Her Majesty's Secret Service

    In what ways she can, the Baroness of Eas has started fighting this war her way, and on two rather unique fronts. One she hopes to ignite in the coming weeks to ensure that the unwelcome guests shall have no respite during their visit and the other is being actively explored. She has sent out messages here and there, hoping that someone may be able to direct one of the uncrowned to her in Eas. Preferably before it faces invasion.

    She is, as of now, standing on the road where it branches off to the village. She stares in the direction of the Dedication to The Beautiful One, which lies to the west. Due to the evacuation, things are deathly quiet here.

A gentleman in a top hat, black tuxedo and immaculate shirt, both worn with studied carelessness, walk along the road that passes through the village. His composture is maintained, but his eyebrows are lifted and his jaw, if not dropping to the floor (that'd be uncouth), is as lowered just enough as one would without looking undignified.

It is not only the buildings' architecture and the artistry of the place that catches his eye, but even details other might miss: the vegetation. The signs. The road. "Impressive," he murmurs to himself.

And at one point, he spots the baroness.

"Baroness Wake, I presume?", he states from a distance. He doesn't scream, but projects his voice, so he can be heard, loud and clear, and at the same time keep it classy.

    The presence of another is not so unexpected as to startle the Baroness. There are, after all, patrols of adventurers about. Everyone is waiting for the inevitable visit from across the sea. She turns calmly to Shenmi and takes a few steps, until sshe's satisfied that the distance is polite.

    Once she is near enough, she glides into her curtsey, both hands spreading out her skirts. With her head bowed gracefully, she lingers in that pose as she speaks.

    "You are correct, I am Baroness Wake. And you are far from your home. I hope you have found safety and comfort. I can, for now, offer perhaps a few nights of that to you here."

    The Right Clothes make it hard to tell that she's waiting for an attack. They have taken on the form of a formal gown, fit for any ball. It is a vibrant pink shade, with the gentlest streaks of yellow and white. As always seems to be the case as of late, she wears thick bracelets on each of her wrists. Upon closer inspection, they are actually shackles.

    She rises smoothly and smiles calmly at her guest. "It is a blessing you are here, though. Perhaps you can assist me with something urgent."

Shenmi doffs his hat with a flourish at the same time as he bows.

The flourishes might be enough to dazzle the average person, but The Baroness' outsanding intimacy with Etiquette will make it pretty obvious -- this is a man who did not pick up his manners by mingling with nobility, but crafted them to perform on a stage. Likely for an audience of not that elevated of a social extraction, given the previous point.

"I am grateful for your generosity, and it will be a honour for me to be of any assistance, if it is within my possibilities," Shenmi replies, and straightens up again. Another thing that will probably not have escaped the Baroness's keen eyes is that the man did seem to take in all the details, no matter how quickly and discreetly. The Gown, the streaks, the bracelets. But, first and foremost, and also last, her head. Almost certainly to make sure no crown is in sight. Another keen observer, it would appear.

    "I seek to understand the enemy," Baroness Wake explains. "Of particular interest to me is Queen Laira Lorelai. It seems to me that there are better ways to win a conflict than to slay every one of my enemies. I must start by learning all I can about the one who came here and spoke of wanting to attend my wedding. Who is she? Why did she turn to this ugly path? Only by knowing the truth can I hope to understand my way through this."

    Wake's full attention is settled on Shenmi's eyes. Patient blinks and her calm smile soften her focus as she awaits a response.

Shenmi remains unbminking. Smiling and unblinking.

At first he seems to wait for a further action from the Baroness, but when it becomes obvious that it is his move now, he pulls a side of his mouth into a playful smirk, his gaze getting more intense, borderline mesmerizing. "I need to confer with my assistant about this."

Head kept straight, eye contact unbroken, he reaches for the top hat on his head with his left hand; with a swift flick of his fingers he makes the item twirl, until it's held upside down, the rim level with his nose. His right hand reaches into the hat, and pulls out-

...well, a bun-bun. What was one expecting?

At this point, he breaks the intense stance, and more playful, he turns to the little animal. "So, Bao. What do you say? Can we trust the Baroness?" He turns his head to be at the same level as Bao's twitching nose, and waits for a few seconds, nodding along. "A-ha... a-ha...", he says, his face turned towards the Baroness, but appearing to look up and away.

He finally resumes a pretty neutral 'standing' pose, but holds Bao up on a forearm, while scritching the back of its neck with the other hand. "My assistant says that it is okay to set up an appointment with one of our contacts from Rosenheim." He bows his head slightly, in deference. "I am, alas, from Kallamore, and you strike me as the kind of Lady who is satisfied with nothing but the best of the best..."

    The Baroness deals with many an unusual thing in her role. It is for this reason, that she takes this all quite in stride. After all, one of her dearest friends spends her time petting slimes.

    "Master Bao is most kind," Wake says, inclining her head to the creature. Her calm smile is so practiced that it only changes by her will, these days, and she sees fit to smile more warmly at the bun-bun.

    "I must admit, I always enjoyed that kind of magic trick. Perhaps someday you might pull doves out from behind my ears." Her laughter is soft and pleased, "And while I often get wonderful things, it is rarely so important as this request is. I look forward to meeting your contact and learning the truth. The fate of thousands may well be decided by it."

It should be pretty obvious, by now, that Shenmi's talking with Bao was all part of an act. Release tension with a humorous vignette. He's not like that other slime-petting individual who talks to the slimes and -means it-.

"I look forward to that day," Shenmi replies. "It might, alas, have to wait a little until I manage to restock my equipment and menagerie. Stowing away from the Palace Lands did not, alas, leave much allotment for check-in luggage..." The last sentence is delivered with a smirk, but there is a hint of melancholy in that. Who knows how many turtle-doves he had to leave in Kallamore

Bao is as relaxed as they come, and by now he's just lying there, enjoying the massage. "The fate of -millions- could depend on this," Bao... not as much corrects; more like, emphasizes. "Expect to be contacted sooner than later. And as for us..." He hesitates. "We would be really interested in learing the story of how an Adventurer could ascend to a rank among the nobility. This is not only unheard of, it is -unthinkable- where we come from."

    "Should you need assistance in the pursuit of rebuilding your life, do not hesitate to reach out to me." A moment later, a friend request is sent to Shenmi. Wake wastes little time!

    "Eas is a bastion of dreams, from their birth all the way through to their realization. Even should Eas the place fall, so long as any one of its people draw breath, that purpose will live on."

    The Baroness seems rather fascinating by the bun-bun. It occurs to her that she has never really taken the time to simply admire one for what it is. "Master Bao is.. a very cute creature," she says softly. She dwells on this for a time, before directing her attention back to Shenmi's comments.

    "I knew of this land a long time ago, before the Cursed Wave. It stood in a different place then, but after searching all of Yamato, I discovered it at last. With the help of my friends it was wrested from the hands of orcs. By my will, patience, and work with the Landers, it was granted to me and my title made official. I exist to keep the peace between the Dukes, ensuring that should any go to war with another, their aggression would be held in check."

    She smiles gently and looks back towards the dedication. "I also suspect there may have been another hand in it all. Perhaps it was guiding me here. Was this simply meant to happen? All this may just be for the moment to come, when against all hope, a beautiful queen is able to save herself from folley and ruin when confronted with a more righteous path."

"Mister Bao steals all the ladies' hearts," Shenmi confirms, then turns to the little creature. "Leave some for me some time or other, will you? Otherwise I'll have to go my own separate way after the shows", he says, as he turns the bun-bun over and scratches it under the chin this time.

"Your offer is very appreciated," he reprises, returning to look at the Baroness while he adjusts the top hat on his head. "We Uncrowned are, as a matter of fact, on an exploration journey around Yamato to assess our options for the future. We have heard that some churches have been secured, which is comforting news."

He listens with interest at the rest of the Baroness's story, and remains in respectful silence at the last part. "Well, I hope my contact will be able to help you in your endeavour. In the meantime-"

He gives his forehead a little blow with the bottom part of his palm. "How forgetful of me. Showing up at a Lady's residence, and not delivering a present. Here, let me-"

Another flourish with his free hand, which turns in the air, dips as if for grabbing something with a fist and-

Whomp! A bouquet is his hands, extended towards the Baroness: mostly white with some pink flowers, the relative weight of the two colors in the composition reversed with respect to her gown, for contrast.

"-put that right with a gift before I depart."

Mister Bao, in the meantime, is still being held up by the other arm, and twitching his nose.

    The Baroness laughs gently, first at the conversation with Bao, and then again when the bouquet is offered. She accepts it gratefully, looking over the blossoms slowly, as if she wished to admire every one of them in turn before taking in the whole. "They are lovely, sir, and I appreciate them. I also hope to see your entire performance some day, when our skies are untroubled with cruel crowns and broken hearts."

    She settles once more into a deep curtsey, "Be well, my friend. Should you find trouble on the way, call me. I will send aid and come myself as soon as I am able. As for a place to settle.. Eas welcomes all who desire a home. Here there is peace and cooperation between all people. And, if I may say it, the grandest stage in all the lands to perform upon."