[PRPLog]A Healer and A Queen (Arcadius &Ekaterina Hopscotch)

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

((This is a Private RP starring my (~Latonia de la Courtel~)'s Ekaterina Hopscotch and Kyaishi's Arcadius.))



This way to Latonias Teepee



This way to Kyaishis Teepee

 

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Oolong: owo?
Katya: *stands protectively over her bunny because someone has already tried to eat him*

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Kyai: Arcadius: *Lifts a brow.* I don't make a habit of eating familiars...

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Oolong: *twitches an ear and taps impatiently at the watch*

Katya: Mhmmm... *distracted* yes yes, we're late Oolong... in a moment. *peers at Arcadius with interest* You are..of this land, are you not?

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Arcadius: *Blinks and tilts his head, slightly curious about the pocket watch.* I am... you don't seem as if you are. Are you lost? *Glances behind her.* Can I help you find your way?

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Katya: *grins in spite herself, as it is what Cheshires do of course, and then giggles* I thought so... Though, you look more like something from my homeland than here. At least, I should think. *glances around* I suppose you could say I am, though with little destination in mind it is difficult to determine when I am found. Am I allowed to have my own way here? All ways are the Queen's Ways, where I come from...

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Arcadius: *Starts a bit at the odd-looking grin, but relaxes despite himself, allowing a tiny smile of his own at the soft giggle.* Where are you from? Odd that someone like me would appear as if they belonged anywhere, honestly. *Squints at the strange words, though he stiffens visibly at her unintended admission.* You're a queen?

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Katya: *tilts her head, watching him react and then settle with interest* A land far from here, far further east than where we stand now.. Through a lake and many caves that lead back to my homeland. A long time holding your breath and swimming for all you are worth, to make it back there. *shrugs* You look as if you have walked out of Tulgey Wood itself. A Guardian amongst the trees, friend to the Toves and Mome Raths... *blinks at him* Oh,no.. I meant that in my homeland, one does not have their own way. All ways are the Queen's Ways, and you must do as she says... Or it's off with your head. I'm... Katya.

Oolong: *impatiently taps the watch again, though his mistress is clearly not looking*

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Arcadius: *Listens intently, ears twitching with curiosity and strange gravitation towards the mare as she speaks.* You swam to get here? It sounds like a long journey, did you come here for a purpose? *Smiles lightly at the casual description.* 'Guardian amongst the trees', eh? Sounds like a place that I'd enjoy. And ah, it's a pleasure to meet you, Katya. I'm Arcadius. *Dips his head politely.* Did your, erm, familiar imply that you were late to be somewhere?

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Katya: *She can't help but grin again, noting how intently he seems to listen to her story. It is flattering and comforting in a way, for she is sure it sounds mad indeed. And it does, of course, and is considering the source... But that doesn't make it less true. And it is the truth of the matter that Arcadius sees. That is, pleasing to her.* I did, I was the first. *She explains, a little proudly.* My sisters came after, because they would not let me go alone. There were others, but they do not seem to have arrived here yet. I am not sure if harm has befallen them or if they made a wrong turn and wound up in a different place... I am not sure how to find out, either. So I go forward, because there is no way to go back, but if there was that would likely be it. *she shrugs, tail lashing back and forth, spiraling all the while, and her paws drifting out of sight as she shifts on them. They appear a moment later, her claws raking the grass restlessly.* It is lovely, and dark and cool there under the trees. Resting under the Tum Tum tree is a pleasing way to pass the afternoon, and chasing the Jub Jub bird is always amusing. The pleasure is mine, Arcadius of this Land. *she sighs* Ahh, yes. Oolong always thinks we are late. I try not to notice.

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Arcadius: *Eyes her odd-looking tail, ears and grin as she speaks of her home, sure that it must be a fascinating place if such things are normal, and nods a bit until she stated that she was the first and only. He meets her gaze with a curious tilt of his head, looking a tad bit impressed.* You came alone? That must have been an interesting trek. I hope that the others aren't hurt. *Pauses here to frown thoughtfully.* I am a healer, if any of you are ever in need of assistance. I do tend to wander, though, so I'm not sure I could give you somewhere to find me. *The admission was sheepish, but he looked glad to hear of this lovely-sounding place, and he made a satisfied noise.* It sounds wonderful. Maybe I should venture there someday, if I ever find myself wanting to take a journey of my own. *Smiles a bit at the oddly formal welcome, but trains his gaze on the slightly odd rabbit.* Oolong, is it? What is he holding?

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Katya: *She flicked her tail again when she noticed him considering it, pleased by how the spirals constantly spun and twisted, her stripes wavering pleasantly even as the limb drifted into nothingness and then returned later. A most pleasing Cheshire tail, reason enough to be proud.* I did. I am sure my sisters will be along soon. Kit in particular is impatient, she would not want me to have all this adventure alone. And when she gets here, I am sure she will be ready for tea, and then Oolong will not fuss so. *She glanced at the rabbit fondly, shaking her head for a moment before she glanced back at Arcadius* A healer would be welcome indeed,in this strange land where I know little. And until I find my sisters and a place that speaks of home, I am afraid I shall also wander. Still, it is nice to know I have someone to call on, and perhaps I can reach out to others in this land to find you, if you have wandered away? *She smiled when he seemed to approve of her home* It is very beautiful indeed, with many fine tea parties and gardens that sing away the afternoon. I miss it beyond counting, but I was told it was in danger and a new home needed to be scouted. And so, here I am. I should very much hope it is not in danger, and if it is, that you might see it before any harm would fall. If not, it would be a pleasure to share stories of it with you. *she grins down at the rabbit again* It is a watch, which we in my homeland use to keep time. it must be wound regularly or the gears within will go to sleep... But Oolong is most clever about keeping it ticking away.

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Kyai: Arcadius: *He found himself slightly mesmerized by the tail that seemed to fade in and out of existence, never having seen anything like it in his life, but accepted the oddity without question- he supposed carnivorous plants were just as strange to some, although they were not nearly as pleasant to look at. He nodded slightly at the mention of what he assumed was one of her sisters, and though he looked slightly confused at the mention of 'tea', he didn't question it.* I hope it won't be too long, in that case. *Softens slightly at the admission that these lands were unfamiliar, instincts to help rising just a bit.* You are more than welcome to come find me, but if you suspect that you or your sisters will need help, I would be amenable for keeping my own wandering to a minimum, for a while. *Smiles slightly, but sobers at the mention of danger in her old home.* I hope the danger passes quickly, I am sorry to hear of it. *Looks down towards the watch with avid interest, but doesn't edge towards it, wary of scaring the small creature.* Fascinating, I've never seen anything quite like it.

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Katya: *She shifted again on her paws, some of her indigo fur and aqua stripes drifting into ether tendrils, floating off her her limbs like mist. Between that and the spiraling and the disappearing, she supposed she looked every inch a stranger from the land she described. But, Arcadius didn't seem to mind in the least. That was, nice.* Thank you,you are most kind. And your offer for aid is, unexpected and very welcome. If any, it would be Kit I think. She is the youngest of us, and very strong willed. Though any could be harmed by accident, it would be Kit that found trouble by sheer stubbornness. Still, I would hate to inconvenience you. *She inclined her head in an accepting nod.* You are very kind.

Oolong: *pauses in the winding of the watch to show the ivory face and black characters to the stallion, hoping to express the urgency, and then taps at it for emphasis before snapping the lid closed and tucking it into a pocket of his waistcoat*

Katya: Yes, Arcadius is well aware the day is moving on.. But he is taking a moment to talk with us, he must not be constrained by time.

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Arcadius: *Despite the strangeness of her words and appearance, Arcadius found himself feeling completely comfortable around the feline mare- a rare occurrence, and one that he would undoubtedly appreciate for months to come, when his travels were solitary once more.* You are most welcome. *Smiles at the mention of a stubborn sister, nodding his own understanding.* I can certainly relate to that. And it's no inconvenience, I am a wanderer by nature, but I do tend to find myself settling for small periods of time when it suits me. *Glances down towards the rabbit again when it lifts the pocket watch, taking the opportunity to scrutinize it closely, but chuckles audibly when it taps the face again and tucks it away into the strange clothing.* The time is of no concern to me, but I don't want to keep you if you mean to be somewhere.

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Katya: Do you have a stubborn sibling as well, then? I am sure they do not mean to, but they can make life difficult. Still, I adore her and do not wish for her to be harmed. A healer would be, welcome. As again, even if my sisters find their way here... The others may not, and none of my kin are gifted with healing arts. *She tilted her head, intrigued by the possibility of tales of his wandering.* Oh, that is good to hear. If you might bide in this area for a time, perhaps we would meet again.

Oolong: *nods firmly at the stallion, seemingly no longer afraid*

Katya: *smiles at her familiar and Arcadius* It would be easier to be on time if we knew the others were coming. As it stands, can you be late if you are the only one present?

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Arcadius: *Smiles again, a bit gentler and warmer than before at the mention of his siblings.* Two, actually, a brother and a sister- though my sister would probably fit the 'stubborn' bill a bit more. She's a handful. *He said it with affection, and nodded at her own declaration.* I would be glad to help, if you find yourself in need of it. I can certainly confine my wandering to the surrounding area for a bit, it would be no trouble. For guidance as well, if not healing. *Nods back at Oolong with a small grin, pleased that the rabbit no longer seemed apprehensive about him, and glances back up at Katya with a short laugh.* I suppose not, especially if you're waiting on them.

 

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Katya rather liked his smile, how it seemed genuine and true and invited her to smile back at him. For whatever reason she trusted him, and therefore returned the smile with a grin of her own.

"I think many of my sisters could be described as stubborn, certainly a handful." She agreed with a twist of her tail. "There are six of us, but Kit is the youngest and has a very fierce will. Between that and her fearless ways, the presence of a healer would be welcome... Though she will argue she does not need it. Still, I thank you for the offer all the same."

She nodded at his words, her tail lashing back and forth. "Well then, there you have it. I am not late for anything at the moment, and that means I can stay and talk with you if you have the time. Oolong can be patient, or be a lookout if he is so worried they will arrive as we talk."

Kyaishi

 

[Kyaishi]

Heartened to see her relax in his presence, for the first time in quite a while, Arcadius let his guard drop completely, though he sighed as he felt the telltale rustle of his carnivorous plant freeloaders emerging from his thick mane. Hopefully, they wouldn't cause too much of a stir- they did tend to frighten off a fair few passerbys, but this feline mare didn't seem like she was phased by much. He scowled lightly as a soft snap and a hiss near his ear heralded the first appearance, though his attention returned wholly back to Katya as she spoke.

Snorting softly at the mention of stubborn sisters, a rueful grin twisted his mouth. He wouldn't change anything about his own for the world, but he reserved the right to tease her every now and again. Cerulean eyes rose again to meet her stare- overly bright and with no sclera, oddly enough- and his tail flicked as he nodded once more. "No thanks are necessary- I hope you never need it, but my services are at your disposal nonetheless." He thought back to the odd pair he had helped recently along the forest's edge, shuddering slightly at the remembrance of the young filly, close to death. "There are more dangers here than one would care to admit."

A low chuckle broke the stillness of the air as Arcadius glanced back down towards the impatient rabbit, tapping restlessly at his watch, before returning to the amused gaze of the grinning mare. "My time is all yours, m'lady. Would you like to take a walk, or will Oolong be insistent that you have to stay in one spot, so you are easier to find?"  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

It was interesting, to see a stranger smile in a way that seemed so shy and yet so open, and the Cheshire female couldn't help but let her oddly-bright eyes focus on it. Not that anyone of Wonderland could blame her, were they here to witness it. After all, Katya was used to Cheshire grins, to wide smiles that hid much and said even more. Grins that spoke of amusement and laughter at one's expense, of secrets known and paths obscured and all matter of riddles and silly things twisted up endlessly. There was a kindness edged in humor at one's confusion, in a Cheshire's smile.

Arcadius's smile was, different. Warm and appreciative and as he relaxed around her she couldn't help but relax in turn, sure now that he meant her no ill will. If the ticking of Oolong's precious watch seemed to grow louder in the moment, it was lost in the next with the rustle of plantlife.

Keen to each sound, Katya's ears flipped forward and her eyes fixed on the movement in Arcadius's sky-ocean mane. The dark-to-bright strands shifted, whispering over themselves to reveal vine-like tendrils and then suddenly, the snapping mouth of a carnivorous plant.

"Oh." She murmured, a surprised exhale. "It seems your bring with you your own companions too."

They were not alarming, though certainly a surprise to her. However, as Katya had fond memories of dancing around much larger varieties than the ones on her new friend's proud neck, she merely felt a sort of fondness and a gentle longing for home. The Snapping Swamp would be no more one day, and it was a comfort to see such interesting wildlife would live on... At least in one land.

"You are very kind to make such an offer, though I do sincerely hope you are correct and it is not needed. Still yes, I imagine this land is filled with its own dangers like any other might be." She let her attention be caught by Oolong, giving him a fondly exasperated sigh before turning back to her new companion. "You are most kind to offer me your precious time, and I indeed would like to spend it. So then, let us walk. As I am the first in this land, all the others will come after, and as long as we do not go too far I do not see the harm."

Kyaishi

 

[Kyaishi]

As Katya caught sight of the unfriendly plants emerging from the shelter of his thick mane, Arcadius couldn't help but allow himself a preemptive wince as they continued to hiss and snap loudly near his ears. Her words, however, dismissed his wariness abruptly. At the term 'companions', he raised a brow, glancing back at his uninvited freeloaders with equal amounts trepidation and incredulity. They were hardly friends- more of a burden and a pain to deal with, honestly, and the source of many an unwanted scare- but as he watched those feline, overbright cerulean eyes regard the carnivorous plants with curiosity and fascination, Arcadius found himself letting loose an unreserved grin of appreciation for Katya's open-minded acceptance.

While he had had the fortune of siblings he could relate to, and even sometimes a kindred soul in Vodka (although she was an anomaly all her own at times), the unicorn stallion could scarcely deny that acceptance- or at least unreserved acceptance- was hard to come by. The members of Hakan had been kind, but even they had, at most times, regarded him with wary glances and sidestepped encounters due to his strange, violent appearance. He had already taken notice that this pawed mare had quite a few oddities all her own, but it was still refreshing to interact with someone that he didn't feel the need to walk on eggshells around.

"Do you have... companions like this where you come from?" he hesitated again at the word, but observed in genuine interest the wistfulness of her expression. He could hardly imagine the place she was describing, but the images she provoked stirred a desire to know more- he may even like to see a land like this for himself, one day, if its residents were welcoming.

At her gratitude and acquiescence of his offer of a walk, Arcadius dipped his head politely and sidled off the side of the path with a smile, gesturing with his head for her to precede him. He fell in step beside her, admiring for a moment the silence of her paws in comparison to the hard clomping of his hooves on the hard dirt before he spoke again. "Have none of the others ever visited this land?" He wondered curiously at that- he'd never even heard of a soquili from a land like hers, and it was odd for them to be so isolated that no word had made its way here. He prided himself on being a bit of a traveler and acquiring stories of far-off lands, and hers sounded by far the most strange and intriguing- surely if someone had even heard of it, it would be a coveted tale to tell.  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Momentarily distracted by the plants and her sudden longing for home, Ekaterina nevertheless noticed the faint wince the stallion gave. Perhaps for a moment he had forgotten of their existence, or resented being reminded of it, but he seemed to get rather tense when the plants emerged from under the cover of his mane. Katya didn't mind, truth be told, finding them diverting and intriguing, but perhaps he did. For a moment she regretted speaking so freely, calling them companions could be offensive. If he considered them an inconvenience, she'd hate to put him off by a statement that was intended to be harmless.

Then again, he was suddenly grinning at her and that was possibly even nicer than the simple smile from earlier. Regardless, she grinned back. His statement made her blink in surprise, and instantly wonder how much she had said outloud. 'Mind running away with you again, Ekaterina. What would your sisters think?'

"Forgive me, I might possibly have spoken first and then thought." She admitted with a soft laugh. "To answer your question, yes. A specific location in particular, but plants such as those you carry are well-known to me. There is a corner of the royal garden that has young ones, I use to sneak in there to visit them with meat pies. They become quite tame if they know you will bring them warm dinner... And can actually be quite sweet? Not talkative, but, sweet."

She shrugged a bit, flicking her strange tail and paying no mind when the silver tip began drifting into smoke-like mist. Perhaps that might be an interesting thing to try, if they became friends?

"There is also a great swamp, at the far border of the woods. We have come to call it the Snapping Swamp, for it is filled with flowers such as these. Much larger, you understand. Large enough to swallow a Soquili easily, or a Cheshire Cat, for that matter. That is what makes them so interesting. We sometimes hold races or dares among them. The bog-like consistency of the swamp, the Frumious Snapper and the Plants... Well, they make it quite a treat, if one likes obstacle courses."

She trailed off, her voice going a little wistful. "It was my favorite, I was quite good at it."

Shaking her head to erase the memories a moment later, Katya nodded faintly and stepped up to walk with him, smiling softly. "The others being my sisters, you mean? If so, then no, this is the first time we have been here. If you mean my kinsmen, it is our suspicion that several have escaped through various means, and have come here. Evading the Queen's harsh rule, following a curious heart, accident.. I hope that maybe we will have the fortune to find them, and to invite them to join the herd, or at least visit for tea."

She thought longingly of tea, and wondered what her new companion -and his companions?- would think of it. Well, that might be a question for another time. The soft ringing echo of his steps was soothing to her, different again from assassin's paws and her mother's keen claws. Reassuring.

"I do not know if they brought any of the plants with them, though perhaps seeds for many kinds of things? Certainly tea and cakes and teapots and spoons, and tiny crocks of jam and honey and butter. For what is a tea party without such things to have on toast? And we do love tea parties, if all else fails."

She glanced at him, her cerulean eyes bright. "Speaking of tea parties... Have you ever been to one?"

Kyaishi