Rufus_Niblick is kneeling on the floor of his tent - one foot bandaged from where the arrow went through it - and trying to categorise his wardrobe. The garments before him are thus far in seven piles - pink tunics, green tunics, lilac tunics, skin-hugging trousers, slightly-less-skin-hugging trousers, stocking suspenders and stilettoes. He hrms, a finger to his lips as he ponders his next category. It's so difficult to know where to put the bikini...

Stephen limps slightly, a new bandage is on his leg as he walks over, he sighs lightly and knocks on Rufus's tent and looking in, "you in here Rufus?" He looks and sees the bikini, "...I..see i've chosen a bad time to come in then...i'll talk to you later." He slowly starts to turn around, cause his leg hurts a bit.

Belliger meets Stephen on his turn back around. "Ahoy, Steve. Wot's up?" He peeks inside the Rufus tent. "Uh...huhhhhhhhhh. Ahoy, Ruf. Aye, I'll jus'..." He peeks his head back out, and looks with a wildly perturbed glance to Stephen, wordlessly jerking his head over to the tent, then just his eyes.

Rufus_Niblick oohs. A visitor. Come closer, my pretty. "What? A bad time? Good lord no, dahling. I'm just having a bit of reorganisation, that's all." He wrinkles his nose slightly at his form of address. "And /please/ dahling: Rufus is so coarse, so... urgh. My name is Rufus Niblick Scarlett Pimpernell the 14th. Pray refer to me as thus." ( And then Belliger's there! Yaaaaaay! 'Cos they all love Belliger, y'know. Rufus has a shrine, actually. But we won't dwell on that. "Ooh, Belliger, dahling! It's you! How /are/ you? Come on in, you two, don't be shy." )

Stephen ohs softly, and is rather in affect, be rude to leave now wouldn't it, so he turns back around, got to live by his honor code...though there are parts of that code that may apply differently to the other shrew, this is not one of him, "...ahh...yes...yer full name...I'm not really good with long names, really but i can try to remember that, just don't call me by my full title and we'll be fine." He limps in,, looking around the tent, "....very nicly decorated." he means it to.

Belliger watches Steve go in. Ah, heck, he's not doing anything else worthwhile. Plus, good ol' Steve might need backup if things got funky. O.o "Uh, right. So, Rufus Niblick Scarlett Pimpernell th'Fourteenth.... Whatcha doin'?" He observes, with tilted expression on his muzzle.

You room-page, "Shrews don't have muzzles!!!!" Belliger room-pages, "They don't?". You room-page, "They have /snouts/!! Just say it: snouts! Oooh, I lovit. Snouts." Belliger room-pages, "Snout.". You room-page, "No, snouts." Stephen room-pages, "snouts".

Sigh. Belliger watches Steve go in. Ah, heck, he's not doing anything else worthwhile. Plus, good ol' Steve might need backup if things got funky. O.o "Uh, right. So, Rufus Niblick Scarlett Pimpernell th'Fourteenth.... Whatcha doin'?" He observes, with tilted expression on his snout. Snouts.

Rufus_Niblick looks delighted at Steve's words. "Ooh, why thank you dahling! I must admit, I worked hard. It cost a bomb, too, but if you can't spend on your own dwelling, then when can you, eh?" Lots of gesticulation, and all of it camp. Limp wrists feature prominently. And Rufus laughs, merrily, the sound reminiscent of a tinkling of silver bells. "What'm I doing, Bell? Sorting out my apparel, of course! It's hell to find anything when it's all shoved in that trunk, so I thought I'd organise it."

Stephen nods, "...I normally sleep outside...lot a good thats been doing me lately...almost got killed yesterday, fast bloke, good thing i was faster." He sides, "..got me leg good though, and it brought the mine that i promised you a drink, got to keep that up."

Belliger blinks, severely, at the array of clothing. Then he looks down at his own, and realizes that he's got like... That. And that's it. One set of clothes, to Rufus's countless. Yahoo dirtiness. "Right... Right." He looks over to Steve when he speak. "Weren't ye out there with a patrol, er jus' yerself? Ain' safe ta go out by yerself..."

Rufus_Niblick eeps at Stephen's chilling tale, with appropriate gasps and raising-of-hands-to-face-in-horror type gestures. "My goodness, dahling... are you all /right/???" he asks, putting out a hand to touch Stephen's arm. "And of course we can have a drink." He jumps to his feet and begins to rummage in a box at the back of the tent. "And how're you, Bell?" he asks, voice all echoey from being submerged. In a box.

Stephen blinks, "..yah i'm fine...happens all the time." He looks over at Belliger, "...oh i guess i haven't talked here much since the fight...remembered my full name Stephen Wind Majora..though steve has been working for now, and believe me, i doubt the result would be much diffrent if i went alone or with someone, don't worry about me." He looks over at rufus, "..you finding what your looking for?

Belliger sorta eyetwitches at the Steve/Rufus exchange of words. "Still, Steve. Ye could get ambushed, er somethin'. Nex' time, go out with a patrol." And that's that. He turns to Rufus. "Ah, I've been fine. Ye still on alert, righ'? Tha' eagle said somethin' about a Black Rose attack comin'. Keep an eye out, an' 'oller if'n ye see anythin' suspicious."

Stephen sighs, "...alright Belliger, but it would be better if i were ambushed then many more of your shrews then, i can take care of my self."..leave out that you have a group of assassins after you and your brethren that makes things easier yeah, he looks over at Rufus and watches, he adjusts his lesser dress uniform lightly.

Rufus_Niblick's hand waves assentingly and quietingly from the top of the box, as if to say, Yeah yeah. ;P "'Course, dahling, course. I took a few o those archers down the other day, didn't I? And got this dratted bandage for it. I dunno. You just can't dress those things up." He finally emerges with a bottle of strawberry... dachary stuff. I can never work out how to spell it, but it exists. It's like a cocktail type thang. But anyway, yeah. "Drinky-poos," he says gleefully. He listens to Stephen's ickle speech with interest. Ooh, how manly. XD

Stephen takes a seat, pulling out a bottle of something, "...it's average cider, I hope you don't mind Rufus Niblick Scarlet pimpernell the 14th, but i don't really drink alcohol it's a vow i made, and like the keeing to the drink i promised you, i must keep to this one." Honesty, his weakness.

Belliger nods, satisfied with Ruf's answer. But not Stephen's. "Stephen, I ain't kiddin'. Ye can take care o'yerself, an' so can all th'shrews 'ere. If'n yer ambushed, ye got a better chance o' scapin if'n ye got a patrol with ye. I don' want ye dead, so lissen ta me an' take a patrol with ye nex' time. Is tha' clear?" Of course it is.

Rufus_Niblick ooh.

Stephen nods, "it's clear, forgive me for backtalken there Bell...I'm just used to working alone and everything, i don't doubt your judgement." He looks over and waits for Rufus' answer to his own question.

Rufus_Niblick... ooh.

Stephen looks a little bit worried at just the oohs...he frowns slightly, "...I'm sorrry....I hope you don't take offence to that....really..." His ears slick back a bit.

Rufus_Niblick hahahahas. "Don't worry, Stephen, my dear. It's quite all right. Just drink some of whatever that stuff is and we'll all have a merry merry time." And dance like cockerels. Cockerels, I say! All the feathers and... yeah. Spritely.

Stephen sighs in releaf and smiles at the fellow shrew and waits for him to join them, be rude not to wait now wouldn't it, he looks around the the tent again, "...heh...you really must have been busy worken on this, my tent just has the cot i sleep in.

( Belliger pulls out a canteen. It's water, but none shall be the wiser. "Aye. Nothin' like a bit o'th'drink when things're 'igh strung, right?" He takes a swig of the water. Hey, he'll get to be sober and watch Rufus get drunk. Haha! He nods, in agreement with Steve. "Nice place, indeed, Ruf...us. Niblick Scarlett Pimpernell the Fourteenth." )

Belliger pages, "Oh hurry up and pose, I wanna see where this goes, hehe." to you.

Rufus_Niblick pours himself a strawberry whatsit. Daiquiri? Yarr, that'll do. And sips at it, girlishly as he sits down. "Well well well," he says, good-humouredly. "It's a nice day outside."

Stephen nods, "aye, very nice." Pouring himself a cider and taking a sip, smiling softly, as it hits his taste glands, he loves cider, looking over at the slightly girlish sip, still finding it odd that the male shrew can pull it off so well, all well, he would ask about the blackrose attack, but that is for another time, another day mainly.

+ Cadogan says, "Yo peeps." (Group chat: Shrews) + Rufus_Niblick eeps! "Quiet, chaps, and he'll never find us!" (Group chat: Shrews) + Rufus_Niblick muffles Bell and Steve with a blanket. (Group chat: Shrews) + Rufus_Niblick says, "... And Andris, too." (Group chat: Shrews) + Cadogan says, "Thanks Rufus...daaahhhlllinnnng :P" (Group chat: Shrews) + Rufus_Niblick squeals with delight. (Group chat: Shrews) + Rufus_Niblick hugs Cad. "Daaaahling! I didn't know you had it in you!" (Group chat: Shrews) + Belliger mmfrrrfs. (Group chat: Shrews) + Rufus_Niblick says, "Shh, Bell, stay down there."(Group chat: Shrews) + Cadogan says, "don't let Lassik find out Bell. :)" (Group chat: Shrews) + Rufus_Niblick says, "She's in there too, somewhere." (Group chat: Shrews) + Stephen chuckles. (Group chat: Shrews)

Belliger swigs water. Heavy drinker, it appears. :) "Aye, good day fer sittin' an' doin' nothin' at all. Jus' ope nothin goes wrong, tha'd jus' ruin this whole thin'..." He tilts his head back and takes another large drink, swishing it around in his mouth, then swallowing.

In a room page-pose, Belliger gasps. "Look! A roleplay!" You room page-pose, "Rufus_Niblick eeks! "Where, where??? Somebody catch it, quick, I hate those things! Urgh!"" You room page-pose, "Rufus_Niblick stands on a chair."

Rufus_Niblick sips some more, before reaching over to put his hand on Steven's knee. "Dear, dear Stephen. You must tell us all about this nasty person who tried to hurt you." He turns his eyes pleadingly up to Belliger. "Can't we do something a/bout/ it, Bell?" he asks, plaintive. Poor Steve. Ruf will make it all better.

Stephen eers softly, but really can't move it cause it would hurt to much, man he's lucky....anyway "...uh...yeah...it was belive it or not....a fallen squirrel, an assassin that wants me and anyone of the knights i am a part of dead...why we still don't know, we think it might be a history thing that we forgot after awhile, but we have no way to be sure...but really it's fine."

+ Cadogan says, "Damn. Its a shrew convention tonight." (Group chat: Shrews) + Rufus_Niblick says, "That goes strictly /against/ convention. Ba-boom-cha." (Group chat: Shrews) + Belliger says, "Those things are so awesome, those puns." (Group chat: Shrews)

+ Lassik says, "........ I'm so not going to ask why all the male shrews are in Rufus' tent." (Group chat: Shrews) + Belliger doesn't want to say why all the male shrews are in Rufus's tent. (Group chat: Shrews) + Rufus_Niblick doesn't think it's necessary to say why all the male shrews are in Rufus's tent. wink (Group chat: Shrews)

Belliger nods to Ruf as he raises an eyebrow to Steve. "These knights... Wot'd ye do to this squirrel char'cter t'make im want alla ye dead? Can th'Guosim 'elp ye out with t? The las thin' I want's another threat to th'shrews, but we can' jus' let this 'appen, either."

Stephen shakes his head, "sorry, no..we don't know why, but it is both vermin and woodlanders, don't worry they won't attack anyone else in your clan, even if it means their deth, they attack their trargets and only their targets."

Rufus_Niblick nods sympathetically, making the usual tut-tutting noises. "You poor dahling," he says softly, gazing at Stephen. Suddenly he seems to jerk from a line of thought, almost spilling his daquari everywhere. "Oh dear, silly me!"

Belliger frowns. "If'n ye e'er 'ave trouble with em agin, jus tell me, an' I'll get th'Guosim on it." He looks down to the injured leg. "Ye've ad that checked on, righ?"

Rufus_Niblick checks it right then and there and pronounces it to be a most lovely leg.

Stephen...heh...then realizes he is covered in Rufus' drink, "yeah i did, it's alright don't worry, i knew a doctor out there, i got it checked right away, don't worry bell, and i'll always have trouble with him...one of there leaders...knows my face, and well...cause he has the same one in a sense..he's my twin, and he won't stop until i die." The he looks at Rufus..."...my legs fine you know."

Rufus_Niblick whistles. "I'll say it is."

Belliger takes another swig of water to find it... empty. "Hmph." He starts to stand. "I'll be righ' back, mates. Gotta go git s'more from..." Don't say the river, dummie. "Trynt's tent." Nice cover up. "Need anythin' while I'm out?"

Stephen blinks, then looks over at Belliger shaking his head, his mind not even going through wait...don't leave me here even, he looks over at rufus...who seems to still be checking on his leg.

Rufus_Niblick watches Belliger get to his feet, with sudden interest. "Oh, no thanks dahling. I'm fine. Here, Stephen, I'd better get this mess off you..." he says, fetching a bit of a cloth. "You're very dirty Stephen, dahling. /Someone/ has to clean you up." ;)

Belliger nods to both shrews, then heads out of the tent, deftly kicking the tent flap closed behind him. MWaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahha! Off he goes to the river.

There it gos, he looks at belliger with a slight pleading glance, to late he sees that he is already being cleaned up, "..you know i can do...it's not a prooblem you know."

Ooh, hard to get. Ruf's likin' it. "Don't be silly. It's all my fault, I should help." He begins to wipe at Stephen's leg with the cloth, with rather inefficient, one might say gentle, strokes. "So, why did you join the GUOSIM, Stevie?" he asks.

Stephen errs...he can't deny that it's nice not feeling the wet sticky strawberry...uh drink on him. "....I came here when i washed up on shore...i didn't remember who i was...you all were so nice to me...don think i remembered a thing till i saw the rat jump at me in that fight the other day."

Rufus_Niblick looks sympathetically at Stephen, with a little sigh of pity. "But that's /dreadful/," he says, still wipin' away. "You know, we're all like a big family here in the GUOSIM, Stephen," he says, carefully. "But... some members of that family can be closer than others." He looks up at the shrew from his kneeling place on the floor, with bitten lip and coy expression. ;)

Stephen nods slowly, "...I see...closer." He's looking down at the sherw and reaizes he has been long since clean and is still being cleaned up from nothing, he blinks as he sees the coy expression on his fellow shrews face.

The bitten lip fades into a winning smile as Rufus sits up a little, still rubbing uselessly at Stephen's trousers with the cloth. "You know," he almost-whispers, "I think we two could be very close. There's something about you, Stephen... You're... different." His non-cloth-wielding hand slithers up to rest on Stephen's hand.

Stephen slides back in the chair he is, "...I don't think i'm that much diffrent." Ok this is a bit creepy, the knight has to admit, damn leg. COME BACK BELLIGER SAVE ME!!!!!

Rufus_Niblick sits back on his heels, sensing Stephen's discomfort. "I... Stephen, I'm sorry. Just... forget it, all right?" He gets up and walks from the tent, the very picture of moody rejection. Sniffle. Poor ol' Rufy. :(

Stephen stands up, "..now..wait rufus...look i didn't mean it like that.." to lait...great now he has to find a way to apolgize to the fellow shrew.

Too late, Ruf's gone. And he's crying a bit, too. Bless 'im.