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 Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:27 pm
❊
At Ease, My Sweet WHO: Sloane (Snoof), Blaithe (Neon), Various Stunteds (Snoof/Neon)
WHERE: Mage Headquarters; Anica, Shyregoed; Sloane's bed room
WHEN: The month of June; Late evening, it is dark and cold
WEATHER: Windy, with flurries, and clouded skies so the moon and stars are hidden____________________ After bringing her back from the North Base, the large and elegant doll house with his slowly growing collection of homeless, ownerless stunted Plagues, Sloane had given the poor girl Blaithe various options. Where she would be staying was his personal room, but whether she preferred to sleep with the other excitos in their spacious dwelling, a makeshift room all her own inside a drawer in his bedside table, or any other area she preferred. Even his bed was open to her, though the giant Infitialis held a firm worry that he might accidentally squish the tiny thing in his sleep.
So small was she that even the stunteds, smaller than the average excito, felt tall and strong around her. They were open and friendly for the most part, the bells overjoyed with her company, the leaf caedos being protective and flirtatious as always, and the yule tide ones, his newest companions, were mixed at best. Still, their doors were open to her whether Sloane was present or not and she was left with them during the day. The knight had duties to attend, various and widespread through the frozen fortress of Anica, on call to the Grand Magus and whoever else had need of him. Things were slowly becoming normal after the past March, but something always weighed heavily on his mind and heart that greeted him every evening upon his return.
It had nearly been a week since Jin-Ho had handed her over, seemingly with little thought. Sloane had no idea what he was doing now. His Lady had not sent a letter yet, as planned, but it would be taken care of soon, she told him. He was doing his best to keep the tiny 'brush under his care occupied, satiated and, most importantly, happy, but he was unsure if his efforts were truly being rewarded or she was merely letting him believe so.
Stepping toward his door, the anhelo let out a quiet sigh. He was tired, mentally exhausted, but it was time once again to both feign pleasantries and become truly content with the assistance of the small ones. Most of them would likely be getting ready for bed now, but a few of them seemed to wait up until his return before tucking themselves in. There was always the paternal urge to tuck in the smallest of the flock, and as he stepped into his room he smiled subtly but pleasantly to the tiny, colorful beings strewn about his bed.
The bells, Lavelle and Chavelle, were giggling and chasing one another while the red leaf Grimaud stood atop one of the tall banisters at the foot of his large bed frame. Ebenezer and Nikolas, the blue bauble phasmas and red ribboned holly servos respectively, were nestled closely to the ever chromatic Blaithe whom Ebenezer was attempting to play a hand game with. Dracona, the green ribboned mistletoe caedos was cleaning things up in what could be called the yard of their large doll house which was set upon a low wooden dresser, string tied about the fence posts so they could easily come and go as they pleased. As the door creaked open, the bells ceased their merriment and immediately chimed with such joy that it tugged Sloane's lips higher to reveal teeth in his smile.
Their excitement was always enough to brighten his day, no matter how it went.
"Monsieur!" "Monsieur!" they jingled, galloping to the edge of the bed. The others waved, save Grimaud who merely tipped his hat without so much as a glance.
"Evening," Sloane let out a gentle hum, turning to close the door behind himself, "What have you lot been up to all day?"
Swift answers were thrown his way, from the bells and the two yules on his bed, while Grimaud began his extravagant descent down the banister and bowed upon landing.
"T'is late," he offered the bells, holding a hand out for Lavelle, "I believe we should retire and let Sir Sloane rest." With some slight whining from Ebenezer which was quickly placated by his brother Nikolas, the stunteds bid their adieu to both Sloane and Blaithe, began climbing down the lengthy and thick comforter and ascending to their rooms in the doll house.
Giving another quiet but pleasant sigh, Sloane approached his bed and knelt down so his face was level with Blaithe, resting one clawed hand upon its side. "And you?" his voice was quiet as he gently reached forward, stroking the top of her hat with the very tip of his metal-clad finger. "Are you well...?" Concern was evident, something she likely hadn't heard in her Grimm's voice for at least double the time she had been away from him.
Perhaps it was time to do something special for the small phasmas, something that would leave a smile upon her pale and glowing face for days to come. But what?
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:57 pm
She was by no means ungrateful.
Despite her current condition, Blaithe was thankful that Sloane had taken her under, and that she had constant companionship whenever needed. Though at times she couldn't help but wonder about her bell friends at the castle, Sloane's own stunteds provided her with a distraction and welcomed her as their own. In a sense, the sword had become a makeshift Grimm for her.
A replacement Grimm.
The brush felt as though she had been betrayed, abandoned. She was so easily passed along as if just an item. As if she were still merely a brush to be used for writing instead of a sentient being. Almost like Jin-Ho had become bored of her, or that she was too big a pest to be dealt with. A pest... the idea tore through her. After a year of love and affection, she was easily given away and carried on with seemingly no remorse. What had she done to anger him so?
Even then, what did it matter? Even though she longed for her bell friends to be here and be cared for, something that possibly wasn't even a thought for Jin-Ho, she was in a new home; warm and welcomed with open arms.
Blaithe sat between Ebenezer and Nikolas, awkwardly attempting to play the bauble's little game. Given their size differences, it was a bit difficult as the tiny Phasmas' arms weren't as long as her counterpart's. The timing was a bit off, and sometimes they would miss each other's hands completely, but for the moment it was certainly entertaining. Often times she now felt oddly about her minuscule size, wishing she were bigger and easier for the others to play with instead of the others being afraid to hurt her by accident.
The creak of the door, just as it did everyone else, caught Blaithe's attention; her hands pausing against Ebenezer's palms. Her mouth tugged into an idle smile as the giant Anhelo peeked in. "Sloane's back..." she said under her breath, her hands falling into her lap.
She watched as the other Excito scurried happily, wishing she herself could stand to greet dear Sloane herself, but she sat and waited for the others to let their excitement out. Blaithe remained quiet as the others gave such detail of their day, smiling slightly if she were mentioned here or there, but it wasn't until Grimaud dismissed the others and Sloane knelt to her side that she moved, even her glow brightening ever so slightly.
Blaithe nodded at Sloane's question, giving a mere, "I'm fine," in response. She enjoyed the soft scratching of her hat; one of the sword's many greetings. "How was your day?" she asked, her voice soft and sweet. She would often miss him when he was away on business. "Ebenezer tried to teach me a game played with your hands, but his are too big for mine..."
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 5:28 pm
Her tiny voice had crept in over the others, the one he wished to hear the most at that very moment, and her saying his name made his heart flutter with joy.
Resting his head on his arm as he propped it up on the bed, his eyelids lowered to a more comfortable, at ease height and a tired smile refused to leave his lips as she kept a weak one herself. 'Fine' was a decent response, it at least meant she wasn't bad, but it was far from the 'well' or 'good' that he was hoping to hear, and eons away from 'great' or 'fantastic'. Still, it was something that showed his efforts and she was much more content than when he first brought her into these walls.
"How was your day?"
"Absolutely dreadful," he mewled in a pitiful whine, but his smile remained and belied his tone, "I could not wait until I could get back here and spend time with you." 'You' was meant for everyone currently in the room, but most importantly Blaithe for she needed it the most and, as dearly as he loved and cared for the stunteds, there was just a deeper connection Sloane felt with Grimm'd Plagues over those who never had them and never needed them. A deeper kinship was there, for most stunted Plagues were manufactured, in a way, and were unnatural. That did not make them any less important to Sloane, but it did make it a bit harder to relate to them as deeply as he did to the others.
At her words, he first let out a chuckle -- she had been playing, how wonderful! -- but it halted abruptly as her voice went quiet and she murmured off in soft regret. After a moment's pause, Sloane took his hand back and crossed them, hiding his lower face at the edge of the bed with them as his brows upturned pathetically. "Even though you're smaller than you'd like, at least the others can even hope to hold your hands." Half jokingly, he wiggled his fingers, the claws gently tapping against the exposed chainmail on his upper arm, "I wish I were small again, at times, so that I may properly give you company. It is the reverse, but I feel the same as you..."
Poor, sweet Blaithe wanted to be bigger, more useful, while he wanted to be less monstrous and, as of late, smaller. The events after the Ides of March had made him feel suitably puny inside, just a hollow shell with his mere seven inch Servos-self controlling his hulking form clumsily and with utmost regret. There were days were he did not feel this way, that he was proud to be who he was (especially after he and his Lady had their heart to heart in late April), but his feelings of self loathing did not entirely disappear and it were times like these, where he was made to feel as useless as Blaithe herself felt, no matter how untrue it was for the both of them, that they crept back.
It was this thought that told him they both needed a break from the creeping monotony, and a curious glint crossed his swirled eyes. "...Blaithe, what would you say to playing a game with me?" It was a leap, a directionless leap lead only by faith that it would make her smile. He had no ideas for any sort of game, not a single solitary clue of anything the two of them could conceivably play together due to their infinite difference in size, but he would think of something even if he had to make it up as he went. "It isn't quite time for bed yet, and I'm not terribly exhausted." The last part was a fib, but her happiness was far more important to him than the comfort of resting early.
If Blaithe had no specific game ideas himself, he would think of something. He always came up with something.
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 7:22 pm
Had it not been for his expression and his immediate change in tone, the poor girl would have fallen for the first words uttered. Sighing in relief, Blaithe nestled herself comfortably into the bed. This time she wasn't able to hold back a smile at the things he said, she had definitely missed him while he was out and was glad he was back.
Her smile faded away upon Sloane's confession, watching him closely as he adjusted himself to her level. Why would he opt to be so small and helpless? Then again, all of the other Excito, even the stunteds, were far larger than she... Never has she seen one smaller. Even still, why? Why on Earth did he want to depend on others when he was able to do anything he wanted freely? It made absolutely no sense...
Becoming aware of her surroundings once more, Blaithe forced another smile on her face in hopes that her thoughts had gone unnoticed. Indeed, she was flattered that he thought of her so much as to want to give her proper company, but it still made absolutely no sense.
At the change of topic, she nestled herself into a position similar to Sloane's; her arms crossed in front of her face as she layed on her stomach. Blaithe nodded her head, quite interested in some time alone with Sloane. Though she was aware that the others were merely inside their own 'house,' it was still a welcomed thought. She thought it over for a moment, thinking of the particular games that she had learned about after coming to Anica. The stunteds, Ebenezer in particular, seemed like they wanted nothing more than to see her smile, though the Caedos' weren't as obviously interested.
Hand games were out of the question as she took a quick glance toward her own tiny appendages, her mouth tucking into a small pout. Looking back up at her knight, she asked "Do you have any ideas, Sloane?"
For some reason, it still felt odd addressing others by their actual names, but she couldn't bring herself to do anything so 'immature' after what Jin-Ho had said. She would have to get used to it, she supposed.
"M-maybe word games; like truth or dare, two truths and a lie or wish..." Pulling herself into a sitting position, Blaithe thought it over more. She really wished she could play more physical games, but she couldn't even play those with the Plagues that were closer to her own size. If only she could grow... then she wouldn't have to have everyone play it so safe around her.
"But I'm fine with whatever you want to do..."
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:45 pm
There was a twinge of hope to her small voice as she agreed, but it was strangely coupled with a pout which, in turn, caused the Sword to frown. It was dreadfully hard for him to look at her without obvious sympathy. The exact opposite to his Grimm, he could not hide the wealth of intense emotions he felt at all times upon his face. His time in Anica with Blaithe was spent constantly shifting between the brightest of smiles and the most painful twinges in his heart.
His mouth opened, and then closed. No, off hand he didn't have any ideas for games. Truthfully, it had been a very long time since he played a legitimate game and it had been months since he had the luxury of playing anything at all, with anyone. A quiet sigh left him as she moved hesitantly closer, sitting in front of him and mumbling her suggestions.
Word games, it seemed, were the perfect plan.
Sloane's eyes lit up, almost glowing red with excitement. His lips pulled up into a jovial grin and he beamed down at Blaithe, agreeing to a game of words with a resounding "Yes," before standing. Turning, he moved to the large wooden dresser beside his bed and pulled one of the drawers out, a few sparse white shirts lying within. "I've never played any of them, I admit," he began, keeping a gentle but clearly pleased tone as he fished for the precise shirt he wanted. Upon finding it, the armor around his hands retracted and his gauntlets metal folded in upon itself until they were nothing more than simple torqs upon his wrists -- silver with a single ruby inlaid. The same occurred with the rest of his armor, revealing a simple pair of warm looking white slacks tucked into thick, snow sturdy boots. Around his neck settled the final portion of his armor into a choker, identical to the bracelets.
Bare back turned to Blaithe, he set to work on pulling the shirt on, weighing the games against one another from name alone. A dare was something he was unfamiliar with, but not completely ignorant of, however he couldn't see his being terribly creative and therefore would provide a boring experience for the both of them on his part. Two truths and a lie sounded better, but the lying bit was confusing to him, where as the 'wish' seemed more pleasant in general. And if there was one thing he was certain there needed to be more of in dear Blaithe's life, it was pleasantness.
"How would we play Two Truths and a Wish?" Skillfully tucking the hem of his newly donned shirt into his slacks, Sloane turned to face Blaithe once more with a curious grin, eyes still alight with childish interest. "From the sound of it, we tell each other two true things and something we wish for? But that alone doesn't sound very game-like." Sloane's large, warm hands then pressed gently against the comforter near Blaithe, beckoning her. She was set upon the nightstand with utmost care as he set to work on removing his boots and lighting a bedside candle, getting ready for the coming time for sleep once they were both content with their play time.
The rest of the candles out aside from the lone flickering flame at his bedside, Sloane pulled away the warm covers and curled himself beneath them. His hands returned for the small Brush and held her gently in his lap, looking upon her with a kindness somewhere between fatherly, brotherly, and platonic. Affection was clear, as it always was with the Sword and those he was close to, but never had he been quite so enamored with a task such as this. In essence, he was now her surrogate Grimm, if it could be called that, and it caused him both rapturous joy and untold apprehension.
"We can play for as long as you like." There were no curfews or restrictions on joy with Sloane, certainly not where Blaithe was concerned.
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Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 10:48 am
Blaithe watched as Sloane turned away, digging into his drawers for a few moments before pulling out a shirt and allowing himself to change. It was a nightly occurance, but each time Blaithe couldn't help but find herself staring at the large Anhelo as he did this idle change. She was very envious of his human-shaped body, but she was also attracted to it in some strange way. Unable to understand, she just let it be every night as she admired.
Sloane had made his way toward the bedside once more, allowing her to crawl into his warm hand and sat patiently on the night stand as he went through his routine. Most nights they would just talk, waiting for the other to fall asleep as they mindlessly chattered about things that had happened or things that they would think about. The fact that Sloane wanted to play a game was interesting to Blaithe.
As she was placed gently in his lap, Blaithe looked up at him with a gentle smile. These moments were some of the only things she had begun to look forward to as of late. It reminded her of her early days as an animate creature, her happier days.
"What makes it a game is that you have to guess which one is the wish, and it's best not to actually list them in that order." she hummed, nestling herself against the sheets in attempts to get comfortable. She had learned this game from one of the others a few days prior, though she hadn't played it since. Because they felt similar longings, or at least some of them, the stunteds were often quick on guessing a few of her wishes, though on others they would get stuck and give up. Blaithe, herself, was not very good at this game when it came to guessing the wishes of others, but that was okay. It's all in good fun. "I'll start," she said, allowing herself to fall backward against the sheets as she stared upward.
"I am small, I can stay here forever, and I miss my bell friends..."
Blaithe frowned, suddenly a little angry at herself. She didn't mean for her first round to sound so negative, nor did she want to put those feelings on Sloane. Attempting to smile, she looked back over at him. "Now you have to guess which ones are truths and which one is a wish."
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:35 am
His eyes watched eagerly as she explained the nature of this game and prepared herself, her tiny glowing body falling back against the sheets lining his lap. With care, he adjusted his hands so his fingers were locked and resting behind her, like a protective shielding that she would lean against and have no fear of falling behind.
This game was simple and simple games were things Sloane could approve of, especially if it meant being able to play with those so infinitesimally smaller than he. Even as an Excito he had been large, a bold seven inches or more, and with one as small as Blaithe... well, she could have passed for his own Plague if they had met then. The idea tickled him for a moment, but the grin faltered as her feelings from just moments ago resurfaced.
She did not want to be small. To be small was to be helpless.
Sloane cleared his throat, drawing his attentions back to the present and forcing a smile back on his face when she announced that she would start. This did not last long, her two truths and wish ringing out clear as day to him as hurts and regrets. Still, she smiled. It appeared that the two of them were more alike than he had thought.
"Your wish..." he began tentatively, keeping his voice calm and smooth as best he could despite the obvious upward twinge to his brows, "...Is to stay here forever." Sloane was flattered, truly, but the only the most obvious implication of that wish had sunk in. She felt happy here, in a friendly atmosphere, and he could not blame her for not wanting to go back to the stress of dealing with a Grimm whose personality had taken a deep dive like a ship lost at sea. With a quiet sigh and another forced smile, he very gently reached the tip of his thumb down and stroked the top of her hat. If she weren't so small, he could hold her and make her feel better. If he weren't so large, the same could be said.
"Is that right?" his voice came out as an unintended whisper as he subconsciously feared it wavering if he allowed it to go any louder. There was no way around it; he was sad for her and there was little he could do beyond this, at this precise moment. His chest rose and fell with the slightest of unsteady rhythms as he attempted to calm his welling emotions.
Should he try and assure her the wish was a possible truth or keep her fragile mind grounded where it would not be harmed by empty promises? Sloane swallowed hard. "My turn?" Again, he attempted a smile, flashing his teeth briefly. "I can cure the black death, I do not understand human magic, and I care about you very much." Hopefully these were not downers either, though the wish could be taken either way. If he had his way, they would be able to turn this game into something positively jolly but, now that he had thought of his own, Sloane realized it was more difficult than he initially perceived.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:50 am
With a small nod, the Phasmas agreed. He certainly was right.
Having nestled herself against the back of her friend’s hand, Blaithe relaxed until she reclined limply against his unguarded fingers. Had it not been for her gentle hum, one could have assumed she had fallen asleep in that moment. Her humming, however, ceased once Sloane played his turn and she had to think. If it weren’t for the obvious, given he was an Infi, she might have had trouble with that round. She wasn’t very good at reading people, especially not after what happened between Claudia and herself, which in turn may have been a direct reason she was always second guessing herself. Sometimes she found herself with that same wish, but not to the same extent that the gigantic bladed Plague had. In truth, she only wanted to be useful.
”You want to cure…” she whispered, her voice barely audible in the large room. At least, relative to her, the room was quite large. Sometimes Sloane’s stunted friends would carry her around for some exercise and they’ve yet to make it all the way around in one go. They were a lot like her bell friends and at times, a lot like her. They also wished to be big, but Blaithe couldn’t help pitying them in the fact that they were unlike her. They couldn’t grow no matter what.
Once again it was her turn, but her mind had drawn a blank. What did she really want? Right now, she had most everything she needed aside from the use of a larger body. Blaithe almost shivered as her mind momentarily drifted to the short amount of time she had been trapped in a human shell. She missed the size and importance but the suffering that wordlessly came along with being such wasn’t worth it in the slightest. How in the world could they handle such hardships on a daily basis? Then again, they didn’t know what it was like to, for the most part, be comfortable and content as each day wore on. They didn’t know any better, and it was for the best that they didn’t. The brush couldn’t imagine what her Grimm would do, going from one state to the other and then back again. With his injuries, though healing now, he would never want to be human again and she didn’t blame him in the slightest.
Having not meant to go silent for so long, Blaithe snapped back into attention, accidentally jerking herself upward in the process. Had she nodded off? Honestly she couldn’t even tell! Taking a moment to adjust herself back against Sloane’s palm, she let out another quiet hum as she thought. ”Okay,” she said, looking back up to the sword’s face. She drifted again, momentarily distracted by his features, but it look less time for her to trace back her thoughts than it had last time. ”You’re my best friend, this place is very cold, and I will be big soon.” she announced.
There hadn’t been much chance for Sloane to answer before there was a knock at the door. Had it not been for a strange scent accompanying the rapping, Blaithe wouldn’t have turned her head to see just who had come to visit. Even though it was late, this happened every once in a while, given Sloane and Sage’s newly gained importance. In a passing moment, the Phasmas wondered just when she’d see the Lady again.
The man, once entered, held a medium sized, black cat in one hand, a small piece of parchment in the other. The cat was held at a distance, as if he were largely disinterested or disgusted, but it seemed like he also took great care into making sure he wasn’t hurting the creature. It was strange, the feline held a couple different scents on him, but there were only two that caught Blaithe’s interest; Jin-Ho and the Plague. It was no ordinary cat, she decided.
”For you,” he said, gently placing the cat next to the bed with a wary glance toward Sloane. He handed the small shred of parchment to Blaithe before quickly making leave.
Blaithe took the sheet and carefully unfolded it, surprised that there were only two, short lines written in a messy scrawl. ”A friend for you. Be safe,” it read, the brush’s grip loosening slightly as she glanced down toward the cat, which had planted itself far enough away from the bed to see her. It must have known who it was here for. Blaithe looked back to the paper and then to Sloane, at a loss for words. Was Jin-Ho worried about her? Did that mean…
Did that mean he still cared for her?
Going quiet, Blaithe slumped back into Sloane’s hand, fiddling with the paper she held. She silently drew small shapes on it before pulling herself up to look. The cat had been quiet, having not mewed once. It seemed as if it couldn’t talk, but that really wasn’t much of a surprise. If it was Plagued, did that mean it would grow to be like her? And how did Jin-Ho get ahold of it? Strange… Still, she couldn’t help but smile a little at the thought that her Grimm still cared enough to send her a friend.
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 11:20 am
At her guess, Sloane nodded. While he intended for this game to be uplifting, childish in its innocence and fun, it seemed that both of them were overtaken by a somber tone when faced with each other's wishes. With each guess, the two made it very easy on one another -- or perhaps it was because of how well they knew the truths. To cure, to no longer be small, to stay here forever. The Infitialis let out a quiet sigh at her whisper. He wanted to offer her comfort, a hold of the hand, a pull to his chest, to hold her and let it be known not all was lost. With their difference in size, he could barely touch her hat without fear of squishing or making her uncomfortable from the mere weight of his finger.
While normally he would at least attempt a touch, this time he refrained. It was somewhat difficult to tell with no eyes to confirm, but the slow rise and fall of her tiny chest, the lopsided and relaxed posture against his fingers and her barely open pink mouth told him she had drifted off. Sloane swallowed, unsure of what to do next. To move his hand at all would run the risk of waking her, and then where should he put her? For them to share a bed with her tiny form would surely result in death, but to put her in that makeshift room in the shelf, alone, almost felt no better. Glancing warily to the doll house just across from his bed, seated comfortably atop a flat wooden chest, he saw but one tiny flicker of candlelight inside as the little ones got ready for bed themselves.
Would Blaithe object to rooming with them for the night? He supposed, given she had decided not to do so since first arriving.
So, there he sat, with the tiniest little thing rested in his hand, unable to lay back and sleep himself for fear of crushing her, when she quickly lifted her head. Blaithe rearranged herself and her hat while Sloane let out a quiet scoff. She continued the game sleepily, as though no time had passed, but there was a brief pause before she was completely situated. He just offered her a tired smile, eyes growing bleary as she took her next turn. He was her best friend... In that very short time, a wave of mixed emotions coursed through him; joy, gratitude, an intense sense of kinship, but also guilt and worry, for who was he to be worthy of such a title? Was he even a good friend, let alone best? Or was this merely a measurement of how much time they spent together and she with no one else, least of all Grimm'd Plagues her size.
Before he had time to reconcile any of these emotions into something coherent, there was a knock at the door. The familiar scent reached their senses at the same time and Sloane gently moved his hand so that she was placed upon the soft bed sheets as he moved to stand and approach the door. The visitor apologized for the intrusion, then glanced about for the tiny colorful speck before placing the cat upon the floor and resting the small sheet of parchment near her on the bed..
"Thank you," Sloane mumbled as the guard nodded and exited just as quickly as he came. Looking over his shoulder, the anhelo closed the door and inspected the cat with some scrutiny. After it was deposited on the floor, its inky black form began a quick cleaning ritual, then leaped onto the warm spot of the bed Sloane had left and curled up. Its white eyes, burning with a tainted light, confirmed his suspicions from scent alone. "It's infected..." he started, but then shook his head. That couldn't quite be right, could it? Would it be that Hayat was as infected when she was but a bird, when they appeared so similarly wrapped in shadows? "Or... tainted. What does the note say?" As it was given to her, this gift certainly was not addressed to him. Who would give someone so small a plagued cat?
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Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:17 am
With a small nod, Blaithe’s attention drifted back to her larger companion. She could definitely smell the Plague on the thing, not to mention its strange appearance. It almost looked like it was just a solid black mass; it was very strange. She almost jumped back as it took Sloane’s place on the bed, relishing in the warmth his body had left behind. It was quite large compared to her, but what was new? The fleeting thought would have, once again, upset her if it weren’t for how strange a moment this truly was. Despite his questioning, the brush was silent for a few moments more. ”It’s from Jin-Ho…” she said, glancing back toward the cat – who in return, stared back at her. She wasn’t sure why, but it seemed to know that it was here for her specifically. ”It says, ‘a friend for you, be safe.’” Blaithe trailed off on the last word, her attention still on the black mass before her.
As far as she was aware, it acted like any other cat; its slow breathing and scrutinizing stare linked with hers, but the fact that it looked like a solid mass of Plague was somehow unsettling. The brush had never seen anything lacking color so greatly that it almost seemed like an ink drawing come to life. Its white eyes and ribbon’s contrast was so sharp and attention drawing, the color could have brought back horrible memories of a certain plant showing their true colors, for lack of a better term, but she could only think about how Jin-Ho must have carefully picked such a ribbon. He knew she would have wanted something new to draw on, to make her own. If it were possible, she felt as if she could have cried at the thought.
After another moment’s pause, Blaithe crawled a bit closer to the cat – once again met with half-lidded orbs. While it seemed listless, it watched every move she made until she was at paw’s length away; dipping its head down to greet her. The brush wasn’t entirely sure of what to make of it so far, but it seemed friendly. From what she understood, cats had a… rather interesting idea of what things that were smaller than them were for. Whoever trained this creature did a wonderful job, unless having been tainted somehow managed to increase its intelligence.
Fiddling with the paper, she looked it over once more for any hint of a name or information. Other than her Grimm’s small note, it was completely blank. This creature had no name, no identity. For some reason, the idea gripped at Blaithe’s emotions. Was this poor creature’s only purpose to help her? Reaching a hand outward, she gently rubbed the cat’s nose, it purring in response.
”What do we do with it?” she asked, tilting her head to get a better look at Sloane. He had been rather quiet the whole time – maybe he didn’t like cats? A ping of guilt washed over Blaithe, but it wasn’t as if this were necessarily her doing. ”Do we just let it roam around…?”
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Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2012 12:56 pm
While the two gifts inspected each other -- the cat to Blaithe and she to the cat -- the towering knight stood off to the side, observing with his arms tucked against his chest. This situation which occurred so abruptly left Sloane perplexed. His thoughts clicked slowly into place as his back came to rest against the chilly stone wall. What did this mean? Why would Jin-ho so hurriedly hand her off to him, a friend, her best friend if what she said was taken to heart, and then send another "friend" along with a plea for safety?
Sloane's chest felt tight. Intentional or not, the act was insulting. Did Jin-ho have so little faith in him now? If so, his own sentiments were the same toward her Grimm.
His swirled eyes narrowed at the cat, its own gleaming white orbs half lidded as it gazed upon its new master knowingly. That stare all but confirmed its newfound sentience. Sloane was no expert on animals, let alone cats, but he knew enough about natural, animal instincts that a normal cat wouldn't be so comfortable around one so small or one so plagued if not for a sense of kinship. It was likely, too, that the cat was close to changing but that brought all sorts of other questions to the table. Would it actually change? Did it have a Grimm? If so, did that mean Jin-ho stole it for Blaithe's benefit or perhaps his own? The Infitialis pinched the bridge of his nose. This was giving him a headache and it was getting late.
"I'm not sure," Sloane grumbled, trying not to let his conflicted emotions and frustrations on the matter show too clearly in his voice, "He's yours now." Pulling himself from the wall, he approached cautiously until he was at the edge of the bed, where he rested an arm gently on the side and bent his knees, crouching down so that he and the cat were nearly eye level (his head and shoulders still hovered aways above the bed frame). "Does he have a name?" best to get that sort of "pleasantry" out of the way, if only to make Blaithe less awkward on the matter. His ribbon didn't seem emblazoned with anything, just white and blank, and she said there was nothing more written on the card. It must have been her duty to give him name and purpose.
Glancing towards the window, he took note of the surrounding blackness outside. Frost coated the edges of the frame, crystalline and sparkling orange in the candle light. "It's getting late," he cooed gently, and were they the same size a tender hand would have stroked her hair. The urge struck him regardless, and the hand closest to him twitched, pining, but he was quick to hold his fingers back and clench them into a weak fist. "Do you think he'll fit in the drawer with you? I can move your things to a bigger one," Sloane nodded to the bureau behind him and its four large, deep wooden drawers, much more spacious than the one in his side table. His distaste on the matter affected nothing and he would do well to bite it down. Her comfort was what was important, not the subtle jabs Jin-ho provided to his ego.
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Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2012 5:22 pm
Blaithe gaze tore itself from the feline’s as Sloane moved toward the bed, watching as he squatted to get, what she assumed, was a better look. His tone and overall mood did not register in the tiny girl’s mind, so lost in thought and confusion as she tried to make sense of it all. To be honest, she was quite confused about the purpose of sending a new guardian when she had been handed off to her friend, just as Sloane was. She wasn’t complaining, she just couldn’t understand.
‘Yours.’ It sounded so strange, especially the way Sloane said it so quickly, almost defensively. Still, this went unnoticed as he spoke further, asking for a name. Blaithe possibly wouldn’t have even thought about such a thing, only wondering later what the poor thing wanted to be called or if it had even been offered a title to begin with. Really, what was its name? Jin-Ho left absolutely no instruction, no details; not a single hint or clue of what to do with the agile creature now staring her in the face. She had never had to come up with a name before in her life, everything had already come with a brand, sometimes even more than just one. ”I… I don’t know…” she said, her voice low and defeated. The poor Excito nearly felt overwhelmed in such a short span of time, she wasn’t sure what or how to feel.
The cat, so black it could have been mistaken for a shadow, locked its white eyes with Sloane’s, as if to hypnotize the large Anhelo. Its tail slid gently along the linen, watching purposefully as the man tried to find any indication of an identity. Eyes narrowing as Sloane looked away, the cat turned its head back toward Blaithe, offering her a quick nuzzle before sitting upright once more. As the sword spoke, the feline knew its place.
”He’s not too big, I think he can fit with me,” she said, the irony of her statement stinging her chest. The two would most likely be able to lie comfortably inside, the cat’s soft belly working as a makeshift mattress. It could certainly be done, but the most important question – would the cat comply?
As if to answer, it had already made its way to the nightstand, gently rubbing against Sloane’s bare arm in one swift motion before perching itself atop the wooden frame. Its eyes met Blaithe’s gaze, waiting patiently for her to follow suit. Habitually, however, she waited for Sloane to extend his warm hand for her to climb onto. Each night, the idea of holding that hand, rather than resting in it, became more and more of a longing. Would she ever grow? It seemed like forever, and she wanted nothing more to do with being so small and inferior.
It certainly was late, and the girl felt it more now than she had even before the interruption. She crawled into his hand, gently leaving her own print in bright red before she was set onto the cat, who had now curled into a ball within the drawer. ”I love you, Sloane…” she murmured, curling up in the tiny blanket made for her by the lovely Dracona. Despite how happy she should have been, something bothered her about the whole thing, yet she couldn’t quite place it.
She would figure it all out in the morning.
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Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:00 am
She was so lost. At least they were on the same page about this situation -- if nothing else, that was comforting.
"It's alright," he assured with more gentle cooing, "You'll find his name later." Once more his hands twitched, this time a single finger raising and hovering tentatively as he decided whether touching her at all right now was a good idea. As before, he thought better of it and drew his hand back. Perhaps it was best, for now, if she weren't coddled. After all, she had a new "friend" to become acquainted with and it might serve as a distraction... for both of them.
The irony in her assessment was only partially registered, Sloane nodding without giving it much thought before pushing himself off the bed to stand. One hand reached out to open the bedside drawer, which the cat quickly set about moving towards. The infitialis stood still, watching its movements cautiously as it slunk away from Blaithe and approached the open drawer. It was certainly a clever cat, of that they could both be certain. When the cat touched his arm -- all but rubbed itself against him -- he stood firm. Sloane didn't have much experience with animals but he heard that even untainted cats had their own agenda. The soft stroke of its fur against his skin could either mean a pleasant greeting or perhaps a strange, cat-like threat. That thought alone made Sloane question whether he was exhausted or not, but all the same he lifted his chin and stared down at the animal as it made itself comfortable within the confines of the drawer. It was only ever shut if things were unbearably chilly, but he wondered if the cat might prefer to be locked in a tight space with his tiny new caretaker.
After a few seconds of watching the cat adjust, Sloane gave up on making assumptions about its rationale and moved closer to Blaithe who was nestled against his pillow. He rested his hand flatly at the base of the pillow and she wasted little time in crawling upon his skin. It always tickled a little when one so small scuttled about his palm but he rarely showed it outside of a fond smile. This time, his smile was more tired than anything but he let out a pleased sigh at the small splotch of red she left upon one of his fingers. He watched as she left his hand and got comfortable against the cat, watched as she pulled a blanket quite large for her and suitably warm around her, then widened his eyes slightly at her small voice. It was not a new confession, though one Sloane was still not used to. The first time she uttered that phrase, he was practically a mess of tears then and there. Each subsequent time, it still caused his eyes to glaze over and a full smile to pull at his lips.
"And I love you," he whispered, his words a shifted reflection of her own in meeting but, alas, the sword had no idea they were both so off base. What to him was a platonic assurance bordering on the familial, her own lay in quite the opposite direction.
Stiffening a bit after, he locked eyes with the cat and gave it a bemused grin. "You take care of her," he muttered through his teeth, "Be careful." Sloane couldn't tell whether the message got through to the cat or not but he hoped it at least brought Blaithe some solace. With another fond smile to her, he turned to the dresser which housed a large candle and blew it out, casting the room in darkness. The faint scent of wax and wick mingled in the cool air pleasantly. As he got beneath his own covered, the last light in the doll house was put out and the stunteds were off to sleep. "Pleasant dreams," he offered to everyone, though as he lay on his side he stared at where he knew the mark upon his hand was and smiled.
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