17 Chapter 17

"Hey boss, were you really with Emerick?" Etoile pulled Trixie aside as the rest of the crew went down to breakfast.

"How do you know that name?" Trixie responded with a question of her own. She was getting tired of the ceaseless questions. The orc brothers had left well enough alone after her discussion with Rathus, but the rest of the kids had been asking her questions since they were awake enough to think of them.

"He's pretty big," Eosphorous replied. "How could we not recognize him?"

"Big how?" Trixie regarded them with some frustration. She really didn't have the time or the mind for their know-it-all attitude today.

"Don't tell me you don't know who he is!" Etoile gasped. As ever, Eosphoros mirrored her actions.

"He's a rich prick," Trixie replied. "What else is there to know?"

"Oh Trixie, Trixie, Trixie," Eosphoros shook his head with a dramatic sigh. "Sweet naïve little Trixie…"

"Say my name one more time and I'll pummel you," Trixie growled. "And I'm older than you, asshole."

"It's important to know one 'rich prick' from another, don't you know?" He continued as if she hadn't spoken. "There's a huge difference between a rich merchant, a rich noble, and a rich slaver, you can't just lump them under the same title of "rich" my dear."

"Besides, how can you not recognize his name?" Etoile pitched in with a huff. "My brother and I have only been talking about him since he took part in one of our theater troupe's largest productions a few years back! He was only one of the most amazing people to take the stage! Do you never listen to us?"

"Uh…" Trixie really didn't have a good answer to that. They raved about other actors and actresses often. So often, she couldn't keep the names straight.

"Do you really have to ask?" the sing song voice of Lorelei called from the doorway. Trixie groaned inwardly as she turned to face the petite goblin-fairy mix, and the smirking fox-man, Liron, beside her. While she was found of the pair, they were arguably the biggest trouble makers of her group, even more so than Etoile and Eosphoros.

Typically she didn't have to worry about them, they preferred to harass Dalek, a drow-wolf were-beast who was on the surly and distant side but earnest and reliable. Apparently her disappearance the day before had gleaned their undivided attention.

"Our boss gets pretty focused on her goals," Liron added, three tails swishing behind him as his caramel eyes gleamed mischievously. "You can't honestly expect her to remember the things most important to us!"

"Quite it with the passive aggression," Trixie growled. To Etoile, she added, "I'm sorry. I promise, I try to listen I am just bad with names… and you talk about so many people…"

"I'm not convinced, but you almost never apologize so…" Etoile shook her head. "Fine, I'll forgive you this once."

"I guess I will too," Eosphoros added with an eye roll. "But you better make it up to us."

"Aren't you guys going to be late for practice?" Trixie prompted.

The two liked to reside in the orphanage with the rest, but they no longer attended the institute daily. For years, they had been part of a theater troupe, and were quit skilled at what they did. They could easily have forsaken the orphanage and that lifestyle as a whole, but they wanted to keep in contact with Trixie and the others.

"I suppose you have a point," Eosphoros responded.

"They would be quite cross if we were late again," Etoile agreed.

"Fine," they said in unison, "but this isn't finished." So saying, they filed from the room. Trixie had a momentary flood of relief, but it evaporated almost as soon as it occurred.

"So what was he like?" Lorelei questioned, invading Trixie's personal space as she hit her up close and personal with her wide, emerald puppy-dog eyes. She was only a few months younger, but never-the-less little Lorelei was nearly a full foot shorter than Trixie, something Trixie attributed to her own human blood as opposed to Lorelei's fairy blood.

"Was he dashing? Roguish? Did he pay well?" Liron queried from her other side. His imitation of Lorelei's pout caused the little fairy-goblin to smack him. Though they often ganged up on poor Dalek, they were equally prone to harassing each other. Trixie couldn't fathom how the three were as inseparable as they were.

"How big was he? Was he truly the man of every maiden's dreams?" Lorelei shoved Liron to the side.

"What are you two, a pair of toddlers?" Trixie huffed. "I already told you, that's none of your business!"

"Are you going to see him again tonight?" Liron prodded. When Trixie flinched, a smirk spread across his crafty face. "He made an offer! Did you tell him your price?"

"You need to get going to," Trixie changed the subject abruptly. "Has anyone seen Jemma?"

"No, and I don't want to go!" Lorelei pouted. "This is much more interesting! Besides, where are you going?"

"None of your business!" Trixie exclaimed in exasperation. "Now scat!"

Liron and Lorelei yelped and fled as she whipped around, whacking them across the butts with her tail. Once she was sure they were gone, she set out to find Jemma. She needed a stand in so she could go house hunting.

It took a while, but she finally found her napping in one of the closets. When the door opened with a creek, the girl yawned and sat up. Trixie observed her fondly, though sadly. Unlike the rest of them, Jemma hadn't been brought to the orphanage at a young age. In fact, she'd only been there for about 5 years, but she had fallen victim to much more malicious treatment than the whole of Trixie's band put together.

"Good morning Jemma," Trixie said with a small smile. It was rare that they took Jemma to the institute. The matrons didn't actually know about her, as Trixie and the others had found her in an alley one day, and in rough shape. She hadn't been very forthcoming with details such as who or why, but evidently she had been pushed off the top of a building.

"Oh, good morning Trixie," Jemma said with a sleepy smile. "Did you need something from me?"

She typically hid in the orphanage. Since she wasn't expected to attend the institution, most of the time they left her behind. At first, they'd made the mistake of sneaking her into the building with them, but she quickly became a target for reasons that Trixie still couldn't fathom. Even her reputation hadn't protected Jemma.

"I need you to fill in for me, just long enough to get me checked in for the morning, then sneak back out when they take the boys out to the jobsites," Trixie replied.

"Oh, ok," Jemma replied, looking troubled. She would never complain, least of all to Trixie who was the one who brought her in, but Trixie knew how much she hated going to the Honey Pot. She was asking a lot of Jemma, but she fully intended to make up for it later.

Taking a deep breath, Jemma stood and dusted herself off, inspecting her grey, clay-like skin and her stark white hair. Closing her onyx eyes, she concentrated and began to sift form. Trixie had seen her transformations numerous times, but it was always incredible to watch her form bubble and shift until she was the shape she desired. From there, her coloration changed too. Within moments, the girl was identical to Trixie.

"Take care of yourself," Trixie instructed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Stick with Rathus, and you should be fine. It wouldn't be odd for people to see me hanging around him anyway."

"Ok," She repeated timidly. Taking a breath, she focused, and the shy nature Jemma exuded had completely vanished, replaced by Trixie's typical sass. "I'll make sure to give 'em hell!" She said with a toothy grin.

"Don't overdo it," Trixie smiled and ruffled her hair. It looked natural enough, but there was an odd texture to it, as there was to the whole of Jemma's body. Trixie strongly suspected the girl was part slime, but it was hard to say.

"Right," Jemma smiled, then scampered off to the dining hall where the rest would be waiting. Watching her go, Trixie smiled to herself. Soon, very soon, they would be free of this place. If she was lucky, they'd be able to start moving out that night. She hoped she would be so lucky. Emerick's words to Renna troubled her greatly.