| Logs |
2004 June 13
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
June 13
Dinner with Clairchiare is fairly quiet and awkward. He plays host away from home quite solemnly and does not bring up the difficult topics himself. After the meal, he slips away after bidding his guests at the Pink Velvet a good night's rest, and the party is smoothly divided up into those requesting rooms together by the dubiously-clad and well-mannered staff. Everyone settles into rooms without any scromping noises at all coming from their adjoining walls, even though they appear to be rice paper panels set into a wooden frame. The beds are sunken into the floor, but both comfy and big enough for three or four average humans, taking up about half the room. Lotte and Lauren are paired, as are Kip and Steven-- after dinner as things are being decided, Zhi says without fanfare that he's already made his own arrangements, and will see everyone in the morning.
Steven spends the time before bed doing his evening exercises and meditations, strongly disquieted by Clairchiare's rectinience and solemnity. He tries to center himself again, to rein in his wildly erratic feelings, especially as they have been over the past few days.
Morning brings Steven Sarete's pleasantly-pitched voice before he opens his eyes. "Steven Ansel Kananga, I have a token for you."
Lauren slept restlessly and is up and fidgetting around the room she and Lotte share by dawn. Not long after that she spares Lotte the sound of pacing and migrates out into the hall to do her laps.
Steven meanders his way up from slumber, letting the pitch and timbre of Sarete's voice waft through his consciousness, before he recognizes the words themselves and rouses himself awake, blinking his eyes open, still a little sleepily. "Sarete...?"
A well-muscled young man in a less-than-opaque red silk robe smiles at Lauren in the hall and bows deeply to her. "May I be of service, good lady?" He looks fairly human except for the slitted cat-eyes, though his skin and curly mane of hair are the same shade of mousy ash-grey. The eyes are startlingly green.
"I'm not here to sleep with anybody," Lauren says at once. She enunciates carefully, just to make sure he understands her. "I'm just waiting for everybody to wake up um."
Steven's eyes open to a small, glowing golden bird carrying a small packet in its claws. It drops the packet onto his chest and says in Sarete's voice, "I do not expect you to have had time to find me one, but having the resources that I do, my desire was to complete yours immediately. Warmest regards-- Saretefianiel Alur."
Aiden's door does not open, but something flat slides under it. Aiden wakes instantly.
Aiden doesn't pick up his sword, but he does put pants on before he walks cautiously over to the door. He crouches to scoop up whatever was slid under the door.
Steven blinks, coming fully awake as the packet lands on his chest. "Th-thank you," he says, blinking at the bird. He hesitates, considering. "I.... Can you bring a message back to Sarete?" he asks the bird. Somehow, he's reasonably sure it can't. Gingerly he starts to open the small package.
Lauren's grey boy has a tail. It lashes behind him now, though he looks amused. "I'm a patron. Not for... sale."
Aiden picks up a neatly folded piece of very nice paper. Dried rose petals are pressed into it. Aiden's own name is written less than neatly across it. He's seen Clairchiare's handwriting, and this does look like it... if Clairchiare's hand were less steady.
Aiden stays by the door and carefully opens the letter..
Lauren practically genuflects in embarassment. "Oh my god I'm so sorry. I am SO sorry. Really, damn, I mean...I shouldn't have assumed and I'm sorry REALLY..." In the course of a minor apologetic cringe, she does notice the tail and IMMEDIATELY decides to react to it in the appropriate mature, worldly fashion. She looks up at the man's FACE.
Steven's bird of light does not speak to him again as it sits on his chest, or otherwise react as if it understands. The packet it brought turns out to contain a hard, faintly flexible object that drops shining into Steven's hand. It's a simple ring of twisted wire, though the metal is impossible to tell in the dim room.
Aiden's letter is short. "Aiden, will you do me the kindness of a private audience this morning before you depart? --Clairchiare."
Aiden glances back at Soleil. Great. He cracks the door open to see if there's someone there waiting for an answer..
Lauren's lion-boy grins, showing sharp canines, and blinks his pretty eyes slowly. "No, I think I'm mostly flattered. No offense. Would you like me to show you the way to a better waiting room?"
Steven takes in a short breath. "Oooh...!" The ring would probably not be callled gorgeous' or 'elaborate' or certianly 'expensive,' but to him, it's veritably perfect. He slips the ring on, unhesitatingly, and looks curiously to the bird. "I guess you guys don't come with user's manuals..."
Soleil appears to be asleep, still. As Aiden watches, he rolls over and curls up to Seodil's back. ...Definitely asleep. The silver elf does not react. Opening the door reveals a waist-high person walking quietly away from it, down the hall, and Lauren standing farther in the opposite direction speaking to a man with a tail peeking out under his robe.
Aha! A perfectly appropriate chance to get a decent look at his tail wait that didn't sound right, even to myself, thinks Lauren. But she smiles back, and despite the clangor in the back of her head about going anywhere with strange men, especialyl REALLY strange men, she nods. "Sounds good," she says. "Show me the way!"
Steven does not receive an answer from the bird. Kip blinks, rolls over and says blearily from across the large bed, "Whnreh?"
Aiden shuts the door again and goes to pull his hair back and finish getting dressed. He doesn't want to wake Soleil to tell him, but he doesn't really want to leave him sleeping either, just in case he wakes and panics. Once dressed, and with the sword strapped on, he sets the letter at the end of the bed and says softly, "Soleil?"
Steven glances to Kip. "Oh... I'm sorry for waking you, Kip.""
Lauren's new tail-enhanced acquaintance makes a rumbly sound that might either be a laugh or a purr. "Follow me. You will not be unsuitably imporrtuned." 'Importuned' is definitely said at a purr. From behind, he not only definitely has a saucy lion-tail with a silky little tuft on the end, it likes to swish lazily and show off athletic legs. He's also no taller than Lauren, something the startlement of meeting him-- and the mane of curly hair-- at first disguised.
Sol wakes with a smile at Aiden's voice, before noticing who he's curled up against and backpedalling with a quiet little "yeeargh." Seodil, first curled up to and now spurned, does not stir. Sol blinks at the fully-dressed Aiden. "Mmfl?" The sword registers, and he starts to climb out of bed. "WHnrr."
Lauren, all at once, decides she likes this guy. Even if he IS only not-naked on a techniality, and has a TAIL, and patronizes a WHOREHOUSE. There's just something about him. She trails after him, a little glassy-eyed.
Aiden says, "Shh, Sol. It's okay, nothing's wrong. I'm going to meet Clairchiare before we go, but I wanted you to know where I am, and that I'm safe."
Kip frowns at the glowing bird still sitting on Steven's chest. "Enh." He waves it off half-wakefully. "Is that yours?"
Steven says, "... Not exactly. It's from Sarete. Do you know how to ask the bird to return a message to her?"
Kip shrugs. "Sorry, no. Maybe Zhi? I don't do magic." 'Magic' is said with a certain amount of scorn.
Right after he says it, Kip looks a great deal like he just bit his tongue.
Sol looks wide-eyed and uncertain at Aiden. "You're going... alone?"
Steven nods and says cheerfully, "I'll ask him then." He doesn't look at all offended or such. Helooks at the bird consideringly and addresses the bird. "Well, while we're waiting for Zhi, maybe we should get some breakfast."
Aiden nods, "I am. He wanted to speak with me alone. I'll be okay, though, I promise. He just wants to talk."
Kip nods quietly and gets up to start dressing. He finishes quickly and slips out into the hall with Steven, where a staff member smiles at them entirely unperturbed by Steven's glowing bird (now on his shoulder). She leads them to the same meeting room where they had dinner last night. Lotte and Ghost are already there.
Sol gives Aiden an unhappy look, but nods uncertainly. "Of course. I'll... see you again soon."
Seodil still appears not to be awake.
Aiden smiles and crooks his finger at Soleil. "C'mere."
Sol does c'mere obediently enough, hopeful if confused.
Aiden kneels beside the sunken bed and leans forward to kiss Soleil. "Love you. I'll be back before you know it.." He stands and heads out of the room.
Steven thanks the helpful staff, and smiles and nods to Lotte and Ghost. As he sits, he looks around, wondering if the others will be showing up soon.
Sol smiles tremulously at Aiden as his lover walks out the door, and worries anyway. Aiden finds himself in the hallways alone with no staff in sight. Lauren and her conversant are also gone.
Aiden hasn't been alone since the incident and he's almost as nervous as Sol.. He begins walking back towards the room where they had tea with Clairchiare last night, looking for a staff member.
After following the grey lion-man, Lauren finds herself down a ramp and inside a wide, charmingly round room with fish for walls. Well, fish tanks. Probably saltwater by all the colors, and... yes, the coral. They wouldn't be out of place in a Grey World aquarium venue-- say, Sea World. The curving tanks impart a gentle watery glow to the room, and the central round couch is a pleasant blue. The lion-man says rumblingly, "Here, you may pace, gaze or sit at your pleasure." He bows again, and says "As it was mine to meet you, madame....?"
"Lauren," says Lauren at once. "What a beautiful place...and, um, who we-are-what...hell. I'm sorry again. What's your name?"
Lauren's lion grins and winks. "Travel."
Lauren blinks. "Good name," she says. "I hope I'll see you around?" Hopeful look.
Inwardly, Lauren wonders for a moment if lion-men sometimes have hippie parents or something. But he's not Starshine, Daffodil, or Mailbox or anything REALLY freaky, so that's okay.
Travel grins again. His tail flirts side to side. "You may, if you look for me. I am a merchant, and find myself in... interesting places, meeting interesting people. It would be my delight to find you again in one of them." With a little toss of his mane, he adds coyly, "I did say I would not importune you. To expect more of your company at such at early date would be greedy and improper, madame Lauren. Whatever would your companions think?"
Lauren giggles. "Let 'em wonder," she says wickedly, and does her best little finger-wave.
Last night's tea-room, when Aiden arrives, turns out to have tea again in addition to more little pastries, the smell of eggy things, and Steven, Lotte,Kip and Ghost.
Aiden nods, "Morning.. Anyone seen any staff? I'm looking for Clairchiare, but I have no idea where he might be.."
Travel waves both his hand and his tail at Lauren after he bows himself out. The perky, springy wiggle of his rounded butt under the robe is probably coincidental.
Zhi slips into the room shortly after Aiden, in time to catch that question. "Mm? Oh, Clairchiare. I can take you."
Aiden says, "Morning, Zhi.. Thanks."
Steven blinks, "Oh, good morning, Zhi." He holds off on his question about the bird; CLairchiare has priority.
As good as his word, Zhi turns to lead Aiden to Clairchiare's most recent bedroom. It isn't far after all, but looks just like all the other doors-- or walls-- on this floor, and Aiden would not have known it from the others unless he'd been there before-- or counted panels. Zhi goes unerringly to it, knocks, smiles, and walks away again.
Lauren settles down for a nice meditative bout of fish-watching. The rest of the crew sleep like logs anyway; she figures she's got a while.
Aiden says, "Thanks, Zhi.." He waits at the door for Clairchiare.
Aiden waits only an instant; Clairchiare's voice calls, "Enter."
Aiden comes in and shuts the door quietly behind him, "Good morning, Clairchiare. You wanted to see me?"
Clair looks as though he hasn't slept much. It shows around the eyes. He nods, though, and speaks a bit hoarsely. "I do. Thank you, Aiden. I need to know something important."
Aiden nods, "Sure, Clairchiare.."
Clairchiare stands and looks Aiden directly in the eyes. "Is Rathskelliad innocent?"
Aiden looks down at the floor. "I don't know if he had anything to do with the Princess' kidnapping."
Clairchiare steps gently forward, and puts a finger under Aiden's chin, silently requesting he raise it again. "And the rest?"
Aiden's voice goes quiet and he looks up, "He didn't touch me, but Elis handed your brother to him.."
"He was there before we arrived to free you?" Clairchiare sounds very calm, but his face is nothing short of terrible.
Aiden nods, "I convinced him to leave before everyone arrived.. promised him that I would speak to his innocence so long as he stopped and left.."
Clairchiare says, "Did he say anything that suggested he knew who kidnapped the Princess, or where she was?"
Aiden says, "He was the one who told me where we would find her, right as he was leaving. I'm pretty sure that he knew it was his mother, but I don't know if he was involved from the start."
Clairchiare murmurs, "It is enough. His hand wounded Deosil as well?"
Aiden's tone, which has been fairly neutral so far, shifts to completely matter-of-fact, as if he was relaying a scene from a movie, "The worst.. the wounds on his shoulders, were inflicted by Elis when he interrupted her.. work on me. The rest was his handiwork. Aside from the shoulders, Elis never touched Seodil."
Clairchiare's eyes are flat. "Thank you, Aiden. You may go now."
His voice sounds almost worn out.
Aiden adds, "I swore to him that I wouldn't tell you. For the little that it's worth.. I'm sorry, Clairchiare.. I wish you'd consider coming with us." Aiden knows a dismissal when he hears one, though, and he leaves, pausing at the door to turn. "It's been a pleasure, really. I'll miss you. Goodbye, Clairchiare.. I hope we meet again someday." He opens the door and leaves, shutting it quietly.
The hallway is clear.
Aiden goes back to the room where he stayed last night, to get Seodil and Soleil, and gather his things for when they leave.
Sol and Seodil are both there, and fully dressed. It seems likely that no more sleepy and unintentional cuddling has ensued, though Seodil is eyeing Sol with a look that says he's ready to restrain him physically to keep him from going to find Aiden. Sol stops pacing and whirls when Aiden enters, looking relieved.
Sol doesn't say anything, though, but "Time to go?"
Aiden smiles at Sol. "Told you I'd be right back.. Yeah.. the others are gathered downstairs."
Lauren finds herself relaxed enough by the soft blue light and the gracious couch in the fish room to really notice how much time she spent the previous night flopping around and listening anxiously for sex noises through the thin walls. She yawns, widely, and laughs to herself as a brightly-colored gourami thing seems to mimic the action.
Sol gives Aiden a stern look that suggests he suspects Aiden is not enterly all right, and that he intends to address this later. He and Seodil walk with Aiden to the tea-room to meet the others without questions, though they both find excuses to touch Aiden comfortingly on the way.
When they arrive, Zhi is saying, "Lotte, you haven't seen Lauren?" The bard shakes her head 'no' and says, "Not since I went to sleep. She was gone when I woke."
Seodil frowns sharply. Kip says, "D'you think anybody took her?"
Aiden comes in and sits down, setting his pack on the floor in front of him, "I haven't seen her either..."
Steven frowns. He hadn't thought to ask where she was of Lotte, he just assumed she was sleeping. "Maybe we should ask the staff if they've seen her..."
Aiden nods, frowning. "Good idea.."
Lauren yawns again and tucks her feet up underneath her on the couch. The rest of the guys won't be ready to go yet--maybe in just a few minutes...*yawn*...it'll be time for breakfasssssnssssszzzzz....
The wheels are set in motion, and before too long a manhunt for Lauren is underway. A perky little nymph of a staffer pokes her head into the aquarium room where Lauren resides and says-- perkily-- "Excuse me, my lady. Are you-- oh." Torn, she does not wake Lauren and departs. Armed with a description, however, she is the direct cause of everyone else in the party-- minus Linden-- coming to the aquarium room fully packed and ready to walk. Lauren wakes to them all peering down at her as Zhi says "That's Lauren. Thank you," to the little nymphet.
Kip says, "You snore."
Aiden says, "Morning, Lauren."
Lauren blinks up. "I do not oh hell."
Steven says nothing. It would be impolite. Or at least impolitic. Besides, the others' comments are amusing enough.
Lauren scrambles upright, hair a mess. "What'd I miss jesus what's going on? Is it breakfast?"
Kip says, "No, we ate everything. There isn't any more breakfast." He pauses. "Ever. It's gone. All of it." He smiles.
In a considering voice, Kip adds, "You're probably going to starve to death now."
Aiden looks moderately amused, watching Kip get his own back on Lauren.
Sol looks sneakily delighted.
"Then I guess YOU'RE for lunch," says Lauren boldly, staring Kip in the face.
Seodil has a distinct air of 'kids will be kids' about him... though he looks like he's thinking about snickering when Lauren answers.
Lauren crosses her fingers behind her back and hopes that Kippers doesn't remember she's veggie.
Kip backpedals just a little. One step. Very fast. Dark eyes wider, he says, "Or-you-could-have-the-pastry-I-saved-I-guess." And fishes quickly in his pack, not quite frantic.
Zhi leans on Steven, nearest to him, and snickers.
Lauren smiles oh-so-perkily, smooths her hair and clothes, and awaits pastry. "We leaving soon?"
Steven finally breaks into a grin as Zhileans and nods to Lauren. "Yes, I believe so." He glances to the smal golden bird, then asks Zhi, "Kip said you, er... know something of how these letter fellows work?"
Kip hands Lauren pastry without touching her flesh and steps back again. It's sticky and a little crumbled, but full of sugar-encrusted apple goodness.
Zhi blinks at Steven, "Letter fellows?" He follows the glance and says, "Oh. Yes... you pick it up in your hand, then... here." He takes Steven quietly aside and shows him how to get the bird to take a message. When finished, he adds, "Lovely ring." In the light, the little twisted-wire ring is the same colors as Sarete's hair-- orange, yellow, and pink, as though she'd turned a small twist of it straight into cool gold.
Lauren munches down the Kip largesse, still grinning. At him. Until she notices that everyone's ready to go, and she doesn't even have her shoes on. With a squeak she's out the door like a flash, at a speed that would seem inhuman if anyone paid close attention, and in a ridiculously short amount of time she's back with her bag, all set to ride.
Aiden just waits quietly for the others to be ready to go. He's ready to leave when the others do.
At the stables, the group is met by Linden with the horses. She did not come to dinner, and slept in no one's room-- in all the drama, she was in fact completely forgotten til now. She also doesn't look unhappy about it. Offering the reins of their rental horse to Zhi, she murmurs, "Good morning. I am ready."
Aiden looks relieved that they're on their way. He makes the few preparations he needs to make for his change, then shifts into wolf-form.
Steven blinks, and smiles, nodding to Kip. "Thank you. And thankyou for the instruction." He gingerly holds the bird, and composes his thoughts -- and the message -- in his mind, before nodding, and speaking quietly to the bird. "'Saretefianiel Alur of Summer.'" Another pause then, "I received the ring this morning, awakening me from forgettable dreams to the waking world with the sound of your voice. I wear the ring and I think of you, and I know that it will lift up my heart in the coming days to think of you. I do not know how I will be able to write to you, or send my token to you... but I will find a way, even if it means returning to Summer myself, something I will do gladly." And which I think the others would say I'm bloody insane for doing. Seeing AIden shift, he nods a little, and concludes the short message. "I will remember you in light, with your smile, and it will not be long before we see each other again." He lets the bird flitter off to deliver its message, takes a breath, and makes the change to the cat.
And on that note, the entire party sets off at a much faster pace than seems safe, scattering a few passersby once they clear the stables. Everyone fourlegged seems to be of the mind that it's time to quit this place, and puts wings to their heels. The rented horse-- which wears a bit and does not talk-- requires breaks, but the other runners either already know or discover that their new limits are much higher than their old ones, as noticed during the dash to the city from the Summer Palace. The end of the day finds them in fields smelling of Midsummer, and the next, late Summer. The third day has a hint of Fall in the air, and as they ride Zhi comments that evening should bring them trees. It does, in riotous Fall color, and they pull up breathing hard at the edge of a vast wood.
When they finally stop on the edge of the woods, Aiden pauses too. He remains in his wolf-form, head moving back and forth, up and down, as he drinks it all in with his eyes. He'd be smiling in his normal form.. in this one, though, his jaws are open and his tongue hanging out to the side.
Zhi looks around with a distinctly satisfied gleam, and gets off his horse. Taking off its bridle, he says cheerfully "Come on, Kip, your legs will recover eventually. Off off off." Kip groans, "They will not, I'm bent now."
Steven continues to be fascinated by the odd calendar round that the world seems to be arranged in. He wonders if, by chance, in their journey from Winter to Summer, they passed by close to the Spring Court. He wouldn't be surprised if they had been. He wonders also... if almost a year has passed in the Grey World.
Lauren snickers happily. Oooh, Fall. Ooooh, Not-Summer. Not-Summer is GREAT. Things move so fast around here...
Kip dismounts and winces around for awhile, as Zhi takes off the horse's saddle and appears content to just carry it for now, walking away from the animal. Zhi nods to the others, "Come on in, follow me... but get off the horses. You don't really want to be the tallest thing in the group, just in case." He grins.
Aiden follows, glad that he's in his wolf-form.
Steven blinks confusedly at that, and hunkers a little lower to the ground and resists the wierd urge to clamber up a tree.
Kip looks faintly worried after speaking quietly to their horse. "You don't think they would? Not you?"
Lauren slips easily off Crenshaw, in short order becoming one of the shortest things in the group. She gives Linden a hand down and Crenshaw a grateful nose-rub, and looks brightly forward. "They're not going to shoot us. I'll bet you three US dollars and a monkey keychain."
Zhi snickers and says merrily, "Oh, not me. I'm plenty distinctive." He starts whistling some tune as he walks; it carries clearly.
Kip mutters darkly, "You don't know them. They're crazy."
Ghost moves closer to Lotte, as Sol and Seodil flank Aiden rather protectively, one on each side.
Aiden doesn't seem particularly concerned, he's too busy looking around. Of course, he hasn't seemed particularly concerned about anything since the incident.
The party walks for about fifteen minutes unchallenged before there is a bloodcurling scream, and Zhi-- several paces in the lead-- is struck by an arrow. He falls instantly, clutching his chest, and a voice yells from overhead, "Halt, invaders! We have you surrounded!" Another voice echoes from behind the group, "Do not attempt to aid your friend! Place your hands on your heads!"
Lauren makes ears hurt when she shrieks out "ZHI!" and dives for him anyway. Somewhere in there she processes the bit about putting her hands on her head and does so, desperately, leading to a landing on badly scuffed elbows.
Aiden startles, but freezes right where he is. He doesn't have hands, so he's hoping that freezing is the equivalent..
Steven gives a start, then snarls as they get yet another warm welcome. Why isn't anybody glad to see us? Nevertheless, he holds still, trying to keep his tail from lashing as well. His eyes flick to Zhi, and he waits for the welcoming committee to make themselves visible.
The first voice echoes with warning overhead, "Do not touch him, female invader. Rise, with hands on your head, and go to stand between the males. Form a line."
Aiden looks around nervously. I thought they weren't going to shoot him. He said he was easily recognisable!
Lauren rolls to her feet, wincing, and shuffles backward as instructed.
Kip is already standing obediently with his hands on his head, quite still as he moves to form a line with Lauren, Lotte, and Linden. Zhi lies still on his side, facing away from the group.
The voice from behind says menacingly, "Alright! Hands on the waist of the person in front of you. NOW."
Lauren is in front of the line; no one's waist to grab. So she fumbles aimlessly in front of her for a few seconds, and then lets her arms dangle.
Steven glances over to Aiden with a look that would be interpreted in human terms as 'dry' or 'flat.' 'Hands on the waist of the person in front of you,' indeed....
Aiden watches the girls, nervously trying to convince himself that they probably won't shoot the "pets".
The voice behind the party says, "Now... everybody jump up and down! HOP! HOP NOW!"
Aiden shoots a look at Steven. This has got to be some sort of bizarre inside joke.
Lauren does not hop. She looks at Zhi. She looks behind her. And she thinks, with a vehemence rare to her cheerful and vegetarian disposition, that she is going to FUCKING KILL AND EAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE BASTARDS.
Steven just... blinks. And his face hits the ground in a 'thump.' PLease say this is a joke.. please say it's a joke. I can't bear the thought of having been captured by people who want us to do a bunny-hop conga line. He shakes a bit in silent, feline laughter.
Zhi, curled on his side, starts laughing so hard he's liable to hurt himself with or without an arrow wound. Kip says irritably and loudly, "Are we done yet? Gods, you're juvenile."
"Spoiler," says the rather gawky strawberry blonde to Kip as she hits the ground in front of the group. Her bow isn't even in her hands anymore. She's grinning.
Aiden rolls his eyes so hard the whites show. He's trying to convince himself that that was funny and not stressful and nearly terrifying. These elves have an odd, and distinctly cruel sense of humour.
Sol crowds into Aiden, leaning and nuzzling. Seodil bounds, changes and has the head elf on the ground in seconds, her throat between his hands. A yell from behind, and a matching strawberry-blonde boy is running frantically towards them.
Aiden shifts, immediately. "Seodil!" He's already running to try to get Seodil off of the girl.
Zhi sits up, dropping the arrow-- embedded in a chunk of wood-- and joins the race. "Whoa there, it's alright! They're sorry! Aren't we sorry?"
Steven, for some reason, finds Seodil's reaction both extreme and appropriate, but he knows Seodil's murderous rages, and he'd rather not make the Fall elves really angry at them, he also shifts, jumping up to stand on two legs, pausing only long enough to check his cloak and the ring, before running up as well.
Lauren stays the hell out of the way. Seodil looks like he's damn well going to kill SOMEBODY, and it won't be her.
Looking terrified and so white-pale her freckles plainly dot her face, the girl scrambles away backwards as soon as the others convince Seodil to let her go. It takes a moment, and the marks of his hands are still white on her throat.
Aiden stays close to Seodil's side, whispering to him, so quietly that no one but him can hear. When he's done speaking, he shifts back to wolf-form, so he doesn't say anything to anyone else. Also, it's easier to be brave and pretend that he's not shivering when he's in wolf-form.
Zhi sighs and says apologetically, "I'm sorry, I should not have encouraged them. I misjudged. --Everyone, the strangled one is Fall, and that--" as the boy reaches Fall's side and interposes himself between her and the group- "That is Trip." Zhi adds to Fall, "And if he doesn't still want to kill you later, I'm going to make you wrestle him again. That was pathetic." He smiles at Seodil, who looks not entirely safe, still. Seodil gives Zhi a look, then suddenly smiles at Fall. "Oh yes. I think so." She turns white again and hides behind what is obviously her close relative-- their faces are nearly identical.
Kip sighs, "Lords and ladies, the Overtree twins. --It's not too late to turn around and go somewhere else."
Aiden tucks the names away and repeats to himself. I will not spend my entire time here jumping at shadows. I will not spend my entire..
"We could head for Spring," Lauren suggests without enthusiasm.
Aiden doesn't consider turning around and leaving for more than about five minutes.
Soleil shifts, and says, "No. We stay here. Can we just go and get fed now we've got the bristly part over with?"
Steven relaxes, a little bit. It was a practical joke that went awry. If this is the worst that happens here, he could be perfectly happy here. I really hope this is the least of our worries....
Zhi nods apologetically and says again, "If you wish to place blame, blame me. I knew it was likely and thought-- unfortunately-- that it might break more tension than it created." He bows, formally. "If you'll follow them, the rest of your night should be calm... and yes, they have been cooking. They knew we were coming."
Aiden stands up and walks to Soleil's side, to follow.
Seodil stands up, brushing dirt off his knees. He smiles. "Of course. The sooner we eat, the sooner we might have a bit of friendly wrestling."
Fall doesn't lead the way so much as she scurries it.
Steven wonders how long Seodil is going to milk that for.
Lauren tugs on a security tentacle and stumps along, pulling Moopy with her. Under her breath, she begins a long surly treatise on people being thoughtless shitheads.
Zhi gives Lauren a wide berth on the way. After another fifteen-minute walk, the group stops at the foot of a large tree, Trip whistles-- and a rope ladder falls. Zhi smiles and waves to the group. "Up you go."
Steven looks at the ladder and wonders -- briefly -- if there's going to be another joke involved with it.
Aiden cranes his neck back and looks up. Reluctantly, he shifts back to his elven form and waits for his brother and sisters to go up first.
Kip looks at Steven and shakes his head. "Don't worry."
Steven glances at Kip, and looks guilty, nodding and giving a sheepish smile. Seeing Aiden wiating for him, he starts cto clamber up the ladder.
Seodil waits for the others to express a desire to go ahead of him, then climbs ahead of Aiden.
Aiden looks at Soleil. "Go on. I'll be right behind you.." He waits for Soleil to start climbing, and starts up after him, just a few rungs behind.
Lauren clambers up when it's her place in line. Boy is she glad she's got her Grey World jeans on, and not one of those gauzy skirts.
At the top, a lovely smell and a perfectly charming series of roofed platforms and wooden path awaits them. A very subdued Trip and Fall lead the way to a broad 'room' with another elf tending a cauldron. The newest elf looks up and smiles, nut-brown of skin and cheerful under a furry hat. "Welcome," she says in a pleasant alto. "Friends of Zhi's... ooh, you're not from here, are you? Oh, but I forget myself. My apologies; I have been waiting to meet you for some time, ever since I heard." She beams. "I am Badger Mattress."
Aiden pauses for a moment when they finally reach the top in order to put on a pair of pants. He holds no illusions about being allowed to spend the rest of the day in wolf form pretending that he doesn't understand, so he at least wants pants to preserve some privacy. He nods to Badger, "Hi. Aiden." then sits down..
Lauren does not laugh. She does NOT laugh. She was okay for Trip Overtree--that was fine. NOT going to laugh...oh, hell with it. She laughs.
Steven blinks. "Ah... pleased to meet you... ma'am. I'm Steven." Pelor help me, but for the life of me I can't bring himself to say her name in anything resembling a proper and proprietous manner.
Badger Mattress waves a ladle at them cheerfully. "Of course you are, but there, there. We'll get you less naked names soon enough, I'm sure. Stew, anyone?"
Steven finds himself wondering what Kip's and Zhi's full names are.
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