| Logs |
2004 March 14
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
March 14
Clairchiare stays somewhat stunned-looking for awhile after the discussion about his dead father appearing to Steven, and conversation peters out a bit. He rallies to blink at Lauren and say, "Oh! Lady Lauren, I am remiss in not offering you the same opportunity to find clothing as I did our good Lady Lotte. Would you like to meet with some of our court ladies to see if there is something that fits you? Due to... recent circumstances..." he glances at the others-- "it may be days before we can arrange for a tailor."
During this exchange, Aiden quietly leaves the suite with Seodil in tow.
Lauren blinks back--she's still getting used to the idea of a PINK ELF. "I'm sorry, what? Clothes? I don't want to take someone's clothes away..."
Sol grins at Lauren a split second after his face betrays concern, glancing after Aiden's disappearing form. "Oh, don't worry. We have naked people in this world, too. They won't be that shocked."
Lauren colors deeply red. "All I want is a place to do laundry."
Sol looks puzzled, but Clairchiare nods. The pink-haired elf smiles at Lauren. "If you wish your present attire cleaned, I'll ask a servant to get it from your room-- just leave it on the bed. What will you wear in the meantime?"
Lauren hadn't thought of that, and flicks a warning look to Sol before opening her mouth. A few seconds pass. She shuts it again. Wordlessly, she shrugs.
Lotte pipes up, "Do you want to borrow a dress? My old clothes are pretty gross, unfortunately."
Soleil smirks innocently at the garden outside and says, "What a lovely day. You know, it's almost so nice I hate to wear clothes. Don't you agree, Steven?"
Steven blinks to Soleil. "Uh..er, well.. considering what's in some of the grdens here, I'd... rather be clothed, thanks, actually.... I mean, our garden's safe," he says for Lauren's benefit, albeit a bit lamely.
Clairchiare smiles at Lotte and then moves, slightly. A moment later Sol's eyes go wider and slightly indignant. He glares at Clairchiare, who smiles back.
Rubbing his shin, Sol mutters "Our garden is safe so far."
Lauren is beet-red and scowling at her own toes. "Thanks," she mumbles to Lotte. "I guess Ishould."
Lotte looks confused between Sol and Clairchiare, and says absentmindedly to Lauren, "Ok then."
"I mean, before suddenly everyone starts going naked and grinning about it," Lauren adds in a put-upon mutter.
Steven blinks, frowning a bit as he looks between Lauren and Lotte and Clairchiare.
Clairchiare smiles, "Your garden is perfectly safe. Now, if you'll excuse me.." he blinks for a moment, then says cheerfully, "I am not naked in company. You need not be concerned."
Soleil grins.
Lauren manages a polite nod up at Clairchiare. "Thanks," she says. "You have no idea how much I appreciate that."
Lauren brushes her lap off. "Anything you have that's clean, Lotte. Thanks."
Fine pink eyebrows rise, but Clairchiare says politely back, "I am glad to be able to promise that my naked body will not concern you." He smiles and gets to his feet. "I will return-- I beg that you bend your thoughts to our problems, as will I."
After directing that last request to the group-- which is still minus Aiden and Seodil-- Clairchiare makes his graceful way out. Lotte shows Lauren the selection of borrowed elven dresses in her room, and Lauren ends up in a deep red brocade bodice with gauzy skirts that cover her to her toes-- and feel like nothing at all is there. Aiden returns without Seodil and goes directly into the room he normally shares with Sol when Lauren's not in it, taking Soleil with him. Aiden re-emerges after about an hour to find Lotte and Lauren talking over lunch, and Steven practing katas in the garden outside.
The small silver wolf that dogs Lotte's heels looks up as Aiden returns to the common room, then returns her attention to the conversation between the girls.
Aiden settles down on the floor at one end of the table, grabbing a bit of fruit to eat. "Afternoon Lauren, Lotte. You too, Ghost."
From the garden, Steven notices something bright blue coming up the path in the distance at about head height.
"...Ghost?" Lauren scans the air. "I don't see a...well, I guess that would be the point, huh?"
The small silver wolf reaches over and pokes Lauren's hip with her nose, then parts her jaws and winks when she has Lauren's attention.
Lotte strokes Ghost's head and says, "Ghost is the wolf here. Our paths crossed a while back and she's stayed with me ever since."
Aiden grins. He was about to point out that Ghost is the wolf, but Ghost took care of it for him.
Lauren dabs wolf-snot from her hip and raises a hand to ruffle the beast's pretty ears. "Well, he's smart. And very nice-looking. Who's a good little boodjie-woo?" She noses at the side of the wolf's face.
Lotte purses her lips, not sure how Ghost will react and not sure how to tell Lauren that "he" is a "she" is an elf.
Aiden chuckles. "Lauren? Ghost is female."
Walking smoothly back into the suite common room from outside, Seodil crosses to the table. He arrives in time to catch Lauren's comment and just stops to stare a moment with blankly polite face before continuing on to sit near the table and snag a pear.
Lauren coughs, once, and stops cuddling the wolf as though someone had flicked on her 'act mature' switch. "Oh. Well then."
Lauren says, "What's this about problems we're supposed to be bending our minds on?"
Steven frowns a bit, looking down the path, and wondering what could be such a bright blue, and at head height. For a moment he wonders if it could be Willow, then he shakes his head; Willow stayed with the commune. He tries to get a better look at who's coming.
Ghost sighs and moves over to lean on Lotte and demand more petting.
Lotte strokes Ghost more and tells Lauren,"The princess here has gone missing."
As the bright blue gets closer, Steven determines that it is attached to an elf, and shaped like a mohawk. The rest of the elf is wearing leathers that blend into the greens of the background.
Aiden nods, "We've been asked to help see if we can't figure out what happened to her, but, we don't have much of anything at the moment."
Steven blinks, and goes back to the group, coughing alittle and keeping his voice down. "Uhm, Lotte... that elf with the mohawk is coming...."
Lotte looks startled, then nervous. "Uh, thanks Steven."
Seodil corrects gently, "We have been asked to find her and bring her back safely," as if the thought that she might not be alive never occurred to him.
Lauren looks puzzled. "Who?"
Aiden turns when Steven mentions the impending arrival of a guest. He picks himself up off of the floor.
"Princess Seulement of Summer," Seodil tells Lauren.
"Ohhh," says Lauren, climbing to her feet. "of course."
Lauren smushes her skirts down over her legs, nervously--first a pink elf, now a blue elf, and damn if she doesn't feel disturbingly naked in all this frickin' gauze.
Moments later, an elf with a bright blue mohawk and camoflouge-green leathers swings around the corner and beams at Lotte. "There you are!" His gaze finds Lauren, and he adds, "And yourself! Excellent! I have been assuring my friends that you mean no harm here, but I do not think they believe me yet."
Aiden turns around looking at Lotte, then at Lauren, and finally back at the blue mohawked elf. "Good afternoon.."
Lauren finds herself smiling back. There's something so basically goofy about an elf with a blue mohawk that it's hard not to. "No harm whatsoever, I promise."
As he gets closer, it's plain that his blue hair has no visible roots of another color, and his eyebrows and lashes match...
Lotte nods stiffly at the mohawked elf. "Hello. And your name is?"
The mohawked elf turns his smile on Aiden and cranks it up a notch, looking utterly delighted to be gregarious. "Good afternoon! I am Zhizhibat." He grins at everyone, then bows to Lotte and Lauren.
Lauren sneezes.
Sol walks out of his room and considers the tableau.
Aiden nods politely. "Nice to meet you. I'm Aiden." He lets the girls and Steven introduce themselves as they see fit. He moves around to the other side of the table, so he can face the blue elf, politely, while he sits.
Lotte says, "My name is Lotte. Nice to meet you, ah.. Zhizhibat?"
Steven nods, smiling, in greeting to... the elf. He's not sure he trusts himself to properly pronbounce that name mentally.
Zhizhibat giggles. "Hee, you have an accent... anyway, you can call me Zhi."
Lauren is immediately charmed by Zhizhibat's cheerful manner. "It's lovely to meet you, Zhi," she coos.
Lotte says, "What can we do for you, Zhi?"
Somebody else apparently calls him Zhi too, judging by the faint yell outside. It's repeated a moment later, louder. It sounds definitely irate.
Lotte cringes upon hearing the voice outside.
Aiden stands back up. He's getting a bit tired of playing My Bonny here, but he's a little concerned about the irritation in that voice.
Zhi reaches to acquire Lauren's hand and brushes his lips across the back of it, grinning. "My pleasure, fair one." He turns to Lotte and says with apparent delight, "I thought you'd never ask. Might I have your hand to greet you properly, lady of the flame?"
Steven winces, and tries to position himself near Lotte, just in case.
Zhi winces as he hears the yell, but stays put.
Lauren simpers and blushes at once, delighted to death.
Lotte's eyes flicker from Zhi to the doorway and back. Not wanting to be rude, but also not wanting to be caught off guard by the new visitor, she extends her hand to Zhi and says, "Please call me Lotte."
Aiden moves towards the door, sticking his head out into the hallway.
Zhizhibat's lips drift across the back of Lotte's hand as he keeps his eyes on her. "At your request, Lotte."
Lotte removes her hand as soon as Zhi is done with his formalities and smiles nervously at him.
Aiden sees an elf in brown leathers striding toward him with a black scowl, chocolate-brown hair flying out behind him. He's not more than twenty feet away, and his dark eyes narrow when he sees Aiden. "You."
Zhi coughs. "I.. don't suppose there is a pleasant inner room we might all adjourn to? Quickly?" He smiles hopefully.
Aiden steps fully into the hallway smiling pleasantly, "Good afternoon. You're looking for your friend? He's just in here.."
"There's your room, Steven," Lauren suggests hastily.
Lotte frowns at Zhi. "No, I don't think so. It's better that we straighten this all out properly."
Sol looks interested, leaning against the wall.
Steven frowns, then nods, "SUre, please, feel free!"
Zhi sighs, mohawk drooping a bit, then perks up at Steven. "Where?"
"Come on, come ON." Lauren snags Zhi's arm and drags toward Steven's room. "here!"
Lotte stands firm and waits nervously for Aiden to return with the stranger.
The scowling elf nods curtly to Aiden and says, "Good. Thanks. Is the witch in there too?"
Aiden tilts his head off to the side. "I beg your pardon? I'm not sure who you are refering to."
Drawing even with Aiden, the scowly elf says "The one you were protecting. I suppose you do have two. No matter, I seek both your witch-women."
Aiden is remarkably pleasant to the scowly elf. All that Canadian upbringing shines through again. "I can assure you that neither of my sisters are witches, Sir."
Lauren is still manhandling Zhi into Steven's room, where doubtless she will take advantage of the seclusion to make lurid squishing noises with him. Or...not.
Inside, Zhi flees happily into Steven's room with Lauren and ducks out of sight, sideways to the doorway. He grins at Lauren, making eye contact. His eyes, as it turns out, are grey. And bright. "My lady, I do admire quick decisions."
Lotte joins Aiden in the hallway.
The elf facing Aiden stops trying to see past him-- being only an inch or two taller if that-- and gives Lotte a nasty look. "Hello, witch. Give me back my packmate. Now."
Lotte's eyes storm over and she scowls back. "I am no witch. I'm a bard. As for your friend, he's inside being as amiable as you should be."
Lauren grins in the dim light at her hysterically colorful elf. "Well, someone had to do SOMETHING," she says. "Who is that guy?"
Aiden frowns. He stays close to Lotte, physically, just in case this chocolate coloured elf decides to try something.
"Amiable!" The irate elf flips a strand of dark waist-length hair back over his shoulder with a quick, overly forceful gesture. "Zhi is amiable to elves. You are probably spies from the place beyond the veil and I want you to take back your spell on him right now."
Steven remains discretely nearby Aiden just in case this starts to turn ugly. Plus, what he's starting to say is interesting, especially when he mentions 'the veil.'
Lotte sighs. "For that, I am truly sorry. I did what I thought was necessary in the heat of the moment to keep my friend safe. I have no way of removing the spell from him, but I assure you that if you knew us, you would feel the same way he does. We are here to help, not harm."
Zhi chuckles. "His name is Kip. He overreacts." Absently, he reaches to brush a strand of Lauren's hair back from her forehead. "He thinks it's probably your fault the princess is missing. He'll get over it."
Aiden tucks his hair back behind his ear on one side. "Why don't you come in and sit down and we can discuss this in a more civilised manner?"
Lauren ducks her head and smiles with unfeigned shyness--aaw, this is SO cute--swatting at the loose hair. "I swear I had nothing to do with it. Do you...is he REALLY angry, Zhi? He's not going to hurt anyone, is he?"
The dark elf growls, "I will come in if your lurking warrior moves back. I will not walk between you into your traps. I smell the veil on you, witch-friend." He looks at Lotte, brown eyes slanted and narrow. "You cannot remove your curse? I think you're lying."
The dark elf adds, "Whatever you want with him, you cannot have him. I will find him and paint him in your blood. That should break any spell."
Aiden nods and steps back and into the room, so that the dark elf won't have to walk between him and anyone else. "There is no trap here. We would not have had time to set them, even if we wished to."
Aiden looks around, frowning. The blue elf was right there. Augh.
Cheerfully, Zhi tells Lauren, "Oh, he won't hurt anybody. Kip's a nice sort, he just ruffles easily... I believe you didn't do it." He grins and touches a finger to her chin. "You have an honest look about you."
Lotte looks sheepish as she begins to say, "I simply do not know..." then stops. The threat of blood makes her face red with anger. "Now there's no need for threats! We can set this all straight if we just talk..." As she steps into the room and finds Zhi gone, she knows she's about to get into some big trouble.
Aiden was halfway to his seat before he noticed. He looks around at the doorways, then over at Steven. "See where he went?"
Stalking warily in, the dark-haired elf says "Where is he? He came this way. He was looking for you. I know you have him. Produce him now or there will be trouble." His hands raise slightly and he shifts his weight onto the balls of his feet. Seodil's brows raise and the silver elf rises to flank the shorter stranger.
"Shhhh!" Lauren hisses, raising a hand to cover Zhi's mouth. One pointy ear angles just a bit toward the door. "...he's just out there," she whispers.
Soleil moves protectively toward Aiden.
Lotte looks helplessly to Steven. "Is he in your room?"
Aiden looks at the dark haired elf. "He was in here when I went into the hallway because I heard you hollering. Give me a moment. There are no exits. I'd appreciate it if you could hold your threats of violence for the time being."
Zhi's eyes are bright, but his face looks worried. In quiet tones, he says "What if they look in? I'd better hide behind you... here. Stand in front of me." He kneels to put himself shorter than Lauren and turns sideways. "Use your skirts- hold them out? I'm wider than you are."
Aiden walks over towards Steven's room, since that's the one that Lotte mentioned first. He smiles at Lauren, his voice pleasant and light. "Lauren? Do you have him with you?"
Snottily, the dark elf says "I don't make threats. I make statements of intent. You have until the count of twenty."
Lotte snaps her mouth shut angrily, trying hard not to make the situation worse with her temper.
Aiden looks back at the dark elf. "Y'know.. I really wouldn't advise that if I were you."
Lauren holds her skirts out obligingly and shimmies just a bit to the side so that she's obscuring Zhi completely. There. With minor adjustments to her posture, Lauren manages to make the contrived pose look more natural and ladylike.
The stranger smirks. "One... two..."
"What? Aiden? Oh, no." *rustle, rustle* "No one back here but me, thank you--could you kindly NOT come in? I'm changing!"
Zhi presses conspiratorially closer to Lauren's legs. He wraps a hand around one of her ankles to steady himself.
Lauren stifles a snicker, grinning down at Zhi.
Aiden gives Lauren an exasperated look, his voice still pleasant and almost sing-song. "You're going to cause an incident. It's time for him to come out.." The smile is starting to look a bit forced. He turns on his heel and goes to "check" his room, for the wayward elf - or his sword leaned against the wall inside - he knows which one he's likely to find.
Zhi grins hugely up at Lauren and squeezes her ankle. He whispers, "You're darling in a crisis. Can I keep you?"
Lauren stammers. "W-well...um....maybe if K-kip doesn't kill you...."
Aiden does not find an elf in his room... but there's his sword.
The dark-haired elf sings out, "Eleven... do you have relatives?"
Seodil gives the much shorter stranger an amused look, not hiding it.
Steven feels his mental hackles rising up again, much as how they went up when Lua started pulling an attitude with them back in the Castle. As the chocolate-haired elf puts himself into a fighting stance, he lets his arms drop to his side, watching Kip with as much intensity as he can muster. Bad idea.. very very bad idea. Don't do anything dumb... myself or you, for that matter. I really don't want to get into a fight with you, Autumn-elf, but if you're going to take a swing at one of my friends I'm going to make sure you are on the ground as fast as I can put you there. "Plenty," he says politely. "Now stop being a goddamn brat."
Aiden picks up his sword, moving it to the outside when the dark elf isn't looking. He says, "Yes. They're all in this room with me." He walks over to the dark elf, unarmed. "Enough. We outnumber you. Sit down and be reasonable."
Lotte desperately wants to cast a spell on this one too, but continues to remain quiet. She looks confused as Aiden emerges from his room without Zhi, but does not move to recheck.
Sol stifles a giggle at Steven's comment.
Zhi grins up at Lauren and whispers. "Oh, he won't kill me. He's much too fond of me, which he'll probably remember in time." He strokes her ankle. "Can you hear what they're saying? All I can hear is the sound of voices from here."
"I think he's actually threatening to kill everybody ELSE," Lauren whispers. "M-maybe you should just come out. I just got here, and I'd hate for everyone being slaughtered to be the first thing I do..."
The dark-haired elf says, "You outnumber me, but you are kin to wraiths, and I have fought scores of them. You will not bring down one of pure blood." He seems to mean it, too. "Eighteen. Where is Zhi?"
Zhi goes a bit pale. "Oh. He is? Well.. maybe we better come out, then. Hand up, or shall I be reduced to climbing up your lovely legs?" He grins.
Aiden holds his place, without a hint of fear showing in his stance. "Wraiths?"
Lotte is inwardly nervous, but takes her cue from Aiden and stands stone still. She waits for something to happen, whether Zhi appears or the angry elf attacks.
The arrogant stranger jerks a nod at Aiden. "You smell of the veil that holds worlds apart, and everyone knows only wraiths can pass that veil freely. If others do-- the flesh and spirit part a little more every time. You do not travel worlds lightly. There is a cost, and your purity and life are it."
Lauren emits a choked squeak.
Zhi rises easily without touching either the hand Lauren did not offer, or her legs. He winks. "You're cute when you blush. Shall we?"
Aiden shrugs, "I didn't pass it of my own will, and I am well aware of the costs that I have paid for being here."
"We..um. We shall." Unsure of the etiquette, Lauren proffers a hand and wobbles uncertainly from foot to foot.
Steven feels his temper rapidly if unusually slipping. He holds himself still, though; for the moment the arrogant snot is being informative but any more self-important rhetoric on that one's part, and Steven is sure he's going to let the inner bastard out. He tries to keep himself calm, really.
The angry elf adds in a sweet tone, "Nineteen."
Aiden holds his ground.
Seodil drifts around silently closer to being behind the mouthy stranger.
Steven looses it. It's the singsong tone. "Listen to me you damn idiot! I don't give a crap if you're outnumbered but don't care, if you can take down half a dozen Green Berets by yourself, or if you pick your teeth with the nails of your 'conquored foes' and dine on their biceps for breakfast. Stop the goddamn posturing and listen like a sane person if you're so goddamn superior. I don't give a flying fu-- I don't give a damn what all-powerful fighting ability you think you have but if you don't have the goddamn brains enough to think you're worth less time and breath than it's taking me to shout at you! Now what the HELL? Are you going to listen to reason or are you going to start lashing out just to prove your balls to total strangers who don't know, don't understand and don't care?"
Zhi seizes Lauren's hand, tucks it in the crook of his arm, and strolls out into the common room with Lauren in tow.
Aiden actually breaks into a grin when Steven lets go on the dark elf.
Zhi and Lauren are, unfortunately, not in the line of sight of the elf smiling at Steven.
Lotte blinks at Steven for a moment, then tries to hide a spreading grin. She's wanted to say the same exact thing, but was afraid to start a fight.
Lauren blinks as well, but when she notices that Kip hasn't noiced HER...or Zhi...she stands very, very still and very carefully doesn't make a sound.
Lauren is also, of course, failing to repress an enormous grin of anticipation.
Aiden looks over at Lauren, "It's about time.. Welcome back, Zhi. Mind calling your friend off?"
It's a nasty smile the stranger turns on Steven, and a sweet voice that says "Twenty... I have yet to hear reason as to your failure to produce my friend.. and you're welcome to my balls if you can hit them." He punches Steven in the stomach.
Zhi yelps as his angry friend turns violent, "KIP! NO! ..shit!" Slipping out of Lauren's grasp, he dives for the fray.
The grin drops off Lauren's face at once, and she too makes a dive for the melee. More accurately, she makes a running leap for Kip's back and tries to cling like a barnacle.
Steven takes Kip up on the man's offer -- literally. He goes for a rack hit, some part of him knowing that it's fighting dirty. He's almost glad he misses. The elf's expression erases his relief; he wants to hurt this one.
Lotte freezes as the commotion starts and forces herself to stay still. She may be needed in one piece after it's over.
The stranger's expression actually changes from arrogant defiance to huge relief when he hears Zhi yell, and he looks suddenly years younger and not so tough. Then he goes down under Sol's leap and hits the floor in a struggling thump. Seodil joins the pile, and the stranger's voice yelps.
Aiden just sort of watches the dark elf disappear under his friends, and laughs softly. "Told you it wasn't a good idea.."
Lauren wasn't expecting to impact on a mass of thrashing male elf, but there you have it. By the time she hits Kip, he's already buried. But it's hard to stop when you're in the air. THUD!
Lotte stares in disbelief at the pile of bodies on the floor, with the offending elf at the bottom. Disbelief quickly turns into amusement as Lauren and Zhi join the group, and she begins to laugh heartily.
Aiden looks over at Lotte, very amused. "Should we help them up, or just leave him there for a bit to think about it?"
Zhi smacks into the pile along with Lauren, yelling at Kip to stop it and lie still. Kip's muffled yell manages to be pained, plaintive and obscene all in one, but he does stop clawing, kicking and biting the people on top of him. His voice comes muffled again, "Get OFF then, Zhi, you COCK."
Lotte grins at Aiden and leans down to speak to the chocolate-haired elf. "Ok, we've made our point. You need to listen to us now or we will continue to sit on you."
Zhi looks at Lotte and breaks up laughing as he squirms out of the pile and offers Lauren a hand up.
Aiden covers his eyes with one hand, shoulders shaking.
Lauren draws herself up into a sitting position--briefly using Soleil for leverage, and not being gentle about it--and accepts Zhi's hand with a smirk. "That was GREAT," she says.
Kip's voice comes indignantly from under Seodil and Sol still holding him down, "I thought you needed a RESCUE, you ASS." It's probably not addressed to Lotte. The next part probably is, though. "Listen to WHAT, you conniving wench? All I can hear is THREE ASSES on TOP of me."
Lotte leans down further and puts a finger on the elf's nose. "Stop. Stop with the insults and the language. You don't know anything about us and none of us have the patience for you."
Aiden raises an eyebrow. "He's got quite the foul mouth on him when his temper gets the better of him." Aiden stays back, making no move to help Seodil, Steven or Sol. Or the mouth-of-the-sea, for that matter.
Steven declines to pile on as well, sort of looking at the event with some incredulity, then stifles and hides his grin. situation defused.. and I won't say a thing. He steps back politely, remaining near the wall passively.
Zhi winks at Lauren and murmurs conspiratorily, "It was, wasn't it? I'm even better one on one." Louder, he calls to the muffled chocolate one, "Kip, I told you, they're friends. They didn't want to hurt you, you forced it. I was fine. They're very hospitable."
Lauren is still grinning. "Steven? Are you okay?"
Kip growls at Lotte, "Lady, if you keep that finger there, I'm going to bite it. Hands to yourself and I'll hear you out."
Sol pipes up from where he and Seodil have the shorter elf secured, "Do I have to keep my hands to myself? He's slim but has nice firm muscle on him. Steven, Aiden, you're missing out."
Kip growls lower at Sol.
Lotte grins and removes her finger. "You have yourself a deal. With me, anyway."
Steven smiles and nods cheerfully to Lauren. He's still coming down from the adrenaline rush, a feeling which is both really heady and yet also frustrating for him.
Aiden says to Sol, "His attitude leaves something to be desired, no matter the flesh that goes with it, Soleil."
In a strained voice, Kip says "I'm listening."
Editor's note: this goes chronologically before Zhi shows up, possibly before Aiden talks to Sol.
Aiden walks into the suite, looking around. He sees Steven and walks over to him. "Can I talk to you for a few, privately?"
Steven looks up, and nods, standing. "Sure, Aiden, of course."
Aiden glances at the door to his room, then back at the entrance to the suite that they all share, "The garden okay?"
Steven nods, curious, and heads over into the garden.
Aiden sits down on one of the benches as soon as they get into the garden. "I've noticed you've been a bit jumpy lately about your room, with the trunk and that ghost. I was wondering if you wanted an extra set of ears and eyes in there for a couple of days, just in case."
Steven lets out a breath. "I'm... not so worried about the ghost, Aiden, as I am about that luggage. I know it sounds stupid and insane but I swear, after that incident where it kicked me it seems to be doing the oddest things to creep me out. I don't think I'm in any danger from it, but Clairchiare looked at me like I'd asked why the sky was purple with red stripes when I asked him about self-mobile luggage."
Aiden nods, "I've noticed you looking back in there every now and again, like something spooked you." He ducks his head, his age actually showing on his face before he does. "Honestly, I could use the chance to get away from things for a while too. I'll sleep on the floor in wolf form. I'm just concerned for you and needing some.. space."
Steven blinks a little, then nods a little. "Sure, Aiden. But let's take turns with the floor, if nothing else. I haven't tried sleeping in cat form yet...." He grins. "But if my teacher's cat was any indication, it should be comfortable. That tom could sleep just about anywhere." Even on me when I was doing those stretching exercises. And Nekosan was not a svelt or light-boned cat....
Aiden laughs softly. "Thanks, Steven. Maybe having more sensitive ears will help with your furniture problem, too. I appreciate it."
Steven smiles and nods. "Hey, thank you. I'm glad not everyone thinks I'm crazy for seeing that chest move."
Aiden looks up and smiles faintly. "I don't think you're crazy, Steven. You've never been one for embelishment of stories."
Steven stretches a little, consideringly. It's been a while since he's turned into the cat. It's actually very appealling-- "Mm? Oh... Well, I assure you I never have, and aren't right now."
Steven smiles, "Thanks again, Aiden. I appreciate it. It'll be.. a big relief.
Aiden nods, "That's good enough for me, Steven. Thanks again. I appreciate you letting me crash with you." He looks stressed.
Steven nods. "No problemat all!" He's not sure what's going on with Aiden and Sol and Seodil... but he doesn't inquire. It's not -- yet -- his business.
Aiden stands, smiling at his brother. "Thanks again. I've got something I need to see to. I'll see you in a bit."
Steven nods, standing. "ANytime at all, Aiden," he says, smiling.
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