The Twofold Houses 5: Rebuilding

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Uh oh.

It's ON now!

The lizard, not one to be out-done by some flower headed kid, expands his dewlap! The neck flap is all bright red and very intimidating. Just to make sure the message gets across the lizard begins head-bobbing, too. You better watch out Russell this lizard means business.

Lapis, meanwhile, has an even more pressing problem.

At Laela's proclamation Lapis' ears lay flat.

"Oh no, what did I get wrong?"

Basically everything, Lapis.

"I haven't actually seen a normal deer before."

Ah, well, that explains it doesn't it? The girls could probably tell Lapis whatever they want regarding deer appearances and she would buy it.

[Gullara]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Russell scowls at the lizard. So that's how it is. The boy squares his shoulders and holds pushes his arms out a bit further from his body. He's bigger and more imposing than you.

The girls remain unaware of the confrontation happening behind them. Even if Laela should still be keeping an eye on Russell. Lapis is rather distracting.

Laela giggles. "It's okay, we can help." She's quick to reassure.

"Yeah, like you're supposed to be brown." Lucy adds helpfully.

"Mmhm, and deer have short fur."

[Rebonack]

[New Friends (and also a lizard), New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Oh no.

No way.

The lizard isn't about to throw in the towel. Not yet.

Not when he still has his best and most intimidating move to use.

The lizard gapes his mouth open and hisses while head-bobbing, showing off his dewlap, AND doing pushups.

There's no way Russell will be able to top that.

Lapis, meanwhile, looks down at herself.

"Brown fur? Umm... okay... maybe if I..." she mutters moments before her scales sort of... unfurl? It looks almost like they're turning themselves inside out until they aren't scales anymore, they're brown fur. It is, in a fashion, like watching a cloud changing shape as the wind blows it about.

There's a problem, though. The fur is dark brown; a rich chocolate color. Like the color of the brownies that Lapis brought. Not deer-fur brown at all!

It is deeply unfortunate that there are so many different kinds of brown.

"Like this?" Lapis asks, smiling excitedly. Oh wow look at her teeth. Those aren't flat deer teeth at all.

[Arkhosia]

[Playing Around]

Jillian turns to Anika and steps closer to investigate. "You're not gonna break it, right?" She questions with a critical look at the improvised seat. Anika's pretty big. She probably weighs lots. "That box has my toys in it." She warns. That should tell Anika the gravity of the situation.

[Playing Around]

Anika looks down at her new seat. "Nah, I'll be super-careful." She claims with a nod as she gives the toy box a pat. "I don't weight that much. I'm really mostly muscles. Just some padding that's hard to get rid off once you get to a certain age you know?" She gives her chest a pat.

Cessie eyebrows raise. First of all she very much doubted Anika was even that old, second of all she also doubted that her daughter even knew what she was talking about. Hopefully her behavior wouldn't reach inappropriate levels while they were here.

Playing Around

"Besides, if she does break it, she can turn into a bird or a snake, right?" Blanche offers, glancing towards Anika for confirmation as she elaborates. "Those forms are much more lightweight, so the toys should be safer that way? Assuming you've got the reaction time for it." The catgirl refrains from correcting Anika and pointing out that muscles actually weigh more than fat.

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

The kids appear in a big pack just ahead of Sakura as they pile out of the house. They run to Adir and join the girls. It's immediately a cacophony of voices, expressing fear, admiration, concern, and more. Overall the kids are relieved. Sakura kneels down next to the group, Adir's bag placed on the ground in front of her. She does not look relieved. She looks at Adir with barely suppressed terror behind her eyes.

[Evening Vigil]

"It's okay, I'm okay, all's okay-- ooph!" Adir is buried in children. He manages to stay upright, but just barely. He does his best to hug them all.

He looks to Sakura in the deluge of child's cries and meets her eyes. Just for a quiet moment. "Kids? Kids. Can you go check on Sarget and make sure he's okay for me? Please? I need to talk to mommy."

The moment he can soothe their concerns and scoot them away, he tries to pull Sakura close too. Gods, he probably needed this almost as much as she. He hugs her tight. "It's okay. It's okay. It's--" His voice cracks a little. "We're okay. I'm gonna make it okay. Listen," he whispers. His breath shivers. "You need to listen carefully. Take the babies to Cessie, and then get away from the gate, too. Just for now. And do not let Cassie out of your sight. Do you understand me?"

[Gullara]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Russell is not scared of some hissing! This lizard doesn't know who it's dealing with. He's not gonna back down. The boy takes a couple firm steps forward, not giving up his stance. You back down, lizard.

Hm, well it's getting better. There's lots of work to be done, though.

"Try a lighter brown." Laela suggests. "With white spots."

Lucy scampers over a short ways and grabs a fallen branch. She breaks off a few pieces and runs it back. "And antlers look more like this." She holds up her reference.

Laela touches her chin and frowns. "I don't think girl deer have antlers."

"Oh yeah."

[Playing Around]

"You can turn into animals?" Jillian's eyes go wide. She never met Anika before, so this sounds fascinating.

Bastion's interest is less piqued in the background, though he only saw her turn into a bear before. He just continues prepping for tea time, committing to the role for a moment longer at least.

[Evening Vigil]

The kids reluctantly pry themselves away from their dad, but once they get moving they all surge over to Sarget and wrap their arms around his legs and arms.

Sakura moves closer, kneeling next to her husband. She takes his hand. "What's happening, Adir?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Playing Around]

Cessie raises an eyebrow. "I don't think that would matter if the box's already broken, miss Turath." At least it wouldn't matter to the children. She could already hear the angry cries.

Anika leans over the table, her glowing amber eyes focusing in on Jillian alone. "Yep, I'm gone in a flash and boom, I'm a big fluffy animal. You got any favorite animal, Jillian? Since I might be able to turn into it."

[Arkhosia]

Playing Around

The catgirl blinks. "Er, yeah, I guess that's true. Didn't think about what the pieces of the cover itself would do." Shapechanging probably isn't a wise thing to use as a reactionary escape action anyways, now that she thinks further on it. What if Anika's reflex for that sorta thing is to turn into a bear?

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Uh oh.

The lizard is taking that step forward as provocation.

It has one secret technique remaining, and it deploys it.

A wide frill suddenly LEAPS up around the lizard's neck as it jumps straight at Russell's face!

Lizard attack!

Lapis, meanwhile, considers those suggestions. A wave of color washes over her, like iridescence on a cuttlefish, replacing the dark hue with a lighter one along with with white spots. "Like this?" Lapis asks.

And then bad news about the antlers.

"No, my mom definitely has antlers and she's a girl," Lapis objects. "Maybe only some kinds of girl deer don't have antlers?"

She's not expert on the subject, though.

[Gullara]

[Playing Around]

"Wow!" Jillian's eyes light up. "Can you turn into a seal? Seals are the cutest." It's a known fact.

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

"Maybe there's different kinds of deer. I don't know what those look like, though." Laela decides after a moment of thought. Not without a reminder if she does actually know, at least.

"If they do they probably look like this, though." Lucy holds up her reference branch again.

Meanwhile in the background Russell yelps and stumbles backward. He trips over the uneven ground and lands on his butt.

Laela responds to that noise immediately. Her eyes go wide and Lapis can catch a brief look of horror before she turns and rapidly scales the log. "Leave him alone!" She stomps down on the other side and will rush at the lizard if it's still menacing her brother. Animals may not be afraid around her, but that effect can be broken pretty easily if need be.

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

The kids reluctantly pry themselves away from their dad, but once they get moving they all surge over to Sarget and wrap their arms around his legs and arms.

Sakura moves closer, kneeling next to her husband. She takes his hand. "What's happening, Adir?"

[Evening Vigil]

"I'm not completely sure myself, but... Sakura, I am pretty sure that thing took Cassie away and left something that just thinks it's her. I don't believe it's gonna hurt anyone, but I'm not clear on all the rules here, either. Cessie might know more, or be able to get in touch with someone who does."

"I think that dream I had really was with Cassie. She... tried to describe that... thing." Adir looks ready to clench his fist, but the pain in his finger dissuades him. "And I've got a crazy idea how I can get to her. I've gotta hurry. She's lost wherever they took her. Other things like that might be looking for her, too."

"I just... need you to help get me mobile. I can't do it all myself." He looks down at his wounds a little regrettably. He'd hoped he'd never have to ask Sakura for this...

And of course, this is all assuming she'll go along with it. The stag seems only dimly aware of how crazy all this still sounds. He's too focused on Cassie.

[Shadowcaller]

[Playing Around]

Oh crap.
Seals, or rather sealions though Anika couldn't tell the difference, were one of the first animal forms druid learned to assume yet Anika hadn't exactly followed the standard form of education so...

The druid opens her mouth as if she was about the say something yet seem to hesitate when it comes to the actual words that's supposed to come out of it. "...is a bear good? They're kinda seal-like." Anika says as she gives Jillian a hopeful look.

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Reference branches are very helpful!

Lapis sort of... looks up at her antlers as they being swirling and reforming. It's that strange folding motion again. It looks pretty! All the little parts rearranging themselves in geometrically pleasing ways.

"Looking like something I haven't seen before is hard," Lapis concludes. "Are there any deer in the woods that aren't your dad?"

That's a pretty good question.

Deer really like forests there must be some around, right?

But then horror and tragedy strike!

Laela, the brave girl that she is, moves to protect her broth from the menacing lizard!

There's only one problem.

This lizard knows no fear.

Confronted with a new challenger it stands up on its hind legs and rushes toward Laela with its mouth agape and frill wide! It won't bite her or anything if it reaches her. It'll just start clambering up her leg while hissing and being intimidating.

Lizard attack!

"That's a mean lizard," Lapis concludes after a few moments of consideration.

[Gullara]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

"Uh huh, som-" Lucy is interupted by her sister breaking off. She follows behind, though the log is more of an obstacle for her.

Laela is successful in getting the lizard away from her brother, but now it's coming at her! The girl squeals in shock. "Get off me!" She tries to push the lizard off of her.

Meanwhile Sarget has very quickly closes the distance he was keeping from the children, though he doesn't spring into any immediate action. He recognizes quickly that the lizard isn't dangerous, even if the children are startled.

[Evening Vigil]

Sakura looks back towards Cassie, who's clustered with the other children around Sarget. She looks back at him, confused and certainly no more assured. "Adir... you can't tell me that's not our daughter." It doesn't make any sense. Not on any level. She knows her children, and that Cassie there is just as much her daughter as any of the other children. She just knows it. It puts Sakura totally at odds with what Adir is trying to explain.

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

The lizard definitely isn't dangerous.

But it IS distressing.

It scrambles all over Laela, finally settling on back in that one place where reaching things is impossible. It just sits there, clinging to her and hissing.

This lizard fears nothing.

Lapis, who is currently bereft of hands of any kind, doesn't really have anything she can pull the lizard off Laela with.

Except, maybe, her mouth.

But Mister Fallview, one of the adventurers at VIGIL, told Lapis that she shouldn't put random animals that she finds in her mouth! This leaves her with a conundrum. What should she do?

"Do you want me to get it?" she asks.

[Arkhosia]

Playing Around

Blanche giggles. "I mean, bears do have some ties to seals," she comments cheekily. Never mind that Anika can't turn into a polar bear specifically.

Well, as far as she knows, at least. She's not even sure what kind of bear Anika does turn into, now that she thinks of it. There's a good chance it might not even be any of the types of bear she's actually familiar with from the planets she saw back home.

[Gullara]

[Playing Around]

"Bears aren't as good as seals, though." Jillian says confidently. She turns and walks across the room, then comes back with her arms wrapped around a large, very round plush seal. She holds it out for Anika to grab. "This is Clover." Provided Anika takes the toy, she heads off again, behind the play house this time. She comes back with yet another seal, this one a lighter colour. "And this is Poppy." She holds the seal out to Blanche.

[Shadowcaller]

Playing Around

Blanche is completely missing the fact that both bears and seals belong to two different but similar subgroups the carnivora family thus making them relatively closely related...

...is something Anika would have said if she knew anything about real life taxonomy.

Instead, she crosses her arms over her chest. "Oh yeah? Prove it." She challenges as Jillian goes to get her seals.
"...damn, that's pretty dang good." She remarks once she's staring at the seal plushie in her hands. "You win this one, little lady."

[Gullara]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Laela turns in place, trying to reach the lizard unsuccessfully. "Get off!" She's a bit distracted to answer Lapis's question herself.

Russell gets back to his feet and watches the show. He giggles, audibly even.

"Um, can you? It doesn't look like it wants to be grabbed." Lucy says. She'd help herself, but that lizard seems pretty upset.

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

The lizard, in spire of Laela's emphatic command, does not get off.

What a rude lizard.

Lapis nods at Lucy and will trot over to the lizard, open her mouth-

Oh.

Oh wow.

Those are definitely not deer teeth.

Biting onto the lizard with those will probably hurt it.

Lucy has maybe a second or two to object to this course of action while Lapis is lining up a chomp that won't catch Laela.

[Gullara]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

"Lapis! Don't!" Lucy shrieks when she sees those sharp teeth. That's scary and not okay!

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

Lapis gives a little eep as she jumps back, startled by the sudden shriek. She really wasn't expecting that at all! Did her friends realize that the lizard is super dangerous and would hurt her if she tried to eat it?

"What, what's wrong?" she asks, briefly eyeing the lizard before looking around for any other source of danger.

The lizard, meanwhile, concludes that his aggressive pushups and hissing have succeeded in scaring Lapis away. Why else would such a fearsome predator retreat?

Undaunted, the lizard climbs onto Laela's head and begins headbobbing triumphantly.

[Arkhosia]

Spoiler

Show

[Playing Around]

"Bears aren't as good as seals, though." Jillian says confidently. She turns and walks across the room, then comes back with her arms wrapped around a large, very round plush seal. She holds it out for Anika to grab. "This is Clover." Provided Anika takes the toy, she heads off again, behind the play house this time. She comes back with yet another seal, this one a lighter colour. "And this is Poppy." She holds the seal out to Blanche.

Playing Around

Blanche is completely missing the fact that both bears and seals belong to two different but similar subgroups the carnivora family thus making them relatively closely related...

...is something Anika would have said if she knew anything about real life taxonomy.

Instead, she crosses her arms over her chest. "Oh yeah? Prove it." She challenges as Jillian goes to get her seals.
"...damn, that's pretty dang good." She remarks once she's staring at the seal plushie in her hands. "You win this one, little lady."

Playing Around

Blanche's eyes raise as the plush is placed into her hands, a slim smile crossing her lips. "Indeed," she simply agrees, placing Poppy into her lap. "I used to have a stuffed animal or two once, back when I was growing up. Weren't any animals quite as cute as these, though." She seems to have missed Anika's swear. Or perhaps she didn't grow up thinking of swears as something you don't let kids hear, although it was probably the first.

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

Sakura looks back towards Cassie, who's clustered with the other children around Sarget. She looks back at him, confused and certainly no more assured. "Adir... you can't tell me that's not our daughter." It doesn't make any sense. Not on any level. She knows her children, and that Cassie there is just as much her daughter as any of the other children. She just knows it. It puts Sakura totally at odds with what Adir is trying to explain.

[Evening Vigil]

Adir looks at her for a minute. The light in his eyes is deadly serious. There's still a practical man buried under his goofball persona and the traits of a loving father. He knows he doesn't have time for this and he can't afford to let Sakura believe Cassie is real. He knows this is right. Hobbins gambit helped confirm it, and everything that had happened seemed to confirm his dream. Even so... he'll be glad to test this for himself, too.

He reaches into his bag and pulls out an iron spike - the kind for assisting in a difficult climb. He must have all kinds of gear in there. "Take this and touch it to her arm. You don't need to poke her or anything. Just get it in contact with her skin. But-- but just..." He winces. "Maybe get her away from the other kids first."

[Gullara]

[Evening Vigil]

Sakura recoils from the presented spike. "I will not." She clutches her hands against her chest. "Adir, you're being crazy. I'm not doing anything like that to our daughter." She's firm, defiant. She squares her shoulders and presents an immovable obstacle to this reasoning.

[Playing Around]

Jillian giggles. She sits at the table, leaving Poppy and Clover in their care. "Bastion, is the tea ready?" She calls. The boy comes over dutifully. He holds a teapot... a plastic teapot. This bodes ill. She pours out a cup each of imaginary tea into plastic tea cups. "Thank you, Bastion!" Jillian lifts the teacup and mocks a sip.

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

"Don't hurt it." Lucy scolds. She disapproves of animal hurting!

Laela calms a bit after another moment. She stops turning and she tries to look up at the lizard on her head, unsuccessfully. Oh, it's not really doing anything.

Russell keeps laughing, his territorial response faded away now.

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

"I wasn't going to hurt it," Lapis objects. "I was only going to eat it."

There, see?

Way different.

The lizard wouldn't have been hurt at all.

Just a quick chomp and then it's all over.

It's clear from Lapis' tone that she doesn't quite get what the problem is here.

Like the Frisbee, it would appear as though there are more than a few concepts she just doesn't get. The girls might have to explain to Lapis why eating random lizards isn't a great idea. What if it has parasites? What if it's got a mommy lizard and baby lizards to go home to? What if it's a magical wish granting lizard? Lots of things!

The lizard, meanwhile, is totally doing something.

It's claiming the top of Laela's head as its sovereign domain.

There will be no dislodging it, now. Laela will have a lizard on her head forever.

[Shadowcaller]

[Playing Around]

Anika looks to Bastion as he pours their pretend tea. "So are you like her servant or something?" She asks the boy as she takes up the tea cup.

Cessie for her part hasn't remarked on Anika's swear, instead she too turns to her son. "May I also have a cup of tea, Bastion?" She asks with a smile.

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

"God damn it Sakura, I am your husband. I'm the father of your children. I know this is hard to accept, but you need to trust me when I say that we don't have time for this right now. This is the only way I can think of to prove this to you." He looks at her. Gods, she's not going to flip on this, is she? His frustration boils. "Gods, if you won't help me, I'll do it myself." He drops the spike and starts to get out his medical supplies, trying not to show how all-around upset he really is.

[Gullara]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

"Eating is hurting!" Lucy insists. She's her mom's daughter, alright.

Laela gives up trying to see the lizard on her head. Even looting up as much as she can with her eyes, all she sees is her own wide hair. Instead she reaches up and tries to poke the lizard. Just a little poke.

[Evening Vigil]

Sakura purses her lips. She's not wavering. Still though, she's not wholly in opposition, just in defense of Cassie. She says, hesitantly, "What are you going to do?"

[Rebonack]

[New Friends, New Games, and a Basket of Brownies]

"I guess I won't eat it then," Lapis sulks.

But then!

She notices, just beyond those bushes, a pond in a little clearing! With a log floating in the middle of it!

"Oh there's a pond like what turtles live in let's go!" and then she darts off through the bushes and briefly out of sight. Should the other children follow they'll find the little half-drow girl kneeling at the edge of the pond and smiling.

A turtle!

Sunning itself on the log! Mission accomplished? The log is pretty far out of reach, though, and the turtle doesn't look like she has any intention of moving.

Meanwhile, Laela pokes the lizard.

It hisses loudly at her.