| Logs |
2004 October 17
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
October 17
Lauren falls peacefully asleep in her tent after about the fifth go at trying her new acquaintance Ayali on for size. With that, the section of the Foxcatcher clan's camp devoted to housing their Grey World guests (and various Fall and Winter attachments) falls quiet. It's a peace that extends deeper into the woods as evening falls, where three men are doing a detailed spot-wash in a cold stream a good ways out of camp earshot. Soleil is the last to emerge, and looks thoughtfully at the pile of blankets by Aiden's feet. "Attempt to wash, hide, or take back bold-faced and ask what they do for cleaning? Surely Fall elves have sex."
Aiden glances over at Soleil. "We might as well give them a wash in the river before we take 'em back. At least save them a bit of work, right? We can ask them what they do to give them a better wash. I just feel bad heaping dirty laundry on them."
Sol nods, apparently understanding, and Seodil looks approving. Forty-five minutes later, the small group is on their way back to camp, each with a few damp but wrung-out blankets under one arm. Aiden and Sol move a bit stiffly, and Seodil stays quietly to their pace.
"What happened?" Sol says at last, as they see the camp in the distance. "That was... um. Sudden. This morning."
The golden elf looks over at Aiden with a small grin. "Think anyone noticed?"
Aiden shakes his head, "I have no idea.." He tosses a grin across at Soleil, "Oh. I suspect so."
Sol's grin widens as he peers over his shoulder at the fading welts striped on his back. He's entirely missing the shirt he left camp with this morning. "Well. If anyone's surprised, they really haven't been paying attention." Shrugging cheerfully, he takes Aiden's hand as they stroll into a quiet camp. Lauren is nowhere to be seen. Kip and Anisaire are sitting very close by the fire together, thighs touching. They look remarkably relaxed. Their conversation pauses as both look up at the trip of new arrivals. Kip smiles, cheeks pink. "Hi."
Aiden smiles at Kip. "Hey, Kip, Anisaire." He doesn't turn pink, despite everything. He is a little amused at Kip and Ani's proximity, relaxation levels and Kip's blush, though.
Aiden says, "Mind if we join you?"
"Was starting to miss you, honestly." Kip smiles and waves a hand around the quiet circle of tents. "I'm not sure where everyone is." Steven, Zhi, Grennit, Melierel and the two Fall elves from this morning, Ayali and the girl with no English, are no more in evidence than Lauren is.
Anisaire says softly, not meeting Aiden's eyes, "Did you get dinner? We saved you some."
Lauren rolls over, with twinges in unfamiliar bits. She looks down at Ayali's pretty-colored back, feeling oddly blank about this new development in her life. So much for a white wedding, she tells herself. Lauren, you are a complete twit and you deserved this. Whatever this is. She rummages her dress out of a pile of blankets and dons it, trying to remember how long the Planned Parenthood pamphlets said you had to take emergency contraception.
Aiden sits down at the fire, a little stiffly. "God love you. Thanks. We hadn't eaten yet.. I appreciate the thoughtfulness. Where's everyone else?"
Anisaire unwraps blanket-covered pots and passes them over by the cooler handles. They seem to have brought enough home for people that aren't here, too. Kip shrugs and says again, "I really don't know. We never saw Steven and the rest at the crafters' tents." A slight blush rises on his cheeks again when he says this.
Lauren pokes her head out of the tent and peers around alertly. Are people watching? Are people coming to kill her?
Aiden takes the pots carefully. He sees to the other two eating before he eats himself, fussing over them without actually acting like he's fussing. He nods at the answer. "I'm sure they'll turn up.. Probably just.. y'know.."
Lauren sees Aiden's usual threesome sitting at the fire sharing food and chatting with a very comfortably close Kip and Anisaire. Kip looks up at the movement. "Lauren. There you are. Hi." He's definitely blushing.
Lauren sneezes, once, and with a resigned droop of the shoulders emerges fully from her tent. "Hi, Kip," she says. "Nice day."
Soleil raises an eyebrow at Aiden, grinning. "Just... y'know? Y'think?" His tone is teasing, even flirty.
Aiden looks at Sol, grinning, "Y'know. Busy."
Aiden waves, "Hey, Lauren."
"Pretty nice, at that," Kip says calmly with burning ears. He gestures to the food with the hand that isn't on Anisaire's knee. "You want something to eat? You look tired."
Lauren's brain catches itself just before sending a quick 'go to hell' to her mouth. "Not really," she says neutrally. "What did I miss? Is everyone okay?"
Aiden nods, "Fine, Lauren. You okay, too?"
Ayali's head, and then his naked upper body, emerge from Lauren's tent. The head is grinning, visibly pleased with the world. He says cheerily, "I'd love something, thanks, if there's enough to share." As he finishes coming out, he is at least wearing pants.
Seodil's eyebrows both go high.
Aiden takes this latest development without cracking so much as the tiniest smile. Okay. Maybe just a little one.
Sol looks at Aiden. "Busy. Right." He almost manages to be deadpan.
Aiden turns to Sol and says, quietly. "Y'know. Like that."
Lauren's leaf-shaped ears are beet-purple. Her face is almost completely expressionless--almost. She doesn't look at Ayali.
Kip looks at Ayali. Then looks at Lauren. Politely, if a trifle coolly, he says "I'm sorry, I don't remember his name?" His hand moves off Anisaire's knee to his own, and he seems to be sitting just a little straighter.
Lauren wrestles down the urge to snap and spit and kick people. Restraint. Be the new Lauren. No biting, no kicking, no ranting. "Alayi," she says thickly. "Um. Ayali."
Sol nods soberly to Aiden. "Busy like that busy. I see. Y'know, I do believe you're right." He says it very, very quietly. Quieter still, he adds "And where, d'you think, are Melierel... Steven.... Zhi... and Grennit? Busy...?"
Ayali doesn't look offended, and it certainly doesn't affect his appetite. "Ayali, yes. It's alright, we did only meet this morning." He smiles at everyone in sight without prejudice.
Aiden nods, "Hi, Ayali.." Aiden gives Soleil a thoughtful look. "Probably.. y'know.. busy." He winks.
"Meli could use it," Sol says most unrepentantly (and more audibly). "I think he's had too much free time lately. Do him good to be out there busy with some good hard work."
Aiden grins at Soleil. "You're terrible." He means it in the nicest way.
Lauren can explain and apologize LATER. Making herself as small and unobtrusive as possible, something she's had a lot of practice with in the last week or so, she inches back away from the circle and, by increments, gets herself hidden behind a tent.
Ayali looks quizzical. "Did I say something?" He appeals to the group in apparent earnest.
Soleil gives Aiden a terribly fond wink.
Aiden waves a hand dismissively. "Nope. That's just Lauren." He looks at the tent she vanished behind and says, directly to it, "Lauren? Why don't you come out and eat?"
Lauren entirely fails to notice Melierel walking cat-footed up behind her... and waiting for her answer to Aiden.
"M'not hungry, Aiden," Lauren replies a little crossly. "I told you."
Aiden says, "Alright, Lauren. As you like."
The next, immediate event in Lauren's world is a painful twist of her right arm into place behind her back, and Melierel's voice ghosting coldly behind her ear, "You haven't told them. Have you?" She feels his presence now.
"Yhaaaaik-" squeaks Lauren, unsurprisingly, rising up on her toes. "I didn't have tiiiime owOW you're going to break it..."
Back at the fire, Ayali shrugs and says, "I'm off... I'm sure I'll see you again, if you stay awhile. Pleasant evenings, all." He smiles and adds, "If Aulren comes back, do tell her I look forward to seeing her again, please." He departs cheerfully, entirely missing Lauren's squeak.
Aiden waits until Ayali is out of earshot and says, "Aulren? Well. At least it's mutual."
Soleil puts his head into his hands and snickers, hard. Seodil has the barest smile.
Melierel says without sympathy to the back of Lauren's ear, breath tickling the tip, "You have two. Start walking forward while you still do, and stop whining, girl."
Lauren stops whining, and starts walking forward. Carefully.
Aiden looks up, "I thought you weren't hungry?"
"Meli says I am," Lauren explains curtly.
Aiden nods. "Sure. C'mon and sit down."
Aiden adds, "Hi, Melierel."
The dark Fall elf behind Lauren causes her to sit down on a nearby log, hard. It impacts the bruises they both know are there from earlier in the day. "Hello, Aiden," Melierel says with perfect aplomb. "How was your day?"
Aiden says, with a perfectly straight face. "Oh. Y'know. Busy."
Lauren makes a soft, heartfelt "mfng" as arse meets log. "Lemme go," she insists up at Melierel. "I'll do it, all right?"
Melierel settles gently beside Lauren. Rather close. "Mm," is his absent response to Aiden. "Pass me that, would you? Thanks." One of his hands is behind Lauren's back, as if he has a fond arm around her. He smiles down at her from superior height. "Of course. I'm sure you'll do a much better job at it than I will." He leans in, smiling, and says something else, but it doesn't carry to the rest of the campfire-- Don't try to run, and don't call me Meli, or by the gods you will wake up bald. Then both of his hands are in his lap again, and he looks quite serene.
Sol is much too... busy... giggling at Aiden's last comment to pay much attention to the byplay between other people.
Aiden frowns thoughtfully at the scene. "Do what, Lauren?"
Lauren rubs her left shoulder carefully at Meli settles in. How would Eleanor Roosevelt do this? She sits up a little straighter, adopts a suitably solemn and contrite expression. "Um. Guys."
Aiden has been remarkably un-serious tonight. That changes quickly with Lauren's tone. "Hey, what's wrong, Lauren?"
"I put stuff in the oatmeal and it came out stronger than I thought it would. Okay?" Lauren watches Kip's knees. It's obvious that Aiden didn't get into any trouble unusual for Aiden, so that's all right. She doesn't have to look at her brother. Or her brother's harem, which is laughing at her.
Aiden says, carefully, "What sort of 'stuff'?"
Lauren shifts uncomfortably on her bruised seat. "Grennit's romance assistance. I thought it would...you know, just make people a little nicer to each other. You know."
Aiden nods, slightly. "Ah. I see. Lauren? That was pretty dumb."
Seodil stiffens, beside Aiden. He says only, "Alayi." It's in a very cool tone.
Aiden touches Seodil's knee once.
Lauren loses the Eleanor Roosevelt backbone and droops back into her more usual Miserable Lauren. "Yeah," she says. "But people seemed t-" Seodil's comment knocks the droop down an extra few inches, and shuts her up.
Aiden stands up and walks over to Lauren. He looks tired overall, but not unhappy, and doesn't even seem the slightest bit angry. He gives his errant sister a hug, support. She made a mistake, obviously, she feels bad about it, and there's no need for bad blood. There's nothing she can do to change the past.
Aiden whispers, so quietly that only she can hear, and without the smile ever leaving his face, "I have managed to turn this little game of yours into something other than an unmitigated disaster, but it could have very easily swung the other way and done damage beyond my ability to repair, to myself and to them. I do not take threats to them lightly, Lauren. Listen, and listen well because I am not going to repeat myself. Should there be another "accident", I will kill you myself. Do I make myself understood?"
He steps back from her, smiles pleasantly and says, "No harm done, eh?"
"Mlrf," says Lauren miserably into the skirts covering her lap. Her shoulders shake.
Aiden goes back over to his "harem" and sits between them as if he'd never left and not looking at all like he just threatened to kill Lauren.
Melierel, who stood and stepped a polite distance away to allow Aiden and Lauren privacy, seats himself beside her again as Aiden moves away. He drapes an arm across her back.
"M'sorry Aiden," Lauren apologizes further to her skirts. "Sorry Meli-ierel."
Aiden says, "No harm done, Lauren. Don't worry about it."
"Did Grennit have any part of this, besides your supply?" inquires Melierel. Gently.
Lauren mumbles, "Nuh-un."
"Promise?" Melierel's hand caresses Lauren's back, moves to pat lower on something sore as if he had not the slightest idea it hurts.
"Promise," Lauren says. Melierel's pat feels much better than it should. Obviously this is how abusive relationships start, she decides.
"You won't be doing anything of the sort again." Melierel smiles, thwacks Lauren's rump harder once with what could pass for affection, and rises. "Steven is spending the night up in the trees. Zhi and Grennit are safe and taking their meal elsewhere. I shall see you all in the morning. Lauren? Be here."
Aiden says, "Night, Melierel. Thanks for the update.."
Lauren yipes. She looks up once at Meli, nods emphatically, and then takes a careful scan of her companions again...anybody laughing? ANybody else going to kill her? Do Kip and Ani look ridiculously happy with each other? She winces. Check.
Melierel nods very pleasantly to Aiden-- and then smiles at Lauren. Pats her on the head. "Cheer up, Lauren. I will remember our conversation this morning fondly for some time. Sleep well." He strolls off to his tent.
"So...um." Lauren looks around. "Where did the food go?"
Aiden brings the pot that he has carefully over to Lauren, setting it down in her reach. He also plays fetch to get her the rest of the scattered bits of dinner. Apparently he's just as nice as normal after he threatens someone's life. Maybe he was very briefly replaced by his evil twin?
Lauren pokes some dinner into her face. "So everybody IS okay, right?" She looks pathetically hopeful.
Aiden says, simply, "I am." He goes back to sitting. He's unable, or unwilling, to speak for anyone else.
Kip looks distinctly less than comfortable, but still okay. No limbs falling off, or anything. Not visibly. He glances at Lauren, then says deliberately, "Better than okay. Very nice, actually." Rising, he offers Ani a hand up. "But tired. I'm going to bed, too."
Aiden says, "Night, Kip, Anisaire.."
"Go right ahead, Kip. G'night. Night, Ani." Eleanor Roosevelt climbs back onto Lauren's face.
Ani takes the hand she's offered and walks with Kip after a murmured goodnight that echoes his. They walk hand in hand for a space, then stand talking quietly for a few minutes... before going into separate tents. Kip joins his brother, Anisaire enters hers alone.
Aiden watches Kip and Ani go and smiles. They looks really happy. I hope it lasts..
Seodil and Sol did not actually answer Lauren, and neither one looks inclined to speak... to her, at least.
Lauren chews a dry mouthful of...something. "Are we going somewhere in the morning? Aiden? Is something going on?"
Sol looks very, very tempted to say something, and does not.
Aiden shrugs, "Not that I'm aware of, Lauren. Nothing aside from the usual meeting for breakfast that we always seem to have."
Soleil does speak, this time. "Mm. I'm cooking tomorrow, by the way." He smiles.
Aiden says, wistfully, "Soleil makes good breakfasts.."
Lauren coughs. "Sure. Out of what?"
Seodil rises and says dryly, "Nothing that has ever made anyone carnal toward a hollow log." He shoots a smile at Lauren. "Sleep soundly. I believe it has all been said efficiently, Aulren." The silver elf walks tall and soft toward his own bed.
Aiden stays up for a little while longer, enjoying the warmth of the campfire and apparently lost in thought. Eventually, though, he excuses himself, and heads off to find his way to bed..
Lauren blinks. Hollow...log. He said hollow log. 'Hollow log'. The aloof, dangerous Seodil...fucked a HOLLOW LOG.
Lauren spends quite some time thinking about this, there in the growing dark while everyone else bunks down for the night. Hollow log. It cheers her up immensely.
Soleil follows Aiden to bed, and entirely misses the rise of Lauren's flagging spirits. Considering his present attitude towards her, he almost certainly sleeps better that way.
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