In the Shadows of the Cabaret Room

[Wyvern]

Several pennites lounging in the Cabaret Room tilt their heads and raise their brows as Wyvern barges in, carrying what appears to be a large sun umbrella in one claw and pulling an even larger cart with the other. The contents of the cart are hidden under a massive Almost Dragonic Brand Product Promotional Tee™, which stretches all the way to the floor and occasionally gets caught in the cart’s wheels. Wyvern grins to himself as part of the huge T-shirt gets stuck in the spokes again, pausing and kneeling with a deliberate laziness so that everyone in the Cabaret can see the add for Almost Dragonic Brand Medium-Quality Orcish Wheel Spokes™ that the T-shirt happens to display. Once Wyvern has removed the stretchy fabric from the spokes, he pulls the cart a couple more feet and parks it at the center of the room. The overgrown lizard then lifts the sun umbrella and bangs its pole into the ground, tearing a hole in the expensive Cabaret carpet and grounding it into the even-more-expensive Cabaret floor tiling. Given the position of the lighting in the room, the sun umbrella casts a long shadow across the chamber, stretching all the way to Degorram and interrupting her in the middle of a sunbath.

 

“I sss’pose this spotsss as good as any.”

 

Wyvern sits cross-legged under the sun umbrella, facing the tip of the shadow. He kneels forward and lowers his snout as far down to the shaded carpet as he can manage.

 

“Yui-chan, I know you can hear me through the planar void…” Wyvern smiles and taps the shadowed carpet affectionately with a claw. “I jussst wanted to wish you a very Happy Birthday, and really hope that you’ve been doing well. Who knowsss what kinds of obstacles those heated planes have been tossin’ in yer direction… I’m sure you’ll persssevere and overcome’em. Anyway, you’re alwaysss on my thoughts, and I’m sure there’re many other pennites who feel the same way.”

 

Wyvern stretches his wings and hops up from the ground, turning to his cloaked cart. He tilts his head back towards the shadow as he begins tugging at the Almost Dragonic Brand Product Promotional Tee™.

 

“I got ya a little thing or two here. Not sure if y-“

 

Wyvern fumbles and curses as the huge Promotional Tee comes tumbling down on him, causing him to slip and tangling him from head to toe. The overgrown lizard hisses obscenities and wrestles with the stretchy fabric until he finally tears a hole through the spoke advertisement image using his horns. The lizard pants and slunches his shoulders for a moment to catch his breath, then wipes the sweat from his scaly brow and turns towards the unveiled cart.

 

“Anyway, there’sss this little cake I tried baking for you at Celes Crusador’s Café. I think it turned out pretty well.” Wyvern sets the small personal pastry down next to the shadow, chocolate flamed and relatively round. The words “Hapy Brthday Yui! Lusent 4evr” are written on the top with whipped cream in an unmistakable almost dragonic scawl. “I gave it a test-licking and was satisssfied with it. Just don’t get a stomach ache over it if ya don’t like it or anything.”

 

With that, Wyvern turns back to his cart and pulls what appears to be a thin black blotch from the storage area. He lays the odd item down next to the cake with a grin.

 

“I alssso got you this miniature Shade Palette to compliment those magic brushes that Daryl got ya last year.” Wyvern squints and points at various sections of the palette. “It’s supposed to feature the colorsss ‘Dark, Darker, Darkerer, Darkest, and Pitch Black.’ Ya should be able to turn normal shadows into shady works of art with a little dab of this ssstuff.”

 

Wyvern dusts off his claws, removes his tail stinger from the edge of the Almost Dragonic Brand Promotional Tee™, and stares down at the shadow with a look of longing.

 

“Anyway, Happy Birthday once again Yui-chan.” Wyvern drops to the ground with his arms spread out in an attempt to hug the impossibly wide shadow, tasting carpet. “Hope you have a great one.”

 

OOC: Happy Birthday, Yui-chan. :-) All the best, as always.

[Peredhil]

Ghosts in and gives Yui-chan a bag of Peredhil best Polite hugs

[Patrick]

Happy birthday Yui!

 

*huggles*

[Yui-chan]

With his snout buried in the carpet and his beady little eyes closed, Wyvern didn't notice the stirring in the shadows, nor the fact that he and his generous gifts were slowly sinking right through the much-abused parquet. He slipped out of sight with not so much as a whisper, leaving the rest of the Pen members in the room to blink at a cart full of junk and a large shadow. They knew this particular trick, however. So they waited.

 

... and waited.

 

... and waited.

 

Three minutes later, as Peredhil stirred restlessly and Patrick scratched his head in confusion, a sparkle of very un-shadow-like magic gathered at the edges of Wyvern's impressive parasol shadow, glimmering like so much faerie dust before its expectant audience. It began as a nebulous cloud, the barest hint of a sparkle in the air, but it quickly gained form and motion, swirling in an ever-growing spiral that raised a gentle breeze. When the breeze had become a gale and the soft glow had become a harsh glare of exploding sparks, the spell began to turn in on itself, gathering at the center to form a blinding well of light. As the Pennites in the room covered their assaulted eyes, a trumpet fanfare filled the room, rebounding from the rafters with sound as bright and metallic as the light. The last note drew out just as the last of the light swirled into the center of the spell, causing it to implode with a blast of air and a final, brilliant flare of light.

 

As the flash-blindness cleared from everyone's eyes, they found a shape resolving out of the darkness, a square that floated above the floor, visible at first only as a contrast to the shadow behind it. It soon resolved into a simple sign, held aloft by a pair of hovering silver spheres. Large, bold lettering adorned the face, written in a careful hand.

 

"Party at our place!

~Aeg and Yui"

 

Even as the message resolved, a large, red arrow sprouted from the side of the sign, pointing directly at the large Shadow Wyvern had created. So the invitation was received.

 

 

((OOC: Thank you very much for the birthday wishes, Wyvie. I hope everyone here enjoys the day as much as I do. Please consider this an invitation to Aegon and Yui's mysterious new place. Everyone is welcome to help define the details from what little Wyvern told you, and I would be pleased if the Pen would roleplay a little party on the other side of the Shadow. Regardless, thank you all for thinking of me.

 

Yours,

~Yui ))

[Yui-chan]

Elsewhere...

 

Yui turned from the darkness with a laugh, her gaze seeking the familiar form behind her. "A touch dramatic, today, are we?" The criticism was softened by the love in her eyes and her arms wrapping naturally around her mate's waist.

 

"Nothing's too overdone for my sweetheart - especially on her birthday," Aegon asserted with a crooked grin, leaning down to steal a quick kiss. "Besides, I haven't crafted illusions in ages. It was fun to stretch the old enchanted muscles."

 

Her smile was his beacon as she turned away, taking his hand and heading over to where a few servants scurried to finish setting up the pavilion for their guests. Wyvern, having recovered quickly from opening his eyes to an entirely new locale, was already doing his best to lighten the load on the banquet table. "How about if you stretch some real muscles and help me get the last of the chairs set up, then? If you haven't worn yourself out with your recent exertions." Though she didn't look back at him, he saw her cheeks dimple and could imagine that teasing twist of the lips she always used. Saucy wench.

 

"It would be my fondest pleasure to serve the lady in whatever way she requires." He pulled her to a stop just long enough to let him sweep a flourished bow and steal one last kiss before resigning himself to the next task.

[Zadown]

A demi-plane of Shadow, attached to the Pen? Curious.

 

Wearing his normal costume of cream-colored white, Pain tucked into the long scabbard on his back, the Dreamer side-stepped deftly into the small pocket dimension. His eyes glowed soft green in the friendly gloom as he surveyed the surroundings, nodding minutely to everybody he saw before his gaze found Yui. To her he bowed as a planewalker bows to an equal, the color of his eyes turning lighter and a tiny smile nudging the scars on his face to a new arrangement.

 

"Happy birthday, m'lady. Hope these extra servants I still had lyin' around serve as an useful gift, ya."

 

As he finished his sentence, from behind him appeared a dozen or so shades of Tlaenor, almost invisible here in the world of shadows. It was barely perceptible, but they had a trace of servant's uniforms over their translucent, smoky bodies. With impeccable precision, they all bowed to Yui as a servant to a master.

[Lord Panther]

From his own darkened corner of the cabaret room, Panther, still chuckling from Wyvern's "presentation", stands from his table and makes his way over to the gateway to Yui's realm. After a quick sniff to ensure its safety, he steps through the gateway and finds himself standing in a shadowy world. He sees his friends Yui and Aegon, as well as a tall scarred stranger who seems strangely familiar as well.

 

He walks over to Yui and Aegon, removes the hood of his cloak which was hiding his face, nods to Aegon in a friendly hello and then turns his attentions to the birthday lady.

 

"Happy birthday Yui! I hope its a wonderful day, full of friends and, of course, your love."

 

Panther bows deeply to his friend and smiles. He then moves to have a look around this shadowy place, all the while keeping an eye open for more people that he knows...

[Wyvern]

Wyvern continues to gobble up platters at the banquet table as more of his troglyodyte news crew file in through the Cabaret shadows. The overgrown lizard pays no attention to the way that the troglyodytes fade into the dining room, preferring instead to focus on finding an accessible way to fit a duck leg, two drumlets, a pork roast, five potatoes, a cob of corn and an extra large bowl of soup into his mouth at once.

 

"Tassste's better than the carpet, that's fer sure!" Wyvern slurps up another helping of cheese raviolis while calculating a strategy to fit the pieces of food into a compact square. A troglyodyte wardrobe assistant passes by and hands Wyvern his uniform of choice for the occasion: a Hawaiian bib and horn lay combo. The overgrown lizard gloats over his food stash for a moment, then perks up his head as something occurs to him. "Sssssay, could one of you underlings look for my giftsss to Yui? I seem to have misplaced'em. Oh, and bring Lord Panther over here for a second would ya?"

 

Wyvern begins stacking curly onion cheese doodles in a castle formation on his plate to kill time. He turns his head and adjusts the lay on his horns when a troglyodyte shows up with Lord Panther.

 

"Lord Panther, great to see ya." Wyvern motions with a claw for Panther to sit, but the feline pennite chooses to stand when he notices the rather overwhelming amount of food on Wyvern's plate. "So, I ran the report off that info ya quickly passsed me... Are you sure these are Yui and Aegon's new quarters?"

 

"Positive." Lord Panther scratches at an itch behind one of his ears. "In fact, I just wished Yui a Happy Birthday in person."

 

"You did?!" Wyvern pounces out of his seat and raises his claws to his snout to hide a short squeal of excitement. His anticipation still shines through in the way his wings flap back and forth in spite of himself. "It'sss been far too long since I last spoke to Ms. Temae. The giftsss can wait, I'm gonna go wish her well this instant! Thanks for the tip Panther."

 

"No problem Wyv." Panther watches as Wyvern darts out of the banquet area and races down a long hall lit by candles to the left. He frowns and calls after Wyvern, raising a paw and pointing it in the opposite direction in vain. "Uhhh, except... Yui-chan is that-a-way."

[WrenWind]

A little late as allways Wren slips in and leaves a banner "Happy Belated Birthday" then wanders off daydreaming again.

[Finnius]

A little later, not to be out-done, a little blue birthday cake is sat discreetly under the banner.

[Quincunx]

Rydia's feet shot forward, the present (ooo! shiny holographic carp-scale bag!) dropped as her hands flew apart for balance, but neither elf nor package hit the floor: the hand which had snagged her collar held her up by the neckline and its mate snatched up the bag's handles. She kicked a bit for purchase, boots sinking into the nearer edge of the shadow, before getting one heel back onto solid ground and shifting her weight back under her own control.

 

"Rydia," Tzimfemme grumbled, "I did say something about black holes, and you did listen. Did you understand?"

 

Rydia pointed one ear towards the sign, then tracked downwards, following the arrow. Flecks of special low-light ear cosmetics flicked into the air when she replied, "That's not a hole, silly! That's a portal!"

 

Tzimfemme rolled her eyes. "I'll take the present, Rydia, and attend instead. Your head can be such an empty vessel, but at least the vessel exists, and I'd like to keep it that way. . .Anyway, go. Get to the d-e-r-b-y before you-know-who notices it. I can't handle her." She pivoted to Rydia's left, turning the elf towards the Conservatory, and propelled her forward. The naked mage watched Rydia, and only after she had left the room did Tzimfemme step and sink into the portal. Subtracted much more than just light to get a zero sum. . .

 

Rydia's handicrafts were well-suited to the shadow. Tzimfemme held up a hand and flexed it in front of her face. Only two or three people were thinking about her at the time, but the impressions were divergent enough to make the fingers' length fluctuate--yet the null space threw everything real within it into the sharpest relief. Only a few seconds' observation of the flickering real/unreal fingertips made her feel queasy. The carp-scale handbag, on the other hand, glittered wherever its outline touched the null space. Tzimfemme couldn't help glancing upwards to where spotlights should have been--then all around.

 

"I had expected. . .no, it was only implied. . .that there'd be more directional arrows if they were needed. . ."

[Wyvern]

Wyvern continues down the long candle-lit hall, his snout turning from side to side as he admires the elegant decor and peaceful lighting of the quarters. Framed paintings hang along the walls, mostly comprised of portraits without a single abstract coffee-stain canvas to be found. The overgrown lizard pauses and tilts his horns for a moment as he hears a faint murmer of what sounds like Tzimfemme's voice, then shakes his head and decides that it's his "Fan of Nekkid Mages" imagination running away with itself again. He takes another step forward, only to notice that there are now passageways to his left and to his right in addition to the one continuing straight ahead. Wyvern scratches his head and frowns a little.

 

"Uhh... Yui?" Wyvern swings his tail back and forth and glances back down the long hall with a slightly distressed look, no longer in view of the banquet quarters from whence he came. "Hrrmmm."

 

Wyvern snorts to himself and then perks up, pulling out a handy-dandy Almost Dragonic Brand Directional Arrow Coin Compass™. The item essentially amounts to a copper piece with an arrow pointed to the right etched on one side and an arrow pointed to the left etched on the other. Wyvern flips the coin into the air, then catches it and decides to make a turn to the left.

 

Wyvern hums to himself happily and glances about as he marches down the new corridor, his enthusiasm rejuvenated under the guidance of his special Compass. His humming gradually slows as he passes by a staircase leading downwards and several doors, and his frown of distress has returned by the time he reaches a dead end with an open door on the right.

 

"Hmmmm."

 

Wyvern flips the Almost Dragonic Brand Directional Arrow Coin Compass™ once again and frantically decides to go the left, walking straight into the wall at a rather painful speed. The lizard grumbles to himself and raises a claw to his aching snout, then decides to turn towards the door on the right. He wanders into a gorgeous bedroom, with cozy library shelves lining the walls and a pricey-looking four-poster bed with fine silk curtains.

 

"Yui...?" Wyvern frowns and bites his lip, decidedly lost. He spots a tall door that's slightly ajar at the far end of the room and heads over to test it out, letting it creak open and staring into what appears to be darkness inside. Wyvern hesitates for a moment, then lets his curiousity get the best of him and slowly steps in, shutting the door behind himself as an act of courtesy. The overgrown lizard fumbles around in the darkness, touching what feels like delicate hanging fabrics and an occasional soft item on the floor. Wyvern turns back to exit the "room" when he learns that it's a closed space, only to find that the door he had come in through no longer opens.

 

"Uh oh."

 

Wyvern tries the doorknob again to no avail. He taps at it and tries tinkering with it, panic slowly settling in. He grits his teeth, crosses his claws, and starts thinking happy Tzimfemme thoughts...

[The Portrait of Zool]

*Zool zips through...*

 

Ack! How did I miss this? Happy Belated Yui.

 

Missing you all!

[Quincunx]

Tzimfemme tore her eyes away from the glittering bag (twice as compelling as an ordinary object in the well-lit world ought to be) and peered outwards. There had been tapping, scraping noises. . .that way. Wyvern. He wasn't a blur of red at the far edge of vision, but delineated and detailed, with only the distant illusion of being smaller. The naked mage had to squint, however, to make out the door he was scratching at--doorknob maybe, the sounds of resistant wood wouldn't carry so far, though she couldn't be sure at this distance, and approached for a better view. Wyvern heard footsteps while he was picking at a door lock, and went into damage control.

 

"This isn't what it looksss like, honest! I dropped my, er, present for Yui in the keyhole, and I was trying to fisssh it out." By the time his words slowed down to hi-how-ya-doin' speed, he'd covered the door with his body (both hands further concealing the doorknob, behind his back) and further covered everything up with a winning grin. Tzimfemme had seen it before, and crossed her arms.

 

"Do you know what it does look like?" she began.

 

"Hmm," Wyvern mused aloud, and unconsciously tugged at the handbag while turning it over, "it looksss expensive--" Tzimfemme pried it out of his claws.

 

"Not that. It looks like you've been posted here to escort me to the party--"

 

Wyvern cut in, "Yui's a close persssonal friend of mine!" He leapt into the role and pushed open the formerly intractable door. His claws shone against the wood, as the carp scales had done against the null space. If Wyvern had been a modern photograph, the door would have been a century-old sepia-toned picture plate.

 

"Yes. Not the way I would have done it, but it's her house." The naked mage unfolded her arms, and then gave Wyvern a quizzical look. "Why do you have flowers on your head?"

 

*****

 

"Aren't you going to try some of the cake? It doesn't taste blue, I promise!"

 

The naked mage shook her head, once. "Sorry. Paranoid about ending up like Persephone. . ."

 

That. . .faded? dimmed? monochrome? quality had persisted as the pair, Wyvern and his sensitive nose in the lead, found passages that were gradually more filled with objects and less null space. When they had finally found the double doors behind which the party was being held, the pile of non-shadow-realm gifts on the table burned themselves onto the retina. What had caught Tzimfemme unawares (and mad at herself for not realizing it years earlier) was Yui's and Aegon's adaptation to the shadow realm; what, in the daylight of the Pen Keep, was ethereal flesh blended perfectly with the twilight backgrounds. Tzimfemme and the other guests wandered around the sitting room like mobile neon signs, and the less said about Wyvern's Hawaiian bib and lei, the better.

[reverie]

Many, happy returns to you on this your special day.

[Wyvern]

"Ya sure? It might look blue, but it tastes purple I ssswear!"

 

Wyvern licked the icing from his claws as he continued piling things onto his plate, having forgotten the reason that he'd trekked deeper into Yui's shadow manor in the first place. The overgrown lizard sneered and picked at the considerable portions stuck between his scaly teeth, his ego extra-bloated over having acted as Tzimfemme's personal party escort. He took a moment to bask in his own reptilian pride, glowing like a red light district sign in the room's shadow realm atmosphere, then gestured to reverie and pointed towards an available seat. After licking the remaining grease from his bib, Wyv raised his mug of booze and let a long hiss slide from his snout:

 

"Cheerssssssssssssssssssssss."

 

:-)