The Twofold Houses 6: Multiplying like rabbits

[Rebonack]

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"Because if you make a mistake you might set something on fire! Or get sand on something?" Lapis counters. She isn't totally clear on what it is exactly that makes Bastion's breath dangerous. It's just sand, right? Sand hasn't ever hurt anyone before as far as Lapis knows. "But Law of Blades makes it so a sword I've got'll ONLY cut the thing that I want cutted. That makes it extra safe."

Maybe the safest.

Then Cora asks several very good questions.

"She's Miss Aadhya and she is really good at swords but I don't think as good as Mister Wenomir," Lapis recollects.

That goes without saying.

NO ONE is as good at swords as Mister Wenomir.

"She showed me some of the different things she could cut since I was asking her to show me a whole bunch. Like she showed me how to cut the rotten wood out of a tree without hurting the tree and how to cut the weeds out of the grass without hurting the grass. Those were pretty normal things to cut I guess OH! and she showed me the leaf trick, too. She said it's better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war."

Lapis wrinkles her nose, trying to remember what the woman had said about division.

"And she said the art of cutting is the art of division; making one thing two. I said yeah that's what cutting means but she said I didn't understand yet."

Probably something esoteric that Lapis isn't quite grasping.

[Gullara]

[Mithar Sleepover!]

Cora wrinkles her nose. "Those sound like chores. That's why we have gardeners. Sword girls don't do that." She claims. "Did she say anything about fighting people?"

[Rebonack]

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"Miss Aadhya said that her master taught her to do sword arts by doing chores, though," Lapis counters. "And I think she's a sword girl probably?"

Sword woman?

"Maybe learning to do regular things is important for learning to do special things with swords?"

There are many things Lapis doesn't understand. This definitely falls into that category.

"And I do lots of gardening stuff at VIGIL. I make sure the trees are nice and the bushes are trimmed and things like that; I'm really good at it."

Sounds like Lapis disagrees that sword girls don't do chores. She has extensive personal experience with things like that.

Either way, she offers Cora's wooden sword back to her again.

"She didn't really talk much about fighting people. I asked her about that and she said any idiot can turn a man into a ghost and that she doesn't share her knowledge with idiots," Lapis recounts. "I think she's the sort of person that's fought lots of people and doesn't want to do that anymore. There are lots of people like that at VIGIL."

Lapis likes bugging random adventurers about their backstory. She uses the Notes section of her quest log to write them down.

"I don't think most of the people at VIGIL are there 'cuz they want to fight people, they're there because they want to help people."

[Shadowcaller]

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"That's not why Sakura doesn't carry around the older ones, ladybug. She just carry around the small ones and you won't be small for much longer. You can ask her yourself."

[Midsummer's Eve]

"She is and I'm afraid I've been roped into it, dear." Shanti remarks as she watches Anika interact with the children. "They're arranging a big game for all these younglings, including you. Anika insisted that we should come in fact. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she wanted to impress you." Her mother smiles coyly.

---

"All sort of games, Lapis." Anika unhelpfully explains. "But don't worry..." She peers closer at the girl as if trying to recall something. "...Lucy, it's only a challenge. I'm pretty sure you're up for it. I just hope that not any of you are too afraid of snakes."

Speaking of which, as everyone appears to be here now Cessie comes walking towards the children looking for her oldest daughter. She had a duty to perform!

[Recaiden]

Oh, Jillian sounded off there. Maybe if they as the other kids had stayed at the front with her, it wouldn't be so bad to be stuck there.
He just didn't think of it. And now it wouldn't make sense to go back. Maybe later...

Ziselle was going to ask for a ride as well, but he's distracted by seeing the hatchlings up close. "Hello tiny dragons. Wow. Why are you all different colors?"

"Good day Spako, Adir, Laurana." Arlem, several steps back, gives them a wave. The hatchlings, she thinks, won't mind not being greeted by name.

[Gullara]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Cessie would have to agree with Jillian, that felt rather abrupt.
She still nods to the two as they enter but then turns to her daughter. "Why don't you join the others, Ladybug? Lucy must be eager to see you now."

[Midsummer's Eve]

Dad

"Only eight months? They're already so big!" Adir looks at Spako's babies with wide eyes. Gods, he's glad Sakura doesn't make them that big. Or so many at once. They'd eat him out of house and home. Well, more than they already do.

And here comes another one. Seeing Ziselle toddle up, Laurana swivels to peer at them. "Hi," she drawls, sing-song. "I'm Laurana." Introducing herself, just like mom and dad taught.

Oh, Jillian sounded off there. Maybe if they as the other kids had stayed at the front with her, it wouldn't be so bad to be stuck there.
He just didn't think of it. And now it wouldn't make sense to go back. Maybe later...

Ziselle was going to ask for a ride as well, but he's distracted by seeing the hatchlings up close. "Hello tiny dragons. Wow. Why are you all different colors?"

"Good day Spako, Adir, Laurana." Arlem, several steps back, gives them a wave. The hatchlings, she thinks, won't mind not being greeted by name.

[Midsummer's Eve]

Jillian beams up at her mom and then she turns and runs off. She does need to go see Lucy, but for now she runs after Ziselle, gathering her skirts up in front of her so she doesn't trip. "Wait! I'm coming too!" She calls after Ziselle and Arlem. She comes up alongside the former, about to remark something to the other kid, but instead gets distracted. "Oh! You have babies!"

[Rebonack]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Lapis GASPS at Wenomir's story!

"Oh no that's..." she begins, only to trail off. "Oh. That isn't so bad, is it? Challenges are fun!"

She sure likes them.

And then at Anika's warning she rather loudly proclaims, "I'm not afraid of snakes! Not even a little bit!"

She is a brave child who fears no snakes!

"Are YOU afraid of snakes, Cora?" she asks, turning from one friend to another. "Lucy? Laela?"

Surely none of her great and brave friends are afraid of snakes.

"I know Russell isn't he isn't afraid of lizards either!" she continues, pointing at the child slowly escaping on the back of the toy tortoise. Is Russell afraid of anything? Not that Lapis is aware of.

[Arkhosia]

Out For a Hike

Spoiler

Show

[Out For a Hike]

"We go out in the woods lots." Laurana chimes in.

"But only with mommy or daddy or grampa Sarget." Cassie adds. Sakura smiles proudly.

"What kinda stuff are we gonna see?" Laurana asks curiously. Calanthe has high expectations to live up to now.

Blue, meanwhile, remains quiet for the moment. She stays close to her mom while the other two crowd closer to Calanthe.

Calanthe can't help but giggle a little. "Well, little one, I can't exactly say for sure! I've never been through this neck of the woods, and I'm afraid that for all of my knowledge I'm certainly no manner of diviner." A statement that's not entirely true - technically, their new guide is a trained haruspex.

"But that's part of the fun now, isn't it? You can never be truly certain of what you might find out there. And besides, even if we don't see anything big, I'm hoping I can give all of you an appreciation for the smaller things just beneath your nose." And with a cheeky little gesture to the tip of her own, Calanthe will turn and gesture for the family to follow, starting to follow the path down into the woods.

[Deathkeeper]

Midsummer's Eve

"Well, dragons are pretty big, Adir." Spako starts to say but is suddenly attracting children left and right. He should have expected this.
Most of the hatchlings seem to be asleep except Hiedie the gold who is clearly attempting to escape without success from her holster.
"Hullo, Arlem. Hello, children." He does, in fact, have babies. But they are unable to answer Ziselle's question.

[Murkus]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Dad

Given the overwhelming number of children now gathering, Adir decides to focus on Arlem. He smiles and thrusts out his hand. "Hi, there. I'm sorry, have we met?" Maybe at Watchtower? Another place from the old days? He's trying to remember...

Babs

"Wow, that's really specific Wenomir. I wonder if--" Laela starts, her face full of oddly mature and sardonic amusement, before Lucy's ever-rushing voice interrupts her.

"Snakes? I love snakes! I mean. Daddy says to be careful with them since Cern got bit, but I think that was a special kind of snake. Anything that lives in the forest loves us." Lucy nods. "I found a snake once that was like a little noodle. He wrapped around my finger and didn't leave all day." So that's a 'no' to being afraid of them, then.

Russell and Cassie (one of the Cassies?) continue to plod off bravely atop their tortoise unless steered back. They may be looking for mayhem to wreak. Or maybe not. Who can say?

[Morty]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Wenomir looks between Cora, Laela and Lucy. Right, one thing at a time. Before the kids overwhelm him with numbers.

"I do have a challenge for you, yes." He reaches out with his hand, on which is a round, black stone. "Anyone who can steal this stone off my hand will get a token." Cora might remember similar exercises from her training sessions with him.

[Gullara]

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"Miss Aadhya said that her master taught her to do sword arts by doing chores, though," Lapis counters. "And I think she's a sword girl probably?"

Sword woman?

"Maybe learning to do regular things is important for learning to do special things with swords?"

There are many things Lapis doesn't understand. This definitely falls into that category.

"And I do lots of gardening stuff at VIGIL. I make sure the trees are nice and the bushes are trimmed and things like that; I'm really good at it."

Sounds like Lapis disagrees that sword girls don't do chores. She has extensive personal experience with things like that.

Either way, she offers Cora's wooden sword back to her again.

"She didn't really talk much about fighting people. I asked her about that and she said any idiot can turn a man into a ghost and that she doesn't share her knowledge with idiots," Lapis recounts. "I think she's the sort of person that's fought lots of people and doesn't want to do that anymore. There are lots of people like that at VIGIL."

Lapis likes bugging random adventurers about their backstory. She uses the Notes section of her quest log to write them down.

"I don't think most of the people at VIGIL are there 'cuz they want to fight people, they're there because they want to help people."

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"Well you don't have to fight people." Cora shifts. Villains are okay to fight, but she's got a new tactic anyway. "You can fight monsters! Monsters who are terrorizing people. Someone's gotta do that."

Bastion moves over to the book shelf and pulls one at random off it. It appears to depict some manner of terrifying sea serpent on its cover. "Heroes stop monsters like this." He presents the book for Lapis to observe.

"Heroes like sword girls!" Cora emphasizes.

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"That's not why Sakura doesn't carry around the older ones, ladybug. She just carry around the small ones and you won't be small for much longer. You can ask her yourself."

Jillian looks skeptical. This doesn't line up with the way she wants the world to be. "I will ask her." She declares, certain her amiable aunt will agree with her.

Out For a Hike

Calanthe can't help but giggle a little. "Well, little one, I can't exactly say for sure! I've never been through this neck of the woods, and I'm afraid that for all of my knowledge I'm certainly no manner of diviner." A statement that's not entirely true - technically, their new guide is a trained haruspex.

"But that's part of the fun now, isn't it? You can never be truly certain of what you might find out there. And besides, even if we don't see anything big, I'm hoping I can give all of you an appreciation for the smaller things just beneath your nose." And with a cheeky little gesture to the tip of her own, Calanthe will turn and gesture for the family to follow, starting to follow the path down into the woods.

[Out For a Hike]

The two girls before Calanthe nod along. "Okay!" Laurana falls in behind her, Cassie right after her. Sakura puts Blue in front of herself and takes up the rear of the procession. Off they go!

[Rebonack]

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"Oh yeah there are some really bad monsters I don't think they count as people," Lapis agrees with a vigorous nod. "Like this one time I was helping my sister look for these bad robots but on the way there we met some villains that were summoning SKELETONS to try to steal this thing from somewhere? I'm not sure what the thing was for but the people in the building were really afraid of the skeletons but I wasn't afraid and me and Eao (that's my sister) and our friend Zab (he's an angel I think but a different sort than me) beat up those skeletons really good and the police captured the villain and took him to jail."

Which is obviously where villains belong.

"It turned out there were LOTS of bad robots so we told VIGIL where they were and I didn't get to help with that mission," Lapis huffs, crossing her arms.

It isn't fair!

She helped find the bad robots but Cessie and Wenomir wouldn't let her help FIGHT them!

And then a book is forthcoming!

Wow that sea snake thing sure is intimidating looking.

"Is that one of those books you were telling me about, Cora?" she asks, leaning forward for a better look. "The one you wanted for Thanksmas?"

[Recaiden]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Arlem takes Adir's hand and shakes it. She has a more solid grip than it would look like.
"I'm Arlem. At Watchtower. It's been..several years now, hasn't it?"
"You seem to be doing well, though." She waves a hand at, well, not all the Frescots, but as many as can reasonably be indicated.

Ziselle pauses and looks back at Jillian, smiling as she catches up.
"They're so cute, right?"
"Can they come out and play, Mr. Spako?" The gold baby dragon clearly wants to join the festivities, after all.

[Gullara]

[Midsummer's Eve]

"I'm not afraid of anything." Cora proclaims boldly. Especially not snakes. Not that she's encountered many snakes, really. But on principle she isn't.

Cessie will undoubtedly hear Cora's voice, with the way it carries. She's quite distracted by Anika right now, though.


Jillian nods her head vigorously. "Very cute!" She turns to look at Spako too. "Yeah, are they big enough to play?" Jillian's become familiar with a threshold where small babies are not so small and helpless. She's more familiar with more human shaped babies, though.


Natharia puts her hands on her hips. She gives her mom and unimpressed look. "Uh huh. What sorta games. Looks like it'll just be for little kids." She looks back at the other people again. There's no one here that's her age.

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"Yeah! This one's one of my favourites!" Cora snatched the book from Bastion, who gives her a sour look.

"Careful." He stresses. Books are just made of paper.

Cora ignores her brother and flips through the pages quickly. "Look at this." She holds open to a page with a black and white illustration depicting two girls riding a horse along a stormy shore with the silhouette of the serpent in the background. The girl guiding the horse is wearing a dress, while the one in the back holds a sword aloft.

[Rebonack]

[Mithar Sleepover!]

Paper can be tough!

Sometimes.

If you're careful with it. Which Cora isn't being

Lapis watches curiously as Cora flips through the book and settles at the neat picture.

"So that one's the princess?" she asks, pointing at the girl in the dress. "And that one must be the sword girl."

And clearly the horse is the horse.

It's hard to mistake a horse for anyone else.

"That snake is really big how are they going to beat it with a sword?" Lapis asks. She has a few ideas about how she would approach the problem of facing something that big but she isn't sure what a normal child would do.

[Arkhosia]

[Out For a Hike]

The two girls before Calanthe nod along. "Okay!" Laurana falls in behind her, Cassie right after her. Sakura puts Blue in front of herself and takes up the rear of the procession. Off they go!

Out For a Hike

The forest stretches up to greet them as the party ventures forth down the well-trodden path - and soon enough, greenery is all around them. Bright ferns curl and rise beneath the shelter of venerable trunks and sturdy oaks in friendly clusters, springing from loamy soil amongst patches and fields of flowering plants. Dogwood, miner's lettuce, lily-of-the-valley, and even a few more fantastical variants that some of the Frescots are no doubt able to recognize by now. But all this verdant life doesn't seem to be what makes Calanthe so excited, her eyes drawn down not to petals and bark but to fallen logs and mossy rocks.

"This really is a wonderful place to live so close to, I don't think even I had this level of access to such a gorgeous forest growing up." She looks back towards the Frescots with a smile, adjusting the brim of her hat a little as her ears idly flex to pick up the sounds of the woods.

[Shadowcaller]

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"You should next time you meet her, ladybug." Cessie nods to her youngest and smiles. "But why don't we go to the kitchen and see if we can arranage for some food for Lapis and your sliblings?"

[Midsummer's Eve]

"Challenges made by the adults. Like Wenomir and your aunt." She gestures at the VIGIL leader as he's preoccupied talking to Lucy. "I'm sure they'll adjust them for you, dear as they're individual. You won't have to work with all these children." She strokes her chin. "But perhaps you should point that out to them? You're the oldest one here after all." Which clearly should take priority.

Meanwhile, Anika raises an eyebrow at Lucy's claims. "All the animals?" She asks in amazement. "Is your mom or dad a druid?" Adir did look kinda druid-y...

Meanwhile, Cessie starts approaching her older daughter. "Cora, you remember that you're supposed to lit the fire, right?" She asks with a smile.

[Gullara]

[Mithar Sleepover!]

Paper can be tough!

Sometimes.

If you're careful with it. Which Cora isn't being

Lapis watches curiously as Cora flips through the book and settles at the neat picture.

"So that one's the princess?" she asks, pointing at the girl in the dress. "And that one must be the sword girl."

And clearly the horse is the horse.

It's hard to mistake a horse for anyone else.

"That snake is really big how are they going to beat it with a sword?" Lapis asks. She has a few ideas about how she would approach the problem of facing something that big but she isn't sure what a normal child would do.

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"Well she can't beat the serpent with the sword, but she's protecting the princess while they do their plan!" Cora explains, moving quickly beyond the limitations of swords.

[Mithar Sleepover!]

"You should next time you meet her, ladybug." Cessie nods to her youngest and smiles. "But why don't we go to the kitchen and see if we can arranage for some food for Lapis and your sliblings?"

"Okay! Let's go." Jillain agrees with a big smile.

Out For a Hike

The forest stretches up to greet them as the party ventures forth down the well-trodden path - and soon enough, greenery is all around them. Bright ferns curl and rise beneath the shelter of venerable trunks and sturdy oaks in friendly clusters, springing from loamy soil amongst patches and fields of flowering plants. Dogwood, miner's lettuce, lily-of-the-valley, and even a few more fantastical variants that some of the Frescots are no doubt able to recognize by now. But all this verdant life doesn't seem to be what makes Calanthe so excited, her eyes drawn down not to petals and bark but to fallen logs and mossy rocks.

"This really is a wonderful place to live so close to, I don't think even I had this level of access to such a gorgeous forest growing up." She looks back towards the Frescots with a smile, adjusting the brim of her hat a little as her ears idly flex to pick up the sounds of the woods.

[Out For a Hike]

"The forest is very pretty! I love it." Laurana chimes in with her agreement.

"We love to explore! Mommy says we always have to stay with an adult, though." Cassie looks thoughtful. "Does that mean you can take us sometime?" Unfortunately the adults are outnumbered by the kids, so they can only facilitate so much forest exploration.

[Deathkeeper]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Dad

Given the overwhelming number of children now gathering, Adir decides to focus on Arlem. He smiles and thrusts out his hand. "Hi, there. I'm sorry, have we met?" Maybe at Watchtower? Another place from the old days? He's trying to remember...

[Midsummer's Eve]

Arlem takes Adir's hand and shakes it. She has a more solid grip than it would look like.
"I'm Arlem. At Watchtower. It's been..several years now, hasn't it?"
"You seem to be doing well, though." She waves a hand at, well, not all the Frescots, but as many as can reasonably be indicated.

Ziselle pauses and looks back at Jillian, smiling as she catches up.
"They're so cute, right?"
"Can they come out and play, Mr. Spako?" The gold baby dragon clearly wants to join the festivities, after all.

[Midsummer's Eve]


Jillian nods her head vigorously. "Very cute!" She turns to look at Spako too. "Yeah, are they big enough to play?" Jillian's become familiar with a threshold where small babies are not so small and helpless. She's more familiar with more human shaped babies, though.

Midsummer's Eve

"Well, I suppose. But you're going to have to stay near me. The hatchlings have a habit of running off and I don't want Miss Mithar to spend her weekend looking for which corner they decided to hide in."
Spako undoes the buckle on Hiedie's little "holster" and lets her drop to the ground on her paws like a cat.
But shock! Betrayal!
She has been fitted with her own little harness connected to Spako's and appears to be on a 15-foot leash.

[Murkus]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Dad

"Oh, yeah!" Adir snaps his fingers as he looks at Arlem. "I think I remember. But I don't think we ever worked together much... What are you up to these days?"

He looks around at his various babies. "Yeah. Yeah, we're doing alright." He looks... contented. Maybe some niggling worries, but who doesn't have them? Although that leash that Spako is sporting for his hatchlings looks like it could abate some of them... "Say... that's not a bad idea, there..."

The hatchling Hiedie may be approached by a couple different Frescots altogether. Russell and Cassie, a green skinned boy and a little deer-girl, arrive riding on their wooden toy tortoise. They appear to be examining the hatchling intensely. This looks like a...

"...Battle!" says Cassie. "Mr. Spako, can Hiedie fight our tortoise?"

Babs

Lucy will, of course, slap a hand out immediately to grab the stone. She's pretty quick, and she's doing what her dad always said - 'Get them while they're still blabbing!' - but Wenomir is doubtlessly faster. Unfortunately she's too distracted with this attempt to tell Anika about how magical and great her family is.

"Lucy!" Laela says, indignant, before she's even finished her attempted snatch. And whether or not it succeeds. "He didn't even say go or anything!"

[Morty]

[Midsummer's Eve]

In the split-second that it takes him to react to Lucy's attempt, Wenomir does consider letting her grab it. Her boldness is admirable. But he does pull his hand back instead.

"That was bold and clever, Lucy. But yes, you should wait for me to give a signal. It's like in a duel. Cora can tell you about that."

[Rebonack]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Hmm.

Well.

Grabbing a rock out of Mister Wenomir's hand certainly SEEMS like it should be easy but Lapis knows that he's very fast and clever. She'll think about that one for a bit and come up with a trick way to catch the stone. Something he wouldn't anticipate!

For now, though, she turns to Anika!

"What's your challenge going to be, Anika? Is it grabbing rocks too?"

She's sure it must be something better than grabbing rocks.

Like...

Having to wrestle a snake!

That would be fun.


[Mithar Sleepover]

"What was their plan?" Lapis asks of Bastion and Cora. "Or-! Oh! Maybe I could read the book instead of you telling me?"

Strictly speaking Lapis has never actually read a book before.

Partly because she's odd and partly because she just hasn't really had cause to yet. But she DOES know reading and writing! Otherwise she wouldn't be able to record adventurer stories in her notes.

But then again, Cora might WANT to tell her what happened. Talking about stories can be exciting.

[Recaiden]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Cassie has a bold idea, but there's one problem.
"Tortioises can't fight." Ziselle protests. "They just hide in their shells."
"Hiedie would win for sure."

[Gullara]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Jillian looks concerned all of a sudden. "No one should fight." She says insistently. "We should play something nice."


Cora's attention drops immediately from where she was and she squeezes past the others to meet her mom. "It's time?!" She bounces up onto her toes.


Natharia glances at her mom, then shrugs. "It doesn't really matter. I don't care what a bunch of little kids think. Just as long as I'm not just playing baby games."

[Mithar Sleepover]

Cora opens her mouth to immediately blab, but Bastion cuts her off. "Cora!" She turns to him with an irate look, but he stops her again. "No spoilers." He presses.

"But-" Cora rocks on her heels, but Bastion's expression gets only more firm. "But there's all the books before this one. She'll take for-" Cora sighs and turns back to Lapis. "You can borrow the first book. This one is in the middle of the story."

[Rebonack]

[Mithar Sleepover]

Lapis really wouldn't mind that much if Cora told her what happens but Bastion seems to think that this is very very important.

And so?

She holds out her hands to take the book.

"I haven't ever really looked at books before," Lapis admits as she carefully opens it up and manages to do so without holding it upside down or anything similarly silly. "I don't think my quest journal really counts since it doesn't have pages or anything."

It is also an abstraction of sorts. There is no physical journal. Just the stories Lapis has recorded.

Her eyes wander over a few pages, starting at the beginning. Wow this is a whole bunch of words, isn't it? It would take her a long time to read all this data and properly organize it in her mind. Lapis doesn't want to spend a really long time decrypting all this stuff just to find out what the story hidden inside is! And Cora really wants to tell her about the serpent now!

So Lapis does the only reasonable thing here and evokes the Sphere of Information, drawing forth a copy of the story. An idea like that is a tenuous thing, unbound by matter and shape. Seeing such a thing is a strange experience. To see a story in naked form without a book or mind to hold it? Precisely what the twins will perceive is hard to say, perhaps what parts of the story resonate most strongly with them.

Then Lapis eats it.

Nom!

She holds the book with both hands, looking thoughtful for a moment or two, then-!

"Oh wow! It really IS a good story! The way they beat the Dread Forest Boar was SUPER smart I love it!"

What.

She can just know what's in books?! That seems really cheaty.

[Shadowcaller]

[Midsummer's Eve]

"I gurantee you there won't be any baby-games for you dear." Shanti remarks firmly as she glances at Wenomir. It looked like she would go around to make sure people behaved appropriately while dealing with her daughter. "And if you think they give you ones, just tell them alright? They should recognize you as the grown girl you are or they'll have to deal with me." She nods, more than willing to argue the point with the other adults. Should it come to that.

---

"It is." Cessie smiles widely. "Just get your gear on and met me at the bonfire." She'd offer to help but she knew that Cora would refuse it. Besides, she seemed to be able to get in on herself at this point.

She had let Cora pick out her own fire protective gear. While the girl was significantly more burn-proof than most people she still had to wear it when handling such large flames. Besides, what she had picked out made her look pretty tough.

---

"Oh yeah, it's going to be way cooler than grabbing a rock." Anika ensures the girl with a nod. "Though, uh, I might have to modify things for some of you." She had no idea that the Frescots had such a strong druidic heritage. She might have to come up with something different than what she had originally planned...

[Deathkeeper]

Midsummer's Eve

"Hiedie shouldn't be fighting. Her horns are too big and she doesn't know how to not use them." Spako insists. Hiedie does in fact have a pair of bull-like horns on the sides of her head despite her young age. They are currently covered by little cloth socks to keep her from poking someone with them.
She certainly seems eager to fight, staring down the approaching children and their tortoise. She does not comprehend the protestations of her father.

[Murkus]

[Midsummer's Eve]

Dad and Tortoids

The two children riding the wooden tortoise egg on their mighty steed. The glowing eyed, long-necked automaton leans out and... will attempt to gently bump it's beak into Heidie. More of an affectionate brush, really. A boop, you could even say.

"First blood!" says Cassie, throwing her fists in the air, and Russell mimics her with a stoic look on his face.

"Where did you even learn what that means...?" Adir ponders, mostly to himself.

Babs

"Shoot!" Lucy 'cusses', stamping her foot, but she's grinning all the time. She eagerly awaits a signal of some kind, bobbing on her heels.

Laela also looks over at Anika for now. She doesn't think she can get that stone from Mr. Wenomir unless he wants her to get it, and that seems pretty pointless, so she asks Anika, "Modify some things how?"

[Arkhosia]

Out For a Hike

Spoiler

Show

[Out For a Hike]

"The forest is very pretty! I love it." Laurana chimes in with her agreement.

"We love to explore! Mommy says we always have to stay with an adult, though." Cassie looks thoughtful. "Does that mean you can take us sometime?" Unfortunately the adults are outnumbered by the kids, so they can only facilitate so much forest exploration.

"Why, I imagine I could," Calanthe responds as she looks over towards Cassie. "I'm quite fond of the woods myself, I spent a lot of time doing just that when I was your age myself." She smiles. "There are a lot of cool things to see out here, are there any that you're really fond of?"