The train station is on the northern edge of the city, conveniently near the airfield. There's even a 'shuttle' service - some sort of steam-powered open-bed vehicle with benches to sit on and a canvas roof - connecting the two. Tulani points out the upside-down looking twin-envelope dirigible moored at the field, with the gondola and deck mounted on top instead of slung underneath. "That's the Olympia," she notes. "It does the midnight Parthos Express run to Olympia, we just need to check the launch date."
The moment Nicora disembarks from the train her eats start twitching in time with all the nearby clocks. "I can see why not many Eeee live here, the clocks would drive us insane," she comments as she looks over towards the airship Tulani points at. "That ship looks very expensive," she adds, "Can we afford it? Do you get a discount being one of the lecherous sailors that often pilot them?" Her lips pull back into a grin.
"Well, the alternative is taking the train all the way," Tulani explains with a feline grin. "Four more days of Titanian cooking and travel through barbarian lands and ancient monster infested tunnels, which I imagine will amplify the noises of the engine.."
"I doubt it will be that expensive," Mave claims.
"Fine, we'll take the ship ... even if I have to sell your body on the street," Nicora counters, sticks out her tongue, then pulls down her right ear and goes, "Nyeh."
The ride to the airfield is short, with a minimum of fuss. There are rules for vehicles in Blitzheim it seems, and people know when to get out of the way and the driver knows when to stop, so no horns or whistles mar the journey. Tulani checks the flight tables, and notes that the next flight is tomorrow night, giving them almost a full day in the city. Mave purchases the tickets, while Tulani tells Nicora, "The clocks aren't so bad. Once you get used to them, your heart sort of syncs up and you won't notice the ticks anymore."
"That does not make me feel any better," Nicora notes, "And we must get a room, it seems. A day until we can depart from their weird place. Are there any guides as to safe places to stay here?"
"You're looking at one!" Tulani says, spreading her arms. "A guide, not a safe place to stay. And I think the first thing to do is.. go shopping! The garment district outlet mall is nearby, next to the cattle yards. It's much cheaper than the downtown boutiques, but it can work up an appetite because of the smell from the slaughterhouses."
"So I don't get to stay in you?" Nicora asks with faux-disappointment in her voice. "Shopping, though, sounds good. My clothing selection is ... deficient. I would prefer not to stand out too much. Well, in the 'wow, that's a weird person' way instead of 'wow, she's pretty' way."
"Shopping would be novel," Mave agrees. Tulani laughs, grabs both of the Eeee around the waists and marches them towards the city. The 'outlet mall' she brings them too is different from anything they've seen before - storefronts added to warehouses, often selling a single style of clothing instead of a wide selection, which results in having to visit several in order to gather everything needed for a single outfit. The hidden advantage, however, is that alterations can be made on the spot since it's also where the garments are made in the first place.
"Mave doesn't need clothes," Nicora claims as they walk, "She can go naked." Of course that train of thought is quickly lost as she looks, wide-eyed, at the selection of stores. "This will take forever!" she squeaks. "Please tell me they don't use grabbits..."
None of the stores have names, but do have the type of garment they specialize in on display. The first one appears to be a lingerie shop, but some of the slips are suitable for casual wear. Tulani picks out backless black numbers with silver embroidered flames on the hems and neckline for herself and Nicora, and a cool cyan number with white flowers for Mave. "Funny you should mention grabbits," Tulani says, and grins, but doesn't elaborate as she pushes the women to the fitting rooms.
"You're so pushy!" Nicora complains as she finders herself quickly in the dressing room. After sticking her tongue out at the curtain, she unhooks and starts shimmying out of the one-piece she borrowed from Tulani. She peers at the slip for a moment, then realizes she has to remove her undergarments too. And maybe it should worry her now ... she actually knows how to put the slip on correctly. "This feels so light," she remarks as she bends and twists a bit to get a look at her exposed back and covered backside. "And rather short," she adds when she realizes it only goes down a couple inches past her butt.
There are curtained booths for changing in, but the mirrors are along the wall outside, where a Cervani doe attendant sits. Unsurprisingly, the gowns are proportioned with humans in mind (young ones, apparently), and tend to be a bit loose on the more slender Eeee frames. But they do look good, admittedly.
Nicora exits the booth and takes some time to look at herself in the mirror. "It's a little loose in the chest, waist, and rear," she admits to the Cervani. "Do you have any ... thinner?"
"Need to have some tail access put in," Tulani notes to the attendant. The garment seems to fit the Sphynx just fine otherwise. "But they'll be a good base for our outfits! What do you two thing?" she asks the Eeees.
"It's a little big on me. Do they have a thinner once?" Nicora asks Tulani. "And yes, tail access is needed..."
"We'll have them fitted!" Tulani announces. The attendant fills out a piece of paper, and then rings a bell. A little door opens and.. a swarm of multi-legged hair monsters spill out and climb over the women!
"Aaaaaugh!" goes Nicora, "Grabbits!" She still has nightmares from the last time. And it doesn't help the whole experience is slightly arousing, to boot.
Pinches snip and needles zip, while spider silk is used to reinforce or tighten as needed. It's thankfully over in a few minutes, as the garments become tailored to perfectly fit each woman, right down to the wings and tail openings for Tulani and Nicora.
Still twitching after the flailing bodies leave, Nicora can't help herself. She looks at Mave and actually asks, "Was it good for you?"
The elder Eeee just gives one of her enigmatic smiles. "I have never had quite that many hands feeling me up at once before," she admits.
Tulani hands the receipt over to Mave, with the happy grin of a shopper who isn't footing the bill. "I know just what to get next.. but we should probably change into our regular clothes first," she notes.
"The only thing weirder I have ever felt was with Melusine," Nicora notes, shrugs, and looks over herself in the mirror again. "Much better," she finally agrees. The Eeee then ducks back into the changing toom and returns to wearing her basic undergarments and one-piece. Sure it's dull, but it works.
The process is repeated at several more stores, and shopping with Tulani is a bit like being pulled around by a whirlwind. Along they way they pick up matching 'summer cloaks', which seem like sheer bathrobes with peasant-blouse sleeves, the backs removed for their wings, then come the leggings and garter straps, fingerless gloves and boot toppers (no sense in getting actual footwear for Eeee - they'd need either elongated gloves or comically overstretched shoes), chokers and finally odd, tapered wrap-around girdles that have the look of being cut from tapestries due to the colorful (often metallic) embroidery. Final assembly reveals quite a bit of thigh and cleavage, with the summer cloak left open and held in place with the girdle worn outside. The lace-collared chokers are held in place with Great Gear pendants, fingerless gloves cover up to the elbow and the garter straps are exposed to hold up the leggings. The boot-toppers finish it out, strapped around the heels and leaving the feet exposed.
For Tulani and Nicora, the dominant color theme is silver and black, while Mave is more blue and gold with white accents.
"This is ... like an odd mix of a town peasant and a minor noble," Nicora finally admits as she adjusts the lace collar a bit, then the odd tapestry-based girdle. Even with the odd observation the Eeee does look pleased with the outfit. "I must also say, it gives that feeling of empowerment; not unlike that crazy lady, Viktoria, in Draco County." She spins around a few times, waiting the cloth flow and trying to get used to the odd mix of tight from the garters and upper support to give the Eeee vleavage to the loose fit of the summer cloak. "I feel like I should be wearing delicate glasses now and carrying books," she admits. "I look ... educated."
"And the bonus is that it will fit Rosalind as well," Mave notes, also pleased with the look. Tulani is busy trying various poses, including one with her chin up and pantomiming drinking tea from a supposedly fine porcelain cup.
"That gives me so many ideas," Niicora admits to Mave. "Jewelry. It needs different jewelry," the Eeee decides.
"See, here in Blitzheim they have a middle class, between peasant and noble," Tulani explains. "And this fits, I think."
"A middle class? Do they get grumpy they're not nobles?" Nicora asks.
"Apparently not, since they still work most of the time," Tulani claims. "They also get to enjoy all the low-class entertainment of course!"
"Oh, well, I guess I wouldn't be upset, either," Nicora admits with a fangy grin. "I feel so ... pretty."
Mave pays the tab, and suggests, "We should wear these out, and find lodgings for the night."
"I agree!" Nicora pronounces. She almost wants to see the tab ... then decides its best to not know how much she might owe Mave.
Nicora then curls her arm around Tulani's and flutters her eyelashes at her, just because.
The sky is beginning to dim a bit outside, since they arrived in late afternoon and now it's getting into evening. Tulani shows how to hail a 'taxi' - which is basically anything with wheels for hire, from rickshaws to steam carriages. This gets them to the hotel district. The city is definitely laid out to accommodate vehicles more than flyers, it seems. The hotels are multi-story affairs, looking far fancier than the typical tavern-inn (although they do have tavern areas - they're just called restaurants instead). The Sphynx also knows where to go here, leading them to a building with the odd moniker of 'The Royal Cornwood'. There are no hanging pictographic signs explaining just what a Royal Cornwood is though.
"So, getting a taxi involves showing your thigh?" Nicora clarifies as they arrive at the inn, "What do men do?" It's also then she blinks at looks up at the multi-story inn, obviously impressed. "I feel like such ... an uneducated goon," she admits. "And out of place. I'm used to sleeping in a barn. Well, until I started sleeping in a castle."
"They whistle loudly, usually,
"They whistle loudly, usually," Tulani explains, and lead them up to the main desk in the lobby. The restaurant and bar are off to one side, while this area seems to be just for.. sitting around. The Sphynx arranges for a room, and a young human boy in a uniform carries their travel bags into what looks like a small jail cell set into the wall. An older man, in the same uniform, has a death grip on a lever attached to the wall. Tulani walks right in after the boy, grinning back to the other two.
Nicora gives Mave an odd look. "Do you ever feel like Tulani is leading us into doom?" she asks the older Eeee. Nicora then can't help but blink as she just asked the woman who leads her into doom on a regular basis if another woman does that. "Nevermind," she says with a sigh and follows Tulani into the little cell. "Just remember I can get revenge," she remarks idly to Tulani...
"Third floor please," Tulani says, still with that feline grin of hers. The older man closes the folding cage door, and pulls on his lever, causing the entire cage to rise up. The ceiling passes by the latticework door, becomes the seconds floor, which then gives way to the third floor. Here he brings the cage to a stop and opens the door again.
"Pity they don't have any cute spoteeEEE," Nicora starts to remark to Mave, only to devolve into a squeak when the entire room moves. "You could have warned me," she complains at Tulani, ears splayed out.
"Where would be the surprise in that?" Tulani notes. Once the elevator stops, she heads out into the hall! Instead of just a few rooms, there must be at least a dozen up here.
Tulani gets her butt swatted by Nicora for that! "This place is ... huge," she says, wide-eyed. "I've never been in such a place before. Wow."
"You live in a castle," Mave points out to Nicora, as Tulani opens the door to their room. It looks fancy.. but it's still recognizable at least. Two beds, a dresser and a bathroom, along with a balcony accessed through glass doors, which are also a novelty. The bellhop places their bags inside, and Tulani gives him a coin.
"Only two beds? There are three of us," Nicora points out when she goes into the room and looks about with rapt curiosity. "And a castle isn't for the public. This is very different!"
"No rafters, I'm afraid, but the beds are big enough to share," Tulani points after the boy leaves. "We could push them together, if one of us doesn't mind sleeping in the crack!"
Nicora looks to Mave. "I've slept in worse, so ... I could sleep on the crack," she offers.
"Well, that's settled then," Tulani says, rubbing her hands together. "So who's ready for dinner?"
"I could eat something," Mave notes.
"I could eat someone," Nicora claims, grinning fangily.
"Hmm, no vampires in Chronotopia, but you could order a bloody-rare steak," Tulani supposes. "If we eat in the restaurant, we don't need to bring money: they'll just charge it to our room!"
"I could eat one of you," Nicora notes, "Later, of course. I'll be a polite vampire and let you two have dinner first. I can order soup or the like."
"They probably have that!" Tulani says, slipping the room key into her cleavage and heading back to the door. "And we should have a decent view of the aurora tonight - although not as good as from the airship tomorrow!"
Nicora adjusts her summer cloak and follows Tulani. "Do we get room keys too, or are you the chosen one?" she asks the sphynx. When they reach the door, Nicora actually opens it for Tulani.
"I'm the key-master!" Tulani declares, holding her chin up as she saunters out through the open door.
So ... Nicora gooses her as she passes by. "After you," she offers Mave next.
Mave is pre-emptive, and gooses Nicora first before passing by.
"Fiend!" Nicora accuses as she follows Mave out and closes the door behind them.
After another ride in the elevator they make it to the restaurant, where the head water brings them to a table near the stage. A Cervani dressed in costume armor is performing some historic (possibly) battle with a man in a fake monster suit. The dialog is all spoken in Bosch, however, so it's hard to figure out just what is happening. The menus at least have Standard as well under each item.
"The moving room is disturbing. It makes me jiggle," Nicora notes as she settles down into her chair. She delicately picks up one of the menus and looks over it, particularly the section on soups. "And ... I feel bad for the monster up there on the stage. Did it really do something so horrible?" she asks. Nevermind that it probably did!
"Boschian horrors usually do horrible things," Tulani notes, and waves to the waitress immediately. "A round of Commissar's Select to get us started please, and a bread and cheese platter," she requests.
Nicora's ears perk. That sounds like either beer or wine! "Do you do horrible things?" she asks Tulani, grinning mildly.
There are lot of soups, split into three sections (as is the whole menu) for vegetarian, omnivore and carnivore tastes. Broths, creams, and something called 'stew tartar' that sound vaguely like a Sylvanian vampire dish involving bloody chunks of warm meat - but with broth as well."
"I settle for doing some things horribly," the Sphynx claims, and looks over the menu.
Oddly, the stew sounds like it would be the most nutritious for her as the shadow would only have to be used for the solid parts. She taps her claw on it, deciding that is what she'll order when the waitress returns. "What about you?" she now asks Mave, "Do you do horrible things?"
"Everything I do is beautiful," Mave notes, apparently deciding on a meal selection.
"Including me?" Nicora teases.
"Well, I do have some limitations," Mave admits, giving Nicora a sly grin. The waitress returns with two platters - one with a selection of breads and cheese spreads, the other with three fancy steins of beer. "Are you ready to order your entrees?" she asks perkily.
Nicora toe-pokes Mave under the table. "Yes, we have," she says ... and since they're all women it doesn't matter who goes first. "I would like the stew tartar, please," she orders and smiles to the waitress.
Mave goes next, ordering a stuffed flank steak, while Tulani orders.. a whole roasted and glazed dork - whatever a dork is. She then hoists a stein, flips the top open and toasts, "To an enjoyable journey!"
Nicora flips the top open on her stein and lifts it as well, clinking it lightly against Tulani's in the process. "To an odd journey," she adds, grinning, "And odder friends and experiences."
"To Epiphany," Mave toasts with her own mug. "May it await us at journey's end."
"Be careful what you wish for. The truth may not be kind," Nicora adds, grinning. The Eee then takes a long drink from her stein!
The beer is.. stout. It's not very bitter, but the alcohol content is more than she's used to.. and Nicora has no idea if Rose's body is a lightweight or not when it comes to drinking!
Nicora can only hope Rose's years in college and her stories of drinking means that she can handle it! "That isn't beer," she remarks when she finally lowers the stein, "That is a meal unto itself."
"That's what makes it so great!" Tulani claims after her swig. "And it keeps, because the alcohol keeps other stuff from making it go bad!"
"It is robust," Mave admits, and picks up a piece of brown bread and smears some random cheese onto it.
That causes Nicora to laugh. She takes a moment to look around the restaurant, trying to see what types of people are staying here with them.
Most of the patrons seem to be Chronotopian: Cervani, humans, Korvs and a few Khatta, along with a table of Jupani. No signs of Lapi, Skeeks, Skreeks, Rhians or Gallah from the train.
"We seem very out of place here," Nicora notes and draws another sip from her stein. It's her turn to take a piece of bread. She too smears some cheese on it, then cuts it up unto cubes. One of these she palms to hide it ... and just eats it with the shadow directly.
She can still get a taste that way, at least. The bread was sweet, and the cheese.. smoky. Mave asks her what she thinks of it.
"Unusual," Nicora notes as she decides to ease the shadow back into place so she can appear to be eating bread before her more liquid meal arrives. It always feels almost like something living squirming up through her when she does that. Disturbing.
"It's cheese," Tulani notes. "And bread! Like.. the oldest foods there are! And it's not even... magic cheese.." she adds, waggling her eyebrows and lowering her voice for the 'magic cheese' part.
Nicora has to stop a reflexive gag. "I hate you," she mutters to Tulani.
"When will Rose and Phlagaea start feeling discomfort from being pregnant?" Nicora asks of Mave. "I have often heard that being a mother is not pleasant."
"It will be a short while longer before Phlagaea begins to feel sick. The growing infants will press against their internal organs and cause things to shift around," Mave notes. "But it will pass."
"I am so glad I don't have to go through that," Nicora admits as she eats some bread now. "I do not envy them."
"Shifting stuff around.. ugh.." Tulani notes, grabbing the pumpernickel bread.
"And it seems Tulani is quite content to be childless, too," Nicora says with a grin.
"Well, I know that childbirth releases a chemical that makes you forget the horrible parts," Tulani points out.
"Volunteering to demonstrate?" Nicora asks Tulani and waggles her brows.
"I have no idea how that would even work," the Sphynx notes, and eats her bread with a purr.
"We find you a strapping Sphynx ... you get busy ... and in a few months," Nicora teases.
"Hah, good luck with that match up!" Tulani laughs. Soon, the entrees arrive. A 'dork' appears to be some sort of game fowl, and not so large as first thought.
"Gigi coast. Plenty of cats there," Nicora adds, grinning, "A cat has to be better than a dork, and probably tastier..." Her own stew earns a critical look as she peers at it, then sniffs the broth. Since the shadow is 'in place', she'll have to eat the solid parts first, then extract the ooze and drink thr broth. Her life is never simple!
The chunks of meat don't look familiar, but at least they smell nice. The flesh is red and oozing blood into the broth as well - maybe they can just be squeezed dry in there!
Mave has a much thinner cut of meat, wrapped round a bread and vegetable stuffing.
And so ... Nicora does try squishing the meat chinks with with a fork to get most of the blood out before she pops the morsel in her mouth and chews. "Or maybe Tulani was just spoiled around Rhains and prefers their ... size. Maybe that is why she always rejected me!" the Eeee thinks in amusement.
The meal proceeds in relative silence, given that everyone is hungry. There isn't enough blood left in the broth to really satisfy Nicora, of course, and with the shadow in her stomach the beer has less of a kick as well. She's still hungry afterwards, while the other two women look satiated.
"It was good, if not satisfying," Nicora admits as she extracts the shadow from herself under the table cloth. "Were both of your meals satisfying?"
"Mmmmmmm, very," Tulani says languidly, licking her whiskers. Mave just smiles contentedly, and asks, "So, which of us will you put the bite on tonight?"
"Any volunteers?" Nicora asks, "Or do I have to tie one of you up?"
"I'll volunteer," Tulani says. "I've had plenty to eat this past day, after all."
"Oo, you dare risk being in my fang and claw again?" Nicora teases Tulani and even waggles her brow at the Sphynx.
"I'm sure you can control yourself better this time around," the Sphynx claims.
"So trusting," Nicora teases, but she does inwardly agree it's not likely to come to much of anything.
There are after-dinner drinks - syrupy liqueurs that taste like candy and carry a bigger buzz than even the beer. Then it's back to the room, where Tulani opens the doors and steps onto the balcony. The view from there shows the towers of Blitzheim silhouetted against the garish auroral display of Bosch to the south.
"Oh, do you know of any good jewelry stores? I may want to get some more earrings to swap in and out," Nicora now asks.
"We'll have to go to the boutiques for that," Tulani admits.
"The places you wanted to avoid?" Nicora asks from where she stands on the balcony, her fingers lightly curled on the railing. "We don't have to, then."
"I didn't want to avoid them, just wanted to get a bargain for our outfits," Tulani notes with a grin.
Nicora releases the rails and saunters around to stand behind Tulani. She eases herself pbetween the Sphynx' wings and curls her arms around Tulani's waist. "Oh?" the Eeee asks as she goes up on tiptoes so that she can nuzzle the back of Tulani's neck.
"You'd better remove the choker first," Tulani points out. "Actually, since you're a girl it's probably okay for me to take everything off. You should too - blood is annoying to wash out, and we'll want these outfits for tomorrow too."
"Just ask Mave ... girls can be dangerous together," Nicora teases, but does let Tulani go and take a few steps back. Once back inside the room she undoes the choker around her own neck ... then goes about the complex task of releasing the various belts, buckles, and clasps that holds her outfit together. One by one pieces are removed, folded, and neatly set aside.
The beds have been pushed together, but Maves looks things over skeptically. Once she's shed her own clothes, Tulani bounces on one of the mattresses.
"Problem?" Nicora asks Mave once she spots her odd look. The Eeee then goes to join the bouncing sphynx. But ... she doesn't bounce, she crawls onto the mattress like a grinning predator.
"Wings and beds," Mave notes. "We sleep on our sides. So wing-to-wing and nose-to-nose is the best pattern."
"That doesn't sound like a problem," Nicora notes as she crawls up behind Tulani, then drapes her arms over her shoulders. "Mwahahah," she murmurs in Tulani's ear.
"What's gotten into you, anyway?" Tulani asks Nicora, and sniffs her breath. "Alptraum couldn't hold his drink, I recall.. but you seemed to do better!"
"Is a pillow-fight about to break out?" Mave asks.
"Shadow and Rosalind's body," Nicora claims. She licks the base of Tulani's neck where it meets her shoulder. Her jaws spread, then the Eeee closes them down firmly, pressing her fangs through skin with two sharp spikes of pain for Tulani. The pain eases quickly, though, back to a slightly dull ache as she starts to drink.
It's not quite the same as last time, without the kenning. And does it taste a little.. dragony? It could just be Nicora's imagination too.
Even without the kenning, it doesn't stop Nicora from, ah, massaging Tulani a little while she drinks. Minutes pass before Nicora's jaw releases and she sits back. Up comes her hand to cup the puncture wounds and help the flesh head. "You've been spending a lot of time as a dragon," she chides, "Kaira would not be pleased."
"Is she ever?" Tulani notes. "And were you groping me there?" she asks, a bit suspiciously.
"Of course not. Would I grope you?" Nicora asks innocently. "And should I bring Kaira out to examine you?"
"Ah, no, that will be fine!" Tulani notes, getting off the bed to pull the covers back. "We should get some sleep if we're going jewelry hunting tomorrow!"
"Are you sure? You tasted distinctly dragony," Nicora notes as she rolls off the bed to make it easier to get the covers down.
Since there are two sets of covers, it takes some coordination. "That's just because I was a dragon earlier today," Tulani claims. Mave withholds comment.
"I don't know. I think you need an exam at some point. You're indulging..." Nicora half-teases. "Which also means you can't tease me anymore about things I do!"
"Oh, I can so tease you!" Tulani claims, and pats the 'crack' between the two mattresses. "In you go, to be trapped between us until dawn, foul demon!"
Nicora leaps and lands right on the crack. Having prehensile feet make it at least easy for her to pull the blankets up over herself. "And whomever sleeps behind me ... have fun with my tail," she notes with a grin as she settles in.
"I know the limits of its reach," Mave points out, so takes the wing-to-wing position, thus leaving Tulani with nose-to-nose. "If you snore, I will lick your nose until you stop - and I have a very abrasive tongue you know," the Sphynx warns.
"And I bite," Nicora counters and flashes her teeth! "Goodnight, you two crazy people," she adds as she settles down and finally closes her eyes for a hopefully restful night.
The lights go out, the girls snuggle up, and the infernal hell-light of Bosch casts disturbing shadows on the wall, because Tulani forgot to close the curtains..
"The aurora can't cause any weird dreams, at least," Nicora thinks to herself. "We're not that close to Bosch and I'm not a Bosch demon." Still, she does watch the lights for a bit before fading off to sleep.
With morning comes grooming, and since Tulani isn't about to give everyone a tongue bath that means using the shower as their is no bath tub. Once everyone is fresh and dressed, it's time for MORE SHOPPING!
"See! I behaved all night," Nicora claims as she finishes dressing and making sure her tail is staying out of trouble for now. She also takes the time to check herself over to make sure her body still looks normal for its current condition, just in case.
Nothing seems out of place, aside from the skull pattern in her hair having further faded. She's still got a 75% charge on her orb when she checks it, before it's once more hidden behind shadow-fur.
"Hm, I need a hair touch up at some point," Nicora muses as she peers at herself in the mirror. She combs her claws through it, then stretches. "So, shall we go?"
"Did you brush your teeth?" Tulani asks from the room.
Nicora grumbles, then actually does go brush her teeth. "Okay, now we can go," she says.
The morning is cool, and the city's clocks strike the hour in echo of one another, which is the loudest noise outside of the occasional boiler explosion. A taxi brings them into the jewelry district, which is considerably more upscale. The shops have personal names and don't display anything - if you know what you want, then you know where to go, and they don't seem to feel a need to advertise.
"This place seem rather ... pretentious," Nicora notes as she climbs out of the taxi and peers about. "How do visitors know where to go without advertisement?"
"I think they're talk in infancy," Tulani replies with a shrug. "This is where the nobles and 'landed gentry' come. I don't know where regular people get jewelry from. Probably a bazaar somewhere.."
"So ... do you know what these places sell?" Nicora asks.
"I delivered to one once," Tulani notes, pointing to a little hole-in-the-wall shop with the name Grund (with an umlaut) over the door. "I'm pretty sure they do earrings."
"Aha. What did you deliver to him?" Nicora asks as she heads towards the indicated door. Once she's there, she knocks on it since she isn't sure if you just walk in ... or knock.
"It was a small package wrapped in black velvet," Tulani notes, then scratches her chin. "Or it could have been the velvet that was the delivery, possibly."
"Hello?" Nicora calls through the door, then knocks again.
The door is finally opened by a wizened old human, wearing a pair of ornate spectacles. There are myriad more lenses attached to the frames that could be swung into place for different levels of magnification. "I am Grund," he says. "You are here for jewelry?" he asks, looking at Nicora's earrings.
Nicora blinks a couple times. "Yes," she says, "I am fond of earrings and the like. Do you craft such?"
"Yes, please come in," the man replies in his thick accent. Inside is a narrow parlor, with overstuffed chairs and candles for light, with a door leading to another room in the rear.
Nicora dips her head in respect. "Thank you," she says as she steps into the parlor. "Do you wish to come, or wait outside?" she asks her companions through the door.
"I want to watch," Tulani notes, while Mave follows automatically, and takes the comfiest looking chair.
"Watch?" Nicora asks, sounding confused. She shakes her head, then folds her hands together in front of herself.
The man brings out a padded stool, covered in red velvet, and bits Nicora to have a seat.
Nicora looks at the stool, shrigs her shoulders slightly, then settles herself down on it. Her hands return to being folded, only this time in her lap. "What types of jewelry do you specialize in?" she asks.
"All types," the man claims. "Clip on, chain, pierced." He runs his fingers along Nicora's ears, checking over her existing decorations. "What are you looking for?" he asks.
"Decorative ones that can be used in my current pierce points," Nicora suggests, "Perhaps one with a cuff and chain that can be worn higher-up on my ear-ridge linking down to a lower one. "Do you have any experience with Eeee or lapi ears? Are there types you would recommend?"
"And of course if my friends have any suggestions as well, I am willing to entertain them," Nicora adds.
"Abu Dhabi style?" Grund asks, and checks the piercings again. "Chain is simple. Bells? Hanging bars from the links?"
"Hmmm, bars perhaps. Bells might be annoying with my hearing," Nicora admits. "Would a chain require a new piercing, or can it be done with a clip cuff?"
"Cuff may hurt, but can be done," the man says. "What colors or materials do you wish?"
"Cuff would hurt? Would a pierce be better, then?" Nicora asks, "As for materials, I am flexible. Something silvery, onyx black, or ivory, would be fine. It goes with my own coloration."
"Cuff is fine, your ears are not too thin," the jeweler claims, and begins removing some things from the pockets of his vest - all of them compass arms. He spreads one from near the tip to the midpoint of Nicora's left ear, then sets it aside and uses a fresh one to measure the distance from there to halfway to the base. Then he repeats it on the other side with another pair of compasses.
"That makes my ears feel huge," Nicora thinks as she holds still for the measuring. "Will either of you join me?" she teases the other two women once she can move again. "Mave? Brave enough to get the nose ring you once taunted me with?" she says with a playful smile.
"That would be suitable for a man, but not for your more delicate features," Mave comments. "I have plenty of jewelry for myself."
"My ears are small," Tulani says, waggling them.
"You two lack any sense of adventure," Nicora complains.
"I don't want anything that might get caught in rigging," Tulani claims. "I've seen a lot of ragged-eared sailors. Maybe someday I'll get my navel done though.. hmmm."
"Today is a good day," Nicora urges the sphynx. It's not one Nicora can likely have done, though, due to the shadow-tube.
Though .. Nicora does consider it now and looks down, then rubs at her own navel through her clothing.
Grund vanishes into the back room, then returns with a tray lined with velvet and displaying several different materials: chains of silver and white, colored glass bars along with metal, ivory and stone ones and chitin clips in various colors as well. "If you could please choose.."
Nicora eyes the collection of materials and even bites her lip. She taps a silverish chitin clip to go with the silvery chain, then looks more intently at the bars. Getting an idea, she selects one black and red glass bar, one green glass bar, one transparent 'ice-like' glass bar, one ivory bar, one ivory and black mixed bar, then one orange-red bar. All colors that mimic the earring colors she wears now; each color paired to someone who is, or has been, important in his life at one point. "Rosalind, Phlagaea, Snow, Mave, Tulani, and even Roogi, she counts out.
Nicora taps the side of her head. "Forgetful," she remarks, then picks a sapphire blue bar, then one spiraling short black bar, adding in the last two, Kaira and Melusine.
Grund moves the chosen pieces off to one side of the palette. "I will prepare the clips," he says. "Do you wish to see rings for fingers or piercing?"
"Hm. Sure," Nicora agrees, "Because she's considering her navel. And .. now so am I." She motions towards Tulani.
The man nods, and vanishes into the back room. The door opens once more, and this time it's a young Jupani who comes out, likely an apprentice. He has a selection of rings and other shapes, often with secondary loops connected to pins. "Ah.. I am Hector," he introduces himself, his accent even thicker than Grund's.
"Good morning, Hector," Nicora says and smiles to the man. She leans in to peer at the odd assortment of jewelry. She also waves for Tulani to come look if she wants. "Do you know how to do navel decoration?" Nicora asks.
Tulani smiles and has a look at the offerings. Some of the 'rings' are quite fanciful, being made to look braided or in different shapes, including gears and clock faces, which seem popular.
"Yayss," the young man says. "And neeeeple," he offers.
Nicora looks for something dark and shadow-hinting, herself. An odd thought for the fact that Melusine did reconnect her navel. The latter comment from Hector causes her to blink. "Nipple? Doesn't that hurt?" she asks.
"It all hurts, ma'am," the wolf admits.
There are some onyx pieces, but of course they'd be invisible against Nicora's own black fur.
One of the rings, a smaller one, is made of faceted crystal though, which catches the light nicely.
Nicora hooks that one with her claw and peers at it. "Hm," she considers. "I am not sure I am a candidate for such, though. You can tell if I am, correct?" She unhooks dome of the clasps on her tapestry-corset so she can expose her navel to the jupani.
This takes some effort, since it involves the corset and tugging up the slip, but at least Nicora has on underwear. Finding the navel is the next challenge. Hector picks an onyx pin, and affixes the crystal to it before holding it against the woman's stomach so that it dangles into the navel space. "Hmmm, need shorter pin," he comments. "Easy to fix. Do you want it?"
Nicora considers this. "Will you join me?" she asks Tulani with a grin.
"Hmmm," Tulani goes as she considers. "Are they easy to remove and put back?" she asks. Hector nods, saying, "Can add tube to make it simple." The Sphynx still seems to be debating with herself - probably because her dragon-form lacks a navel.
Nicora rubs her chin a few times as she debates it. "Can the tube also be removed at times when needed?" she asks.
Hector blinks at that. "Tube so pin can slide in and out.. if going to need to remove that, no need to get it," he reasons.
"Well ... I'll go for it, tube and all," Nicora decides and grins. "This trip is about adventures ... and not worrying too much, so..." She shrugs nervously.
"Not sure I want something shiny there," Tulani finally decides. "I work with Vartans a lot."
"Ah, adventure?" Hector smiles, moving the pin and crystal to one side.
"Almost a world tour. That is adventurous," Nicora claims.
"Mave, join me?" Nicora offers.
The boy removes the top tray to expose another beneath it, showing filigreed nipple protectors. "These go on and off easy," he explains. "No piercing." This does get Mave's attention, as well as Tulani's.
It also gets Nicora's attention. "I think we may all want a set?" she asks, looking to the other two for confirmation.
Tulani grins and points to a pair that looks they're made of intertwining silver serpents. Mave seems interested in a cloisonne style floral pair. There are different colors of chitin as well, some with embedded crystals or metal wire.
Nicora looks for a pair that either looks like design patterns that would have adorned the temple of Sunala, or some of the twisting patterns she saw at Gorphat's temple. In the end she selects a pair that is a mix of silver-swirl and emerald-green interlocking decorative knot work.
"You must trim the fur to expose as much as possible," Hector notes, and removes a small glass bottle from a pocket. "You brush spirit gum onto the areola, then press the protector," he explains.
Nicora nods at this, though her brow does arch a bit. "Adventure," she repeats, then grins. "Apply back at the hotel?" she asks.
"If you wish a connecting chain, I will need to take measurements," the wolf points out.
"Definitely back at the hotel," Tulani agrees.
"Chains?" Nicora asks the other two.
"That may be a bit too ostentatious," Mave says. "Dangling things from them could lead to accidents."
"No need for a chain for me," Nicora decides, "I'll have enough on my ears."
Tulani takes another moment to think about it, and also agrees that chains won't be necessary, causing a slightly disappointed look to cross Hector's face. "I will prepare the pin, tube and needle," he says, retreating to the back room. Of course, Grund enters at the same time.
"You disappointed him," Nicora teases Tulani. She returns her attention back to Grund quickly, though. "I hope my selections did not cause you difficulty?" she asks.
"I have done this many times," the old man claims, and from his palette holds up a double chain attached to three clips, so that it will provide a double-loop, with two of the dangling bars on each. It's twin remains on the palette, and the bars are arranged to balance the light and dark colors.
Nicora doesn't argue. Instead she leans in to examine the chains and the dangling bars up close. It also reminds her how many important people are in her life, wow. So ... her head tilts slightly to the right as she flicks her left ear forward for the man to try it out on.
The clips pinch at first, but the weight is hardly noticeable. With both chains attached, Grund produces a hand mirror for Nicora, and lights an oil lamp to cast more light.
"Ow," Nicora notes quietly when the clips are first applied. Afterward, though, her attention is more on the mirror as she turns her head this way and that to see the bars reflect or transmit the light. "That is quite different," she agrees. "I like it. What do you two think?"
"It goes with the outfit," Tulani says with a smile. "And will not be out of place in Abu Dhabi either."
Nicora nods once at that, seemingly pleased. "Good. I will stand out less," she says.
Hector returns, and sets up a small table with various implements, while Grund asks, "You are pleased then? No changes?"
"I am pleased with the chains, yes," Nicora agrees and nods once. She eyes Hector again and hmms in thought, debating if she wants to go through the pain or not.
The needle that the Jupani produces is.. big. And it looks like it's going to be heated over a candle flame as well. "Are you ready?" he asks the Eeee.
Nicora rubs her chin again. "Ah, I think I may pass on that today," she admits, chickening out. "Maybe we'll come back later, though!"
"As you wish," Hector says, and starts packing things back up without complaint. "I will hold your selection for another day."
"Sorry," Nicora apologizes politely, even if he doesn't seem offended by it. She even leans over and lightly kisses the Jupani's cheek as an addition to that apology. She also waits for Mave or Tulani to now make fun of her.
Grund boxes the protectors and writes up the receipt, which Maves goes to deal with. "I don't blame you," Tulani whispers to Nicora, while helping her wrap her girdle again. "I don't like needles."
"I have enough pain to deal with," Nicora admits softly once the last buckle is cinched back into place. "Plus ... other complications. My sanity returned in time to stop me."
"A sign of advanced age and sobriety, no doubt," Tulani says, and then gets a very child-like grin on her face. "But while we're in town, how'd you like to do something really fun and excited and not at all dignified?"
That little comment gets Tulani a poke from a very sharp claw. "Oh, I might be talked into something fun and not dignified. Just what are you thinking, hmm?"
Nicora asks.
"The Blitzheim Rides Park," Tulani says with almost a squeal. "Roller coasters and sky wheels and trams and battle boats and the tankerpillar and.. all sorts of games too!"
Nicora grins ear to ear at that. "Sure, why not?" she agrees happily. Then after casting a wary look to Mave, she leans in to whisper to Tulani, "And we must break her air of dignity somehow. Get her to eat a dozen candied apples. Wear silly hats. Something. It drives me crazy how 'in control' she is! Aaugh! We must defeat her. To the games!"