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 Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 9:07 pm
"Stop squirming!" Mikaril winced involuntarily at the impatient bark of the merchant, half expecting to receive a brain-dusting clout to the head for his inability to stay still in the fitting chair. As though it was his fault that the goggle-fitter had seemingly chosen the most uncomfortable chair in the whole of the Underdark to use as his fitting chair. It took him a split second to remember then that something was quite different now; any male that would throw so much as a mushroom cap at him would probably get severely manhandled by his new mate.
He blinked through the pair of thick goggles that were placed securely on his head, darkening his vision to almost nothing. The word still sounded so strange to him, now that it applied to him. He knew Ssu was somewhere close by, and would probably choke the merchant with a goggle strap if he tried anything more than scolding her male. He fought the urge to shake his head in amazement; all this had happened so crazily fast.
Once the secret was revealed to Ssu that his ears belonged to a heathen beast, she had agreed wholeheartedly with his hiding it (though she did persist on his removing the spell so that she could stroke them and nibble on them, sending him off into a fit of involuntary giggling), and proceeded to act as though they had sealed the bond between them when they appeared at the ceremony's reception. Since then it had been....somewhat enjoyable. Ssu's eager advances still made him a little nervous, but nowhere near as nervous as when they had gone to Undrek'Thoz and stayed there for a few weeks to perform. Mikaril was certain that someone; a house guard, or perhaps even Nuumia; would notice him and alert Haellara that he was back in the city. But in all the time they had been there, he had seen no one familiar, and Kyil had been out of sight with Mikkyila the entire time. Apparently without his pink-eyed friend, he was just another plain-looking drow in the eyes of the city he was born in.
The merchant's hard voice brought Mikaril back to the present. "There; those are the darkest pair I've got without sparing looks. Hope your female's got some gold on her though; they certainly don't spare the purse." Chuckling darkly, he stood Mikaril up and turned him around, where he squinted about and tried to get his bearings. Was that Ssu, or part of the tent post? Goddess, he hoped these would work better in the surface light! He felt a shiver run down his spine as he remembered the reason for their being here. Now that they had serviced Undrek'Thoz, the ringmistress had made it plain that their next venture took them to the surface, where flowers grew rampant among the wild, bloodthirsty surface elves. He was sure that he would appreciate being surrounded by a crowd then; he was sure even the elves would hesitate to attack a bunch of drow as opposed to just himself and Kyil.
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Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 5:06 pm
Ssussun's life had become a whirlwind of activity since her marriage. For one, she felt as if others were now more keenly watching her. She had 'born a female' which seemed to have gained the Ringmasters approval. On top of that she'd taken a male for her partner. And not in the sense of a casual fling as she had at times done. This was different. This was special. Even she was a little surprised at herself, now that she had completed the act. She had gone and gotten herself married...and she hadn't even used him yet! Oh girl...she was all sort's of confused wasn't she?
Ssussun had plied others in the circus for wedding gifts, which she had in turn used to enchant her wagon. In a matter of a few days the cramped one room cabin was going to open up into three much more roomy spaces! She couldn't wait! There would be the main entry room of course, and sectioned off from that would be two separate bedroom areas. Kyil and Mikyila would be placed in one of the rooms, then she and her darling little Ril would be alone! All alone! It made her heart flutter with anticipation. She had to be wearing him down a bit! She just had to! He had those darling little white ears she could not get enough of! Ssussun found herself sighing at night when she nibbled on her cute Pony Boy's eartips. OH! He made her wanna squeal in delight! She selfishly hoped they did not find a cure until after he got his tail. She was going to hire a mage to take images of him in a few choice outfits so she could hide it away all for herself!
"Eeeeheehee!" She squealed softly to herself as she fisted her hands in front of her. Ssussun's girlish glee was dampened as she heard the goggles fitter scolding Mikaril. Ssussun narrowed her eyes a little bit and glared in the direction of the fitter as she replaced a thick scarf meant to be used in union with some goggles when one journeyed to the surface. She disliked the tone he took with her male...but Mikaril was squirming around quiet a bit. "Ril. Behave. The sooner this fitting is done the sooner we can leave. You really don't want to be on the surface with goggles that do not fit properly. Trust me, it's as painful as having hot needles piercing your brain." She chastised him, before glancing at the fitter and growling. She wanted to snap at him, but was in no mood to deal with his price hiking to sooth over a bout of angry feelings.
Finally, when it seemed he was done Ssussun approached Mikaril and placed a hand on her hip. The glass looked thick enough to withstand a few sharp blows before breaking. The frame was riveted metal to double ensure it's sturdiness. The leather band seemed thick enough and tight enough around his head...and the dark smokey color...well that would work best she supposed. Her own goggles were a pair of lovely ruby gemstone ovals, but she was also more accustomed to the glare of light. Dealing with fire so often she did not need glasses that were more functional then fashionable...not like her sweet Ril! "Hmm... I think those will suit fine. See if you can remove then Ril while I see how much this thief is going to gouge me." She replied while eying the merchant suspiciously. Just because she was a traveler did not mean she was going to let him overcharge them!
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 7:36 pm
Mikaril stood stiff as a board at Ssu's gentle but firm rebuke, allowing the shopkeeper to place the goggles firmly over his eyes with a definite air of smugness. At least he knew that Ssu was aware of the reason for his fidgeting; at least, he hoped she did. He knew that one stray brush of the shopkeeper's finger against his ear would give him cause to hesitate and wonder at the sudden unexplained feeling of fuzzy hairs. He knew that his spell was still in place for the covering of his ears, but it did nothing for the feeling should someone get close enough to actually feel them. Goodness knows Ssu couldn't get enough of running her fingers along the edge of his ears, giggling and whispering things in his ear that made his white ears turn slightly pink. Sometimes he wondered if she would even consent to have the curse removed when the time came, since it gave her such pleasure.
He clenched his fists in his lap, willing himself not to look at them. He had willed the whiteness in his fingertips to vanish before it caused his fingers to stiffen, before they fused together and formed those cursed hooves. But they had remained since the day he had noticed them, like stubborn stains, and every time he saw them he felt a tiny surge of panic. He wanted to tell Kyil, but he figured that even if he did, there wasn't anything that his dear friend could do about it. It would only cause him to worry more, and with him already looking after little Mikkyila, he had more than his fair share of that. Bad enough that it was only him getting the goggles; that meant that Kyil would have to stay behind while he got to see the flowers growing all by himself.......perhaps he would trade with Kyil once the shows were over, just so he could share the view.
He stood up at Ssu's approach and gave her a sheepish smile. Glad to be the one removing the goggles and not the merchant, he carefully tried to pull the thick lenses away from his eyes. His hands slipped suddenly and the goggles came crashing back to his face with a snap, causing him to blink and wince. Fighting to hide his embarassment, he wrenched the goggles off and cradled them in his hands, looking over at Ssu as she and the merchant exchanged words about the price. He sighed as he looked down at them, noting the slight tremor as his hands shook. THe entire prospect of going to the surface still scared him, but at least he believed that if there was any place where he and the ones he loved could be out of Hael's reach, it would be there.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:08 pm
The only reason Ssussun gave in to the merchants pricing earlier then she normally would, was due to her desire to collect Mikaril and sweep him away. It was very hard to keep her eyes focused on the seller when what she wanted to do was sneak peeks at him and see how he was enjoying his newest purchase. If only she had the funds! She'd overwhelm him with her wealth and ensure he felt eternally in debt to her! He's never wander away or even dare think of leaving her!
Eventually Ssussun gave a deep and insulted huff and dug out a small clutch of gemstones. Dropping them into the merchants open palm she hissed at him. "Fine...here is your pay. But I assure you we will not be coming back." She threatened the man...not that he seemed to care at all. Ssussun turned with a flip of her hair and stalked over to where Mikaril seemed to be standing deep in thought. She lifted a hand and laid it on his shoulder with a grin. "Well then. I guess we are done for this. Your armor is fine...and I suppose your cloak will offer you enough protection. What about some gloves? You don't want to get what the surfacers call 'Sun Burn.' It's very unpleasant, and as this is your first trip up your going to be susceptible I'm sure." Ssussun strode towards the door with great confidence. "It's such a ugly world up there, but I'm sure you'll find something curious about it. All you males do. We're going to have to go over some proper etiquette by the way." Ssussun turned to point a warning finger at him. "I don't want to catch you with some human girl all besotted by your exotic charms. I'll be very unhappy otherwise!"
Not that she actually believed Mikaril would ever dare do such a thing. In fact she was positive that he'd be abhorred b y the thought. Humans. Paugh...thick fleshy fat things. So awkward and soft and just...lumpy. Ssussun could not see how any males could find them anymore attractive then a dwarf! Yet it happened... the females recognised just how beautiful the male drow were, and some seemed to be drawn by the danger they clearly presented. Everyone knew that drow were the most dangerous things in the underdark! Ssussun wrinkled her nose faintly as she had to mentally admit the same was in the reverse. Human males were just as likely to look at her as human females would her Ril. In the past she may have welcomed random and stray males to her bed...but she was a proud drowess! She'd never dabbled in other species and never would! She had her Ril now and once she had him..oh ho ho! Perhaps in a few days..when their rooms were complete...
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:40 pm
Happy at last to be on their way, Mikaril found that he could now enjoy the goggles without having to worry about any stray hands brushing about where they didn't belong. He adjusted them over his eyes and blinked as he peered through them at all the strange new shapes and shadows; no doubt the vague and irritating additions to his vision would serve to soften the harsh light of the surface world once they arrived there. He almost contemplated asking her about a scarf; not that he was expecting to run into any cold, but he had also heard that in comparison to the cool, slightly stale scent of Underdark air, the surface air was wrought with smells. He already knew that the flowers would be giving out a riot of scents, but from what he had heard, EVERYTHING had a smell, even the blasted dirt.
"Gloves?" The word brought his eyes back down to his hands, where he curled up his fingers to hide the white. His eyes widened behind the goggles at the mention of sun-burning; he had heard of the searing hot eye that watched over the surface world and scorched the eyes and flesh of the unprepared. He still cringed at ordinary fire sometimes; to have his skin burning from a fire too far up to put out, unable to fully escape it.....he couldn't bear the thought. "Yes, I would very much like a pair of gloves." Better that he be prepared and cover as much skin as possible, considering that the big eye in the sky would not be the only eye cast upon him; perhaps even in their mindless cruelty, the surface elves would not kill him unless they were absolutely certain of his heritage; a slight hesitation would be all he would need to make an escape.
He found his thoughts jolted by Ssu's pointing finger and her warning about messing around with a human girl. Unbeknownst to him that he was acting just as Ssu thought he would, he wrinkled his nose in distaste at the very thought of him doing with a human what he imagined Ssu would love to do to him. He had seen two, perhaps three humans in his entire Underdark life, and his opinion of them was less than glowing. They had groped around like sightless worms, blind without their shady guide, looking for an adventure or a thrill. He supposed, with their abysmally short lifespan, he couldn't blame them for filling their tiny spark of existence with as much as they could. Their language was ugly and gutteral, and even if they had been able to see perfectly underground, they exhibited all the grace of a rothe on a tightrope. No, he had no desire to play with such creatures, and though he was far from being the strongest drow, he was certain that he wouldn't have any trouble staving off any graceless, amorous females.
Nodding and smiling as sincerely as he could, Mikaril concurred with Ssu. "Don't worry; I have no intention of going anywhere near any humans....they smell funny. And not in a 'ha-ha' kind of way." Even as he realized that the same situation could happen for Ssu and human males, he felt a tiny pang of jealousy at the very idea, and told himself that if he ever saw a male making such eyes at Ssu, he might try his hand at making one literally blind, with his dagger. He walked alongside Ssu as they headed back to the circus and the wagon, feeling the ever-cursed blush creeping into his cheeks. What would she say, he wondered, if she knew he was thinking such things?
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Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:20 pm
What a amusing expression! Ssussun's eyes lit up at the wrinkling of her little pony boy's nose. It took all her will not to reach out then and there to tweak that small little nose. Or worse yet, to reach up and gently brush her fingers over the furry hidden tips of his ears. She had to remind herself that they were in public. Such a affectionate display would be extremely dangerous for the both of them. Not to mention disgraceful. Then there would be the shame Mikaril would feel...and he was not a pet. She had to tell herself that sometimes. He was not a animal for her to cuddle and pet and...oh! She wanted to just put a little collar on him and trot him around her wagon like a show horse! Of course...he would probably be insulted or shamed by that. She didn't want to make him feel like he needed to run away from her. She was certain Kyil would have said something about his ego or pride or something if he knew what she wanted to do.
Instead she clasped her hands behind her back and wandered down the street towards the circus. "We'll get you something light enough to not hinder your finger movements, but covering enough to protect you from the sun. I'd suggest practicing with them on during the trip up, as I'm sure you don't want to make a mistake while up there. Despite all our obvious differences and superiority over the humans there...they can be every bit as vicious as animals."
Ssussun glanced towards the ceiling up above as she considered the world above. It would be a month or two before they reached the surface. All that time spent traveling...all that time spent planning and practicing. She rather wished they didn't have to go now. Were they really ready to go up there? They had the baby...Kyil was still so nervous, and he kept looking at the rest of the circus folk in strange ways whenever he ventured out of the wagon. He reminded her of a mouse. Small, helpless, and timidly poking it's nose outside of it's hole. He scurried back inside whenever anyone took note of him or the baby. He was just lucky he had that child to hide behind. So long as he was clearly devoted to protecting and caring for 'Ssussuns first Daughter' then Ssussun could pardon him from working in the circus group. Mikaril however would be fully expected to do the males share of work soon. Guard duty, pre and post show clean up, and of course working the crowds with those talented fingers of his.
Ssussun ended up smiling a little sideways as Mikaril would inform her of his intentions to keep his distance. "Good! Because I won't promise that I'd be able to keep my temper. Up on the surface my powers come far more easily to me, and my temper flares just as easily too. I blame that sun thing of theirs. It's clearly made of fire and I think that has a effect on my type of magic." Ssussun paused in her steps and placed a finger to her lips in thought. "Actually. I think maybe I'll spend more time inside the wagon while we are up there this time. I don't want to lose my temper for no reason. Last time I did I set all the pillows in my wagon on fire... Not that I meant to mind you...." Ssussun turned to glance at Mikaril as she watched for his reaction to her words. "I was just very unhappy over some upstart human mage claiming he could work fire magic better then me. I mean, can you imagine any human possibly possessing even a small fraction of the grace and talent I have!" Ssussun shook her head from side to side with a huff. "If they didn't breed as easily as mold spores I swear that our time would be better served wiping them out first...ah well. No matter. I'll be extra cool and calm on this trip. I promise!" Ssussun winked a eye towards Mikaril as she grinned. "I mean, this time I'll have my Pony Boy to distract me!"
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Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 8:09 pm
Looking back to that moment, nearly a month and a half ago, Mikaril would have thought that he would never quite feel as nervous as when the rough hands of the merchant were feeling about around his head, or the way he smiled at Ssu as she put down humans who would be rash enough to compare themselves to her. He had been startled at her story about setting the pillows on fire, thinking and hoping that if it should happen again, Kyil and the baby would be out of the wagon. But of course, she ought npt to let it bother her, and he had told her so. No human could even hope to compare themselves to her. She had given him another one of those looks......like he was a sweet that she was eager to lick until it was no more. Part of him wanted so much to just.....let go and allow her to do what she wanted so badly to do, but he just couldn't banish the fear that still welled up inside of him like bile whenever he thought of being taken. He also couldn't help but think that it was only a matter of time before Ssu would grow tired of waiting. She did know what she wanted, after all.
Mikaril forced his thoughts to the present now, where a whole new level of nervousness was growing with the pressure of a newborn geyser. They had been traveling slowly upward for the last month and a half, noting subtle changes such as the air being slightly less stale and more forceful in its movement, and the rocks seeming to lighten all of their own accord, until Mikaril found himself wondering if they glowed grey the way the Glimmersea minerals glowed green. Word was spreading across the caravan; any day now, they would reach the mouth of the cave, and the entire surface world would be opened up before them to gaze upon with their protective goggles. He didn't know if the shudder that coursed through his body was from excitement or fear. He stole a glance at the wagon that he was walking alongside; somewhere in there Kyil was probably napping, or perhaps he was playing with Mikkyila or telling her a story to whisk her away to the land of dreams, where the wanderings of her mind were doubtless still innocent and free of worry. He wished he could be so lucky.
He peered ahead in the gloom, the rocks seeming to be almost awash with an unseen light, wanting to spot the cave mouth in spite of himself. He kept reminding himself that he was approaching the land where his beloved roses came from, where Anon had wanted to go so badly as he huddled in the inn, waiting for someone to return and lead him there. Where Eilistraee was said to live. His eyes widened and he angrily brushed the unwelcome thought away. He was only here because the circus was choosing to stop here. He had no reason to wander from the circus, except to see flowers, and he was certain he would not have to go very far for that. The elves could keep to themselves, but if any of them tried to harm the Ssu, Kyil, Mikky or the circus, they and their old Goddess would have HIM to deal with.
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Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 6:00 pm
There was no hiding the change in the air. As they grew closer to the surface, Kyil felt as if the air was turning colder. The lack of pressure due to being so deep underground eased and left him feeling a little light headed at times. Mikkyila showed no signs of being effected, and Ssussun assured him that it was due to her youth. Being young and exposed to all these changes would be good for her. Ssussun insisted it would help 'her daughter' become more adaptable.
Kyil may not have liked the changes occurring, but he still made an effort to leave their wagon from time to time. He needed to stretch his legs, and Mikkyila was growing to really dislike being trapped inside the wagon. Every time the door opened, the little toddler child made a mad dash to escape. This was only hindered by the end of that first month when Ssussun finally was able to get the wagon enchanted.
Oh, she was so extremely excited. It seemed as if everything was going to come to a head at once. The wagon was now divided, and they were so close to the surface. Kyil was put to work rearranging things and making the interior more home like and less cramped. Mikky was swept away by Ssussun for the day as she met with others to ensure plans for their emergence were in place. They needed to be extra careful on the surface. Just as careful as they were in the Underdark, but more so with most of the troop being light blinded. When Ssussun returned, Mikky was set on her shoulders. One of her white ribbons was wrapped around the girls eyes, and Ssussun was bouncing her gently with each step. "Ril!" She called in a light and cheerful voice.
"Guess what! We breach today!" She informed him. From atop her shoulders came a excited laugh from Mikkyila.
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Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 6:41 pm
Even though Mikaril adored his daughter, he was glad of the extra time with Kyil; it felt so much like the old times they had spent together, just the two of them. he could almost imagine that it was just the two of them in the wagon, making it comfortable for themselves and living their old lives as thieves looking to live the cushiest lives they could, given the circumstances. He tended to miss that life sometimes, though of course he would think about what it would be like without Mikky, and he would go back to loving their current life. Now that she had been born, he couldn't possibly imagine a life without her, the symbol of love between him and Kyil. Of course, then he would think about Ssu, still so enigmatic to him. He loved her as much as he could dare to love a female, which he had to admit was a love considerably more restrained than his and Kyil's, but there were times when he wished he could love her more, without overstepping his boundaries. At least with Kyil, he never had to worry about boundaries and accidentally overstepping them. He also wished at times that she would treat Kyil less like a servant; he knew that his friend was comfortable serving people, but.....he wished at times that she could show him a little more kindness and not give them impression that he was just good for raising 'her' child. Then he would end up feeloing bad because THEY were the ones that had imposed on HER in the beginning, and she was doing all she could for them. Nowadays, his mind was so full of confusing thoughts, it was a miracle he still knew up from down.
Right at that moment, he had been talking with Kyil and showing him the goggles that Ssu had bought him. "Just let me know when, and I'll let you have them to see the flowers with. I don't know if she'll let Mikky have any, but we could always bring her the flowers we find and she can look at them here in the wagon. Just imagine; so many drow children are never lucky enough to see even one flower, and these will be right from the surface, where they grow!" He couldn't hide his excitement at the possibility of seeing so many flowers, just growing there. When Ssu walked in with Mikky and announced that they would reach the place today, he felt a surge of emotion well up inside him; a mixture of excitement and a thrill of fear and nervousness. This was it; the place that so many drow feared and hated, where they would rather step into an abyss and fly to the arms of Lolth than set a single foot in. Where for once, he as a drow would not be in the position of advantage, but rather in one of disadvantage. How he hoped that no harm would come to them here.
He smiled at his daughter's excited laugh, unable to contain his own excitement. "That's great! Then we'll all be able to see more of the world; hopefully the world won't think we mean harm and see fit to send us back to the caves just yet."
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Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:10 pm
Kyil admired the goggles when Mikaril revealed them to him. "They look rather curious, but as an accessory I think they have a sort of dashing effect." He replied. Kyil moved his pink eyes from the goggles and to Mikaril with a faint hint of amusement. "It would be foolish of me to pass up the chance to see this surface world at least once. I want to see the flowers growing they way they are supposed to. Mikaril...do you really think the ceiling of the surface world looks like the one in the Glimmersea half the time? I can't imagine how it can only be half the time." He mused, then paused as Ssussun would enter the room.
Ssussun slung Mikky around in her arms, which caused the little girl to cry out in laughter a second time. Ssu leaned down and placed her on her feet, upon releasing Mikkyila, the girl darted off. Blindfolded as she was, Ssu watched carefully to make certain she did not walk face first into something. Ssussun glanced up to answer Mikaril.
"It's not as simple as that Ril. If it were then I suspect more of our kind would roam the surface regardless of the blasted light." She flipped a hand onto her hip and gently bit her bottom lip. "We are going to need to tighten security, more so then when we travel the Roads. The light up there is dangerous and the folk are always on watch for anything to blame us for. Do not go anywhere alone, and keep close to the circus. I know your wanting to explore a little Ril, but it's just far too dangerous. If your seen alone the surface dwellers will automatically think your up to no good. They may even try to hurt you, and no matter if they attack first or not, no one will believe you meant anything innocent." Ssussun wagged her finger at Kyil next. "And you should stay close on principal. Your too pretty and I don't want some stupid mule of a human braying your trying to steal his girl's attention. Surface dwellers are backwards and stupid creatures."
Kyil glanced at Mikaril as Ssussun would caution him, a clear look of uncertainty on his face. "I am sure it can not be more dangerous or worse then some of the places we have already been. If the surfacers are so faulty then they should be easy to handle should the need arise." He replied with more of a question in his voice then commitment.
Ssussun shook her head a little bit. "I am taking no chances on your first trip. Now, I will arrange for company when you want to go out. I am sure Elkaun and Sszor will provide the required company, so do not worry too much. The surfacers can be intimidated by numbers."
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Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:09 pm
The very thought that Kyil was voicing, about a sky that mimiced the Glimmersea a million times over, make Mikaril just quiver with anticipation. All those beautiful sparkling lights! If anything else in the entire surface world would have been destined to dissapoint him, even the flowers, it would be alright, as long as he could see the wonder of the endless sky full of glimmers and twinkles. "I think it will; there are too many stories about it, and they're so alike in their telling...... and don't forget about the huge silver ball in the sky. It hangs there like a gigantic silver coin, and sometimes you can only see a little bit of it at a time. But they say when you can see the entire thing......it's glorious." He smiled wistfully in spite of himself. Even now he found it a little strange in the realization that he was actually getting excited about the surface, a place that he would have rather died than go to when he had been younger.
Mikaril stopped speaking as Ssu entered the room, more out of respect than fear of her overhearing something (what would he have to hide anyway? She surely expected them to be excited over this trip!), and smiled at little Mikky rushed about with a blindfold on, being equally watchful of her running headlong into something. He smiled a little sadly at Ssu as he looked at her from out of one eye. "I know it's probably unrealistic to hope that we won't have any trouble while we're up there, but it's always nice to hope. Don't worry; it doesn't mean that I'm going to be lax in looking out for myself; even if you hope for the best, it's wise to prepare for the worst as well. And I intend to do just that." He turned his head to look over at Kyil. "After all that's happened, I'm not going to let anything happen to us here. No matter what dangers are here, I'll face them all if it means keeping us safe." He couldn't help but add silently that whatever this place had, it couldn't be worse than Haellara.....unless it was a surface version of her.
He nodded as Ssu spoke of Elkaun and Sszor. Mikaril hadn't said much to either of them, nor they to him, but he knew that Ssu trusted them, and thus he ought to trust them. Still, the thought of him enjoying a field of flowers with two hulking figures standing over him giving him strange looks was more than a little discouraging. Ssu did have a point though; who knew what sort of monsters of the surfacewould lurk in a perfectly lovely field of wildflowers? Or what sort of two-legged ones might hide in the cover of the trees and catch a hapless drow unaware? He thought he would rather have the company of the two drow than get attacked by those damnable surface elves.
"Well, I know I'll want to explore a bit, but I'll try to keep it close to the circus once it's set up. Besides, I don't want to see the whole surface world in one trip; then it wouldn't be as fun the second time, right?" He looked over at the door, a look of eagerness unmistakeable on his face. "Have they given the signal to move out yet?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:40 pm
"It...sounds frightening." Kyil had to admit to Mikaril. He could easily see how enraptured his master was with the surface world already. All the stories he had heard himself were always negative about the surface world. Even Medusa had spoken poorly of the world she had come from, when one was able to safely speak to her about it at all. Medusa certainly had been touchy about her past. Kyil shook his head a little to clear it of the clinging webs of his past life. Mikaril had promised to keep them safe after all, and he did trust him to at least try to the best of his ability. "I know you will Master."
Mikkyila careened past him, her arms outstretched and laughing madly as she barely managed to miss walking into a chest. Kyil twisted on his feet and gave chase with the girl as Ssussun addressed Mikaril. "Mikky slow down." He cautioned the girl. The last thing he wanted was for her to break her nose or fall over something!
Ssussun meanwhile half smiled at Mikaril. "Oh Ril. Trust me...you could never see the whole surface world in one trip. It's way too big." She placed a hand on her hip and cast a glance towards the door as she answered his last question. "Mmm. Yes. We are going to breach the surface just as soon as we get rolling again. We needed time to put blinders on the rothe as well as prepare ourselves." After answering the question, Ssu walked over to her dresser to root around in the top drawer. She pulled out a wide white ribbon with very thin crystals shaped like sideways flames secured by gold into the centers like a decoration. She gave the flimsy ribbon a playful snap into the air before tying it around her head. Ssussun's particular magic exposed her eyes to a light source of such intensity and consistency that she required less protection then most of the other drow in the circus. For this reason Ssussun's goggles were considerably less heavy and darkening then the others. She fluffed her fingers through her hair to settle it over the knotted ribbon and blew a kiss towards Mikaril. "How do I look?" She asked him, which gained a strange and small giggle from Kyil's direction.
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 8:36 pm
Enraptured as he was with the idea of the surface world and all of its wonders, Mikaril still had to remind himself that the world was frought with danger. He tended to sway from one to the other and had a hard time staying in the center; he supposed he could blame it on his childlike wonder and excitement, a trait that he had never quite managed to let go of as a kid and that his broth.....tutor had encouraged him to keep instead of insisting that it be beaten out. But as Kyil spoke his simple acknowledgement, it made him feel empowered. After all, were not the surface dwellers always wary of just how much harder and perilous life was underground; aside from the elves themselves, he felt sure that he could adequately protect his family. As for the elves, well.......he had a whole circus on his side, and as much as many of the males still bore a grudge against him for catching the eye of the prettiest female in the circus, he was sure that they would rally together, the way a proper house would, and fight of any threats that might spring up with the harmless flowers.
Still, he could barely hold his excitement in as Ssu announced how close they were to finally setting foot in what used to be 'up there', and for a wile would be 'up here'. To him, it represented a place out of reach of Haellara's long arm, possibly even of Lolth's herself. He beamed as Ssu turned toward him, and he would have joined his friend's laughter but thought at the very last second that two males laughing might be taken as an insult. Instead he nodded as solemnly as he dared. "They look very pretty on you. Not to mention less cumbersome. They will compliment your fire act for certain; maybe even reflect the light and make it seem like you have flames in your eyes." He had fun imagining it: the same act that he and Kyil had seen, only with the goggles there to reflect the light and tongues of flame, turning her already vibrant eyes to fire.......
Suddenly not liking the image, Mikaril sought to thrust it far from his mind even as he felt the wagon lurch slightly beneath him, which could only mean that the preparations had been made. Had it already been that long since they had last stopped? He had always been under the impression that time was fleeting when fun was to be had, but then again, time was also fleeting when one was approaching something with dread; he could honestly say that he felt both at this point. He looked over at Kyil and Mikky and moved to touch one of the foggy lenses of his goggles, perched on his head and feeling a bit heavy after seeing how light and unrestricting Ssu's pair was. Perhaps in time he would become more used to the light and he could have such a pair, but right now he only wished that his WHOLE family could have their eyes so protected.
Not yet daring to open the door and peer out, Mikaril settled down and listened to the subtle clues of the wagon. He felt the little jolts as the wheels rumbled over rocks and cracks and the typical debris one would find in caves, but then the entire wagon tilted slightly uphill, and he heard the sound of crunching terrain grow slightly muffled, as though they were travelling over ground littered with straw. And then.........almost right away Mikaril could sense change. The air that seeped through the cracks in the wagon bore with it all sorts of strange smells; it could have been a new form of incense, the way it tickled the inside of his nose and caused his eyes to water slightly. Everything inside the wagon seemed brighter with a new, unseen light, and the rumbling of the wagon wheels on the terrain seemed to have stopped altogether. It wasn't until Mikaril lowered his head to the wagon floor, not caring how silly he looked. He could only just make out the sound of the wheels rolling over something that made a 'hush-shush, hush-shush' sound under the wood. It reminded him of hay, and yet it didn't.
When the wagon finally ground to a halt, Mikaril found himself overcome with curiousity, and walking over to the door, opened it the tiniest crack and peered out. He gasped as the strange air seemed to push against his face, assaulting his nose with more strong smells. Squinting as he peered out, he saw no sign of the ball of light that he had been warned about, and looking up into the vast emptiness that he knew hung over the surface instead of a proper roof, he felt his heart sink as he saw only a few feeble pinpricks of light against a pale blue backdrop; not at all what he had pictured on their journey there. He looked down at the ground and blinked in surprise; all around him grew what appeared to be some sort of thick mold, sticking up in millions of points and waving lazily back and forth as though it were alive. It grew rampant all around them, and Mikaril wondered if perhaps all of the strange smells were from the spores of this apparently uncontrollable mold, though he could see no spores pervading the air.
The thought caused him to close the door quickly, trying not to look as disappointed as he felt. He had no way of knowing that the circus had arrived on the surface in the very early hours of the morning, when the sun still lay abed and the stars were bidding farewell to the world before bowing out to the new day. Mikaril had no concept of seasons or the cycles of the sun and stars. Why would he, when in the Underdark there were no such heavenly bodies gracing their lives and giving them light? All he could think of at the moment was whether or not this truly was the place he had so been looking forward to seeing. There were so few of the lights in the sky, and if that was so different from the tales, then what of the sun? What of the flowers?
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Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:45 pm
Ssussun fussed with the way the ribbon ends of her goggles fell down her back. "I had such terrible headaches." She admitted with a faint smile. Ssu turned and pointed a finger at Mikaril's own goggles and warned him. "The heaviness isn't something you may be accustomed to, or the tightness around your head. If you start to get a headache, just say I wanted you to come and take care of Mikkyila for a bit. It'll give you an excuse that no one other then the Ringmistress can counter to come and take them off for a bit. I do not want you pushing yourself too much on the first day." There were other warnings of course she could have added. She could have even have levied threats on Mikaril for disobeying her...instead Ssu turned to look at herself in a mirror. She glanced down into her jewelry box and fished around until she found one of the 'mysteriously appearing' earrings that had shown up on her small vanity. Ssussun felt the wagon shift under her and she forced a faint smile to her lips.
"Well then...here we go. Kyil. Make certain Mikkyila stays in your room. I don't want her darting out that door when we open it later. See if you can get her to take a nap or something." She commanded of him while clipping the earrings into the uppermost piercing of her ears.
Kyil had spent the time looking tensely after Mikky while Ssu bantered easily with Mikaril. He felt as if a noose was tightening around his neck very slowly, but he was unsure of it's source. The baby seemed completely oblivious to the danger they were clearly approaching. He envied her innocence really, but mostly he worried that her little blindfolded noggin was going to smack into a corner. When Ssussun would give him the command to keep Mikky locked the furthest room away from the exit door, he did nothing to hide the relieved expression on his face. "Of course Mistress." He murmured. Kyil reached down to catch Mikky up by her waist, then lifted her up to his hip. Playing Nurse Maid to his little daughter never bothered him, even if Ssussun was acting as if even she believed Mikky was hers... The thought caused him to pause and glance at Ssussun, before looking back to Mikaril. He wondered if he ought to speak to him about that particular concern? Sure, Mistress Ssussun acted different from many of the other females in the underdark...but she was still a female, who felt entitled to everything she wanted. What if she had decided to completely ignore the fact that Mikky was truly his daughter? What if she began to teach Mikky to call herself mother and to refer to him as a servant? Even as Mikarils heart was beating more quickly due to his excitement, Kyils own was beating more quickly out of fear. He held Mikky against his chest firmly and ignored as the little girl amused herself by yanking on the necklaces around his neck.
"I will ensure Mikkyila stays safe." He replied with a glance towards Mikaril. Should he talk to him? Or was he being paranoid? Before he could honestly make up his mind, a strange smell began to fill the wagon. Ssusun paid it no heed, as she was well aware of what the smell meant. They were in the final stretch. As it were. The tunnel they were in now was close enough to the exit that the strange spores from the surface world easily wafted on the wind. Kyil though was unfamiliar with any of the scents and found his nose wrinkling Mikky, undaunted by any of the changes, bounced happily in his arms and attempted to 'sneakily' slip one of his bracelets off his wrist. He allowed her to as he carried her into the back room.
It was about then that the wagon came to a halt. Ssussun ceased her primping in front of the mirror and turned to watch Mikaril cracking open the door. She could clearly see the lighter world that sat outside their door now, and she moved to stand behind him. Kyil set Mikky down near her toybox and moved to stand near the bedroom door. This way he could keep his little girl safe within as well as peering out to see what was going on near the exit door.
"Well?" He asked as Mikaril looked outside. He squinted his eyes against the very wane light that filtered in. Mikaril closed the door and Ssussun stepped back with a curious expression. "What is it like?" Kyil felt prompted to ask.
Ssussun glanced over at Kyil and shrugged her shoulders a little. "We're arriving at what the surfacers call 'dawn'. It's a pity, it would have been easier setting up the circus during their 'night' period." She explained and shook her head. Ssu reached a hand out to pat Mikaril on the shoulder. "Looks like your going to get the full experience my Ril. You better get wrapped up, it's going to be a long day. Litteraly."
Kyil tilted his head and watched as Ssussun moved to her dresser to begin applying a strange scentless oil to her skin. He looked then to Mikaril with his fretful expression.
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