my friends and i, we got a lot of problems (rp for ihatepuns)

[dagger_dagger_dagger]

The morning after returning to Emon and Vox Machnia is right back where it started. Sort of. They are, thankfully, not still in the Underdark and there's light, real light, spilling in from the window beyond the table and turning the remains of more than a dozen breakfast dishes from silver to gold, but the arguments have started again. Vax really isn't surprised, given the gravity of the situation, the Horn, whether or not they can trust Kima and her people, whether or not they can trust Allura for the same reasons, but they're all going around in circles, now, and anytime someone tries to step up, to say their idea is what they're going with, the end, the others shoot them down in unison. It's the only thing they can seem to agree on, really, and it's getting fucking tedious.

That in mind and despite the fact that he already unofficially excused himself from this conversation long ago, throwing the towel in on trying to be heard over the others, he shoots a sideways glance at Clarota. A glance turns into a thoughtful look, accompanied by a frown, a moment after that, and a moment after that, Vax focuses himself inwards, practically shouting in his own head, even if his only outwards tell is him vaguely tilting in Clarota's direction.

Hey, Noodles. If I think really loud, can you hear me?

Comments

[glorious_goods]

Magic still wound around his fingers, Gilmore glances between Vax, Clarota and back again several times before finally lowering his hands. He shakes them out and the magic falls away in thick globs that wick away to nothing before they ever hit the ground. A moment of hesitation follows, a breath out, and then he turns, robes sweeping around him as he continues on down the hallway.

"You'd better be following," he all but singsongs, without glancing back to them.

Vax hesitates only long enough to shoot Clarota an apologetic look and tilt his head in Gilmore's direction as if to say you heard the man before moving to, yes, follow.

[ihatepuns]

Clarota sighs a little but brushes aside Vax's unspoken apology as he gestures for Vax to go before him. He does follow after that, posture still anxious, the tentacles around his mouth still a giveaway for how nervous he is as they twitch faintly as he follows Vax and Gilmore farther down the hall.

[glorious_goods]

Pushing aside another curtain of beads as they reach it, Gilmore leads the way into what are clearly his living quarters. As the curtain falls back into place behind them, the sound from the shop and the city beyond it seems to quiet all at once, a sense of magic enveloping the room, though Gilmore is not the source of it -- not immediately, anyway. He may have spelled the room to block out sound, to keep people from eavesdropping on his private conversations, to keep them from hearing him getting ready for bed, but that was some time ago.

That in mind, this old hat for him, he doesn't react to the sudden drop in sound -- nor does he look back at Clarota or Vax as he gestures them to sit at a table near the front of the room. Instead, he heads further into the room, back towards a smaller area, divided from the rest by fancifully painted screens, and disappears behind them. He returns several seconds later, and after a handful of colorful swears, an a aha and a laugh, a crystal in hand.

"So," he starts, setting it in front of the table. "This is a little outside of my area of expertise, but -- well, I traded a bard a ring for this, awhile back."

"What is it?" Vax asks, leaning forward over the back of a chair, still standing, to squint at it.

"Long story short?" And without getting technical. "When I turn it on, no one will be able to lie in here." Theoretically. Rather than add that, though, he glances towards Clarota, his eyebrows raised. "I hope you don't mind?" It's not really as much of a question as it seems to be. This is the only way he'll be comfortable with this until he's comfortable with this.

[ihatepuns]

Clarota looks around a little as they move into Gilmore's quarters, interested despite his unease. As he had mentioned to Tiberius when they had first met, he is interested in how others make use of the arcane, especially when they are allowed to do so openly instead of keeping it more of a secret, as he was forced to.

While Vax remains standing, Clarota does sit, hoping not looming so much over the rest of the room might do something to help make Gilmore more comfortable.

He tilts his head to consider the crystal as Gilmore returns with it and presents it, and then inclines his head a little. I do not mind, he assures him, his voice still in Gilmore's head. We have no reason to lie to you.

[glorious_goods]

"What Noodles said," Vax agrees, shrugging.

"Alright, then," Gilmore says, reaching to touch his fingers to the crystal. It sparks bright white, then fades, still glowing but with ambient light, now. Satisfied, he shifts away from the table long enough to sit down. "So ... "

"So, we took a little trip to the Underdark, recently, yeah?" Vax starts. He glances to Clarota, then nods in his direction as he returns his attentions to Gilmore. "Long story, but Keyleth and my sister found him, away from the rest of the people, and we kind of -- well, like I said, he's a friend."

[ihatepuns]

They offered to help me get revenge against the one who had corrupted my people, Clarota offers. I promised my help with their quest to find their lost ally in return.

He knows he'll have to explain how he came to return to Emon with the party, but he's not going to volunteer that unless asked.

[dagger_dagger_dagger]

"One of Allura's friends," Vax puts in, when Clarota stops. "Lady Kima of Vord."

Gilmore takes a moment, as if he's trying to place Kima's name. He knows of Allura, even if he doesn't know her personally, but Kima -- no, doesn't ring a bell. Still, he trusts what they're saying is the truth, if only because it has to be, and while he shakes his head faintly, he doesn't protest.

"It got messy, near the end," Vax continues when Gilmore doesn't. He's comfortable skating over the finer details, for now, even if he still trusts Shaun with all of this, despite his reaction. What happened exactly isn't his story to tell. "Clarota helped us all get out alive, and we brought him with us. Tiberius put the spell on him, to make him look human, so nobody panicked."

[ihatepuns]

He also saved my life, Clarota feels the need to add, with a look to Vax to indicate he means him and not Tiberius.

My... apologies for frightening you. He had suggested you might have something more permanent than spells. Clearly having one wear off at an... inopportune moment can cause its own problems. He does look a little bothered by the whole thing, still a little anxious that he's going to end up getting attacked here after all, even with Vax defending him, and actually sorry that Gilmore didn't know ahead of time what was walking into his house.

[glorious_goods]

Gilmore quirks an eyebrow, surprised in spite of everything that Clarota thought to apologize -- and that it's genuine. That's not something he would have expected from a fucking Mind Flayer and, once he gets a handle on that shock, goes a long way towards calming him down. He's still not entirely comfortable, but he's getting there, and that much is made obvious as he blows out a breath, deflating a little with it.

"Well," he starts, shrugging, "we don't get many of your people up here." So, having one suddenly in his shop would scare the living shit out of anyone, he thinks. "But ... if I don't have something, upstairs, I could start working on something."

[ihatepuns]

That is a fact most people are glad of, I think, Clarota returns in his same tone, and yes, Vax, that was a joke, try not to pass out.

When it's clear Gilmore's relaxing, Clarota does, too, the tentacles around his face relaxing, moving more gently as he breathes and speaks. My people do not commonly travel above ground without.. extenuating circumstances. Like being cast out, like he was.

Anything you can provide would be appreciated. He looks to Vax, though he keeps broadcasting to them both, just so Gilmore doesn't get an idea that he might be up to something after all. Though I may need to borrow the funds from your treasury.

Has anyone mentioned he's probably wearing something borrowed from the rest of Vox Machina that is likely too small for him? Because that's probably what's going on.

[glorious_goods]

Vax makes a show of having a heart attack, because yes, he caught that -- and then waves Clarota off. He's pretty sure Vex won't mind them taking a little money out of the treasury to help one of their own. Probably. Maybe. If she does, he can smooth it over by reminding her that they have money coming in from Kraghammer, if and when they get back there. Whichever way it goes, it'll work out.

Gilmore, on the other hand, looks thoughtful for a moment before, "Why don't we go up and have a look?" A beat. "I can redo the spell Tiberius cast, beforehand." He's more comfortable with that than leaving Vax and Clarota in his living space, even if he's pretty sure they wouldn't take anything.

[ihatepuns]

Clarota wouldn't take anything, but he would also feel even more awkward being here without Gilmore in the room with them, and he nods and extends a hand toward him, palm up, fingers slightly curled. When you are ready.

[glorious_goods]

"Two seconds, then," he promises, leaning back across the table to reach for the crystal still sitting in its center. For a handful of heartbeats, he just holds it, tempted to bring it with them, a security blanket when he's still not entirely comfortable with any of this, and then he decides against it. He can trust Vax, if not Clarota just yet.

That in mind, he brings the crystal up to his face, blowing a breath over it, like putting out a candle, and like a candle, the steady glow it's been emitting goes out suddenly. He carries it back to where ever he took it from, behind the screens, and returns a second later, shaking out the sleeves of his robe in a dramatic fashion, readying himself for casting the spell he offered with flair.

"Okay, here we go ... " And suddenly, Clarota is human in appearance again.

[ihatepuns]

Clarota just nods again to that, waits while Gilmore puts the crystal away again. He does tense a little despite himself as Gilmore prepares to cast - though he immediately relaxes again when he looks down at himself and sees the illusion back in place. Not that he thought Gilmore was going to try something, but, well. He has plenty of reason to be paranoid, really.

He doesn't actually mention that, though. Thank you. He pauses a beat before speaking again, a little tentatively. Not today, perhaps, but I would like to compare notes on spells with you someday. My magic was... frowned upon, among my people.

He still wants to talk to Tiberius, too, but he's mildly giddy about having access to so many arcane casters.

[glorious_goods]

"Definitely not today," Gilmore answers on a breath of a not-quite-hysterical laugh. Today has been -- well, something. Vax shoots him an apologetic look, catching onto that, and while he blames him for this mindfuck, he also doesn't blame him. That in mind, he waves him off before continuing, "But sometime, yeah. How often am I going to get to trade secrets with ... "

A Mind Flayer. Is that racist, calling him that? Does he prefer the term Illithid? Does he not want to be associated with what he is, at all, like Vax and Vex don't like having attention drawn solely to their elven heritage? He doesn't know.

" ... err, one of your people," he finishes, that in mind.

[ihatepuns]

Clarota manages to look apologetic again, too. He tilts his head a little at the pause, trying to pick that up without actually digging. He doesn't pry, though, just straightens again. Not often without great personal danger.

[glorious_goods]

"Nail on the head," Gilmore answers, surprisingly lightly all things considered. It's the best he can do to wave off that apology without actually waving him off. "But anyway. You ready to head upstairs?"

A beat.

"I promise the glyph won't trigger again." The trap he set was a one-time use sort of thing, like a mousetrap. He'll have to reset it, magically, before it works again.

[ihatepuns]

Clarota gestures. I'll follow you, he agrees, and he is planning to wait until Gilmore and Vax start out of the room before he stands up, considering his height and manner of movement are still not entirely natural. If he can avoid making Gilmore even more uncomfortable, he will.

[glorious_goods]

"Okay, then," he answers with a shrug, and that said, starts towards the door. If he looks back over his shoulder a few times, it's less because he's afraid that Clarota is going to ambush him (though, there is a lingering fear of that, there) and more to make sure their following. Vax is, and he glances back at Clarota, for the same reason.

[ihatepuns]

Clarota follows along after the two of them, doing his best to look nonthreatening. It probably doesn't work very well, considering he knows it's impossible for anyone to forget what he is, but he trusts Vax enough that he looks more relaxed, now, and less worried that Gilmore is going to be the one jumping him at some point.

[glorious_goods]

Gilmore copes. It helps that, sooner rather than later, they're upstairs, without incident, and now he has business to focus on. Business has always helped.

That in mind, as he ducks behind the counter that contains all of the jewelry he's enchanted, he relaxes entirely and almost improbably. He makes a sweeping gesture out over everything he has on display. "If I have anything that'll suit, it's probably going to be right here. Armor's ... not really the sort of thing that you enchant like that." Nor is he entirely sure he'd even have armor that would fit Clarota, given his size.

[ihatepuns]

Clarota can't imagine himself in armor anyway, and he tilts his head, looking over Gilmore's wares. Anything that will maintain this or a similar illusion when facing something like your glyph below will serve.

He'll let Gilmore actually try and sell him on one of them because he's really not choosy about this. Maybe if they had found robes first he would pick something complementary to those, but for now, he'll see what Gilmore actually suggests.

[glorious_goods]

"Well, that narrows it down," Gilmore starts, folding an arm over his chest so he can prop his other arm on it and fidget with the bead weaved into his beard. While he's still thinking, going over what he has on hand in his head, after a beat, he continues, "Most standard item enchantments have a tendency to kind of short circuit, when you hit them with dispel magic. It doesn't ruin the magic entirely, but it'd break the illusion for, say, twenty seconds or so, before it kicked back in."

"Which wouldn't be good," Vax decides, looking to Clarota.

"Which wouldn't be good," Gilmore repeats, distantly. "You're going to need something a little more ... " Trailing off, he continues to look thoughtful for a moment before refocusing his attentions on Clarota sharply. "How do you feel about rings?"

[ihatepuns]

Clarota glances at Vax and hums agreement, considering the speed with which their battles progressed. Twenty seconds can feel like a very long time.

I have no problem with them, he returns, subconsciously stretching his hands a little, and he actually sounds intrigued by the suggestion, mouth quirking faintly as he looks from the display back to Gilmore.

[glorious_goods]

"Okay," he drawls, attentions shifting off of Clarota again as he looks down at the case in front of him. When he doesn't seem to find what he's looking for immediately, he turns towards one of the other cases and looks that over, too. He makes a face, still nothing jumping out at him, apparently, and mutters something under his breath before ducking behind the counter entirely. He resurfaces a minute later with a long, narrow box, smooths a hand over the surface of it, seemingly deliberately, as he sets it down on the counter, and then cracks it open.

"Here we go," he decides, pulling a silver ring with a pink stone, banded in white out of the box. He holds it out to Clarota. "Try that."