Elunara flipped through the papers. "How does it feel to look like a soldier again?"
"It feels amazing. Thank you for the room."
She shrugged. "Renwa is being generous."
"I can't repay either of you enough."
"Now we move on to the next step."
"Next step?"
"Your most important asset is your appearance. I have allowed you to get cleaned up for one purpose and one purpose only." She held up a finger. "Tippy. Under ordinary circumstances, I would not have allowed the transformation, because a bumbling scumbag is much more useful than a well dressed soldier. We may have cleaned you up, but we need you to appear as utterly useless as possible, so that you may continue to gather intel."
"But I..."
"Should you ever get back to Stormwind, I think you have potential for the SI:7 and would recommend you. You have experience that you haven't even thought to use yet. In order to maintain your bumbling disguise, we're going to have to arrange a few acts of stupidity."
"But, Tippy..."
"We're actually going to use Tippy.
"But..."
"Stop second guessing me. Who was the top agent? Me. Who had the highest success rate? Me. Now, listen up. By time I'm done with you, Tippy will be championing your cause. You would become completely useless to me if everyone thinks you're my little pet. I now have to dismiss you as useless for anything but sitting in my office and organizing my papers."
"But, I don't do that."
"Exactly. Now, follow me."
"I already KNOW Tippy's market route. This is a stupid place to stand."
"Now you're catching on." She disappeared.
He frowned after her.
"What are you doing?"
John jolted upright and turned around. "Tippy! I... I'm sorry, I was just... I didn't mean..."
"JOHN!" Elunara stomped over. "Goddammit, can't you stay on task? Save the hero worship for when you're off clock."
John's face went scarlet. He looked back and forth between the two women before turning and running.
Elunara sighed. "Save me from love sick idiots." She muttered before chasing after him.
Tippy stared after them. "Love sick?"
John leaned half way out from behind a building and sighed.
"Man, you really suck at this spying thing." Jordan said loudly.
John jumped out and started flailing his arms up and down. "I wasn't! I mean, I don't! I just wanted a look!" He put his hands over his face and ran away.
Jordan scratched the back of his head. "Man, Elunara is going to kill me."
Tippy stared as Jordan walked away.
Elunara flipped open her board and considered. At the knock on the door she absently opened it and waited as Tippy stormed in.
"You need to get your little toad under control!" She stomped a foot.
"I take it it's working."
"It?"
Elunara filled in a few sketches. "John's a bumbling moron, isn't he?"
"Everywhere I turn!"
"Then he's doing a good job."
"Huh?"
Elunara scratched her neck before adding some more to her work. She sat the board to the side. "John is under my employ, and I've been teaching him the art of fitting to a role. If you think he's being a total putz, then he's fitting to the role I gave him. Forgive me, but he has this massive crush on you, so I figured it would be fitting to have him practice his stupidity on you. I have to say, he's coming along quite well."
Tippy just stood there with her mouth hung open. "You..."
"I'm sorry, did I break you?"
Tippy shoved her finger at Elunara. "YOU DID WHAT?"
"That's more like it." Elunara chuckled. "Listen, this can't go beyond here, but John is actually pretty good at what I need him to be doing. At some point I'll be able to tell you what, but it's sensitive information for now. If we get back to Stormwind, I'm going to recommend him for the SI:7. It's dangerous work, but an agent that's any good would certainly be a prize." Elunara grinned.
"Are you suggesting..."
"Hey, you're the one who ordered a husband. He's sweet, he's pretty well built, he'll listen to the dominant woman in his life, he worships the ground you walk on, oh, and he thinks no one on or off planet can cook better than you can." Elunara put a hand on Tippy's shoulder. "You're a tough one to shop for, honey. But, I think I did fairly well."
Tippy flopped down on the couch. "You're mad!"
She shrugged and tucked one arm under the other, using her free hand to gesture. "I know his reputation is total shit right now, but that's to my advantage. I'm certain, that should you two date... I think the sparks will fly."
"How..."
"You've got plenty of time to give it some thought, seeing as how I need his reputation to remain shit. But once this little... farce blows over, I'm sure you can finish up his redemption."
"Buh?"
"You're both such stunning conversationalists." Elunara laughed.
"My head hurts." She said at last.
"I get that a lot." She grinned. "Before you ask, no I haven't had him. In fact, I'm not sure anyone has." She shook her head and went into her library. She popped the hidden box and took the book into the living room. "This," She passed over the book. "is what his sister was threatening him with, when he staged his attack on Zelinnia."
Tippy flipped it open and nearly threw it in the floor. She grabbed the book at the last second and began to flip through. "Oh Gods, what IS this?"
"It's a manual on how to torture men, usually through their penis. She was threatening to use this on him, every time he didn't do what she said." Elunara tugged it back.
Tippy shuddered. "No damned wonder he was terrified of that dumb bitch."
"At first, he thought they were just childish games, but slowly she got meaner. Eventually, she reached a point where he felt trapped with a lunatic, and he couldn't figure out how to escape, so he did something REALLY stupid, hoping that he could be arrested and locked safely out of her range."
"So he attacked Zelinnia."
"So he embarrassed her, in hopes of looking like he attacked her. Mostly, He just hiked her skirt up in front of Renwa. So she decked him."
Tippy laughed. "Good for her."
"She actively feels bad for him. What he did was stupid, and there were plenty of other ways out of it, but she doesn't think he should be eternally punished for poor life choices."
"I guess."
"I can always keep looking for you, but do me a favor, and try not to let John or anyone else know what I told you. I gotta train him somehow."
Tippy sighed. "I'll give him a shot; or at the very least try to be nice to the man."
"I swear, if he cries on me... I'll punch you both."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Knowing what Elunara told her, spotting John became a bit of a game over the next several days. Finally she stopped in an alley with a sigh. "I know you're back there."
John stepped out and blushed. "I'm sorry."
"Come on."
"What?"
"Maybe you can help me knead dough or something."