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 Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 10:31 pm
Annjette giggled lightly and stepped back. The swan-girl was always happy to see her friends, "I am glad to see you again, Rojiza." The comment from the swan-girl was heartfelt.
Voltaire made a small face at the shrieking. Bad part of pointy ears? Loud noises tend to be a slight bit painful, "That she has," the half-elf replied to Caroline with a chuckle.
"And you're big too, and so pretty!" Annjette marveled softly. She hadn't really seen much of Rojiza since their last gathering at the riverside, "You have pretty hair, Ro."
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Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 10:38 pm
Rojiza giggles softly and blushes, absolutely pleased. She nods and touches Annjette's own inky locks, indicating that she feels similarly for the other girl. She smiles, wishing sorely that she could talk.
Caroline smiles and pushes herself to a sitting position. "Come, set awhile," she says, swinging her legs down and patting the spot next to her. "I'll make tea after a while."
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Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 10:49 pm
Voltaire nodded lightly and moved to sit next to Caroline quietly tilting his head a bit to one side, "Anything new since we last spoke?"
Annjette smiled at Rojiza and gave her a gentler hug. She didn't mind that her friend was unable to speak. They'd just have to find another way to communicate, even if it is just by simple actions, "What would you like to do?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 8:01 am
"Och, no, not so much," says Caroline pleasantly enough. "Just teachin' wee Ro here how t' take care of the animals. She's got right a way with Cornelius, she 'as," she says approvingly.
Rojiza shrugs lightly. They couldn't play many of their old games inside the wagon now. They were far too big for that. Suddenly, though, Ro feels the need to run around. Giggling, she pokes Annjette's shoulder and then skirts past her and out of the wagon. Of course they couldn't play in the wagon, but outside it...that's a different story.
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Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 10:00 am
Poor Caroline- so tuned in to her daughter's future, and so mindful of the signs. It was a trick of nature, really, that her Banya's breed was known for its cryptic messages of fate. Taog was no exception to his breed- and now that they crawled off the mountain, he felt a little happier. The sea was far away... but at least he could smell the river, and it incited him to prophecy.
Weigh the Choice
This wood attaches strings to one fiery marionette...
Little squirrel bairn given a great gift
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Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:21 pm
Voltaire nodded at Caroline smiling, "Always a good thing to teach your child." He watched the girls a moment his ears pricking lightly at the fortune suddenly sprouted by the Banya bird, "That sounds like interesting times are in store for you and Rojiza, Caroline."
Annjette barely heard the bird sprout the fortune as she made after Rojiza not wishing to be left behind in the game.
The half-elf started to stand and then just plopped down offering out a "Be careful you two!" Voltaire smiled faintly at Caroline, "Not used to letting Annjette on her own I guess. I keep forgetting that she grew."
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:56 am
Caroline shakes her head. "That blasted bird....I swear I'm going to torch his bonny wee feathers one day..." she shakes a fist at Taog, who just ruffles himself, knowing her threat empty. She watches the girls play, comitting that fortune to memory. Tonight 'round the campfire she'd discuss it with the other gypsies.
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Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 11:04 am
Menelie Caroline slinks across the wagon circle just barely after dark had fallen, although her movements are countered by her skirt, merrily jingling quietly as she moves. Rolling her eyes, she just walks now.
She comes to Blessed Change and raps on the door, when admitted, she takes a seat opposite Oqaia. She'd never really met this woman, Val's..half-sister or some such, but the other caravan members had told her to ask Oqaia if Val was busy.
She takes a deep breath. "Could ye....could ye ask the Meij what can be done to let Rojiza speak? I know it's tearin' her apart inside." Oqaia Oqaia did not have the crystal ball that her sister had- nor would she have been able to understand its depths if she did. That was a magic that was as of yet beyond her powers. However, she had her long-seeing runes, a silver-bottomed scrying bowl, and numerous fortune-telling books laid out on the floor of Blessed Change. "Alright..." Oq said, kneeling down amidst the books and casting the runes. Squiggly lines... a pair of horns- rose rune... what did they mean? "Oh... sorry..." she apologized, "I have to look one of those up." So she sat on the floor of her wagon, thumbing through a book. "Oh... not antlers. Okay.... but... that... hm." She sat there a long time- still not completely sure... until she leaned over nearer the window to take a book off her shelf- and she caught her reflection in the scrying bowl. But... it wasn't her reflection. She had never had chestnut-brown hair. Oqaia sat and stared into the bowl, rolling it gently around as the image solidified. She stared at the image- Rojiza, and then saw a visual meaning of the runes. Only then did she look to Caroline with confidence. "The meij sees three paths for Rojiza. One, a prophecy of guilt. Music punishes her, and keeps her voice from her. The second- she has no need for guilt, and she shall grow into her birthright at the hands of a travelling man. The third- her guilt is consumed by forgiveness when she is qiute older.... and she finds her voice when a boy's choice is made." Menelie Caroline sighs. "I think the Meij is in cahootz with my Banya," she mutters darkly, but with good humor. "Well, Miss Oqaia, thank ye kindly." She stands and curtsies. "I'll remember the Meij's message. Do come visit Ro an' I sometime, eh? We'll have tea." She exits the wagon and goes back to her own, heavy-hearted but buoyed by hope.
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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 1:13 pm
 Menelie Caroline, upon seeing the gypsy caravan opposite their own, hesitates at first. The friendly gypsy in her is at war with the sly Spaniard from mother's side. She sits in the wagon seat for a long time, ignoring Cornelius' joyous braying.
Suddenly she remembers her conference with Oqaia--that Rojiza may find her voice at the hands of a travelling man. This decides her. She hops down from the seat and walks 'round back to the door of her wagon. "Alright, lassie, there's another caravan about, and I mean to make a new friend, aye? With me?" she inquires, taking Taog's cage and hanging it outside. "We can even take wee Majesty." She pauses to pet the magnificent purple buck on the head. Majesty stands and shakes himself--a bit of a walk outside the wagon would do him well.Another caravan? Rojiza is excited and nervous at the same time. With a quick look in the mirror to fix her hair, she's ready to go, out the door before her mother can ask a second time.
The two walk towards the other caravan, waiting to see who'd come out to greet them, if anyone. Oqaia A tall man- with hair the color of a dying sunset- came forward. He was alone- no women or children accompanying him across the great divide. His skin was a sultry umber shade, and about his eyes, dark, kohl-like marks showed. There were a few other, mottled spots on his face and arms, but besides that, he looked quite normal. ...Oh, except for the cheetah-like tail, of course. He walked straight out to Caroline and her daughter, a little shy, but not so much that he wouldn't make a beeline for this beautiful woman. "What a sight to see. I thought we'd never come across another caravan on this route. Greetings, friend." His lack of the familiar gypsy "sister" greeting was evident. "I am Trabor." Menelie Caroline sweeps a jingling curtsy for her new friend. "Aye," she responds. "I was beginnin' to think I'd never see another caravan. We've gone without company except for our own for so long." She smiles then, happy to meet him. "Caroline," she introduces herself. "And this is my daughter, Rojiza." She puts one hand on Ro's head as she says this. "She doesna talk much," she explains, "But she's a bonnie wee listener, and can gesture her meaning when needbe. An' this is Majesty," she says, gesturing to the deer, "Just a pet of ours. He needed a walk, so we thought we'd take 'im out."Rojiza smiles at Trabor in a friendly manner, curtsying after her mother does. She's still rather wobbly, but there'd be time enough to fix that. She's quite taken with the colour of his hair. It's a similar colour to Lorelei's, but somehow more beautiful. She fiddles with her coin skirt while the adults talk. Oqaia "Well, Caroline," Trabor said, a wide grin on his face- revealing the hint of two feline-like fangs among his white teeth, "In a normal case, I would say it was wonderful to meet you... but I'm afraid today your presence is merely a bit of a burden. ...Surely, such a beautiful creature on such a hot day will only make the temperature soar even higher." The older Fortunette was unaware that his mother was nearby, eyeing him and speaking with Heather. "And the wee one doesn't speak? What a shame for such a precocious little diamond of a girl. What has your wagonmother said of it?" Menelie Caroline laughs. She'd put on the Filor perfume before she'd left the wagon, and a good thing, too! She blushes modestly and bats her eyelashes. "Aye, well, I cannae be helpin' the heat, no?" She pats Rojiza on the head, preparing to address Trabor's other question. "Valelldia...has said nothing about wee Ro, though her sister Oqaia has discerened three possible paths for her. The Meij tends to be quite cryptic with my little bairn."Rojiza spots a flash of red at the corner of her eye. Uninterested in the adult talk, her eyes fix on the beautiful Banya birds. We already have one, she thinks, But Taog doesn't like Mama much. Maybe she'll let me borrow her purse and I can go get her another. She tugs on Caroline's skirt and points excitedly at the girl with her Banyas. Caroline gives her seventy couplets and bids her to go look, but if they're any more expensive than that she's to come right back. Rojiza, ecstatic, runs off. She had promised to get Rojiza something the next time another trader came up. Once she's closer to the girl with the birds, her eyes are attracted immediately to the creamy blue one. Its feathers, when they aren't blue, are just the same colour as her mother's skin. Hesitantly she reaches out to stroke it. Oqaia "Oh, you like the little snow head? He's a sweet Peach, isn't he?" Menelie Rojiza nods with a small smile. She wonders how she's going to manage this without being able to speak. She holds up a couplet with a question in her eyes--How much? Oqaia "Er, for the little snow head? 60." She pointed to the three birds and gave their prices. "60... 60... and 70." Menelie Delighted, Rojiza nods to the woman and extracts sixty couplets out of her seventy. Feeling generous, she adds an extra one with a friendly smile. They really are lovely birds. She strokes her new friend's crest again, feeling its soft feathers against her finger. She wonders whether it's a boy or a girl, but can't figure out an appropriate gesture.
Struck by inspiration, she kneels down and doodles in the sand--a little girl with a dress and a stick-figure boy. She draws a question mark below and points again to the Banya. Oqaia Cerces dipped her head to one side, a little puzzled by the drawing- but then understood the meaning as soon as the question mark was drawn, and nodded. "Oh, the Peach? He's a he." Menelie Rojiza, delighted with her purchase, and her first hack at trading, curtsies politely to the woman and takes the cage containing the Peach back to her mother. She smiles eagerly up at Caroline, waiting for some comment, some praise or coo over the bird."Aye, and what a bonny wee birdy ye've chose, cariña!" exclaims Caroline, ruffling her daughter's hair. "Take 'im back to the wagon, now, and let Taog get used to him. Also ye've got to pick a name." She smiles as she watches the little girl run off to the wagon, carefully holding the cage up so the creamy bird inside doesn't get too ruffled. 
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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 1:24 pm
I bought a Banya Bird the other day. He is a Snow Head breed, and is cream and light blue. I named him Finnean. Mama says that means 'white head' in Gaelic. I hope Finnean likes Mama better than Taog does. Except I kind of like that Taog likes me better than Mama. Everyone loves Mama.
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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 4:27 pm
Finnean was so incredibly pleased to have such a soft, inviting home. He wanted to jump onto Rojiza's shoulder and brush his soft feathers up against her face and croon a happy melody into her ear. What came from his beak, instead, was something that came- not from him- but from the wind of meij. The last meij wind... before they would reach the Twiggle Forest.
You think that all love your mother more than you-
But if you love the fae,
Or even if you don't-
Oh, child, they will be enamored of you.
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Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 2:34 pm
Unfair Trade Oqaia Pill clapped her tiny little palms together- so quickly, for she was excited, that they sparked. "Oh, what a delightful choice! I'm so glad for it." With that, Pill flew up into the swarm once more, speaking in their own high pitched, quick language that they were to assemble to create a gift for the little one. They spun about above the gypsies heads... again, so quickly that they were merely a blur of pink and green light, with white sparks in the midst of the cloud that were their wings- but, to the outside eye- seemed to be pure magic, itself. They spun from air- and the finest fae magic, a beautiful little dark-wood box... thickly encrusted jewels and carved acorns. Then, Pill, along with nearly a dozen others, brought it down from the air and set it in Rojiza's hands.  "It's a music box. One that may help you find your voice. Music may be your friend, and you might be able to find your voice, one day- and capture it here. Until then, you can use it for what you'd like." She flitted near the squirrel-child, and rubbed an affectionate palm against only the smallest section of her cheek- for her hands were the size of a leaf bud. She must have seemed so wonderful and benevolent to the gypsies, then... as she surely did to her own people. And, to them, she was. She herself wouldn't understand the outrage that would follow... for the gypsies did not know of the fae ways. "And now, according to custom, I shall choose my gift, as well." She looked amongst the assembled gypsies and saw a brightly colored boy- red, with ears and tail of a fox and bright eyes. "Oh... His Majesty of Youth would love him. I shall choose him." With that, Kale was puppeted into the air by the fae- so quickly, Marissa would have no say. Then, with just enough time for the gypsies to look up in amazement- or shock- or horror... Kale disappeared, as well- but with every single fae... with him.  
Ro and I met a man, a grown Fortunette, named Trabor. He seemed nice, but our conversation bored Rojiza and she went off to look at the Banya birds another gypsy was selling. She bought a lovely snow head male. We've called him Finnean, and he seems much more personable than our oh-so-lovable Taog. Wee bugger.
Our journey through the forest was peaceful at first, but then we ran into some trouble with the Fae folk. They called us dangerous, and took away some of the children. One, their leader, took interest in Rojiza and asked her if she wanted a gift. She nodded her head and the Fae gave her a decorative wooden music box, but in exchange took Kale away. Poor Rojiza still hasn't forgiven herself.
We found a magical tree and after a bit of communicating via Rojiza and some others, we found a Faery ring and found our way to the gypsies. We found Kale...but as a Vulpes candle instead of a little boy. He's still a candle. The Meij was so thick that the Faes became drunk on it, and returned all of our children. There seems to be something different about Pierre, but he seems unharmed for now.
I can only hope the rest of our journey to Tempranillo is not as eventful, and that somehow we'll find a way to bring Kale back to his infant state.
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:33 pm
It seems as if we've been wandering these woods for decades. I do hope we find our way out soon. The forest is usually comforting, but not in light of what's happened to Kale and the others. The other gypsies have been...absent, it feels like. I wish for companionship. I love my daughter, but I want someone to talk to.
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:12 pm
Menelie Caroline and Rojiza approach the trader with interest, but not much. Caroline can brew some things herself, but isn't one to pass up a trading opportunity when she's coins in her pocket. She looks at the various bottles and vials of multicoloured liquids and nods a little. She's about to turn away before one catches her eye--a pink glass bottle containing a thick-looking red liquid. "What is this?" she asks of the cloth-wrapped woman. Elysia Kavanagh "That one?" The trader chuckled, a deep, husky sound. "It's called Bottled Ardour. It's a love potion." She winked. "To be of use, it needs to be taken by both parties."
She failed to mention that its effects were really only temporary. That may not have been good for business. But she didn't make the potion - she only peddled it.
If needed, she could always feign ignorance. "It's seventy-five couplets, if you want it." Menelie Not one to dive into anything magical like this without proper consideration, Caroline nods thoughtfully. "How long do the effects last?" she inquires. She couldn't spend her hard-earned couplets on a potion that wouldn't last long enough for a real connection to develop.Rojiza rolls her eyes and scoffs audibly. A love potion! Mother, she thinks sternly, What use would you have for one of those? Elysia Kavanagh Geneva pondered the question for a moment, then reached out and took the bottle. Her hands were bruised, and a sore graced the back of her left.
"If I remember correctly, it lasts for a little less than a day, but it can be readministerd to equal effect if you would like the effect to be prolonged." Menelie Caroline makes a soft clucking sound with her tongue. "Only a day," she murmurs to herself.Rojiza, meanwhile, disgusted with her mother's infatuation with the love potion, surveys the trader's other wares. She wonders about buying medicines from an unwhole woman--couldn't she use her medicines on herself? Or did they not work?
Shoving these thoughts aside for a moment, she looks at some pinkish-red berries with long, leafy stems. She looks up at the trader questioningly. What did they do? Elysia Kavanagh Geneva only got Ro's questioning gaze after a moment of watching Caroline carefully. But she turned to the strange-looking girl with a slight smile. "Oh, you wouldn't be interested in that, young one. They're berries from the Marshes - they allow whoever eats them to see the motivations of others, no matter how unsavory they may be, and to speak in other tongues." Menelie Rojiza's heart lifts for a moment before plummeting again. What good would speaking in tongues be if she couldn't speak at all? Sighing, she nods and pokes around for something else, something perhaps more useful to her.Caroline finally nods. "How many couplets for the bittie love potion, did ye say?" she inquires, ignoring Rojiza's facepalm. Elysia Kavanagh "Seventy-five." She smiled beneath her wraps. What was the woman planning to do with it? She was tempted to ask, but with an item as testy as a forced love potion... somehow, that required more caution that a belt full of poisons.
Geneva supposed poison could have justified uses. But the same probably could not be said about love potions. Menelie Caroline bites her lip. "Seems a wee bit steep for a draught that only works for a day. Perhaps ye'll part with it for sixty-five."Rojiza, rather irritated on the whole by this point, folds her arms over her barely-noticible chest and skulks off back to the wagon. Elysia Kavanagh "It may only work for a day, but there is enough for quite a few doses - nearly ten, if apportioned intelligently. Seventy."
Her eyes followed Ro's bushy tail. "... Your daughter seems less than pleased, miss." Menelie Caroline turns her head quickly, her bushy brown hair flouncing. She sighs. "Rojiza doesn't understand romance yet," she says, trying to convince herself as much as the trader. "Seventy it is." Eyes still on her huffily-retreating daughter, she speaks again. "D'you have anything that she might enjoy, or find useful?" Elysia Kavanagh "Sadly, no, not that I can think of. The berries she was looking at cause an altered state of awareness, but... it is not for the faint of heart. Seeing others' motivations can be trying, at times."
She handed over the love potion, taking the payment from Caroline. "A medicines vendor has little to offer young children." Menelie "Thank ye kindly, miss. Perhaps next trader I'll find something that catches my little magpie's fancy." Elysia Kavanagh "I wish you luck." She inclined her head in a parting nod, then went back to watching her wares. Wonderful doing business.
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Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:03 am
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