A Leopardy Playdate

* Esei invites Ilistala to a play-date *

Arcane Library.
The shadowy outline of a twisted forest casts a dark gloom here. The smell of incense and candle-smoke is engrained into the very being of this room. A tall table stands in the centre of the room, a thick oak slab covered in melted wax and ink stains. Papers are rolled up on its surface, many in the process of being written. All around the walls stand tall bookcases, filled to the brim with ancient books and scrolls. A small window provides the only light, shining down onto the wooden floorboards through glass panes covered in dusty spider-webs. A library catalogue rests here on a pedestal. A library catalogue rests here on a pedestal. There are 2 elegantly carved ravenwood armchairs here. A wicker rocking chair sits comfortably here. A low, wine-red velvet couch stands here, its elegant frame fitted with plush, pillowy cushions. A dark onyx rocking chair here is shaped like an open-front egg. Reader Illyria, Listener of the Silent Knell is here. She wields an athame dagger in her left hand and a glittering black rose in her right hand. Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk floats here, suffusing the air with the sickly-sweet scent of blackthorn blossoms. They wield a dark, curved silver athame in their left hand. You may use the LIBRARY commands here.
You see exits leading east (open door) and in.
Dusan, the coruscant rumbles excitedly at you, bumping his head against you in greeting.

Ilistala, an enormous leopard tilts her head curiously.

Esei pets Ilistala, an enormous leopard ingratiatingly.

Ilistala, an enormous leopard flops down on her side.

Esei nods solemnly.

Illyria caresses Ilistala, an enormous leopard gently.

In a muted whisper, Reader Illyria, Listener of the Silent Knell says to Esei, "I have, yes. Or had."

Ilistala, an enormous leopard twitches her legs as she is patted.

Esei pets Ilistala, an enormous leopard ingratiatingly.

With a slow nod to Illyria, Esei shows their understanding.

A tiny bat flutters out from the shadows between the shelves.  It circles around in the air, squeaking a couple of times, before landing upon Evette's shoulder.  It wraps its wings around itself, its little red eyes staring at you.

Esei tilts their head curiously.

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk thinks to themself: ...has that bat -had children- up here without me knowing?

Ilistala, an enormous leopard lifts her head up to stare at the bat, the very tip of her tail lashing once.

Evette pats the bat's head gently with her index finger.

The bat squeaks again, its eyes squeezing tightly shut every time its head is touched.

A squat munchkin kitten with blue points examines her surroundings with caution, then wobbles over to Illyria to warily watch the big world.

As the kitten moves, a tiny insect crawls on the floor of the library right in front of it.  At the approach of the enormous-to-it feline, the insect turns around and attempts to scuttle away back whence it came.

A cat of black ink rubs up against Illyria, purring like a cat.

A cat of black ink rubs up against Esei, purring like a cat.

Illyria caresses a cat of black ink gently.

A cat of black ink's fur suddenly gives way to swirls and spirals of metallic gold from whiskers to tail, enveloping her body entirely, leaving only her eyes a pitch, shadowy black. She stretches and purrs loudly, even as the dizzying display of aureate colors seeps away.

Illyria begins to wield a large platter of bacon wrapped steaks in her left hand.

A cat of black ink chirps happily.

Illyria tosses a large platter of bacon wrapped steaks to Ilistala, an enormous leopard, and she catches it nimbly.

With a sudden movement, the bat flings itself from Evette's shoulder and swoops down on the insect, snapping it up as the unfortunate creature's legs twitch in alarm.  The bat then flies around in small circles above, squeaking, before it lands upon the munchkin kitten's back.

Evette's eyes sparkle with amusement.

Completely ignoring the rest of the goings-on, Ilistala, an enormous leopard hungrily attacks the platter of bacon-wrapped steaks, noisily devouring it all as she purrs loudly with contentment.

Esei exhales slowly, allowing a long fluid breath to creep from their lungs.

With a final squeak, the little bat lurches back into the air. It circles once more before fluttering back off into the darkness - gone, for now.

Scourge Evette Stormcrow, the Heartless thinks to herself: Come back soon.

Esei hums thoughtfully.

Gael enters from the east, emanating an aura of immense power.

Esei nods their head at Gael.

Illyria offers Gael a quiet smile.

Illyria sits herself down on a plush, elegant couch upholstered in wine-red velvet and makes herself comfortable.

Gael closes his eyes and inhales deeply, absorbing the scent of his surroundings.

Gael pets Ilistala, an enormous leopard ingratiatingly.

Gael pets a poofy, seal point ragdoll kitten ingratiatingly.
A poofy, seal point ragdoll kitten meows in distress at Gael and inches away.

Gael pets a squat munchkin kitten with blue points ingratiatingly.
A squat munchkin kitten with blue points lashes out from fear and swipes a tiny paw at Gael.

Gael pets a cat of black ink ingratiatingly.
A cat of black ink purrs softly as she butts her head into Gael's hand.

Gael exhales slowly, allowing a long fluid breath to creep from his lungs.

Ilistala, an enormous leopard slaps her tail once against the floor as Gael enters, then at the petting resumes her purring.

In a muted whisper, Reader Illyria, Listener of the Silent Knell says to Gael, "Good evening, Umbral Evoker."

A tenebrous leopard trots in with head high, butting Evette gently with her head.

A cat of black ink rubs up against Gael, purring like a cat.

Turning from the plethora of pets, Gael dips his head to those assembled, before turning a small smile to Illyria, "And to you, Reader."

Gael gives a black tincture to a cat of black ink.

Abruptly, a cat of black ink becomes nigh translucent, black swirling around the edges of her form. Through the lightened ink, blood and bone fragments can be spotted floating within, alongside the subtle glinting trinkets and herbs. She meows softly as her body regains its natural opacity, thick and obscuring.

A cat of black ink chirps happily at Gael.

Glancing back around at those assembled, Umbral Evoker Gael, Proselyte of the Awakening asks, "How fares everyone?"

Esei shrugs helplessly.

You say, "I am just observing the local fauna at play."

You say, "How about yourself?"

Gael pets a tenebrous leopard ingratiatingly.
A tenebrous leopard rubs up against Gael affectionately.

Umbral Evoker Gael, Proselyte of the Awakening thinks to himself: Missed one last time...odd.

In a quiet, lilting voice, Umbral Evoker Gael, Proselyte of the Awakening says to you, "Fine, I suppose. Still stretching the sleep from my legs, a bit."

Illyria scoots over on the couch, making room for Gael, and smiles. "Well enough. A quiet weaving, so far."

Esei pets Ilistala, an enormous leopard ingratiatingly.

A tenebrous leopard idly twitches her tail behind herself.

Disproving the assertion, Ilistala, an enormous leopard's loud purring fills the library.

Esei pets a tenebrous leopard ingratiatingly.
A tenebrous leopard rubs up against Esei affectionately.

Gael moves to sit down on a plush, elegant couch upholstered in wine-red velvet beside Illyria, giving both Ilistala, an enormous leopard and a tenebrous leopard a quick glance before tugging a mysterious sketchpad of black crystal free from beneath his robes, flipping absently to a page as he tells Illyria, "Quiet is nice, after last months events."

Umbral Evoker Gael, Proselyte of the Awakening thinks to himself: ...and no snapdragons in my pocket, this time.

Illyria nods once, though she doesn't seem to be particularly perturbed at the mention of those events. "In a way, quiet is nice," she agrees. "In another way, it feels like a lack of progress, though."

The pointed tips of Esei's ears twitch to some errant sound.

Absently sketching out a small, circular shape on a mysterious sketchpad of black crystal, Gael nods his head slowly before giving Illyria a small glance, "Even in the still and the quiet, things may still progress."

Illyria smiles at that, dipping her chin in silent assent as she leans over to study the ongoing sketch. "True," she says simply, tucking her hair out of her eyes to see the shape better.

Ilistala, an enormous leopard stands up, her purring ceasing with the absence of pats. Curious, she pads over and plops her chin onto the sketchpad, staring at it intently.

Esei pets Ilistala, an enormous leopard ingratiatingly.

Sitting upright in alarm, lifting a piece of coal from the page, where a small, familiar circular shape was just beginning to take form, Gael stares at Ilistala, an enormous leopard a moment before giving the large leopard a small smile, whispering to her, "I think you would look quite fetching wearing what I have in mind...beautiful and deadly." Carefully tugging at a mysterious sketchpad of black crystal, he adds, "But not if I can't finish it, aye?"

Ilistala, an enormous leopard tilts her head to the side, staring at Gael, but the motion does lift her head from the page.

With a quick motion to slip a mysterious sketchpad of black crystal free, Gael holds it off to one side, using his free hand to scratch at the spot between Ilistala, an enormous leopard's ears, murmuring a fond, "Thank you."

Ilistala, an enormous leopard rubs up against Gael, purring like a cat.

The pointed tips of Esei's ears twitch to some errant sound.

Esei exhales slowly, allowing a long fluid breath to creep from their lungs.

Illyria watches the interaction between Gael and the enormous leopard with quiet amusement, now tucked back into the corner of the couch in a comfortable manner. "Ilistala has a longstanding vendetta against paper that deigns to be more attention-grabbing than she is," she murmurs to him.

Illyria offers Esei a quiet smile.

Esei nods solemnly.

Esei pets Ilistala, an enormous leopard ingratiatingly.

With a slow nod to Evette, Esei shows their understanding.

Ilistala, an enormous leopard rests her chin back up the paper, looking up at Gael with wide, woeful eyes.

A caliginous leopard idly twitches her tail behind herself.

Looking away from Ilistala, an enormous leopard to look to Illyria, Gael gives a soft laugh before he says, "Maybe we could meet in the middle?" Looking back into Ilistala, an enormous leopard's wide eyes, he asks softly, "How would you like it if I sketched you, hmm? Then I can draw, and you still get attention."

Ilistala, an enormous leopard strikes a pose.

Gael consumes a sugar-dusted blackthorn pie leisurely, seeming to enjoy every bite.

Umbral Evoker Gael, Proselyte of the Awakening thinks to himself: Oh! She likes that.

Gael pulps the wood into a paste and creates a sheet of paper, then carefully cuts it into 5 blank sketch sheets.

Gael carefully cuts and prepares a number of sketch sheets, one eye fondly watching Ilistala, an enormous leopard. Counting the pages, he turns his head to look to a caliginous leopard, a poofy, seal point ragdoll kitten, and a squat munchkin kitten with blue points before giving a little nod, "Should have enough for sketches of them all."

A cat of black ink rubs up against Gael, purring like a cat.

A caliginous leopard turns her head curiously.

Illyria watches, smiling softly.

Gael smiles at a cat of black ink and pulls a figurine of a cat of black ink from beneath his cloak, murmuring to her, "I still have my little pocket Tsillah, don't worry..."

A cat of black ink chirps happily.

Ilistala, an enormous leopard snatches the sketches from Gael's hands, leaving only one sheet remaining in Gael's hands. The rest poke out from her mouth as she returns to her pose.

A cat of black ink crawls onto the couch, flopping into Illyria's lap and purring.

A caliginous leopard pounces on Ilistala, an enormous leopard, sending Ilistala, an enormous leopard rolling head over heels with her.

Umbral Evoker Gael, Proselyte of the Awakening thinks to himself: I wonder how many I'd need to make statues of all of them...

Illyria pets a cat of black ink ingratiatingly.
A cat of black ink purrs softly as she butts her head into Illyria's hand.

Flailing her legs wildly, Ilistala, an enormous leopard goes tumbling over, the sketch sheets left drifting slowly downwards in the air.

Illyria covers a grin with a hand.

A loud purr erupts from a caliginous leopard's chest as she half wrestles with Ilistala, an enormous leopard.

Gael leans forward to snatch his errant sketch papers as they fall, smoothing the now wet and wrinkled edges before setting them on the arm of a plush, elegant couch upholstered in wine-red velvet.

Gael breaks apart a piece of coal and plucks a thick shard from the rubble. With a careful eye he ponders Ilistala, an enormous leopard for a moment before making deft sketches upon a thin sheet. Looking up from his work he glances at his model and nods in satisfaction.

Gael breaks apart a piece of coal and plucks a thick shard from the rubble. With a careful eye he ponders a caliginous leopard for a moment before making deft sketches upon a thin sheet. Looking up from his work he glances at his model and nods in satisfaction.

Gael breaks apart a piece of coal and plucks a thick shard from the rubble. With a careful eye he ponders a poofy, seal point ragdoll kitten for a moment before making deft sketches upon a thin sheet. Looking up from his work he glances at his model and nods in satisfaction.

Ilistala, an enormous leopard rumbles softly as she plays with a caliginous leopard, the sketches apparently forgotten entirely.

Gael breaks apart a piece of coal and plucks a thick shard from the rubble. With a careful eye he ponders a squat munchkin kitten with blue points for a moment before making deft sketches upon a thin sheet. Looking up from his work he glances at his model and nods in satisfaction.

You say, "I should be off to tend to a few things."

Esei nods their head at you.

Esei pats Ilistala, an enormous leopard in a friendly manner.

Gael inclines his head politely to you.

You smile and say, "Be well - and please let me know if you need anything."

In a quiet, lilting voice, Umbral Evoker Gael, Proselyte of the Awakening says to you, "Likewise, Fang."