Meeting Ellie

5/1/2007

08:49 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.

[Timewarped back to Shortly after Cole Challenges For Fostern.]

Dark Wine and Roses - Cafe(#2116RJM)
This room is bright and airy. The walls are still a cheerful white, and the floors, moldings, and beams are identical to the ones in the bookshop. An oak-and-marble counter is set close to one wall, and a bar can be seen behind it. A swinging door next to the bar leads into the kitchen, which can be glimpsed when the door is opened. In addition to the lights hanging from the ceiling, several fans are also visible. Large windows open onto the patio outside. Tables and booths of various sizes are scattered around the room.
A glass door on the west wall leads out onto the patio, while the archway to the east leads into the bookshop proper. The door to the kitchen is behind the counter to the north.
Contents:
Ellie
Obvious exits:
PaTio  Bookshop  

[look Ellie]
Eilidh is a young woman who looks to be in her late teens, maybe early twenties, but no younger than 21. She's somewhere around five feet, four inches, with long legs. She's fit enough, but not all that thin; there's meat on her bones. Though she's no stunning knock-out, she's a pretty girl, thanks in part to an expressive face. Pale freckles are barely seen on her nose, a relic from childhood. She has long, golden brown hair that's slightly wavy, all one length, newly cut to her shoulders. Her eyes are hazel, somewhere between brown and a gray-green depending on the light. Nothing about her face is particularly note-worthy; it might be if she wore more make-up than a bit of mascara and lip gloss.
Her clothing indicates that she doesn't think much of Washington weather. When most people would be wearing a coat, she'll wear a t-shirt, maybe a light jacket, and a pair of jeans. She's always wearing jeans. As for jewelry, she always wears a gold chain around her neck with a ring hung on it. She's got one hole in each earlobe, though she usually doesn't wear anything in them. On her right wrist jangles a silver bracelet with what looks like wolves on it, if one's observant enough to notice; it's obviously a cherished piece of jewelry.

At one of the tables in the corner is a lone girl. Ellie's light brown hair has been carefully brushed so it looks nice, and she clearly put some thought into her clothing. Must be meeting someone important, between that and her jittery manner as she drums her fingernails on a tall clear glass of what is probably Coca Cola. She taps her left foot idly against the wood floor, peeking ever so often through the arch.

And just a little behind, a few minutes late, Yi comes up to the cafe dressed in attire that doesn't make her stand out from other customers. A light jacket layered over a pale colored shirt and dark wash jeans, the Gnawer fostern almost passes by Ellie's table. But then she pauses, scooting back a couple of paces and peers at the kin intently before slipping into the chair across from her. A keen eye might notice the small black stone dangling from a string being swiped up into the no-moon's hand and palmed away. "Good afternoon... Ellie?"

Ellie looks at Yi somewhat dubiously, but only for a moment. "Hi," she says, offering a stiff hand to shake although she's smiling. It looks strained, she looks a bit nervous, but it's genuine at least. "Aye, Ellie. It's a nickname but no one could pronounce my actual name seein' it written and all," she adds, tone light, trying to joke around to make herself feel better.

Yi shakes hands with less stiffness, but still a feeling of polite unfamiliarity. She's keeping her distance for now, in posture and vocal tone. Her smile though, is warm with an attempt to be disarming and reassuring. "I am Yi. And if you saw my name written out, I do not think you would know how to pronounce it either. English - not good for writing Chinese names." A joke for a joke. But onto a more familiar ground. "Cole has told you about me?"

"Aye," Ellie says with a nod. "All he said is how ye wished t'talk with me..." She trails off, her eyes for a moment looking briefly confused as to why, exactly, she'd want to talk to *her* of all people. "Cole said a little of why but, em, otherwise I'm not so sure. So..."

A bigger smile splits the Gnawer's face, accompanied with a purely mischievous glint. "He did not tell you that he has decided to enter a little competition with me," she utters with a nod. "Good, good. Very good. Yes, I told him to arrange a meeting so we could meet. I was... curious." Dark eyes flick off to the other customers in the bookshop cafe, and then back to the Fianna kin. She scrutinizes the kin with a growing bit of slyness in her smile.

Ellie shakes her head. "He did. I just am wondering why exactly you'd want t'talk with me," she says, clearly intimidated by that smile on Yi's face. Her hazel eyes are a little wider than they ought to be. She cocks her head to the side, biting the right corner of her lower lip, before asking, "Curious about what exactly?"

Yi steeples her fingers on the table, intertwining the tips, tapping her thumbtips in a stalling method as she ponders. "About what you think of him. What you know about him. How you have gotten his attention so focused upon you. I would guess, Love."

"I love him," Ellie says, bewildered. "But I... I know I am not as important, that there are other things more important." She bites on the fingernail of her right thumb, eyes darting away from Yi, and when she drops her hands to grasp at the glass of soda, she's once again looking Yi, this time straight in the eyes. "My dad is Fianna," she explains. "He's been gone all the time. I know I wasn't the most important thing, Mum wasn't, my brothers weren't. And it's going to be the same with Cole. And I'm okay with that. I worry sick, but it's...it's what I've chosen, I s'pose."

Yi tilts her head at Ellie for another long moment, as if the same gesture a dog would regard a human's babbling with. Then with a shake of her head, Yi bubbles up with light laughter. "You will be perfect," she states in her amusement, eyes twinkling with mirth as she regards the kin again. "Yes, totally fit for this task. I think I can trust you, Ellie. If, that is, you would care to help me in something."

Ellie's eyebrows raise. She offers Yi a lopsided smile. "I hope you're laughing because I said something good," she muses. "What d'ye need help with?" She doesn't seem averse to offering it, in fact she looks quite curious.

Yi leans in on her chair. In a conspiratorial kind of low tone, she utters, "Information." That one word, like a keyword, hangs there to color her next statement. "About Cole. You see, he challenged me once before. The first time, I did not accept. But this time, I think I have a good idea of what to do. Your family - they taught you a lot about Cole and his place before they let you be with him, yes?"

"A little," says the kin, now suddenly not wanting to divulge much information. "What d'ye want t'know?"

"Nothing yet," Yi retreats slightly, reeling in the line a little. The bait is out there, being teased on the water. "I would not want you to tell me anything until you understand what I ask of you. Because, it will be a sensitive operation. It would require you to be able to keep secrets."

Ellie links her fingers together, settling her clasped hands on the table. "Then what exactly is it ye want? Information 'bout what exactly?"

"With your information about Cole, help me," Yi replies, "give him a good teasing." She unhooks her fingers from each other, setting her hands back onto her lap. "I know it sounds strange to say. What I mean is, Cole is a very good man, and I do feel he deserves the chance to show his talents. I have thought of what I will have him do. And what he will do, is meet with me and we will have a bit of a teasing contest, based on each other's history here." She smiles again at the kinswoman. "And that is where I will need you, and anyone else Cole might know, to help me find out about some embarrassing moments about him."

At the explanation, Ellie's face brightens. She gets a sly smile playing on her lips. "I'll help," she chirps almost instantly. "I'm not sure I know a lot of funny things, but I could think of some!"

Yi widens her grin, seeing the kin hearken to the idea. She bobs her head, leaning in once again. "Well, I plan to use as much as I can get. Ah, but you have to keep this a secret from him. It is very, very important that Cole does not suspect you are doing this for me. At the same time, I must be sure you /want/ to do this. ... Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Ellie says, taking a sip from her soda at last. "I just need to think a wee bit on it, get myself some ideas..."

Nodding, Yi looks satisfied with the kin's decision. "And do you think you could pass this news on to maybe the other Fianna kin? Perhaps they know some more as well. I could meet with them too. But really, do not trouble yourself to think too hard about it. Just... tell me a little bit about how you two met."

Ellie snorts in amusement. "It was set up," she tells Yi. She pauses, and adds, "I don't know any other kin here, really. I've not met many people here, aside from Cole, ye, some folks in my lectures... Guess it makes me a hermit."

Yi purses her lips, fingertapping on the table. "Ay, and here I thought Fianna liked to talk a lot with each other. Maybe this can be a good chance to get to know the others here then, for you. What about Cole, though? Did you like him when you met him?"

"I did. He did most of the talking for awhile, then he got into books and stories and I wouldn't stop gabbin'," Ellie admits with a shy little smile. "I was...intimidated a wee bit, like I am with ye."

"Me?" Yi echoes, glancing down at herself as if to try and find where it is that she might be viewed as intimidating from. And apparently not finding any, she looks back up to the kin with again that disarming smile. "Well, you do not have to worry about me. But worry about Cole a little bit... if he happens to suspect you later for having told me some dirty little secrets about him, he might look at you suspiciously. I hope you are able to handle that." She gives Ellie a wry grin at that. "Books and stories?"

"I'm studying English Literature," Ellie explains, "so it's... it's interesting." She smiles then, a sort of lovesick dorky smile that's equal parts cute and lame. "Cole likes it, at least. He tells me all sorts of things, it's very interesting and fun."

Yi scoots her chair in, and yet almost sits perched on the edge of it. "What sorts of things?" she entices like a good friend who wants to hear the gossip.

Now the Scottish kin just stares at Yi. She's surprised, apparently. "Em, well, I am studying a lot of old literature," she explains slowly. "Shakespeare." Ellie sure doesn't sound like she's expected Yi to have read Macbeth or something. "Things like that. Most people think it's dreadfully borin' but I think it's really...neat."

"Shakespeare. I see," Yi replies with slow nods. Then her eyes slip down to the table, and it's her turn to look just a little bit guilty. "I have not read Shakespeare, but I know those who have. I do not read English very well." And yet, the Gnawer can speak it understandably. With another shake of her head, she gets back on track. "But, I was more asking about the kinds of things Cole talked to you about. You know, maybe he told you some kind of story about himself?"

Ellie lets out a thoughtful 'hmm' sound, chewing her lower lip. "I don't think he did," she admits slowly, shaking her head. "I'd need to sit down and really think about it, funny things he's told me, but he's surely told me *some* things! I just can't think of 'em right now..."

Holding up a hand, Yi gestures for the girl to slow down. "It's ok. This is only the beginning of the idea for the challenge. There are still many more opportunities and things to happen before the time comes. But this will help us all understand each other better, now that we are paying attention to one another. Maybe I can convince you to come to the farmhouse in the future? I am afraid I will not be coming to the city very often, as I need to stay behind and guard."

"I should be able to come by the farmhouse." Ellie sips at her soda, looking out the window. "How could I get in touch with ye?"

Lowering her hand back down, but using it to push herself up to her feet, Yi stands. "Leave a note at the farmhouse when you do stop by there. Or, perhaps if you are willing, you could stop by the Odeon. That is where the rest of my Family are." The capitalization emphasizes the word, and Yi's knowing smile explains. "One of them should be able to pass the word along to me then."

"Odeon?" Ellie echoes, brows furrowing. "Where's that?"

"Downtown, along Jermantown avenue." Yi casts a quick once over of Ellie's physical appearance before adding, "You might want to come with someone, just in case. Or, if you leave me your info I could ask one of my sisters. Masao is a very nice girl - I often ask her to watch my flat."

"I should," Ellie murmurs to herself. Commence lip-biting. "I'll...do that, or leave a note. That sound good?"

Yi nods knowingly, digging into her pocket to extract a small wrinkled but folded piece of paper that's partially rolled with a pencil stolen from the public library - the stubby kinds with no erasers and barely enough lead to write with. "In truth, the Odeon is not in business anymore. But the building still stands. It isn't much, but we try to make do."

Ellie's eyes follow Yi's hands, the pencil, the paper. "D'ye need a pen? I've got one, if the pencil doesn't work," she says quietly. "I think that would be best, if I go there, it's not as far as the farmhouse..." She is thinking aloud.

Yi shakes her head, ending up pressing a little harder to get some of that last bit of lead in, but finishing the map for the Odeon. "This pencil has plenty of lead left inside," she says as she passes the piece of paper over. "And any way you choose, as long as you reach someone it should reach me. I will look forward to hearing from you." The pencil slips back into her pocket. "And if you see Cole soon, feel free to tell him I have spoken to you. This means that I have fully accepted his challenge." She grins, and steps out from around the table.

Ellie reaches for the piece of paper. She peers at the crude map Yi has drawn, looking it over, brows furrowing, thinking about where this place is, the streets, so on. "I think I've got it," she says. "It was...nice t'meet ye." Now she smiles again at Yi, a genuine, full smile that lights up her face.

Yi dips her head in a bit of a bow. "It is always a pleasure to meet more of the family," she returns. "Until next time, Ellie." And on that note, the Gnawer turns to go, heading back the way she came through the archway of the bookstore and on down the stairs.

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