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 Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 6:24 pm
It wasn't quite even noon yet and Blythe was already exhausted. Dire was being particularly... unruly today, as it were, and she was draining him of what little energy he had these days. For the moment she seemed to have tired herself out, for now she lay across the living room carpet in a sound sleep. Well... whatever could constitute as sleep for the monstrous little doe.
He put his face into his hands a moment, heaving an exasperated sigh. Blythe had skipped his mother's birthday party the previous evening, deciding that trying to create a new contraption to keep Dire held in the house for a couple hours of needless gossip and chit chat was not worth it. He certainly would not take her to such an event... not after what she had managed to do to his various relatives in her time with him already. The majority of them had banned her from their homes preemptively following one accident or another... ruined dressed, missing objects, bitten fingers... Dire was always the perpetrator, of course, and her narrow-eyed expressions did nothing to help.
Sighing, he stood and placed his book high upon the nearest cupboard, safely out of reach of the gluttonous little deer. He had learned the hard way after three copies of his favorite novel had mysteriously disappeared overnight, mere scraps of paper strewn about the doe. She had given him a bland look when he had interrogated her about the missing books, but he knew better. She was not to be trusted with anything, especially if it was pliable and could potentially fit in her mouth. Blythe ran a hand through his messy hair, heading towards the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea before the deer awoke to terrorize him once again.
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Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:00 pm
It had been a very long night making appearances with her mother when Charlotte finally arrived home. The event-- the birthday party of the Lady of the Caufield household-- had lasted into the small hours of the night and the duo had only made it home by 3am. Adelaide was tipsy and bubblier than ever, while Charlotte was just ready to hit the pillow. Her cheeks hurt from the doll-like smile she had plastered on her face the entire evening. The carriage ride home was probably the worst part; Adelaide's energy hadn't dwindled. Just prattling away. Charlotte was tired though and tried to shut it out. She drifted back into the onesided conversation as her mother was exclaiming, "I cant believe it! I can't believe he couldn't come!" "Who are you talking about, mother?" "Blythe! Don't you remember him? I'm surprised you didn't notice. I always thought you two got along famously." Charlotte thought for a moment before really realizing that she hadn't seen him that evening. "Why couldn't he come do you think?" Out of all the noble children she had been familiar with in her mother's social circles, it was true that she got along unusually and naturally well with Blythe Caufield. He was agreeable and generally charming, and made it easy for her to have a conversation without having to do too many social backflips. Adelaide's demeanor changed instantly, as it often did. Her eyes narrowed and she started to whisper excitedly. "Well, his mother told me... that he was 'chosen'..." "Chosen for what?" she asked dumbly, vaguely aware of what it meant but unwilling to admit it. "You are so thick, Charlotte, my dear. Chosen... like, by a spirit. A Guardian!" Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Yes, alright." she waved the notion away. "I'm serious!" Adelaide cried. "Why are you so quick to disbelieve!" she sulked. "Mother. Come now. Do you really believe in this ghosty nonsense?" "The Queen does!" Charlotte scowled. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the inside of the carriage, signaling it was time to stop talking. But her mind drifted far, far away, back to the Wardwood. Her shoulders tensed as she tried to escape from the thoughts. Despite going to sleep at a much later time, Charlotte awoke earlier than ever, snapping out of a nightmare. Wandering, naked, in at dark forest that ate at her skin and crawled into her brain. She couldn't fall back asleep, so she rose with the sun. These dreams where becoming more frequent and more invasive over the past year, to the point where they could become audibly loud and realistic. Until now, she could happily ignore superstitious rumors about Guardians and Wolves and whatever else her mother babbled about. Was it true about Blythe? She quickly got dressed in a casual travel gown. These days she didn't fuss over clothing and her make up. She was out the door before her father even went to his work room. A barely awake stablehand helped her with her saddle and off she went-- in the direction of Caufield's townhouse. Approaching the door, she realized how very insane she must have looked. Her hair, barely staying in a bun on top of her head, no make up, and the lowest dress she had... now covered in horse hair. But the feeling quickly washed away as she tied her horse to a post and noticed the peculiar gnaw marks in random places around the door. The townhouse was a lot more disheveled than she remembered it. Had it always looked like this? She hesitated before knocking on the door. Why did she come here again?
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Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:22 pm
Blythe had his cup almost to his lips when a sound wracked his entire home. Although no one was banging away at the door, the quietest of knocks sounded as if the army were trying to get inside. Silently, he turned his gaze to the deer on the floor, tea still halfway to his face.
Her eyes were open.
He cursed out loud and slammed his mug down, sprinting at the front door as the deer attempted to leap to her feet after him. Blythe made it there first, smoothing his hair haphazardly from his face with one hand and pushing Dire's face away from the frame of the door with another.
"Will you... just... ugh!" he swatted her muzzle away and she let out a low grunt, glaring daggers at him. Satisfied for these precious seconds, Blythe quickly unlocked the door, peering out of the crack to see if it was anyone worth inviting inside. The face on the other side was not someone he had expected to come to his door. In his surprise, he opened it further.
"Charlotte?" he asked, his voice sounding more tired than anything. "I haven't seen you in... a while." He bit his tongue; it was his fault- no, Dire's fault that he hadn't seen just about anyone in quite some time. Suddenly he seemed to realize a fatal mistake, and turned just too slowly to grab the deer barreling out the door towards the visitor.
Dire huffed, sniffing every inch she could reach of Charlotte with just her neck stretched out the door as far as she could go. Her hair seemed particularly interesting, and the doe didn't hesitate a moment to see exactly what that tasted like. Blythe swatted at her again and muttered some profanities under his breath, however, and she retreated back just behind him, violet eyes gleaming in anticipation. Would this lady be allowed in the house? Most visitors he never even opened the door for anymore. Did she bring something for her?
"I... apologize," he breathed, head hanging in defeat, "She has terrible manners. Please come inside." Blythe took a half step back, holding the door open with one hand and the doe's muzzle with the other. A precautionary measure, of course.
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Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:31 pm
Charlotte jumped backwards maybe two feet when the purple-eyed beast lunged at her. Her face screwed up in horror as Blythe held the animal back. Charlotte couldn't speak at first and she felt frozen, even as he welcomed her inside.
"I...I'm sorry to bother you...is this a bad time?" She found herself hoping that perhaps it was. "A-am I... what is that?!"
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Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:35 pm
"This would be Dire." Blythe responded, the tiredness creeping back into his voice, "If you come inside she will leave you alone, I promise." Well, he couldn't promise that. The deer seemed less inclined to nibble at people inside of his flat than people on the doorstep, however, and since Charlotte was already here...
"No time better than now," he muttered, shooting the doe a glare. She stared back at him blandly until he slowly released his grip on her maw. For the time being she sat still in the foyer, eyes clearly seeking something edible from the young woman.
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Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:59 pm
"Dire? That's its name?" Or simply what it is? she wanted to say, but decided against it.
Charlotte walked in slowly, taking a deep breath and holding it. She felt as if the beast was taking note of her every move, even an inhale and an exhale was under a bizarre study. It made her nervous.. to say the least.
"I'm sorry to drop in unannounced. My mother and I went to Lady Caufield's birthday get together last night, and I realized you weren't there... and... I heard some rumors..."
she trailed off, now completely transfixed on the deer-creature, which seemed to be salivating.
Charlotte's eyes wandered for a second. Perhaps the only person who looked more tired than she did right now was Blythe. Is this what happens to Chosen?
No.
No, there was no such thing as Guardians.
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Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:10 pm
"Dire is her name." he spoke slowly, pushing the drooling animal from the entryway to allow his unexpected guest some breathing room.
"Aah, I had wondered if I was missed. Mother had assumed I would attend, naturally." He tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment. Nope. He still didn't care. Her next words caught his attention, however. "Rumors?" The deer huffed and trundled off to another room after a moment, in search of something to actually eat. It was obvious to her that this visitor had no appreciation for how hungry she was. As she left the room Blythe relaxed visibly, shoulders slackening.
"I can't bring her anywhere, as you no doubt have noticed. She's gotten out of every contraption I've tried to keep her contained." His fingers threaded absently through his hair, although it did little to tame it. How terrible he must look to her; the last time he had run into her he had been his old self. The bright energy that had once filled his face was long gone. Dire took every last ounce and used it to fuel her terrifying urges.
"That can't be the only reason you came by, though." he added, almost as an afterthought. No one came by just to see if he was still alive and kicking, not even his own mother. The fact that her birthday invitation had arrived by mail (which Dire had eaten, naturally) spoke volumes on that. Somewhere in the other room the distinct sound of something rummaging through cabinets could be heard.
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Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:26 pm
Charlotte cleared her throat. She had no idea how to bring up what her questions were. Actually, she wasn't even sure of her questions. Only aware of a pull that had been tugging at her for a year now, and her subconscious knowing that Blythe's situation was some how connected.
but she really didn't want to admit that.
She tried to ignore the noises coming from the other room and concentrate on why she had come.
"Oh, I guess, I just wanted to see how you were?" She mustered a smile. She was having trouble being her normal, well-adjusted self. She didn't have a mask for this situation. She couldn't ever settle on the right expression-- it felt like everyone she found was just very inappropriate.
"I mean, I heard that you were preoccupied." Her eyes darted to the door that the beast had left through.
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Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:43 pm
A clang sounded, and Blythe knew that Dire had knocked the pots and pans from the cabinet again. There was never any food in there and she still insisted on looking. He exhaled, a low sigh that seemed all too common nowadays. Her seemingly innocent question caught him off guard, however, and he shot her a narrowed glance.
"To add to the gossip?" he ground out, "There are very few reasons to drop in to check on someone, Charlotte, you know that." He felt a pang of guilt at the tone he used. Perhaps she had actually decided to see how he was. His shoulders drooped.
"'Preoccupied' is another term for crazy." he muttered, voice quiet, "I can't control her. If I had known she'd be this much trouble I swear I would have destroyed that stupid..." Blythe trailed off before he could finish the sentence. That stupid totem. If he said it out loud he'd send her running out the door, just like the rest of the visitors he so rarely saw. At first it had been an exciting prospect; choosings were still uncommon when he had felt the pull, and he had been so proud to return home with something of his own... the day Dire had appeared his entire life had been turned upside-down.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:06 pm
Charlotte was caught off-guard from his curtness; she had been dancing the socialite waltz constantly and wasn't used to talking to someone who didn't dance, too.
The small realization of her own silly societal mask did nothing to stop the look of insult she shot back in Blythe's direction. "Excuse me?" she hissed. "How dare you think I am one of the other clucking hens. No. For your information, I did not want to add to the cesspool of terrible rumors going around about you." She could barely help adding that final p***k. It was a defense mechanism. To be honest, she listened to very little gossip (she abhorred it. very anti-productive.) and had no idea what they were saying about him. But after seeing the state of the townhouse.. she could only imagine.
"and what are you going on about?" Her tone of indignation remained but the true curiosity, and maybe a little fear, sparked in her eyes.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 5:15 pm
If Blythe was offended by her tone, he didn't show it; he had never been one to adhere to all of the social necessities even before this mess had begun. His ran his hands over his face, eyes landing back on Charlotte's face after he had taken a deep breath.
"You don't get it, do you?" he asked, "Do you see what's going on around you? In Palisade? Here?" The stare that he received in response frustrated him. Was she in denial? She was a bright young woman, it shouldn't have been this difficult for her to see what was happening in the city, in the whole country.
"Not all chosen are saviors," he hissed, voice low, "They don't tell you that bit of information in the bedtime stories. They don't tell you about the ones that can't function when a goddamn deer is tearing their life apart!" His voice rang out in the otherwise empty house, and for a moment even Dire paused her rummaging around. An eerie silence ensued. Knowing she was the topic of the conversation the doe slowly peered around the doorway, greedy little eyes still seeking something to munch on. She tested the door frame.
"All I can do is hope the Queen's guard doesn't come to my door seeking aid against those damned spirits," he spat, "I'd be better use locked in an institution right now if it got me away from that monster."
An indignant snort came from the deer.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 5:24 pm
"Chosen?" Charlotte stared wide-eyed. So it was true. He referred to himself as Chosen. "Is that what that thing is? A guardian? Are you insane? You didn't just find this animal in the forest somewhere?"
Studying Dire further she couldn't believe that this was a specimen of the fabled species. She couldn't believe that something more was at work here. She had ignored every rumor and every piece of proof displaying the contrary. And the rumors of wolves returning.
"Do you want me to pity you or something?" she scoffed, awkwardly pretending she didn't have an idea of what they were talking about, being thick. Playing stupid, Charlotte? Since when did you stoop to this? She felt so angry but she didn't know why. Her eyes watered as the images of the Wardwood flashed inside her mind again. She didn't want what was happening to Blythe to happen to her. These nightmares couldn't be connected.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 6:01 pm
A bark of laughter escaped Blythe's throat. "I don't want your pity," he ground out, "But if you're standing there looking at Dire and telling yourself that guardians don't exist you need to get your head out of your a**." His eyes were narrowed, and Dire seemed to be gleefully accepting the lack of his watchful eye on her, shuffling around behind him and testing a little bit of this or that. Something had to taste good in here...
"You're telling me that even after the Queen herself acknowledges them and reinstates the Wardens that you still don't believe it? Charlotte, you're smarter than that." His tone sounded condescending, although perhaps he didn't mean it quite that badly. She was being foolish, yes, but not stupid.
"They're not all like her," he added, voice quieter as if it were almost an afterthought, "I still don't know how I managed to get a.... well, you see what she does." Blythe shot the deer a glare, catching her peering for his book on top of the cupboards. She seemed to realize he had spotted her and sulked back over to his side, that same searching look in her eyes.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 6:23 pm
Charlotte's face turned red with embarrassment and anger, but her lips remained tightly pressed together, as if she were holding back a barrage of furious insults.
"The Queen is off her rocker!" she screamed, her voice getting higher.
She spun around, turning her back to the man and the deer, hanging her head. She closed her eyes, tears burning the back of her eyelids.
"...I've... I've been having these terrible nightmares," she sobbed, "I feel like I'm being torn apart at the seams."
It spilled out. Why would Blythe care about this? He wouldn't. Charlotte hated herself for sharing unnecessary information. She hadn't told anyone.
"I can't believe the stories. I don't want to. I feel like I'm going insane."
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 6:50 pm
He had not expected an outburst from her, and a look of surprise crossed his face. Dire stilled at his side as well, the woman's sobbing both intriguing and disturbing her. For a moment Blythe was quiet, allowing her to say whatever she needed to. He knew that feeling. The pull of a totem's call was not something that could otherwise be mistaken.
"You need to stop resisting it," he offered, voice soft. It was a harsh change from his tone moments before, but for the moment Dire's attention had been captured and she was less inclined to make him miserable. "Let it take you." It was something that needed to be experienced, not explained, and he knew Charlotte enough to figure it was a difficult concept for her. Science and discovery were solid truths, and easy to grasp and hold in your hands. They were real. A guardian was not something so finite.
He himself had walked out of a lunch with his mother when he felt it. She had been furious, of course, but when he returned it had turned to some sort of wonder. For a time, at least. Dire seemed to know Blythe was pondering her and stirred, finally trundling back out of the room to lay down on the carpet again. Her eyes watched, disturbed at what was going on in her home.
"I can't promise what happens after," he said, "But the more you resist, the worse you are going to feel."
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