- LAUREL FREI-> SIGEL QUEST: Write/Post first group of solos (8/8 done; All posted)
- LAUREL FREI-> SIGEL QUEST:Set up/Finish rp #1; PRP - Laurel/Lulu(Shu; As of 8/23)
- LAUREL FREI-> SIGEL QUEST: Write/Post next group of solos (0/12 done; None posted)
- LAUREL FREI-> SIGEL QUEST: Set up/Finish rp #2
- LAUREL FREI-> SIGEL QUEST: Write last group of solos; Complete quest (0/10 done; None posted)
- Raevan quest thread: Work on Cersei And/or Titus (FOR AFTER LAUREL IS GROWN)
Arthur’s Fables was a cozy paradise away from everything Laurel hated. Cold, dreary weather, terrible sleep, weird ethereal beings that kept popping up in his life, all of these things could be avoided, in thought at least, by the smell of books and a worn reading chair. He thanked whoever invented the concept of a bookstore, especially one with a fireplace like this, and allowed himself to warm up a bit before making his way to the front desk.
“Hey Arthur, I’m here to pick up an order for my father!” He called, tapping the desk idly. He waited for the old man to appear for a moment before leaning out over the counter. “Arthur?”
He couldn’t quite tell if the back room was dark or not from his position, but the continued silence bothered him. Arthur was, as Oliver put it, “getting on in age.” Maybe something was wrong? He leaned further forward and squinted at the door.
“Can I help you?”
“Huh?” Laurel squeaked, turning a full one-eighty. A young woman, clad in a lovely white turtleneck dress, stood in front of him with a stack of books in her arms. He gave her a once over and shrugged. “Uh… I guess so? I’m looking for Arthur, the owner of this store. Have you seen him?”
“No.” She said, lifting her gaze to the back room door and shaking her head. “He’s out at the moment, I could leave a message for him? Who are you with?”
“No one, I’m here to pick up an order.” Laurel replied, referencing behind the counter. “My father said it’s all paid for, but he can’t get it himself.”
“Oh, of course.” She said, nodding and hurrying behind the counter. “Your father’s name?”
“Oliver Kipling.”
“Oliver Kipling, Oliver Kipling...“
Laurel watched her duck behind the counter and rummage around before moving and doing the same on the sides of the desk. It seemed odd that an order that had just come in yesterday could be so difficult to find, but the store was pretty popular and orders did stack up. He looked idly around the room, patted his sides, and jumped when the woman slapped a trio of books on the counter.
“There we are! Underneath a pile of magazines.” She said, smiling up to Laurel. “Would you like a bag to carry these or are you alright on your own?”
“Nah, I’ve got it, thanks!” Laurel said, hoisting the books into his arms. “You know, not to sound rude, but when did you start working here? My dad didn’t mention anyone new.”
“Me? Well, I…” The woman said, looking up to the ceiling in thought. “... Have known Arthur since I was a young girl and saw that he could use an extra hand around the shop! I’ve only started this week.”
“Oh cool!” Laurel said, grinning broadly. “I’ve kind of been thinking about that, too. I mean, this place is really awesome and I’m fine lifting heavy things. Do you think he’d be open to more helpers?”
“Perhaps.” She said. “I’ll bring it up with him when he gets back. What’s your name?”
“Laurel, and yours?”
“Elizabeth.”
“Thanks for your help, Elizabeth!” Laurel said, turning toward the door. “I’m sure I’ll see you again, we’re regulars here, but it was very nice to meet you!”
“Lovely to meet you too, Laurel.” Elizabeth said. “Take care now!”
Though he would have rather stayed in the warmth for as long as he could, Laurel had agreed to meet Devin by the convenience store as soon as he’d gotten the books. He glided down the sidewalk, the books tucked firmly under his arm, and spotted Devin standing outside the store with several full plastic bags beside him. What had been a Halloween candy run had obviously exploded into a full on grocery or junk food run. Laurel laughed at the thought.
“Did dad ask you to pick up more stuff?” He asked, nudging himself beside Devin.
“Hm? Oh, no.” Devin muttered, looking up from his phone. “I saw we needed milk and I wanted snacks. I had enough money. Did you get the books?”
“Yeah, they’re right here.” Laurel replied, turning to show them. “Wanna head back? It’s really cold.”
“Mmhm… You wanna say goodbye to your little friend there before we go though?”
“What friend?”
“On your shoulder.”
Laurel turned his head right, then left, and locked eyes with a familiar black feathered bird. It was a puzzle as to how Titus had perched himself there without him noticing, or when he’d arrived at all, but Laurel wasn’t having it. He waved his hand at Titus.
“Go on home.” He said, staring Titus down. He wiggled his shoulder. “Go on!”
But the bird persisted and dug his talons in, not hard enough to hurt but hard enough to be felt through Laurel’s coat. It seemed likely that he wouldn’t be budging and Laurel, thoroughly unwilling to put in the effort, shook his head in defeat.
“Maybe he’ll go away if I ignore him.” He said, giving Titus one last irritated look. "I don't know what else to do."
“Thought you'd be more concerned about this.” Devin said, brows raised in amusement. "Have you met this bird before?"
“Oh, yeeeeah, we’re buddies.” Laurel said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “He’s a phone stealing brat. I could tell you the story on the way home.”
Little brother. The words echoed in Laurel’s mind like a warm, soothing blanket. It was the first time that Devin had called him that. He’d called Laurel a multitude of other things before, from joking insults to various repetitions of his name, but never had he ever called him “little brother.” It made Laurel feel as though things between them were getting better and that, perhaps, Devin had finally warmed up to him. The year prior, Devin had been so detached and almost completely unwilling to spend quality time with Laurel. Of course that was never outwardly expressed, but Laurel knew the difference between someone actually being too busy and just not wanting to acknowledge him. He’d honestly doubted that Devin would ever like him, but now Devin had trusted him enough to share something so emotional with him. He’d opened up. The idea that this could be the start of a brotherly bond made Laurel feel like he could do anything.
Except, well, finish this horrible book.
In hindsight, the way that Devin had sounded when he handed the book over should have been the first sign of what Laurel would be getting into. The snicker, the subtle smirk, and the pat on the head all should have been more than enough of a warning. However, being the naive bundle of joy that he was, Laurel had taken the book as a gift and settled right down to read it the second he was under the covers.
The first few chapters were fine and pretty much things he already knew, but the further he went into the book, the more he wished he hadn’t taken the book at all.
Eventually he reached a point where he’d gone back and forth over the same three pages like he’d seen a ghost and slapped the book closed when the information didn’t get any easier to take. This was clearly not a book he could stomach, a bit of an odd thing to admit seeing as he didn’t even have the aforementioned organ yet, and it would sit buried under several other books until he either forgot all about it or, God forbid, needed it to answer a question later in life. He was sure that the latter scenario would never happen, unless he’d lost his mind, and hurried to dig through his drawer for a distraction. He tossed several objects aside and, to a mix of relief and anxiety, found The Laurel Tree stuck between his journal and the side of the drawer.
“... I did promise dad that I’d read it.” He muttered, recalling the first time he’d tried. He hadn’t picked it up since then and, even now, the book felt strange. Just holding it in his hand alone gave him a strange feeling, like he was being watched. He took a breath and thumbed the page open.
“Todd, Tierney, and Teagan McKinley were brothers who lived in a small, hillside cabin surrounded by forest.” He read, the same as before. “They were forbidden from entering the forests by their father, who blamed them for their mother’s death.”
He paused, his finger glossing over the next few sentences with his brows raised. The part mentioning Oliver he’d seen last year was gone just as he’d hoped. It seemed as though he’d truly imagined them. Nodding to himself, he kept reading.
“One day, after another argument with their father, the boys journeyed the farthest they'd ever gone into the woods and stumbled upon a large, golden laurel tree. Seeing as the leaves were made of pure gold, the trio each picked a leaf and ran for home, in hopes the treasure would satiate their father's anger. However, no matter which way they turned from that point forward, they found themselves right back at the tree.”
At this point, Laurel couldn’t help but glance over his shoulder. He could feel something. His left arm had a noticeable difference in pressure. He resolved to ignore it and keep reading.
"We've just been going 'round in circles!" Laurel said, reading Tierney’s line. "And it's getting nippy! I wish I'd brought my winter coat!"
“Suddenly, a flash of golden light enveloped Tierney-”
And with that, a bright golden light startled Laurel’s attention away from the page. It had happened so fast that Laurel, his heart going a mile a minute, was certain that he’d imagined it. He pulled himself to the edge of his bed and over to the window.
Nothing, no car lights, no lamps, not even a jack-o-lantern.
“Get a grip, Laurel.” He said, rubbing a hand over his hair. “You’re just seeing things because you’re tired. Let’s go to bed.”
He turned away from the window, the book now clasped shut in his hands, and paused again as he passed his mirror. The pressure had traveled over his back and now sat square in between his shoulder blades. If he had to describe the feeling, it honestly felt like a hand. He sucked in a breath and tried to cross the room.
“I know you can feel me.”
The voice sent Laurel’s gaze straight to the mirror. A hooded figure, clad in white and gold robing, stood behind him in the reflection with their hand on his back. He shook.
“Don’t be afraid. I won't hurt you.”
The figure moved, flowing across the mirror like light across a wall, and took Laurel’s right hand. Though he could feel their movement and touch, Laurel was unable to tear his eyes away to see if it were true.
“I hope you’ll come back soon. I’m not enjoying all this poking and prodding. I’d much rather be with you.”
The figure let go of Laurel’s hand, leaving a glowing, golden light in his palm, and moved toward the window.
“Please take care of these until we meet again.”
Laurel’s gaze followed them as they seemed to disappear through the window and immediately felt himself being tugged violently to the opposite side. He tried to fight it and grab onto the wall, only to find himself slamming against his bed. He struggled, even as the entire world seemed to be tilting upwards against him, and just when he seemed to be winning the fight-
His body fell right out of bed.
“W-what the f-... ********] He huffed, his voice cutting off after each panting breath. He pushed himself up and rubbed where he’d fallen, before noticing that it was, clearly, morning. Had all of that been a dream?
He hovered up from the floor and looked around, utterly dumbfounded by the clutter strewn all around his room. Even his blankets, all eight of them, were thrown a good few feet from where they should have been on his bed. He remembered tossing a few of his things out of his drawer, but this was insane. He bent forward and began gathering things.
“Can’t find something?”
Everything Laurel had gathered went flying across the room as he jumped in surprise and swung to look at the door. Devin stood there, a smirk drawn across his face, which Laurel met with a very, very, tired expression.
“Yeah, my sense of humor.” He replied, rolling his eyes. “But, hey, could you maybe knock? I had another nightmare and I might have done all this in my sleep. Not really in the mood to be startled right now.”
“Oof, my bad.” Devin said, casually moving into the room. He bent and scooped up a few things as he spoke. “You in the mood to go to town for a bit, though? Dad wants us to pick up some more Halloween candy and a book order at Arthur’s. I could go on my own if you’re not up for it.”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” Laurel said, glancing cautiously over to the mirror. “Honestly, though, I can’t wait for Halloween to be over. It’s literally the worst holiday. I can’t eat any of the candy and everything gives me horrible anxiety. Who even likes this holiday just for the scares anyway?”
“A lot of people?” Devin said, shrugging as he placed a few things on Laurel’s bed. “It’s not for everyone, man, and I can see why you wouldn’t like it. You’re scared of everything.”
“You’re exaggerating.” Laurel said, making a face. “It’s impossible to be scared of everything.”
“Then prove it.” Devin said, folding his arms. “There’s this haunted house they put up every year in town that’s supposed to be the scariest one on Gaia and I dare you to go in alone. If you can last through the entire thing without screaming like a baby, I’ll buy you anything you want.”
“And what if I can’t?”
“No reward, but you’ll have to live with the shame of being a big baby for the rest of your life.”
“Okay, you’ve got a deal.”
“Awesome. For now, just meet me downstairs when you’re ready to go.”
“Got it.”
Once Devin left the room, Laurel quickly found himself wondering just what the ******** he’d agreed to do. A haunted house, the scariest haunted house in all of Gaia, and he’d be going in all alone to prove that he wasn’t scared of anything at all. He knew he was scared, he could barely handle being left alone in the dark than an actual haunted house. He wanted to call out to Devin and immediately call off the bet, but the idea of being ridiculed over it for the rest of his life wasn’t tempting either. He growled at himself, grabbed the pile of blankets, and tossed them on his bed. If something glittery on the floor hadn’t caught his attention, he might have thrown the rest of his things on top of them, too.
Instead he lingered over the floor, his eyes wide in shock, and cautiously lowered himself down. There, clear as day, lay three golden leaves. He rubbed his eyes, blinked, and scooped them up.
There was no possible way that this could be real. The Laurel Tree was just a story. Still, though, there was no other way to explain the appearance of these leaves. He’d never seen them before. … He hurried to gather the rest of the items strewn across his room and opened his drawer. The Laurel Tree sat there face up at the bottom of the empty drawer. He’d sworn that the book had been in his hand only moments ago. However, he didn’t want to entertain these oddities any more than he’d already had.
He tossed the leaves on top of the book, along with all of the items he’d gathered, and slammed the drawer closed.
- Refs for Laurel art
- Refs for Oliver art
- Refs for Devin art (Hair style courtesy of Markiplier)
- Refs for Anna Sage art
- Refs for Thatcher art
- Refs for Sherwood art
- Maybe write the canon (A.k.a the "what happens on Gaia stays on Gaia" AU) Kipling story someday
- Maybe... Write about your OCs
- Just do it
- Stop. Being. Af r aid.
- Siobhan solo (Sparrow's birthday; Maybe something vague about past life??) DONE YEE
- Remy solos (Ideas: Volunteering/Gardening; "Sisters" pestering him; Shopping?????; Talking to his "father" about his "mother" )
TOTAL MARKET VALUE: 719,403p Name Quantity Avg. Market Price Market Store Future Lady Soldier Gari 1 973p View Not Available(Owned) Comic Accents 1 502p View Not Available(Owned) Sweet Talker 1 9,402p View Not Available(Owned) Pick Your Nose 1 32,561p View Not Available(Owned) Me Day 1 69,734p View Not Available(Owned) Sleepless Serenity 1 3,591p View Not Available(Owned) Biscuit Pop 1 3,393p View Not Available(Owned) Lady Demon's Excited Glance 1 3,250p View Not Available(Owned) Itty Bitty Bow 1 142p View Not Available(Owned) Itty Bitty Bow v2 1 177p View Not Available(Owned) Magically Comfortable Neko 1 8,143p View Not Available(Owned) Witchlyhime 1 24,616p View Not Available (BOUGHT) Witchly Constellation Columba 1 8,909p View Not Available (BOUGHT) Bare-Handed Flier 1 532,576p View Not Available (DONATED; Thank you, Mrs Yachi-san! ; A; heart ) Witchly Neko-opolis 1 12,216p View Not Available (BOUGHT) Warlock's Witchy Brew 1 4,733p View Not Available (BOUGHT) The Witchly Anesthesiologist 1 4,478p View Not Available (BOUGHT)
gaia_sakura This is a test gaia_sakura 
Things will get better soon 
Test test test
