| Logs |
2004 April 11
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
April 11
The group has decided to split up, the better to cover ground faster before the ball tomorrow night that they fear may result in an attempt to frame them for the Princess' disappearance-- and possibly also in Aiden's death. Small knots of discussion form and plans are made. Clairchiare-- looking very unhappy under a pasted-on smile-- leads the girls and Fall elves off to explore the Shh family's ocean-side retreat for clues. Steven accompanies them after a quick whispered exchange and pleading look from Clairchiare. The group passes Aiden and Soleil sparring under Seodil's watchful eye on the way out.
Aiden glances out of the door as the group passes by him, "Good luck.." He trails off and goes back to what he was doing, before he loses his concentration.
Seodil works off some of Aiden's tension over the course of a good 45 minutes of putting both him and Soleil through their paces with bared swords. Seodil takes full advantage of the lovers' partnership in treating them as a unit, and it works surprisingly well-- they feel closer and much more in synch than they have been lately, as the session winds down. Aiden is breathing hard by the end, and as he stretches trying to catch his breath, he sees what might be sparkles at the edge of his vision, though it didn't feel like Seodil pushed them that hard...
Aiden straightens, closing his eyes for a brief moment, then turns his head to see if he was just seeing something at the edge of his vision, or if it was just the result of tension and stress.
A white flash greets Aiden's eyes, very much like a tail disappearing around a corner. No other lights or sparkles grace his sight.
Soleil cocks his head. "Aiden? You alright?"
Aiden says, quietly, "He's back.." He keeps his sword in his hands, so he can draw it immediately if needed, and walks to go peer around the corner he saw the tail go around.
At the next corner forty feet ahead, Setisel's ghost sits in wolf form, pupilless white eyes on Aiden... watching.
Aiden turns his head to say. "He's here, I'm going to see where he's trying to take me, I won't go too far ahead of you." He heads down the hallway towards Setisel.
As soon as Aiden approaches, Setisel rises to pace away, head turned back toward Aiden and not looking where he's going. He stays the same distance away, faintly translucent and occasionally passing through a bit of greenery or support pole for the roofed walkway instead of going around it.
Sol's voice calls, worried, "I'm coming with you." Aiden feels him approach, more aware than ever of Sol's presence after consciously focusing on their link in training. Seodil says nothing, but Aiden suspects he's following too.
Aiden is much more nervous this time. He's relieved that he is, at least, being followed, but doesn't turn around to make sure. As he walks, he straps the sword on, rather than carrying it. He keeps his eyes on Setisel, worried that the wolf will just vanish if he doesn't.
Setisel's eerie, empty eyes stay on Aiden as well. Such mundane things as mortal sight are apparently not required for the ghost to find his way. A few twists and turns later and they are in yet another part of the Summer gardens' endless sprawl where Aiden has never been. It looks wilder than the rest, almost... forgotten. Setisel looks away from Aiden and speeds up, requiring Aiden to jog to keep up.
Aiden goes on high alert when they hit this part of the garden. He does jog to follow Setisel, but he keeps his hand on the hilt of his sword and his eyes sweep the area in front of him. He's been told enough times that the gardens are dangerous here.
Despite everyone's warnings, the wilder gardens do not reach out to devour Aiden... yet. The footing becomes less certain, but Aiden never quite loses sight of Setisel. He does lose track of time, returning to himself with an unpleasant start when he realizes he cannot feel Soleil as close behind him and has been led into a dead end-- just as Setisel walks through a wall and vanishes. It's dark here, and resembles nothing quite so much as a long-abandoned, overgrown little one-bedroom hut... complete with table, chair and bed shapes under the moss and ivy covering everything.
Aiden stops suddenly, startled and looking around frantically for Soleil, very close to the edge of panic. Setisel walked through a wall and Aiden is lost. His hands start shaking and he looks for something - anything! - to indicate where he is and why he was brought here.
Something glints faintly under the growth on what resembles a table, as Aiden searches. The companions he left behind are not in earshot; dead silence reigns here, aside from the small noises Aiden himself makes. Insects and birds do not seem to favor this dim locale.
Aiden walks to the table and carefully reaches for the object left on the table, trying not to disturb the growth over it too much as he pulls it out.
A rotted leather sheath falls away from the still-shining blade as Aiden pulls out a light, long bone-handled sword. It appears to be a thin longsword, designs or runes down half the length of the blade, an intricate twist of silver ivy vines making up a handguard.
Aiden blinks when the sheath falls away. Voice low, he says, "This has to be old.. Why'd he bring me here?" He sets the sword down on the bed carefully and goes to carefully clean the top of the table, trying not to damage the moss, so he can replace it.
Whisper's voice speaks from the hut doorway, behind Aiden. It holds a much less innocent tone than when she spoke to Aiden yesterday. "You know why I'm here. Leave your weapons and come with me."
The group has decided to split up, the better to cover ground faster before the ball tomorrow night that they fear may result in an attempt to frame them for the Princess' disappearance-- and possibly also in Aiden's death. Small knots of discussion form and plans are made. Clairchiare-- looking very unhappy under a pasted-on smile-- leads the girls and Fall elves off to explore the Shh family's ocean-side retreat for clues. Steven accompanies them after a quick whispered exchange and pleading look from Clairchiare. The group passes Aiden and Soleil sparring under Seodil's watchful eye on the way out.
Aiden glances out of the door as the group passes by him, "Good luck.." He trails off and goes back to what he was doing, before he loses his concentration.
Lotte waves to Aiden, Sol, and Seodil, and follows Clairchiare with anxiety and determination in her eyes.
Clairchiare leads the little group on a long and winding walk that ends in a tower and hundreds of stairs. Without a look of apology, perhaps because it does not occur to him, he sets off up the stairs. The entire tower appears to be made of rose quartz, shot through with veins of amethyst crystals and pyrite jutting forth from the walls as the tiring people mount the stairs. Frequent arched, narrow windows open to the breeze show stunning glimpses of the Summer garden from higher and higher above the green and flowers...
At the top of the stairs, Clairchiare fits a tiny golden key to the closed door and leads them into an opulent, airy place of vaulted ceiling, many windows and a pastel rainbow of silk cushions. Ignoring the first room, he leads them deeper in and stops at a covered mirror. Pulling off the lavender silk draping it, he nods to the reflection-- an entirely different room. "This is the way... but I don't think you'll find anything. My mother wouldn't..." he trails off and sighs, looking at the golden mirror-frame. "Just step through, and come back through the one there when you're ready. Try not to take more than an hour... I do not want to have to explain this."
Lauren nods, grabs Zhi by the arm and walks into the mirror. They vanish and appear in the reflection. Lauren blinks and waves, grinning.
Steven says quietly, "I will stay here with Clairchiare, Lotte." Kip looks at Lotte with a grave little smile, trying to look encouraging and obviously worried about going in there himself. "Ready, Lotte?" He bites his lower lip, looking young. It's probably not a conscious reaction.
Lotte blinks at Lauren and Zhi, nods at Kip, then turns to smile at Steven and Clairchiare. "See you soon, then," she says and steps through the mirror.
It feels a little funny to step into the mirror, much like breaking the surface of cool water and not getting wet. The tension passes over Lotte's skin and then she's through. Zhi and Lauren seem to have walked off in the meantime; they are not in the room. Kip comes through and bumps into Lotte's back, steps on her heel and backs off so fast he stumbles, flailing for balance. He lands on his butt and looks wide-eyed up at her as he says, "Sorry...."
Lotte winces at the pain in her heel, but holds out a hand to help him up. "S'okay."
The room smells of the ocean, rich and salty. A little sand crunches underfoot as Lotte moves. Kip eyes her hand as though it might bite, but really has no polite recourse. He takes it lightly as he rises and lets go again as soon as possible, moving a step away and looking unnerved. "Thanks... so. Zhi can't be far. Let's look for signs of the Princess."
Lotte nods and turns to eye the room they're in. "Where should we start?"
Kip shrugs, sighing. "I have no idea. You're.. magic. We're looking for a kidnapping victim, so... try feeling your way around, hm?" He looks uncomfortable as he adds, "..magically. See if anything feels, well... strong. Emotional." He moves to a table and lets his fingers hover over things, not actually touching... an oil lamp, sea shells... a chest... the furniture here is surprisingly mundane, though delicate and obviously made by elven craftswork.
The other side of the room away from Kip doesn't hold much-- a coatrack, some cloaks and wraps. The doorway leads to the rest of the house.
Lotte looks at Kip like he's speaking gibberish, but sighs and doesn't ask what he means. She surveys the rest of the room and decides to leave it to him. She moves into the next room and looks around.
This next room appears to be a woman's bedroom and smells faintly of old violets, perhaps due to the dried bunch of dusty violets on the dresser. All the furniture apears to be made of driftwood, imparting it an agonized, twisted look. The four-poster bed itself is veiled in transparent pale green and blue cloth.
On the tortured dresser, a few small chests look interesting. A tiny dagger lies unsheathed, hilt glittering with faceted green stones. A closet is shut to the right, and another door leads deeper into the house.
Lotte approaches the chest and inspects it without touching. She assumes that this woman's house is full of small traps and refuses to make herself look naive by falling into one of them.
As far as Lotte can tell, there are no traps on the first chest she inspects. The dagger glitters at Lotte with her every movement, catching the light and throwing it back... the ornamental little thing is no longer than her hand, slim and dainty as actual jewelry.
Lotte, always a sucker for sparkly things, moves her gaze to the dagger. Before she picks it up, she inspects it closely for anything out of place.
Confident that there are no possible physical traps on the dagger-- and increasingly certain that it's encrusted with emeralds-- Lotte finally touches it. Immediately, she hears an enchantingly lovely male voice speak. "Oh, come out to see me, dainty lady from the dry shore... you should have pearls to wind in your lovely sunlight hair."
The room has disappeared. Before her, Lotte sees a mer-man all in shades of green, with wavy hair. He's quite naked and grins at her-- a fish from the waist down-- as he suns himself on his rock twenty feet from shore where Lotte stands.
A sweet voice not Lotte's own laughs, "You would sway me, seduce me and drown me in the salt sea when you were through, O my beautiful nixe... but I would meet you halfway and share a drink with you, if I could trust you not to swim off with me."
Lotte finds herself stepping forward, aware of the dainty green-hilted dagger nestled safe in her cleavage. Blonde hair blows hip-length around her as the mer-man laughs back and says, "I could change my tail to slow legs such as you have... for a kiss."
Caught as if in a dream, Lotte hears herself speak and agree-- not in her own voice-- and wade halfway out, ankles wet, as a naked mer-man comes to meet her on bare human feet. She dangles a bottle from her right hand.
Lotte startles as the water hits her legs, or not her legs, and drops the dagger.
Immediately, the vision fades, and the room she is actually in returns to Lotte's sight. The little dagger has stuck point-down into the dresser surface.
Perhaps attracted by the sound, Kip comes quickly in, looking alarmed. "Are you alright?"
Lotte looks at Kip with wide eyes. "I... I touched the dagger and then I heard a voice and then I was outside by the ocean and there was this merman and he was talking to me but it wasn't me because it wasn't my voice and I had long blond hair and then I was walking towards him and..." Lotte takes a deep breath. "And then I dropped the dagger and was back here."
Kip tilts his head, looking at Lotte very seriously. "Do you think it was a trap?"
Lotte nods but says, "I don't know. Maybe it was just a trap for anyone or maybe that's where she is keeping the Princess. Maybe the blond haired woman was the princess."
Kip looks hopeful, then shakes his head. "Pale pink, they said... but the woman who asked Aiden to the ball was blonde."
Lotte shakes her head. "Oh. Right. Well, so maybe that's where she is right now." Lotte can't help but giggle. "She seems to be occupied."
Kip perks up at that, "Well, that bodes well. C'mon, let's search the rest of the house..." He moves on, looking at the bed, then swallows audibly. "Lotte? ...There's a skull in this bed..."
Whisper's voice speaks from the hut doorway, behind Aiden. It holds a much less innocent tone than when she spoke to Aiden yesterday. "You know why I'm here. Leave your weapons and come with me."
Aiden's spine stiffens and he turns around, trying to keep the growing horror from showing on his face.
Whisper stands smiling up at Aiden from the doorway, a distinct glint in her lovely eyes. She seems to have cut her golden hair since yesterday-- much longer when Aiden last saw her, now it reaches only to her hips in gentle waves. Her smile is as pleasant as her tone is not-- quite.
Aiden bows his head slightly to her, "Hello, Whisper. I wasn't expecting to see you until our meeting tomorrow."
Whisper does not react to Aiden's words at all. A moment later, a deep and silvery voice says quietly from Aiden's mouth, "I have given my word. Why would I bring weapons to a bed of love?" His tone is ever so faintly mocking, and distant. Aiden finds himself putting the sword down on the table, adding three daggers to the pile from various places on him, and walking forward, brushing past Whisper and knocking her aside with his shoulder. He can feel her glare on his back as he keeps walking.
Aiden's mind frantically tries to figure out what's going on and he actually catches it pretty quickly. Somehow, he's ended up reliving something that happened. That would explain Elis' hair. He forces himself to relax, hoping that maybe if he just lets this play out a bit, he'll get some sort of clue about what's going on in the present.
Aiden notices as well that he is feeling considerably taller... something that heightens the possibility his theory is correct. Behind him, Elis is forced to walk fast to catch up. An uncharitable person might use the word "scurry." She hisses, "Would that it were my bargain, white one. I care not for your skills but I would that it were to be my knife."
Though he stays quiet, aside from words that may come out of his mouth that aren't his, Aiden is carefully commiting this to memory.
Aiden's not-Aiden voice comes deep as before and amused. "I know you would, little spitfire. Have I ever told you, Elis my poppet, that you are my very least favorite of all your family? He'd be ashamed of you, as am I. Luckily, your line is secure, your blade has already drunk deep as your undergrown loins-- and what a fine son it gave you, I do hope he grows out of that tail soon-- and Rluel will be my cold wedding night."
Aiden actually laughs at that. Elis didn't respond to him before, and the laugh is out before he can stop it.
The diminutive Elis Shh behind him is silent for a long moment, then says "She will slit your throat, but I will taste your flesh with her... as we shared the last one. You may not be the delicacy a nixe tail affords, but I will relish every bleeding bite, O Insolence." She does not seem to hear Aiden's laugh any more than she heard him speak the first time.
Aiden pales when he realises what's going on here - or at least, what he thinks is going on. Seems the breeding program was alive and well in Setisel's time, too..
Aiden's host, the true experiencer of this memory, laughs out loud for him, and Whisper does respond to that. Aiden can practically hear her getting more pissed off before his host's deep voice says cheerfully, "It is the only way you would ever get a taste, little girl. Hurry up, my bride is waiting. I'd hate to take too long and have her get even colder. ...Shall I carry you? Legs too short?" There is a nasty hiss at that from Elis, and Setisel chuckles again and walks faster.
Somehow, Elis isn't nearly as frightening when she can barely keep up, but Aiden still has a dull fear of her in the back of his mind. Setisel is taller than him. Elis could catch him easily.
The rest of the journey passes quickly and Aiden finds himself all too soon mounting the stairs of a beautiful tower made entirely of rose quartz. Blue evening falls softly over the garden as he leaves them for the cold stone entrance. He can almost hear Setisel sigh a very small, regretful sigh as he passes out of the open air for the last time in his life. Once up the stairs, Rluel Averet awaits. Setisel bows formally and says, "Your lapdog is close by. Did you wish to wait for her? I can entertain two if need be." Rluel laughs, sounding genuinely amused, and says "No. You are mine alone while you live... come." The rest is merciless in its detail, unfolding as it must despite all Setisel's careless banter... and when the knife comes down at last after an unpleasantly voyueristic scene, Aiden wakes to the present time again with a burning pain in his throat.
Aiden's hand comes to his throat with a gasp. Tears have streaked, unheeded down his cheek while he watched the final moments of Seodil's father's life play out before him, and he sinks to his knees.
Something hard meets his left hand under the moss as Aiden sinks to the mossy floor, sword falling to the soft ground in front of him. His right hand at his throat meets nothing wetter than tears, no wound. The only mark Setisel's memories have left upon Aiden are internal.
Aiden turns to look at what's under his hand, brushing aside the moss and age.
The yellowed ivory of smooth bone greets Aiden's questing eye.
Aiden follows the line of the bone with his hand, trying to determine if this is Setisel's tomb in addition to his quarters.
Aiden is certain after another moment that he is indeed kneeling on the final resting place of Setisel the White's slightly gnawed corporeal remains. The femur he was stroking bears toothmarks.
Aiden bows his head, closing his eyes. "I wish they could have known you. I wish you could have known them. You'd have been proud of them, Setisel. I'm sorry.."
The silver figure in the doorway blinks at Aiden and enters softly. "What?" The voice, not so deep as the one in Aiden's recent memory, is Seodil's. He supports Soleil with one shoulder, the golden elf's cheeks tear-streaked to match Aiden's. "Aiden..." whispers Sol. "What happened?"
Aiden looks up at Seodil and Soleil, face stained with tears and eyes still bright with them. He takes a few moments before he can find his voice. "I know what happened to him. I saw it happen."
Kip perks up at that, "Well, that bodes well. C'mon, let's search the rest of the house..." He moves on, looking at the bed, then swallows audibly. "Lotte? ...There's a skull in this bed..."
Lotte is over by the bed in a flash. She stares at the skull in horror. "Oh my..."
Empty eyesockets gaze hollowly back at Lotte from the green-tinged bone. Kip says at a whisper, "Who..?"
Lotte cringes at the skull and tries to remain calm. "Well, it's... it's greenish. What has green bones?"
Kip says helplessly, "Nothing in the forest! I... don't touch it." He holds his hands to his chest but stares, fascinated. "Was there anything about this when you touched the dagger?"
Lotte grimaces. "Well, the merman was green... ew! Yeah, don't touch it." Something dawns on her. "Oh! The merman... and the blond haired woman wasn't Clairchiare's mother. She was um... Elis something. Maybe I saw something that happened in the past? I almost wish I had seen more."
Kip says reasonably, "Does anything happen if you touch it again? You didn't get stuck the first time, after all. Maybe there's more?"
Lotte frowns. "Well... maybe. But... well..." Not managing to come up with a reason why she shouldn't return to the dagger, Lotte sighs. "Ok. You're right. But stay here and keep watch, ok?"
Kip grins faintly. "On you or the skull? I don't think it's gonna go anywhere."
Lotte smirks. "On me. On the room. I don't want to be alone if a crazy pink-haired elf-woman jumps out of the closet." She grits her teeth and goes to the dresser, then picks up the dagger and closes her eyes tightly.
Kip grins and gives Lotte a little bow. "It shall be done, m'lady." His tone is solemn, his eyes cheerful.
Lotte is swept instantly back into the world of memory when she touches the dagger again. It picks up exactly where she left off, and moves quickly from flirting to outright seduction, though she feels that her sense of time may be faster than the actual events. Things get NC-17 and stay that way-- and then just as the afterglow ought to be setting in, Elis whips out the little green dagger riding in her artfully squished-together scanty elven cleavage and opens the mer-man's throat. She giggles as he dies, leaning forward to whisper to the fading light in his eyes, "My thanks, good nixe, for both a pleasant afternoon... and your very kind dinner invitation." The scene fades abruptly, leaving Lotte feeling rather dirty.
Kip winces, hovering near Lotte's elbow with hands out to support her. "I'm sorry, I had no idea it'd be like that, I wouldn't have suggested..." He looks stricken.
Lotte looks dazed. "You saw it too?"
Kip looks startled and actually blushes. "Uh, no." He backs up a step. "Not exactly."
Lotte blinks and then frowns. "Then what?" she asks in a rather cold voice.
Kip takes another step back, looking wary. "...saw your expression?"
Lotte looks relieved and lets out a deep breath. "Oh. Good. I thought maybe I'd... um, acted it out..." She blushes a deep deep red.
The chocolate-haired Fall elf says quietly, "No. Don't worry, you stood quite still," and smiles. "Ready to go find the others, or do you need a moment?"
Lotte rubs her forehead and takes another deep breath. "I'll be fine. Let's try to regroup and tell them what I saw."
Kip looks at Lotte for a moment as if judging her state himself, then nods and smiles a little. "Agreed. I think Zhi's this way..." They start out in search of Lauren and Zhi.
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