#earthrunes

"What's that?"

Claire mutters "I think she's saying she's a courtesan which is a fancy word for, well, prostitute."

A shrug. "I was given that advice, once."

A smile to Claire. "I do know what a cortesan is, thank you."

"A fiona? No." The Ailil smiles

"Advice to be a cortesan?" A shrug. "I can see why they suggested it. You'd be well-desired. But I don't think you have the temperament for it. Not a criticism, mind you."

"It would have been more comfortable than what I had been doing... and likely less dangerous than that hotel job, in its way."

"Oh, likely just as dangerous as that."

"Let's not refer to her as anything that brings up that lifestyle mmm not once the elevator...." The Elevator opens as the boggan says "Opens."

"But why....?" Then the doors open, and she doesn't finish the thought.

She nods, primly folding her wings against her shoulders.

Pure elegance, this is a top floor penthouse apartment, things made of the best materials, there's a door with a keypad, but as they approach it, a trilling beautiful voice calls open, "it's always unlocked for you, so do come in."

She looks at Delores curiously.

She tugs on the hem of her sweater and smoothes her blouse. A hesitation, but she straightens the oak brooch on her chest.

Delores tries the door and it opens "It's me, Delores, and I have guests who are here to meet many non sidhe-" As the door opens they see a pale woman with white wings, an elegant long neck that belongs in another time period of actress on silver screen in their hey day. Broken only by an elegant choker of black with a pale diamond any woman would. her dress is pearl in hue, and great white wings flow from her. Her hair? To fae eyes, seems feathered, indeed, feathery. And she is beautiful! Somehow, without being a sidhe, she rivals them. (Ap 5, Surreal Beauty Merit)

And then... a lift of her chin and a subtle straightening of her shoulders. Despite the clothing - she is Baroness Derynwydd. A princess in exile is still a princess, and it shows in bearing. She is a silver oak of Liam, and she shines like the dawn.

Her wings mantle slightly in surprise - tawny, speckled in bronze and gold to the other woman's white.

She nods her head gracefully to the lovely lady and waits to be introduced.

Miss LaFair is poise personified but she tilts her head in an indication of surprise, "Why Delores, your kith is always so kind to me,and then you surprise me on top of it?" She says, moving towards them "Please, if they are not here for genteel comforts then you must introduce us."

"This is Lady Coradel, ap Fiona. Ward to the Baron," At the mention of the Baron the pooka's impossibly largeeyes take in Coradel with even greater curiosity, then waits for the next "This is Lady Deryn ap Liam, and , this is Dame Claire ap Ailil. Lady sidhe, this is Ma... miss Lafair."

Sparrow extends her hand. "Charmed."

The swan pooka gives a sad laugh, "If you are not charmed then I am truly lost." She takes the hand and kisses it graciously, courtly trained, "Your wings, it is so nice to see one who has them, I always feel silly at parties being the only one. Perhaps we shall bring them to fashion?"

Coradel waits until Sparrow has been greeted, then also extends a hand. "Miss Lafair, very nice to meet you."

The same kiss, then a kiss on the cheek as well for Coradel, "And it is even grander to meet you, Lady Coradel. I have heard a litttle of you. "

"Perhaps. They do have a way of being noticed, don't they?"

"And I imagine much of it is scandalous." Coradel smiles.

"Scandalous? I'll have to look up the definition sometime and improve my vocabulary," She says to Coradel with a gentle smile. "A ward so attractive is always a spice to the standard broth of courtly life, I imagine." She nods to the Liam, her own wings a flutter, "I think they insist on it. Vain things. They must have their air, and their light. " The swan pooka almost floats to Claire, "And a warrior woman among you? Boudicia's blood perhaps?" //The Ailil offers her own hand, and the pooka treats her no differently thanshe did the two baronesses. Claire answers, "Oh, all of us are warriors, among other things. I'm the only one who decided armor was always in fashion."//"I suppose that's one fashion I fail at. I have no weapons myself, " A low flutter of her lashes, "Just the kindness of strangers."

"Some weapons are more delicately wielded, Madame LaFair."

"And often equally effective," Coradel agrees. She regards the room. "This is lovely."

She nods. "Yes. You have wonderful taste..."

"Thank you," Lafair says, "I so rarely hear praise it is nice to have it fill these humble halls. Wine? tea? I serve in the japanese style if you like."

"The Japanese style? I'm not familiar with that, but I would like some tea, thank you."

"Tea sounds lovely, thank you." Sparrow keeps her chin up, seated firmly in 'elegant lady' mode - the boggan, perhaps, might sense how much of that is defensive armour, but it comes across as quietly genteel to most.

Coradel catches Sparrow's eye with a hint of a proud smile.

"Tea is fine for me as well," The Ailil says

"Perhaps informal then," The swan says and despite the words, her motions in tea preparation are elegant and precise. Akin to what some of them may have seen sluagh at firnost do, but far more pristine, far more breath taking to watch. Every motion poetry.

Coradel watches with interest...she hasn't seen the sluagh tea preparation very often.

Sparrow watches, getting a far-off look on her face as the gracefulness of the preparation carries her away.

Indeed, Sparrow almost imagines another tea set, one long smashed in ages of legend, but it was a small treasure of the hold where she once had guests over for the most wonderful- As she spaces out, Coradel notices beyond the tea, the large roomy windows. A nice view, and a building across from the place with a glint of something , a figure has something in his hands, and the light caught it, long slim like a rod or ... something

Her eyes go wide....she may be wrong, but no time to waste. "Danger, get down!" Whoever's closest, she grabs her wrist and pulls her down.

"Cora?" She blinks, stumbling out of her reverie.

"Something on the rooftop across from that window, a man with what might be a firearm."

And the swan pooka flies into Sparrow and brings her to the ground even as Claire brings up her shield and evokes the wyrd! The bullet flies through missing Coradel as she goes down with the boggan.

She is NOT happy. "Can any of you fetch that wretch here?"

Sparrow lets out a startled sound as she's bourn down to the ground. "What? Shots?"

The bullet missed Coradel by inches, but sparks withe glamour as it hits the wall and out of that hole comes a chittering, as mechanical insects swarm about, like a cross between roaches and killer ants

"I'm going to need an interior decorator again," The swan pooka's eyes grow wide with fear despite her words on a minor detail

Sparrow gets to her feet, reaching for her sword. "I... I could fly, but..." She bites on her lower lip, looking at the swarm. "Dammit."

"Never mind, we have other problems, clearly. But if somebody can disarm him...." Meanwhile, she swings her right hand, and suddenly her little bangle charm becomes a full long sword, and she sets to work fighting off the critters.

Sparrow sets her jaw and draws her rapier - there's a flare of glamour as she becomes sidhe - drawing forth the wyrd.