| Logs |
2003 September 28
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
September 28
Lotte wakes up to a quiet morning just before dawn. She spends her shift keeping an eye on her surroundings, but mostly singing softly to herself and Ghost to pass the time. She doesn't pick up her guitar for fear that she will wake the others, who need their sleep. As the sun finally rises, she reaches for the guitar and practices her spells- just loud enough to rouse the others from their sleep.
Aiden tries, but utterly fails to sleep right through Lotte's playing. He lays, half-awake, listening to it for a while, then finally rolls over and sits up, rubbing his hands over his face. He glances down at Soleil, just in case something changed in the middle of the night.
Steven lets himself be roused by the music, comfortably and lazilly drifting up through layers of semi-consciousness until he finds himself awake and looking up at the forest canopy, listening to Lotte's music.
Soleil's delicately pointy elf-face is as lovely in repose as it is in waking.. and the amber-hued elf still sports noticeably feminine curves, elfin and slim though she is.
Soleil seems entirely content to sleep through the music, a gentle smile curving her pink lips.
Aiden frowns slightly. I guess a midnight miracle was too much to hope for.. He stands and straights out his clothing, then leans and touches Sol's shoulder, giving her a gentle shake.
Seodil opens pale eyes and leans gracefully forward, unfolding from his seated position onto his feet. He begins stretching, casual and fluid, without a word.
Sol opens thick-lashed amber eyes and immediately loses the smile with consciousness. She tries to get it back, for Aiden, as she yawns. "Oh... morning."
Aiden looks down, cheeks flushing the second he catches himself watching Seodil stretch. It's really only a moment.. or two. Maybe three.
Steven sits up, stretching a bit, before going into his own morning stretching, exercises, and meditation, without further comment.
Aiden smiles at Sol. "Morning.."
Lotte finishes her practice and bids everyone a good morning before beginning a small breakfast.
Ghost sighs loudly, cheerfully, and whuffs at Lotte hopefully.
Lotte responds to Ghost's whuffings with a smile and few pieces of her breakfast.
The pale grey wolf accepts a few almonds as her due tribute, and begins vigorously chewing on her front feet.
Aiden grabs his cloak up off the ground and brushes it off. "Excuse me." He wanders off into the woods, looking for all the world like he's going for his morning constitutional. Once into the woods, though, he veers off to the place he saw the owl last night..
Steven finsihes his morning ablutions with a quiet smile. "Good morning," he says, sitting down.
A raven looks down at Aiden from the same tree, or one close to it, that the owl occupied last night. It gives a derisive caw.
Aiden narrows his eyes. He watches the raven for as long as he can see it, trying to figure out where it's going. He moves a little deeper into the woods, moving as quietly as he can and listening.
Sol smiles a little weakly at Steven and heads off into the bushes for a few. She looks distinctly unhappy when she returns, but says nothing and walks a little ways apart to sit and eat a little dried fruit. She steals occasional shy glances at Lotte.
Aiden narrows his eyes and looks up at the raven. He turns his head to the sides, looking to see if there's something else out here, his head cocked to one side to listen as he looks.
Lotte asks Sol, slightly worriedly. "How are you feeling?"
Nothing else appears but trees.. and the camp, a ways behind Aiden.
Sol bites her lip a moment, then looks carefully at Lotte. "Very strange," she admits softly. "Out of balance. My hips are too big. My weight has shifted lower."
Aiden looks back up at the raven, dropping his voice to a whisper. "We know you're watching us. We may not know who you are, but we know you watch us.."
Lotte nods. "I can imagine it would feel strange..."
Seodil finishes stretching and listens, leaning upright against a tree near Steven.
Sol tries a tentative smile at Lotte for the sympathy, her eyes warming a little and her shoulders not quite as droopy.
Steven says, with slightly more more confidence than he perhaps feels, "Well find a way to reverse it. I can't imagine it's at all permament. Maybe its the local wizards' equivalent of a whoopie cushion."
Aiden's raven cocks its head at him jerkily and does not answer.
Soleil blinks at Steven. "Whoopie cushion?"
Lotte tries very hard not to giggle at Steven's comment, but a smile and a titter escapes her lips. She immediately looks apologetically at Sol before realizing that he has no idea what Steven is referring to.
Soleil looks even more puzzled at the giggle.
The raven flips its wings at Aiden, then takes flight toward the camp.
Steven blinks. "It's, ahhh... somethign from the Grey Lands. A silly practical joke type of thing, you put it on a chair, and when someone unsuspecting sits on it, it makes a raspberry noise.
Soleil considers Steven as though he's lost his mind. "A fruit noise. Really." She tries to sound as though it makes sense.
Aiden moves as soon as the bird does, back to camp, and quickly..
Lotte can't help it, and begins laughing heartily.
Steven says, "Er... no, not a fruit noise, that's just the word given to that noise." He glances wryly to Lotte who is being utterly unhelpful. "It makes the noise of breaking wind when someone sits on it.""
Sol smiles, cautiously, still completely confused... then raises her eyebrows. "Oh. And this is funny! Much like... fruit."
Steven says, "Err... well.. it's supposed to be funny. More often than not, it's just funny to the person who put the whoopie cushion in place in the first place. To others it's just, er, irritating...."
Aiden dashes into view, as a black bird soars overhead and onto a nearby treebranch.
Lotte pauses from her laughter, gives Steven a raspberry, and continues gaffawing.
Aiden watches the bird's flight path as he runs into camp..
Steven rolls his eyes, chuckling. "Yes, exactly like that.... Eh?" he looks curiously to Aiden as he charges into the camp.
Aiden points up at the bird and hisses, "Eyes."
Steven arches his bro, and looks up at the bird Aiden is pointing to. "Any idea whose?"
Sol just nods and murmurs, "Irritating," then tenses at Aiden's charge. She watches the raven intently. It stares back at her, then at Lotte.
Lotte, who stopped laughing as soon as she saw the bird, stiffens as the bird looks back at her.
Aiden shakes his head at Steven, "No idea.."
Gliding to the ground, the bird lands between Lotte and Soleil, apparently interested in both but torn. It flutters and then begins walking jerkily toward Lotte.
Lotte jumps up with a squeak and runs behind Steven.
Ghost starts growling as Lotte flees, and the bird takes flight. It circles once and lands in a tree closer to Sol, peering down at the beautiful elf girl.
Steven blinks, straightening as Lotte bonds behind him, glancing back, then looking to the bird. he tries to glare at the bird, wondering why it's moving awkwardly. "Possessed, maybe? Or just getting confliciting commands?
Aiden shoots a concerned look at Seodil, then glances at his bow, leaned up against a tree nearby..
Seodil walks smoothly forward to stand at Aiden's side, closer to Soleil. He glares at the bird and says, "She is spoken for. Reveal yourself, or do not waste our time."
Soleil flinches.
Whispering, Sol says, "Shoot it. Just shoot it."
Immediately, the bird takes flight and heads away in a straight line.
Steven blinks, standing and taking note of the direction the bird is flying in. "Seodil?"
The silver elf says "Yes, Steven."
Lotte peeks around Steven and whispers,"Haasha?"
Steven says, "You... seemed to have some idea of what was going on there, what happened?" He looks to Lote, blinking at the name."
Seodil turns to look at Steven, tossing his hair back over his shoulder absently. "Only a suspicion... I trust Aiden's good judgement."
Aiden walks over to the tree where he bow is. He reaches out and grabs it, stringing it deliberately while he watches the bird.. He grabs an arrow from the quiver, but doesn't nock it just yet.
The fleeing bird is still in sight, but distant. It lands and turns to face the party from its new tree.
Steven deadpans, "Well, it's persistent, whatever it is or whomever it is...."
Thoughtfully, Seodil says "It seems fondest of pretty girls."
Aiden nocks the arrow and draws the string back, focusing on the bird. "Show yourself."
Steven says, "Very flattering of it."
The distant bird instantly drops off its branch and flies away again, quickly out of sight.
Aiden lets the bowstring slack. He doesn't put either the bow or the arrow down yet, though.
Lotte sighs and steps away from Steven, a sheepish look on her face.
Sol chews her lip and stands up, determined. "Lotte? Did you get the feeling it wanted something?"
Lotte nods. "It looked like it was trying to choose one of us."
Steven frowns, concernedly. "And then it started moving towards Lotte. But... not like how a normal bird would move, really...
Soleil nods and says, "Then I don't think we're safe til we're out of its range... or we know what it wants and deal with it."
Seodil looks at Steven and says, "I agree with you and Aiden. Someone else was with that bird."
Aiden says, "We should start moving. Whatever it is, it has been watching us all night."
Steven nods quietly. "Yes. Let's get moving and be on our way...."
Lotte shivers. "I think Haasha is keeping tabs on us."
Steven says, "Haasha...?"
Seodil nods. "There could be an army on the way."
Steven grimaces. "Oh, that one. I forgot, Birch hadn't done him in. Yes, let's move quickly."
Aiden grabs his things hastily, trying to get ready to get out of here. He watches the sky as much as he watches what he's doing, looking for the raven or something else watching them.
Almost cheerfully, Seodil says, "I am ready. Shall we follow the bird's path?"
Steven says, "... Why?"
Lotte gathers her things quickly. She pauses at Seodil's comment and responds,"No, we need to stick to our plan. We need to head to the Summer Court."
Steven nods in agreement with Lotte.
Seodil shrugs. "It is in the same rough direction... and our lord suggested we kill it or deal with it." He pauses, glancing at Sol. "...lady."
Aiden looks up at the sky. Seodil's hair is the same colour as th-- fuck, what's wrong with me?! He looks back down, glowering to himself. "Are we ready?"
Lotte looks to Sol. "Where should we go?"
Steven grimaces. "Let's head towards the Summer Court still, and if we see odd birds following us, then... we deal with them as appropriate. But we should get to the Court as soon as possible, especially if if is Haasha."
Soleil looks unhappily at Lotte. "...Do YOU feel safe knowing someone is watching you, but not why, or where they are?"
Aiden says, "Next time I see that bird following us, we're going to have it for dinners. Let's stay on our course, for now. If we see it again, we'll follow and get it taken care of first."
Seodil remains silent, watching Sol.
Lotte shakes her head. "No, I don't. But..." She trails off, not having a good arguement for either direction.
Sol pauses, then nods. "All right. Shoot it if you see it. Let's go."
The party starts to hike through the woods, finding nothing of much interest but trees all morning, and no obvious watchers.
Aiden is on edge as he walks, a little ahead of the rest of the group. His bow is in his hand, the arrow nocked in and ready to draw.
Lotte peers around into the trees as she walks along. Abruptly, she stops and points off to the right. "Look, a flash of white! It looks like a wall."
Steven blinks, pausing and looking to the right, curiously. "A wall? Are there any buildings or such supposed to be in this area....?" He knows it's a stupid question even as he's asking it.
Sol stops immediately and looks, too, edgy. She frowns. "I don't know, Steven, sorry. Do we want a closer look? I think that's the way the raven went."
Steven hesitates. "Do we want to get that much closer to the raven or whatever was controlling it?"
Aiden looks in the direction Lotte is pointing with a frown. "We may as well.."
Seodil says pointedly, "Do we want it to keep following us?"
Steven sighs, "I guess we should get to the bottom of this, or it's going to be harrying us all the way to the Summer Court."
Sol looks almost gratefully at Steven and Seodil, after Aiden, and reshoulders her pack. "I agree."
Lotte opens her mouth, but Steven speaks her thoughts. She merely nods.
Steven and Seodil.
Aiden pauses. He looks down at the clothing he slept in last night. "Armour."
Steven nods to Aiden, pulling on his greaves and gauntlets, looking worriedly ahead of them at the barely-visible wall before shouldering his pack again, hefting the staff.
Seodil, already in his grey and white leathers, nods and leans against a tree to wait while the others get ready.
Lotte's eyes get slightly rounder as she realizes the potential danger of the situation, but she pretends to stand firm as the others equip.
Sol shrugs into her light chain shirt, sighing as it fails to fit her new form as well as it did the old one, plucking ineffectually at the uncomfortable front before giving up, taking it off, and shifting. She leaves her pack there, unable to carry it.
Aiden takes a few moments to strip out of the clothing that he's wearing right now and get into the suit of armour that he picked up at the Winter Palace. He stuffs his clothing into his backpack, picks up the bow and readied arrow and nods. "I'm ready."
Soleil the dainty female wolf snorts and moves to Aiden's side.
Ghost gives Soleil a fascinated look, but stays by Lotte.
Aiden reaches down to touch the ruff of Sol's neck, scratching it gently. He looks at Sol's backpack, slings his off again and starts searching both for rope.
Seodil says, "Then we are all ready?" He draws his sword, pausing to look at Aiden. "What do you desire?"
Aiden says, "Rope. I want to string this up."
Seodil gets an odd little expression for a bare second, then nods and says, "I believe Soleil has some."
Aiden digs into Soleil's bag and pulls out the rope.. He unwinds the coil and tosses it up over a tree branch, feeding it so that the end over the tree is in grabbing distance. He strings the rope through the straps of Sol's pack, ties it off and hoists it up into the air with the other end of the rope. Finally, he loops the end in his hands around the tree and ties it off with a slipknot. He picks his pack up again and shoulders it. "Now I'm ready."
Sol noses Aiden and whuffs, looking pleased.
Seodil flips his hair back and says, "Then come." He moves silkily off, making no noise.
Aiden slips off into the woods behind Seodil, eyes roving the landscape.
Aiden watches the wall as they get closer. It takes a while, but he suddenly realises that it is made of interlaced ivory sticks. It seems to curve in a big circle, but there's no gate in sight so far. He continues around, staying close to the trees as he circles.
Steven murmurs, "Very fancy...."
Aiden turns to face Steven and nods his agreement..
Lotte follows Aiden aroud the wall, keeping an eye out for the gate.
Steven notices, a bit belatedly, that some of the ivory sticks are about as long as... his femur. That bodes ill for somereason....
Aiden stops dead in his tracks, assessing the situation. Gate. Open door.. and.. WHOA! He doesn't look happy at all...
Steven starts to say, "You know, these ivory sticks are kind of long, they look almost as long as --" He stops short when Aiden stops, and he blinks trying to look past him at what stopped him.
Lotte peers at the little man with displeasure.
Aiden .. smiles at the man..?
A raven CAWS immediately overhead as the party stops in the trees, Aiden ahead, and the little man squints nearsightedly in their direction, scowling. "Wha'? Who goes? Answer me!" He sounds querulous, crotchety, and irritable. Also old.
Aiden clears his throat, "Is that your bird?
Steven glances up at the raven. Oh, do shut you, this is all your fault! He turns back to the man, letting Aiden smile and charm the man.
The old man snorts wetly and hawks a gob of phlegm to his left. "Yeh. You missing one o' yer pretty ladies, there. Where's the other one, all honey and cream?"
Aiden's jaw drops. "Why have you been watching us?"
Steven blinks, and isn't sure he likes this man referring to one of the female members of the group in terms of food products.
Steven considers, thoughtfully. The man seems to not be able to see very clearly, like he's extremely nearsighted. His eyes flick up to the raven. 'Eyes' indeed....
Sounding a bit pitiful, the ugly old man points a wavery, gnarled finger at the party, then jerks it behind him at the open gate. "I been lookin' fer a pretty lady ta talk some sense into mah wife."
Lotte is barely holding back the urge to run. The whole situation strikes her as creepy, and she is certainly a specific target. Luckily, the little man looks nearly blind and harmless.
Aiden raises an eyebrow, schooling his voice into concern. "What seems to be the problem with your wife?"
The little old man wheedles, "Won'tcha help a poor ol' man out? She's younger'n purtier'n me, an' she won' lissen. Mebbe she lissen ta somebody else." He squints at Aiden, and looks grumpier yet. "Took mah hat, an' won' give it back. Jus' stays in the garden Ah built 'er and won' come out."
Aiden glances over at Lotte.
Lotte shakes her head and says nothing. She refuses to call attention to herself yet.
Steven blinks and glances at the walll again. For some reason, all those ivory sticks are creeping him... wait.. the garden he built? Ohshit. Femur. "Ah... it's an... interesting garden, I... can see it must have taken you a lot of work...."
Beyond the man, over his head through the narrow gate, greenery is visible, shot through with blue flowers.
The old man nods, dourly pleased. "Built with mah own hands. Took hunnerts of years. She don' preciate th'effort. Jus' prattles on 'bout her fountain ain't bigger."
Aiden takes a deep breath and follows the man into the garden. He hasn't noticed the material that the wall is made of. Yet.
Steven reaches forward to quickly grab hold of Aiden's belt before he goes forward any further.
The old man scowls at Aiden suspiciously. "How Ah know you ain't jus' tryin' ta git with mah purty wife? You gotta take a purty gal in there with you, or Ah think you ain't straight wi' me."
Aiden turns to look at Steven, one eyebrow arched, "Hmm?"
Aiden looks over at the man and deadpans, under his breath. "I'm not straight with anyone..."
Lotte pipes up, sounding slightly shrill. "What will you give us in return for helping you?"
Steven manages a smile, saying to the man, "Sure, that makes sense." He mutters under his breath to Aiden, "Look at the wall. Closely." In a normal tone of voice. "We just don't want to, you know, give your wife the wrong impression, when you walk in thre with a pretty lady."
Aiden glances at the wall, then pauses, blanching a bit. "Oh." He looks up at the man, "Exactly. If she's already being difficult, she'd probably be more difficult if you walked in with a pretty woman, wouldn't she?"
The old man snorts at Steven and Aiden, "Ah ain't goin' in noways. 'At's HER place." His head raises like a bloodhound on a scent at Lotte's voice, and his wrinkled face moves slowly to track her. "Well, purty lady. That's business, ain't it? All right. If'n you git mah hat back, Ah kin wash off those curses Ah smell on yer friends, an' that's a fact ma'am."
Aiden shoots a pleading look at Lotte...
Lotte raises her eyebrows. "What exactly is it that you want me to say to your wife?"
The old man emits an unpleasant odor as he laughs. "Whatever you want. Jus' git mah hat back. --It's raid."
Steven blinks, giving a start. Oh, of course that gets Aiden's attention. He glances at the ring on his finger, as well, biting his lip, then slowly shakes his head. It's not worth loosing Lotte just so I can be more... inhibited, as I usually am. He glances to Lotte, then frowns to the man, and shakes his head, sighing. "Why does it have to be a pretty lady who has to go in?" he still smells 'trap.'
Aiden says, "Raid? Red?"
The old man peers suspiciously at Aiden. "Thas' what Ah said. It's raid."
Steven frowns slightly. "I don't know, Aiden," he murmurs. he glances to Seodil and Soleil inquisitively, to see if they ahve any input into what a 'good idea' right about now would be.
Grumpily, the old man says to Steven, "S'gotta be a purty lady wit' you so's Ah know it ain't jus' some dam' man tryin' ta make up to mah wife. Ah think she might talk to a lady. Dunno 'bout you... mebbe that tall silver one, looks sorta like a lady."
Aiden ducks his head, staring hard at the forest floor, one hand held firmly over his mouth. He doesn't dare look up at Seodil.
Lotte nods furiously at Aiden and then at Seodil. She mouths, "Please please please" in his direction.
Steven thinks Seodil is going to be about as moved by Lotte as a mountain is by the wind. "If one of us goes in there," he murmurs, "we all should go in there. He didn't say we all couldn't."
Seodil moves closer to Aiden, drifting quietly. He shrugs, expressionless. "I will go in with Lotte. I do not object."
Lotte gives Seodil a grateful smile and then murmurs. "Seodil and I will go in. You guys need to watch this guy."
Aiden looks up at Seodil. He manages not to laugh, but his eyes are highly amused as he says. "Well. Would you go and speak to the lady on our behalf? I'll be happy to escort you, M'lady." He smirks at Seodil.
Steven grimaces to Lotte, but nods at her logic. "All right. If something happens, we'll be in as quick as we can."
Seodil's pale silver eyes suddenly go paler as his pupils narrow sharply, then he smiles at Aiden and answers in dulcet tones, "I would be delighted to walk with you into this garden... but I do not trust you without my chaperone. Steven. He is," the elf adds smoothly to the old man, "a eunuch."
Steven opens his mouth, then closes it, looking to Seodil with a look that says, 'Touche, Seodil." He says nothing to dispute it, however.
The old man harrumphs at Seodil, but nods jerkily. "Al'right. Y'kin take yer eunuch."
Aiden looks like he's thoroughly enjoying this, despite the fact that he's going to pay for it later.
Steven's mouth works, and he's glad that the old man can't see the play of emotions on his face.
Lotte shrugs her shoulders. "I will attend you as well... M'lady."
Seodil looks sweet at Lotte. "Little sister, you are too kind. You know that your beauty surpasses mine even as the sun outshines the fairy moon." He bats his eyelashes.
Lotte's eyes nearly pop and she bites her lip to supress a scream of disbelief. She composes herself and manages,"Shall we go in, then, sister?"
With a dainty little bow, Seodil smirks. "After you. I shall follow with our dogs and servants right behind." He takes Aiden's arm in his, with apparent delicacy.
Aiden winces a little under the apparently delicate touch that's actually closer to a vice-grip on his arm. Oh, yes. He's going to pay for this little insult.
Lotte merely nods at Seodil and heads towards the old man and into the garden, keeping one hand on Ghost at all times.
The queer little entourage sweeps into the garden as the old man steps aside, and is suddenly surrounded by a multitude of glorious roses shading from white, near the gate, to red, purple and blue. In the center of the garden is a fountain made of deep blue stone shot through with gold flecks, ten feet wide, nearly as high at the center tower, and on the edge... rests a blood-red cap. No strange woman is in sight.
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