#ccsemberclub

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The Club is not in its opening hours, not yet. A confused looking Hugh Goode stands outside. The Rotty Pooka sees CC and EBG and his tail wags, "The nice troll said you were old friends so I bit him. He's inside."

The boggan's arm around CC tightens just slightly.

"Shall I... shall I let you go in alone? I didn't say I knew you, but that I might be able to find you. Connections." Some bitterness.

She sighs, "Hugh, did you mention anyone to him? Say, this fine gent next to me?"

Hugh pauses, and he frowns, "I only told him about the crazy sex stuff, nothing about how you were partners...he just seemed on the up and up." // CC whispers to her love "Delusion is a hellof a dark art. Not his fault. The troll could have carried a person's freshly hewn head up to him and claimed it was a stage prop and he might believe it because of the nature of the cantrips."

"I can be in the office, watch what's going on. Needn't be... apparent." He whispers back.

"Okay, go the office as descretely as you can. I'll try to make sure you can overhear. " CC says, then looks over at Hugh "Hugh, call Rocco. Tell him I want him here tonight."

"Call all of them." He mutters. He squeezes her waist once more, then heads away, marching down the street with a scowl.

*gone to the office*

Getting the office isn't hard to do. A creature with who knows the value of passages to and from what he needs, William has prepared for much. He enters into the office and makes sure he is alone. CC is playful enough to hire a stripper, enchant her, and have her perform in a satyress out fit on his desk

Blessedly, the office is stripper-free, and he moves immediately to activate the monitors and sound system, quickly scanning the club to ensure he's aware of who is where. His eye still on the screens, he moves around the room collecting the dross-as-nickknacks he's placed around the office.

CC knows where the cameras are, audio as well...and she is seen on one screen pulling the troll along by a hand. She laughs and smiles as if meeting an old friend, "You are the last person I suspected."

Shadwell grins, "Somehow I doubt that, but thank you. This is a nice place you've set up. I should have known you'd be drawn back to the spot light. You steal every show you're in, CC."

"Why thank you," She replies, "Now what brings you to my town?"

"Congratultions, ofcourse, for your excellent work on behalf of the court...on Samhain. That bit with the Dougal? Inspired!"/ She laughs, "Oh she's happier for it. Have you tried her? "her eyes grow dark with interest, //"Now CC, didn't you tell me gentlemen shouldn't tell? Yes, the Court is impressed. And... we have come to one conclusion...you are being wasted here with just this one time of a year nonsense. A woman of your talents? Your expertise?"

OOC: we pause to let our EBG respond in the office even if it's only facial expressions or thoughts 🙂

Collection complete, he seeks the blades and black leather case in his desk, bringing them to hers and arming himself while he watches.

BIC: "I'm an old goat dear , missions of that sort take glamour I don't have," She raises a brow, "And you know I find ravaging to excess gauche as well as self defeating. It would draw attention to me, and we know how attention works against us. That's why I prefer Samhain. I can have the center stage, and no one remembers."//"We would provide the dross, and the dreamers, indeed, Dreamers are no trouble at all in this area. But what we'd want would be abroad. You can make time."

CC raises a brow, "I fufill my duties to the court." //He laughs, "You pretend to serve the court, and only once a year at that. The greatest mistake they ever made was letting you go. And you miss it sometimes, admit it." He takes her hands. "She sighs, "Sometimes. Yes." /"And other things?" Shadwell kisses her, "We might work together again." He adds when the kiss parts, "Or, you could work with whoever is watching from the cameras?"//CC smirks, "That would be Rocco, a redcap. he's my creature."//"Oh. Interesting. Was Rocco dressed as a devil this Samhain?"// "mmph, no. Afraid that asset became a liablity. I dumped him."//"Odd... you told me you didn't like letting go of anything that was yours."//"Every rule has an exception. You can trust Rocco to do what I say.And keep my secrets."

OOC: Another pause for Boggan post 🙂

He stays pinned to the monitors, watching, jaw clenched.

BIC: "I have something for you, It might make things..easier for you." He holds up a vial of perfume, "Take a whiff?" // She raises a brow, "Is that what I think it is?" /"Distilled corruption, touch of samhain mist and dark glamour fused. One spritz and Unseelie legacies rise, even this close to Beltaine. It feels good,a nd might ease any...conscience. " "You mean remove it,"she sniffs, "Never knew you to need artificial aid before under my tutelage. "//"Ouch," he concedes, "think of it as a voluntary choice on your part to wear the skin that suits your mission best. It's simple, CC, help us out...and the Court will throw its full support behind your endeavour here. Why, we might even help see if we could turn it into a hold . It' has..potentional. Your club could be your hold."//"You mean my Club could be the shadow court's hold," She says, "I wouldn't own it any more." "Of course you would... you want this place to be a hold so bad you can taste it. ...but, if you really prefer just ONE more mission and back to your once a year half efforts? Then... you only have to do one thing."

His knuckles meet the desk surface once, hard.

"Just one," She laughs at the term, "I've found that men are not always good at measurements, particuarly when it serves their needs to twist them. Some fellows have sworn to me this..." She makes a spacing with her fingers about four inches apart "Is six inches." /He laughs, "Poor fellow. No, no.. the Balor of the Court have taken some losses .They need a new hold. One is ...available." //"Oh? Which one?" she says, "Some Dougal hold? I never understood why the balor enjoyed tormenting the Dougal... Dougals are dull, true, but.. hardly the worst."// "Oh,it's not a noble hold at all. We want you to weaken and usurp the Lady Twain"//"The paddlewheel freehold?" Her eyes widen, //"One of the only 'mobile' holds there is. Do this, CC, and the Balor have a new base of operations, and you will not only gain a possible hold here of your own, and power aplenty... we will swear oath that you only need to work for us on Samhain for here on out." He puts the vial of 'mist' in her hand. "Think on it."

His eyes admire her, "You're still beautiful." A lazy grin, "I would show you how much,but then, Rocco might get so turned on he'd eat whatever screen he's watching from."//"he better. Good bye, Shadwell"

"And Shadwell? Don't be so heavy handed with the Delusion. I thought I taught you natural charm."//He smiles, "we don't all have your gifts, some of us have to cheat." He withdraws leaving her alone.

On the camera, William can see her sultry smile collapse into a worried expression.She takes a deep breath, and heads to ...he presumes the office.

He can't help it anymore. He paces, watching, waiting.

She takes her time, and then...the office door opens, "Damn him. He knows how much I value the club."

"I'll burn it to the ground with everyone inside before he forces you to do anything you don't care to." The boggan snarls; and this is not something often written in relationship to them.

"And I still lose something I care about to teach me a lesson for defying the Court. Don't you see love? I can try to make it a symbol, but they know. How could I fool myself into thinking they wouldn't still be watching for the first sign of attachment to something beyond myself?"

"Caesar yes,but I swore them to oaths so stringent they'd break some of their own to get to him."

"Callidora, we can build a new club. We can move to Europe, or Antarctica!" He rubs his hands over and over themselves, fidgeting.

"They probably have a penguin pooka with a gun waiting for me..." sighs "How much, if anything, do you know about the Lady Twain? I tried to slip the basics into the conversation."

"Steamboat Freehold, on the Mississippi. She runs it, but 'Lady' is, I think, a courtesy vs. an honorific. I don't -believe- she's actually knighted, making her a commoner Freeholder. The steamboat moves, thus her name 'Twain' and her independence."

"It is a commoner Mews...much like Firnost, Eshu, some River animal pooka, a few nockers and a boggans.But a surprisingly number of Eshu. I was there before. I know the holder. Lady Twain might or might not be one of the boats Mark Twain himself worked on. There are no knights, no nobles... except that that it is 90 % Seelie...it's your ideal kind of place. " A sigh, "And the Balor are so spanked from the hands of others in other areas the Court wants me to undermine it so the Balor can have her. Dreaming. I can only imagine what you think of me for even considering it."

"You can imagine that I love you, because I do; nobles, commoners, freeholds and the Dreaming be damned." Firmly. He crosses to her and takes her hands. "I don't even mind that you are Seelie." An attempt at humor, a small smile.

"That's easily fixed... one spritz of the dark mist I'd be scaring the help," Amused, "And perhaps delighting you in ways that aren't in season," She kises his cheek, "You can't tell me that if I helped give a Commoner hold to a sidhe House you wouldn't feel betrayed love. I know it would cut you to the quick. I need to think of something ...something to throw the court instead, or perhaps to throw them off."

"I'd give it to them myself, for you." He says gravely. "No question, or hesitation. And I will absolutely assist you in anyway whatsoever in your plans."

CC looks very troubled rather than reassured, "I don't deserve you."

He shakes his head. "Do you remember speaking of being a dagger for me? The desire you had to do that?"

"Yes, and I admit...especially when I was unseelie, the idea of that ...thrummed. I would have slit the throats of those I'd seduced upon your command, but this is...different. That was a dark appeal, helping nobles is against everything you stand for. I fear it would undo you to push you." A deep breath, "William, I need your cunning, not to do what the Court wants... but for how to get the court off us ...how would you do it? I want you think on that..." She sinks against him, "For now, hold me."

He does. "Callidora, it is like that with me, now. To be a dagger for you.... or even, if you wished it, a dove. Thank you for not sending me away."

"You only say that because you're an idiot...an idiot for falling in love with me..." Despite her harsh words, she clings to him

"Shhhh...." He pets her, holding her.

"It's okay, I'm your idiot too.." she melts into him