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 Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:31 pm
The lawn, normally in some mild state of disarray, was a horrible mess of papers, books, and innumerable strange devices. Under the noon sun, the treasures of the house's occupant glinted and twinkled. Windchimes turned lazily by the porch. Lemon sat in the center of the lawn debris, looking like a whirlwind god surrounded by his trade tools. He was attaching thin cloth to wood frames, building a small-scale model of... what was he building? Lemon looked perplexed even by his own work.
From somewhere near the porch, a languid, warm voice carried over and wrapped around Lemon. It almost seemed to be accompanied by the breeze, which fluttered Lemon's pink hair and made him itch behind the strap of his goggles. "You have forgotten what you were doing, haven't you?" Scirocco emerged from the shadows by the door, and stood on the top step, surveying his half-brother. Scirocco had been home much more often, of late; he would, of course, end up compensating by not returning for quite some time, the next time he left. For now, however, he was seldom without the company of his brother.
"Forgetting? Who's forgetting what! I have a wonderful invention, right here," Lemon retorted, ignoring his brother's staring and continuing to tinker with a piece of the cloth. He was clearly just attaching it and removing it from one of the sticks over and over again. He had definitely forgotten whatever epiphany had startled him last night. He had dreamed up a new instrument for his brother, but couldn't remember what it was for the life of him. Had it involved something with silver scales?... He vaguely remembered thinking he could sew little chimes to the fabric...
Scirocco, out of boredom, had started to play with the chimes, constructing a melody from the simple notes. It tore Lemon out of his inventing mode. Lemon made a strangled noise, got to his feet, and leapt onto the porch in only a couple steps. He pulled Scirocco into what appeared to be either a murder attempt or a hug, and gritted his teeth, whispering, "You. I can't work with you around. You're so noisy."
"Noisy?" His brother repeated, eyebrows arched, an amused smile starting. "It is hardly noise; I was merely making music to hide your incessant mumbling about cross-pieces and anchoring and dimensions." Scirocco clasped his brother fondly on the shoulder and just kept smiling. Normally, Lemon was the one who grinned without cessation. Today, however, wiping the sweat off his brow, Lemon just stared at him.
Then he grabbed him tighter and started to drag him out into the path in front of the house. "How is anyone supposed to invent with a brother like you just sitting around?!" Scirocco was complacent, allowing himself to be dragged past the gate. He did, however, keep the dust off his clothing by using his breeze aura; he disliked being dusty, especially from travel. It wasn't as if this was a rare occurrence. It was almost their equivalent of saying that they loved one another, these ridiculous quarrels. They fought often when Scirocco was home, but Lemon devoted all his attention to his brother, and they never meant their fights.
Which is why Scirocco almost seemed to be grinning still, as Lemon dragged him past the gate and onto the path. Lemon was about to dump Scirocco on the ground by his scarf, when he thought he saw something in the corner of his eye. Was that... orange, with white? A bow? Had he imagined it?
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:17 pm
 Lydda would never, ever understand how she managed to get lost. Well, actually, she could, but admitting it aloud wasn't likely to happen anytime soon. Her dark brows furrowed as she studied the warped, fragile paper with faded markings on it, looking around her to be sure she'd done everything right and giving up with a frustrated sigh. The map was so old, no wonder she was required to make a new one. The so called "tradewinds" path was either imaginary or so overgrown by foliage that it just didn't exist. Then again, maybe it was just that this wasn't home, so Lydda couldn't point everything out with a bat of an eye.
Which meant that she'd be having words with the village elder about sending her off to nowhere once again. Not that she didn't mind the travel or exploration but really, a bit of warning would have been nice.
"You really aren't all that helpful, you know," she advised the parchment as she rolled it up with a sigh. "At least I know I'm going east, I suppose, but even that's commonsense. You utterly fail my expectations." Through with the minor scolding of the map, Lydda stopped at the sound of voices somewhere up ahead, freezing as she strained to catch a hint of who or what it might be. Her heart hammered in her chest in anticipation as she imagined all sorts of people and creatures awaiting her. It was silly, certainly, but she did it anyway.
The voices soon had actual words, actual footfalls accompanied as whoever it was had somehow managed to find a path and not crash through the foliage. She could catch a bit of warm colors and various shades of citrus, but otherwise she couldn't be sure. Had they seen her, she wondered? Would they be hospitable? Hopefully. Maybe if she got lucky she could get a better idea of where she was.
Of course, that would require that the branches from a nearby tree decided to let go of her hair, snagging bits and pieces of the snowy tendrils and thoroughly entangling themselves in them, though Lydda wasn't sure how that was possible, since she'd be standing still. It matched the usual pattern of her luck, she supposed, though it would be nice if whoever was out there didn't usually feast on random travellers.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," she declared with a small pout, amber-colored hands going up to try and detangle the mess.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:38 pm
It was definitely orange, it definitely had white hair, and Lemon was very nearly certain it was also a female Twilif. Was she...? Lemon dropped Scirocco, who caught himself and brushed himself off without using his hands. She was definitely tangled up in one of the unruly trees near their lot. He couldn't bring himself to cut them down, but then again, he definitely didn't expect someone to go wandering through the back way when the path into town was at his front step.
Lemon approached the twilif with his familiar, rolling gait, grinning and rubbing the back of his neck. He got up to her, removed his goggles with a snap, and began with, "You look pretty stuck. Is that your idea of fun? Maybe I should try." But almost as soon as the words had left his mouth, Scirocco was standing next to the Twilif. He gave a little nod for a greeting, frowned in concentration, and pressed two fingers to his lips.
"Please excuse my brother, he is rather ineloquent. Especially when it comes to Twilif." Scirocco shook his head and withdrew his fingers, seeming to have come to a conclusion. "If it is not too much trouble, would you hold still? I won't touch you, but I am afraid if my brother dear tries to free you from your snare you will lose half your starlit locks." Scirocco tilted his head to one side, reached out one hand and directed the tiniest gusts of air to unwrap her hair from around the branches. So long as she didn't go and get herself tangled again, she'd be able to simply walk out of the mess as if she'd done all the work on her own. Satisfied with his work, he nodded. "That should suffice. We mean you no harm whatsoever, I give you my word."
"You're just a showoff, that's all," Lemon muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and huffing. "We both know I could have done just as good a job!"
"So again you would have preferred a more hands-on method, brother mine?" Scirocco raised an eyebrow, a smile quirking across his lips again.
"Ah, no, that's not-- I mean, it isn't-- SCIR, you are the worst, just the worst!" Lemon threw his hands in the air in mock exasperation, shaking his head and grinning wildly. Really, it was to hide his sheepishness and his embarassment. Scir was all too familiar with Lemon's love for physical contact, though they both knew he drew a careful and complete line at Twilifs. He didn't even hit on them, as astonishing as that was for all parties involved. So to have Scir suggest that essentially forced Lemon into a shy fit of blushing and awkward silence while Scir reached a hand out should the Twilif need help getting away from the tree.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 11:05 pm
Lydda's head snapped up as whoever it was out there approached, eyes narrowing warily until a sunset-colored constellation broke through the brush, followed by a deep golden one with dark hair and a rather vivid, colorful scarf. Her attention was momentarily on the former, however, as he teased her.
"Well, if you'd like, I'd gladly trade places with you. Then you can tell me." Her pout disappeared slightly as she teased, though still somewhat exasperated with her predicament. The inflection of her voice indicated it was good-natured enough, however.
The dark haired constellation drew her attention when he spoke, her eyes darting from one to another and suddenly feeling ridiculously small and rather foolish. Lydda could only hope that she imagined the slight heat in her cheeks. This one was musical and rather eloquent; it was hard to imagine them as siblings. She held still when he asked, eyes widening slightly in horror at the idea of patches of missing hair. Not that she was overly vain, but Lydda did have her limits, and the idea of a wilted poodle for a head did not appeal to her. She lowered her hands and they twitched at her side as she forced herself to keep them away from her hair and undo all the work that was going on.
"Thank you," she said with some relief as she felt the pressure pulling at her scalp dissipate. She'd gotten a good start on it, but being able to see what one was doing usually helped.
Her eyes darted between the two as they bantered, grateful at the assurance that she was in safe company and deciding that, for the moment anyway, it was probably so. Danger normally didn't tease its companions before striking. She couldn't help the twitch of a smile as she listened, shaking her head at the blushing one. A soft, muffled giggle threatened to escape and was quickly replaced by a change of topic, preferably before either of the constellations noticed.
"I appreciate it, either way," she assured them, selfconciously raising her hands to fix her hair. Lydda was so used to doing things on her own that it was almost second nature to forego the offered hand. Knowing how the day had gone so far, however, she'd probably just get tangled up again before she even finished with her first step alone. She nodded silently in thanks, the contact broken almost as swiftly as it had been initiated.
"Uhm..." She looked between the two brothers and then at their surroundings, unable to hide the slight flush to her cheeks this time. "I really hate to bother you further, but you wouldn't happen to have an approximate idea of where we are, do you?" Please, please don't ask why she was roaming lost in the woods in the first place. Talk about embarrassing.
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Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 6:58 am
Lemon was often oblivious to everything around him, and thus missed facial cues. He didn't see her apprehension, or the blush in her cheeks. He was busy looking decidedly away, lips pressed together. He had one hand against his hip and one playing idly with the goggles which now rested around his neck. It was Scirocco that seemed to be painfully attentive. No subtlety was lost on him, including the swift withdrawal of her hand from his when he helped her out. Scirocco was unfamiliar with discomfort at offering a helping hand; to him, it was something proper and natural. Lemon wasn't quite so considerate. He would be more likely to tease, preen, maybe wink. Well, he would if Scir hadn't interrupted his fun and embarassed him beyond repair.
Good thing Lemon was excellent at repairing things. He coughed, shook his head, and pushed his brother gently. "Just wait until we're alone, I'll have my revenge." Lemon's eyes narrowed, glittering, his smile a little twisted.
Scirocco hardly acknowledged his ridiculous brother; an eyebrow quirked, his eyes darted to the side his brother stood on, and he went on with his life. "It was no trouble at all," Scirocco began,"Much more of a pleasure than an inconvenience, I am certain." Scirocco's smile was unlike Lemon's. Lemon seemed to be up to constant mischief, the corners of his mouth a little crooked, almost predatory in nature. Like he wanted to take a bite out of whoever he spoke with. His brother, on the other hand, smiled like he could hear music no one else could, and the strain was so pleasant he couldn't help but respond. He smiled like if he wanted he could pause the world on the moment which had made him content, and keep it there.
Then the smile would pass, and Scirocco would return to being his slightly distant, if polite, self. And Lemon was always just Lemon. There were different modes to Lemon: interested-Lemon, work-Lemon, predatory-Lemon, asleep-Lemon and embarassed-Lemon. Apart from those, and even amongst some of them, he really didn't change very much. "Where we are...? No, I think I forgot where we are. It's such a long way from any civilization, or landmarks!"
Scirocco turned to his brother and arched a brow, a gentle sigh escaping him. For a gentle sigh, it was pretty strong; it ruffled Lemon's hair a little. Which would have been abnormal, but neither of the brothers gave any indication it was out of the ordinary. Scirocco looked again at the Twilif. "Again, excuse my brother; he thinks himself to be the village fool. His house is actually just on the other side of these trees, and the Lost Village lies beyond that. All very close, so you can see why he thought it amusing to tease."
Lemon scowled at Scir; always ruining his fun. He crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight. Scirocco inclined his head at his brother, as if prompting him to say something. "You are oh so welcome to join us for tea, if you would like. Or we may deign to show you into the village proper," Lemon spoke in exaggeration, emphasizing his vocabulary and immitating his brother. "Or, if you don't have a clue what my brother is ever saying, come on over and we'll show you the way out. I guess you're not from around here?"
"Are you from a distant town? Perhaps the Port of Priyal?" Scirocco tilted his head, speaking more to himself than anyone else, though the "you" he referred to was the Twilif. Lemon had already turned to walk away, when Scirocco instinctively began to follow. He turned back, however, once he wasn't lost in thought, and added, "Ah, how terribly rude of me to have left out introductions. It would hardly be fitting for such a respectable Twilif to accompany two strangers. I am Scirocco, of the Jade Wind," and in the near distance, Lemon's faint snickering carried back to them, "And that thing is my half-brother."
"Lemon, just," he called back, a little further away than where he had been when he snickered. Scirocco shook his head, smiling again, then nodded to the Twilif. He paused, waiting for her to choose whether to accompany them or not. If she chose to, he would continue down through the trees with Lemon, to the gates of his house. Lemon often served tea outside in the backyard, on a table he had carved from stone.
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Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 11:00 am
Lydda couldn't help herself; she found herself shyly returning Scirroco's smile, though she had to wonder at the secretive nature to it. Like he knew something wonderful that the rest of the world missed out on.
"Still, you probably had something else in mind other than helping one little Twilif," she objected good-naturedly. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything..." A small frown momentarily lapsed across her features at the notion. It was true, Lydda would have felt awful if she'd somehow disrupted something important.
Her eyes darted to Lemon as he teased, blinking once in response to the tone of his voice, mouth opening slightly to retort before his brother smoothly intervened. How in the heavens were these two possibly related when they seemed so different?
"Oh, that's wonderful," she said with a sigh of relief, forking her fingers through her pale hair. At least she wasn't so far off the mark, though she'd definitely prefer a different route for next time. Her lip twitched as Lemon proceeded to offer an overly eloquent, exaggerated invitation, wondering if he knew that he was still unable to fully imitate his brother and figured that he probably wouldn't have wanted it that way, anyway. Where as Scirocco had a flowing rhythm to his speech, Lemon's was punctuated with different inflections that reflected his mischievous humor.
"I guess it's a bit late to ask if it's that obvious," she mused as Lemon traipsed off into the forest. She'd noticed the strong breeze that had ruffled the spunky constellation's hair, but had felt none herself and was unable to make the connection as to where it came from.
"I'm actually a fair ways from home...I think." She shook her head, trying to mentally remember the landmarks on the map. "I guess I'm farther from home than I realized," she added for Scirocco's benefit as he mostly spoke to himself. "No, not Port of Priyal, though I may end up that way before long." She gave a rueful laugh and nodded.
"Tea sounds wonderful, if you sure you won't mind. My name's Lydda. It's nice to meet you both." She couldn't help the smile as Scirocco continued the banter and indicated Lemon, whose snicker carried through the forest. Lydda simply blinked again, wondering what could have been so funny as she followed the two back to the path towards their home.
"Just Lemon," she repeated. "You don't strike me as the sour type, though." She fell silent, aware a little too late to the fact that what she said might seem almost an insult instead of the jest he had provoked.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 3:03 pm
"Interrupt?...No, my brother was simply in the middle of punishing me for getting in the way again." Scirocco sounded like the idea clearly amused him. His brother was much physically stronger than Scirocco, but there was no way either brother could defeat the other with much ease. It had yet to happen, but they had never fought seriously. What would they even fight about? Scirocco was generally too easy-going, as was Lemon, to engage in a real fight, though Lemon enjoyed picking mock-fights frequently.
Lydda's apparently apprehension, or dislike of Lemon, was not lost on Scirocco. He gave a wry smile, briefly, as he thought of all the folk who disapproved of Lemon. There were a lot of them, and his attention wandered after the first six or seven. Really, Lemon caused more conflict with his amiable nature than anyone he had ever met.
"Ah, perhaps not obvious, but we could not help but notice you were not familiar with the area when you turned up in our garden," Scirocco ammended, smiling gently. "My brother and I, we are also far from home," Scirocco added, turning his head to the right and looking into the distance, as if he could see the place they were from. It was kind of a private joke; Lemon had been living in this area since he could remember, but Scirocco was not entirely convinced that made it his home. Scirocco, by nature, travelled; he had no home, in the conventional sense. Lemon was his home; wherever Lemon was, Scirocco would return to, without fail. He wasn't always home, was all. He couldn't be. Scirocco felt compelled to keep moving. Sometimes he entertained dreams of taking his brother with him.. but no, the journey Scirocco walked was meant only for his own feet, no one else's. Places he had to walk alone.
Snapping out of his thoughts, "Forgive me, something came over me. Dreams of a distant land," Scirocco tilted his head and smiled again. "Well, if you are not from Port Priyal, I do wonder where you hail from; however, I will restrain my curiosity. Should you and I ever intersect in Priyal, I would be happy to play music for you." Scirocco made that offer, knowing she couldn't yet fathom what music he played, that Lemon had built him large wood constructions so that he could play sweet music across the Port outskirts, on a quiet day. She wouldn't understand the gift, no matter how he tried to explain it, so he made it sound simple. Just music. Of course, had he wanted simply to play her a song, he would have been able; in the satchel at his side, he always had his favourite small instrument, amongst the glass vials. Scirocco was not in the habit of playing suddenly, though.
"Had I thought I might mind your company for tea, had I thought it would bother me, I would not have offered; or, rather, supported my brother's offer, for it was him who initiated the invitation. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lydda. May we have many more meetings before our time on this plane is through." It was as if Scirocco was gently reminding her his brother had his good moments, too. Not that Scirocco wouldn't have offered tea, but Lemon actually beat him to a courtesy for once.
As they walked, Scirocco hummed to himself. He was occupied in his thoughts, again. Although Scirocco was the more pleasant of the two brothers, Lemon's attention was a little more dedicated than Scirocco. For Scirocco, it was like having a light shone down; if he was paying attention to someone, he was paying the most delicate, dedicated attention to their every word, expression, gesture, posture; anything which he could read. He often began to daydream or think of some far off place, however, which made him unresponsive or distant when he was not paying such attention to his surroundings. A simple word would break him out of it, but he was not one for idle chatter.
Lemon had waited at the mouth of the path, where the trees broke and revealed his lawn, covered in documents, his carefully wrought gate and fence, his house made of some kind of tan stone. Talismans, polished semi-precious stones and things which appeared to be guages or instruments of some kind were set into the very walls of the house, giving it a strange air. The stones which did not have something set into them were covered in symbols and equations. Lemon and Scirocco never noticed these curiosities, any more. The house had been a labour of love.
"Thanks," Lemon winked at the Twilif. He hadn't caught her name, but Scirocco would undoubtedly share that information with him whenever he chose to. Scirocco had ways of speaking quietly and yet communicating over distance. "I like to think I'm more sweet than sour," Lemon grinned in that predatory way, again. If any insult could have been garnered from Lydda's observation, it was lost on Lemon. It was hard to insult him, even directly, so inferred ones whether intentional or not would often simply roll off him. His smile turned into a positive beam, and he darted inside to put the kettle on.
Scirocco wound his way around the debris, "Mind you do not injure yourself, Lydda; my brother's lawn is in its typical disarray." Scirocco glanced back briefly, making eye contact with her, then looked forward. He was making his way around the side of the house, into the back yard. It was nothing like the front yard, nor the interior of the house. The back yard was Scirocco's domain, when he was home with Lemon; the grass was trimmed neatly and several strange, thin trees with white bark twisted up into the sky, no taller than the house. Their canopies reached over a stone table and chairs. The chairs were much more delicate than the table, for better ease of movement, though the table was also quite pleasing and curved. Lemon could be heard singing loudly from inside the house, darting around the kitchen. Several times it sounded like he was purposefully banging pots and pans together, but based on the disarray of the front yard, it would not be surprising if Lemon was simply tripping over stacks of some metal object or another.
"Would you care to sit with me?" Scirocco stood behind one of the chairs, his hand on the back. He had pulled it out enough so that one could be seated, and he gestured to the seat with one hand, clearly offering it to the Twilif.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 5:40 pm
Lydda's hint of a smile tugged again at the idea of Scirocco being punished by his brother, wondering if it was frequently like this with them, and just what "getting in the way" implied. The constellation didn't seem the sort to get in the way of anything.
"I guess that makes sense, doesn't it? Here I am supposed to be heading towards a village and instead I wind up traipsing about in someone's garden." She looked at Scirocco as he mentioned being far away from home, as well. Though curious, the Twilif didn't want to pry as his attention went to the east, eyes somewhat glazed in the way that suggests private thoughts and faraway places.
"It's okay," she assured him as his thoughts returned to the present, smiling in understanding. "I can understand the feeling." The Twilif paused for a moment before asking a bit hesitantly, "Do you miss it? Your home, that is." She couldn't know about his thoughts or feelings on it, but Lydda's idea of "home" was more along the lines of where you had your treasured memories, the ones that made you feel safe and warm inside and gave you this warm glow that spread all over. Thinking about it made her miss her own a little.
"That would be nice," she agreed with a happy little nod. Though she wasn't aware of how Scirocco performed his music, the idea was pleasant; music was always a nice background to one's mood. Her mind trailed along to the project she'd been forced to delay and wondered if maybe this gentleman would be able to help point out the flaw in her design. She tucked the thought aside and vowed to ask later when it wouldn't seem like she was trying to beg for favors. Besides, anyone could claim to musical talent; suppose he wouldn't be able to help her, after all? Well, if not, maybe he'd know someone who could.
His reminder of Lemon's courtesy reminded Lydda to thank the pink constellation as well before the day was over. Frustrating as we was, he still seemed rather nice. Her knee-jerk reaction to return the banter just needed a better outlet, she decided, and less barb. Of course, application to this idea would be different than just realizing it alone, but it was a start. She simply nodded at Scirocco's assurance, understanding the concept and knowing she'd be much the same way. If you were a bother, you'd know, and if you were extended an invitation, don't question the integrity because there was no false offer.
She listened to Scirocco's humming, enjoying the pleasant, lilting sound as she followed him to the path where his brother waited in front of a wrought-iron fence and matching gate, taking note of the painstaking detail and the utter chaos of the lawn beyond it. There was almost literally everything to be seen there, some ornaments, several gemstones, papers, and all sorts of things she couldn't begin to imagine might be. Her eyes darted almost everywhere, taking it all in and wondering what on earth they could all possibly be used for.
Try as she might, though, Lemon's smile was contagious, especially when he had an easy-going way about him despite his predatory teasing. Which, of course, just frustrated the Twilif even more. There seemed to be no way to properly gauge the pink constellation.
"People tend to respond better to the sweet, I think," she agreed. It was hard to think of anything to say that didn't seem a little awkward, so she simply left it at that. Maybe Lemon wasn't as bad as she'd initially thought.
Following the path Scirocco made through the chaos of the front lawn allowed Lydda a better look at some of the things that lay about, piquing her curiosity again as she wondered what they were supposed to be and what they could possibly be used for.
The backyard, however, made her stop, both in surprise and appreciation as she looked around. It was nice and pristine, but also very natural, with almost no indication of anyone trying to control the way nature bloomed in the quiet and considerably cleaner sanctum. Sunlight lazily broke through the canopy overhead as the constellation lead her to a patio, complete with an intricate table and chairs. The only disruption to the visage was the sound of metal pans clanging about, probably more than should have been possible for finding a single teakettle...unless the inside was as brazenly cluttered as the front lawn.
"Yes, thank you." Pulled out of her reverie, Lydda followed Scirocco to the table, nodding as she took the seat he offered her. "It's very beautiful out here," she told him as she took another look around.
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Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 7:59 pm
It was nice to feel the fresh air, for Scirocco. He smiled briefly when Lydda mentioned the "traipsing" through their garden. It was hardly a garden, but it was an inconvenient little patch of wilderness, as far as travelers were concerned. He was a little startled when she asked about his home, but the shock left him quickly and he answered, "I always miss my home, though I seldom act upon that sentiment. My home, in truth, is not a place, nor a town, nor a landmark. It is not even the 'birthplace,' so to speak, to which I was summoned by the Jade Wind." Scirocco smiled tenderly and looked towards the kitchen, where Lemon had begun singing loudly again, now clearly bashing pots and pans together of his own accord. Yes, however terrible his brother could be, that was where he belonged. He just couldn't stomach being home forever.
He took a seat in one of the other chairs, as soon as Lydda sat. "I am pleased you find it beautiful; this is where I come for a slice of peace, when my brother is busy about the house or the front lawn." Scirocco winced a little, with a wry smile uncharacteristic of him. That was a little of his brother showing through. He sat across the table from her, his hands clasped in front of him on the stone. They were immaculately clean, the nails all trimmed down. It looked as though he never got dirty at all. He separated his hands, gently nudged his scarf to one side, and reclasped his hands, trying not to stare at Lydda intently, but rather to offer her moments where she was not under his scrutiny. The din from his brother settled in the kitchen, and he could only anticipate his entry into the garden.
Lemon was not one to disappoint; he strode out into Scirocco's space, grinning. He wore a floral apron over his now bare chest, and he wore no shoes. He was barefoot in only the floral apron and his pants, which made his brother sigh in disapproval. Shaking his head, Scirocco opened his mouth to question Lemon, but was met with an abrupt, "It's too hot in there! Besides, I have tea! And biscuits." Lemon grinned even wider and set the teapot down. He had been carrying it using a cloth square, which served to protect the delicate teapot from the stone table when he set it down. The teapot was all white, with black vines wrapping up its front and down the spout, until the spout ended in a pointed black leaf. It had silver markings all along the handle. Lemon was clearly proud of the pot, as though he had made it himself, but it was Scirocco who had bought it as a gift and given it to Lemon on his last visit. That was where his pride stemmed from.
He placed down the plate of assorted biscuits next, and, with a flourish, produced three teacups from one of his pockets. It was a little disconcerting, because the pocket appeared to be much too small to hold them, and they were completely unharmed; on closer examination, they were sturdier than they looked. The cups had no handles nor bases. They were rather plain, with thin silver lines cris-crossing around them. From another pocket, he also produced three small plates. They were intended for the biscuits. "Much better," Lemon sighed, flopping down in one of the two remaining chairs and crossing his arms on the table. He settled head down on his arms and closed his eyes briefly, seeming to sleep.
Scirocco cleared his throat. "Another minute or two for brewing, brother mine?" It was silent for a moment longer. Lemon nodded slightly, a smile sneaking onto his lips, but remained otherwise silent and still. "Understood." Scirocco nodded in return, and then shifted his attention to Lydda. "Perhaps while we wait for the tea, you might grace me with a story or two? Such as... I could not help but wonder, what were you looking for when we found you in the tree?" Scirocco asked, tilting his head to one side. He didn't show it, but his heart beat a little faster; could she have been searching for that which he so desired? He doubted it, but that little thought was still there at the back of his mind.
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Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 8:43 pm
Lydda listened with polite intent and even curiosity as Scirocco described his home, though he never exactly spoke of what it was directly. She followed his gaze towards the house, where several loud banging noises could be heard. It sounded like Lemon was trying to bring the house down around him, or maybe just help find something to keep a beat to whatever tune he was aimlessly singing.
"It's beautiful, it really is," Lydda assured the constellation. "Kind of like you can escape from the rest of the world and just be at peace out here." No chaos, no distractions. Just a spiritkind and their thoughts...well, actually, that might not always be such a good thing, either.
"The Jade Wind summoned you?" she repeated curiously as she looked at him. There was obviously a story behind this, but she wondered, if only briefly, if she really was pushing it. If Scirocco was uncomfortable with the telling or didn't feel like it, she assumed he'd simply say so.
Enter Lemon, barefoot and bare-chested, pinstripe pants clashing horribly with the floral-print apron tied about him, complete with pockets but, thankfully, no frills. She smiled at his defense, as though the promise of tea and the bonus of biscuits would be able to gloss over any impropriety. How he managed to procure the cups and plates from their hiding spots, she would never know: sturdy or not, they simply didn't look like they'd fit in pockets of that size. But if it worked, it worked. The teapot was exquisite, intricately made with an expert hand and a good eye.
"Thank you, Lemon," she said as he set the table. Really, it wouldn't hurt to be nice, and Lydda had to remind herself that she had a tendency to jump to conclusions a little too quickly when others were concerned. It was questionable as to how long that would last, but at least she could get points for effort. "It's a lovely kettle." Okay, maybe pushing a little too nice now? Did it matter?
The Twilif adjusted her position, settling in her chair as Lemon lay his head in his arms, seeming to doze as they waiting for the tea to finish brewing, meeting Scirocco's eyes as he asked her about her travels, a small smile quirking at the edge of her lips again. Ah yes, the reason for her utter failure in direction and walloping through their property like a blind Susikoira with three broken legs. She felt her cheeks heat slightly at the memory but pushed on, eyes brightening as she started telling them of her most recent journey.
"Well, you see, I'm actually a glasswright," she admitted, "but there's really not that much I can do back where I come from, so I usually help a friend of mine, who's a mapmaker. It's said that the people of my village actually once were part of what's now the Lost Village, but broke apart and went their seperate ways." Her brows furrowed and a small frown flickered across her features. "I don't think I've ever heard the reason why, not even if it was something as simple as an argument gone awry or a misunderstanding. The elders don't like to talk about the past much. About anything." She shook her head. This wasn't what they wanted to hear.
"Anyway, it seems that when they left they took a map with them. It seemed utterly ordinary, done on regular parchment and seemingly regular ink. But it wasn't ordinary by any means; it was enchanted." She became more animated as she spoke, eyes brightening at the idea that there might actually be something as spectacular as a magic map hidden in the middle of nowhere.
"It was supposed to show the viewer where they were and reveal the area's secrets - traps, secret paths, hostile parties, even, once, the shrine of a legendary oracle. It was something about the ink, the way it was made and the way they printed it onto the map. But that wasn't all: you could also seek out another place, even if that destination was on the other side of the country. But to view it properly, you needed a special looking glass to see through all the unnecessary layers and find what it was you sought. Otherwise, the map would lead you astray. Some tales talk of spiritkind wandering lost for days and even weeks on end, sometimes never heard from again." She paused, remembering some of the tales she'd heard when she was younger, mostly as a way to warn off youngsters from getting into too much mischief. She had to wonder, now, just how many were true and just how much of them had been exaggerated.
Lydda blinked, pulling her thoughts back to the present, remembering that she had an audience, which was a bit unusual for her in the first place.
"Ah, sorry about that. Where was I...oh yes! The map has been handed down through the ages, but without the looking glass, there's really been no point to bothering with it to most people. So when the others heard that I liked working with glass and could manage on my own, the Elder presented me with the map and requested that I make a new looking glass." Another frown, this one a little more perplexed, even frustrated. "But we don't even have a full list of the tints and ingredients I need to make it! We only have a partial copy, which is why I needed to find the Lost Village, or maybe even the Port of Priyal. I'm hoping that maybe they have records of how the original was made. At least that way, I can figure out where I should be going next to get the supplies." She absently combed her pale hair with her fingers, toying with part of it as she lost herself in thought again.
"The map they gave me, however, to get here seems to be either very out of date, or something. I don't know what. But it clearly says that the Lost Village is several miles to the north of here, and that there's supposed to be a curving path until I get to a bridge. I thought at first that maybe it had simply been overgrown or miscalculated, but by then, I'd already gotten myself caught up in the forest, and I'm not exactly familiar with the area. I really should have known better." The little Twilif sighed and shook her head.
"It's still just mostly speculation, though. The ink on the map is so faded that most people just cast it aside as a fairytale. Still...I can't help but wonder, what if they're wrong?" She gave a sheepish little laugh.
"I'm sorry, I've all but talked your ears off."
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Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 9:29 pm
It didn't seem fitting for Scirocco to answer the initial comment about his space's beauty, so he simply nodded and listened. "Yes, that is correct. It is simply the scent which calls to me, or did once." Scirocco suspected she already understood that aspect of the process, but it was the only answer he could give.
Lemon didn't answer Lydda's kindness, really. He made something like a mumble, and blew his bangs out of his face, mumbling again and adjusting for more comfort on his arms. He didn't even open his eyes. Scirocco shook his head again. Lemon really was incorrigeable. He often napped during the day; he liked to sunbathe, so it wasn't surprising he didn't see it necessary to answer. Ah, he will never grow on Lydda if he insists on being so contrary... Scirocco sighed gently, "And yet, that is my dear brother." He smiled.
After the story, Scirocco looked at Lydda with a curious intensity. The story, indeed, reminded him of his own quest. However they were clearly after two separate legendary objects, neither of which he knew how to find. He had never heard of her village, the map or the looking glass. In fact, of all the materials his brother worked in, glass was the least common; Lemon's touch was best for metals and gems. He seldom worked in delicate mediums. That was one reason why Scirocco had purchased the teapot for him in Priyal; his brother could never manipulate something so delicate.
Lemon coughed, as though he knew his brother was staring inadvertently, and Scirocco looked up into the tree canopy. He gathered his thoughts, locked them away inside himself, and finally responded.
"Thank you for your story, Lydda; may you find that which you seek. If I had heard word of any such item, or those materials, in Priyal or in the Lost Village, I would be happy to let you know. As it stands, however, I fear they are unfamiliar to me. Perhaps if you ask about the town square, or the library--"
Lemon shuddered, suddenly, stirring. His eyes half-slits from sleep, he reached forward without raising his head, poured tea in all three of their cups, and went back to sleep. He didn't spill a drop. He had heard the library mentioned, and visions of his fight with the stone beast surfaced. His leg twinged with a memory of pain, and he thought of Fu, yelling at him. He had disappointed Fu. Lemon sighed. He needed to gather feathers to make Fu's second trinket, or the music box would never open. He shifted his head in his arms, resting his chin a little more upright, and brought his cup to his mouth with one hand. He took a sip, lay his head back down, and was silent for a moment longer.
"...WHOAH, way too hot, too hot!" He suddenly jolted up, his mouth open, sucking in air and fanning at himself. He stared wryly at Lydda, grimacing around his burnt tongue.
It was Scirocco who spoke, however, saving his brother the trouble. "The tea is slightly too warm to drink, I suspect."
"You could have voiced that concern earlier!"
"How was I to realize you would try so soon after preparing it, brother mine?"
"Because I always do," Lemon retorted, sulking against his arms again. He took a biscuit and put a corner of it in his mouth, chewing gently on it.
"Then perhaps you ought to have learned your lesson," Scirocco replied, calm. He raised his cup to his lips and took a gentle sip. It did not burn him, but he had already cooled it with a little breeze. Should Lydda find it too hot, he would undoubtedly do so for her cup, as well. He felt no need to explain his gift, however.
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Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 9:51 pm
Lydda nodded at Scirocco's simple explanation. She understood that part, anyway, but it was the title, part of his namesake, and she'd wondered at what couldn't have been coincidence. Then again, maybe she was just over thinking it. She returned the consteallation's smile.
"It must be nice, though, to have a brother. Most of the time, anyway." Oddly enough, Lydda was one of those that neither cared or regretted not having siblings. She'd taken it in stride and made the most of what she'd been able to have, family or otherwise.
She fell silent as Scirocco studied her, wondering what was going through his mind, wondering if he accepted what she'd told him or questioned the impracticality of her story. If she didn't know better, she'd have wondered if there was something on her face or some foliage from the tree in her hair. She jumped at the sound of Lemon's cough, startled out of whatever had passed as the other constellation looked skyward and she turned her gaze to the table which suddenly was far more fascinating than it had been a few moments ago. She ran an appreciative hand over the details carved into it and let her thoughts settle again, looking up when the older brother spoke again.
"Thank you," she said with a nod, her attention pulled away to a semi-frantic Lemon, who was fanning his mouth as though steam were pouring out from the depths of his throat. The banter from the brothers made her smile in spite of herself, and she gingerly took the cup into her hands, blowing gently at the surface of the steaming tea, allowing it to take the edge off of the heat before taking a tentative sip. It was a little too warm, perhaps, but she was able to handle it without complaint, closing her eyes momentarily to savor the taste before swallowing.
"Perhaps you should try a bit of the biscuit first, next time," she suggested. "What type of tea leaves did you use?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:55 pm
"It does have its silver lining, having a brother," Scirocco said, and reached over to place his hand gently on his brother's shoulder. It felt like he really had unnerved the Twilif, and for that, he felt a little ridiculous. It couldn't be helped after the fact, however.
Scirocco was pleased she did not hurt herself on the tea the way his brother had. "I don't really like the biscuits, though," Lemon mumbled, irate. Not at her, but rather at the biscuit. He rarely ate any kind of cookies or biscuits, and he only ever liked them in tea. So he promptly dipped the biscuit into his tea and nibbled on the soggy end. He smiled like a contented cat. Delicious, in his mind. His brother grimaced.
"What kind? It's a mix. I don't really remember what I put in it. White plum and oolong, or something." Lemon clearly had no idea what was in it, but that was a fairly accurate guess, as his brother nodded.
"Those are the new loose leaf teas I brought you, brother," Scirocco said, smiling. He took a sip of his tea, again; the mix was nice, even though his brother hadn't done it on purpose. Scirocco also preferred Oolong on its own, but he wasn't about to complain. "What kinds of teas do you prefer, Lydda? Or do you drink tea often?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 9:18 pm
Lydda smiled in return, sensing the tension mount a little bit and dissipate once again. It was hard to keep up with sometimes, but at least now Lemon wasn't being so confounding. She shook her head as Lemon mumbled to his biscuit, considering what he'd said and deciding it was probably luck that had saved them from suffering a horrible assault on their palates.
"They turned out wonderful together," she mused aloud before turning her attention to Scirocco. "I like a lot of fruit flavored teas, I suppose, and chai...usually either white or green tea. Things that taste best when cool. It's usually quite warm where I live, so hot teas aren't...well, they're not unusual, but not the common choice, either."
"Do you really think I'll find something at the library?" she asked cautiously, eyes brightening a bit at the hope. "I realize it's not much to go on, but it's all I have, and there's this nasty little twist that keeps nagging at me that I won't find anything..." She sighed and shook her head, setting down her teacup. She didn't need to be depressing herself and everyone else with that train of thought.
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Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 10:11 pm
Scirocco understood Lydda's preference for cool teas, based on her home. He preferred warm tea, but it was an art to him, and he felt that they didn't taste as good when cold. Lemon, he guessed, could care less what temperature his tea was at. At least if it was cold, it wouldn't burn him, but then the biscuits might not be as delicious, either.
"I can see why you would prefer cool teas, based on your home," Scirocco vocalized his thoughts, in part. "If there is any hope of finding information, the great library would surely be the appropriate place." Scirocco felt for her, after having found so little information for his own quest, but he also felt that she shouldn't give up or give in. "Even if we do not find information at the library right away, you ought not give up hope; it takes time, to find those things which are worth finding, I believe."
"Ah, Scir, always ending in hope," Lemon smiled, getting to his feet and stretching. "Well, if it's all the same to you two, I'll get started on the clean-up so we can go hit the town!" Lemon seemed to perk up immediately as soon as he said it, escaping with the tray of biscuits and his empty cup. When he had emptied it, Scirocco had no idea. His brother definitely loved the idea of getting out where there were lots of other folk.
"Only so we can escort Lydda to the library," Scirocco called after him his physical voice quiet as though he was talking to someone still seated at the table. He used a little breeze to carry his voice across to his brother.
Lemon didn't glance back, but waved, almost dropping the teacup, "Sure, sure," Lemon called back, without adding anything different. He seemed a little sad, adding that, somehow. Scir frowned; what could his brother be worrying about? Lemon never frowned, even in his vocal stresses; something must be lurking beneath. Perhaps he was just tired, though.
"So if that is alright with you, Lydda, we will take you to the library? Hopefully it will keep you from becoming lost in the village proper," Scirocco smiled.
"After you have finished your tea, of course," Scirocco added, draining his cup but refilling it again.
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