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 Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 4:37 pm
Der Pestdoktor Coffee.A lonely cup loyally kept by an even lonelier seamstress-- it's tainted by the same thing that waits and terrifies the edge of the frail lady's mind. Through bitter cold and the bite of harsh wind, life stirs yet in this peculiar cup and blossoms now into a familiar creature. Welcome the newly born Excito, Noel -- he's grown to be quite a Phasmas. Rest well with the Fellowship now, Miss Crane, and we wish you and your Plague both the best of luck.
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 7:19 pm
 ______I.A1 ↪ developmental growth
______II.J5 ↪ morning bells
______III.J6 ↪ silence
______IV.R6 ↪ collision
______V.J7 ↪ move
______VI.R7 ↪ a request
______VII.R8 ↪ crossroads
______VIII.J9 ↪ flee
______IX.O1 ↪ troupe de panymium
______X.J10 ↪ ring, ring
______XI. ↪
______XII. ↪
______XIII.MTs1 ↪ fear
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Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 7:13 pm
 ◣ Morning Bells, or how Elsie finds a new child ◥
She awoke to the familiar sounds of that tenant house room in chorus; the sound of her brother snoring on the mattress on the floor, the hurly-burly chatter of people returning from their shift work as others departed to start their day. Elsie could hear the carts move about on the cobblestones as vendors moved their booths into the muggy air for the start of business, and she could hear the calls of nature as the beasts of the night surrendered their positions to the beings of the day. Such sounds filled the young woman's soul with a comfort unlike that she had felt in so long, her days since the events at the castle a whirlwind blur her heart demanded her to forget. Speaking with that priest had been the final push she had needed onto the road home, an appropriate sign from God as Elsie now called it while saying her evening prayers, and it was with permission from the Lady Sage that she made her way home. The reunion with her brother had been quite interesting to say it in a mild tone, Thomas having been so furious with her yet so welcoming all at once, and their first night back together as a family had been filled with quiet conversation.
The morning now could be considered quiet as well as Elsie rose from her bed and crossed to the humble kitchen, floorboards creaking in protest beneath her slight frame. Her mind was set to make some form of breakfast for herself and for her brother before their day started and her hands saw to it that her thoughts did not go for want; the small amounts of a meager meal soon started to develop beneath her skilled fingers. For what little there was it certainly smelt pleasant enough and Elsie's empty stomach was inclined to agree, so when she reached a point that the food could be left unsupervised she moved to making the morning coffee. Thomas shifting in his sleep behind her had always acted as a good timer for when she needed to start brewing, and from the sleepy murmurs that echoed from his cot she knew she had only a little time to spare. Water was quickly set up to be heated and ground beans were set to be seeped, their dark color and fragrant oder pleasant against the stale air of the morning. When the water was hot enough she set the beans to soak for a stronger pot of coffee, leaving it to the side as she went about her morning routine.
The sound of bells, or something tinkly softly enough to sound like bells, caught Elsie's attention as she moved past the window to return to her cooking. It was so out of place it unnerved her enough that she nearly jumped where she stood, a hand clasped over her chest. Beneath her fingers she could feel her heart race so it was with several deep breaths that she attempted to cal herself before looking around. The noise continued with each step she took, a jingle for every bounce of her shoulders or turn of her head to look around. The bells sounded amused, were it possible that such things could, and the harrowing fear that Elsie felt creeping upon her was just as slowly moving from the icy feelings in her veins. Surely if whatever was connected to this sound wished for harm to happen to her it would have done so long ago, or perhaps it enjoyed the thrill of stalking an unsuspecting prey; either way Elsie was drawing closer to the source in her explorations. The sound grew louder as she approached the window pane where her, no, Jesse's cup rested and it stopped altogether as she herself paused - only to gasp at what she saw.
Sitting inside the cup with knees pressed to its chin was a small figure, hardly larger (she assumed without being able to have actual measurements) than the length of her hand. It was rocking back and forth slowly, as if in a game rather than a comforting position, and each time it completed three rocking cycles it would ring - mouth open in laughter. The sound she must have heard was certainly this tiny creature's merriment, its voice just so similiar to bells that her ears easily mistranslated the noise. For some reason this small creature was already dressed down to a ribbon hat and tiny shoes, and as Elsie drew closer to inspect what she had stumbled upon the rocking stopped completely and it took the laughter with it. Ever so slowly what looked like a brown wisp or string floated into the air above its head and the little creature turned its face towards Elsie, as if seeing her or noticing her presence now for the very first time. There were no eyes on its face, no nose or any other features to indicate the creature could even see her. If it had not been for the fact that its mouth was open she was sure to think such a thing didn't have a face at all - just a colored swirl of lighter brown against a rich black-brown. Upon finding that Elsie had noticed it (or it had finally noticed her presence too) the bell-laughter occurred once again as the sprite moved to its feet, unsteady against the curves that acted as the bowl of the cup he'd been playing in. When it managed to properly find footing it stayed still for but a moment before reaching up with both hand and wisp towards the watching young woman. Fingers moved in a small wanting rhythm, the same way a baby would wiggle its own hands when it wanted to be held and, in spite of the hesitation she clearly still felt, Elsie extended two of her fingers down.
There was a loud squal of delight and a feeling of very slight weight as the sprite in the cup pulled itself the best it could onto Elsie's fingers and the sounds of happiness only increased as Elsie's other hand moved in to aid the small attempts. The tiny figure weighed nearly nothing and was modestly warm to the touch, its tiny fingers leaving pockets of heat where they met her skin, and Elsie carefully pulled her hands closer to her face to get a better view of what was now in her possession. Apparently whatever she was doing pleased her new companion so much that the bell-laughter returned and resumed at a good pace, its single arm wrapping as best it could around one of her fingers. The sign of such affection brought a soft but sad smile to her face, the sensation of squeezed fingers a fond memory, and as the hugging continued she could only stand in silent wonder. Was this creature a gift to her to ease her suffering and loneliness? Was this small child who smelled like coffee and rot a gift from above? Could it...even be?
" . . . Jesse?"
Behind the woman, Thomas stirred in his sleep.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 9:56 pm
◣ Silence, or the naming of Noel ◥
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 9:59 pm
 ◣ Collision ◥ or how Elsie meets The ClemmingsElsie meets Chauhn Clemmings and his Plague Clurie out on the streets of Isimus.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:01 pm
◣ Move, or how Elsie and Noel convince Thomas to go North ◥
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:05 pm
◣ A Request ◥ or how Elsie and Noel meet Aysel VartanianElsie and Noel meet Aysel Vartanian out on the streets of Isimus.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:08 pm
◣ Crossroads ◥ or how Elsie and Noel meet Members of the House (and don't know it)Elsie and Noel meet Felicity Wickes and Claudia at a small inn in Isimus.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:14 pm
◣ Flee, or how Elsie leaves Thomas ◥
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:15 pm
◣ Troupe de Panymium ◥ or how Elsie and Noel witnessed a massacre in the snowElsie and Noel attend a Festival in the North that ends in bloodshed.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:17 pm
◣ Ring Ring, or how Noel comes to dislike other Excitos ◥
 
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:15 pm
Elsie had not moved from her room, not since she was brought back into the castle. Even with Noel at her side the young woman was refusing to eat and refusing to sleep, her whole being slowly withering away into a husk. Noel was hard pressed to remember the sound of her voice, for his memory was young and such things easily slipped from his mind when he was focusing on something new, and he found himself longing for a single sound. She would sigh every now and then, and he'd heard her cry as she was moved to bathe by one of the few people she let into the room.
Yes, that was another problem - Elsie was refusing people altogether. She would scream, she would cry, and eventually drift into a fitful sleep that left her clutching the sheets in terror when she woke only a short time after falling asleep.
tbc. . . .
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 1:05 pm
[ orx something goes here ]
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 1:09 pm
[ one more, and then nothing but solos since i don't think i piled on any more roleplays lololol ]
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 1:12 pm
◣ Fear, or how Elsie responds to The Note◥The Note "Elsie Crane,
You've got quite the repertoire for being the village whore, haven't you, my little bird? Perhaps you should learn to be more inconspicuous. Rumors are spreading, and we've got all the power in the world to tell the men you sleep with that you've a Plague in your possession.
Commonfolk are quite the dull ones, are they not? What would they do to you if you they 'knew' that you Grimms are as sickly and infectious as the Plagues themselves? I heard they've quite the punishment for such poor courtesans."
But what if the message on the paper was not what she wanted it to be? What if it was something that could tear her son away from her and force them both to face a reality that was far more harsh than the one they already were experiencing? So much time had passed since that event in the snow yet Elsie still could not face many of the residents in the Fort let alone take on anything else. But still. . . if there was something on this note she needed to see then she would have it read to her and she would find a way to deal with the situation.
It was easy enough to rouse Noel from his slumber with a faint whisper of his name, the Phasmas always listening for the slightest tone of his mother's voice, and it was with the familiar and merry ringing that he got to his feet and toddled over the massive leather-bound book towards the new task assigned to him. The letters were scrawled in a handwriting unlike anything he'd seen before and likely would not see again in his lifetime but they were not a challenge to be fretted over; Noel merely read the words down before looking over to Elsie for praise and reward upon completion. The happiness he had expected, the kind words of congratulations he was so accustomed to receiving were not given to him as he was met only with a cold silence followed by the sharp intake of breath before a broken sob escaped from Elsie's thin lips.
Tears soon followed as the woman's frail shoulders shook with each cry that escaped her lips, both hands rising from her sides to cover her face in an attempt to either comfort herself or hide her shame. Noel lifted himself from his hand and knees, for he had been resting on them while he read aloud, and did his best to walk over to the corner of the table. He raised up the arm he had, the wisp floating around his head as a secondary sign of want, and the sound of a bell in mourning echoed upwards with the plaintive cry of wanting to be held. Elsie obliged the small request, unable to deny the affection that was being offered and the need that was being shown.
How long had it been since she'd slept with another, had the title of whore attached to her name? She was certain it had to have been before Noel came into being for she had been with no one since he graced her presence. Their time together had been spent with just the two of them, occasionally Elsie moving out to visist the church or take Noel to the library for another book. The pair only needed one another, a Mother-Grimm and a Plague-Child, but it seemed as though Elsie's sordid past was doomed to resurface like a secret spilled by an untrustworthy source. The people of the Fellowship did not know her past, of that Elsie was certain, for she had spoke little of herself and was always so pleased to find that no one had asked anything of her regarding her history before she came to join. With Noel at her side her ventures out of her room were always pleasant enough though there was always a feeling of being watched, being noticed. This note only solidified Elsie's feelings that it was time to go.
There were no words to be spoken between the pair as Elsie packed a small bag for what was to be her second and likely final time leaving the compound without any note. She was aware of the going-ons within the order, the death of a kind woman and the suspicions that were being thrown upon people, but she knew she could no longer stay if she wished to keep Noel safe. Her own life was not something she prized, not with a history that stained her hand and body with a taint beyond cleansing, but Noel was her treasure and her reason for being. He was her second chance at redemption in raising a child and he was the only family member that she knew would not turn against her. Thomas would not be told of his sister's departure and Elsie was certain to keep it that way.
With the last of her belongings gathered and the room left with no signs that could point to where she was leaving, Elsie placed Noel in the bosom of her blouse and gathered up the small satchel she would be taking with her. They would not return, not unless something drastic happened. Elsie prayed that nothing horrible would come to pass. Noel merely wanted to get on with the travel for he'd grown bored of their routine anyway. There would be no faces that he would miss, no one he would pine for in the dark hours of the night and wish he could be with once more. As long as he had Elsie at his side there was nothing he needed to complete himself and the Plague was comforted by that thought. Whatever challenges came ahead he would find a way to control what was going on and perhaps cause a bit of trouble for those who dared oppose him. If Elsie was trying to keep him safe then he would return the favor even if he was uncertain of how the feat would be overcome.
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