*****
"_Zat_ is a buopoth," Meinhard explains, waving the group forward to see the elephantine creature in front of the manor. "Und look! Olven iz dere as vell, und she iz feeding it, zee bright girl!"
"Oh, what a lovely creature!" Lady Farrington observes.
"An excellent specimen," adds Luminous Frank, nodding sagely.
"Yeah, cute!" says Tasha. "Looks like a mouse, an elephant, a pony, and a stegosaurus all got together and had a grand ol' time."
Lady Farrington gives her a sideways glance and *tsks*.
Jin bursts out laughing, "Good eye there Tasha."
She favors him with a wink.
"Zey are not normally found in zis part of zee vurld," Meinhard elaborates. "Und zey are normally very shy. I vunder who brought it here?"
"A pet of the King's, perhaps?" suggests Baron Aubri.
"It's pretty cool," Mark agrees. "Maybe we could... *erf*... see it up close after we... *pant*... put up these boxes?"
//See it up close...// His curiousity taking over, Jin starts plowing towards the menagerie, eyes alight in curiousity and something that can only be called an artist's fervor.
"You poor dear," Lady Farrington sympathizes. "Granddam, why don't we see the boxes inside and pay our respects to His Majesty. Meinhard, you may go see the buopoth and greet your young friend and her large companion, and those with free hands and the inclination can go with you."
Jin grins at the woman imperial orders. She seemed very much in her element, directing people and Jin did not take offense. It actually tickled his funny bone. He sends the Lady a salute, his eyes twinkling in amusement, before continuing to forge his way towards the weird looking creature and its friends, following in Meinhard's wake.
Meinhard takes only enough time to nod before scurrying over to Olwen and her two large and unusual friends. "Hallo! Olven!" he calls. "Merry Christmas! Vere did you find a _buopoth_?"
"Merry Christmas!" Olwen shouts, waving happily. Her hand tays firmly planted on top of the buopoth's head, and she pats it affectionately, just like one would pat a dog. "This?" she asks, but then nods when she realizes that he couldn't be referring to anything else. "Oh, Redren told me to watch it. It's cute!"
*Crrrrrdle*, the buopoth mutters, polishing off its carrot.
"Not as cute as you, though, Jumbrick," she adds, smiling up at her giant.
The giant's whiskery, potato-stuffed cheeks color at the praise. He waves down at Meinhard and the others.
"Hallo, Jumbrick mein leib!" Meinhard calls, waving back. "A fine little friend you heff found!
"Vell," he continues, turning back to Olwen, "I zuppose I had best get inzide. Vill you be joining us zoon?"
"Yup!" Olwen says cheerfully. "Just gotta wait for Redren to come back out. I don't want to let this thing run away, or she'll be mad."
Jin walks slowly up to the buopath. He only takes his fascinated gaze off the creature long enough to take a quick look and give a soft "Hello" at the others. A small girl, a giant, Meinhard and a coyote. It was definitely an interesting mix. He starts to circle around the creature, his eyes drinking in every detail seeming to ignore everyone else as if they had faded from existence.
"'ROW!" Jumbrick replies with a wave and a full mouth.
The coyote rises to her feet and begins following along behind Jin like a particularly spry shadow.
The buopoth raises its carrot-filled proboscis to sniff at Jin as he passes.
Olwen studies Jin patiently, keeping one hand on the buopoth in case it decides to bolt. Manners war with curiousity, and in the end, she glances over at Meinhard, unable to resist the question, "So. Who's he?"
"Oh! Zorry," Meinhard replies. "Zis vun iz Jin. Vee met him on zee way here. Jin, zis vun iz Olven. She looks after Jumbrick here."
Pulled out of his fascination with the mention of his name, Jin blinks a few times as he realizes that he was fast becoming the center of attention. "Thank you for the introduction Mr. Meinhard." Definitely not the self concious one, he grins widely to Olwen and bows low to her, "Milady. I am delighted to make your aquaintance. My apologies for ignoring you, but my artistic temperment sometimes gets the best of me."
"It's all right," she replies, smiling politely.
Deciding it would only be polite, he bows to the coyote, the buopath and the giant in greeting as well, chuckling under his breath. //The things this dream comes up with. A girl looking after a giant. Who would have thought it ... hey, that's a good idea, I'll have to throw that at Steve.// Already his brain was clicking ahead to what he would do and say as soon as he awoke. He still hadn't been able to fully comprehend the idea that what happened within this realm could be quite real and that these weren't all just figments of an overactive imagination.
"He's funny," Olwen mumbles, looking up at Jumbrick. "Like you, but smaller. Oh well." She glances over at Meinhard. "Well, I guess if he's with you, he's all right. I'll meet you inside later, okay? Just as soon as I can find someone to watch over this thing, here."
He gazes up at the giant and then down at himself, looking somewhat bemused by her comment. At her comment, he opens his mouth to offer his services when his stomach so rudely interrupted him. Placing a mittened hand over his rumbling stomach, Jin smiles apologetically to Olwen, "I would love to stay, but my stomach is having other ideas. I'll see if I can find someone to come take your post for a while."
"JUMBRICK AND NEW SINGING DOGGIE CAN WATCH PRETTY BUMPY THING," the giant suggests.
Weedeater *yips!* her agreement.
Olwen's face is grave for a moment, and she eyes the buopoth speculatively. "Well... I guess you can..." she says, her resolve wavering dangerously. It's the frustrated rumbling in her stomach that finally decides her, and she nods to Jumbrick. "Okay! Just... _please_ Jumbrick, don't eat it. Not even a little!"
With that, she takes Meinhard's arm in hers, and beams brightly at him as she drags him into the manor. "Come on! There's all sorts of stuff inside. Lots of dragons, even--there's one, he's got a hide the colour of a purple cornflower, and he's got bird's wings!"
He partially backpedals towards the mansion, waving to everyone, but his eyes were still mainly on the buopath. It is only the hunger pangs clenching at his belly that made him continue his journey towards the house. //Weird. Hunger pangs in a dream? Ah well, probably won't seem as real when I wake up.// He turns and jogs the rest of the way, pushing open the door and walking into the entrance.
The short man pauses for a moment, leaning against the door, gazing around at the eclectic mixture of beings surrounding him. His fingers twitch spasmodically, responding to his inner artistic yearnings. Pulling off his hat and running his hand through the chaos he called his hair, Jin tries to think of who to talk to first. His nostrils flare as he picks up the scent of roast turkey, ham and various other delicacies and his stomach growls and gurgles, letting him know exactly what it thought he should do first.
Walking slowly towards the overloaded banquet table, Jin tries to see everything at once, his head rotating left and right, eyes as wide as his eyefolds would allow. A lopsided grin seemed permanently stamped on his face and knitted hat dangling uncaringly from his fingers.
*****
"Well...if you're certain you won't join me..." Nora is caught between relief and embarrassment. But more commotion in the outer reaches catches her interest. She rises from her chair, finding her fine shoes, and deposits Marius into Lovecraft's lap for safe-keeping. "Then...I think I _will_ go see what's going on out there."
She creeps to the partly-open door and peeks out. It is a strange tableau. Several gentlemen, an old woman, a younger woman with...is that wings? And is that not a full suit of armor--and in motion? One dark gentleman looks like he just stepped off a sound stage for a sword-and-sorcery movie. The one next to him, out of a film noir detective flick, complete with fedora.
Lady Farrington and Granddam lead the rest of the group into the pleasantly noisy warmth of the manor. The butler greets them with gracious efficiency, directing the bearers of the packages toward the hallway leading to the kitchen.
Seeing that Kuranes is currently occupied by a conversation with a knight, Granddam, Grandda, and the quartet of magicians elect to mingle while waiting to pay their respects.
Nora begins to rethink the wisdom of becoming part of this turmoil. She makes a half step by opening the door fully and making her observation clear to anyone who cares to look her way.
The Baron notes the woman's partial entrance as pours himself a glass of punch.
"Hello, and Merry Christmas to you," he says amiably, the gold chains that hem his robe hissing dully along the floor as he walks up. "I am Baron Aubri DuCompte, of the Imperial Duchy of New Normandy, which you may know as Mariville." He bows. "At your service. Are you enjoying the party?"
Nora shrinks back into the doorway at the approach of such a regal looking character. _Am I truly expected to know about this...Mariville_ she frets. Before she can think of anything to say, she tries a curtsy, finding that the muscles remember even if the brain is frozen. "I am honored, Sir," she intones, and then wonders if she's botched the form of address. "I...I fear I have never heard of Mariville, nor New Normandy." She swallows. "And I do not yet know if I am enjoying the party...I've really not been." She tries a weak smile. "But you are very kind to ask." She sends a hopeful look toward the hall and the room beyond where music can be heard to issue forth. "I was just thinking perhaps I should...join..."
"Why, of _course_ you should!" the Baron replies jovially. "I know _I_ am, and I've only just arrived! My companions and I are waiting about to pay our respects to the King, once he is done chatting with that fine ebon knight. It would appear that he may be some time, however. Do you dance?"
"Um...I..."
He blinks as the band in the ballroom switches gears from waltz to swing.
"Perhaps we had better wait for something more sedate, however," he chuckles. "I doubt these old bones could keep up with _that_!"
Nora visibly relaxes. "I'm quite sure I couldn't, either," she replies, smiling. "But, as you say, 'something more sedate' I might try."
It's one thing to dance in front of the mirror with a shadow lover. It's another to dance with a baron, even if it is only a dream! And one so elegantly attired. The gold around his neck and wrists, alone, mark him out as a man of consequence. But his manner, even moreso. As he looks about toward the dancing hall, the tatoo on his cheek catches her attention. She has to make herself stop staring. Still, she can't help wondering what it signifies.
She tries to think of something to say. "This really is a very remarkable place, isn't it? I don't believe I've ever..." _Oh, no! Can't say that! Can't say "ever dreamed so elaborately as this before". That would be rude! What if he doesn't know he's just a figment of my dreams?_ "...ever seen such a lovely manorhouse." She smiles.
"It _is_ lovely," he agrees, smiling indulgently. "And it is the Eye of Pualoize."
Nora frowns at him, not following the apparent non-sequitur.
"The tattoo, I mean," he amends at her look, indicating the hieroglyphic eye on his right cheek. "I could not help noticing your interest in it. An efficacious ward against curses."
Her mouth falls open slightly as she comprehends.
"The other," he continues, warming to his subject as he points to the colorful encircled starburst on his left cheek, "is the Kael Du Maer, which reduces all bodily material leaving the body to a fine ash. An excellent disincentive to vampiric attack," he explains with a sagely nod, leaving unspoken the charm's other common use.
"Perhaps if we have the opportunity to meet in the Waking World, you would be interested in a Mariville tattoo for yourself? I am quite certain I could get you a respectable discount..."
Nora laughs. "And are you, beside everything else, a mind-reader, my lord?" She now openly admires the tatoos. And considers a world where such wards were necessary. "Hmm..." she ponders. "I don't know as such precautions are necessary where I live. Now, if you had any that could ward against stupidity, I might be interested." She chuckles, letting him decide for himself whether it were her own stupidity or that of others about her that worried her.
He joins her in her laughter. "A mind reader? No. I merely possess the observational skills required of a practicioner of runic magics and enchantments. In such arts, a misplaced word or unfinished line may be extremely embarrassing, if not catastrophic. I am reminded of the occasion during my apprenticeship on which an overly emphatic swirl transformed my rune for the clearing of the sinuses into one for the clearing of the bowels..."
Nora wrinkles her nose, but laughs. "Oh, dear, dear, dear!" she comiserates.
"But as to a ward against stupidity," he continues, his chuckling unabated, "there is, in fact, such a ward. There is one for both possible interpretations of your question, in fact, although one is much more costly than the other."
"Ah...no doubt. Still...it might be worth it." She unconsciously rubs her cheek, as though body followed thought. "A ward against stupidity..."
He glances across the room and smiles. "Ah! It appears that our host is now free. Would you mind terribly if I excused myself, my dear? I shall return shortly, upon my honor."
"Oh, of course!" she says, with a slight inclination of her head. "You have your duties. Don't let me keep you from them."
With a small bow, he turns and works his way through the milling guests toward Kuranes.
She follows him with her gaze, smiling. Perhaps she should not be so reluctant to join the throng at this party. The guests certainly seem to be quite unlike the usual run-of-the-mill at the parties she has attended in the past.
Her glance plays over the crowd. It comes to rest on what appears to be a knight in black armor. As she watches, he stoops to peer under a table covered with still-falling snow. "How very odd..."
*****
They find the great hall packed with people, things, and decorations. King Kuranes, their host, stands with an elderly woman in a feather cape on one arm while he speaks to two elves -- one dressed in a riot of color, the other as a woodswoman -- and a knight in black armor.
Craning her long neck, the Blackbird espies Joe speaking to Rinaldo Cabrini, yet another elf, and a man in Medieval attire who she assumes to be Daffydd. Relief washes over her at the sight of Joe, and amusement at the sight of Rinaldo... although her smile turns to a confused scowl when she sees the beautiful young girl clinging tenaciously to Rinaldo's arm.
As if by some prearranged signal--or something more mystical--Daffydd turns. "Ah," he says, great satisfaction filling his voice, "there is my lady wife." He makes his excuses briefly and threads his way through the thickening crowd to claim her with an outstretched hand.
Annwyl takes his hand and pulls him closer, rather than moving closer to him. "Daffydd...I should like you to meet Josefina, a friend of your Mr. Black's. Is he hereabout?"
Daffydd smiles and nods back over his shoulder. "Just over there," he replies. Then he sweeps Josefina a bow. "Your servant, Miss."
Josefina forces a smile back onto her face and meets his bow with an quick and uncomfortable curtsey. "Ah, and yours. It's so nice to finally meet you. Um... I see you've met Rinaldo Cabrini as well. Do you know who that woman is with him?"
Again Daffydd checks over his shoulder to refresh his memory. "Hmm...I believe she was introduced to me as an old acquaintance, name of...'Malody'?" On this point he is not certain, having been equally as interested with his surroundings as the introductions. Odd, that. There had been a time when he would never have missed the opportunity to ingratiate himself to a lady... He smiles at Annwyl.
Annwyl returns the smile with easy grace. She knows her man.
Then Daffydd's gaze jumps back to Josefina with a sudden spark of insight. "She was equally unknown to your Joe Black," he commented, "but perhaps he, being the seasoned investigator I understand him to be, might be able to look into the matter for you, if you are truly interested..." An amused glimmer flickers in his deep eyes.
She blinks as she catches his inference. "Oh! No," she protests. "I just-"
*****
A young woman dressed in a slinky dark blue satin dress with shimmering lines of silver running through it suddenly appears in the ballroom. She looks around wildly.
"Where...where am I?" She looks down at herself and blinks in surprise. "Oh great Cere...just great. You go to bed thinking about that singer case and now you're dreaming yourself in one of her dresses!" She looks around at the decorations and grins in spite of herself. "Nice place to be dreaming, though. Might as well have some fun while I'm out." She tries slinking over to the quartet and the fellow playing at the piano.
"You boys happen to know the jazz version of 'What Child is This'?"
The members of the quartet exchange glances and shrug. As one, they set their instruments down by their bases, spinning them like tops until they are lost in four blurs.
When the instruments slow to a stop, the two violins, the viola, and the cello have been replaced by two trumpets, a slide trombone, and a saxophone.
"Hit it!" the cellist-turned-sax man cries with a grin, and the group swings into the requested tune.
"Oh yeah," Cere croons. She quietly sings the verses along with the group, winking at the sax player.
Beethoven's eyes light up as the quartet shifts into something a little more modern. "Now that's more like it!" he cries, and he rolls out the rumbling notes of a jazz harmony on the piano. On a free moment, he cocks his fedora with a rakish tilt, and he grins at the young lady as he plays along. The only thing missing, he thinks, is somebody to lay down a beat on the skins. Never a Coyote around when you need one.
Cere's grin gets wider as the tall young man playing the piano joins in. "Definately my kind of party!" she laughs in between verses.
*****
It was fascinating to watch the creature in movement. It had an incredibly long reach and Cliickitek was just beginning to realize some of the bonuses of finding such a being. He could just imagine the surprise his broodmates would have if he came back home with a creature like this. Perhaps he could even catch the elder's attention with the whatever-it-was. Maybe ... just maybe ... they would be so impressed with his bravery and his adventuresome spirit, that they would not make him be a lowly packer for the rest of his life.
His thoughts of glory were interrupted as the tall being held out something to Cliickitek. The bird stares at the object held in Tome's fingers, cocking his head this way and that as he tries to figure out on whether to take it or not. // That last nut was much too soft. Perhaps it's because their mouths are so maleable, that they need soft nuts?// On closer inspection, this nut looks different than the other, exploding nut. It was wrinkled and hard looking, unlike the other, which had almost been translucent. Before he could change his mind, the bird's head darts forward and he takes the nut in his beak, testing its hardness. After a few test bites, the nutshell cracks and snaps into a few largish pieces. A long pink tongue pushes the broken shell out of the ChickenPuffin's mouth, to fall to the floor, till all that was left behind was the meat from the walnut. He rolls this musky tasting nut within his long tongue with a rasping sound, before swallowing it whole. The process of the nut halts at the neck, where a little bulge appears.
Letting the rocks in his gizzard do their work, Cliickitek once again eyes the being in serious consideration. Not only had it not attacked him, it also fed him! //This was too good to be true. There must be something I'm missing. Chickenpuffin? What is that word? It sounds so familiar, but there would be no way I could speak such a word. Not unless I had years to work... at... it... // A vision flashes through his mind, bringing up feelings of fear, confusion and dread. It was a hazy rememberance of himself as a chick, being taken along with his brood mates to the temple of the elders. I was some kind of ceremony, a rememberance of horrors past. The word that described the horrors, the alien sound that had issued from one of the most eldest of the elders, was of the same language that this... this being spoke!
//That word, was what the Mutilators called my race!// Feathers sticking straight out at all angles, Cliickitek moves startling fast, jumping straight up, turning at the last moment before hitting the ceiling foot first. There is a brief sucking sound and there he stays, eyeballs bouncing around like rubber balls in their attempts to keep all the creatures in view. He clacks his beak menacingly, an almost growling issuing from his throat.
Tome jerks back out of the way of the speeding bird out of sheer instinct. "What in the!"
{Chickenpuffin speech} "You! I know that word, I know you now! You won't have me!"
He gapes a bit. "Keee-rud. The little guy's spooked! Must think I'm one of the hunters who about wiped out his kind. There's a nice Christmas feeling of good will toward all..." He steps a bit out of drop-zone range and stares upward.
Cliickitek calculated the distance between him and the tall being; it was uncomfortably close. Feathers still held ram-rod straight, the fuscia avian takes a good look around the room, trying to determine avenues of escape. Everywhere he looks, there are more of these beings and in response, he can feel the lightness of his body and his brain, the slowing of his blood and pulse. Quickly he gives his body a violent shudder, shaking off that dangerous feeling. // This is not the time to play dead! I don't think it would work here. //
His feelings of fear slowly start to seep away as he sees the unhurried actions of those around/below him. No one was attacking him and the being who gave him the nut was just staring up at him with those squished eyes. The fact was, it seems like he was being ignored; not seen as a threat or anything desirable by anyone. No invisible spears were piercing his body, nor nets cast upon him. This certainly wasn't what he had been taught about the Mutilators.
The poor bird stays were he was, stuck upon the ceiling of this strange place, trying hard to sort out what was most confusing to him. Was he threatened because of what the being had done or tried to do to him? No, to be honest, neither of the two-legged beings had harmed him or tried to harm him in any way. They actually had fed him! As he explores his instinctive reactions and emotions, Cliickitek finds that his panic stemed from his visit to the temple, the orations of the elders, and the fear of the unknown.
There was something about this place that made him more introspective than usual, less afraid and more relaxed ... definitely not his usual self. //Perhaps there was something in that magic water? // He gazes down at the two-legged being, cocking his head this way and that, studying the mammal once more. There was still a small kernal of wariness in his feathered breast, but he found himself less inclined to hop away or dive down at the being.
He lets out a sound, curiously like a human sigh, then speaks, though it's mostly directed to himself, not realizing that Tome could understand him. {Chickenpuffin speech} "I'm so confused. I wish I knew where I was, who and what you are, how I got here and... and... oh you don't understand." His feathers twich with his frustration.
Tome listens to the small bird. "Awww... poor little guy. Don't know if he'll understand me, but sometimes the right tone of voice can work." He takes a deep breath and talks to the ceiling in a calm, even tone. "Don't worry, little one. You are in a safe place of many different beings. No one shall harm you here. It is actually a dreamland, an inner journey while you sleep. Myself, I'm a human...mostly. Long story."
Once again that fluid-like noise comes from the creature's mouth. Cliickitek cocks his head this way and that, feeling as if there was something, just beyond his reach, that would help him to comprehend this odd being. The tone of the words were soothing, like a mother crooning a reassurance to her chicks after they had had a bad scare. He felt, if he only concentrated hard enough... there was the weirdest sensation as he concentrates, as if someone else had decided to take up residence in his mind. Shaking his head to clear it, the short bird looks more confused than before.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tome notices a large group of people heading into the hallway from which all of the food has been coming. He turns his head as he sees a yeti in a shimmery dress enter the hallway, talking to.... "Diami? Here?" he gasps as she disappears from his sight. He starts to reach out to her with his mind but stops before he can make contact. He suddenly feels nervous and a little... shy about talking to her. After all, he had never been human before... what if Diami didn't like him as a human? He decides to wait until she returned to the main hall before he did something possibly stupid. Sighing to himself and keeping one eye on the hallway, he returns his attention to the bird still clinging to the ceiling.
Was it the magic water that lulled his instincts into a complacency? Perhaps it was the soothing, almost musical noises the tall being made towards him? Either way, the pink bird found himself relaxing his grip on the ceiling, preparing to hop down from his upside-down perch and explore this strange place a little more.
*****
Even with worrying Eathan, Angie couldn't feel bad for long. Everything was too fascinating, too intriguing, too ... // Are those elves?// Her amber gaze briefly followed the two figures, dressed so elegantly and in such beautiful masks. In fact, there seemed to be people with pointed ears, almost everywhere. A knight in full plate came clanking in even! // Could anything else be more wonderous? //
As if in answer to that unspoken question, music trickles through the hallways, tickling her ears. Her eyes lighting up with aniticipation, Angie stands/floats quickly to her feet, leans over to give Eathan a quick kiss to the cheek and a breathy "Thank you", before she dissapears quickly down the corridor, searching for that which called to her. // Music! And where there is music, there is dancing. A castle or mansion is nothing without a ballroom, I'm certain of it! //
As she finally enters the ballroom, her voice is soft, but the trill of excitement is heartfelt, "Aya." Some partners dance in intricate movements, others in more formalized, less complex dances, while some seem pulled by the whims of their various appendages. Her material flowed with the rythym of the music, her hair twirling in peaks in synch with the high notes and her feet waving in an unconcious action.
Angie slowly floats to a wall, pressing herself against it, eyes wide with wonder as people swirled by. How she wished she could dance. She always had, ever since she had found out she never would. There beings with tentacles, several with extra appendages, tails, scales, a whole gamut of supernatural creatures as well as normal looking humans. Her eyes stop on another elf, this one in a gown of gold and burgundy and Angie can only gaze upon her exotic beauty for a moment. Ever since she had listened to the Lord of the Rings, she had fantasized on being an elf. They had an otherworldy grace, wisdom and beauty that she had yearned for as a young child.
Sadness flows over her expressive face and she half turns towards the wall, fingers playing with the decorations hanging there.
*****
"Well," Joe continues, "sounds like Daffydd's better half finally showed up, so I'd better go pay my respects. Sofia in the kitchen as usual?"
Rinaldo nods absently.
"Good. I'll check in on _her_ in a bit, then, too. If you'll excuse me, Rex, Aria... ma'am."
Chuckling to himself, he turns to follow after Dai... and freezes.
"'BIRD!"
The Blackbird wheezes as Joe squeezes the air out of her with a merry spinning hug.
"Merry Christmas!" he cheers. "I _figured_ you'd turn up sooner or later!"
"M-Merry Christmas, Joe," she gasps out as he sets her down again. "I'm... so happy to see you, too!"
//Why is he so _happy_?// she asks herself. //He acts as though... As though he doesn't _remember_! As though it was all... all just a dream...//
Her wonder solidifies into resolve an instant before blossoming into a glowing smile. She takes Joe's surprised face in her hands and plants a passionately firm kiss on his lips.
"Merry Christmas, Joe," she whispers into his ear.
Willowdew utters a tinkling sigh of contentment as she flits upon this touching scene... then does a double take as she sees Daffydd! Quick as a wink, her tiny arms are embracing his neck, her excited chimes tickling his ears.
Daffydd chuckles deeply and delightedly. "Well, my little friend!" He holds up a hand for her to use as a platform, should she choose. "I never thought to see you again! Are you well? Have you found a partner of your own?" He winks at Annwyl.
Annwyl simply smiles. Why should not all the world be as happy as she?
Willowdew does indeed flit from Daffydd's neck to his hand, there to blush at his suggestion.
"Oh! Well, isn't _she_ lovely?" Josefina says with a smile.
Willowdew spins about and curtseys at the Blackbird, her little knees fairly buckling under all this joy and praise.
Joe nods. "She is. Saw some of your folk at that other Christmas party, didn't we? Were you there, little Miss?"
Willowdew nods, chimes, and points to herself.
Joe nods again and chuckles. "Well, its good to see you again, then."
*****
"Oh!" Crow clears her throat a little, nervously unfloding and refolding her arms. "Hi..." Features warring on her face, she fidgets as if in growing discomfort. She checks the dark shadows behind her and hopes they conceal the midnight black wings which she stretches with a soft rustling. Almost immediately, she looks a little more comfortable, squished up in her protective corner.
"I'm ... Crow. Grandmother's granddaughter. Nice to meet you..."
She looks at the floor, silently chastising herself. The occasional glance at Siri is more one of fear than of shyness.
Siri smiles at Crow. "You know, where I come from, I hide from everybody? No one knows me except my sister and mother and a few others. Not many people even know I exist. So, in a way, I kinda know how you feel. Stuck in a place surrounded by people and the only thing you want to do is go hide? Would you like to go somewhere outside where there's not so many people?" She tries to speak slowly to not startle the girl, and somewhere from deep inside of her returns that feeling of fear and helplessness. Siri shudders and hugs her arms together.
Crow chuckles, her look turning to one of chagrin and embarrassment. "I might as well stay here. I have to learn to get along with people sometime..."
Siri smiles to herself. // You're not the only one....//
Eathan watches the woman go into the next room and leave him. /Pity. Even in your dreams you can't keep a woman./ He sighs and heads over to a more seculded area of the room, picking up a few figs from the fruit display on the way.
The young woman brushes off her doeskin dress and takes a seat a little out of the shadows. Her wings rustle as she maneuvers them to hang over the back of the chair.
"See.. I'm not used to people..." Crow fidgets with the trim on her dress. "When I was little... others used to throw sticks and stones at me. I'm different from them, " she explains with a wing stretch, then chuckles. "Obviously. I'm different from most people. Grandmother was the only one willing ot take care of me..." Crow briskly rubs her arms. "I guess... I guess I'm just expecting that others will treat me as the first did. Just because I'm different. Silly reason to hide, huh?"
Siri shakes her head and says "no" softly.
Crow shakes her head. "I'm old enough to be on my own, with a family, and here I am acting like a small child." She offers a smile at Siri, hopefully. Having never had a friend, Crow begins to wonder just how foolish she must sound to this beautiful girl near her. Her dark eyes fall back to the floor as she bites her lip.
Siri smiles and sits next to Crow in another chair. "People didn't throw sticks at me, but after I got better from a bad illness they always looked at me with pity or fear and they wouldn't always talk to me. I think they thought maybe I'd give them some disease. So I stopped going to school and they thought I got sick again and died. No one bothered me after that, and my mother and sister let me be myself. It was freedom, and wonderful."
"That's why I stay with Grandmother. I like caring for her, like she used to do for me. It's safety with her, since I never knew my mother. She didn't want me." Crow chuckles very softly.
"It must have been nice, relatively speaking, not knowing her," Eathan says softly. "I had to live with my father. He didn't want me, either, and wasn't shy about letting me know it." He frowns. "I'm sorry for overhearing your conversation...I probably shouldn't have jumped in like that. The damage has been done. I might as well introduce myself. I'm Eathan Gyrfalcon." He sighs, and decides it might be best to change the topic. "Do either of you want a fig?" he asks, holding out his hand. In it are 5 or so dried figs.
Crow cocks her head. "I don't think I am that fortunate. A lack of parenting is a lack of parenting. You lose much of your identity when you are cut off from your family. Though, it can be said, " she counters herself, "that you also find out more about your identity. An odd paradox."
Eathan opens his mouth. He closes it. He opens it again. "Yes," he finally decides to agree. /I wonder...I wonder if it worked that way for all of us?/ It is the first charitible thought for his family he has had in a very, very long time. He looks suspiciously at the punchbowl, then sighs. /Maybe...I could - / he swallows as a new and terrifiying idea comes to him. /If this King Kuranos has control over dreams... oh, good lord of all the earths./ He grits his teeth.
Then her nut brown skin flushes from her words. "Forgive me, I speak too much. Thank you, " she adds, taking a fig. She nibbles on it, looking for all the dreamworld like a squirrel.
Siri too takes a fig and chews absently for a minute before saying, (very hesitantly) "My father... died... when I was very young. He and Mother both wanted us, though, so it doesn't really compare, but I guess we all seem to have some sad family background." She notices the fig for the first time and takes another bite, this time paying attention to the taste. "Mmmm. Tankth fo the fig," she says with a full mouth.
Eathan nods. A small smile pulls at the corners of his mouth. "You're welcome."
"No," Eathan says dazedly. "Don't apologize. I want to thank you." He swallows again. "You - may have helped me with a - family problem of sorts..." He smiles weakly, and munches on a fig he cannot taste. "What is your name?"
"I'm glad I could help, " she smiles shyly. "It's what my Grandmother does best. She gives people dreams." Crow fidgets again. "I hope I can give people such joy myself someday."
Eathan smiles. "Then she is a wise woman."
"One of the most, I suspect." Crow hugs her arms around her waist, gazing over at the older woman with love and respect shining in her eyes.
She shifts. "But now, I'm still like that. I'm kinda different here, I'm not really sure why, but you would think that after thirty years one would come out of the woods? Not me." She glances around a bit at the people and shudders again.
"Takes awhile, I guess. Grandmother and I live several miles from the Tribe, so I don't see much of anyone. It's very peaceful in the desert, with the howls of the coyotes and the hoots of the nightbirds."
"Oh!" Her eyes widen, and she smiles. "My name is Crow."
"Crow." He smiles. "Good to meet you. Where are you from, and how did you find word of Kurane's Yule party?" He looks across the hall, where Grandmother and Kuranes are laughing and talking. "They seem to know each other well, your grandmother and the king."
"Grandmother has known His Highness since she was a young woman. She spends a lot of time here, I suspect, when she appears to nod off at home. Not so many aches and pains here. She heard his call as she was meditating and decided I should meet him. And I guess she wanted me to socialize." Crow chuckles quietly. "But I like seeing her so happy. She helps so many people... she deserves some time for herself."
Siri can definitely agree with that, especially since her time her is for herself. She nods.
Eathan sighs and tucks a stray piece of hair back behind one ear. "It's good to get out every once in a while, though."
"And I'm Siri. I have a twin sister, in case you get confused if you see her." She smiles and finishes her fig.
"Ah. Is there any way I can tell you apart? Are you both wearing the same thing?"
"I wish I had a sister, " Crow adds wistfully. "I bet it's wonderful."
Siri coughs. "Um, well, sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad. I guess she tends to get the worse end of the deal, though, what with me hiding away and all." She turns her attention back to Eathan and adds, "She's wearing robes, white and blue kinda thing. You'll be able to tell the difference with that." She smiles.
"Ah." He smiles slightly.
"My world is only known as Home to me. I was born part of the Tribe that didn't want me. Grandmother was their Shaman. It's a small world off the main Nexus that not too many people know about. A desert place with hidden forests and natural wonders. It's quite a lovely place to visit for the few who know about it I suspect if many knew, it would be badly abused and marketed."
Eathan nods. "It would be," he says with the weight of knowledge. "I used to go down by the sea when I was smaller, sometimes to fish - mostly to think." He frowns. "I went back there after I'd - my - well, I'd been a lot of places and times - and the beach was black; all the fish were dead." He looks piercingly at Crow. "If I was you, I'd make sure that you don't tell many about your reality. It sounds beautiful." He smiles encouragingly.
"It's hard to get to, " Crow smiles, looking far away and dreamy. "But it's a place I would guard with my life."
"It's terrible." Siri shakes her head. "I would think that people would have more respect for their worlds... but too many don't. Too much money involved." //I wonder if that's what the enemy wants out of Sedran? No, they wouldn't kill everyone like that for that reason.// She frowns to herself.
"You live in the desert?" Siri's interest is piqued. "I live in a forest, and near a swamp and village, but very rich in vegetation and water. I've only read about deserts in books. What's it like? What are coyotes? What kind of birds live in the desert?" She checks herself at all those questions and mumbles an unheard "sorry."
"It's very different from the woods, but it's just as beautiful, in a different way. The sand dunes at sunset look like waves of red and orange - like an endless sea. There are carrion birds that float overhead, like vultures and some forms of wild hawks. At night, the sand crests shimmer white with the moonlight so it really does look like waves, and the owls cry to the spirits "Who?, "Who?"... The coyotes sing their songs to the stars... there are millions of stars, like the soft shining eyes of desert mice from their cozy burrows." Crow hugs her knees, smiling. "I wish I could take you there so you could see... there are cliffs and a small oasis a few miles from Grandmother's lean-to where there's a waterfall. Perfect for meditation..."
Siri nods and thinks back to her own home... a few waterfalls that she knows of have been among her favorite sleeping places, especially that one next to a cave. Loud yet relaxing.
She sighs, half closing her eyes as if she were back in that solitude.
"I used to live near the forests, and the mountains." He speaks half to himself, then frowns. "Now I live in a city. It's disgusting. Can't even feel things growing beneath all that metal and asphalt." He looks up abruptly, and grows silent.
"What's ass-fault?" Siri asks. //A donkey in trouble?//
Eathan frowns. "It's black... stone-stuff some people put over the earth. Don't really know why. It lasts longer than grass but that's about it."
"I've only seen the city once, " Crow murmurs. "I didn't much care for it. But I remember, " she smiles a little, "seeing a small child around my Grandmother's wares shop. She was laughing and running as a small butterfly fluttered around her. In some ways... there is a symmetry to all things. A slight balance, where concrete may cover the dirt, but there are signs of life hidden in odd places."
"Concrete." Siri tests this word, too, and wonders at its meaning.
"Almost the same as asphalt. Looks a bit nicer, though that's not saying much."
"But then, having only seen it once, I can't say too definitively..." Crow drops her eyes, shyly.
Siri says, "You beat me, though. I've never been to a city with those things, only the village near my home, and even then I didn't go very many places. Didn't like people seeing me, you know. Though if I went alone, they'd usually think I was Iris so it wasn't so bad when I really had to buy something or talk to the Elders." She shrugs. "But that's a village."
Siri cocks her head back at Eathan. "You said you fish? What does fish mean? Someone I met back home says she's from a fishing family, but I don't really understand what she means." Siri smiles apologetically. "Maybe it's one of those things you have to see to understand."
Eathan looks quizzically at the girl before replying. "You know. Fish... go fishing? You catch a fish from the water, then cook it and eat it."
Siri shrugs. "The only things I know of in water are frogs, and minnows. Maybe at the ocean, or somewhere away from my home, there's fish." She brightens. "Hey, since I'm travelling a bit back there, maybe I'll get to see it!"
***** Squamous squirms. The tiny dragon is still held fast in the grip of Paulie Cabrini's hand. And from there he watches with a moony expression as the luscious lady in turquoise beads hovers in a doorway, alone and sweetly insecure. He longs to fly to her, to provide the reassurance of his protective escort, to discover just how snugly that beaded cloth hugs those curvaceous -- but, blast it all, this boy is in need of help! Scarcely begun and Paulie had missed his mark, not once, but twice already.
What to do? What to do about Paulie?
As Squamous scans the room, his eye falls on Malody chatting up a storm with a dragon in human form and that confounded Rinaldo Cabrini. When she turns, Squamous notes the flash of a flaw in her red velvet skirt. He smiles. From the looks of the bit of exposed charred lace, his earlier effort to liberate himself from the confines of her pocket had left an opening. Just the kind of opening a clever dragon could put to good use.
Squirming loose, Squamous whistles and motions for Paulie to follow.
Paulie starts to object, but curiousity gets the better of him. What is that dragon up to _now_?
And so, follow he does.
Squamous meanders through the crowd, pulling up to hover near Malody, Rinaldo and their companions. "Look!" he indicates, pointing in the direction of Malody's swirling skirts.
Paulie peers as casually as he can. He looks back at Squamous and shrugs helplessly.
He slaps his own hindquarters and bends to peek at himself. In melodramatic mimicry, he throws his hands to his face and rocks with mortification.
"_What_?" he mouths silently to the dragon, brow furrowed in confusion.
Frustrated, he fumes. "Look!" he points again. Finally he flits nonchalantly over and grabs the bit of torn fabric on Malody's skirt with both hands. "This!" he insists, holding it out for Paulie to see.
Malody pauses in conversation only long enough to identify Squamous. "Scat, rascal," she says, swatting him away.
Rexalc glances curiously after the little dragon.
Squamous finds his landing cushioned by a warm pillow of air.
"Ooh," he coos in delight as he cushes to the floor across the way. He stands and sends Rexalc a smart though tiny salute.
Paulie's mouth forms an "Oooooh" of comprehension as the hapless Squamous is sent flying.
And then he grins.
Aria hides a smile behind one hand, not really paying attention to the conversation anyway. Offering a smile to Paulie, she angles towards Squamous, gently offering a curtsey in a quiet greeting. With a furtive glance, she drops to her knees to offer a hand to Squamous.
"Hello there, you handsome little fellow. What are you up to?"
"Ahh," Squamous sighs, walking sedately into the curve of her palm. Crooking one finger, he motions for Aria to draw him closer.
She chuckles and brings her arm up against her robe, almost cradling him.
He reclines full-length and props his chin in one hand. Gazing deeply into her eyes, he growls in his native tongue, "What's a glorious dragoness like you doing in a place like this? Shouldn't you be soaring the night skies, dancing with the stars?"
"Even dragons must sleep, " she reminds him, smiling. "Besides, there's no other place I'd rather be while asleep, albeit not at a party." She shoots a wink at Squamous. "I'm not the party type."
"No? Me neither," he shakes his head in disgust. "Frivolous things. All this commotion, and no place at all for two people to get truly acquainted."
"I know!" He sits up in her hand and snaps his fingers. "Shall we explore the open rooms of this place? Perhaps we'll find somewhere a little more suitable. More suitable to meaningful conversation. For folks like us." He smiles winningly.
Aria smiles and chuckles. "all right then, little friend, where shall we start? It sounds as if the ballroom is right outside the doors, and if I remember correctly, there is a library as well." Her white robe moves and shimmers like silk as Aria slips out of the room.
Having snuck partially down the hall, the elf dragoness starts at the sudden wailing of "MAMA!" an turns her head. She ponders for a moment, then smiles enigmatically. "The little one will be fine, I'm sure. Any suggestions as to where to go?"
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