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 Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 6:06 pm
Terrowin shivered and hunched further into his cloak as a gust of wind threatened to blow it off. It was cold, as it usually was this far north, but the wind brought with it the promise of a much chillier winter. He had hoped to be a bit further south by this time of the year, but some unexpected circumstances had delayed him slightly.
Speaking of delays, a high-pitched shriek rose above the sound of the wind, causing the man to sigh and trudge his way off of the path. The cause of his extended stay near Anica could be seen if one were to watch the snowdrifts closely. Every few moments a spot of violently vibrant red would erupt from the snow, sending a spray of snow and laughter into the air. A keen observer would be able to see that the red spot was a tiny human-shaped creature, with eyes and a smile equally as red as the cloak that it wore.
She directed Terrowin to deposit her on one of the branches of a nearby tree after he had extracted her from the fallen branch she had gotten snared on, and then raced ahead along the branches, making sure to keep within hearing range of the man's humming. That was her plan, at least, but she saw something moving ahead of them and rushed forward to see what it was.
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Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 8:29 pm
There was a noticeable difference in climate just by traveling closer to Shyregoed, its thick snows and harsh winds becoming more apparent and ever present the farther north they went. Even if it was just by a degree, inches of snow had already begun piling on the ground and certainly did little for their efforts in transit. Blaithe, who found she could tolerate the harsh bite far less than she could as an Excito, regretted her lack of packing properly. Min Ho had leant some extra garments for her, but as they were packed away she had only a ragged and torn sheet to pull around her shoulders. Hero, tucked carefully away into the pocket of her apron, was none the wiser to the difference given the fact that last he was here, he was still in this shape. There was no difference for him, other than it being slightly colder.
The carriage had stopped, allowing the horses to rest as the path had needed a quick clearing. The small gust of wind that forced the Excito off of her Grimm’s shoulder had carried along the mixed scent of death and woven cloth – similar but different to the one she had learned in her younger years. No, this wasn’t Adal, definitely more feminine and a different color, decidedly flushed.
With her walking stick at the ready, Blaithe pushed herself away from sitting against one of the wooden wheels, though she took no strides forward, made no effort to move herself. The snow was too tall for her to risk walking through it with her wooden leg, its point too sharp as it would have sunken into the soggy earth, but instead stood and watched. Hero had also caught the scent of this new Plague near, but as always he had far less interest than his Anhelo companion.
”Greetings,” Blaithe called out, forgetting to think twice about the Grimm pair within the carriage, though they seemed busy with their own agenda. ”May I ask your names?”
Her voice carried softly in the cold, clear air.
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 7:47 am
If Blaithe or Hero were to look up, they would quite clearly see the source of the strange smell. Tiffan had scrambled her way along the branches until she was over the carriage and its strange passengers. She initially as just going to see who it was from a distance, but something in the air drew her forward. It was a familiar smell, though she wasn't able to put her finger on what, exactly, it was. She had experienced something like it before, though this scent was just slightly different.
If one were to ask her to describe it, she would have to say that it smelled colorful.
Terrowin, meanwhile, was oblivious of all of this, and was simply making his way back to the path. He noticed the vague shape of a carriage through the trees before he heard the voice. A quick look around didn't show anyone else that they might be talking to, so, hesitantly, he responded. "Um. Hello?"
From above the two Plagues there came a tiny crack, the sound that a twig makes right before it snaps under too much weight. A high-pitched shriek followed shortly after, and a small shower of snow and broken branches fell upon Blaithe, with a tiny red figure caught up in the middle of it.
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 9:43 am
No sooner had the Grimm called out, the small form in question fell with a bundle of snow, Blaithe hardly having a chance to react before it all had fell. With her eyes shut tight, a shiver ran through the poor girl but she made no effort to remove the snow quite yet, even if it was soaking through her outfit. No, she held her hands up toward her head, offering the Servos a chance to climb into them. She didn’t want the poor thing to fall down onto the ground, even if the Quietus, herself, wasn’t exactly the tallest.
”Are you alright…?” she asked, her voice calm and low once her offered hands were taken. The bright red Excito was much larger than Blaithe had been when she was small, but in a lot of ways that put the brush’s heart at ease, even if just a little. Surely she was able to better interact with others and not worry about being squished. For a moment, the Grimm was forgotten, along with the snow seeping through her clothes, but the latter was quickly noticed after a moment when she gave a large shiver, brows furrowed as she quickly brushed off what snow she could. Blaithe mentally cursed herself for her forgetfulness as now her clothes would be soaked for a considerable amount of the trip – at least until they managed to find a place to stop and rest so she could change. However, even now, the chill was becoming too much for her; her joints ached and every bit of her felt the painful sting.
Hero, still tucked carefully away, made his brief appearance by poking his head out of Blaithe’s apron, the cold meeting him but it wasn’t long before he scoffed and retreated once more.
It was hard to tell that she was uncomfortable at all, the only hint given being the light trembling that ran through her core, as her expression was decidedly blank, almost spacey. Blaithe held her palms upward, the small girl carefully resting in them, and while it took a moment, she remembered the color of this one’s human when he called out. ”Grimm, your Servos is here with me. Would you make audience?” she spoke, her voice once again carrying in the still air.
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 1:02 pm
Tiffan blindly scrambled around on the head she had fallen upon, eventually climbing into a hand as she tried to scrape the snow out of her face. There was a quiet huff from her, and she was about to respond before she realized that she didn't recognize the voice that was talking to her. Her hands paused mid-scrub, and she slowly looked up into the face of the person holding her.
She stood still for a moment, frozen in place by surprise, but she soon began looking around hurriedly as if for an escape. "Ye-es..." she said slowly, taking a step or two back. There was something about the woman's eyes that made her pause, though, and after a moment she blurted out "You're a Plague too, aren't you? And him!" She pointed down to where Hero had appeared from, scurrying over to the edge of Blaithe's hand to try and get a closer look at him.
"I don't know if she could rightly be called 'mine', but..." Terrowin finally stepped over the last of the snow drifts and on to the path, attempting to shake a bit of snow out of his boot before looking up at whoever had been calling to him. "Um. Sorry for any trouble she caused," he added with a frown, taking in the half-melted snow and tiny twigs that crowned her head.
"Terrowin! Other Palgues!" A tiny hand beckoned him closer before she turned back to look up at Blaithe. "I, um. I see that. Hello."
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 2:21 pm
Had it not been for the curtaining braids of tawny hair that cascaded down her front, the colorful ribbons adorning them, one could have mistaken Blaithe for a young boy by voice alone. Her face was androgynous, holding no definite gender, but her way of dress and presentation were definitely effeminate, save for the trousers. Her glowing, pupil-less eyes made it difficult to tell what exactly kept her attention, but the subtle flicks of her lids aided.
”Yes…” she said, brows raising in surprise that her own scent hadn’t made that obvious. She watched, moving her hands to accommodate the lively Excito’s scurrying, and once Terrowin approached Blaithe’s attention was still on Tiffan. ”Are you not her Grimm?”
The more the cloak tried to get a look at him, the further down into his personal pocket Hero went. He had little interest in meeting new Plagues as they were a distraction, something to take Blaithe’s interest away. The brush knew next to nothing about the feline’s motives, but she understood that he preferred his space and in response, she held her hands just a little bit higher and her brows knit in apology. ”I apologize; he does not wish to have company for the moment. May I ask of your name?”
Now that the man was visible, Blaithe silently looked him over from head to toe. Far from plain, his bright red hair and flushed, pale face contrasted somewhat attractively – at least in her opinion. Most humans might have found him a bit silly looking but from an artistic point of view, he was interesting. Taller than Jin Ho only by a little, his shoulders weren’t as broad and his posture was worse, even despite her own Grimm’s constant slouching and kneeling. His overall disposition was different, something that she hadn’t ever really noticed about people when she was small.
”And yours, I assume, Terrowin…? I am Blaithe.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:34 pm
A frown crossed her tiny face as she was pulled away from the cat stunted, but it was soon forgotten as Blaithe kept talking. Terrowin looked a bit lost at the question and just shrugged one of his shoulders. "I just found her, honestly. I'm not sure." The Plague in her hand nodded along, smiling in a self-satisfied sort of way.
"He walks faster than I do. I'm Tiffan." she said, both adding on to Terrowin's comment and answering Blaithe's question. The man shifted his weight from foot to foot, feeling a trickle of melting snow creep down his boot. "Ah, yes. Yes I am. It's a pleasure to meet you." His eyes roamed around the path, taking in the cluster of Plagues and the carriage. "Are you traveling alone?" He peered at the carriage with a frown, trying to see if he could spot anyone inside. "It's kind of a dreary place to be wandering around in by yourself."
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 4:04 pm
Found.
Found?
Found…
Blaithe’s thin lips tugged into a frown, her brows knit upward as she returned her attention to the Excito in her hand. She certainly didn’t seem to be in poor spirits about such a thing. That meant… she did this to herself? She ran away from her Grimm? The brush’s concern was easily seen on her face, barely lifting when Terrowin’s question was asked.
”No, I am not alone. I am accompanied by a Grimm and Plague pair, but they are currently busy.”
She still couldn’t get over the whole ‘found’ thing. One of her greatest fears had always been to not be accepted, but then again she never considered the whole running away part. Blaithe wanted to be useful, needed to be useful; how could one be useful when they left? It wasn’t any of her business, it shouldn’t be. Within a few moments she managed to let her expression fall into neutrality. To change the subject, she cleared her throat, ”I was actually born here in Shyregoed… The Northern bases. I cannot call them home, anymore, but I plan on meeting some old friends…”
The last bit made her smile a bit more naturally, even if it appeared forced on her face. She wasn’t used to expressions.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 4:23 pm
Tiffan's smile turned into a frown as she watched Blaithe's expression turn sour, patting the palm of her hand with her own tiny ones. No, that was not the right response to have to that! It was a good thing!
"Ah. Well, the winter snows haven't fallen yet, so the path to Anica isn't too bad, yet." The carriage was still given another curious glance, but he said nothing else about it. He forced himself to look away from it, and glanced back at Blaithe. He tried to catch Tiffan's glance to see if she could bring up some subject, but she was too busy staring up at the larger Plague. "So. Um. You're from here? Aren't...aren't you cold?" He finally took in her appearance, noting the thin cloth that was all there was to protect her from the cold.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 5:10 pm
Luckily for the cloak’s efforts, Blaithe’s expression settled into a calmer one, tainted with less worry. It was still strange to her that an Excito would part ways with their Grimm and she could only hope that it was for the best… This man didn’t seem the type to kidnap and even then, Tiffan was so ready and happy.
At least she had that.
”Oh…” she said, a small puff of white escaping her lips before she let out an awkward, unfamiliar laugh. ”I’m afraid I am. What I feel is nothing compared to a human, but… it is certainly less palatable than if I were still an Excito.” Almost as if on cue, Blaithe let out a shiver and in attempts to warm up, she rubbed the thin fabric of her sleeves. Her fingers felt stopped up and her joints were stiff – she wouldn’t be able to use any of her painting abilities in this weather, something she wasn’t looking forward to. It also didn’t help that Tiffan’s little display in the branches had soaked her through to the bone. ”I have no fear of falling ill, but I will need to change for my own comfort. Do not worry…” she assured, though her pale features screamed otherwise, her brows knit upward in sympathy.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 6:29 pm
The man nodded along with what she was saying, though the frown never strayed far from his face. "Still," he said, humming a few notes under his breath as he thought. There was almost something childlike in the way he shifted his weight from foot to foot as he weighed whatever decision he was making. He apparently came to a decision, for with a rather large sigh he reached up and undid the clasp on his cloak, catching it before it slithered to the ground. "Here. At least until you leave."
When Terrowin held out the cloak to Blaithe, Tiffan scurried up her arm, reclaiming her previous perch on top of her head. She did lean over as far as possible to watch what was going on, though, bracing herself against the larger Plague's forehead.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 7:24 pm
It seemed to take Blaithe a moment before she understood, her empty eyes staring between the hand that held the cloak and Terrowin’s face. The glowing pits grew wider and she hesitantly shook her head. ”Oh no, no… I couldn’t possibly, sir, I am in far less danger from the elements than yourself…” she said, brows knitting higher the longer he stood in the cold without protection. Tiffan’s movement had gone unnoticed other than the girl allowing her hand to fall back down to her side – she was so used to Hero climbing to and fro that there wasn’t even a second thought.
”I beg of you, please… Put it back on,” Blaithe insisted. She forced another foreign smile, watching the air that puffed from Terrowin’s mouth. ”I assure you, I am fine.”
Even if she was cold, she could deal with it. If she were to be a burden on someone she just met, let along anyone, Blaithe wouldn’t have lived it down. There was a chance she would never run into this man again but he would remember her as the pitiful Anhelo who could tolerate cold less than a human. She remembered what it was like, those dreadful crow feathers putting that temporary curse… she never wanted to be a human again, even if the size had been useful.
She had size on her side now, without the mortality.
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Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 6:35 pm
The expression on Terrowin's face turned somewhat perplexed, and he glanced slowly from the cloak to the rather damp and chilly looking Plague. "Are you sure? I'm used to the cold, it won't hurt me if I'm without it for a bit." His arm lowered slightly, though he was still holding it out for her.
Tiffan frowned as she looked from Terrowin to Blaithe, eventually staring at the cloak as the silence stretched on. "You might as well take it," she said silently, patting her head. "One of you might as well not freeze."
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Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 5:01 pm
With knit brows Blaithe stared for a moment longer, and while it would have been difficult to tell she made an effort to keep eye contact. Hesitantly, she reached out her hand and took the cloak, throwing it around her own shoulders carefully as to not jostle Tiffan as she rested on the brush’s crown. ”Thank you…” she said, her voice suddenly a bit timid. Once it was around her, she held it close and relished the warmth that had remained from Terrowin’s usage. It wasn’t enough to make it easy to use her abilities, but at least it would shield from the icy air hitting her wet clothing.
”What affiliation would you happen to hold, if you don’t mind my asking?” Blaithe enquired. She would have removed Tiffan from her head but for the moment her hands were content under their newly clothed shelter. In fact, after a moment they traveled downward and intruded upon Hero’s warmth. He didn’t like the cold but if it would make Blaithe comfortable, he would allow her to leach his warmth.
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Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 6:19 pm
A look akin to relief crossed Terrowin's face as she accepted the cloak, and he rocked his weight backwards and forwards a few times on his feet. His hands, now free of the burden of the cloak, moved to wrap around the straps of his pack for lack of anything else to fidget with. "Affiliation? Um.." Once again he gave the Plague on top of her head a questioning look, as if she would provide the answer. But Tiffan only shrugged and picked a piece of twig out of the larger Plague's hair.
"...I...don't really have one, I guess?" He knew that the various organizations around Panymium had been trying to win the favors of Grimms, but he didn't even know if he was technically a Grimm. All he really felt like at the moment was an extra pair of legs that could get Tiffan around faster.
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