[center][h1][color=0072bc]Salem Vicarious, Lord of Lost Things[/color][/h1][/center]
[@The Irish Tree] [@Lugubrious]

[color=0072bc]"C'mon Uncle Graft, I might look like a child, but I'm not stupid,"[/color] Salem pouted, [color=0072bc]"I have plenty of outfits and bodies I could switch to to look more like Sis, and of course we'd be posing as travelers, maybe...[i]orphans?[/i]"[/color] He said this last word a little slower and louder just to see if it made anyone uncomfortable about their current predicament which, at least to Salem, was like losing their parents. Then, deciding not to be too abrasive, Salem patronizingly added, [color=0072bc]"Of course, Uncle Graft does look human enough, so your plan is as good as mine...if not better."[/color]

Despite behaving like a brat, Salem did respect Director Graft, even though Salem knew of the tension that had existed between Dr.Drd and Lord Brushen Penn. But Dr.Drd was the kind of person to make enemies of those he admired, and despite his jealousy towards Brushen Penn's creations, Dr.Drd had openly admitted to Salem on numerous occasions that he felt the Factory was truly a marvel. So when Rodias laid out his plan, Salem wasn't exactly miffed, having offered to scout not because he was curious about the village, but because he actually thought it made the most sense, and Rodias' plan was not too far off, logic-wise. Nor did getting paired with Graft rub Salem the wrong way either, but when Rodias reached out to touch Salem's shoulder, the doll momentarily flinched, pulling away from the touch, but caught themself, stopped, and allowed the physical contact to happen.

With the meeting adjourned, and Graft and Salem ordered to wait for Rodias, Salem was already trying to think of ideas to surveil the surroundings. Hovering over to Graft so they could travel together to the foyer, Salem was unsure how sore Graft would be at having his idea dismissed by Rodias, so decided to be just a little more tactful than usual. [color=0072bc]"It's a shame, Sis Kath is going to scout. I'm sure for our project, having a librarian to help us find the best scrying spells would be very beneficial. Hey! Here's an idea! I might be putting the cart before the horse, but what if we sold dolls? Dolls with my eyes in them? As the product spreads, as I'm sure they will thanks to your business acumen, so does my vision! I can report on everything I see! Oh, but there is an upper limit to how many eyes I can manage... Maybe we'll still need a scrying spell after all...?"[/color] Salem mimed a pensive look, while continuing to hover alongside Graft, hoping that by proposing a business opportunity and getting Graft's creative, mercantile juices (literal and figurative) flowing would assuage any lingering resentment.