The motley arrived in Paris late in the day. The Forgotten king had been unable to follow them into the real world. Without a body, he had no way to enter the world.
Gibber gets off the plane and sniffs he air. "It stink worse den dat dere gibber!"
Archibald exits the plane and backs away at the light.
Giselle is back to her human-seeming. She reaches into her purse, pulls out her cell phone, and calls for a limo to come get the motley.
Giselle motions for the motley to follow her through the airport until they arrive at the pick-up/drop-off area.
Gibbletooth follows
"It's too bright here." Archibald says as he heads into the airport.
Gibbletooth looks at Mr. Blacksin.
Giselle sees a man holding a sigh that says 'LaRouge.' "Aaah, zere eez our man! Come, come!"
Archibald: "What Gibbertooth?"
Gibbletooth: "Him's not too dat dere sure o dis dere boss!"
Giselle motions for the others to follow her, and she walks up to the man. "Bonjour, je suis Jezabelle LaRouge! Nous allons!"
Archibald: "I know what you mean, I don't like it either."
Giselle walks behind the man, looking over her shoulder to make sure the motley is following.
Felicity nods in agreement.
Gibbletooth follows Giselle to the car, staying close to Mr Blacksin.
Giselle puts her hands on her hips. "Come, come! I will show you my city! Eet eez beautiful!"
Felicity follows.
Giselle follows the man to the limo, and he opens the door for the motley-- raising his eyebrows as he appraises the odd group of people he'll be driving.
Archibald follows at a distance.
Gibbletooth gets into the limo.
Visible only to the motley, Thionder's chimerical form slips into the limo after the motley.
The limo pulls out and leaves the airport. Within a short time, they are driving through Paris, itself. Giselle points out all the major landmarks excitedly, looking at the motley's faces for their reactions.
Archibald is unimpressed.
Gibbletooth watches the sites with awe, sometimes pointing out one to Mr Blacksin.
Giselle raises an eyebrow at Archibald, and starts telling him about all the horrors, tortures, and mass-deaths that happened here...just to entertain him.
Archibald: "Yes yes, I've seen it all before. During the days of merriment when they beheaded many."
Giselle nods sadly.
Thionder's chimerical form looks out the window.
Giselle leans forward and says something to the limo driver, and he nods.
Thionder: "What city is this? Much has changed since last I walked the mortal world."
Archibald waves Giselle away. "Ahhh, twas a beautiful day watching the guillotine slice many a fool's head off."
The limo soon pulls up to a very tall building with a doorman.
Giselle whispers, "It is Paris...Paris, France. 'ave you 'eard of it?"
Thionder: "There was no 'France' when last I walked this world."
The limo driver gets out and walks over to open the door for his passengers. Giselle smiles and extends her hand, and the driver takes it and helps her steps out.
Archibald: "Think Gaul then."
Thionder shakes his head again "Nor was there a place such as Gaul."
Giselle waits for the others to get out. "Zat is...incredible! You have been gone from ze world for zat long??" she whispers to Thionder.
Gibbletooth: "Hims never been to dat dere Ferancey eidder!"
Giselle smiles at the driver and slips him some money. He looks in his hand, gives her a big grin, bows quickly, and tips his hat to the group before getting back into the limo.
Archibald gets out and hands the driver a strange coin as a "tip."
Thionder steps from the limo, his chimerical form still clad in the shining armor and sword.
Giselle looks at Archibald with a raised eyebrow. "What did you give 'im, Monsigneur Blacksin??"
Thionder: "Yes, much has changed."
Archibald: "A tip."
Giselle: "An' it will not harm him, non?"
Archibald: "No."
Giselle stares at Archibald for a moment, and then her smile is back as she turns to Thionder. "Ziss will be very...strange for you. I hope a pleasant experience!"
Thionder looks around the city...
Thionder: "I will adapt. First we must find a suitable body."
Archibald: "The driver seems expendable."
Giselle nods. "Ah yes! Forgive my rudeness! My penthouse eez at ze top of ziss building! Please follow me!"
Thionder walks off into the building. Thionder doesn't wait for the motley. Thionder simply expects them to follow.
Giselle looks over her shoulder and gives Archibald a narrowed-eye glare, and then flips her hair as she turns her head, and has a charming expression on her face as she greets the doorman.
Gibbletooth follows Mr Blacksin.
Giselle notices Thionder walking off, and quickly breaks-off her conversation with the doorman and hurries after him.
Giselle rushes up to Thionder. "Your majesty...eef you would follow me, s'il vous plait?"
Thionder nods.
Giselle bows her head-- making sure no one in the lobby is staring at her-- and then heads to the elevators.
Several people around Giselle look at her talking to thin air.
Ebony keeps towards the back of the group, watching everything with wide eyes.
Giselle notices the people staring at her and waves, winking at them, and then motions for the visible motley to follow her.
As the motley walks through the lobby of the building, a stunningly handsome man-- well-built and dressed in an expensive suit-- walks by, a beautiful woman at this arm.
Archibald follows, at a distance.
Thionder nods.
Thionder: "I think that body will suit me well."
Giselle looks at the couple in surprise.
Thionder: "Secure him for me."
Felicity: "Hey, Mister!" Felicity shouts to the guy who just walked by.
Giselle turns to Thionder. "But your majesty...I have a group of men waiting upstairs for you to select from...ziss one seems to be taken!"
The power of the geas that Thionder placed on the motley urged them on.
Giselle looks at Thionder in suprise for a moment, and then turns-- almost against her will-- and approaches the couple with Felicity.
Thionder: "That is the one. Your duty is clear."
Felicity nudges Ebony, "take care of the girl, you and Gibs"
Thionder waits impatiently.
Archibald walks up to the man, and lightly touches his arm with his gloved hand.
Felicity: "Mister! You dropped your wallet!"
Giselle smiles and walks up to the couple, greeting them in high-class French, and asking if they are new to the high-rise.
The man and woman watch you all warily.
Gibbletooth looks confusedly around waiting for a sign from Mr. Blacksin.
The Man: "No, we have lived here for some time."
Ebony blinks and moves closer with the group.
Giselle: "Aah! I have been out of the country for some time. I live in one of the penthouses!" Giselle says, entending her hand in greeting.
"Nice to meet you." The man says, pulling away, and walking for the door.
Felicity quickly moves in front of him, blocking his path.
Felicity smiles, then looks at Giselle.
"Can I help you miss?" The man's voice was rising. "If you don't mind, we are late!"
Giselle hurries after them until she's walking beside them. "Wait-- I did not catch your names! I am Jezabelle LaRouge!"
Felicity: "Tell him I'm confused, and that I swear I know him..."
Giselle continues to smile politely, but she can't believe the rudeness of the man.
The man pushed passed Felicity.
Giselle: "Ziss one eez perfect for ze body of a king!" Giselle thinks.
Felicity follows him up the stairs.
Many of the people in the lobby were watching the motley now.
Gibbletooth follows.
The man stopped, and started to flail around.
Giselle makes a warding-sign towards them to give them bad luck at finding a ride.
The Man: "Oh my god! My eyes, I'm blind!"
Gibbletooth watches the motley with a confused look.
Gibbletooth: "I not sure what is going on dat der."
The woman screamed.
Giselle rushes up. "Oh no! Monsigneur!! Come back in and I will call a doctor for you!" Giselle bumps the woman away and puts her arm around the man, escorting him back into the building.
Giselle wrangles in her purse for her cell phone, and quickly calls the limo to come back.
Several of the other mortals in the lobby walk over to the man, trying to see what's wrong.
Ebony wrings her hands together, glancing around to see if anyone is watching.
Giselle: "Do not worry, monsigneur! Help is on the way! We will take you to the hospital!"
Archibald runs over to the man. "Quickly, he needs medical attention."
Giselle: "Yes, yes-- ze car eez on eets way!" Giselle says to Archibald.
The limo arrive momentarily, although several of the other mortals were insisting that he go by Ambulance.
Archibald: "Good," he replies, as he keeps the man as calm as possible.
Giselle hurries the man to the limo-- waving the driver to stay inside-- and opens the door, pushing the man inside.
Giselle: "Non, non--" Giselle calls. "That will take too long! My limo is here already!"
Thionder nods, and also steps into the back of the car.
Ebony secures her lace veil over her head and ducks inside the limo when it arrives.
Archibald carries the man into the Limo and ducks inside.
The woman also sits down in the back of the car, still nearly frantic at her husband's sudden condition.
Archibald takes out a cloth handkerchief and puts some chloroform on it discretely to knock out the woman.
Giselle pulls out her cell phone again and calls up to Josie. Speaking in a hushed tone, she tells Josie to come downstairs quickly and outside.
Archibald: "Close the door and let's get to the hospital," growls Archibald.
Thionder: "We will have to find a quiet place to perform the Changeling Ritual."
Giselle nods to Thionder, and then sees Josie running up to the limo. She quickly rolls down the window. "Josie! I will call you and explain later!"
Archibald muffles the woman with the chloroformed handkerchief, knocking her unconscious.
Gibbletooth rocks back and forth excitedly.
Archibald: "No screams, what a pity."
Gibbletooth: "dat der duh! Dun Mr Blacksin! Gibber gets dat der!"
Josie-- a very perky-looking blonde with chin-length hair-- looks disappointed. "But I was so excited to see you again-- it's been so long!" she complains in French. "And what about the men upstairs??"
Ebony frowns at Archibald and stares at Giselle and Thiondar.
The car pulls away from the curb.
Giselle: "Aaah-- tell them the position has been filled, pay them for their time, and thank them. I'm sorry Josie!" Giselle calls.
Giselle rolls the window back up and slumps back against the seat.
Archibald takes the handerchief off of the woman's face. Her limp form lays in the limo, unmoving.
Thionder: "Hurry, we waste time. We must perform the ritual, that I may walk the mortal world again."
Giselle leans forward and whispers something to the driver, he nods, and she sits back. "We can use ze office."
Giselle: The driver takes them into the business-district until they come up to a very old-looking but gorgeous building, and the limo stops.
Archibald: "When the ritual is over, what do we do with her?" ask Archibald, pointing to the woman.
Gibbletooth looks around for those who might see.
Gibbletooth looks at Mr Blacksin.
Gibbletooth: "We gets! We gets!"
Thionder shrugs.
Archibald: "That would be nice, but I'm afraid our friends would not approve."
Giselle: "Ze top floor eez ours..." Giselle looks worriedly at the two people. "I can carry ze man...no one will think anyone of eet!" she grins.
Thionder: "Her fate is of no consequence."
Gibbletooth looks at Giselle.
Gibbletooth: "We gets!" he says stomping his foot on the floor.
Giselle raises her eyebrow at Gibbletooth. "Non, you do NOT get! She is mine and Josie's...for the time being."
Thionder walks into the building.
Giselle suddenly feels a pang of guilt at all of this.
Gibbletooth: "No!"
Thionder again, leaves without waiting for the motley.
Gibbletooth follows them out of the car.
Giselle: "I will not let you hurt 'er!"
Gibbletooth: "Not fair, Mr Blacksin and dat der Gibber gets nuttin!"
Giselle slides out back-first, pulling the man out of the car, and pulling him over her shoulder, and then standing with some effort.
Gibbletooth: "Not share in dat dere spoils!"
Giselle: "Who will carry ze woman? Or should we leave her in ze limo with someone?"
Gibbletooth: "I carry."
Archibald: "We may not have this pretty one, but we can always find another tonight."
Gibbletooth picks her up.
Gibbletooth lopes after Giselle.
Giselle quickly looks at Gibbletooth. "Be careful..." She narrows her eyes.
Ebony: "I can help carry her," Ebony says quietly, then changes her mind when Gibber picks her up.
Gibbletooth looks at Giselle.
Giselle goes into the building as quickly as she can with her burden, and then walks over to the elevators. They open, and the elevator operator looks at her in surprise. "Aaah, Mademoiselle Jezabelle! I see you have another happy client!"
Giselle grins. "Yes...two, in fact! Top floor, as usual!"
Archibald follows the group into the elevator.
Giselle: The operator waits until everyone enters the elevator, and then the doors close and they ascend. When the doors open, Gizelle thanks the man, and exits.
Giselle walks up to the glass doors, fumbles in her purse, pulls out the keys, and opens the door.
Giselle: "Do not worry, your majesty-- I had ze office evacuated, and all business taken to the penthouse for the day. We will not be disturbed."
Thionder strides into the office, looking around with a sneer on his face.
Thionder: "What kind of place is this?"
The office is all in dark wood and red velvet and silks-- it's like being inside a box of chocolates.
Giselle: "Ziss eez ze most high-class escort-service in Paris!" Giselle says proudly.
Thionder scowls again.
Archibald: "She's a high-priced whore, your majesty."
Ebony looks around at the opulant surroundings and smiles.
Gibbletooth: "Heh me and dat der Mr. Blacksin not need anymore!"
Felicity chuckles.
Giselle glares at Archibald. "We in ze business do not consider zat an insult."
Thionder growls. "How far I have fallen, being forced to find help from a common whore!"
Felicity chuckles again.
Thionder walks toward the center of the room.
Giselle drops the body she's carrying. "I am a satyr, your majesty, and certainly NOT common!"
Felicity hides her amusement. "Well..."
Archibald smiles at Giselle.
Thionder: "Let the ceremony begin! I will not stay any longer than necessary!"
Giselle: "If you do not approve, do not attend any of our festivals! Then see 'ow much you miss my kind!"
Felicity: "all satyrs are whores?"
Gibbletooth: "She's a prosty! Her nots dat der common!"
Giselle sighs. "No...just ze lucky ones, Felicitee."
Gibbletooth: "Just greedy wit dat der spoils tho."
Archibald: "I never did enjoy the Satyr festivals."
Thionder begins to instruct Ebony on the proper way to perform the Changeling Way ritual.
Giselle: "Gibbletooth-- I do not zink you care about the looks of your victims-- find a plain woman. Ziss one has a grand future ahead of her."
Felicity: "I see..." felicity says.
Gibbletooth: "Dey ok, me been me been. But dey all ignore or laugh at dat der Gibber."
Ebony's discomfort quickly fades away as Thionder starts teaching her this new ritual and she eagerly soaks in the new information.
Giselle folds her arms, suddenly not desiring to help the king any longer-- a king who has no place in his kingdom for satyrs.
Gibbletooth: "Her no diffent."
Archibald: "Yes, from a married woman who had no cares, no troubles, to a common street bitch. Grand future indeed."
Felicity: "Everyone knows the life of a whore is a pleasant one."
Felicity: "Thats why so many women down on their luck do it."
The ritual proceeds quickly under Thionder's instruction.
Giselle turns on Archibald. "What eez wrong with you men! Common??" she motions around the office. "I zink not! Our women are all pampered and healthy!"
Gibbletooth: "Down on luck..." he says quietly, "down on luck," he repeats.
Gibbletooth: "DOWN ON DAT DER LUCK!"
Gibbletooth: "DOWN ON DAT DER LUCK!"
Gibbletooth: "DOWN ON DAT DER LUCK!"
Gibbletooth: "DOWN ON DAT DER LUCK!"
Gibbletooth: "DOWN ON DAT DER LUCK!"
Giselle: "We do not take ze women who are 'down on zeir luck!' Zey must be of a certain calibur! Like ziss one!" She motions to the woman.
Felicity: "Yeah.. uh-huh. What is the AIDS rate anyway?"
Gibbletooth begins to chant and swing madly about the place.
Thionder ignores all around him.
Giselle: "No AIDs here. An' now zat I 'ave finally learned to heal, nothing else ever again, either!"
Felicity: "Genital warts...herpes...Hey, Gib...what's wrong?"
Gibbletooth: "DOWN ON DAT DER LUCK!"
Thionder is intent on the completion of the ritual that will return him to the mortal world.
Archibald: "You think that money from being a whore counts as a grand future. I've never heard such nonsense. She's ours, and we're taking her as payment for helping out this...'king' of yours."
Giselle sighs. "We screen ze men, as well! If zey give anysing so ze women, zey are off ze list of clients!"
Felicity: "If you can heal AIDS, what the fuck are you doing here?"
Gibbletooth: "Gen-eeetal warts!"
Archibald: "Gibbertooth, bring her, our time here is over for now."
Felicity: "that helps the girls a lot...once they have it..."
Ebony concentrates on what Thiondar is telling her, trying to block out the horrible things everyone is saying.
Thionder finishes his instructions to Ebony.
Giselle: "I just learned to heal...I do not know how far its abilities range...but I do not want to be a healer! Well...sexual healer..." Giselle smirks.
Gibbletooth continues his mad chanting and swinging.
Archibald motions to Gibbertooth to bring the woman as he leaves.
Gibbletooth: "DOWN ON DAT DER LUCK!"
Gibbletooth: "Gen-eeetal warts!"
Giselle runs over to the woman and falls on her.
Giselle: "NO!"
Felicity: "Gibber...we go find you a woman tonight."
Thionder turns to the motley "SILENCE! ALL OF YOU!"
Gibbletooth stops and swings his hips around in a circle.
Gibbletooth: "SECHUAL HEALINS!"
The power in the Forgotten King's voice brooks no argument, and the motley falls silent.
Giselle feels like her head's going to explode.
Gibbletooth makes a rude gesture.
Thionder: "The ritual will proceed immediately."
Gibbletooth walks to the door to follow Mr Blacksin.
Gibbletooth: "Greedy wit dat der spoils," he grumbles.
Archibald comes back just as Gibbertooth is about to open the door. "Bring her," he says, pointing at the woman.
Gibbletooth nods and walks towards the woman.
Giselle stays on top of the woman, clutching her tightly. "Non! Find another!"
Giselle stays on the woman, frozen, watching the king.
The Ritual begins with Ebony drawing several symbols on the floor around the man's body. As Giselle starts to strip his body, Ebony then proceeds to draw several arcane sigils on the man's flesh. Then Ebony starts speaking in a quiet voice while Felicity and Giselle echo her words. As they watched, a look of excruciating pain flashed over the mans face, and a shadowy form slipped from his body.
Giselle suddenly gets a pit of fear in her stomach. What the hell are they doing to this man??
The form of the Forgotten King smiled, then lay down over the man's prone form. A look of pain crosses his face, followed by a look of exquisite joy. Suddenly, the man screamed in a voice that the motley recognized at Thionder, the Forgotten King. Thionder sits up in his new body.
Thionder laughing.
Thionder: "So long it has been!"
Thionder: "I walk the mortal world again!"
Giselle watches the shadowy form float away, and a tear sides down her cheek. "Aaah...qu'est ce que j'ai fait...qu'est ce que j'ai fait..."
Thionder stood, his well muscled body moving with quiet precision.
Ebony pats Giselle's hand, to comfort the both of them.
Giselle suddenly throws her arms around Ebony, clutching her to her in fear.
Ebony hugs tightly to Giselle, burying her face in her hair and trembling.
Thionder stalks around the room, enjoying the feeling of the mortal world once more.
Thionder: "I have returned! Let my enemies tremble!"
Felicity: "OK. You got your body, let's go."
Thionder turns to the Motley.
Giselle absent-mindedly begins stroking Ebony's hair as she watches the king with teary eyes.
Thionder: "Now, we must find the Ever Queen."
Thionder: "Before the fomorian finds her."
Thionder looks at Giselle. "You, since you have so much experience with the clothing of men, I will allow you to dress me."
Giselle suddenly doesn't know if she wants Cara to meet up with the king.
Thionder: "It is unseemly for a king to dress himself."
Giselle looks at the king. "You wish me to put ze clothes upon your body?"
Ebony whispers, "I'll help you Giselle."
Giselle gently releases Ebony and folds her arms. "I think you mistake me. My parents are rich an' powerful. I am not some common maid."
Felicity: "You also need someone to get you up to speed in the ways of today's culture..."
Felicity: "I would gladly volunteer to aid you in that manner."
Thionder doesn't speak, just waits.
Giselle stands and folds her arms again. "I am what ziss world would consider nobility. Are you accustomed to being dressed by nobility...your majesty?"
Ebony glances at Thionder and quickly starts gathering the clothes off the floor.
Felicity: "First of all, women have made many gains in status over the centuries..."
Felicity: "Treat them like you would your horse. They like that."
Felicity: "Pat them, talk to them... take them for a walk and feed them carrots."
Giselle raises her eyebrow at Felicity.
Ebony starts to dress Thionder, hoping that she can keep Giselle from getting into trouble.
Felicity: "There is also this one woman...a QUEEN..."
Felicity: "They like to be compared to her..."
Felicity: "Rupaul is her name..."
Felicity: "Queen Rupaul."
Felicity: "It is common for a man to say, 'You are as fair as Rupaul, of Holly Wood.'"
Ebony works quickly and silently, keeping her eyes averted and praying that Giselle will calm down.
Giselle hurries over to Ebony and puts her hand on her arm. "Ebonee...I will do ziss..."
Felicity: "Women like that. Also, if a woman hits you, it means she likes you."
Felicity nudges Thionder.
Felicity: "or even like this..."
Thionder: "Silence little kitten."
Ebony shakes her head.
Felicity slaps Thionder.
Ebony: "It's okay, I'm almost finished," she whispers.
Giselle finds an article of clothing and stands before the king. "Your arms, majesty?" she says in a too-cheerful tone.
Thionder staggers back in shock.
Thionder: "You dare to strike a king!"
Felicity: "That means you're practically engaged!!!"
Thionder: "By these words, let the Dreaming's will be done!"
Felicity: "I'm just showing you the basics of courtship..."
Giselle looks at the king and Felicity in shock, and freezes.
Thionder: "As you have struck me, so I curse you! A cat you are! A cat you will be, until you learn your place!"
As the motley watches, Felicity change and shifted into a small cat.
Thionder: "Will any of the rest of you choose to test my patience?"
Giselle watches this with her mouth open.
Felicity waits, crouched and ready to pounce.
Ebony shakes her head, mute.
Giselle looks at the king with large eyes. "What would you 'ave us do now, majesty?" she asks in a quiet voice.
Thionder stalks from the room saying as he does, "Come, we must find the Ever Queen."
Ebony gathers Felicity in her arms and holds her protectively.
Giselle puts her arm around Ebony and follows after the king.
Several weeks pass...
The Motley was kept busy by the demads of the returned king, searching for Cara, the supposed Ever Queen, who Thionder was despretely seeking. The motley brought all their resources to bear, but the young girl had disappeared. The weeks turned to months.
Archibald pounds his fist on a table. "We've searched for months and nothing."
Thionder: "She is out there. She must be found."
Archibald: "So, what have the rest of you found out?"
Gibbletooth hangs by Mr. Blacksin.
Giselle looks disgruntled. "That very old Sidhe kings have no taste in women."
Ebony: "She has vanished, disappeared. No trace of her anywhere."
The months turn into a year...then nearly two before any word of the girl surfaced. Then word reached the motley that she had been spotted living in the united states...