The children blink at Ohm's words, and hesitate, but then the lead girl nods and says simply "Alright, Ohm-Ohm." They sit back and continue their game, with has something to with throwing and counting small pebbles.

After a brief waiting, Eshin appears across the light from her, eyes fixed on Ohm. Curiously, Ohm heard no sign of the ratgirl's approach despite her keen ears. Eshin holds a bulging sack in her palms, and motions the children towards their nest before turning to Ohm. "Greetings, god-king. You have arrived in time for feast-supper, yes yes." She motions towards the nest as well. "Please come and join us, yes?"

Ohm nods along, following Eshin into her den. She sits in silence while Eshin unfolds her takings — scraps, but plentiful enough to feed the young she surrounds herself with. Risky, though. Still risky. Ohm makes no move to join them in partaking, and does not respond when food is offered. Only once the others have all settled into her meals does she begin to speak.

"Progress has been made. The city is strange in some ways, familiar in others. It seems like a river; it flows in one way yesterday, but another today. Yesterday it whet the mouths of some, now those go thirsty while others drink deep. Ohm has been so see a Yuqi, the city's princess. She is supposed to sit high in the leader's pack, but it seems an outsider, called Satrap, is leader instead. From what those around him say, he is reviled. But he is strong, or the strong protect him, so he squats atop all others in this little pool. Ohm does not think that he would bend. The river gifts him greedily, so why alter its flow? But the princess, she feels slighted. Someone not of her pack has changed the river, and she thirst and wants it back. She is weak, though, on her own, with few trustworthy packmates."

"Yuqi wants to shame Satrap in the eyes of the strong who defend him, so that she can rip out his throat without drawing their ire. To do that, she wants allies. She will take outsiders or whole other packs, so long as she thinks she can control them. She wants to meet Seshin; a skilled thief who knows secrets that can hurt Satrap, or can make her seem stronger, is valuable. For that, she is willing to give Eshin food and safety aplenty. So that is why Ohm is here, to ask Eshin. If a meeting, where? If not, Ohm will find other solutions."

Eshin listens to what Ohm has to say with a concerned expression on her face, even as she fusses over her children to make sure they all eat. "Eshin knows of Yuqi. Princess-leader, yes, beloved of all, even the lowliest." The ratgirl nods vigorously, "Eshin remembers. Yuqi-princess does not know Eshin, but Eshin knows her." She scratches at her neck, going silent for a moment, looking over her children. "Yes, I believe she would look-care after my children. If Eshin can pay for that with work, that is a fair trade, yes."

At the mention of a meeting, Eshin waves the question away. "Eshin can scurry-sneak anywhere, yes. Meeting place can be anywhere. Finding Yuqi-princess at the heart-center of her power, getting there undetected, will prove my worth-skill, yes?"

Ohm brings a red claw up to her mouth, briefly imagining the princess waking up in the middle of the night with Ohm and Eshin looming over her, shrieking in terror. Very funny. "Mhmm, yes. Ohm-Sun will tell the Yuqi these things, let her decide where to meet."

Ohm remains with Eshin until she and her children have consumed or hidden away the rest of the food, then gives the ratfolk a quiet nod, a flick of her enormous ear as indication to follow before fading back into the shadows of the tunnels. The journey upwards is only slightly slower, Ohm's robust physique offering the upwards slopes little chance to resist, and she soon reemerges from the hidden entrance amidst the servant tunnels.

A few minutes later, Sun is striding through the grand stone halls of the palace, arms clasped sharply behind him — a pose Ohm had noticed the servants take up when waiting upon one of the inner pack of the palace. Having asked one of the other servants about where the princess was before entering the palace proper, he heads up to her chambers. Lifting up a hand, he gives it a heavy knock.

Eshin follows after Ohm-Sun through the palace halls, scurrying lithely through the shadows, sometimes hanging off unlikely handholds on the walls or the ceiling itself; they pass by a few other servants on their way to the princess' quarters, but no one notices the ratgirl.

After Ohm-Sun's knock, there is no answer for a few moments, but the Lunar's enhanced hearing can detect the sound of movement coming from within the princess' quarters. After a few more moments, the door opens to reveal Chung Ha, the princess' chief advisor, who immediately frowns in recognition of Yuna's steward. "Yes? Do you have business with the Princess?"

When the door opens, Ohm-Sun pulls his hand away, placing his hand over his heart and offering Chung Ha a low bow. When he straightens, the stern-faced man looks at her directly — improprietous, Ohm suspects, for a servant, but she finds humans hard enough to understand even when she can see them directly.

"Yes," Sun replies in his low, stony voice. "She requested a meeting with a contact. The contact has been told, and now wishes to meet with her. Thus," Sun gestures across himself before returning his hand behind his back, indicating a 'why I am here'.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:44, Mon 26 July 2021.

Chung Ha narrows her eyes at Sun, remaining silent for a moment; the stare the advisor gives him is almost hostile, but after a moment she sighs and moves back, opening the door further and motioning inside, into the quarter's sitting room. "Come in, then, and wait for a bit. I will get the princess." Without waiting for Sun to actually step into the quarters, Chung Ha simply turns and vanishes into one of the inner doors.

As soon as the advisor is out of sight, Eshin scurries to the side of Ohm-Sun and peeks into the room. "Are we meeting Yuqi-princess now, yes?"

Sun's golden eyes flick down to the ratgirl as she appeared, silently, at his side. Ohm does her best to form his face into a comforting smile. His lips do not move. "Yes, indeed," he replies, "though stay hidden a moment more." Placing a broad-rough-palmed hand upon the door, Sun stepped into the princess's quarters. He closed the door behind him, only pausing long enough for a shadow to slip through it and vanish among the furniture.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:47, Mon 26 July 2021.

Eshin scurries inside at Ohm-Sun's urging, and the two settle in to wait. Quite a few moments pass, but eventually the Lunar's keen ears pick up the rustle of movement again, and a side door opens to reveal the Princess and the chief advisor. Yuqi nods to Sun as she takes a seat, while Chung Ha stays standing at the princess' shoulder, still frowning at Sun.

"Sun, was it? Chung Ha tells me you're here about your mysterious contact, is that right?"

Sun gives the princess a shallow bow, ducking his head as she enters before straightening back up. "Indeed." His vast arms sweep behind his back, hands folding against one another. The motion causes his chest to bulge against the supposedly-generous confines of his servant garb. "Before you meet her, though..." Sun's golden eyes fix on Yuqi, weighing her reaction. "She is a beastfolk thief. If that will not be a problem, she is ready to meet you now."

Chung Ha's eyes narrow as Sun mentions that Eshin is a beastfolk thief, but Yuqi shows no reaction, except for frowning.

"Meet me... now?" The princess' eyes flicker towards the doors of her apartment, then after a moment towards the windows of the sitting room, before she trains her gaze back on Sun. "You have her waiting nearby?"

Sun's stony mask of a face tightens slightly as a hand raises to stroke his chin in thought. "Was that not the right... The meaning was supposed to be — the task is completed..." He stares off into some blackened corner of the bedroom, contemplating the irritating vagaries of spoken language. "... But, yes," he pulls his hand away, tucking it behind his back once more, "that is also true. She can meet now."

"I'm curious how a beastfolk could infiltrate the palace so easily, but I guess that just speaks to your friend's skills. Well, let's get this over with then, shall we?" Yuqi makes a hand gesture that Ohm does not recognize towards Chung Ha, who sighs and nods; clearly some unspoken communication having passed between the two. "Might as well not waste the effort you have gone through."

Sun gives his own nod of stony acknowledgement. "Thank you for the consideration, Lady Yuqi." He gives a gesture to the room, speaking to no one in particular; "Miss Eshin, if you would?"

Eshin scuttles from behind some furniture, appearing as if by magic, and carefully moves closer at Ohm-Sun's urging. Chung Ha visibly tenses as the ratgirl appears, eyes opening wide in surprise that she was within the room. She starts to step forward, but a quick hand sign from Yuqi stops her in her tracks.

"So, you're the mysterious contact. Eshin, is it?" The princess also seemed surprised at Eshin's appearance from within the room, but is otherwise relaxed.

"That is my name, yes yes. And you are Yuqi-princess, yes?" Eshin nervously scratches at her neck, clearly uncomfortable, and sticks close to Sun's legs, half-hiding behind the Lunar.

"Yes. Sun here has told me of you, that you are a very skilled thief. I can see that from the way you were able to sneak into my apartments undetected, even if you had his help. I find myself in need of someone of your skills, Eshin, and information you might have regarding your previous thefts."

"Yes-yes, Eshin has been told as much." The ratgirl pauses, then steps out from behind Sun's leg, clenching her fists and locking gazes with the princess. "Eshin will help, if Yuqi-princess promises to take care of Eshin's younglings. Shelter-feed them, keep them safe. Do this, and Eshin will do all that Yuqi-princess requires."

Chung Ha frowns at these words, and Yuqi's eyes widen slightly. It seems that, despite Sun's words, both the princess and the chief advisor had expected Eshin to try to bargain for more of a reward other than simply the safety of her children.

"Very well. I promise you, Eshin, that I will take care of your family. All your previous thefts will also be forgiven by the Alabaster Seat, given the help you will give us." She leans forward, turning to Sun. "Now, Sun, I think it would be best if you went to fetch Yuna. Given her role in this, it would be best to have this conversation with her present... and that will also give me some time alone to talk with Eshin."

Sun lifted a hand to his face, broad palm clasping over his mouth at Yuqi's suggestion to fetch the dragon-blooded girl. He held it there for a long time, fingers squeezing his dark cheeks until pale rivers had been drawn through them, his sunshine eyes staring at nothing, a storm of thoughts raging beneath them. Finally, those eyes moved down to the rat girl, Eshin standing proud like she was about to stare down a storm. Sun's hand pulled away, leading the imprint of his palm before it faded a moment later. He reached down, placing that hand upon Eshin's head, taking comfort in the softness of her fur. Finally, he took a slow inhale.

"Very well, Miss Yuqi." Sun's gaze met Yuqi's once more. "But keep in mind... a great deal of trust is being show in this. One day, the princess's trust will be asked in turn." Having said his piece, the man turned to leave the room.

Ohm-Sun's journey to Yuna's room was brief and uneventful, though the Lunar spent it weighing what to say and how to say it to her accidental confidant. When she did arrive, still stewing about her words, she did not push her way into Yuna's privacy, instead knocking on the door and waiting for it to be answered, so as to give her a little more time to think.

When the door did, indeed, open, Sun was a little slow to speak, but when he did, it was precisely. "Miss Yuna, the princess wishes to converse. Ohm has brought her the thief-girl. There are... a few other things that must be mentioned."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:01, Mon 09 Aug 2021.

Yuna startled ever so slightly at the knock on her door, mind shifting unhelpfully between running through everything she knew about Kori's nobility and etiquette and going over everything she remembered from the ledger-- which was, to be fair, likely everything in the ledger. The Guardian was floating nearby, as she found watching the little flame helped her think sometimes, and she quickly shooed it into her lantern, flicking the switch to turn it on.

With a quick, compulsive straightening of her clothes, Yuna opened the door with a carefully neutral expression so as not to appear too friendly to anyone too far beneath her nor too dismissive of anyone too far above her-- too on her level. There wasn't much of anyone who was above her any more. Technically. Much as it didn't feel that way. She pushed the thought aside as she came face-to-face with Sun-Ohm and tried to offer something approaching a smile to her 'steward', still not sure what to make of him.

The expression slipped at bit as Sun-Ohm spoke. He brought them to Yuqi. That was... Was that bad? How would that look? It was Yuqi they needed to meet with, so surely it wouldn't be too bad for her steward to bring the thief to the princess first? Confidence. It would only seem strange if she let it appear as anything other than her idea and their normal mode of operation. As if they had one of those.

Yuna gestured Sun-Ohm inside and closed the door behind him. She had to stop herself from asking by reflex if there was anything she could get for him. "What sorts of things do you need to discuss? If your thief friend is here, we should hasten to join them, no?"

Yuqi was alone with the thief, which implied a level of danger to the princess, especially if the thief was anything like Sun-Ohm. And it was another way Yuna had lost control of the flow of information, if Yuqi had a chance to question the thief privately. And she'd already lost the ledger and hadn't even been able to make Yuqi promise not to tell Chung Ha. Hopefully this is building some sort of trust with Yuqi, but either way Yuna can't help but feel that she's not doing a particularly good job at keeping things wholly in hand.

Sun weighed Yuna's reaction before responding, stepping aside to let her past him. "Yes, which is why Yuna should come promptly. The discussion can happen on the way. It will not be too sensitive."

A moment later, when they have begun the short journey back to Yuqi's room, with Yuna in the front and Sun a step behind, he begins. "Yuna's life has been sheltered, hidden away in the Scarlet Isle and away from the complexities of the wider world, yes?" For Yuna, who met Ohm when she mysteriously pulled her out of the ocean, her having such knowledge of Yuna's prior life must seem mysterious. No matter, Ohm thought. What was to be a gentle introduction to the strangnesses of life near the bordermarches would have to be accelerated, thanks to Yuqi's canniness. Ohm would have to rely on Yuna's own canniness to see them through. "Meeting Ohm was a first challenge to the prejudices the Isle tells you are truths. What follows will be one far greater."

As they approached the door to Yuqi's quarters, Sun brought up a hand, grabbing Yuna by the shoulder to stop her. An impropriety if observed, he was sure, but the offending limb quickly vanished back to his side. When she turned to face him, he met her gaze with a seriousness beyond his normally stony expression. "Miss Yuna," It was undeniably Ohm, not whatever amount of a person Sun was, that was speaking, "Ohm must ask Yuna to look, and to see, and to think... and to judge what is found with Yuna's own heart, and not the words of others."

Yuna nodded at Ohm-Sun's words and stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind her. She hesitated for a moment, waiting for Ohm-Sun to take the lead before it registered to her that she was supposed to go first. Sun-Ohm was her retainer, she should always walk at least somewhat in front of them. She started forward, trying to hide the little blunder by taking a moment to straighten out her clothing before starting forward.

Frowning as they walked and Ohm-Sun began to talk about things he certainly should not know, Yuna worked to keep her expression neutral for all that no one was around to see her at the moment. Many Dynasts lived and worked and stayed on or near the Scarlet Isle; it wasn't an unusual assumption. If it was an assumption. And calling Ohm a first challenge to prejudices was a bit of an understatement; knowing and working with Ohm was a possible grounds for... Well, she wasn't quite sure what. She was a Dynast, kind of, but Ohm was an Anathema. Possibly. Yuna was still hoping Ohm might be some sort of strange local spirit.

There was a brief moment of tension as Sun-Ohm touched her arm as Yuna was still unsure what to make of him. Yuna studied Sun-Ohm's face and remembered the odd, fuzzy creature she had originally encountered. She nodded slowly. "As you say. I promise to try, Ohm," she replied.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:18, Tue 10 Aug 2021.

Their brief conversation done, the two Exalts arrive at Yuqi's quarters. Chung Ha opens the door upon Yuna's knock, looking if not happy at least more relaxed than she had been before. She gives a nod of respect to Yuna -- slightly inappropriate, as she should probably have bowed, but there was no one too see -- and ushers them inside, closing the door behind her.

As for the other two occupants, they had moved into the lounge area of the princess' sitting room: a low table set in a corner, with cushions and plush rugs arranged around it. Yuqi is sitting sideways on one such cushion, sipping from a cup of tea and listening to Eshin animatedly tell a story; the ratgirl sits on top of the table itself, legs crossed, hood thrown back to reveal her very obviously furred rat-face, cookie crumbs plastered all over her snout. There is no fear in the ratgirl's expression as she broadly gesticulates, two cookies clutched in one of her hands. Just as the two Exalts enter the room Eshin reaches the climax of her story, to which Yuqi suddenly snorts and bursts out laughing. Eshin looks pleased at this, and proceeds to eat more cookies while the princess regains her composure.

Yuna returned Chung Ha's nod with a shallow inclination of her own. A bow would be proper, but it would not do to call attention to it now unless she meant to antagonize the advisor. And it would do more harm for her to mention it and have Chung Ha simply ignore her. And... well, Yuqi had treated her somewhat more informally before. That was probably fine, out of the public eye. As long as Papashan didn't take too much notice.

Stepping in, she took note of Yuqi and the-- oh. A wyld-tainted girl. An Anathema. That would be what Ohm had meant with the speech, but unless the rat-girl was hiding some truly terrifying abilities, she would not be so hard to deal with as Ohm.

This did, however, all but confirm that Ohm was not some local spirit. She was working with an Anathema and owed her life to the same. Yuqi was laughing with one. One covered in crumbs and looking quite happy and rather cute and she was absolutely getting herself into more trouble than she was prepared for. How did this happen? She'd been separated from Momodi for hardly a day. The Immaculate Order would certainly arrest everyone here, if they found out.

They'd also probably be all-too-interested in Yuna's rather... abrupt and irregular appearance into House V'neef.

But the princess was just talking to her, this strange beastfolk, this Anathema. And the Anathema was eating cookies and sitting on the table. Trying to keep her expression neutral and not to panic-- and Ohm was an Anathema, was almost certainly working against the Realm, was certainly more dangerous than Yuna had hoped and she had actively advised Momodi to leave-- Yuna tried for a smile. "Princess. Sun said you wished to speak with me."

And Ohm had wanted Yuna to keep an open mind. Because there was another Anathema here. Eating cookies with the princess. Who did not in any way, shape, or form seem alarmed or off-put by this development.

Sun follows Yuna into the princess's apartment, giving Chung Ha a polite nod — more polite than Yuna's, just shy of a shallow bow. The woman was more patient and thoughtful than she had at first seemed to Sun, not simply some bratty noble-bred retainer. She warranted a bit more respect than Sun had been extending her.

More important was Yuna, and the Isle-born exalt's reaction to what was, doubtless, a challenge to her beliefs. Sun watched as Yuna's gaze flicked from Eshin to the calmly-seated Yuqi and back, hesitating as she thought through the scene in front of her, before calling out her greeting. It would appear her silvery tongue and talent for social pleasantry — and, perhaps, Sun's cryptic forewarning — carried her through without spilling the beans on this ever more complicated spider's web. She was capable, this girl... and either open-minded or duplicitous enough to run with the odd circumstances in which she found herself. Ohm quietly decided to leave all future politicking to her. That did leave precious little for Ohm to do...

Ah, well. From the stories she'd heard of Realm politics, Ohm would have something to sneak into or someone to break soon enough. In the meantime, Sun slipped into place, standing at ease along one wall and gazing severely at nothing in particular.

"Ah, yes." Yuqi says, straightening and turning to address Yuna and Ohm. "Please, take a seat. Eshin here," she smiles and nods towards the ratgirl, who had stopped with a cookie halfway to her mouth and looked ready to bolt at any time, "is your steward's thief contact. I thought it would be better if we heard what she has to tell us together."

As she finishes saying this, Chung Ha comes by with a tray holding teacups for Sun and Yuna, and a plate with even more cookies. She sets then down in the table, then gently pats Eshin in the head before taking a seat next to Yuqi.

Right. Yes. That was perfectly reasonable. Sit down and have a conversation with the Anathema girl that her Anathema 'retainer' had brought along. Perfectly reasonable and not at all something that could get her in... Yuna didn't even know what kind of trouble. Questioned by the Immaculates, at least, and that would be bad enough.

Chung Ha brought tea for Yuna and Sun and the Dragonblooded took it almost by polite reflex and sat down, taking a sip. The advisor also took a moment to comfort the beastfolk girl and part of Yuna, the one that was succeeding at not panicking, took note of that fact. Meanwhile, the girl looked about as afraid as Yuna felt, seeming as ready to run as Yuna probably would have been if she hadn't met Momodi. Not that part of her didn't still want to get out.

Sitting down, careful not to sit directly next to Eshin lest the girl actually bolt, Yuna just about kept her smile in place and hid some fidgeting by taking a moment to smooth down her clothing. "A good idea. Likely for the best if we get straight into it, then. Eshin, yes? Could you begin with your knowledge of the thefts? Whenever you're ready, of course." She took a cookie and took a bite, but it tasted like ash. Yuna made herself eat it anyway. It was important to appear composed and in control.

Sun did not join the princess and Yuna at the table. He retained his post near the door, letting his ears cross the steps between himself and the table on their own. Probably, it was improper for a retainer to join his master at the negotiating table, at least without her explicit invitation. Not that it mattered; Ohm had done enough negotiating for one night. Day? Sun glanced, disappointed, at the sunlight sliding past the window. What an interior way to spend the last few days before Calibration.

When Chung Ha offered Sun a cup of tea, the retainer took it, offering her a polite bow of the head as thanks. He glanced towards the table, at how the women sat there were sipping at their cups, then down at the delicate porcelain that sat in his palm like a scared mouse. After a long moment of consideration, he rested a thumb against the cup's handle to stabilise it, curling the rest of his fingers around its body, then lifted the cup up to sip the fluid from its edge.