Avenging A Fallen Birdman (Flynn/Claire/Chey)

[CHEYENNE MCLEESTER]

Cheyenne couldn't believe Claire couldn't tell how bad that all was. It was a nightmare! It was worse than a nightmare. If she had acted that way... No. That would never happen. Cheyenne would never act that way, even strung out on drugs. "You're right, they probably would lock you up." Her tone was a little less severe now. She wanted to help Claire, wanted things to go smoothly but there was some sort of smooth blocker in the younger girls brain. Cheyenne had always hoped Claire would grow out of it, but the older they got, the more she was realizing this wasn't some awkwardness that comes with youth. As a girl she had always blushed and rolled her eyes when Claire had made a fool of herself, telling people she wasn't even really Claire's sister, that she had been adopted, but the older they got the more defensive she became and often stood up for Claire when others teased her behind her back. This was the reason for at least half the fights she had gotten into during high school. The other half was easy for girls getting mad she stole their boyfriends, which Cheyenne still defended to this day. "I did them a favor. They were dating scumbags." She had defended over and over, but most girls didn't see it that way. Stupid girls.

"The problem is what we are. That's my disease. If I didn't have to worry about saying something all the time then I'd be calm." Cheyenne sighed and reached up pulling a strand of her sisters hair back into place. "Quit thinking about it. It has nothing to do with anything, and the sooner you take that advice the better of you'll be." Cheyenne peaked in the mirror herself and fixed her own hair and makeup. This was going to be a long night...or maybe it wouldn't be. Claire seemed a little more collected now, which was a good thing. Maybe she just needed a time out. Time outs were good when you were Claire McLeester and constantly on the verge of a meltdown.

When Claire opened the door Cheyenne inwardly groaned. She hoped the night wasn't ruined, but she had the distinct feeling that Griffin wouldn't harbor any weird feelings from the explosion moments ago. He was a stand up guy and stand up guys forgave crap like Claire's breakdowns. She smiled as they left the bathroom, meandering over to where Griffin and Flynn stood. "So salmon, huh?" she asked reaching for the lone glass of red wine she could only assume was for her. "One of my favorites!"

[FLYNN YOUNG]

If Griffin believed that Claire would be fine once they started to talk then Flynn trusted that he would know since they were coworkers. Any uncertainty that she might have had was pushed to the back of her mind. She'd never had any reason not to trust Griffin's judgment so she wasn't going to begin now. Flynn did find it fascinating and a little peculiar that Claire seemed to be so interested in the deceased Avisaille however. Although the myths were well known about the city she would have thought that a human being would want the exhibit to be shown.

"I fear I might give her an aneurysm." The words that Griffin spoke made Flynn tsk and shake her head, although she was still smiling and thought that it was a little silly. If that brought on an aneurysm in the poor girl then that would definitely not be the proper thing to do.

Flynn looked back down at the wine glasses that were set out at the table and recalled that Cheyenne wanted the Chianti, so she picked up the bottle and poured it into one of the glasses. She wasn't sure what Claire wanted and she assumed that Griffin wouldn't know what the girl drank unless she had said it during one of her fits, but she figured it was still unlikely. Her impression was that they only saw one another at work and this was new for the pair of them. So she decided to go ahead and pour her a glass of the blush to match Flynn's own glass. She had a feeling that it would go well with the meal and Claire was probably not much of a drinker if she talked as much as she did. Flynn had seen how people acted when they had alcohol running through their system. Some drew into themselves and became a recluse while others were more loud and rather obnoxious. It brought her to wonder which of these personas the sisters took on when they drank too much.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the bathroom door opening and the girls heading out. Cheyenne reached for her glass and Flynn did the same and took a sip of the wine. It wasn't too dry nor was it tangy. It had just the right amount of a fruity taste that went well with the scent of the wine. "Yes, salmon is such a simple fish that keeps all of its flavors and hardly ever needs to be tampered with. It couldn't be more perfect for dinner! I make it often myself." Flynn didn't eat any other meat aside from fish. When people asked she often told them that she was a vegetarian. It was much simpler than trying to explain why she only ate fish and not other things like pork or beef or even chicken. Chicken seemed to be too cannibalistic to her, even if they weren't directly related to the avian species, they were close enough. "And what is it that you do for your career, Cheyenne?"

Her eyes panned over to Claire and then she motioned towards the other glass that was still on the table. "Claire! I didn't know what kind you wanted so I took the liberty of choosing the rose. If you don't like it though I could always get you another!" Flynn offered trying to be as helpful as she possibly could. She wanted everything to go smooth and to accommodate the dinner guests any way she could.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire was beginning to think that bringing Cheyenne was definitely a bad idea. Then again, Claire probably would have lost it a lot worse and might have even knocked something over since her arms began swinging when her nervousness became too severe for just words anymore. It was like her nervous tick. She'd start by talking a lot and then she'd pace, then the final step would be her arms swinging everywhere. But she was going to maintain herself tonight! She'd play it cool and let the evening flow without anymore drastic problems. Or at least she hoped so.

Her sister's words had hurt her a little bit. She didn't think that it was that bad, but Cheyenne definitely made it seem like she should have been locked up in the loony bin and forgotten about. But Claire was a smart girl. Nervous? Yes. Awkward? Of course. But insane? Definitely not. She saw her nervousness as a set back in certain situations but that was why she didn't put herself in those situations. Like clubs and alcohol. They weren't her thing. She went and did the robot once because she'd simply stiffened up and had no idea what else to do! Although if they were sitting around eating sushi at the Blue Scallop? She would be cool as a cucumber. Staff meetings? She did great! It all depended on her comfort level and she was usually good at keeping herself in that zone.

Claire looked at herself in the mirror and pointed at herself, furrowing her brows down and giving herself her best stern look. "It's game time!" She said and then fist bumped the mirror. "Good pep talk." Claire complimented herself and then headed out of the bathroom feeling a little more calm and collected than she had since she'd woken up that day. She'd been anxious all day long about being at Griffin's place and now she was finally here and felt that maybe it was time for her to calm down.

Flynn told her that she'd poured her the blush colored wine and Claire nodded her head meekly. "That's actually perfect. Thank you." She told her and picked up the glass but didn't take a sip of it just yet. She was going to hold off on drinking as long as she could just until she was comfortable enough and they were talking about what they really came there to talk about. She didn't have a preference of wine so the blush didn't bother her in the slightest. As long as it wasn't the white. White wine messed Claire up for some reason! After just a glass she'd have a massive migraine and be tipsier than a suburban wife on prescription pain killers.

"Salmon!" Claire said and her eyes grew with excitement and offered a big smile. "Yum!" She exclaimed with more enthusiasm than she meant, but it wasn't forced. She loved salmon! She loved fish. "It all smells fantastic, Griff. Honestly. You didn't have to go through all the trouble." She said taking a note from Cheyenne's playbook and complimenting Griffin. Maybe it was the fact that she was holding a glass full of wine and she was afraid of spilling it or the fact that they were all just being polite, but she was definitely calming down for the time being.

And then she felt a slight uneasiness beginning again and she realized what it was. They were still giving pleasantries and trying to talk and get to know each other and that was always awkward. Claire felt it was no matter who you were and she definitely wasn't alone in this department. So she decided to just speak up and try to move things along before she started to lose it again. "Not to sound rude or anything, but I just want to throw this out there because I know I'm thinking of it. I don't know about you guys, but I just feel it needs to be said?" She started out saying and then realized maybe she should take a sip of the wine before dinner actually started. The food would absorb all the alcohol, right? "Were we planning on discussing, you know, the thing we said we were going to discuss while we eat or are we saving that for coffee talk? Just so.. everything is clear." That sounded right, right? She sure hoped it did or else she would sound ridiculous once more and that would make her go on hiatus in the topic department. Next she was going to start talking about floor tiles or the grass outside. The problem was that the topics that Claire burned through happened so fast and were so far fetched that anything was possible while they ate.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin was glad Flynn was with him. He knew in a way she might be part f the problem with Claire, but she made him feel comfortable, like he could breath a little. Griffin didn't know Cheyenne well, and he felt like they were teams going in on the same game together. He had his partner, and it was comforting.

When the ladies returned Griffin felt a slight air of uneasiness. Flynn was doing her best to defuse the situation as he normally tried to do, but he was a little nervous suddenly. How would the rest of the evening go? Claire was like a loaded gun, ready to explode at a moments notice, and he wasn't sure how her sister would react if she had another melt down.

When the ladies started discussing the salmon, Griffin moved to the counter separating the living room from the kitchen and grabbed the serving dish that had the fish on it, along with the bowl of asparagus. "It all smells fantastic, Griff. Honestly. You didn't have to go through all the trouble." He grinned at the redhead, and rolled his shoulders placing the food on the table. "Really, it was no trouble at all. Any excuse to cook is a good one." He said maybe a little modestly as he returned for the rice pilaf wondering if he should have made the couscous instead. No, this was fine! Too late now. "In fact, Flynn and I were just discussing how nice it was to have company." He strategically left out the part where this would be nice to be one of many meals the four shared together, not sure yet how this one would pan out, especially since it was sort of a business meeting.

"Not to sound rude or anything, but I just want to throw this out there.." Griffin stopped what he was doing and looked up at Claire as she stared talking, wondering what she meant, and then nodded when she finished her statement about when they would be discussing what it was they had set out to discuss. He looked to Flynn, Cheyenne and then to Claire. "I hadn't thought of that." He said honestly. "I guess we might as well go ahead and get it out on the table. I think eating while we discuss it will make it more casual, easier to digest in a way. Then when we've finished we can finalize our plans?" He asked looking at the ladies. "Come, let's all sit and eat and... we can talk casually about it. Cold salmon isn't nearly as good as hot."

[CHEYENNE MCLEESTER]

There was something off about Flynn, and the more she thought about it, there was something a little odd about Griffin as well. They were calm, collected, and too sweet for people who had grown in the city. They, in a sense, seemed old. They weren't like most people Cheyenne knew, but she also should expect anyone who worked at a museum to be a little weird. Look at Claire! She studied the non-couple couple as they talked, moved around.. there was something about them. Cheyenne couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something. Griffin didn't act like men their age. Flynn didn't act like women their age. The apartment was nice, clean, well decorated. Maybe it was because he had company? Maybe he was just a meticulous person, but either way something rubbed her the wrong way.

"Mmm, yes, salmon is a tasty dish!" She said in a mocking chipper voice as she strutted her way to the table, wine glass in hand. She eyed the meal up and then their host, giving him a little grin as she slid into one of the chairs.

"Hmm, I have to agree with Griffin." Cheyenne looked at her sister and then took a sip of wine. She had to just spit that out, didn't she? She couldn't let it come out naturally, oh no... Not Claire. She had to put it all out there on the table, let everyone know she had no idea how to segway into one topic to the next.

"Let's eat and chit chat."Cheyenne put her glass down and looked at the food and then at the other three. "I'm actually very interested as to why you're so interested in this whole birdman exhibit. I mean, I know Claire's point, but I don't definitely agree with it. She likes the mystery of the story, but come on... don't you think it's just a little amazing that the myths might be true? Think of the publicity! I mean, we all know it's a fake, right?" She asked, raising a brow.

[FLYNN YOUNG]

Flynn took a quick sip of her wine and used that time to shrug her shoulders as covertly as possible. She knew that her wings were itching to be free from being bound and the very thought of it made her twitch just slightly. But it wasn't too noticeable and if anyone did happen to see it she seemed like she had gotten a chill as if a cold brush of air had hit her from behind. She took this time to listen to the others as they spoke, and Claire began to talk about wanting to get everything discussed right then. Flynn thought it was a little odd but figured it was just another of Claire's quirks that Griffin had said that she had. She obviously didn't know how to move from one topic to another smoothly. That must have been difficult for her Flynn thought to herself.

Griffin didn't seem too phased by the bluntness of Claire's request, so Flynn decided it must have been usual for the girl. "That sounds like a great idea!" Flynn interjected with a smile on her face once more, her eyes moving from one face to the other. She definitely thought that the sisters were very beautiful women! They looked similar but there were so many qualities about them that were opposite that she'd picked up in the short time since they'd arrived. Cheyenne had blonde hair and was clearly more accustomed to dinner parties, that much she was certain. And she seemed very bubbly and a nice person, yet she knew how to carry herself and hold a conversation and make it move swiftly.

While Claire, although similar to Cheyenne when it came to being a nice person, was her polar opposite when it came to dinner parties and even her hair color, which was red. She seemed almost clumsy and stiff in her motions, and she had a hard time in conversation. Flynn wondered if it was her fault. Had she said something to get Claire so nervous? Maybe it was just her presence. The girl had mistaken her for Griffin's girlfriend.

Flynn made a note to ask the girls if they were truly related, but then she thought that might be too personal of a question. On the other hand, she assumed they probably got it a lot from how different they were. She was about to say something as they took their seats around the table but Cheyenne beat her to taking the lead on the conversation which was perfectly fine with her. Maybe it was better not to ask.

"I'm actually very interested as to why you're so interested in this whole birdman exhibit. I mean, I know Claire's point, but I don't definitely agree with it. She likes the mystery of the story, but come on... don't you think it's just a little amazing that the myths might be true? Think of the publicity! I mean, we all know it's a fake, right?"

Flynn figured someone would ask that question. She only hadn't thought a reply through just yet. She took a sip of her wine to bide her a few seconds so she could try to think really quick and it came to her just as she set her glass back down gently on the table. "That's a great question. I suppose my reason isn't much different than what you described Claire's to be? There's a sense of magic to it. But what do you think Cheyenne? Don't you think it might change the way people think about these mythical creatures?" Flynn felt strange referring to what she was as 'mythical'. Certainly to the sisters and others they were just a myth but to Flynn they were very real! She was proof of it.

"And if it's a fake - which it surely is - then why get the hopes up of those out there? I've heard children in the park citing the stories of the 'magic tree' that brought foreign travelers to Scriptor Bay. Some use it as a means to deflect bullying, saying the Guardians will protect them. Although I don't condone using a myth to scare others, if it keeps them safe and gives them hope then why take that away with a false bird... person?" She rarely spoke of the myths to others that weren't of her kind. So calling the poor soul a bird person seemed very odd. But she didn't want to sound like she knew too much.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

She had a feeling that Cheyenne wanted to hit her right then and there. But what was she expecting Claire to do?! Claire could have sat through the entire dinner and not said a thing, OR she could have gone on about the most random of things! But instead she decided to be sure that they were going to talk about what they came to talk about. That way Claire could stay on topic and she'd be okay. Dinner parties were NOT Claire's thing! And especially with someone there that she didn't even know. Although Flynn seemed like she was a decent person. Claire was usually an okay judge of character.

She followed everyone else's lead to the table and took her seat by her sister's side which she started to think might be a bad idea. It put her in the danger zone of being pinched or stabbed by her malevolent sister who had threatened to hurt her if she rambled on and on. But then again she didn't want to be sitting across from her either, and risk being kicked in the shin. Which was one of the most painful places to be kicked!

She had yet to take a sip of her wine but she did swish it around by rotating her wrist, mixing it in the glass and making it seem like she was interested in it when actuality she was avoiding the alcohol for the time being. At least while on the topic of Guardians. She listened to her sister try to make it sound like she didn't believe in the Guardians and rolled her eyes but kept quiet. Maybe it was because Cheyenne was her sister, but she didn't buy what Cheyenne was selling.

"But what if they are real? Wouldn't that be something? Wouldn't that be exposing them in an inhumane way? I wouldn't want them putting up a skeleton of someone I knew. And if it isn't real then it's false advertising. I don't want something like this to destroy the museum. I like working there." She knew she was going off topic again and fell silent for a moment. Maybe she should let someone else get a word in for a change?

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin was patient as the women all took their turns speaking. Cheyenne made a good point from a non-guardian point of view, only he couldn't fight that. If he simply took his shirt off he could show them how imperative this heist was to keeping their kind under wraps. Then Flynn spoke and he couldn't help but feel proud of her.

Flynn had an excellent way of bringing things full circle. She listened carefully, reiterated what the other said letting them know she had listened and then goad them for more information, getting them to think. He had always thought she would make a fine teacher for young children with her calm disposition, eagerness for learning, and way of listening without letting distractions come in. She would make a fine wife. Griffin didn't see Flynn as marriage material. They were close, and similar, and their love would be boring. Even Griffin needed someone a little more exciting, not she wasn't exciting but she was too...Griffin-like. Still, he admired who she was.

And finally little Claire spoke and Griffin felt a great sense of pride in her for some weird reason. It was like she had looked into his soul and saw his greatest fears about this whole situation and summed it up for her sister, who didn't seem to be on board with this whole thing. "And if it isn't real then it's false advertising. I don't want something like this to destroy the museum. I like working there."

"Just to touch on what the others said, it's immoral. Real or not, this extends beyond the question of dinosaurs or neanderthals. We know those existed, they're part of our earths history, but this... this is something more. This is like finding a horse skeleton with a horn growing from the forehead. This is like capturing Nessy, the Lochness monster. This is like finding a petrified pixie in the forest. Do you see where I'm going? It will be displayed and the skeptics will come, but there are some things that should remain a mystery, some things that just shouldn't be shared." He didn't like having to defend the point to Cheyenne. This was supposed to be about planning the robbery not about whether the statue was legit or whether their reasoning was sound or not.

[CHEYENNE MCLEESTER]

"That's a great question. I suppose my reason isn't much different than what you described Claire's to be? There's a sense of magic to it. But what do you think Cheyenne? Don't you think it might change the way people think about these mythical creatures?" Cheyenne had her thoughts but she didn't really have a chance to voice them since the girl kept talking.

Cheyenne didn't know what to think of Flynn. There was still something irking her about the girl, like she wasn't normal. She was like a kid, but a really mature kid. It didn't even make sense in her mind. Maybe like a kindergarten teacher! She was naive, but seemingly intelligent all at the same time, which was an odd combination in Chey's mind.

"Some use it as a means to deflect bullying, saying the Guardians will protect them. Although I don't condone using a myth to scare others, if it keeps them safe and gives them hope then why take that away with a false bird... person?" The blond raised a brow at this weird little story. She had never heard anyone do this, but hey, maybe Flynn had, but it only cemented her feelings on not doing the heist. "But if what you say is true, the bullies would know for sure that the Guardians could come kick their asses at anytime, so... invalid point. Next?" She looked around and her sister took the floor next, followed quickly by Griffin.

"Okay, look.." Cheyenne slid her elbows on the table and folded her hands under her chin, resting her head there as she looked to the others. "I'm not saying I'm not going to help. What you're doing, right or wrong, is going to be a lot of fun to pull off. Plus, my baby sister, as strange as she is, has asked my assistance and even though she talks waaay too much, I would still do almost anything for her. So I'm in, kids. I just want to make sure you guys seriously know what you're doing because as valid as some of your points are, there's one thing you're missing which is totally contradicting your arguments." She looked to each one of them, staying quiet for a moment to see if they would pick up on it, but none of them did.

"Okay." She said, deciding she had their full attention. "What better way to say "this needs to be hidden because it's true" than to steal the exhibit? The museum is going to go public about what was stolen, and it will only encourage the myth, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I mean, what do we have to hide, right? At least if it's safe in the museum it could still be considered a fake, just like Nessy would or little petrified fairy folk. Though I do sort of agree that if they were real then that poor dude shouldn't be standing in a Scriptor Bay museum for eternity, but hey! I don't see anyone rushing to save the dinosaur bones!"

[FLYNN YOUNG]

Flynn got the impression that Cheyenne wasn't enjoying herself or the conversation. That, or maybe this was just the way that she usually spoke but Flynn found it a little bit rude. Not that she'd say so at the dinner table or even to the girl herself. Instead she simply set her hands down on her lap under the table and sat up a little straighter, her lips tightening a little to try and keep a happy face and not show her surprise at what she was saying.

She listened to Claire and Griffin make their points, and she agreed with them both whole heartedly. She rather enjoyed Griffin's analogy of other mythical creatures, not just the ones that resided in Scriptor Bay for decades. And Claire made good points about the validity of the museum's namesake and reputation. She agreed with a little nod and a smile, even interjecting an 'mmhm!' every now and again to show that she was still listening to what the girl had to say. She seemed much more at ease, and of course, Griffin and Cheyenne were both already at ease and getting into the conversation.

It appeared that Cheyenne was trying to prove them wrong. Of course that was because she was human and couldn't comprehend how dire the situation truly was. It wasn't Cheyenne's fault at all though, and Flynn knew that. Which was why she wasn't taking offense to what the girl was saying.

"That's because they don't have anyone to defend them the way that this poor man does. Or woman. Are we certain it is a man?" Flynn looked between them, waiting for a response and then proceeding on with the discussion. "I've been to the museum and I've seen the lovely things that are there. The paintings are exquisite, and I've even gone to the animal exhibits where they're victims of taxidermy. I bet if the bunnies could speak they'd protest it the same way. There's no way to know if this poor human has given consent to donate himself to the public."

Flynn didn't want to make it sound like she was lingering on the same subject so she decided to change it. "How are we going to do this? From what Griffin has told me this is a rather large exhibit. We aren't going to simply take it apart, are we?" The very thought of taking the skeleton apart horrified her and she showed it clearly in her expression. How would they get the exhibit out of there?

"And how are we going to do it without getting caught?"

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire wanted to face plant the table when her sister started talking in the tone. She knew it well. It was her bitch tone. She used it when she disagreed with someone or something and although she didn't want to sound like a royal jerk, she used the tone to make herself sound a little nicer. But it had a certain pitch to it that Claire was all too familiar with and she glared at her sister with a closed lipped grin on her face trying to keep herself looking polite and happy. She wanted to rip her sister's hair out at that moment though, making it sound like she was some kind of little kid that needed to be taken care of. Sure, Claire had asked for her help but she wanted her help because if they were put in an uncomfortable situation she knew her sister was the most likely to be able to create a distraction that didn't seem out of the ordinary. Like be caught behind a curtain half naked with some unsuspecting sap with her lipstick smeared all over his face. She didn't bring her for her opinions.

Griffin and Flynn were such nice hosts and were very calm all things considering. And she didn't like that her sister was putting down the entire thing. Cheyenne knew that this was more than a myth. It was real! It was their life! They were living it. And she was talking it down, and Claire figured it was because Cheyenne would love to be worshiped like the Queen she pretended to be sometimes.

"That's because they don't have anyone to defend them the way that this poor man does. Or woman. Are we certain it is a man?"

Claire turned her attention to Flynn and shook her head. "Definitely male. You can tell by the pelvic bone." That sounded weirder when she said it than she meant for it to come out. Because of her smokey voice it came out more throaty and perverse than it was suppose to but she hoped nobody caught it and shut her mouth before the rantings started up again. Mainly her eyes roamed to Griffin to see if he noticed and then she looked back to Flynn to wait for her to finish talking.

"And how are we going to do it without getting caught?"

"That.. is an awesome question!" Claire stuck a finger up in the air and made sure to do it so it was close to Cheyenne so that her currently repugnant sister didn't have a chance to interrupt her until she was finished. Or at least she hoped she didn't interrupt her. "And.. I'm sure there's an equally awesome answer!" Claire put her hand back down and looked at the three of them before letting out a deep breath.

"I told Chey before we came over that it's best to do it at the banquet. Griffin knows this just like I do, that when the museum is empty you can hear a pin drop on the other side of the building. The more crowded it is the less likely someone will be able to hear us. Not to mention the museum has excellent security that they turn on at night. It's uh.. it's too bad the myths weren't true or else we'd find us a couple of bird folks and let them swoop in and snatch it up, huh?" Claire gave an awkward little chuckle. "Or you know, someone that could turn into an animal? Like a cat! A giant.. " she turned her head and looked at Cheyenne for a second "..lion cat. Or something." She shrugged as if it weren't a big deal what she was saying.

"OR!" She stuck a finger in the air again, her voice raising a little as she got into it. "A ninja! A flying ninja cat! Could you imagine? The possibilities! It would have like.. these razor sharp claws and cut a hole in the glass and just reach in.." Claire stuck her arm out as if she were reaching for something, opening her hand and wrapping her fingers around air before she yanked her hand back close to her as if she grabbed something, "and snatch it out of there and fly away!" Claire looked around and nodded her head, amused with herself but realizing she had juts gone on another tangent.

She cleared her throat and pressed her fingers to it. "Excuse me! I've got.. something.. cotton mouth.." She grabbed her glass of wine and held it up. "There really isn't any suck thing as-- cheers!" She decided that it was time for damage control. Not that there was any way to repair the weird thing she just said. "To this fantastic dinner that Griffin cooked up and.. friends." She raised her glass a little more and then brought it to her lips and tilted it, letting the rose colored wine come to her and she took a very hearty sip. So hearty in fact that she drained the glass and then sat it down, gave a little sigh and then looked around.

"..can I-- may I have another glass, please?" She was going to need it.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

He had to admit that Cheyenne had a good point. People would wonder what there was to hid if the exhibit was shown, but deep down he felt that it would be better than having people see the remains of the lost Avisaille man. He wondered if he could enlist the help of their leader? No, Mordecai wouldn't condone theft, even if it were to save face in their community. He would sooner let the public gawk at the skeleton, knowing there would be skeptics among them trying to prove it fake. Still, he felt strongly about this and would continue with the plan, despite knowing the leader would prohibit them from the theft if he were aware it were going underway.

Griffin was about to open his mouth and tell Flynn it was male when Claire took the lead. He sent a small grin her way and simply nodded as Claire continued to go on about the plans

"It's uh.. it's too bad the myths weren't true or else we'd find us a couple of bird folks and let them swoop in and snatch it up, huh?" Griff gulped and looked over at Flynn a little nervously before back to Claire as she continued with her semi hair brained ideas. Where would they find a flying ninja cat? It seemed silly and then he realized she was on one of those little tangents again. Poor thing. He couldn't even try and stop her since she just kept going and going, and he wished for a moment that Cheyenne and Flynn weren't there. He never made a big deal about these sorts of things when they were alone, but he had a feeling have the whole group witness this made it more traumatic for the girl. He tried not to smile at her innocence, not wanting to upset her and let her think he might be mocking her.

"Excuse me! I've got.. something.. cotton mouth.." And there it was; the realization she had gone too far again. This time he actually had to bow his head because he did grin a little, his hand reaching up to politely cover his mouth to hide the grin. "There really isn't any such thing as-- cheers! To this fantastic dinner that Griffin cooked up and.. friends." Griffin raised his glass and tipped it towards the others before taking a sip. "Cheers." He said before taking a hefty sip from his glass and placing it down. He then reached and spooned some of the rice pilaf onto his plate. "Please, everyone help yourselves before it gets cold." He poked at the food for a moment before looking again at the others.

"The best time to strike would be in the beginning of the banquet when all the guests are arriving. The hustle and bustle will be loud and distracting, and all of the security will be focusing more on the guests arriving than the exhibit itself. Perhaps Cheyenne could distract any guards around the exhibit? Claire mentioned you were excellent with distractions." He said directly to the girl. "Then we get the skeleton out. Is there any way we could get a copy of the key to the case? It would be so quick and clean that way. It must be located somewhere in the museum, although that would put as as suspects. We could always return the key when we were through?" He suggested, knowing it was sort of easy, but it could be easy, couldn't it? No need to make hings more difficult than they needed to be.

[CHEYENNE MCLEESTER]

The others were making it very clear that they weren't interested in hearing the other side of the story. Personally, she thought they were making a mistake, but the look on Claire's face told her that she was simply making things worse for her sister so she decided to roll it off her shoulders. They weren't listening to reason. They didn't care. All this made Cheyenne more suspicious but she wouldn't say anything there, not in front of the lovely hosts. Claire would likely shift and attack her right then and there and she wasn't much in the mood for provoking another melt down that Claire was so famous for.

"How are we going to do this? From what Griffin has told me this is a rather large exhibit. We aren't going to simply take it apart, are we?" It was a good question, and Claire seemed to agree. "That.. is an awesome question!" Came her sister and Cheyenne turned her attention to the girl, listening to her begin yet another rant. The girl sighed and watched with pity as Claire went on, seeming to be the only one amused with her idiotic ideas of flying ninja lions and Avisaille just showing up. Her eyes moved towards Griffin and Flynn to see how they were taking the news and she couldn't help but notice the glace Griffin shot towards Flynn. A suspicious glance. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she glanced back at them now and then as Claire continued on and on and on! Did she even breath?!

"..can I-- may I have another glass, please?" Chey raised a brow and muttered sarcasticly "Because you obviously need more to drink.." but she raised her glass for the toast anyway and let out a long breath, waiting to see what Griffin had to add to that lovely little rant, reaching and serving herself at his suggestion. The fish did smell pretty darn good..

"Perhaps Cheyenne could distract any guards around the exhibit? Claire mentioned you were excellent with distractions." Cheyenne gave a slight nod. Guards were no problem as long as they weren't female. Females didn't like her, that is unless she was being a bitch and needed to be escorted off the property. That was ALWAYS and option!

"Your plan is far less complex than Claire's. Would that even work?" She asked before smirking over at Claire. "Because I was sort of a fan of the flying ninja cats.."

[FLYNN YOUNG]

The topic went from why they wanted to remove the exhibit to how they were going to do it. And Claire's little rantings made Flynn feel a little nervous at first. Especially when she brought up the bit about an avisaille flying in and getting the bones. She caught Griffin turning his head to her out of the corner of her eye but she didn't pay him any notice. The last thing she wanted to do was make them look suspicious in any sort of way. Instead she shrugged her right shoulder a bit, trying to adjust her confined wings that were in the old harness. She'd have to ask Griffin to help her fix it up so it wasn't so tight and irritating. She could feel a piece of it protruding under her wings and sticking into her shoulder blade in a way that she was sure it would leave a mark by the time their dinner was done.

She stayed quiet and listened to what was being said. Claire had gone off to talk about flying ninja cats and Flynn couldn't help but think that this was because she felt awkward about talking about the Avisaille in her own way. She couldn't understand why, but she got the sense that there was something different about the sisters. They seemed to have their own ideals about the Avisaille skeleton, but their opinions and beliefs seemed to hold something more behind them. As if they knew more than they were letting on. Then again, it might have just been Flynn being self conscious about her and Griffin and trying to keep from saying the wrong thing.

Griffin had a good idea about the keys and Flynn smiled at him and nodded her head. "Yes that's a great idea. If you can get a key we can unlock it. We'll just need some means to take it out undetected though." That was going to be the hardest part. She figured because Griffin and Claire worked at the museum they would know how to obtain a key while Cheyenne distracted and Flynn.. Flynn could do whatever she was needed to do.

"The banquet is by invitation only isn't it? Are we going to be able to get in?" That was the other obstacle that Flynn saw in their way.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Her rantings were a little on the nutty side. Claire knew it. Everybody knew it. And most of the time Claire didn't even believe the things that she had said. Flying ninja cats? Who said that kind of thing? Claire had said it just so that they were distracted from her talking about an Avisaille swooping up the remains. It was always easier to make up some weird mumbo jumbo instead of trying to come up with a legitimate excuse for something else she might have said.

Her sister's looks irked her a bit and she just gave her a look before shaking her head in silence. She didn't want to open her mouth again if she could help it. She wanted to just stay quiet the rest of this disastrous dinner. She'd made a complete idiot out of herself as usual and now she was just in a sour mood over it. Although she tried not to let it show on her face too much and looked down at the table instead.

When the three others started to talk about keys to the exhibit's case, Claire knew exactly how to get the keys. Well, she knew who kept the keys and could probably find a way to hijack them for a couple of minutes. In fact, it wouldn't be too difficult at all. Frank kept the master keys to everything on him at all times. Except when he was in his office he kept them in the left drawer. She knew this because she'd spent plenty of time in his office going over plans for events in the past and each and every time she followed him into his office he stuck his keys into that drawer. "Frank has the key." She piped up finally deciding that she ought to talk.

Claire reached for a piece of salmon, a scoop of the rice pilaf and a few pieces of asparagus. Her mouth was salivating from the aroma coming off of the food and she didn't want to eat cold salmon. She liked when it was hot right out of the oven. And she definitely loved her salmon.

"The only time he doesn't keep it on him is when he's in his office. He puts it in a drawer in his desk. I can probably snatch it when he's not looking. It would be sort of hard but.. I think I can pull it off." Claire started to think how she'd be able to do it and realized it was going to be much tougher than she thought at first. She'd have to get around the desk while he was still sitting there. That was the only way to get to the keys.

"The banquet is by invitation only isn't it? Are we going to be able to get in?" Claire had completely forgotten about that! She had already told Frank that she was bringing Griffin as her plus one. So what about her sister and Flynn? That's when she had an idea! "This banquet is going to be catered. We can get you a uniform and you can pose as one of the servers?" Claire said and looked at Flynn, wondering if she approved of that or not. But before Flynn could say anything Claire looked at her sister. "And you're going to be flirting with the guards anyway. You don't need an invite. Just say you lost it or something." Claire rolled her shoulders in a shrug at her sister. Claire thought it was a great idea.

She looked down at her food and cut into the salmon with the side of her fork before spearing it and popping it into her mouth. She chewed it and could taste all the seasonings that Griffin had used and the fish basically melted in her mouth. She loved seafood so much. "mmm.." She said a little under her breath to herself. She wished she could cook something like that.