| Logs |
2004 September 19
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
September 19
The party-- which has grown rather large with the addition of two NEW Fall rescuees/abductees-- gathers itself and does set out shortly after the first motion to do so is made. Anisaire is quite subdued and quiet after her negotiations with Kip, and a watcher would notice her occasionally glancing over her shoulder toward the home she's leaving-- forever, if her stated wishes are to be taken at face value. Melierel, on the other hand, is quiet but apparently unruffled both by leaving home as a 'prisoner,' and by his near-miss at Aiden's hands when formalizing that agreement.
Both Aiden's and Steven's keen ears hear Kip speak to Lauren, though the slight Fall elf is quiet about the request to step back to the tail of the group with him. Oddly, Crenshaw is not invited; she stays with Grennit, limping a little but healing. Kip and Lauren do not speak again til they reach the back of the group, at which point Kip lowers his voice further and says things to Lauren at great length. He's pale and looks... absolutely furious, to be honest. Lauren stops trying to answer back very quickly and mostly watches her feet, rather than the elf striding beside her with dark and flashing eyes.
Aiden catches most of what Kip says even at the distance the pair have lagged behind. The gist of it seems to be that Kip is extremely displeased at Lauren's shriek nearly getting his brother shot. A few choice comments on what exactly she thinks she's advising Anisaire to do, and how Anisaire's possible continued lack of a physical relationship with Kip is none of Lauren's damn business, also follow.
Aiden does the prudent thing and pretends that he's not hearing this conversation at all. It probably needed to happen between Kip and Lauren and better for both of them if what they discuss in what little privacy they've managed to find, stays that way despite keen hearing.
Steven only catches a few words of it, but it's enough to be sure that Kip's very serious about dressing Lauren down, and that it probably involves Melierel and Anisaire in some way. Nearly ten minutes after he begins, Kip ends what's no longer a dialogue abruptly and lengthens his stride, moving to the head of the group to speak much less intensely with Melierel. Lauren stays at the back, head down and quiet. After a few moments, Grennit, Anisaire and Crenshaw-- the rest of the female contingent-- go back to walk with her.
Kip nodded pleasantly at both Aiden and Steven in passing, and doesn't appear to be angry with anyone else.
Aiden walks on for a dozen more feet, looking conflicted before he turns back to the clutch of women. He says, quietly and directed at Lauren, "For what it's worth.. It was my fault. My nerves, not your raised voice. Sorry." He doesn't stay, moving to catch up to the group he was walking with before.
Lauren stays subdued, not meeting Aiden's eyes. Kip apparently had quite an effect on her. Grennit, interestingly enough, looks grateful. Crenshaw, as a horse, doesn't change expression all that much that Aiden notices. Anisaire actually seems to be trying not to be noticed, even less of a presence right now than Lauren is.
Aiden feels badly for Lauren. It's not her fault that he reacted badly. She couldn't have expected him to jump, and, he realises, she had no idea what he and Melierel had planned.
As Aiden catches up to his original group, Sol and Seodil look back and smile. Sol waves toward Zhi, who's joined them on Steven's other side. "Zhizhibat was just asking us if we want to go invite Lotte on the trip, since we're going farther away than she did, and we're actually leaving Fall for awhile."
Steven remains quiet, frowning a bit as he catches some of Kip's quiet 'talk' with Lauran, but he doesn't interfere. He does, however consider if he should tell Kip not to berate Lauren for that.
Aiden nods, "Of course. Even if she doesn't decide to join us, she ought to have the opportunity to make that choice."
Zhi says cheerfully-- as Zhi usually does-- "We'll just take a Foxcatcher detour, then. I doubt they'll have managed to subvert her entirely in a few days' time, and even if she's gotten pregnant she'll be perfectly good to travel for ages still." He beams.
Steven blinks oddly at Zhi. "Uh,... it hasn''t been all THAT long since we last saw her, Zhi..."
Aiden tilts his head off to the side. "Foxcatcher detour? What's that?" He doesn't seem particularly concerned about how Lotte has or hasn't been spending her leisure time.
Thoughtfully, Zhi adds "Foxcatchers usually have twins..." He blinks at Steven as if Steven's the one not making sense. "She went with the Foxcatchers, though." To Aiden, he says "Grennit's clan. The boys who swooped down and made off with Lotte, the bards? All Foxcatchers by birth or adopted in. Very outgoing folk."
Steven closes his mouth, almost audibly. "Oh," is all he says. Why did that make so much more sense to him than it did to me?
Aiden says, "Yeah. I gathered that much. Mind explaining that in a way that makes sense to someone who doesn't have the slightest clue about cultures in Fall, though?"
Zhi blinks at Aiden with a slightly crestfallen look, much like a puppy that's wondering why you don't love it. "I'd be happy to, but... I'm sorry, which part?"
Aiden softens his next. "Pretend you're explaining it to a child.. You sort of are. What's a Foxcatcher?"
The degree to which Zhi's face brightens is remarkable. "Oh. I'm sorry... I didn't understand. Of course you don't know. It's a clan name, and a clan is made up of related families. Grennit and the other Foxcatchers are all related; they would not, for example, intermarry. The people adopted into the Foxcatcher clan don't change their former clan or foreign names, so that when they meet more distant Foxcatchers they all know where everyone stands-- and that they could intermarry, if they wished, being no blood relation."
Aiden nods. "Alright.. so the ones that Lotte went off with are Foxcatchers. Thanks. I thought maybe it was an occupational title or something."
Zhi grins. "Not entirely, though you're not completely off. The young ones tend to do that as a coming-of-age ritual, but it's mostly catch-and-release for practice. We don't have a fox population problem, there's no need to thin them out."
Aiden does what any normal person would do in this sort of situation. In a very subtle fashion, he nearly trips, then rights himself, an odd look of disbelief mingled with humour plastered on his face. "C.. Catch-and-Release? Oh."
Patting Steven on the back, Zhi says "There's likely to be a number of good crafters there if you're still looking for a gift for your--" he blinks at Aiden. "Are you alright?"
Aiden says, "Finefine. Just.. wording caught me offguard and I didn't see that stone in my path."
Steven brightens at mention of crafters, then blinks and looks oddly at Aiden. "You... sure?"
Zhi nods, reassured, and turns back to smile at Steven.
"What sort of thing are you looking for, anyway?" Zhi asks, running a hand along his cerulean mohawk.
Aiden nods at Steven. "Yeah, fine, thanks."
Sol has moved unobtrusively to Aiden's side, head tilted questioningly.
Steven says, "Oh... well... I'm not sure yet. It's... the first time I've wanted to get someone like this , this sort of gift....""
Aiden smiles at Sol. "It's okay. Just an odd coincidence."
Zhi says, "Well, what is this sort of gift?"
Zhi clarifies, "What sort, I mean."
Looking relieved, Sol touches Aiden's hand and asks softly, "Do you think they might be family?"
Aiden frowns, "More like.. coworkers."
Steven bites his lip a bit, smiling a little. "Well... a token, a symbol. She and I are.. " he glances back a bit to see if Kip and Mel and Ari are out of earship. ".. betrothed."
Zhi nods, "I was there." He grins. "But what would she like? What did she give you?"
Steven Nods, "Oh, right." He holds up the hand with the ring Sarete gave him. "She gave me this."
Sol gives Aiden an odd look, then a hesitant laugh as he decides that it's funny and the frown's not too serious. "Wonder if you'll see any old friends, then." The golden elf smiles.
Zhi reaches to steady Steven's hand for a moment, looking impressed. "Ooh. Magic."
Aiden looks nervous. "They're likely to be a little.. miffed."
Steven blinks. "It is? Er.. how?" Funny, that's the second magic ring I've had on me that I wasn't initially worried about....
Soleil gets a sly little smile. "The one I met had only nice things to say about you."
Aiden goes red right to the tips of his ears. "Yeah. I.. uh.. met him.."
Zhi says, "Oh, you'd have to ask a mage if it's charmed or anything besides the obvious."
Steven nods, smiling a bit, "Well, I'm reasonably sure that it's not harmful..."
Zhi grins. "Not if she liked you enough to make you a ring out of her own hair, no. Fair assumption." He winks.
Soleil sneakily finds and squeezes Aiden's hand as they walk, grinning more broadly.
Steven blinks, looking at the ring again. Hair again?! "Uh.. really? Her own hair?":
Seodil says, completely deadpan, "Not quite as much liking as if she'd woven you an entire shirt, of course."
Aiden looks over at that revelation from Zhi. From her own h.. He smiles a bit as a thought hits him.
Zhi nods, looking puzzled. "Of course. It... well, it feels like that." He considers Steven's dreadlocks. "If you found a mage who could perform similar transmutations, you could make her a nice bracelet, for example... it's a fairly common Summer token of affection from what Lyriquin tells me of their culture. If she were a Fall girl, it would have been something she'd made, too, but we lack the magical touch to take it that one step farther."
Seodil glances briefly over at Aiden and smiles.
Aiden reflects that smile right back at the silver elf.
Steven nods, thoughtfully. "Mm. That might be a good idea....
Ruffling his own fine, short hair-- just starting to look shaggy, almost long enough to reach his eyebrows-- Sol looks wistful.
Aiden gives Sol's hand a quick, firm squeeze.
Zhi shrugs, "You won't find anyone with the Foxcatchers that can do that for you... but you are friends with the mage we're going to see, no?" He looks cheery. As... well, as usual.
Steven smiles a bit, and nods. Yes, we are.. though heavens knows what price she'll ask. Still.. she'll know.
Moving ahead, Zhi goes to gently interrupt the brotherly conference in order to give directional guidance. The rest of the day is spent walking companionably, though the groups stay segregated by gender, girls in the back apart from the boys. Melierel ranges back with Kip now and then (though they both ignore the clutch of females) and always returns smiling. They make camp that night and share Seodil's quick catch. For once, the group is large enough that setting watches-- which Melierel and Seodil both insist on-- isn't going to eat that badly into anyone's sleep.
Soleil is sleeping peacefully at Aiden's back as the Grey Worlder's watch nears its end and the time to wake Steven approaches. The night is quiet, but not too still-- the regular night noises come soft and reassuring to Aiden's ears under Seodil's quiet conversation. The silver elf, as usual, is not sleeping well on the road.
Steven comes awake out of dreams of what used to pass for normality, heart pounding at a near miss from a city bus. He could swear he just heard the brakes whine, still echoing faintly in his ears.
Seodil breaks off in the middle of a sentence to swivel to his right, a hand going to his sword. His eyes narrow as he stares off into the night, away from Aiden.
Aiden looks over, his hand on his own sword. He whispers, "What is it?"
Steven swallows, panting a bit with the sudden sound and the rush of adrenaline. he loks around quickly, reassuring himself that it was only a dream, though utterly unable to go back to sleep again for the time being,
Sol murmurs and curls tighter at Aiden's back. Seodil says at the same low volume Aiden used, "People are out there. Voices."
Steven sees Aiden and Seodil both awake and looking off in the same direction with uneasy expressions.
Seodil's hand, in fact, is on his sword...
Aiden keeps his hand on his sword, not drawing it yet. He moves to get upright, and looks nervously into the woods.
Steven frowns quietly, and looks over towards where they're looking, widening his eyes so he can catch in as much evening light as he can.
Seodil says softly, "There is a glow," just as Steven notices that himself... a faint, pale blue glow off at least a hundred feet away in the trees. Aiden's eyes catch the firelight as he glances back involuntarily at Kip's sleeping murmur, and are too dazzled to make out what his companions see yet.
Aiden keeps peering into the woods, trying to clear his vision.
Steven frowns, and drops his voice. "What is it? It's not another bird..
Slowly, Aiden's sight clears of fire-dazzle, and he too sees the pale blue aura some distance away.
Aiden's ears catch what really, honestly sounds like a busy city street... the kind of city with automotive transport. He can't make out any details in the haze, though.
Aiden reaches and puts a hand on Seodil's shoulder. "I think it's one of those spots where the Grey World comes through.. A wraith."
Steven, on the other hand, is certain he sees motion out there. It looks like nothing so much as... cars passing, and the flicker of walkers.
Melierel comes awake with a start and a strangled "No--!" Eyes wild, he looks around the camp... spots the blue glow almost immediately... and shudders, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around his knees.
Steven frowns, tilting his head to look closer. Then he blinks. "The.. soft place?" he murmurs curiously.
Seodil's voice is very solemn. "Aiden... do you intend to go back?"
Aiden watches the spot with apprehension. These things take people over to our side. I don't want to go back.. I hope it's stationary. He turns and looks at Seodil and shakes his head, "No.. I don't want to go back.."
Melierel's voice is roughened with emotion. "You don't have to worry, Aiden, as long as you don't touch it." He stands, body language reluctant. "I will go. She-" he catches himself. "It will depart, in time."
Aiden frowns. "Go where?"
Steven frowns, looking at Melierel. "What? What do you mean you'll go?"
Melierel says quietly, "I will go acknowledge it... and whoever may be within, looking to our world for some sign of home." He sounds as though this is not just a guess as to wraith motives.
Aiden says, "Melierel, won't getting close to it risk you being pulled over?"
Melierel shakes his head. He sounds sad as he says, "I know how close is too close, Aiden."
Aiden nods. "Be careful, okay?"
Steven frowns a little, then nods slowly. SOmehow, he thinks Mel's involvement with the "soft places" are more intimate than he's ever said. he wonders whom he lost to it.
Melierel nods. "Always." He walks into the darkness outside camp on silent feet. A few moments later, his body is a black silhouette against the pale glow that seems to accompany a rift between the worlds.
Aiden continues to watch nervously as Melierel approaches the tear.
Melierel's watchers can see the rift more clearly now. It is indeed a city street-- and though pale walkers move by, only one person stands before Melierel and seems to see him. They look almost as though they are talking. She-- for it's definitely a she, and a pretty she at that-- reaches out a hand imploringly toward Melierel.
Aiden's breath catches, waiting..
Steven blinks, straightening and standing and just watching, mentally praying that Mel will onot loose hismelf...
Melierel's head bows in front of the light, and shakes side to side. His hands stay at his sides. The woman's face is sad as the light fades, and then the rift is gone. In the dark again, Melierel is almost-- but not quite-- invisible as he sinks to his knees, raising his hands to his face.
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