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 Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 3:56 pm
The sun had just gone to bed, and momma moon was still a little drowsy. Much like she, one particular child of the night was also raising from the dead with a creek of his joints and hinges. Xeneth was awake. Instead of running down to a breakfast of spider pancakes right away, he took his shower first for a change. He left his argyle pajamas in a heap (something that always bothered Austeraud) as he got under the warm water.
Austeraud was sleeping in. His old bones (and skin, and organs) couldn't take the full-time job watching his grandson. He was thankful the new sprat was more self-sufficient than his grandson.
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:07 pm
There were few things more appealing to one who practically lived on the streets than a vacant house. A place once called home and that had been so loved by its inhabitants to be kept maintained to last beyond the lifespan of its owners. It appeared the owners of this particular house were well gone and that time had crept up and overgrown all traces of other life, leaving it to stand alone and forgotten.
At least it wouldn't go to waste - for someone had found it, and now prowled around the premises much like a stray cat looking to lodge in just such a spot. Once assured it was empty, a soft purr emanated before cat, with kitten in tow, approached it. Donna was practically beaming as she stood on the porch. "Empty. Can you believe it, sweetie? A mansion. A GOLD MINE. And it's empty! Well..." Her gaze shifted to a window where her smile broadened, "Except for the furniture."
The child was a bit more conscious of what they were doing than most his age probably would be. He shuffled nervously as he glanced around, anxious, and obviously having second thoughts. "Mama, isn't this stealin?" The query rewarded him with an odd look and then a wayward smirk as she shook her head. "Nonsense. If it's empty - it isn't stealing, because there's no one here to own it! Thus, it's called salvaging. Now...let me see..."
Fate often wasn't kind enough to thieves to allow them the luxury of an unlocked door, but this seemed to be a special occasion. Donna practically giggled like a schoolgirl as the door swung wide open, letting them into the treasure trove. "Jackpot! Now, come on. I'm going to teach you how to identify treasure from junk." The woman gently pushed the child inside, right behind him as she steered him into the would-be sale of a lifetime.
Without owners, she was a little less cautious, jostling a lamp as she hurried inside, causing it to fall over with a distinctive clatter. It hadn't broken, but looked rather pitiful in its disarray.
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:17 pm
Xeneth was in the shower still, singing.
Yeah
You are my fire
The one desire
Believe when I say
I want it that way
Then, Verrill did what small children do best when they hear an unfamiliar noise, make more noises. He was very mechanically inclined (not usually a sign of intelligence) and opened his crib. The old door to the old nursery didn't close all the way (it contracted in the cool nigh air) so he push it open easily.
Austeraud had just risen from the dead (so to speak) and saw the sprat. He was curious what he was doing. He didn't hear the noise, as his hearing was not so good. He could see as sharp an eagle, however, and silently followed the child.
Tell me why
Ain't nothin' but a heartache
Tell me why
Ain't nothin' but a mistake
Tell me why
I never wanna hear you say
I want it that way
Austeraud followed Verrill down the stairs and into the living room. There the boy approached another boy. Being friendly as only small childen can be, Verrill shouted “Hi!” and smiled. Austeraud looked at the taller figure in the shadows and shouted “What the hell are you doing in my house!?”
You are my fire
The one desire
You are
You are, you are, you are
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:26 pm
Donna had just picked up an antique lamp when she was not only assaulted by a child's voice nearby but an older and obviously angry man. Her first instinct was Tristan. She wheeled to see where he was and if he was alright. Noting he was still close enough to be snatched up in a moment's need and not in any immediate danger, she focused on the adult. "Erm...Housekeeping? I...was a-called heyre. I clean your house, very very good for fifty-dollah?" The accent was not one of her strong ones, as opposed to Juridian accents, and came across as an overly exaggerated Asian woman. A cautious grin crept onto her features as she set the lamp down and gently dusted it off with her fingertips.
Tristan backed away a bit before responding, not even trying to follow his mother's example. "Hello...Do you live here?" Did that make this stealing? He decided it wasn't wise to bring that fact up just yet. "I'm Tristan."
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:42 pm
“I'm Verrill!” He puffed out his chest. Verrill didn't really grasp that these people shouldn't be here. “Lady, you don't look Asian, you don't even sound that Asian, put my lamp down before I donate you both to science.”
Xeneth was taking a very long shower.
My loneliness is killin me (and I)
I must confess I still believe (still believe)
When I'm not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign, hit me baby one more time!
Verrill approached Tristan and yelled “Tag!” and ran off. Austeraud watched in a bewildered whirlwind as this happened.
Just then, a large, round, green lady popped out of the kitchen door. “Who wants spider pancakes?” she said, in a singsong voice. Austeraud was distracted from the intruding lady and was focused on the green lady now. “Ethel, Christ, don't just come in my house and start to make breakfast-- I need to teach your nephew to lock the door before bed.” Austeraud started back upstairs.
Oh baby baby, how was I supposed to know
Oh pretty baby, I shouldnt have let you go
I must confess that my loneliness
Is killin me now
Dont you know I still believe
That you will be here
And give me a sign, hit me baby one more time
He shouldn't have gotten out of bed today-- it was a mistake. He was going to go back to bed. He had the money to replace anything the crazy delusional non-Asian would take. It would simply be easier to buy something new than put up with this.
“So, who are you?” The green lady asked. “I'm Aunt Ethel, everyone calls me that dearie Do you like pancakes?”
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:49 pm
The woman facepalmed for a moment before something new entered the equation. What the ********? She turned to face the woman, wondering why there was a bootleg version of pop music playing somewhere in the house and what was in spider pancakes besides spiders. Pancakes were alluring...she smiled, ignoring the man for a moment, and dropping her accent. "Why YES, I DO like pancakes! Shall we have some over discussing salvaging?" She then turned back to the man, "I feel it would be a good medium to better our relationship. I think we can work through this 'yours and mine' business."
The gesture lightened him up a bit. He didn't know why the strange boy wasn't questioning him being here, but whatever. A child his age could only handle so much ethical thinking before childhood took hold and he just ran with it and after the kid. "Wait up!" Tristan wasn't as quick, but mad a valiant effort, tailing the boy through the house and out of sight of his mom for the first time.
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:01 pm
Austerard ignored the crazy lady and kept walking.
I must confess (my loneliness) that my loneliness
(is killing me) is killing me now
(I must confess) don't you (I still believe) know I still believe
That you will be here (I lose my mind)
And give me a sign...
Hit me baby one more time!
The lyrics had gotten clearer. Xeneth was out of the shower and putting on his casual attire for lounging around.
“Well if you want pancakes come in the kitchen. I killed the spider fresh this morning!” Ethel smiled. Someone would actually willing try her cooking. Well someone other than her Xenny-dear.
Verrill kept running. At this rate, it was likely he was going to tire Tristan out. He was a bundle of endless energy. If only there was a way to harness it for the good of mankind.
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:06 pm
Donna nodded, making her way into the kitchen and getting comfy. She acted as though she practically lived there! The cabinets were her territory as she got a coffee mug, plate, glass, and some silverware out and made herself at home. She set her place and sat down, waiting to be served by the enthusiastic woman. While waiting, she made polite conversation. "Was it a very big spider? I'm usually not quick enough to catch them, myself, so I wind up dusting their webs with powder to make them fall off into a bucket..."
The boy tired out after running nonstop for what seemed forever. He'd lost sight of his quarry for the moment and turned down an odd hallway, wandering through it slowly as he looked for his newfound playmate. "Hello?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:12 pm
“Hello?” Replied a confused man, sounding about twenty.
“Oh, no, it was a bunch of little ones. They were in the basement under the welding bench. I needed the legs anyway to make a birthday cake for one of my friends. I didn't want to waste perfectly good spiders, though. Oh, they were easy to catch too. Not very bright. I just took a pot and a lid and scooped them into it.” Ethel was a woman of many words, few meaningful. Ethel didn't care. She too just waltzed in and acted like she lived there, so why not? Plus they were friends now, so it was okay.
Verrill had turned tag into hide-and-seek. Now only for Tristan to realize it and find him.
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:24 pm
Tristan wasn't quick on the uptake. Instead, he followed the voice into a strange room and peeked inside to find a twenty-something year old man. A bit more tactful that his mother, he thought to knock before actually coming in, although the man could see him. He rapped at the molding before stepping in a bit. "H-hello...have you seen another boy come this way?"
Donna nodded, looking sage. "That's clever. I'm glad it wasn't too much trouble for you to make breakfast like this. May I have one, please? And some syrup if you have it. I like my pancakes oozing a bit of syrup."
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:31 pm
“Uh, kid? Go... past?” Xeneth was a little slower than Tristian. “Uh...” He thought hard. So hard it made his head hurt. “I don't know, but I'm getting breakfast.” Then something dawned on him. “Wait, who are you?” He asked, really confused.
“You do not need syrup! Spider pancakes are delicious in their own, natural, un-syruped state!” Ethel yelled, shaking the whole house. “But here.” She then smiled sweetly and gave Donna one spider pancake on a plate.
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:35 pm
Donna blushed a little, smiling weakly. She hadn't expected the sudden anger. "I apologize, this is my first time having this sort of pancake, you see, so I wasn't aware." She then looked down at the pancake with ravenous intention. "My, it does look good though and you can't ask for anything more fresh! It's all steamy and good..."
The boy's first thought was why they were having breakfast at dusk, but he answered the man first out of respect. "I'm Tristan. Momma is teachin me to...sal...salvage? And then me an this other boy were playin tag..."
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:43 pm
“Oh that makes sense.” Xeneth replied. He'd have to ask Austeraud what 'Sal-hedge' meant later. “Isn't tag that game where you stuff clothes into your pants and hope the alarm doesn't go off?” Xeneth was wondering how it was even possible to play that here.
“Oh, you're a pancake virgin.” Ethel smiled with glee. “You really need to experience more verity, dear.” Ethel had an odd, motherly air about her. That, or someone had left the time-mist air freshener to 'responsible, trusting and caring parent'.
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:53 pm
With no further delay Donna started on the pancake. It was a mix of sweet and savory with the most unusual tang to it! It was so good, in fact, that the entire room seemed to be entirely more colorful and pulsing a bit as she set down her silverware and grinned. "BRILLIANT!! You're a BEAUTIFUL chef, m-m'am! I di-di-didn't know spider pancakes made rainbows!" To the other woman, Donna would have seemed to gone very pale, and swaying a bit from the influence of whatever was in that pancake.
Tristan shook his head. "Noooo...Tag is when one person is "It" and chases everyone else until he tags someone and they're it. I was supposed to tag the other boy but I think I got lost..."
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:58 pm
Xeneth still didn't understand. “Oh well. Say, why don't we find your mom?”
Ethel looked at the now pale woman. “Fuuuuuuuck.” she said. It was rare that she let an obscenity slip. She didn't know how to react. She quietly slipped out and left Donna there alone.
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