{Elmira pur Nairen}

Elmira was relieved that Kirenne seemed to be lettting off on the mild hostility. She seemed quite nice, too, and Elmira decided that the mild hostility could have been simply from needing to keep the Resistance safe.
"Elmira, do you have any special plans?" asked Kirenne.
"No," Elmira replied. "But, I suppose, I could formulate them if you wanted me to?" 
"Yes," said Kirenne. "That'd be quite helpful--it's always good to have the specifics."
"Do you think the original owners of the Roses could supply us some blueprints?" Elmira asked.
"I think so," said Kirenne. "One of them is a good friend of mine--if you wanted, I could have them for you next morning. Is that all right?" 
"Yes," said Elmira. 
"And," Tarava asked, "would anyone else be able to come?"
"Kalam, probably," said Kirenne, "and I could, at least. I'm not sure if anyone else can, but I'll spread the world."
"All right." Tarava glanced at her pocket watch. "We should leave soon, perhaps, and maybe visit a stereotypical young-Nobyl destination, just as an excuse for this, as we took a coach."
"That's fine," said Kirenne. "Do you have any other thoughts, though?"

----------

]Joseph pur Nairen[

Joseph read his book for the first hour of the ride, but then he finished it. He tucked it into his knapsack and slid aside the shutter on the window. They were driving on a road full of trees, green ones that closed in on the carriage. It was around noon; Joseph felt very comfortable, and wondered if he would have a nap. He decided to act on that thought, and fell asleep very quickly. He was awakened by the carriage rolling to a stop. 
"Sir," said Mr. Faroe, sticking his head through the window between his area and the inside, "we've arrived at the town of Oberon's stables, as the horses need food and water and rest, and you may also desire lunch." 
"Thank you, Mr. Faroe," said Joseph. "I think I would."
They got out, Mr. Faroe situated the horses, and Joseph walked down the street to a restaurant. He went inside and ordered food. Mr. Faroe joined him; they were served shortly, and each paid for their food. Soon enough they were back on the road. 

Eek this has taken me forever - I'm so sorry :/ @any CBers still interested in this thread, all Resistance charries are welcome to help out in the takeover of Lord Helion's palace!

^Tarava^

Kirenne offered to get plans of the Rosewood for them, and asked if there was anything else.

"Well, I was wondering if you know who else might be there," Tarava confessed, glancing up at her.

"Classified," Kirenne said immediately. "Tarava, you know Kalam very well, so you already know he'll be there, but for the others... If they do end up helping, you'll find out who they are. But otherwise, it's classified. Some members of the Resistance might not really want their participation to be known. Even to other members of the Resistance." She smiled a bit, meeting Tarava's eyes, her expression one that somehow just might be called sassy. "You know how it is. The fewer people know some things, the better, even if everyone involved is trustworthy. It's nothing more than common sense."

Tarava nodded; she was very aware of that. "Well, thank you. I think that's all," she said, glancing at Elmira for confirmation; Elmira nodded. "Could we meet you here again tomorrow? At about the same time?"

"Yes, that sounds fine," Kirenne said, rising. "If we can manage it, this would be wonderful. Elmira, it was so nice to meet you. I'll see you both again."

They left the cafe together, and Tarava turned to Elmira. "Maybe we could go to one of the public libraries," she suggested. "Nobyls tend to like those places, and apparently Mer has a very nice one."

[Kirenne]

Kirenne walked away from the cafe, trying unsuccessfully to focus on what she'd been thinking about before. Her thoughts were caught up in this new plan. The Rosewood would probably be fairly easy to take, especially considering the Nobyls' plan for it; but it was such a daring idea, such a movement after all these years of not doing very much. She knew several people who might be interested in helping, and another smile curved on the corners of her lips. You might end up surprised, Tarava, she thought. And so might some others.

@amethyst, sorry it took so long! Also, would it be okay if my charries Estrelle and Kalisse joined? And would they meet somewhere else beforehand? 

~Kalisse~

"Stella and Neirad?" Rulkan repeated. "Yes, I think so. The Pipers? I've heard they're exceptionally skilled. I've never listened to them, though - you?" 

"I have not either," Kalisse replied. "Though I suppose we'll hear them today."

As if on cue, the Pipers entered, grandly and with flourish. They quickly set up their instruments and began to play, a delicate and lovely melody indescribable except by the word magical. It felt enchanting, and Kalisse found herself thinking of her fondest childhood memories through them. She glanced at Rulkan and asked quietly, "What do you think of the music?"

@Moon Wolf: It's definitely all right by me if your charries would like to join.
@all, particularly Amethyst: What do you think about having George, the waiter, be someone who's against the Resistance? I could RP as him and perhaps he would follow Tarava and Elmira across Kyngdom when they go to the Rosewood? The idea is quite half-baked but maybe it would work.

----------

{Elmira pur Nairen}

"That sounds lovely," said Elmira, looking around at the street. It wound to the right and disappeared out of sight. During her travels, Elmira had found that winding streets were a sure sign of other winding streets and cities that were difficult to navigate. "Do you know the way?" 
"I do," said Tarava. They set off along the sidewalk.
"Do you think your grandfather is here?" Tarava asked. 
Elmira wondered about it for a bit. She didn't think that Joseph would like Mer, but then again, he'd turned up in Ertim. However, if he were going to Mer, it wouldn't be like him to stop first. 
"No," said Elmira. 
Soon enough they came to the Mer Public Library. It was a large building, with steps. Elmira and Tarava climbed the steps and went through the double doors. The building was shaped like a flower of sorts, with an atrium and rooms leading off of it, with signs above their doorways--the Fiction Room, the Nonfiction Room, the Research Room, the Children's Room, and the History Room. The atrium had a rose window in the center of the ceiling, and was tiled in blue. A librarian sat at a high desk between the Nonfiction Room and the Research Room. 
"Welcome," she said to Elmira and Tarava, who stood under the rose window in the center of the room. "Would you like any sort of suggestions on where to go?" 
"No," said Tarava, walking towards her. "We're only visiting, you know, not here for anything serious. We've heard of how lovely the architecture is, and felt we couldn't miss it. But thank you for the offer." She then went into the Fiction Room, leaving Elmira to follow. 
As they browsed through books, Elmira found herself remembering a day in a library not unlike this--the one that her grandmother built on Nairen Island. Elmira had been looking through books one day, spending time with her grandparents to get away from Reynold, Fisher, and Slam, and she had come to the small biography section. The titles were very limited: The Tale of King Catastrophe, which she had read a few times but not really enjoyed; Morgan Williamson: A Life, which was about someone who had apparently been the most successful of Elmira's father's students; On Living, Sophia pur Selder's (Elmira's great-grandmother's) autobiography; and Wandering Through Time: An Autobiography by someone with the last name of pur al-Mari. Those were the days when Elmira was just sort of wondering about the Resistance, and one of the few things she knew was that the pur-al Maris' palace (the Rosewood) had been seized by Catastrophe.
Elmira's grandfather had not approved of the reading choice; as soon as she settled down, he barked at her, "That book is not something suitable for you, Miss Elmira," and she'd had no choice but to put it back. Now, though, he wasn't there (she thought) and she could read what she wanted. 
"I'll be right back," said Elmira to Tarava. She went into the Non-Fiction room and scanned the biography shelves. She found the book and brought it back into the Fiction room, where she proceeded to read, sitting at a table with the cover of the book resting on the tabletop so no one could tell what she was reading. 
"What is that?" Tarava asked. She then apparently decided to read over Elmira's shoulder at the title where it was printed above every page, and then said, "I think that person built the Rose--the roses, too, so they might talk about it."
And indeed they did. Elmira found a sheet of paper, a pen, and an inkwell resting on the edge of the table; she took them and began to take notes, for she thought that, in case Kirenne couldn't find the plans, the notes would be useful.

@Moon Wolf, don't worry :) And yes, Kalisse and Estrelle can absolutely join! They could either be in Lord Helion's palace and help once the other Resistance members attack, or they could actually join in the attack from the beginning. I'm thinking the takeover will look something like this - any comments are welcome:

~Elmira and Tarava spend a few days in Mer, laying final plans with Kirenne.

~After this, they journey to the Rosewood (Lord Helion's palace); Kirenne gets in touch with members of the Resistance - enough to assault the palace - who also travel to the general vicinity of the Rosewood.

~On the night of the party, Elmira, Tarava, and possibly a few other Nobyls go to Lord Helion's palace and secretly let the main force of Resistance members into the garden. Once the party's in full swing, the Resistance members in the garden attack, overpowering a few guards and taking the palace relatively easily (if everything goes well).

--> The main antagonist within the palace is Joseph pur Nairen. Lord Helion himself is Poinsettia's charrie, and Poinsettia isn't on Kyngdom much, so we'll assume that he flees at the first sign of danger and has no part in the battle.

~So far, the Nobyls inside the Rosewood will be Elmira, Tarava, and possibly Kalisse/Estrelle (all of whom are trusted by Catastrophe and are not known to be part of the Resistance); the attacking force will include Kirenne (leading them), Kalam, and anyone else who wants to join them. I'm imagining there'll be at least about fifteen of them, though most of them will be anonymous and nobody's charries in particular.

And I'll post the POVs in another comment so this one doesn't get too long :)

Oh, and @Seadragon (sorry I didn't respond in the comment above): ooh, that would be interesting! One problem is that I was imagining the cafe to be a semi-secret meeting place for the Resistance, in which case the staff would be people who sympathize with the Resistance (though that still doesn't rule out the possibility of George being a spy), and if he understood what they were trying to do, he might tell Lord Helion, in which case the party might be called off/more closely guarded and Tarava and Elmira wouldn't be invited. Maybe, though, he could be a newer member of the Resistance who is actually a spy and he doesn't fully realize what they're talking about; therefore, he just gets suspicious and follows them. Or whatever you want :) But it's a wonderful idea and we should definitely try it :D

|Rulkan|

"I have not either," Kalisse told him. "Though I suppose we'll hear them today."

Just then, the Pipers came into the room and started playing. Listening, Rulkan felt the music taking possession of him, creating a fragile world around him of beautiful images and beautiful memories. Boyhood, realizations, sunrises, Tarava. After a few moments, Kalisse asked, "What do you think of the music?"

"It's special," Rulkan said sincerely. "I'm not surprised they're famous." He paused, wondering if his next question might sound too personal. "Does their music remind you of anything? Or seem familiar?"

^Tarava^

Elmira found a book by the pur al-Mari who had built the Rosewood, and after a moment Tarava wandered away, to browse through the fiction books of the library. This place reminded her a bit of her own library at home - the high shelves, the light filtering through a window in the ceiling, the seashell quietness that held her in something as fragile and calm and unreal as a soap bubble. She remembered sitting in the library of her palace when she was very young, her mother next to her, reading a book with her. And sitting in front of the library's fireplace with her father, his deep voice reading a book aloud to her. She half-smiled, the memories of her parents bittersweet; she still missed them, all this time later. But sometimes, like right here in this room she'd never even been in before, she felt like they were somewhere close, still with her.

But the future was what she needed to think about just now. She remembered the Rosewood, the little details, where each room was, how the gardens were laid out. Hopefully she'd have the plans to help her, later on, but she could still remember it clearly. The force of the Resistance should probably be waiting just outside the gardens; there were doors in the walls surrounding the grounds, doors that could only be opened from the inside and which she or Elmira or somebody else could open. It all reminded her very much of the Trojan Horse. All Lord Helion had to do was let two pretty Nobyl girls into his palace - and then the doors would open and the pur al-Maris could take back their own...

And was it at all feasible for her to still keep her alliance with the Resistance secret? Maybe. If everything went perfectly. Otherwise - otherwise, she would let go of her place in society and try to cling to her own palace in Evranel, and there would be no more pretending to be just another Nobyl who couldn't see what would become of Kyngdom if Catastrophe kept clinging to power.

After a while, she went back to Elmira. "We'd better be going," she said. "We can always come back another day, but it's almost supper time and we should probably be getting back to Ertim."

@Amethyst: I think the second idea sounds quite good--perhaps George has gotten the job in the cafe because he is trying to join, but has not yet joined, the Resistance, and so follows them to help. (I may even ship George and Elmira, but I'm not yet sure.) Then, at the party at the Rosewood, he will pretend to be a waiter (as directed by Tarava and Elmira). Here is George's sheet, which is also on Who's Here.

Name: George Seoras

Pronouns: he/him

Age: 26

Appearance: average-looking, brown hair and eyes, wears average clothes when he's not working and waiter's clothes when he is. 

Personality: He's rather timid and tends to overestimate his abilities to do things on his own; however, he's really nice, and likes to help people. He's also clever and witty.

Strengths: He is a very good waiter, can blend into crowds easily, and (as mentioned) is very kind.

Weaknesses: Because he is so kind, he can sort of fall over himself to help people, and sometimes makes plans that fall over quickly.

Home: An apartment in Mer.

Which Nobyl family is he/she from? You can invent your own branch of the Nobyls: He is not a Nobyl.

Background: George's parents were involved in the fight against Catastrophe and died from it, so he has vowed to help the Resistance. He got a job in the cafe to learn what the Resistance was up to, and so knows about them; he still hasn't got around to officially joining it, though. 

Until around a few days (in Kyngdom time, as it were--the speed things move along as we write them) before the party at Lord Helion's, I may focus more on George and Elmira, since Joseph is sort of traveling idyllically through Kyngdom and not much is happening to him. I think he'll make a very good antagonist at the party, though.

-----

//George Seoras//

If you had asked George Seoras whether or not he was enjoying his life, he would have said no. He would have told you how he felt like he was always waiting for something that never seemed to come, and had gotten himself in a corner with only one way out, and the one way out was the something that never seemed to come, but he felt like he could see it down the road.
However, no one asked him that. George worked in a small cafe that served terrible food, in an out-of-the-way corner of Mer. He didn't like cooking, nor did he like small places, nor did he like cafes, nor did he like terrible food. George was the only employee of the cafe, and really it was shocking that it managed to stay in business.
This was because it was frequented by the members of the Resistance, who used it as a meeting place, either with people who wanted to not be seen in Resistance headquarters, or people who couldn't be trusted to enter Resistance headquarters. 
George wasn't properly a part of the Resistance, but he wished to be. However, he'd been born and raised in Mer, so he knew a lot of the people involved in it--if not by face, then by name. Mer was a big small town, as people called it. He had gone to primary school with Kirenne Alaras, now a minor Resistance leader, and secondary with two other minor Resistance leaders. Plus, his parents had been part of the Resistance. It hadn't been good for them--it'd killed them, in fact.
This was why George wanted to join the Resistance--to feel like he'd be fighting along with his parents, if not in reality, then in spirit.
George finally thought that, quite soon, he would be able to. That afternoon, two rather nice-looking young women had come into the cafe, as well as Kirenne. They must have been planning to take back the pur al-Maris' mansion, the Rosewood, which had fallen into the hands of Lord Helion, Catastrophe's general, a long time ago. They spoke in code, but George was smart and could translate, as it were. One of the young women was probably a Nobyl--she had a confident bearing common to a lot of Nobyls. The other one wasn't, perhaps, but George didn't know--her clothes were well tailored but worn, and she'd looked a little scared throughout the interaction. She was new to the Resistance, George had learned--that was why. 
Anyway, a part of the conversation (which he replayed in his head as he cleaned coffee cups) was that the two young women did not wish to be openly viewed as Resistance members. This meant that they probably weren't staying in Mer. George knew the area quite well--one of the nearby towns, Ertim, was a popular destination for Nobyls, so he guessed that they were there. He had also started reading the mail of his upstairs neighbor, who was a very rich businessperson. They'd recently received mail from Lord Helion about possibly coming to a ball at the Rosewood in the coming weeks--so that was probably when the two young women, Kirenne, and the other people which Kirenne had not mentioned would be going to the Rosewood. 
All of this factored into George's plan--a plan to finally get out of his corner, and start doing what he'd always wanted to.

{Elmira pur Nairen}

Elmira and Tarava made their way back to Ertim, unbeknownst that someone was following the carriage they hired in a public square near the library, and went into the rented house. Someone followed them as far as the hall, where someone took note of their room numbers and then went back out.
"Shall we eat in the hotel dining room?" Tarava inquired.
"Why not," said Elmira.  She took a quick glance over her shoulder; no one was in the hallway. (Someone had left and was walking back down the road to Mer.) 
They proceeded to the hotel dining room. The service was more formal for dinner: a white tablecloth covered the stone table, and there were roses among the candlesticks.
"Welcome," said one of the waiters. "Here is our menu." He placed two copies of a menu on the table. Elmira looked through it, deciding what to have. This was for once something that was an easy decision: the dinner was free with the hotel stay, and she was hungry enough to want to eat something substantial. As soon as they'd both closed their menus, Tarava beckoned for the waiter. 
"Spinach pie and water," said Elmira. "Please."
"Whelks in white sauce, please," said Tarava. "And water, also." 
"All right, thank you," said the waiter, taking down their orders on a tablet and walking away. 
"When will we go see the Roses?" Elmira asked, trying to appear conversational.
"Perhaps in a week?" Tarava answered. "The event is next Sunday." 
"Good," said Elmira. The food came and they ate; then the waiter offered them dessert. Elmira, who was feeling just a touch indulgent, ordered chocolate mousse, which came in a glass dish with a very delicate little spoon. Tarava ordered rhubarb pie; after they ate, they both went upstairs to bed. Elmira placed her notes on the pur al-Maris' architectural pursuits in her traveling bag, then changed into sleeping clothes and went to bed.

^Tarava^

Tarava and Elmira had supper together, and then went up to their rooms. Tarava went across to the window and glanced out. It was snowing, very lightly, very coldly, the intricate flakes dancing their own dance in their own Kyngdom. Strange, since it hadn't snowed since that night at Lord Helion's. She hesitated, watching the snowflakes and the glittering golden lights spread out across the city. In a way, wasn't she here to protect this city, even though it wasn't hers? And someday would it be free from Catastrophe? Would she ever look out across it and know that it was free, that it could dance its own dance too without something colder than the winter telling it that it couldn't?

She turned away, sitting down on the side of the bed closer to the fire. She didn't feel like sleeping yet. Maybe she could brainstorm some more ideas for the takeover...

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and a middle-aged man walked in, smiling. "Kalam!" Tarava exclaimed. "You're here."

"Yes, I just arrived an hour ago," Kalam said. "How have things been here?"

"All right," Tarava replied. "We found Kirenne, and she agreed to help us. But you know you're the one with the news, Kalam. How's Arietis? How are things going?"

"All right, and well," Kalam said, leaning back casually against the closed door. "It seems there are several Resistance members who'd join us, and possibly a few more Nobyls. I found which Nobyls are going to the ball, by the way." He pulled a piece of paper out from under his cloak and tossed it to her.

Tarava scanned it, looking for names that would be important. A few pur Zaraons... two pur Kays, which was interesting... Rulkan. She could suddenly remember him so clearly, his laugh, his arrogance that somehow wasn't arrogant, everything that had always made her glad to be with him. But that didn't have anything to do with the present situation. She scanned through the rest of the list and handed it back to Kalam. "Looks wonderful," she remarked.

"Also, there's something interesting here," Kalam said. "A Joseph pur Nairen. What do you think of Elmira so far?"

"She's not the most skilled in spying and keeping secrets," Tarava admitted, lowering her voice. "But I'm sure she's got no devious motives, and she's nice. I think this Joseph is her grandfather..." She frowned. "We'll have to stay away from him."

Kalam stayed for a few minutes, and they talked about things, until finally he said good night and left. Tarava got into bed, snuggling into the soft sheets. Tomorrow would also be full of happenings. She knew that much.

I was imagining someone (in Elmira's last part) to be George Seoras.
@Amethyst: Elmira's reaction does not mean that you were rude to put in Tarava's remarks (in fact, it's kind of an opportunity for this to be written so everything's fine). It's just because Elmira flies into anguish very easily and is also very insecure about things like this.

------

{Elmira pur Nairen}

Elmira woke up after perhaps half an hour because she was cold. She got a spare bedspread out of the closet and was about to go back to bed before she heard voices. 
Tarava was talking to someone. Elmira padded across her room to the wall and placed her ear to it. Elmira's conversation partner was male, and he had a somewhat nice voice. 
"What do you think of Elmira so far?" he asked.
Elmira strained to hear the answer. What did Tarava think of her? She had to know.
"She's not the most skilled in spying and keeping secrets," said Tarava in a lower voice.
Elmira was saddened to hear it, though not shocked--she knew she couldn't be good. Not yet. But couldn't it be visible she was trying? 
Tarava continued: "But I'm sure she's got no devious
motives, and she's nice. I think this Joseph is her grandfather..." She
frowned. "We'll have to stay away from him."

Elmira tore herself from the wall. This was the wrong time to join the Resistance. Why did she have to mess everything up? She should have just stayed as she was, doing small jobs to help when she could. Not diving in headlong. 
Well, nothing could be done at this time of night. Elmira threw the bedspread onto the bed and crawled in. It was snowing, too. Elmira didn't like snow much unless there was enough that it took on a fantastical air. Her birthday was in winter; sometimes she loved it, when snow coated all the trees, and sometimes she hated it, when there was slush everywhere and her shoes got soaked through.
Soon enough she fell into an uneasy sleep.

In the morning,  Elmira woke up and dressed, then went into the connecting area and knocked on Tarava's door. 
"Enter," said Tarava.
Elmira went in. The room was neat; Tarava sat on the chair that was at the dressing table. Her hairbrush and a little box of hairpins were out, but Tarava looked, of course, perfectly put together. Also on the table was a list of names. 
"These are the other Nobyls who will attend the ball," said Tarava, following Elmira's gaze to the list. There were about ten names, all from families which Elmira had heard of but never met. 
"How did you get this?" Elmira asked. She had a fair idea, but she didn't say so.
"From someone who visited me last night," said Tarava.
"Who?" 
"Kalam," said Tarava. "Someone I know. He'll be at the Rosewood, too; he's staying here as well." 
"Also." Elmira placed her hand on the dressing table and looked at it. "You said I'm not good at spying and keeping secrets?" 
"Elmira, I..." Tarava trailed off. "How do you know this?"
"I was awake last night because I was cold."
"All right. I trust you, and you'll learn how quickly, so that's fine."
"Am I putting you in danger?" 
"How would you?" Tarava asked. 
"Joseph." The one word said everything. 
"Well..." Tarava leaned back into her chair. "No." Then she sat back up. "Would you like to go to breakfast in the dining room? You can meet Kalam, too." 
"Absolutely." And then they headed out the door.

Ack I'm so sorry I've been absent for a while :/ Life has finally been catching up with me :/

^Tarava^

On the way downstairs, Tarava shot a glance at Elmira. She was regretting the words that had slipped out from her yesterday, regretted that Elmira had heard them. She liked Elmira, she really did. Up until now she still didn't understand the other girl too well, and she didn't feel ultra close to her, but she was glad she'd hastily asked Elmira to come with her on this reckless expedition. In time, she suspected that they could be wonderful friends.

Before they entered the dining room, she paused, touching Elmira's arm. "I'm sorry about what I said," she said. "Truly, I don't regret having you with me. I must have been a much worse spy than you when I started out, and I didn't mean you were terrible at it or anything either. And as for Joseph, it's not your fault that you're his granddaughter. We all risk something, that's just life. Forgive me?"

Elmira nodded, and they went into the dining room. A waiter came to take their order and bring them breakfast, and they settled down comfortably at one of the casual, elegant tables. "So, for today," Tarava said. "I was thinking we could go - shopping, so to speak, for those lovely rose-colored dresses, again, in the same place. But the dressmaker told us to be there in the afternoon, so how do you want to spend the morning? We could explore, or gossip about just how those dresses should be cut." Just how we should take over the palace. "I have several ideas on that."

It's entirely fine--in fact (and as a warning, too) life is bound to catch up with me tomorrow, as I will be starting school then.

---

{Elmira pur Nairen}

"I think it'd be a wonderful idea, to discuss the cut of the rose-colored dresses," said Elmira. She was feeling very happy after Tarava had apologized to her. "Perhaps we will go back to the adjoining room and do so?" 
"Definitely," said Tarava. 
"When will we be traveling to...pick them up?" asked Elmira.
"Perhaps in three days or so," said Tarava. "I don't suppose your family has a driver that we could use? I'd not like to rent a carriage, as a lot of people travel this time of year." 
"I'm sure he's occupied," said Elmira, thinking of Mr. Faroe, who was very kindly, but also just a touch nosy. And, like all the other staff, he answered to Joseph and Willemina--he wouldn't be willing to keep a secret. 
"I have one, so it's fine," Tarava said.
They finished breakfast and then went back up to their respective hotel rooms. Elmira then tried to drag the chair which had been in her room into the adjoining space. It went fairly well, though she crashed (not hard, but still crashed) into Tarava, who was doing the same. 
"Sorry!" Elmira said, worried.
"It's fine, it's fine," said Tarava, sitting down in her chair.
"Well," said Elmira. "Tell me the plans that you have."