The Disappearing Act [ OPEN]

[WHISKEY]

February 18, 2012 - 7:26 p.m.

The Scriptor Bay Museum was known to host several banquets throughout the year in order to keep it funded. Although they made money through the tax payer's hard earned dollars and tickets that they sold for certain exhibits, it was hardly enough to keep the museum funded alone. Not with the staff that they had on hand, the outside company that they hired to move out old displays and bring in new ones. And of course, can't forget the cost of storage for the old displays before they were shipped elsewhere!

So the museum held banquets and always sent invitations to their most valuable clientele. Of course they didn't have to pay to attend these parties, but those who didn't receive a formal invite had to purchase a ticket for $60! Of course all the proceeds went to the museum directly and not a third party, which made it much more of a bearable price to the working man or woman.

Giant lights shone and rotated, illuminating the museum like some sort of flashy advertisement. It was to draw everyone's attention to it and it worked well. The pillars that held the up the front of the building were decorated elegantly, another thing to make it aesthetically pleasing and inviting.

Around the perimeter of the building was security as a precautionary procedure just like every other banquet that was hosted there. They didn't want someone to sneak in and steal anything of value. Not to mention it made those with money feel much safer knowing that they wouldn't be pick pocketed while they were enjoying a glass of champagne over cool conversation.

Cars were pulling up to the front of the building as a valet service that was hired just for the night would take the keys and park the vehicles in a parking structure that was just across the street. They outdid themselves like they did every time. They knew they'd get enough donations to pay for the cost of it all from the guests of the banquet. And if not? Then they'd hold another in less than a month's time.

The banquet didn't start until eight but the building was already filling up quickly with guests.

Inside, caterers were rushing around to finish any last minute tasks that needed to be done in order to set up. Some of the servers were already walking around and offering glasses of both white and red wines to start off the evening to the early birds. Another walked around with a tray of fancy Hors d'oeuvres to compliment the wine.

A few members of the Museum's own staff were walking around and greeting the guests as they arrived and even starting private little tours through the museum to get the conversation flowing and to make it so they weren't just standing around with nothing to do.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

In life, Claire had prepared herself for plenty of different big, life changing events. She prepared herself for the first day of high school with a deep breath and a few too many energy drinks. For puberty she had prepared herself by finding videos on the internet that explained why and how her body would change as she developed and matured becoming a woman. Preparing to talk to boys, she sought the advice of her sister.

But no matter how many time she ran through this in her head, she hadn't prepared herself enough for what she was about to do tonight.

Her job had been to get the key to the Avisaille display from her boss, Frank without him knowing. With the help of Cheyenne she managed to find the sluttiest, tightest dress she could possibly squeeze into and then went into Franks office just a two days ago.

Attempting to pull the hemline of the leopard print dress down, she knocked on Frank's office door. She knew he was in there. Come in! Called the boss and Claire did just that, strolling into the office. She rolled her hips the way that Cheyenne told her to but she instantly hip checked a filing cabinet and hunched over grabbing her hip and sucking in air trying to stop the pain.

Claire stood there inside of the museum reaching out to shake hands with an elderly gentleman, Mr. Seaver, who she knew had quite a hefty bank account. "It's so nice to see you Mr. Seaver. Mrs. Seaver, I love your earrings!" Claire commented to the elderly woman who was hanging off the man's arm. Her gaudy earrings weren't something that Claire would personally wear but she did like the color orange that they were. She watched as they continued further into the museum heading towards the butterfly exhibit, which they had decided to keep open for the guests.

Claire continued to smile, standing there by herself. She'd asked Griffin to meet her there, since she had to help set up and make sure that the caterers set up in the proper area and didn't block any of the paintings that were hanging on the walls. That, and she wanted to make sure that Flynn had gotten there okay. She then thought back to her awful encounter in Frank's office.

"Ya alright kid?" Frank asked and looked up from a stack of paperwork he was hovering over at his desk. If his jaw hadn't been attached to his face it would have unhinged and fell to the floor in Claire's opinion when he got a look at how she was dressed. "Who, me? Pfft! I'm great, Frank! Never better!" Claire commented and rubbed her hip a little more before she walked around his desk and attempted to sit on the corner but sat on a stapler and jumped in surprise. "..who leaves a stapler on the edge of their desk, Frank?!"

The embarrassment had run over and over in her head. And as she stood there in her little black dress, greeting everyone, she couldn't help but turn a little pink at the thought of it. Frank hadn't looked at her at all since then and she was definitely thankful for that.

She pushed the stapler off the desk and managed to knock over a couple of other things as she went about it but she finally got herself up on the desk! Frank leaned back in his seat and stared at her in shock and at a lost for words. He simply stared at her, trying to look at her in the face and play it off as if he didn't notice the way she was dressed. Claire wore dresses and skirts often to work, but she was never one to wear one so short! It threw him off! "....." Claire was also at a loss for words so she sat there for a second before she realized this wasn't going to get her anywhere. She lifted a leg up and set it on the edge of his seat just between his legs and leaned forward as if she was going to say something extremely sexy.

"Mr. and Mrs. White! I wasn't sure you were going to make it! It's fantastic to see you here. How are the kids doing?" Claire offered her hand to the pair, recalling that Mr. White had suffered from a case of testicular cancer that Mrs. White was all too happy to let Claire know about at a prior banquet. She'd been there so long that she knew most of their clientele and their entire life stories. It worked in her benefit because they always asked for her when they came to the museum. And when she sold something to them the commission was always nice.

"They're serving a nice zinfandel, Mrs. White. I know how much you like your wine!" She said trying to make conversation as she placed a hand on the woman's back and tried to guide her further into the museum before she backed away from the woman. "I'll be sure to catch up with you shortly. Don't have too much fun without me!" She gave a little awkward laugh before they couple kept walking, leaving her to her thoughts again.

When Claire leaned forward to say something sexy to Frank she misjudged how sturdy her foot was on the chair and it slipped, causing her to fall forward. She tried to grab at the desk but grabbed hold of a pair of scissors instead and fell face first into Frank's lap. Her hand must have jerked out of fear because she stabbed Frank in the thigh with them and he jumped to his feet wailing with pain. "What the hell are you doing?!" He shouted as blood from the puncture started to seep through his pants leg. "...I guess this is a bad time to ask for that raise? Heh.." Claire said from the ground and rolled her shoulders in a shrug as if to say 'oops, sorry!' But Frank went limping out of the office without answering her, and she used this time to grab the keys that Frank left in his desk drawer. He always labelled his keys with numbers that went with the display numbers, so she grabbed the correct key and then hurried out of the office, stumbling and awkward.

Claire wished she could just go back in time and do that entire thing over again. This time she'd do it differently. Instead of trying to flirt and humiliating herself she'd just say there was an emergency and distract him so he'd forget his keys. And while he was busy following her out of the office, have Griffin boost the keys. But Claire was determined to do it herself and so she did. Only it had been a disaster and now she didn't know how to talk to Frank. Fortunately she didn't get fired.

She greeted a couple of others who came through the glass doors before she turned her back to the door to talk to a guest who came up behind her and was asking her a question about the mystery exhibit. "Oh, I could tell you but then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" Claire said and gave him a little nudge with her elbow, just trying to keep the situation light and make a joke. She was so nervous she was afraid she was going to start crying at any given moment. She was just hoping that Cheyenne wouldn't be late to do her part.

She was still talking to the gentleman when she heard someone clear their throat. When she looked over to see who it was she noticed Frank who instantly averted his eyes as if he were suddenly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, would you excuse me?" She said politely to the gentleman, wanting to go run and hide from Frank when she turned quickly and ran straight into someone. "Gahh!" She said and threw her hands up defensively before trying to see who it was.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin had hardly slept the night before, and the hours leading up to the banquet had been difficult. He didn't show his fear or concern for the deed he was to perform openly, but internally he was nervous and a little excited. Griffin led a mild life, filled with casual encounters, quiet evenings, hours reading books, taking long walks, studying art or listening to classical music while he tried his hand at new recipes. It certainly didn't involve museum heists or any wrong doing. He hadn't felt this worked up since he was a boy and he was to take his first flight at Megsy Isle.

The man had taken great care to get ready for the evening, washing and fixing himself up just so. He chose a light gray suit with a matching vest, a crisp white shirt and a solid powder blue tie. He shaved and combed his hair to the side with a slight wave to it. He wanted to look nice, professional, unsuspecting..

When he was finally ready he brought himself downstairs and hailed a cab, ordering the driver to the museum. As the yellow taxi rode on he thought about the plan and how everything needed to be in place for it to go smoothly. He was concerned about his partner in crime on this mission. When Claire had gone to get the key she had succeeded but in a extremely bizarre and unconventional way.

When Griffin saw her arrive at work in the short, animal print dress he couldn't help but allow the shock to run through him. It wasn't that she was so stunning that he couldn't find words, though she did look beautiful, it was she didn't look like Claire. He didn't particularly care for the dress she was wearing though he was sure that it would have the affect on Frank it was intended to.

When Claire went into the mans office Griffin stayed close by, waiting, watching, listening. Something would happen, he just didn't know what. When the door opened Griffin turned his head so quickly he thought it might spin clear off his neck, but what he saw made his eyes go wide. Frank was leaving his room...with a bloody leg? Griffin took a step closer, dumbfounded as he watched the man hobble away, and then saw Claire leave. "What happened?" He asked in a soft voice when he had gotten close to her, concerned. "Are you alright?" "..I er.. stabbed him in the leg with a pair of scissors. No big deal!" Was her very simple reply with a nonchalant wave as if to silently say it was no big deal at all. Griffin stopped in his tracks, speechless. She had stabbed him? Frank hadn't seen mad, but the whole thing just shocked him.

Griffin had gotten the rest of the story later, though he wasn't sure if she was revealing everything that happened behind that closed door. Griffin had a feeling she was holding back a few things out of embarrassment, but the important thing was that she not only walked out unharmed and still employed, but also with the key. The plan was going smoothly! At least so far.. but considering Claire and her ability to ruin things unintentionally, he feared she would mess this up somehow. Not completely, since he would be there, but her nerves got the better of her most of the time and things tended to go roughly when she was around.

When the cab stopped in front of the museum Griffin paid the driver and thanked him softly before getting out and walked up the steps towards the front door. He smiled and nodded at a few of the people still standing outside, some chit chatting and laughing, others getting in their last cigarettes before the nights festivities began and they settled into drinks instead of nicotine.

Griffin made his way inside and stopped at the host booth. "Griffin Cartwright? I'm Claire McLeesters plus one." He explained offering his normal little grin to the young man. "Ah, Griffin Cartwright." The boy said checking his name off of the guest list. "Claire has already arrived and gone inside. Please feel free to get a drink. The coat check is off to the left." Griffin bowed his head and gave a soft "Thank you." Before moving along to check his coat and then make his way inside.

Once in he looked around, trying to find the familiar mop of red hair. It didn't take terribly long to spot her making small talk with some people that Griffin wasn't familiar with. He stayed where he was for a moment, watching her with a smile on his face. She had a confidence about her that slipped away once he or her sister were around. After getting to know her he took he awkwardness as a complement. Claire felt comfortable enough around him to let herself get to a point where she was a rambling fool, something she probably wold never do with any of the people she was small talking with. They seemed happy talking to her. and the lack of concern on their faces proved she wasn't going on and on like a mad woman.

He stayed where he was for a short time before deciding to make his way over and talk with her. When he got close he noticed Frank, and then saw Claire notice him as well. The look on her face explained alone how uneasy she was to be in his presence and she turned so quickly and headed off that she slammed right into Griffin! "Gahh!" came Claire's sound of frustration as her hands went into the air. Griffin chuckled lightly and reached his hands up and put them on her shoulders to steady her and so she could get a look at him.

"Fancy running into you here." He teased lightly with another chuckle. "Literally." His hands slipped off of her and he slid them into his pockets, really admiring Claire for the first time that evening. The girl definitely knew how to take care of herself, that was apparent enough. "You look beautiful." He complimented kindly, keeping his eyes on hers. He didn't want to give Claire the wrong impression that he was gawking at her. Despite her beautiful looks, she wasn't a piece of art to be stared at, but admired for the incredible person she was on the inside as well.

"You look a little frazzled. You holding up alright?"

---

Permission granted by Claire to power play a little.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

If there was anyone in the whole entire world that Claire didn't want to see or be around for at least the rest of eternity, it was her boss Frank. And she thought that was bad enough that she felt she had to run in the opposite direction when she saw him, but running into someone was pretty bad in itself. Lucky for Claire, it was Griffin who she had run into.

When his hands went on her shoulders and she finally calmed down enough to actually see him standing there she was hardly inconspicuous in the way her eyes moved up and down him as she took in the sight of Griffin in a suit. It was not only a sight to see but it was a sight to see! If they weren't surrounded by a bunch of rich strangers who earned her commission she probably would have drooled all over her charcoal grey heels right then and there. But she was able to contain the collecting saliva in her mouth and even swallowed to be sure when she opened her mouth to say something she wouldn't gurgle out her words.

"WOW!" Claire said a little on the loud side, causing an elderly woman to look over at her and give her a look, but Claire didn't even notice. She couldn't believe how hot Griffin looked when he was dressed up. Of course she wouldn't say that out loud!

"You look great!" She started and then realized that it might have sounded like Griffin didn't normally look great. "Not that you don't usually look great! You always look great. It's just.." She reached up with her right hand and ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a sigh and dropping her hand back to her side. Except because of the amount of hair styling products she'd used to make sure her hair stayed put, her hair now had a giant lump of hair sticking out to the side from her fingers. Not that she noticed. "You.. smell really good, have I told you that? Is - is that a new cologne?" Claire's attempt at fixing her blunder only made her sound more moronic as she tried to change the subject.

A little further in the museum there was the sound of plates clattering which echoed, the noise bouncing off the tiled floor. A few people grew silent and looked in the direction that the noise resonated from before going back to their private conversations. The ruckus died down and was quickly forgotten it seemed.

The sound startled Claire and she jumped a little but didn't bother to turn and look to see what happened. She figured it was one of the caterers. She just hoped that it wasn't Flynn, because that would blow.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Claire's reaction wasn't one he expected. Her outburst had startled him slightly and he felt his cheeks grow a little hot. Her compliment was kind and he could tell already that she was beginning to ramble. She had seemed fine a moment earlier talking to the older couple, but he knew it was because she had been in work mode. She was never in work mode with him, though he sometimes wished he knew how to ease her awkwardness. He knew it made her uneasy.

"Thank you." He said with a slight chuckle, trying not to laugh at the way her hair stuck out on the side a little. "It's not new, I just save it for nice occasions." He licked his lips and reached his hand up a little hesitantly towards her face. "You, uhm.. your hair. It just got a little out of place. Here.." He moved his fingers to the spot she had messed up and combed them through her soft hair, fixing it to the way it had looked before she had played with it.

"There." He said with a little nod. "Much better." His head snapped suddenly when he heard the crash of plates from off in the distance. His heart pounded as he wondered what was going on. Normally he wouldn't care so much, but Flynn was back there among the other caterers and he was suddenly concerned that she may have been the cause of the disruption. He hoped not, but there was nothing he could do either way. They needed her to pull the rest of the plan off, so hopefully it wasn't her, and if it was, hopefully she covered herself!

He turned his attention back to Claire and forced a smile, taking a deep breath to try and calm his nerves, knowing he couldn't expect Claire to aid in that. His eyes moved to the side, noticing a man walking around with a tray that held a half dozen champagne flutes or so. He held a hand p to stop him and grabbed a couple of drinks from the tray, offering one to Claire. "I won't lie, I'm a bit anxious about the evenings agenda." He explained in a soft voice, the conversation meant only for her ears. He took a sip of the light, bubbly drink and then offered a weak smile to Claire. "I know everything will be fine. I've just never done anything like this. How's your sister fairing?"

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

When Griffin reached up to Claire's hair the girl froze and fell silent with uncertainty at what he was actually trying to do. Then when he felt his hand straightening out her hair she let out a relieved breath, almost like she wasn't sure if he was planning on pulling her hair or hitting her upside her head for ranting the way she usually did. She couldn't prevent her rantings, though. It was how she was on a normal day. She knew how to act professional and put on a fake smile, because she'd gotten good at it. She'd done it a lot in school and in earlier jobs when she was a teenager. It just made things easier. Teachers and bosses loved her. Students hated her and customers sometimes got annoyed if she started to rant. That was until she'd gotten better at it.

She could sense how unnerved he was even though it seemed he was clearly trying to conceal it. It was one of those instincts that were heightened because she was a Therianthrope, although it wasn't something she'd tell him. Her eyes watched him curiously and calmly, almost as if that was another instinct of hers. As nervous as she was and as much of a melt down she wanted to have, getting the sense that Griffin might have been just as nervous as her calmed her down a bit. At least in that very moment and she decided it was her turn to do for him what he usually did for her.

Claire grabbed hold of Griffin's upper arms and gave them a gentle little squeeze to make sure that she had his attention. "Hey, it's cool. This is going to go fine. We'll smoothly do our thing then have a few celebratory drinks, watch the show and then go roast some s'mores." She was only kidding about the s'mores, since her stomach was in knots from the anxiety she was experiencing. Not to mention roasting a bag of bones was going to be its own thing and roasting marshmallows over them was just disgusting.

She easily released his arms and when the drinks came she took the one that she was offered and tipped the glass back against her lips and drained the entire thing. She couldn't believe she just said that in her calm "work" voice. But she felt confident in her words even if she was uncertain of them herself!

When Griffin asked about her sister her eyes automatically went towards the entryway as if she was expecting to see Cheyenne, dressed in the sluttiest outfit she owned, flirting away with the guards. But she knew that Cheyenne was going to wait a little until there were less people entering, since she'd have a better shot at keeping up the charade. Claire inwardly groaned at the thought of Cheyenne leaving there with the number of one of the guards. Claire knew it was most definitely going to happen.

"She'll be fine. She knows what she has to do and it's like a typical day for Cheyenne. Only instead of it being a gaudy club it'll be the steps outside." Claire said it with love, of course. It was her matter of fact tone and she even had to laugh a little at the thought of it.

"How about we go walk around a little bit before we do this. Everyone's just walking in the door you know they're going to try to hover around the curtains in front of the exhibit for the next couple of minutes before they grow bored." Claire offered and moved to Griffin's side so she could put her arm through his and gently held onto his arm. He was her undate, after all.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin wondered if Claire's sister was as easy as she made her out to be. He himself had met Cheyenne before, twice, and he agreed that she seemed promiscuous, but was she as bad as Claire claimed? Cheyenne had an intelligence about her. Griffin could tell that easily from the couple of times he'd spoken to her. More from the second time than he first, though. It was like she knew what she was doing, like there was an underlying reason for everything she did, and Griffin wasn't certain it was to gt men to come home with her. Then again he didn't truly know the girl like Claire did. For all he knew her motives were every bit as unpure as Claire said.

His brow rose as Claire drained her glass but then he smiled. She was just as uncomfortable with the situation as he was, though she was currently doing a phenomenal job hiding it. "How about we go walk around a little bit before we do this." She suggested and her arm slid around his. Griffin moved his opposite hand over to rest on top of hers, giving it a light pat. She was right, they should walk around and cool off a little, get their wits about them before doing what they had come to do.

"You're right. Let's stroll." He moved his hand away from hers and pulled the drink free from his other hand and downed it as Claire had done. He wasn't one to chug drinks like that, but he wanted his hands free and he was embarrassed to admit he wanted to try and take the edge off a little quickly.

Griffin moved easily with Claire through the crowd, offering small, friendly smiles to people and little head bows now and then, being courteous to the museums guests. In all his years he had never been to an event like this. Sure, he had been places where he needed to dress up, but not at a museum for an unveiling. It was a shame he was going to be the one to spoil the evening for everyone there. The museum would likely suffer as well. There would need to be damage control from the Avisaille theft, and Claire would likely need to come into work the following day to start doing so. Even he might be asked to come in and aid the staff in answering phone calls, returning donations, keeping reporters at bay.. It would be a nightmare trying to cleanup what they were going to do, and there was the potential for police intervention. The thought frightened him a little and he turned to look at Claire. He didn't want her to pay for this if they got caught. Worst case scenario he would insist that she had nothing to do with it, and before he could get incarcerated he would flee the city.

But what of Claire then? Could he leave and allow her to take the fall? Could he bring her with him? If he did she would surely find out his secret, something he wasn't keen on doing. Then there was Claire's sister. Despite their differences, he knew Claire needed Cheyenne and he could never take her away from her sister like that.

Griffins brows furrowed. Why was he even thinking of this? First of all, Claire was only a friend! One he had known for a very short while, and one he certainly shouldn't be whisking away if anything were to go awry, but at the same time he had grown to care so very deeply for her. But why? was it her childishness? Her sense of humor? Her eyes? Griffin blushed and looked away, clearing his throat. Claire had become almost like a sister to him! She was so much younger, and she wasn't an Avisaille. Caring for her in a way other than friends would be wrong, and he knew that. He pushed the thought away, clearing his throat and putting his class down on a counter they passed where a few other drained flutes sat.

"It was nice having you and your sister over the other night." He said in a soft, gruff voice. "We should all do it again some time. Without the theft looming over our heads, of course. Maybe next time we could play games? Flynn is excellent at board games. Personally, I prefer cards." He smirked at her a little. "It could be fun, and much more lighthearted."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire kept stride with Griffin while they walked around the museum together. One of the caterers was walking around with a full tray of flutes and she decided to stick her empty one on the tray. She was trying to decide whether or not she wanted another one when he walked away from her. It was probably better for Claire not to drink too much or else she'd be too impaired to take on the task of the night. She had the key to the display case tucked inside of her bra since she figured there was no safer place for it than there. Not like anyone was going to go fishing around in it anytime in the next century, that was for sure.

The thought of her lack of a sex life suddenly brought her mood down and she looked around at the other couples that were there for the unveiling. She was there with a fake date and the only reason that she was there with a fake date at all was because they were going to steal the Avisaille skeleton. If it weren't for that she'd probably be dateless for the night. She wasn't like Cheyenne that was for sure. Or their mother for that matter.

She snapped back to reality when Griffin commented on dinner the other night and how it would be nice to have them come over again. Claire found it a bit surprising that he'd actually want them back again. What, with Claire's antics and Cheyenne's bitchiness? Then again he probably didn't notice it the way that Claire did. He didn't grow up with her sister like she had, and although Cheyenne could be a subtle bitch, Claire could always pick it up.

"Really? You're talking about the one that Chey and I were at, right? Where I decided to pet you like a Persian rug and then practically shout for the rest of the night?" Claire asked curiously knowing she'd made a complete fool out of herself. She'd had a little too much wine by the end of the night and had been slurring her words a bit. "Thankss fer the salmon, sailor!" She said loud enough for the entire condo floor to hear before she saluted to Griffin as Cheyenne pulled her out of Griffin's apartment. It was almost as bad as what happened with Frank.

"Although I'm pretty good at board games too." She nodded her head and turned her torso towards him as if to give him her full attention and reaching her free hand up to grip his arm with the one that was already wrapped under it. "I am the master of Sorry! And Twister. LOVE Twister!" The conversation about board games seemed much more lighthearted than thinking about what they really had to do. But she knew they'd have to get ready for that and soon.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin couldn't help but chuckle when Claire mentioned petting him like a Persian rug. He hadn't been bothered by it. If anything he had felt bad for Claire after it had happened. He knew she had meant nothing by it, and knew that it had embarrassed her when she realized what she was doing. Griffin had the feeling that Cheyenne wouldn't have minded as much if she had been the one touching, but for some reason Claire got worked up over those sorts of things, and as funny as it was, it was also a little sad. Griffin didn't like watching her get so upset with her own actions.

"Really. It wasn't that bad. Well, maybe towards the end it was." He teased lightly not wanting to make her self conscious. He looked down into her eyes and smiled genuinely to let her know what he said was in good fun. He listened to her as she went on about the games, just enjoying the sound of her voice and wanting to get lost in it. The less he thought about what he was going to be doing soon, the better. He didn't need to work himself up on the what if's and the what then's. Those didn't exist and until they did he was determined not to think of them and let them bring down his mood. He was at this lovely affair with a beautiful friend, and he would enjoy himself for as long as he could.

"You know, I've never played Twister." He admitted, but there was good reason. He'd seen people play Twister. There was a lot of touching and falling and bending. An Avisaille playing that with non-Avisaille were asking for trouble. Someone would be bound to see their harness with all the twisting or even feel it. It wasn't worth the risk of being potentially found out. "I don't think it's a game for me. I'm certainly not coordinated enough for something like that." He lied, hoping she wouldn't try to persuade him to play. "Sorry, on the other hand, now that sounds like something I can handle." He reached his hand up and flicked her upper arm. "Sorry." He said lightly in a playful tone. "See? I'm excellent at Sorry." He joked knowing that wasn't how the game was played, but trying to lighten the mood and feel comfortable in his own skin again.

The more they walked, the quieter it seemed to become. They had wandered away from the large crowd and were more on their own now, which let the reality crash back down that they would need to get started soon. "I've always liked Scrabble." He admitted, wanting to continue to put off the inevitable. Griffin wasn't cowardly, but there was a lot riding on this going according to plan. Nothing could go wrong. He couldn't risk their livelihoods for a deceased man, no matter what the consequences were for his remains to be out on display. He had to protect Clare at all costs. "And word game.. And bowling." He added, clearing his throat again. "I bet I could out bowl you any day, Claire McLeester."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

The little flick on her arm made her looked up at Griffin almost lost to why he did it until he uttered his sorry. He was only teasing her since she said she liked the game Sorry. She'd played a few times with her sister, and there was always playing it online with strangers. It was actually a whole lot of fun online. More fun than it probably should have been. She even laughed a little when he did it and gave him a bit of a nudge with her shoulder.

"I've always liked Scrabble."

Claire was excellent at Scrabble as well. She'd played alone a few times just so that she could challenge her own vocabulary. "Oh I would definitely kick you in the behind with my Scrabble skills, buddy!" She said playfully and even let out a little guffaw of a laugh in her smokey voice. She'd always disliked the way her voice sounded, and it had always been that way.

"I bet I could out bowl you any day, Claire McLeester."

She let out a fake little surprised gasp and placed a hand against her chest, almost as if she were offended by what he said. Of course she wasn't. And of course she didn't believe he could out bowl her! Not Claire! "I think I could give you a pretty good run for your money, Spiffin' Griffin!" She decided after she called him 'Spiffin' Griffin' that she liked the sound of it. "Spiffin' Griffin! Aha!" She laughed again at it. "It's got a nice little ring to it, don't you think?"

Maybe it was because they were walking around the museum and it was her own comfort zone but she was doing great at not rambling like a chatty Cathy. Must have been a personal best of hers.

One thing about these parties was the museum was free for all. Sure, there were guards everywhere and others wandering the halls. But there was a few rooms she liked more than others. "Come this way." She said and her hand slipped down Griffin's arm until she reached his hand and intertwined her fingers with his so she could take him, hand in hand, towards the wildlife exhibit. Her heels clicked against the tile in a hurried manner as she slipped past a group of people who were talking about a time when they'd gone to the famous Guggenheim Museum.

Not only was the wildlife exhibit Claire's favorite but it was just behind the exhibit where the unveiling was going to happen. All they had to do was leave that exhibit and slip into the next room over and bam! There they'd be!

When they finally got to the exhibit, it was one of the darkest rooms that the museum had. The ambiance of the dimly lit lights made it cool and calming. The fact that it was empty except for them was a bonus. The glassless displays held stuffed animals that were sorts into their habitat sections. Although Claire didn't like that some of the animals had once been real and were taxidermy victims, she found it less unnerving than hanging in the butterfly room and crushing another one of them. These animals were already dead so she couldn't harm them.

She let go of Griffin's hand and walked towards one of the sections where there was one of the stuffed animals that had more in common with her than most people did; the cheetah was lying across a broken log while a lizard was clinging to a rock nearby. Claire grabbed hold of the railing that ran along the displays separating them so they couldn't touch anything.

Leaning against the bar and using her hands to hold her weight she lifted herself up so her feet were hovering just above the floor. No real point to it but it was fun. "Nobody ever comes in here. It's always empty and it's one of my favorites." She told him in a low voice and stared at the cheetah.

"It's relaxing. And I think that's what we need right now, right? I mean at least that's what I need. Or else I'm going to have a spazz attack and probably lock myself in the display case by accident." She started to ramble a little bit and then set looked back at him to see how he felt.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

"...Spiffin' Griffin?" Both of his brows went up at the little pet name she'd given him and he openly laughed. "Wow. Just... wow. in all my years...that's a first." And he'd been very much alive in the 60's! Claire didn't know that, though. It looked like he was born in the early 80's! "But, yeah.. I suppose it's got a sort of nice ring to it. Sort of.." He chuckled again, his eyes twinkling genuinely at her as he shook his head and lowered his gaze to the ground. They needed that moment. A moment to forget what was to come. Griffin was grateful she had been able to let herself go enough to do that and not act like a complete nervous wreck afterwards.

When she slipped her hand down to his, he looked up, wondering where she was going to drag him off to. She couldn't be taking him to some place he'd never seen before. He had practically grown up in the museum and worked there now. He doubted there was a single corner he hadn't investigated over the years.

He wasn't entirely sure why she dragged him to the wildlife exhibit, but he was grateful for the dark and the quiet. He enjoyed social gatherings, even if he was often quiet while he attended them, but there was something to be said about dimly lit, quiet places where one could truly gather their thoughts and find their own selves.

Griffin watched Claire as she slipped away from his handhold and moved to the bar separating her from the cheetahs and lizards and rocks and trees. There was something so peaceful about watching Claire there, as if she herself were part of the exhibit. A piece of living art. Claire had the body of an adult, but as she swung there on the bar he could see something almost childish in her. A love and passion for something that often is found only in children, but somehow Claire had managed to hang onto that virtue and carry it with her to this very moment. "Nobody ever comes in here. It's always empty and it's one of my favorites." Griffin felt his heart flutter with mild adoration for the girl. How could she go from the way she was right now to that rambling idiot he'd seen her transform into? She was a true mystery to him, and maybe that's why he felt drawn to her. So little in this world was a mystery to him anymore, it seemed.

"I wouldn't let you lock yourself in the display case." Came his soft voice from behind her as he moved slowly to stand beside her at the bar separating them from the exhibit. "Though it would be a site to see when they revealed the case, wouldn't it?" He chuckled, sliding his hands on the bar in front of him and sliding them outwards and back to the center a few times.

Griffin took a deep breath and exhaled it. "Thank you, Claire." He said softly, looking up at her and then to the cheetahs again. They were so elegant with their lean, fast bodies. Instinctively he knew he should fear them, since they were his natural enemy, but he couldn't deny how graceful they looked with their lanky, muscular limbs and striking markings. They reminded him, oddly enough, of the girl beside him. The same striking red hair, the sleek, graceful frame. Lean, strong, beautiful..

"For all of this. I know it doesn't make complete sense why I need to do this, but I feel it in my heart. This is the right thing to do. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for being here." He slid his hand on top of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You're a remarkable woman, and a true friend. I'm very grateful for you." He told her truthfully letting out another breath before looking back at the cheetahs. "I can see why you like this exhibit. You have a talent for finding beauty in things others take for granted. I admire that about you, Claire. Very much."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

"Thank you, Claire."

"What?" Claire didn't know why Griffin was thanking her. Did she do something right? It's not like she told him his fly was down or anything. That would be pretty embarrassing and she wasn't sure even then that she'd be able to do that! She'd probably call Cheyenne and make her tell him if that happened! She just couldn't do that, and the thought of it made her grow nervous again. But then Griffin continued to talk.

Although his motives for wanting to get rid of the Avisaille bones were never clear, Claire had decided to trust him. It was just like her. She had her own reasons but he didn't make her delve into them in any way. But he didn't stop there.

"I can see why you like this exhibit. You have a talent for finding beauty in things others take for granted. I admire that about you, Claire. Very much."

Her cheeks must have looked bright red, because she felt them get hot and was pretty sure if she tried she could probably fry an egg on them right about then. She wasn't sure what to say to the compliment, as she had never been great at taking compliments in the first place. The few times she'd been complimented she'd wave it off or tell them they were wrong. Only on few occasions would she actually thank them and let it go. She turned around so her back was to the exhibit and hoisted herself up onto the railing so she could sit there while they chatted for a bit. Her feet were growing tired from standing in heels all night and she knew there would be a possibility that she would have to do a little running in those heels. Last thing she wanted to do was sprain an ankle.

She held onto the railing on both sides of her so she wouldn't slip off and nodded her head gently at Griffin. "Thank you." Claire said just above a whisper. It was hard to just accept a compliment. Especially when she didn't believe in it. It wasn't that she saw beauty in it at all. It was that she felt connected to the wildlife exhibit. It was a part of her whether she liked it or not.

"Everyone has their reasons for doing what they do. Who am I to judge?" She offered as her sorry excuse for an explanation. It wasn't a good reason but it was reason enough for her anyway. She understood not being able to explain things so how could she get upset at someone else for doing the same thing?

That's when the thought occurred to her.. although she didn't agree with her sister, Cheyenne did have a point. Why would someone who had grown up hearing stories about the mythical guardians not want the exhibit to show proof? Sure, Claire would never want actual proof of Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny, but that didn't mean someone else wouldn't! Claire was always a little less than normal so it made sense for her. What if Griffin actually wasn't as normal as he'd seemed? What if Griffin was.. like her?

The thought didn't last long however as she heard someone coming down the hall. Footsteps were growing closer, and her job had been to socialize with the guests as much as possible. Her job was to keep them happy. Not to sit there like a child and talk about her favorite exhibit in the place.

She pushed herself off of the railing and back onto her two feet, growing frantic as the foot steps came closer. It probably shouldn't have been such a big deal, but it was to her. She was in her comfort area and someone was about to step into it. "Uhm.. let's.. crud!" Claire hissed out as her hands flailed a bit in front of her, almost like she was flapping them up and down hoping it would make her float away out of view.

That's when she did the only thing that came to mind, and probably the most reckless thing she could have done that night. "Come here!" She demanded of Griffin and grabbed hold of the front of his shirt with both hands and pulled him towards her. Her heels made her taller and it worked to her advantage in the moment.

Once Griffin was close enough, Claire looked over his shoulder to see the shadow through the entryway growing larger and just before they came in the girl locked lips with her coworker. She hadn't thought it all the way through first, but she at least had the decency to shut her eyes when she did it! First her lips seemed resistant and almost stiff. But once they touched Griffin's she seemed to ease up just a little and even started to let go of the death grip that she had on his shirt.

---

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Permission to power play by Griffin.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

He was glad she was understanding and even more glad that she hadn't tried to fight him on the compliment. Claire seemed like the type to fight people when they said a kind word to her. He knew the girl didn't have the highest self esteem, so when she uttered her thank you he nodded, glad she took it without a fight.

He turned his gaze back on her and watched as she slowly grew frantic. Was it because people were approaching? He quickly realized it was and turned his head towards the entrance. What was the big deal if someone joined them? He turned back to Claire and gave her a quizzical look, unsure what to do as she slid off and mumbled her crud.

"Claire, are you alri...." "Come here!" Before he even knew what was going on she had a death grip on his shirt and his brows raised. What was going on? Why was she acting like this? He realized immediately that Claire didn't really need a logical reason to react the way she did sometimes. The did things without thinking, said things on a whim, and later regretted every last second of whatever embarrassing she did while her brain shut down and her mouth and motor skills did all the thinking for her.

But then she did the very last thing he ever expected Claire McLeester to do. She kissed him. Hard. On the lips. His eyes were wide and his body rigid as she kissed him, but not even Griffin could resist the temptation that he didn't realize was there. His body relaxed and he went with it because no matter how wrong he knew it was, there were biological instincts that told him it was so, so right.

He kissed her gently, savoring the moment. It had been so long since a woman had been in his arms. He didn't allow people in lightly, but with every second that ticked by his mind began to take over. He knew what he was doing was wrong. Claire was a baby compared to him and he felt like he was taking advantage of her. She wasn't kissing him out of love like she should be, but to hide behind. His hand slipped up to her cheek and he gently pulled away, keeping his face close to hers so he could look into her eyes easily, so she knew he wasn't being cruel by pulling away.

Words at that very second escaped him as he stared into her eyes, his face stoic. He had no idea how to feel. Griffins thumb moved gently back and forth over her cheek as he gazed down at her. "There are things about me you don't know, Claire." He finally said in a throaty voice, unsure why he'd said what he did, but it was the first thing that came to his mind. He didn't want to deceive her, and he couldn't very well tell her the truth. It was a difficult position he was in. "Things you might not understand." He gulped, his brows furrowing as his hand slid through her hair, his eyes moving to watch the soft strands slip through his fingers and fall again. He reached his hand around to the back of her head and leaned in, kissing her forehead, his lips lingering a moment on the soft skin before pulling away from her.

"There's no need to hide behind me. Whatever is bothering you we can face together." He reached for her hand, knowing how delicate she could be and not wanting her to frighten off or feel awkward about what had just happened. But his lips tingled with the aftershocks of the kiss, more than he wanted to admit. He suddenly found himself yearning to feel her on him again, a thought that frightened him. They could never be. He needed to push the thought from his mind; Claire could never be his.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire's five minutes of bliss were short lived when Griffin pulled away from her. She wasn't sure why she thought she had to kiss him as a scapegoat, but deep down she knew there was more to it than that. Claire had wanted to kiss him for a while now! She'd even fantasized about what it would be like to kiss him and she finally had the opportunity! Maybe it was for the wrong reason but at least she did it, right?

When he'd pulled away from her she felt like her stomach was twisting into a tight knot. And in Griffin's own sweet way he let her down. She'd taken a chance, no matter how out of place it was, and it was going to be a lesson for her not to do it again.

"There are things about me you don't know, Claire."

His words sounded almost like a cliche' to Claire's ears with what she was and the things he didn't know about her. What could there be that would be so bad about Griffin? It wasn't like he'd killed anyone before. Claire was pretty sure that Griffin wasn't a murderer! He couldn't harm a fly!

"Things you might not understand."

Claire wanted to snort at this but she didn't. She just lowered her eyes to the ground for a minute before she realized that she couldn't let this complicate what they had to do. Looking back up at him she rolled her shoulders in a shrug. "It's not that big of a deal. I-I mean it's cool, right? We could just pretend that didn't even happen! Yeah, probably a good idea. You know, since we work together and all." She tried her hardest to make it seem like she didn't care, like she was a cool cat, but the corners of her lips moved down a bit. She tried her best to hide the disappointment and the hurt that she felt, and used talking and little gestures to try and draw attention away from her face. She was a horrible poker player because every emotion she felt was easily shown on her face.

"There's no need to hide behind me. Whatever is bothering you we can face together."

She did make it seem like she was using him to hide, and that was exactly what it seemed like to him. He wasn't an idiot. "I-it was stupid. I mean, it wasn't that I felt I needed to hide per se, I just.. it's stupid. It was stupid of me and I shouldn't have done it. I'm sorry, it was totally my bad." She held her hands up as if she were showing that she admitted defeat to him. "It will never happen again. I mean who does that, right? Just out of the blue kisses someone? Especially someone they're friends with? NotthatIwouldn't..." Her words bunched up together and she trailed off. What could she say? That she wanted to rip his clothes off right there and have her way with him? That was something Cheyenne would say to a guy, not her. That she wished they could be more than just friends? That she liked him as more than friends? She couldn't do that.

"M-maybe we should get ready.. it's almost time." Claire said and looked at Griffin again before she turned her back to him and started to walk towards the exit, pressing down the front of her dress to make sure it hadn't gotten creased in any sort of way. The people who she thought were coming to the wildlife section had actually stopped short and picked up a little conversation with another group of people.

She just hoped the rest of the night wouldn't be a disaster.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

With every word that left her lips he felt his heart sink lower and lower in his chest. If only she knew! She would hate him, he was sure of it. She would think he was a freak for having wings, and find him disgusting since he was old enough to be her father. The more he thought of it, though, he was sure she would find his wings fascinating, but his age? Well, some girls were into that. Either way it could never work! Even if she knew, he knew she wouldn't want a future with him. They could never have children, and she would grow old while he stayed young. He would look to be in his forties when she passed and he would have a life time of solitude. It just couldn't be, and he was internally beating himself up over it all. He wasn't blind. He could easily tell the kiss had meant more to her than simply hiding. She may have done it as a way to hide, but it had been her hearts true desire. That much was certain.

"Claire.." He said softly, his eyes sad, his lips pouting slightly. If only he could say something. If only she would let him! "Claire, please.." "M-maybe we should get ready.. it's almost time." Before he could stop her she was walking away and he was standing there watching her go, feeling completely helpless.

How could he make her see that this didn't need to be like this? Why did everything have to be awkward with her? He suddenly felt frightened that he'd lost a friend in her. How would she look him in the eye if she felt that he had turned her down without really knowing the true motives behind his decision? Things would forever be tarnished between them unless he acted now and acted quickly. But what could he do to rectify this? He couldn't stand the thought of losing her friendship over something like this, not after what they were planning to do that evening.

"Claire, stop!" He said a little more firmly, jogging after her and grabbing her wrist to force her to stop, pulling her to turn and look at him. He could see the pain in her eyes, see that she was trying to be brave though she wore her heart on her sleeve. "Please don't apologize." He implored, a pleading look on his face. "It wasn't stupid." He demanded firmly, his eyes piercing her. "It wasn't stupid." He repeated a little more gently this time, wanting things to be as they were, hoping she could not let this get in the way of their friendship. Now that he had met Claire, he wasn't quite ready to give that up.

"I don't mind that it happened. I certainly didn't object and I can't stand you beating yourself up over it. I have no regrets. Please, don't have any either. Alright?" He begged, gulping. "Please, Claire.. I couldn't stand for you to feel uncomfortable with me."

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Permission granted to power play by Claire