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Something to catch my eye

Started by Marjorie, June 23, 2013, 10:07:29 AM

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Marjorie

There were lots of places in this world naturally steeped in magics ancient, and energies unexplainable. Doors, portals, mirrors, still pools... for so many of them to lead to one place... it was rare... but this was a gateway to gateways and that was why Dusrtan was here. He was board... and everyone should worry over a board fae being around... even his kind liked to get into mischief from time to time... He needed something new to catch his fancy and the sheer number of possible places he might end up as well as the ability for him to come into contact with almost anyone from anywhere was just the thing he needed. More than anything, Durstan was always looking for something new, something unexpected, and never before experienced.

He came with a bow on his back, but such things were not a weapon unless that was your intention, and his was unstrung, a sign of peace. The things he carried were few and had a purpose all, and while some could take a life (knife, arrow), none would. Not here. He respected the energy of this place and the sanctuary it was meant to provide.

Here he was not glamoured – there was no need to hide in a place of serenity and security. He walked barefoot threw grasses that seemed to grow more lush and greener where his feet touched it... as if the grass where glad just to be near him. He touched the bark of a tree and smiled, as if he had shared a secret with it and when he pulled back his hand there was the bud of what would grow into a new branch.

wolfie

So the day wasn't turning out great. She sighed wondering what she had been thinking. It was proving true that those who left the village were cursed. She hadn't found any food yet, and wondered if perhaps something magical was warning the animals or hiding the berries. She knew what the last resort was, and there was no way she was heading there.

I protect those of the waters not eat them. No matter how hungry I get I won't resort to that. I made a promise and I'll keep it. She thought and kept walking. She didn't see the portal at all and walked right through it. She felt when she did, but wasn't sure what it was that she had just walked through. Figuring that she was okay, Meri just kept walking until she walked into someone. She fell flat on her butt looking up at some guy. She sighed realizing this was first contact for her outside the village.

"Sorry wasn't looking. You okay?" She asked figuring they were probably fine. After all it was she who had landed on her backside, which started to throb. Her hair was standing on all ends ready to pounce if necessary. She wasn't sure what long legs of starfish could do to harm anyone though.

Marjorie

Durstan was turned side facing when the new arrival stepped threw one of the many portals into this place, and he turned to face them just in time to see the strange girl – no she was a woman, with star fish hair crash into him and land on her butt.

Durstan hadn't even flinch or hardly moved at all, save a little sway of his hair. He cocked his head, intense violet eyes unblinking as he observed her. This strange creature of a kind he'd never seen before.

"Sorry wasn't looking. You okay?"

"I was looking," Durstan said, his voice was low and smooth and slightly odd sounding, lyrical almost, with a light lit, heavily accented with fae... "I am fine." He paused a moment, considering her then reached out a hand to her, eyes tracking the movement of the starfish legs. "Are you alright?"

wolfie

He wasn't even phased which was a good thing. The last thing she wanted was to harm anyone. Lucky for her only her pride and it felt like her backside hurt. She figured she didn't need the one and the other would heal.

"I'm fine too. Don't worry about those they won't harm you," she said taking his hand. Meri had seen his eyes went to her hair. That seemed the norm when she met anyone who didn't belong to her village. She had hoped to meet another of her kind from a different village. One look at him though and she knew he wasn't.

"Are you from these parts? Where are we? Who are you?" She said not being able to stop the questions. Curiosity was always first with her.

Marjorie

She was small, diminutive even, next to Durstan and he pulled her to her feet with the ease that one might lift a pillow. HE had great control of his own strength though and did not pull hard enough on her hand to cause her any discomfort.

He smiled, something small, intrigued. He was not at all scared, why would he be? She was so much like a child – even the light of curiosity in her eyes, the questions she asked. "I am not from here," Durstan answered. "This place is a gateway. It has many door ways to many places... it is also a special place, sacred, steeped in magics and strange energies... safe, sanctuary... unless you bring harm with you when you come." He paused then, his smile shifting slightly, to something a touch mischievous. "Do you really wish to know who I am, or do you wish to know what I call myself? A name to call one by is not the same thing as who they are... I am many things, but my name... in part is Durstan."

wolfie

She was glad to be on her feet again. She heard what he said in answering her questions. She hadn't know such a place existed it made her want to know more not only about this place but about places like this as well.

"So I walked through a gateway without know it? Yes, I do want to know who you are. I may not know everything, but I do know there are different species in the world. Which are you?" She said sounding brave when deep down she wasn't. A name of a species didn't mean one was safe. This place made her feel a little better though.

"No weapons is a good thing. They harm others. Hello Durstan, I'm Meri."

Marjorie

Durstan laughed, something light and playful. "You are so full of questions, beag aon." He reached out a hand toward her and paused with his fingers an inch or two away from her hair. "May I touch?" she was not the only curious one... no here was a creature of a kind he'd never seen before.

"It is likely you walked threw a portal without knowing, though I cannot say for sure, as I was not there," Durstan answered, "I am fae... being of the rock, the tree, the sun, the water, the air." She was a sweet little thing, but a bit naive too, he thought. "Weapons do not only do harm," he said, "they can... but they also protect, or even help to feed a persons. A weapon is just a thing... it is the person who wields it that gives it a purpose."

An answer for a questions, a name for a name, a thing for a thing. That was the way things should always be. "I will keep your name, Meri. What species are you?"

wolfie

He was right about that. Curiosity suited her well just so long as it wasn't burning her finger in a fire. It was how she first knew she was of the water. Her finger didn't just burn it sizzled. She wondered what he wanted with her hair so she just nodded as an answer to him touching it.

"Well I did feel some kind of change. I guess that must have been the portal. I thought fae were smaller with wings," she said giving only what her parents and those of the village knew. It was a small world she had come from into something bigger than she could ever imagine. He took her off guard with the whole weapons thing. Nobody had ever explained it like that.

"Some do not wield it well then. I'm a Medusian," she answered figuring giving this fae knowledge about her wouldn't be trouble... yet. She wondered about something more.

"What do you mean you'll keep my name?"

Marjorie

Durstan smiled when she nodded and long slender fingers reached out lightly to touch the starfish legs on her head. They really were starfish legs... how strange, he wondered why it was that they were there... he tilted his head, looking, there weren't starfish on her head... no they really were a part of her. How curious.

"Do you posses magic?" he asked when she said she felt, "The portals are magic." He chuckled softly, "Some are... we call them sprites or fairies... the little ones, and some have wings... brownies and others... but not all do and some are much larger than I - pixies, they can be tiny... but when they choose, twice my size or more."

He nodded, "It is true... some do not wield weapons well and some do many things poorly."

Durstan canted his head as he looked at her, drawing his fingers back, "I gave you my name, you may keep it, as I will keep yours... My memory is long, I do not forget."

wolfie

"What's magic?" She asked having never heard the word before. She wondered if he was talking about her watery gifts. They weren't numerous, but sufficed for the time being.

"Oh that is what you mean, then I'll keep your name too. Brownies? Do you eat them? Do you have wings?" She said sounding like a large child. She basically was considering how much the village elders didn't know of the outside world. She thought it a shame nobody had ventured out before.

"Someone should teach them how to do it right."

Marjorie

Durstan smiled. She was indeed very much like a child. "Magic?" He picked a stray flower... little daisy growing in the grass and held it in his outstretched palm for her to watch. It grew, the flower grew a little larger... the stem branched out new leaves and he grinned at her. "That's magic... one of the ancient energies of this world."

He laughed. "Oh no... we don't eat brownies... that would be rude indeed. They are little fairies... people, humans, call them house fairies sometimes. They like to organize and clean... if you leave them a cookie, they'll likely polish your silver or do the dusting or maybe find something you lost long ago... Though if you anger them they might steal some trinket or break your crockery."

He turned, looking over his shoulder and then turned around, so she could see. "No, no wings that I can see," he teased playfully.

"You're right, someone should," he agreed, "but it's hard to change a man... easier to teach a child."

wolfie

Meri watched as the flower grew without being in the ground. She was practically mesmerized by it. The first time she had seen and realized what magic was. Sure she had seen it before, but nobody in her village knew that was magic or that she had any.

"Guess flying would be out of the question then. I'll just have to see if I can befriend something with wings I've heard its scary flying. Hmm little people who help others for a reward. Now you are pulling my leg," she said watching him.

"Well then why don't they teach the children so that when they are men its already they know how to use them properly? That would be a good solution."

Marjorie

Durstan smiled. She was very much like a child naive in an innocent way and curious about everything around her as if she'd only just opened her eyes to the world around her.

"I do not know anyone that can fly who could carry you... but, there are many kinds of things that fly – some people even, but not me. I don't think it would be scary... I think it would be fun to drift on the breeze.

"I never lie... Fae creatures do not lie,"
that did not mean they could not twist words or mislead... they were very good at speaking in riddles and twisting words when they chose too. "But I could pull your leg?" he was teasing, though half tempted... just to see how she would respond, "Brownies are small," he held his hands a few inches apart, "and they only do favors for people they like."

He was quiet a moment. It was a good question, a very good point, but obviously the solution wasn't as simple as that. "It would be a good solution, but it is not as simple as that... Neither you nor I can chose who will have a child... and not all people are good and even of those who are, not all of them are responsible or make good parents. A parent or mentor must choose to teach a child in such a manner... I cannot make it so." He could help in some ways though... like planting the idea in this so obviously, easily molded mind. 

Nemo

"Hep squidaped oit~!" A gravely voice came from the treeline, but that was only prelude to the stink. It came suddenly, and all at once - a godawful reek that made skunks that dined on garlic and rolled in all manner of vile humors smell like primroses by comparison. The smell was a physical force, and it filled the clearing quite quickly.

"A pair of trousers! A pair of trousers! Sodding trousers nutter! I gave them three weeks trousers maybe so! Sod!" The voice came again and... A thing shamble into the clearing in a kind of akward stagger, devoid of all direction and sense, its dark, filthy red coat with gold-ish fringework dragging behind it trough the grass. "Here we are again to save the universe such as it trousers the lot of em." He said to a tree, frankly, like he was greeting an old friend.

Madcap Turnip shook the leafy protrusion of a sapling for a full three seconds, his horrible old top hat lifted and held over his heart a moment, like he was greeting a lady, and bowed with a series of creaks. His species was indeterminate, as was his gender - calling the apparition male was a courtesy to common narrative decency alone - really, the creature could have been anything.

"Slipping bush whistler." He said kindly. "Whoops! There's the be~ll!" And with that he staggered sideways and released the leafy hand he's been shaking, hat replaced on his head deftly.  It was only then that he noticed the fey and the medusian girl.

"Well there's a trouser's trouser. Fancy a biscuit, mister teaweasle?" He said, and started to shamble in their direction, accompanied by a sort of mindless low-key muttering.

wolfie

Meri listened to what he said. She found it fascinating that anyone would consider flying fun. It was strange that nobody else was about, and yet she wasn't sure if she wanted anyone else there. He was teaching her she knew that. The lesson though she didn't mind.

"Are you talking physically here? I don't think I'd like my leg pulled. If not then it wouldn't be the first time someone pulled the wool over my eyes," she said remembering the childish pranks those in the village played. She didn't always like them.

"What do brownies do to those they don't like?" She asked picking that up quick. She understood what he was saying about children and learning. She found it sad that some people were unfit parents. She wanted to say something about that but wasn't sure what. It was then that the other one showed up.

Meri watched him wondering why he was talking to a tree. He made no sense to her, and wasn't about to say as much. He looked dirty as if he just came out of a mud hole. She stayed back not sure what to make of him.

Marjorie

Durstan grinned. The girl seemed to catch on quickly. "I will not then." He hummed a moment, "Words easily deceive... they always mean what they say, but sometimes the meanings can be unclear, twisted or turned around... I do not wish to deceive you though."

"They can be mischievous, tricksters," Durstan said, "they might steel little trinkets or break things... hide things from you or tie your shoes together when you aren't looking."

Durstan cocked his head to the side, picking up the foul stench before it wafted into the area like a physical thing. The scent, besides being foul, was complex... layered and, he surmised, the result of filth more than anything else. He watched the creature's strange actions and listened to the nonsocial words and also noticed that he made Meri uncomfortable. He moved a touch closer to her, as a comfort, and watched as the strange creature approached them. "No," Durstan had always been weary of accepting cooked foods from strangers unless he was within Serendipity... for fear of iron pots. "DO you talk to the trees often?" he asked, though he was rather sure, while he might talk to the trees that they didn't talk back, because they didn't like to be manhandled.

Nemo

The apparition shambled closer to the pair until, appearantly, he decided to stop, his arms left dangling a little at his sides. His face wasn't visible below the hat or above the scarves, tunics, massive coat, and miscellaneous oddiments that covere him from head to toe, but dark eyes were just visible in the gloom, and they were watching the pair with interest. A solid ten seconds passed with him staring intently before with a fluid motion, he grabbed the brim of his hat, an sagged his body several inches as the hat remained exactly at the same hat, achieving an effect like a courtsey mixed with a hat tipping.

"Was the bloody trumpet, my foot itches like blazes!!" He exclaimed jovially. With the hat replaced, he set into a sort of ground-state conversational mutter, and said

"Give it to them blue on the buttered side! THE BUTTERED SIDE I SAID! I said, I said! My aren't your apples a rasputin! Have you jellybeaned them tommorow?" He asked, like he was talking about some grand new thing! He leane towards them conspiratorially and said, with a furtive glance around at his surroundings, as if someone was going to overhear

"Everyone's rooting for the wall weasles this season, and now the worm is an oyster! Hoohoohoo they done us out so they think but we'll show them the wrong end of a blind man's nipple, so we shall! Ohh yes, you can bet on it with your poking stick, old Blie Ass Fly is going to win the race! And you can tell em' that Madcap Turnip told ya!" He said, as if imparting trade secrets to another craftsmen, or the sauciest gossip to be had.

wolfie

"I'm glad that you won't deceive me," she said then listened further about brownies. She liked to learn and knew there were many things in this world she would be learning. She wondered what else this fae could teach her.

"Well I'll just have to keep my eyes open then. Is he okay?" She asked having listened to more of the babble. She wasn't sure she liked this other guy and made sure not to be too close to him. She didn't trust him and wondered how to stay as far away from him as possible.

Marjorie

Durstan smiled down at the girl before his eyes flicked back to the stranger shrouded in an odd assortment of clothes. His words were garbled nonsense to his ears, but he got the feeling that they had had meaning to the stranger – there was a name in there Madcap Turnip – and that he meant to convey some real meaning even if it was beyond Durstan's grasp.

He noticed the way that Meri shied away as he approached them and he drifted a little closer to her, putting himself half between them in hopes of putting her at ease. She was very much like a child to him and it made him feel protective even if he had no claim to her. "Do not worry, beag aon, I do not think he means you any harm," thought of that he could not be overly certain, his hand came to rest on her shoulder, "and if he does I will not let him." Of that however he was unmovablly sure.

Nemo

The strange traveler looked thoughtful for a moment or two... then began to shuffle onward again, turning a little bit like an airplane, elbows extended... then simply continued his offbeat coat-dragging scuttle of doom. Again that sort of low-key mumble started up again.

"with that Rasputin's hollow foot, he ate all the trousers and lived happily ever after. The biscuit. The biscuit? What is this madness!" but then when his voice came next, he turned and looked directly at the pair, lifted his hat, and did one of his odd little bow-courtseys under it.

"G'day!" in a clear tone, and with that, he wandered out of the clearing - admittedly into a tree, accompanied by howling and strange expectorations, but after the tree line closed after him, the stench quite faded, and the sound of his voice disappeared.