The Twofold Houses 5: Rebuilding

[Arkhosia]

Spoiler

Show

[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.

[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.

Playing Around

Whereas the Mithars and polite and Anika is candid, Blanche's response seems to fall somewhere in between. She lifts the cup and saucer to provide Bastion with better access as he comes over to pour the imaginary tea, acknowledging him with a nod and a smile.

"Erm, what do we at a tea party exactly? I don't... know this sorta thing," Blanche asks Cessie in a quiet voice, leaning closer to try and avoid Jillian from hearing. She's unsure if it would be proper to ask the kid herself here.

[Gullara]

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

Laela yanks her hand back and frowns vaguely upward. "Hey! Why're you so mean?" She chastises. Laela is abandoned, though, as Lapis finds their goal. Lucy and Russell scamper after her, Laela's protests not making an impact. At least Sarget stays with her, but he doesn't offer an immediate solution.

"A turtle!" Lucy points, even if the other kids already saw. "You were right, Lapis. Woooow!" She gets right up to the edge of the pond, her shoes getting muddy.

Russell ranges around the edge of the pond, getting another angle. Maybe finding a sport he can get a closer look.

[Playing Around]

Bastion plays pouring tea for his mom as well, giving her a big smile. Oh, but Anika is asking questions. "Um..." He thinks for a moment. "Uh huh, kinda." He confirms, though he doesn't really think of Garn as exactly the same as others that are around here to attend to chores and other needs.

[Shadowcaller]

Playing Around

Cessie simply smiles in response and turns to her daughter. "Ladybug, why don't you explain to your guests what people do at tea parties?" She inquires before taking a small pretend sip of tea.

"Huh." Anika observers as she looks down at her empty mug for a moment and then leans closer to Bastion. "Being the only boy with two sisters can't be easy, keep it up kid." She remarks as she gives him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

[Rebonack]

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

The lizard isn't mean. The lizard is imperious. This is his domain and none shall challenge his sovereignty.

Will Laela EVER manage to get this lizard off her head?

Only time will tell.

Meanwhile!

Our heroes have met their objective! Turtle found.

The animal's shell is brownish grey in color while the rest of its skin is a pretty mottled combination of yellowish green and brown. The turtle has her neck stretched out, enjoying the sunshine. She watches the approaching children with big orange eyes, turning her head slightly to better regard Russell.

"Look, there's another one!" Lapis points out as another turtle surfaces.

But then, drama!

The second turtle climbs up onto the log, smaller than the first one. He's much more brightly colored with a domed shell and vivid black with yellow stripes coloration. He begins scooting along the log-

-only for the bigger turtle to firmly plant a foot on his shell and push him off the log!

Betrayal!

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

"First I'm going to close this before I bleed to death," he says, not a little tersely, wincing as he starts to cut his leg free of his pants leg with medical scissors. "And hope it holds. Then I'm going to see... see something. Cassie mentioned being pulled under her bed, but through a door... she mentioned lots of doors, actually." He shivers. The look in his eyes is hard as ice. "I'm gonna go see if that thing's door is still open."

[Gullara]

[Evening Vigil]

Sakura watches him for a moment, her expression hard to read. Then she kneels down next to him. "Let me help." She offers.

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

Laela huffs and accepts her fate for the moment. She simply follows along with the others, lizard and all.

Bloop! Into the water the turtle goes. Lucy gasps. "Oh no! The turtles are fighting!" She cries. She wants there to be two turtles and for them to be friends! It's not much of a fight, all things considered.

[Playing Around]

Bastion grins and snickers. He turns to go back to the play kitchen for a moment.

"Okay!" Jillian agrees. "You sit around the table and have tea and scones. And you dress all fancy." She pauses and looks at the two guests. "But that's okay you never knew it was a tea party. And then you talk about ladylike things." She nods.

[Rebonack]

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

Laela arrives with the King of All Lizards! He approves of his new mobile throne. Much better than just sitting on top of that fallen root-wad all the time.

"I don't think that counts as fighting," Lapis says as she watches ripples expand across the pond's surface thanks to the fallen turtle. "It was just one push."

One push doesn't make for much of a fight.

Dejected, the colorful turtle decides to haul himself up onto the muddy pond's bank near Lucy instead. He cranes his neck to look up at her. He's really pretty! Way prettier than that other turtle who pushed him off the log. This spot isn't quite as nice as the log, but it'll have to do.

Lapis frowns a bit.

"He just wanted something warm to sit on," she observes before declaring. "I'm going to go find a big flat rock for him!"

And then she goes scurring off into the underbrush in search of a sufficiently flat, dark colored rock for the turtle.

[Arkhosia]

Playing Around

"Oh." Well, it sounds pretty straightforward to her, if a little odd. More the activity that's being imitated than the choice itself, at least - cultural differences didn't change the simple fact that some kids love to play house or dress up in costumes, even on other worlds.

"I don't know if I would've had anything suitably fancy even if I had known though, honestly," Blanche comments in good humor, smiling. "Tell me though, what sorta topics fall under ladylike? Dances? Gossip? Cute boys"?

[Shadowcaller]

[Playing Around]

"Gossiping, usually." Cessie clarifies with a laugh.

"And what do the boys do during that time? Serving you?" Anika gestures at Bastion. "I actually hang out with the boys while the other girls were talking." A beat. "Kinda like your sister I guess. Does Cora ever join these?" She stares down into the empty tea cup for a moment. "Don't think she's much of a tea person."

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

Sakura watches him for a moment, her expression hard to read. Then she kneels down next to him. "Let me help." She offers.

[Evening Vigil]

Adir almost turns her help away, but he knows he can't afford to right now. And besides, he tells himself, there's no need to be pissy. The stag can't just expect her to believe him out of hand... but the fact that she won't even attempt to test what he says is exceedingly frustrating to him.

He'll try to guide her through helping him with the gruesome process of cleaning and stitching up the gash along his leg. The others get a lighter treatment. He's still not sure about his finger, so he just splints it roughshod for now and starts to get his legs beneath him. He gives Sakura a long look when he's up. "Trust me," he says, trying his damnedest to inject warmth into a voice that's all too cool.

"Cassie!" He grabs the iron piton. "Come here for a minute, baby. Dad needs you to hold onto something."

[Gullara]

[Evening Vigil]

"Cute boys?" Jillian sticks out her tongue. "Boys aren't cute. Only girls are cute." She declares.

The girl glances at Bastion as Anika indicates him. "Bastion's playing Garn right now, so he serves thee tea." She explains, though she doesn't clarify who Garn is. She moves on to the next question. "Cora never wants to come to my tea parties. She just wants to run around and play with her sword." She crosses her arms, quite put out!

[Evening Vigil]

Sakura stands up afterward. While she doesn't say anything, her trembling hands throughout say more than words. She takes a steadying breath, but the tension is anything but relieved afterward. "What are you doing?" The dryad asks, though it's not a question that needs an answer. Her tone says this is a bad idea, and her look is a warning.

Even so, Cassie breaks away from the group and approaches her parents. "Hold what, daddy?" She asks.

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

"Looks like fighting to me. Why can't they both sit there?" Lucy protests. She kneels in the muck in front of the turtle to get a better look. "Hey turtle." She greets with a friendly smile.

Laela comes up behind her sister and looks over her at the new turtle friend.

Russell, though, hears what Lapis is up to. He turns around, back to the pond, and looks around for good rocks. He's gonna help.

[Rebonack]

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

The turtle cranes his neck to peer up at Lucy, his throat slowly going up and down. She might get the impression that he is hoping SOMEONE will be nice to him today.

The lizard watches the goings on from his perch on Laela's head. It's kind of silly that he's still up there.

Lapis, meanwhile, finds a great big flat rock laying in the marshy earth!

"Russell over here!" Lapis calls, pointing at the stone. She crouches down and hefts at it!

NNNNNNGGH!

It's pretty heavy.

"Can you help me lift it?" she asks the flower-headed boy. "We can roll it toward the pond."

If Lapis WASN'T in the shape of a tiny, frail child right now then she could probably move this rock easy. But getting help from her friends is more fun.

[Arkhosia]

Spoiler

Show

[Playing Around]

"Gossiping, usually." Cessie clarifies with a laugh.

"And what do the boys do during that time? Serving you?" Anika gestures at Bastion. "I actually hang out with the boys while the other girls were talking." A beat. "Kinda like your sister I guess. Does Cora ever join these?" She stares down into the empty tea cup for a moment. "Don't think she's much of a tea person."

[Evening Vigil]

"Cute boys?" Jillian sticks out her tongue. "Boys aren't cute. Only girls are cute." She declares.

The girl glances at Bastion as Anika indicates him. "Bastion's playing Garn right now, so he serves thee tea." She explains, though she doesn't clarify who Garn is. She moves on to the next question. "Cora never wants to come to my tea parties. She just wants to run around and play with her sword." She crosses her arms, quite put out!

Playing Around

Blanche can't help but laugh at that declaration, although she tries to make it as much of a ladylike giggle as she can manage - it's only right she keep with the spirit of teatime, after all. "Amen, Madame, amen."

"But hey, don't get too worked up over it. Some folks just lean more towards running around outside, others like dressing up and drinking tea. But just because she doesn't wanna do the latter, doesn't mean you two can't find something in common," the catgirl offers. "Say... you like playing the lady, and she likes playing the warrior. Maybe the lady would want to hold court, listen to the warrior's accomplishments and send her on adventures?"

[Gullara]

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

"You're a really pretty turtle." Lucy praises. She wishes she had a treat to give to the turtle, but they never thought of that. Oh well.

Russell perks up when Lapis calls. He runs over and pauses to take a look at the rock. That's pretty big. Without comment he tries to help Lapis shift it. Hopefully it's not too big, because Russell's not even as big as Lapis. They might need extra help if it's not as flat as it looks.

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

Sakura stands up afterward. While she doesn't say anything, her trembling hands throughout say more than words. She takes a steadying breath, but the tension is anything but relieved afterward. "What are you doing?" The dryad asks, though it's not a question that needs an answer. Her tone says this is a bad idea, and her look is a warning.

Even so, Cassie breaks away from the group and approaches her parents. "Hold what, daddy?" She asks.

[Evening Vigil]

As much as Adir hates to do it, he forces himself to ignore her. Anything they can get out of this is important. He still has no plans to be cruel. He just... holds the harmless piton out to Cassie. His palm and the piton together must seem very large. "It's very important to me. It literally saved my life a couple of times, in fact." That's not a lie, either. This climbing gear has seen some work. "I have to go do something and I want you to hold onto it while I'm away. Can ya do that? It won't be long." He smiles his sweetest smile, holding back the pain within and without.

[Gullara]

[Evening Vigil]

Cassie looks at the piton with interest as he explains that. The more she looks at it, though, the more uncomfortable she feels. Adir will be able to feel the tension in the air, both the aversion from Cassie and Sakura suddenly looking like she's going to spring. Cassie reaches her hand forward, and Sakura takes a small step toward them, but then the girl yanks her hand away and clutches it to her chest. "I don't wanna, daddy." Tears well in her eyes. She's so conflicted. Daddy says it's important, but she really really doesn't want to.

[Shadowcaller]

Playing Around

"Oh yeah! You can be like her queen!" Anika blurts out, but she only pauses for a moment as now she might as well keep going. "And she can be your knight, just like Blanche said. That's a really awesome idea." She gives the catgirl a pat on her shoulder. "Maybe you can even have one of those- whatdoyoucallthem... tourney's? Like, you can sit and watch her beat her open friends in combat like a really royal person would."

Cessie raises an eyebrow at this idea and takes another pretend sit of tea. "What a curious idea, lady Jillian." She remarks neutrally.

[Gullara]

[Playing Around]

"Huh." Jillian scrunches up her brow, thinking that over. "That sounds fun. Only if Cora wants to do it." She frowns. She feels doubtful. Her big sister doesn't ever seem that interested in playing with her.

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

Cassie looks at the piton with interest as he explains that. The more she looks at it, though, the more uncomfortable she feels. Adir will be able to feel the tension in the air, both the aversion from Cassie and Sakura suddenly looking like she's going to spring. Cassie reaches her hand forward, and Sakura takes a small step toward them, but then the girl yanks her hand away and clutches it to her chest. "I don't wanna, daddy." Tears well in her eyes. She's so conflicted. Daddy says it's important, but she really really doesn't want to.

[Evening Vigil]

Adir's lower lip wobbles and he manages a flinching smile. He doesn't understand Sakura. What does she think he's going to do? Attack the poor kid? Something inside the stag considers it, of course, but he quashes such urges. Yes, there's a chance this is just a creature masquerading as his kid. No, he's not entirely clear on how changelings work. But... it's still got Cassie's face. It still cries. It still knows how to break his heart.

He puts the piton down and extends his hands toward Cassie. He tries to fold her close for a quick hug. "That's okay, kid, that's just fine. Sorry. Don't worry about it."

[Rebonack]

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

What sorts of treats do you give turtles, anyway?

Does anyone here actually know the answer to that question?

Regardless, the turtle bobs his head slightly. Maybe he agrees with Lucy's assessment. Maybe he's just doing turtle things.

One way or the other, Russell and Lapis flip the rock over! It lands heavily in the marshy earth with a loud splat and sprays muddy water everywhere.

It might get Lucy and Laela.

It'll DEFINITELY get Lapis and Russell.

"Okay! Let's flip it again!" Lapis says, undaunted by the mud. Once more she hefts at the rock!

Just two more flips and it'll be right next to the pond for the turtle to lay on!

[Gullara]

[Evening Vigil]

Cassie looks up at Adir a moment longer, and then surges forward to give him as big a squeeze as her little frame can manage.

Sakura steps back and her shoulders slump. She looks at the two with a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. The conflict is clear on her face. There's something not right, but...

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

Splash! Russell isn't bothered about being splashed. He giggles and bends over again to help with the next flip. It's a good thing kids have infinite energy, because this is hard work.

Laela yelps and hops away from the splash. "Heeeey! Careful!" She complains. The lizard is undoubtedly getting jostled atop her head. The girls backs off even farther, back toward Sarget, when the rock gets flipped more.

Lucy isn't at all bothered by the light spray that reaches her, nor the following two flips where it splashes her even more. Her legs are already all muddy after all. When the rock is close enough, she sits back up on her knees and point toward the rock. "Look, you got a spot to sit now."

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

"Alright, baby, why don't you go and get the other kids and come back over here? We've gotta go." He releases Cassie and gives her a gentle push on the back. He stands up to face Sakura. "Are you gonna do what I asked?"

[Rebonack]

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

The turtle looks at the rock.

The wet, cold rock.

He seems unimpressed.

"Oh! I know!" Lapis says as she kneels down really close to the rock, takes a deep breath, and-!

It isn't fire.

It's something that's kind of like fire.

But it isn't fire.

Lapis did say she's a dragon, didn't she?

Steam curls off the stone as it heats up. Certainly not enough to glow, but enough to make the water begin evaporating. Warmth now radiating from the rock, the turtle climbs atop it and closes his eyes, content.

"We did it!" Lapis cheers. Obviously finding a warm sunning spot for a turtle was the whole reason they went looking for turtles, right?

[Gullara]

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

The girls cheer along with Lapis and Russell wears a satisfied grin. "You're welcome, mister turtle." Lucy says, imaging the turtle is thankful. She bets he is.

That aside, though, Laela is curious! "Did you breathe fire, Lapis?" She asks. It wasn't really like how Cora breathes fire, though.

[Evening Vigil]

Cassie nods and runs over to her siblings.

Sakura looks at Adir for a long moment and then nods. "We'll wait at Cessie's until you get back... Be careful, though." She squeezes her arm.

The kids come rushing over and Sakura stands to usher them around her. Behind them Sarget steps closer. He tries to meet Adir's eye and then steps by them to stand by the house and wait for them to be done. "Okay kids, we're going to stay at Auntie Cessie's for the rest of the night, okay?" The kids murmur among themselves. Usually that's exciting news, but the events of the night put a damper on that.

[Rebonack]

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

It didn't really look that much fire. It was way too bright, for one. It wasn't all flickery or coming in sheets. Not like the fire in the fireplace at all. It was more like... loops? Like a swinging jump-rope coming in waves.

The kids probably don't have much context for what a solar flare looks like. Honestly neither does Lapis. She doesn't really know the words for describing what she does, either.

"I guess so?" Lapis replies uncertainly. "Maybe just a little bit. I just needed to make the rock warm for Mister Turtle."

Well there we go.

Mystery solved.

Then she thinks about that a bit longer as she stands up, her knees all wet thanks to the marshy soil around the pond.

"But... I guess it isn't like any of hearths that we've got at Vigil. Maybe it isn't fire?" she wonders.

Lapis really isn't an expert on different types of fire. She just breaths it sometimes.

[Arkhosia]

Spoiler

Show

Playing Around

"Oh yeah! You can be like her queen!" Anika blurts out, but she only pauses for a moment as now she might as well keep going. "And she can be your knight, just like Blanche said. That's a really awesome idea." She gives the catgirl a pat on her shoulder. "Maybe you can even have one of those- whatdoyoucallthem... tourney's? Like, you can sit and watch her beat her open friends in combat like a really royal person would."

Cessie raises an eyebrow at this idea and takes another pretend sit of tea. "What a curious idea, lady Jillian." She remarks neutrally.

[Playing Around]

"Huh." Jillian scrunches up her brow, thinking that over. "That sounds fun. Only if Cora wants to do it." She frowns. She feels doubtful. Her big sister doesn't ever seem that interested in playing with her.

Playing Around

Blanche's cheeks light up a tad at Anika's affections, nodding in agreement. "And if anyone gets into an argument about whether or not a stab actually hits or something, you can come down and decree if it did or not." She certainly remembers the good ol' "yeah it did- no it didn't" arguments from growing up.

"I'm sure she'd be happy to have another person to play with, and I doubt it's anything personal. Just, y'know, not having a thing you two enjoy playing together yet. But maybe this'll be different." They aren't too different by age, right? Surely not enough to distance the two of them too much?

[Murkus]

[Evening Vigil]

"Always," Adir agrees. He meets Sarget's gaze as the treant plods by, but he has nothing more to add. At least until he gets to the kids.

"Don't worry guys," Adir kneels down near them. His face radiates warmth and reassurance. "I just want to make sure everything's safe here. It's my job to keep you safe. I'm sorry things got so scary just now." Adir's throat bobs a little, and his eyes narrow to slits. "But you don't need to be scared. 'Kay? Now c'mere and gimme a hug. You gotta get going."

The stag tries to give Sakura another quick embrace before they go. From here it's a simple matter of retrieving his other gear from the garage and reentering the twins' room. Fully dressed in his more modern ballistic/stab-proof armor, he crouches down and lifts Laurie's bed to examine what lies beneath. He's gonna feel awfully silly if there's nothing there any more. But between what Cassie said and the darkness pooled there when he burst in the first time...

[Shadowcaller]

Playing Around

"That doesn't sound too bad does it, Lady Jilli-"

"You gotta have a tournament!" Anika interrupts as she raises her hand into the air.
"All you need is a big sheet of paper and write, like, 'Jillian's big tournament' on it. Maybe with a drawing of two knights fighting for effect. Then you write a date when it happens and put it in the Frescot house. You got a guaranteed audience right away! Then all you need to do is arrange for some duels that you can judge. Super-easy." Anika makes a gesture of brushing off her hands against one another as Cessie raises her eyebrow in the druids direction.

[Rebonack]

[Evening Vigil]

It's still there.

A roiling, inky cloud of darkness, tendrils of gloom rolling across the floor like tainted fog. Through the dark Adir will be able to make out a flight of stairs leading to...

Somewhere.

Have you ever noticed that... uneasy feeling you get sometimes looking down a long hallway full of doors? A lurch in the pit of your stomach that something is off? It happens in other places, too. Empty places. Places that just feel... eerie.

That's the feeling the stairs give off.

The feeling that you're standing at the threshold of something and if you take even a step more the world will fall away from you.

It's rather literal, here.

Adir stands in the Waking World. But just beyond are the Seventy Steps leading to the land of slumber. A foul thing crept up those stairs. And there are no doubt more of them to be found beyond. It's enough to leave any man quaking with fear.

But...

They have his daughter.

Go give 'em hell, Adir.

[Gullara]

[Evening Vigil]

"Adir." Sarget's voice rumbles in from the broken window. "Such places are more dangerous than you know. More than physical threats, wily beings will attempt to deceive you." However Adir reacts to his warning, Sarget's next action doesn't change. He doesn't seek to stop Adir, nor does he expect any words would if he wanted to. Adir may be interrupted by a loud crack, after which Sarget puts his hand in through the window. "Take this, and if I can find another passage I will be able to find you." It's a branch, laden with cherry blossoms. It's green at the base where it was broken away.