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Urchins (CyclicalCycal)

Started by Whim, December 02, 2016, 11:26:31 PM

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Whim

"Um, things like smart, pretty, clever, fair, strong, magnificent, beautiful," Ewan cracked a smile and took a deep breath, "wise, fantastic, amazing... um, stuff that like that, yeah?"

The boy reached for the knob when the door swung was torn open. An enormous figure loomed in the doorway. It had hairy arms, slabs of muscle and fat, tusks jutting from its mouth, and a frilled patron. It was an ogre. "Hells be that racket?!" he bellows. His eyes scan the pair of children, settling on Cara with a squint of amusement. "You're the new whelps, eh? Hear yer trouble"

"Um..." the boy darted back, squeezing Cara's hand. "...yeah? We, uh, Thistle said to get lunch here a-and..."

"Names first, runt."
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

CyclicalCycal

"Those are stupid compliments. We have good words like..." Cara paused. Then, she listed off a string of words in her strange, grating, harsh tongue. "Sicudt, xliothvv, olwqg, twuzx, dlwnhen, euivkwot, pwxlea..." However, she stopped as the door was flung open, blinking animatedly in surprise.

Cara stared at the ogre, in a mixture of surprise and awe. Then befuddlement crossed her face as she saw the fact that the ogre had frilled clothing. She winced as he spoke, grabbing at the tips of her ears in a pained gesture.

"...C-cara." She responded, shyly, thinking it better not to give her last name.

Whim

The boy suppress a snicker at Cara's reply. It was always funny her talk like that; it sounded like she was playing at being some primordial giant.

"I'm Ewan," he squinted at the ogre. "Now what about you, um, big guy?"

"Bargush. I'm the Chef." the giant jerked a thumb into the kitchen and stood aside. The heat of the stove and scent of dried herbs, most of which were bunched and hung from the rafters, permeated the place. No sooner had the children stepped through the door than Bargush grabbed them each by the shirt, as if by the scruffs of their neck, and sat them atop a pair of enormous stools at the central island.  "My kitchen. Has been for ten years. You two don't take nothing unless I say. And you don't go there unless you're clean. Aye?" the ogre pointed a surprisingly well-manicured finger toward a rounded, swinging door in the corner.

He then proceeded to rummage for bread and cheese, setting a basket between the two. "Now what do you whelps say?"

Ewan scowled and gave the ogre an incredulous look. "Can we get some meat? Or fruit? Or something sweet?"
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

CyclicalCycal

"I-I'm not a whelp!" Cara retorted, a frown appearing across her face. "Father says I'm gonna grow up and be the strongest! Th-that I'll be better than even him!" However, it took a mere moment before she had changed her attitude. She grinned. "M-meat's nice! Fruit, as well! Yes! Meat and fruit." She said, nodding.

She then scanned the kitchen, taking in every little detail. She peered about the room, strangely. Every time she focused on a bit of crockery, or a tool of cookery, or a station for cooking she seemed more and more bemused. Had she even seen anything like this before? Quite possibly not. Regardless, she stared with wide and befuddled eyes.

Whim

The boy munched happily on his bread, ravenously hungry from the work. It seemed strange for an elf to eat meat. Then again Cara seemed the wild sort; probably liked blood and sacrifice too.

"Ye'll get a new name when that happens, lass." Bargush gave Cara's boasting a cock-eyed look and shook his head. The demands for better fare were, of course, outright ignored. "Lucky you're both downstairs now, eh? Not under that imp's eye so much. Ye'll get dirty but no need for them costumes. Bet they itch."
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

CyclicalCycal

Cara paused, tilting her head. "No I wouldn't! My name is my name. I am who I am." She said with a nod. She then reached into the basket, idly taking out a random piece of food, a loaf of bread, and going to begin eating. She did this without any thought, and when she spoke she spoke with her mouth full in an incredibly rude and uncivilised manner.

"Yeah! Shtupid imp! He should goh to the red realm he came from!" She said, nodding with a grin to the chef.

Whim

Ewan joined Cara in devouring the ogre's meal, talking between bites. "So because we made trouble we're going to be slaving for you instead of Thistle?" he added sullenly.

Bagrush let out a snort of amusement. "Stuck here either way. Should make the best of it. Don't answer to Thistle either. Don't care for him. Might let ya tweak his nose a little if your good." The ogre stomped past the pair and began rooting through a cupboard, filled with rags. He dropped the bundle out onto the counter and slid a dress, which looked to have been stitched from a burlap sack, over to Cara. "Start ya on pots once the garden's done..."

Ewan gave Cara an uncertain look.  Jovial as Bagrush was, were man-eating giants more trustworthy than imps? "I don't suppose you could turn me back? No one seems particularly concerned about this!" the boy frowned, tugging at a murine ear.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

CyclicalCycal

Cara didn't really listen to their conversation, greedily eating her meal. However, she did pick out a few various terms. She didn't speak, not really wanting to chat, and it wasn't until Ewan finally spoke about his 'condition' that she finally paid her full attention to the goings-on.

She looked to him, grinning a little wildly. "I can't help! But father could. Cause you're halfway between man and beast and that's not normal! So he'd help you reach one." She said, nodding as she affirmed her own statement. She looked over to the table, now paying attention to the burlap-dress.

She stared at it, a look of utter disgust crossing her face. She had no words to express this, but her contempt for this clothing was palpable.


Whim

"Don't do magic." Bagrush snorted, waving them toward a nearby closet to change. "Suppose it'll wear off. Most things do, eh? Mistress likes things looking pretty round here beside." For a kitchen run by an ogre it was spick and span, if a little rustic.

"The way you talk he can do anything! How do I know after all the trouble I've gotten into he isn't just some giant tree?" Ewan screwed up his face, half-teasing and half-pouting. Neither Cara nor he ogre seemed terribly concerned. Only then did his gut start to sink. Oh gosh! Bagrush was in this just as much as the imp. The boy slid from the stool and rolled up his sleeves, "Okay! So, um, you just need those pots scrubbed? And what did you wanna do to that imp anyways?"

The ogre leaned in, as if listening to juicy gossip at a bar. "Lady Isaura isn't in the habbit of kidnapping. Too risky. Must have wanted you really bad, girl. Tell me about your da..."
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

CyclicalCycal

Cara grinned, eyes sparkling as if she had some great story to tell. Without hesitation, she began telling it. "My father's name is Tharron! He's the guardian of the forests and protects us from all the bad things that would hurt them! The undead, the demons, the colourless! He goes out and he destroys them! He also protected me and all our friends, but they all faded away. He's really strong and the forest moves to his will and all the penitent and animals help him!" She proclaimed. After a moment, though, her look went a bit melancholic.

"...but he's sleeping. And he's been sleeping for a while. And he doesn't wake up much..." She mumbled. "...but he's gonna come. I know he'll come! I know it." She nodded, utterly certain that this was the way of things.

Whim

Bagrush grunted in reply. If the ogre was interested he wasn't showing it. Ogres were supposed to be straight-forward and dumb, weren't they? But then again they also weren't meant to be chefs. "I'm sure he'll come pick ya up any time lass. Though the mistress might have somethin to say about it..."

Ewan let out a sigh as Cara went on about her father. Blathering about it to everyone wasn't going to do them much good! The mouse-boy was just about to pick her when something piqued his curiosity, "Just what is a colourless, anyway?" he leaned across the counter-top, wide-eyed, unable to resist.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

CyclicalCycal

Cara blinked, before nodding. She began, once more, in what she thought were perfectly reasonable and rational statements. "They're evil things. They drink and eat colour, and that causes everything to become bad because it all slowly drains of life, dying and becoming bad. Colour's important because everyone has colour, and so when it's stolen it's very bad. The colourless are people who have lost all their colour, or beings made up when enough of the colourless blight gets together and forms an entity. It spreads and spreads and it doesn't stop unless it's all cleansed away and everything is sent back to normal."

She nodded, affirming her own statements.

Whim

Ewan screwed up his face in disbelief, giving Cara a cock-eyed look as he tried to understand. The boy splayed his clawed fingers. "Do you mean actual color, like how my skin is pink?

"Or like... your spirit? How a gardener would be green, yeah?"
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

CyclicalCycal

Cara blinked, looking to Ewan and nodding with a grin. "Mhm! Actual colour! If you got hurt by it, you'd go grey or black or white and you'd walk around and it'd be hurtful for you and you wouldn't like it very much and you'd rip the colour out of things!" She said, rather cheerily. She then looked to the Bagrush, smiling. "Can I have some more food?"

Whim

"Well now you're just making up stuff!" he cracked a smile, jabbing Cara in the arm. He almost forgot they were captive for a minute.

"Don't see how something so small can eat so much." Bagrush snorted, reaching out to tousle the elf-girl's hair as he passed. "Got a sweetroll left over from last eve. Tell ya both what - I've got a bone to pick with that imp - you two slip him a little potion to teach him a lesson, and I'll give you a little treat. How's that sound?"

Ewan gave a long, drawn out sigh. "Well I think he'd suspect us of all people! And you're really gonna give us candy in exchange for pissing off a daemon?" Of course food that wasn't crumbly bread and sour cheese was mouth-watering...
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

CyclicalCycal

Cara blinked, as she was poked, jolting a little. She looked to Ewan, glaring at him. "Nuh-uh! It's real! Father's showed me them. They've very spooky." She said, nodding to herself. Her eyes trailed after Bagrush as he spoke, lighting up with a grin as he talked about the sweetroll. "That sounds nice..." Her voice trailed off, before she heard something even better.

A chance to torment an imp.

"Yes! We should do that, Ewan! Let's hurt the imp." She seemed absolutely giddy about this idea. "It's a good idea! I like this big one already!"

Whim

"I don't want to turn into a mouse!" Ewan pouted, shooting Cara a look.

"Thistle's got a taste for Alar Amber, all the way from Connlaoth. Little bastar - uh - bugger keeps a flask in his chambers. Not that you twerps know anything of wine," he scoffed and turned to fetch a small brass tin from the larder, filled with dried fruit. "Now these are Wychberries, from a dryad tree. They'll ruin the innards of an imp like him. Turn him wrinkled and gray. Be a right shame if they found their way into his favorite drink, eh?" The ogre snorted with gleeful laughter.

"Seems stupid dangerous for us," the boy crossed his arms, leaning closer to the ogre. He might have looked business-like if not for being a grubby 10-year-old. "Why don't you make it worth our while. How do we get these marks off so we can work magic?"
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

CyclicalCycal

As the two spoke, Cara lapsed into half of a trance. Idly, she rubbed at her face, tugging at her ears a bit worriedly. "Hmmm..." She thought to herself, before looking up as Ewan made the point of danger.

"Ewan's right..." She mumbled, quietly. "That's really dangerous! I-I agree, you should get this stupid mark off of me! It's too quiet, anyway. I want to hear them speak!" She proclaimed, a near-religious fervour burning in her voice. Her eyes sparkled at the possibility of being able to grasp the stolen power once more. It seemed Cara was quite invigorated by the mere suggestion.

"Plus, if you want us to hurt the imp, you'd definitely want to give us all the advantages!"

Whim

The ogre let out a booming snort. "I like my job here. Ain't risking my hide. And you kids ain't risking yours' neither. Keep my entertained and maybe we'll talk in a few months, once the Lady of the house gets some new pets, eh?" Bagrush reached out and took both Ewan and Cara by the shirt-collars, setting them down on the floor. He offered the berries to Cara.

The boy scowled. "Well... better than dusting. I guess. Its gonna be one of your faults if I end up a mouse..."
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

CyclicalCycal

Cara took the berries, grinning. "Yes. C'mon, Ewan, let's go!" She said, nodding once, twice, thrice.

She marched off, immediately beginning in a rant. "I don't think that we'll end up as rats, that'd not be very fun, anyway mice are pretty nice! They're very squeaky, and they're very cute! Though, they get on my nerves, always talking about where to hide."

She was fleet-footed and it seemed that Cara was enjoying this idea. It intoxicated her, and it seemed that her hate and spite of Imps were propelling her; in a troublingly gleeful way.

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