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 Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 2:12 pm
--- ❀ Crossroads ❀ --- Miss Felicity Wickes (X Purple--Platypus X) with her Caedos, Claudia & Miss Elsie Crane (Rown) with her Phasmas, Noel.
At a traveller's inn in Imisus, specifically in the drinking garden outside. It is in the evening. The journey southwards through Payminuim thus far had been made as easy and without stress as reasonably possible by the cult. Passed from one beak masked warden to the next Felicity and Claudia had been treated like royalty. Not a single penny had been taken from them for their travel and for the most part they had been hosted for free too! It seemed as though Obscurvos’ reach of influence infiltrated throughout the land and the network of members had somehow all been instructed to care for the newly inaugurated Grimm and her flower caedos; the cult certainly wanted to look after their plague owners! However... Being the fragile and highly strung woman that she was Felicity couldn’t help but fret as they called in at foreign places. Her chaotic mind was prone to inventing all sorts of dangers that not even the protection of their dark escort could abolish.
Claudia on the other hand was relishing the experience. Often deserting her whimpering mistress she settled herself instead on the shoulder of their driver, watching the world go past with wide glimmering white eyes. At first she had nestled in a makeshift miniature blanket to escape the bite of Shyregoed’s cold or had even tucked herself into the cult member’s collar, close to the quick pulse of their neck, but as they had moved south she could lounge freely – unafraid of the weather. Every one of their various wardens thus far had treated her with admiration and the flower’s already sky high view of her place in the world was sent to astronomical levels. She couldn’t wait to be greeted by the members at the cult’s headquarters!
They were about half way through the journey now, stopped at a traveller’s inn in Imisus somewhere. The owner of the place owed something to the cult and when Felicity and her guide had flashed their black masks over the bar his eyes had widened and he had nodded silently; handing over the keys to the finest rooms. At this Claudia had beamed. The House had so much power. Her whole tiny body was keen to be able to weild it’s power too. Sadly her small form restricted her somewhat, but in time... In time she could be at the same level as- no... Higher than the man in the shack marked by the cult’s symbol. Thinking about it made her black face crack with a wicked glowing smile.
“W-what are you smiling ab-bout?”
Claudia glanced distastefully at the woman sitting on the other side of the table. They had chosen to spend the evening in the inn’s garden. People who ordered drinks from the bar could come outside to enjoy the fine weather whilst sipping their cold beverages. Claudia was relishing the balmy evening. However, her guardian had to be present and her stupid interruptions would undoubtedly irritate her if she kept disrupting her train of thought.
“None of your business...” She responded, crossing a leafy leg and adjusting her petal cap so that she could observe others present in the garden. The imbeciles didn’t know she was here. If they did they would be admiring her, or skirting around her with fear. She wasn’t sure which reaction she preferred... She was half tempted to do something to draw attention to herself but refrained from it. Their guard had advised them to keep on the low... They were, after all, just passing through.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 8:55 pm
Just as the woman out in the gardens was not used to all the pandering and kindness, neither was the woman who had been sitting at a table on the inside. She was not used to people asking her constantly if she was comfortable, if she was in need of anything to make her stay better. She'd been offered foods she didn't even know anything about, pampered in ways she didn't even know were possible. There was one thing Elsie was certain about though - if one more person asked her if she wanted to change clothes, she'd flip a table over. There was certainly nothing wrong with what she was wearing, it was practical for travel! Who cared if it was a bit worn...and stained...and maybe even a little too small, but at least they were clothes that Elsie had made for herself. They were hers, and she enjoyed their feel.
Resting on the woman's shoulder, their had against her neck in a position of either comfort or possessiveness, Noel simply surveyed the group around him and his mother. Since the two of them had begun their travels with Elsie's brother, Thomas, Noel had been hard pressed to be separated from the woman's side - even when she was bathing. It was easy enough for him to always stay with her thanks to his diminutive size and the fact she wouldn't let him out of her sight anyway, but there was something about the bond that was developing between the two of them that allowed him such freedoms as staying on her person.
"I...I think it would be best if we went outside, for some fresh air. Don't you think it's a good idea, Noel?"
"Of course Mother."
It always made Elsie's stomach drop at first to hear the creature born of Plague and Flesh call her 'mother', but somewhere inside her told her this was his manner now, this was her second chance with Jesse as it were. A smile crossed over lips that had once been pursed with nerves only moments before and the young woman rose from the table, taking her leave of the company sitting with her before turning to stride outside. The weather was balmy but not too humid, a harsh cry from the temperatures in the castle where she had stayed for quite some time, and in spite of it all Elsie felt herself shiver as she walked into the open.
"Mother, sit somewhere. I want to sit quietly with you."
Elsie nodded slowly, so as not to shake Noel from her side, and started to gaze about the lawn for a place she might rest. She could always join someone at a table, that was never a problem, and she was about to settle for an elderly couple when a face she thought to be familiar came into her sight.
". . . Good lady Felicity? Is that you?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 8:44 am
Claudia had just been looking at the elderly couple Elsie had been considering sitting with on a picnic table setup no more than a few metres away from the table and chairs at which she and her Grimm were perched at. However, Claudia’s opinions of the pair were in no manner of speaking positive. As she regarded their slow almost lumbering actions, she couldn’t hide the veil of disgust that the contemptuous caedos was building up. To be wretched an ancient like that certainly did not appeal to the flower and she bitterly noted that should she ever become wrinkled like them or, when she grew, her bust ever sagged miserably like worn out sacks of grain, she would end her life immediately. Youthful and beautiful forever – yes – that was the only option for the flower; it was in her nature to be admirable, anything else and her purpose in life was removed. She ponder briefly if that was why, when old, humans became ill quicker. Nature’s way of killing them off before they became too ugly...
However, this cruel train of thought was disrupted as her guardian was addressed by another human. This surprised the hand-high being as it had been made clear that Felicity had little to no friends. She had after all been reduced to a shattered life, barely straying outside of her ramshackle home – this was the biggest adventure Claudia could ever imagine the woman having. So.... who was this stranger approaching?
Preening herself, patting her petals into an orderly fashion, she rose to her feet. On springy legs she skipped across the wooden tabletop to where her guardian’s hands were nervously fondling with a napkin. It was a dirty stained peice of material and Claudia skirted around it fearing its soiled nature rubbing off on her pristine white petals before walking onto Felicity’s hands and digging her black pointed fingers into her arm and the material swathing it to scramble to her shoulder. There she could address this stranger face to face. She wasn’t going to let Felicity natter to anyone without fully understanding the situation and probably interjecting her own opinions and words into the conversation.
“H-hello Mrs C-crane...” Responded Felicity, moving her head subtly away from where the flower was perched. Her heart flickered with nerves, bith because of her embarrassing memories associated with Elsie Crane and because of the flower's actions. Usually the flower was preparing to be rather bossy when she forced herself up to the high position she had just done... The excitos had taken to tugging her hair when she wanted to silence the woman and give her opinion in her shrill mean voice.
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 11:35 am
Elsie gave a inaudible sigh of relief to find that she was indeed addressing the correct woman, and inwardly she gave herself a small pat on the back for being able to remember a name and a face from such a brief encounter that had happened quite a while ago. It would have been too much of a taste of awkward if she'd been incorrect and Elsie didn't think she'd be able to cover her mistake that quickly, seeing as she wasn't really on her street game as of late. Being with Noel and constantly traveling for...various reasons. . . had sort of thrown her away from those days of standing on a corner trying to wheedle money away from someone unfortunate.
That was the past and now was now, however, and Elsie gave a faint smile at the woman until she noticed the small creature that had so carefully deposited itself on the nervous wreck's shoulder. It was a creature not unlike her own, beloved Noel, and her jaw slacked slightly before she caught herself and closed it. Noel seemed to sense the strange change that had come over his Mother and he peeked around the corner of her neck at this new pair, his eyeless face gazing out with what was probably a judging glare.
"It's good to see you again, and I'm glad that you remember me. Our encounter was hardly something of note, but I couldn't forget your name or your face - you left quite an impression. A good one, don't worry. May..may I join you at your table?"
She didn't want to just sit down, but it was clear by Noel's interest that he wasn't going to want her to sit anywhere else. Even though the Plague had not said a word she could simply tell that he would want to know more about this odd pair, likely because he'd only ever seen one other of his kind before - and he wanted to perhaps get to know others.
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Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 10:37 am
The human opened her mouth to exclaim that Elsie would be welcome on their table but as the words rose in her throat she halted. What if Claudia was not in a sociable mood? She could already imagine the spiteful flower’s fingers twining into her hair and tugging maliciously as punishment. However, as Felicity’s mouth hung open in a questionable state of confusion Claudia cleared up the matter by cutting over her guardian.
“Sit down, yes!” She giggled, affixing her face with a butter wouldn’t melt smile and waving coyly to the brown headed plague who had popped out of the other woman’s bosom. Admittedly the flower wasn’t actually that keen on Felicity getting chummy with this new human... A selfish instinct routed deep within the shadowy caedos repelled the idea of Felicity’s attention being anywhere other than on her, even if she did hate the fragile human. But the promise of meeting this other plague... That most certainly overruled that distaste.
“Hello there..” She cooed at the boy’s chocolatey visage, hoping that he would leave his parent to converse with her in the open. To encourage this conversation Claudia made her way from the comfort of Felicity’s shoulder to the no man’s land of the surface of the table. Stepping daintily from where she had been perched her dress unfurled beneath her into an umbrella like shape so that she drifted to the wooden surface with the grace and lightness of a fairy from some child’s bedtime tale. Only rather than sewing wishes and goodwill this fairy left a trail of macabre prettiness and - if she continued down her chaotic pathway – the plague. There she waited for him, her hands folded politely in front of her and an utterly angelic expression.
Taken aback by her wards sudden pleasant behaviour when moments earlier she had quipped coldly at her for simply inquiring about the reason behind a smile, Felicity glossed over her plague peculiar behaviour... Best to keep her nose out of the little miss’ business... Instead she could talk to the friendly woman – she had said the first impression had been good! Felicity had thought it had been an wreckage of a meeting, thus Elsie must have a pretty accepting heart: That or a poor memory. “H-h-how are y-you?” She inquired, tearing the corner of the napkin are forcing a wobbly smile.
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:13 am
"Noel, go on. It looks like she wants you to play with her."
Elsie reached her hand inward and removed the small (and protesting!) plague from where he sat perched, the little swirl on his face and his mouth both looking quite unhappy. As much as Elsie knew that Noel would much rather prefer to spend his time on Elsie or with Elsie or doing everything else that required only Elsie, he needed to become more social with those of his own kind. This little one looked quite sweet and rather beautiful, so perhaps that little quirk of his that made him appreciate the finer and more pretty things in life would kick in. The woman could only hope.
Noel protested a bit more as he was released to the table though he silenced himself at a firm but still gentle frown from his Grimm Mother. The wisp that acted as his right arm curled about his body as he made his way across the white cloth and towards the female plague, his head tilting slightly to the side as he drew close enough to bring all of her into a detailed view. She was indeed pretty and she certainly didn't smell that bad (he was biased on the smell of plagues, or so it seemed), and a gentleman's smile spread over his lips to show his delight. It was awfully hard to read the face of a creature without a face after all. Sweeping himself into a bow, he gave an introduction.
"Greetings, fair maiden. I am called Noel, may I have the honor of your name?"
Elsie was always amused by the Phasmas's actions, his little mimics of human society. She'd taken him out enough places with her that he tried to soak up all he could from his surroundings like a new sponge, the mannerisms of the different clients Elsie entertained some of his favorites. No, the woman had not returned to being a whore. She was merely a paid companion now, one that had a plague. Most people paid her more for an hour out of the bed then she'd been paid for four hours in it. Now, turning her face away from the little pair and back up to the woman, Elsie's kind smile returned. Felicity was just as nervous as she remembered her to be, and that made her all the more memorable and endearing. A lot like Elsie's mother.
"I'm doing well, thank you for asking. Traveling around a bit with Noel since he insists on seeing as much as possible. He didn't like staying in our tenant home."
That was a total, complete lie but Elsie wasn't going to say anything more.
"And yourself? I don't recall you having such a lovely companion the last time we met, though I didn't have Noel either. What's her name?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:46 pm
The gentlemanly charm of this other plague certainly appealed to the flower as he bowed and introduced himself. Manners! They were something that most humans seemed to lack. Their race was full of bumbling oafs that were too crass and uneducated to appreciate the finer aspects of socialising. In response to his welcoming bow she laughed, moving a spindly hand to cover her giggling lips. “How charming,” she cooed, her glowing eyes flicking up and down his neatly garbed exterior. He seemed to have a visage that radiated cheerfulness – the oversized buttons, the frilly edged sleeves and the jaunty pink bow... However, as she was about to offer her hand for a polite peck of a kiss in exchange for her name her eyes noticed the asymmetry of his limbs. One side was missing a substantial arm... Instead a trail of coffee-like liquid was suspended in the air, twitching into the form of a spindly hand.
“Claudia...” She murmured, continuing to regard the odd trait without much subtlety. However, the noise of the human’s conversing brought her from this trance of observation and she quickly corrected her rude behaviour. “It is a pleasure to meet you kind sir.” Now she really did extend her hand for a kiss. He would treat her like a princess and plant a dainty brush of his lips against her tapered pitch fingers if he had any manners at all. She would not like to be left hanging so to say.
Felicity also spent a few seconds looking at the phasmas being placed upon the table but despite mentally noting the rich brown colouration of his skin and his single swirl rather than eyes she paid him little attention. She was in discussion with his Grimm; the woman she had met a while ago. It was pleasant to hear of this other woman’s good fortune. So often it seemed bad luck was stalking Panymium and striking those least deserving of a bad turn so Felicity was relieved the kind hearted and helpful stall keeper appeared in good shape.
“It m-must be nice t-to see the w-world-d.” Her voice gained a slightly impressed and dreamy quality as she stuttered away. “This is h-honestly the furthest I’ve b-been.” She nipped the corner off her well fondled napkin at this point and diverted her eyes away from the other, ashamed of her insular life thus far. “Claud-dia did n-n-not like the c-cold of the north.” That effectively answered the other woman’s question about the rose’s name and in an attempt to alleviate the self created awkwardness Felicity went down that route – discussing plagues.
“What-t is your b-boy’s n-name?”
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:43 pm
"I've named him Noel. It just suited him so well at the time, even though we're not near the Holidays. Perhaps it's because he's brought joy back into my life that I wanted to call him something like that. I. . .certainly couldn't bring myself to call him Jesse."
Of course Elsie's present company would not know the meaning behind such words as the younger woman's history had not been shared. Speaking to a stranger about her past, even one with a Plague, was something Elsie couldn't comprehend doing. Besides, she doubted that Felicity would care to know such things in the first place. The poor woman seemed like she could break at the nerves at any time, a familiar look that Elsie had seen on her mother's face the last time they were together, so telling such a fragile soul a story of woe was not a good idea. Maybe if they met again sometime and the woman was stronger? That seemed more plausible to the young teen, but then again would Felicity ever be stronger? Personalities didn't change that easily.
"But Claudia, is it? Such a beautiful name for an even more lovely Plague. Noel seems quite taken with her, though she's the first girl he's seen. We've already met a smaller plague named Clurie and I think Noel fancies himself that little one's rival. It's mostly amusing to watch."
Moving on seemed the best way to go and Elsie took that route as well. When talk of weather and travel came in, or so how Elsie remembered Felicity saying her flower plague (she assumed it was a flower) didn't like the cold, she could talk about Noel in that case.
"Noel has been rather uninterested in the weather. Most of the time he stays on me and always has my body heat, but I haven't really taken him north yet. I could only imagine that Claudia's delicate petals didn't take too well, she looks so dainty. I'm a bit worried over how Noel will handle it but since. . . since he's always warm to my touch I think he might be alright."
Noel extended his good hand out and took Claudia's into his own, mimicking an action he'd seen Thomas do before to ladies when they talked. He gave a slight kiss to Claudia's hand, marveling at the smell that came from her - such a delightful mix of death and flowers! - and when he pulled his head back up he was smiling. If he truly was merry it was hard to tell because of the swirl acting as his only facial feature other than his mouth, but at least he seemed jolly.
"The pleasure is all mine, of course. Being able to be in the presence of such a fine lady is nothing more than I could ask for, especially one as radiant as you."
More copying, more mimicking. Thomas spoke well for a man of the streets, but so did Elsie for being a woman of them. Both of the humans, the Grimm Mother and her Brother, they knew how to handle themselves in society even if they weren't always in their rightful level of ability. Noel was learning about that slowly.
"May I inquire as to what brings you to such a place? You look as though you belong in a palace and not an inn."
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Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 4:15 am
The enlightenment and open, honest answers that Elsie gave to Felicity were predominantly received with open mouthed “oh”s and nods of interest. To be truthful the Grimm was quietly surprised at the gusto that the other woman through into her reply. Normally creating conversation was a tiresome affair; painful; like trying to draw blood from a stone. However words were slipping from Mrs. Crane’s lips so fluently that Felicity only had to nod and agree to keep her going. It was refreshing to say the least and the usually highly strung woman felt some of the tension in her shoulders loosen. When at last the volley of words ceased she blinked rapidly and formulated a response…
“It is c-cold.. Yes…. Though p-perhaps if you g-got some extra c-c-clothing for little N-noel he would fair bett-tter?” Her fingers intertwining with anxiety she hesitated before offering a smile. “I c-can knit fairly well and quic-ckly… Perhaps if you l-like I can m-make him a l-little jumper?” She knew that Claudia detested the miniature clothes that she had made in the past – claiming them to be far to cumbersome and dull in colour for her. But the little boy might be more accepting and the cheap brown or ruddy red wool that she usually used would not clash so terribly with Noel’s visage.
Claudia meanwhile was thoroughly wooed with the actions of the other plague! He had indeed taken her extended hand and placed a kiss upon it, and not only that but he had blessed her with a compliment! Feigning embarrassment whilst lapping up the attention the rose moved a hand to hide a shy smile. “Oh my, thank you Noel. Such kind words!” She giggled and adjusted a petal on her skirt, maintaining that princess appearance all the time. “It is quite a low stoop for me, I agree. But my darling Felicity neither knows nor can afford any better… It’s a shame but I can survive. There’s no other option I am afraid.” She sighed melodramatically as if she really were a wronged member of royalty forced into the position of a peasant rather than simply being a pettish little creature with whims above her current position in the world.
“My guardian and I are headed south. We lived in the chilly North for quite some time but I found it ever so disagreeable. Not just the miserable weather but the people are… less the desirable also. I suppose it’s the extremes in weather; it must lead for dire living conditions. Needless to say I’m glad to be moving. And what about you fair Noel, what is a gentleman like you doing here?”
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