stopped suddenly, turning to jab a finger into Ottilie's chest as she too stopped short to avoid a collision, "--you're such a little dope, Irish. Pretty good in a fight? Yeah, okay. Get through this labyrinth on your own though? I don't think so."
    "Why of all the presuming--MPH!" Legs started, but Ottilie pinched his mouth parts together before he got going, "--s'very kind o'ya ta think o'me, but seems I already got escort in the form o'--" and she made as if to gesture at the other three, only her hand connected with Jerin's chest and she jumped, "--oh!"
    "Yes," he captured her wrist and kept hold of it despite her twisting and protests of 'bollocks, Jerin, unhand me!', "she's already quite 'escorted'."
    "That a fact?" Elsie quirked a brow at him, then drew one blaster serpent's strike fast to rest squarely between his eyes, causing Ottilie to draw in a sharp breath, "'cause I can easily make it fiction. Let her go."
    Behind them Dirac tensed, but remained motionless. Having witnessed the agent's prowess with her weapons already, he knew at close range Jerin would be quite dead before he could disarm her of the one, never mind two. Additionally if he failed to kill Elsie she could arrest or have him arrested for assaulting a PIA agent (among other things he was sure), and that Houiri would leave him to rot in prison or else see to his death himself by covert means Dirac had no doubt. So he kept silent for his own sake, outwardly stoic while inwardly he pondered a nonviolent alternative...

Seeing the tension of an already tense situation increase- and not for the first time increase around her patient- Aurora decided some intervention was called for. Preferably not action though, since that would likely result in more injuries all round, and enough of those had been handed out already. As much as Elsie seemed trigger-happy, Ottilie had persuaded her to back down before, by presenting her with the facts in a manner that seemed to get through to her. Perhaps Aurora could do the same? Taking in the situation again, and remembering that Dirac was a factor to account for too, Aurora decided she had best do something, before things ended badly for everyone. Addressing primarily the P.I. agent- but also Jerin- Aurora spoke up, making sure her voice carried clearly and her intended audience wouldn't miss a word.

"Elsinore Baler," she intoned in a calm but firm voice, inwardly thanking providence that Nochtli had told her the agent's name, "and you too Jerin, I'd like you to lend me your ears a moment. You're both quite adamant about the facts just now, so perhaps you ought to take into account a few more?" Neither of them answered audibly, but from the slight ear-twitching in each of them, it looked like she had some of their attention at least, so she continued. "Fact," she began, "Ottilie just said we are pressed for time and she is right. She is right because- fact- we've spent far too long in one place, in hostile territory already. We need to move on before more of the native dangers arrive to threaten us all. Fact, your bickering is holding is up and costing us time we cannot afford to waste. Fact, you are both neglecting to take Ottilie's wishes into account- she has already clearly indicated she has no wish to see either of you dead. Fact- in the short time I've been acquainted with both of you, you Elsinore have proved more troublesome that Jerin has thus far. I base that statement on the following facts- and catch the errors if you will:
[list=1]

In addition to all that," Aurora continued, "need I remind you both that you've injured each other already? Or that you have no evidence of Jerin's doing anything wrong that is not ambiguous at best? Further injuries will only result in further loss of time. I have no wish to drag an entire party of invalids through this Complex with me, but the two of you seem determined to leave me no other choice. Also- fact- Ottilie and myself now have a binding contract which, for the duration, makes her my patient and therefore responsibility for her- if it falls to anyone besides herself and her companion- falls to me. Fact, you are both endangering my patient, with too tight a grip and with a gun mere inches from her. I respectfully recommend that you cease bickering and consider my patient. If you are unwilling to do so then regretfully, I will be compelled to take action to insure my patient's further well-being. And to forestall the question of whether or not I'm faster than a laserbolt," Aurora added, "consider that I wouldn't need to be. I would only- fact- need to be faster than the trigger-finger of the individual who holds the firearm the bolt issues from". Having said all this, Aurora paused momentarily before continuing. "I understand that you are both mutually concerned for Ottilie and that you are wary of her spending time in the presence of an individual you distrust," she said, "but if you cannot credit Ottilie and her chosen companion with responsibility for her well-being, then at least credit me with it since I have a contract for it with Ottilie herself- which is more than either of you possess. And in light of that I again respectfully ask you to both step away from my patient and stop distressing her. I have no need of you inadvertently causing her further injury Jerin. I have no desire to see you injure her with your firearm Ms. Baler- please either holster it or point it away from party members. I have no wish to play doctor to you all, or mother to any of you. I trust a genius like you Jerin, and an agent of the P.I.A. are intelligent, mature and responsible enough not to make that necessary?"  

Neither Jerin or Elsie were very happy with these remarks, and (calling at least the maturity of each into question) they replied at the same time, "I'm terribly fond of you, my dear, but you'll have to excuse me if unknown dangers are hardly as pressing as the very real one at the end of my nose just now--"

Aurora stood silent as Ottilie intervened, forcing Jerin and Elsie to recognise that they had no alternative but to travel together. Her method of diffusing the situation seemed rather more effective than Aurora's own had been. Once again, it seemed her lack of effective communication skills were showing themselves. Her delivery of the facts and the request that both Ottilie and Jerin back down and stop distressing Ottilie hadn't quite gone over as intended; seeming to inflame rather than pacify the pair. And regardless of the accusation Elsie had levelled at her, she had indeed made a request, since in mercenary circles any time you gave people the opportunity to do something of their own accord instead of simply forcing them or taking whatever it was you wanted was reckoned a request. Upon refleciton though, Aurora was forced to admit, outwith that line of work her request had perhaps come across as rather...forceful. If Elsie was to remain in their company for the duration, Aurora would perhaps have to refine her technique of dealing with her- unless some passing monstrosity of the Complex decided to eat her? Even as the thought presented itself Aurora dismissed it. That sort of thinking wouldn't solve anything. Besides, she mused, even if by some chance something did happen to attempt to consume Elsie, it would probably spit her out again after one taste.

As Ottilie started off again, Aurora was thankful that at least now they were actually moving once more. That said, she had to wonder what it was that had made Ottilie decide they were even more pressed for time than before and exactly where it was they now needed to be before sunrise? Still, as long as they weren't stopped in the same area any more that suited Aurora. Hopefully wherever Ottilie was now determined to lead them was closer to their intended destination? Even if it wasn't, Jerin seemed to have a fairly in-depth knowledge of the Complex, so he'd be able to put them on the right track- grudgingly no doubt, since he now knew that Elsie wasn't leaving and was favoured by Ottilie, but his affection for Ottilie would hopefully overcome that enough that he would limit any trickery he might harbout the desire to implement. For herself, Aurora's decision was already made. She was accompanying Ottilie to the centre of the Complex- or wherever else they happened to go on the way prior to there- whoever that meant keeping company with. She did after all, have a contract with Ottilie now, as she had pointed out. And furthermore, there was the matter of what was to be done once they reached the centre- the matter of the Treasure. Aurora herself had no desire to take it, but she was quite certain that there were at least ninety-nine different motives in the group where the Treasure was concerned- most of them unspoken and most of them probably belonging to Jerin, though the others almost certainly harboured some too. Whatever the case, the eventual end of this journey was bound to bring some interesting things to light. Waiting only until Elsie and Jerin had started after Ottilie, Aurora joined the party, glad to be moving once more.  

OOC: Sorry for the delay! Also, I didn't want to take up space having Ottilie relate the entirety of what Lothair told her when I've already typed it up in a previous post (here), so just assume everything relevant said below.

Knowing that the rat like creatures that had attacked them were- or had been- sapient thinking creatures served to deepen Aurora's sense of disgust at having had to kill them. No matter that they had been reduced to animal madness by rabies, they had nevertheless been intelligent beings. They deserved better than that. The revelation that there was possibly an unknown and undefined hostile presence in the Complex that would wish to kill them was not welcome news- and for all that Elsie was sceptical of its existence, Aurora was willing to give such a claim the benefit of the doubt. Whatever the truth behind the tale, a hostile presence would fit right in with everything else in the Complex after all and even if anything that attacked them wasn't the mysterious 'Six' or its agents, remaining vigilant for surprise attacks would be advice well-worth following regardless. As for the grub queen and whoever Anphine was, though that might sound rather more like the ramblings of a mind succumbing to deadly disease, evidently Lothair had been convinced that something was important enough to pass it along to Ottilie, even it had suffered in translation.

Departing the Eulerian path and travelling by another route was wisdom Aurora felt inclined to call into question, but there was no point. Whatever the truth of the situation, Ottilie was determined to travel that way and Aurora had a contract with Ottilie- and Aurora honoured her contracts. Besides, if what Lothair said turned out to be true, if the grubs were pacifists and at least some hostile forces did not range into their territory then the deviation from the Eulerian path might be one worth making. She listened as Elsie addressed the group. "Yeah...well, lets do this democratically--" the agent said. Climbing to join Ottilie on top of the pillar, she addressed the others,
"who's in favour of going through Irish's grub territory, and who's for
keeping to the Eulerian path? I'm for the path. I mean, this 'Six' might
not even exist, but we know these grubs exist, and given their coloration are likely to be poisonous". Ottilie replied stubbornly, "Ya know where I mean ta go regardless". Elsie only rolled her eyes, looking at Dirac and Aurora, "Buster, Tulip? Any thoughts...?" Aurora spoke up, indifferent as always to the name that Elsie had bestowed upon her. "Ottilie means to go seeking the grubs," she said calmly, "and I mean to go where Ottilie goes for the duration of our contract. Since that contract terminates only once Ottilie reaches the centre- alive and at least with all the pieces held together- she has my company until that time". So saying she fell silent again. Dirac really had little say in the matter since Jerin had struck his devious bargain with the man. It looked like they were all going grub-hunting like it or not. For herself, Aurora wasn't too concerned which way they went as long as they kept moving. 

Having both the attention of Elsie and Ottilie, Aurora decided to be diplomatic in her response and address each one in turn, according to what each had said. A thought that closely followed that one was that it wouldn't hurt to be a little economical with the truth in this curcumstance. Not that she would necessarily resort to lying, but she could certainly frame the truth a particular way by measuring how much of it she told and the way in which she told it. It could come in handy later- or come back to bite her later depending. But whatever the case, it would probably do no harm to omit mention of having learned the agent's name from Nochtli, Golden Altar of the Thousand Needles. Not least becuse, if Nochtli didn't wish that information to be disclosed, doing so had the potential to adversely affect Aurora. Her mind made up, she answered each of the other two in turn.

"A pleasure likewise Miss O' Dethburr," Aurora said, "to be formally introduced after a substantial period of time together. Likewise a pleasure to make the acquaintance of your associate Legs. As regards any former acquaintance with Elsie Baler," Aurora continued, shifting her gaze from Ottilie to the agent, "I believe she has answered that one. No; we were not previously acquainted- and neither, I suspect, would either of us wish to be". She paused briefly, her mercurial eyes now on Elsie, before speaking again. "To answer your question Ms. Baler," she said in a voice that betrayed no emotion, "I learned that you belong to the name 'Elsinore Baler' through an acquaintance who makes it their business to know such things. And I believe we have already exchanged some of our knowledge of the other in our- shall I say- candid exchanges conducted in the absence of Miss O'Dethburr. What else I know of you I shall keep to myself- I would prefer to forgo any more candid exchanges at least until Miss O'Dethburr has found what she is looking for". It ocurred to Aurora as she said that, that the phrase 'until Miss O'Dethburr has found what she is looking for' was rather ambiguous. Did it mean until she found the grubs, whatever dwelt deeper into the Complex past the grubs, or the Treasure itself? Aurora decided she was happy to leave it vague for now. If nothing else, it would keep her present company guessing...