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 Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:23 pm
Calder sat on a small hill in the shade, knees up and holing them tightly as he stared with fixed eyes at the pond below a good 10 feet away. He had found that most of his leeches had gone out to play here, as most of them had left his now dry room to find some place to moisten. Any stray student or minipet would happily be taken as a offering and would be sampled. Calder's leeches had refined yet open tasted, and they were open to exploring or at least biting whatever came around. Unfortunately, Calder didn't know what to do with his group of rather disappointed friends now that there was no water for them, and he was wondering if it would be best to stand up and slowly walk away.
That was until he started to feel deeply envious of them. A few had slithered out of the water, having been submerged for a good many minutes, and were glistening black in the murky sunlight. He wanted to dump his head in the pond. Better yet. He wanted to jump right in.
The kelpie started to breath hard, pulling on his scarf as he broke into a cold sweat. Going cold turkey – or cold water – was not easy. Not easy at all. A few of the fat annelids wiggled their way over to him to rest in the shade and take little bites of his fingers – all of which went unnoticed by the monster who kept watching the distant pond as if he was staring and the pond was a great big, chocolate, triple layer cake with butter cream frosting. Boy could he go for a nice, cool dip right about now.
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Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:32 pm
Malodore was out for a walk - this time sans Luce, as the cwn annwn pup had been refusing outings ever since their return from the Human World. It was worrying, and the plague doctor hoped that by leaving, taking a nice walk, and then coming back - without incident - it would convince Luce that it was okay to come out.
Hopefully.
As it passed by the pond, however, it caught sight of something that had once been very familiar to it. A few months ago, Malodore would have been happy not to ever see a leech again. They were practically its family's mascot creature, and it had left all of its own leeches at home when it ran for it...
... but, somehow, seeing the leeches there made Malodore just a tiny, tiny bit homesick. For the relations who had been kind, for swampberry pie prepared by Zia Rosario...
The plague doctor found itself pacing almost wistfully towards the leeches. It was only then that it spotted Calder. "Ah - mi scusi, but are these yours?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:53 pm
He jerked when someone called out for Suzy, and he looked about, ears down and head lowering. Usually he was more social, but after the slap to the face and the glaring he got before he was dragged out of detention, he had a feeling that everyone by now knew of who and what he did and would be out for his hide. Either to kill him or to glare some more. That slap from Lizzy had really hurt, but he knew he deserved it. Sadly, it didn't leave a mark the next morning, and he wondered if he should let her punch him or something. One thing for certain, he still had to apologize to her, but he doubted that would help his rather sad reputation now as it was.
"I-I'm sorry. I'm not Suzy, but these are my leeches…uh…" he thought about it. "…well, they live with me…I mean, they did. I don't know now." He pulled on his ear, and cringed as his fingers brushed the pin atop his head. "I don't know." He said, looking down at a few of them who were sucking on his hand. He smiled, but frowned again, looking back to the pond. "I might just let them live here. It's much better than my room. Lots of water." He said, and then looked up at the….uh…well, he didn't know what this thing was. He'd say demon, but it had no wings, and the mask made it hard to say if it was undead or a monster. "…..were they bothering you?" He asked, not sure if the boil (He wasn't even sure of that) was just annoyed.
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Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:54 pm
Malodore let the comment about suzy (huh?) go by, but it hurried to reassure the clearly worried student. "Ah, no - they remind me of home. I used to keep some myself, but I... couldn't bring them with me when I came here." It bent down to hold one finger out to the nearest leech; if it tried to attach it would find the skin there impenetrable to bites, smooth and cool to the touch.
"I am surprised, I am not used to seeing leeches kept as pets by any outside of my own family," it added, glancing at the other student. Were those... horse hooves? Huh. "Have you had them very long?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:37 pm
The kelpie turned his head slowly to one side, finally tearing his eyes for good from the pond to look at this long-beaked boil that was talking to him. He didn’t recall ever seeing him before, and he wondered if that was playing to his advantage. If he knew of Calder, he might not have bothered talking to him, and he looked down to see Flurg bite on Malodore's finger and be lifted up, refusing to let go but clearly disappointed that he wasn't getting anything for his efforts. It seemed the leech was bent on waiting a bit longer before releasing to see if it's sheer stubbornness could bleed the stranger.
"Oh, I brought as many as I could when I came here. Just put them in my trunk or pocket and they came right along. There are plenty of wet places here for them to go, though…well, they used to stay in my room. I just can't keep them anymore." He frowned. "At least not now. I brought them because I thought they'd like it here, and they do, and I don't like leaving them home alone. They're my best friends. I had them since I was little." Like a family dog that made more dogs that you just sometimes lost count. Each year he had more friends, and each year, he lost a few. It seemed he would be loosing a lot more this time around.
"I wish I could keep them, but I don't think they're happy in my room anymore." He set his chin down on his knees and looked over at the other, noticing hooves under his strange …dress? Maybe he was talking to a ghoul. "So…..you kept leeches too……. do you….miss them?" He asked, wondering about something. For all he knew, this ghoul could be a kelpie in disguise, or something close enough to one, and he tried to narrow his eyes as if concentrating would make him see through the goggles and mask.
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Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:47 pm
"... Sometimes, I do, yes," Malodore admitted. "They remind me of home. Everyone had leeches there. Everyone. They were useful to my family's medical practice. I prefer more modern methods, but... that wasn't the fault of the leeches." It wiggled its finger, amused by the stubborn leech currently latched onto it.
"... Why can't they stay in your room anymore? Was something damaged?" The plague doctor sounded perplexed. It hadn't heard of anyone's minipets being thrown out before! Not even Riley's Cthulu, though Jack knew the damned beast deserved it.
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Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:06 pm
His eyes glimmered at the magical world the ghoul was telling him about, and he smiled in wonder at it all. "Wow. Your family must be really fun to live with. I was the only one who had leeches. My mother just had a newt, and she accidently threw it in a pot when she ran out of fresh ingredients for a soup." His mother had said that her pet would have wanted it that way, but he highly doubted it. After that, he got the point that his mother wasn't much of a pet person and probably never would be. "We just live near a river where they all live. I never used them for medical things. So you're a doctor?" Or some version of that. There were just too many fields of study in Halloweentown, but he went with the vaguest one he knew.
When it was brought up why he couldn't have his friends live with him, he sank back down, frowning. "Well, I'm not allowed to have water in my room anymore. I used to have a pond for them, but it's dried up now. I have to wait a while before I can get the pond refilled again, and in the meantime, they need a place to swim. I'd just put little bowls everywhere but…." He wondered what all those bowls of water would do if he had too much water in his room. It could well cause him to disappear from his room and respawn back at the Nurse's Office. "…..that isn't fair to them. I thought I might just leave them out here, but I worry about them. They can watch over themselves, but I think they need someone to watch over them." He frowned, wondering if he could just visit the pond (as close as he could) and check up on them. "I just hope there isn’t any monsters who eat leeches."
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Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:35 pm
"... The leech bit was fun enough. It was the rest that - ah, mi sc- er." Not wanting a repeat of 'suzy', Malodore stopped and translated. "Pardon me. Pointless tangents aside... yes, I am a doctor. By species, at least, if not yet by trade. Eventually I will be both. My name is L.C. Malodore, though please, call me Malodore - and you?"
Malodore frowned internally as Calder continued. "No, that isn't fair at all. The administration should consider the needs of all occupants before making such decisions," it said, its tone clearly disapproving. "Pets included. Did they take much water?" At the Casa, they had kept their leeches in large glass jars...
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Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:51 pm
He shook his head quickly, before looking down at his hooves. "No. I got in trouble and I had that privilege taken by the administration. It's not the leeches fault, and the school is just doing it's job." And letting him actually stay in school. It was his fault, and he had to suffer the consequences. It was just sad that his friends did as well.
He waited a moment, looking down before looking back up. "My name is Calder...of Devon, but just call me Calder." he looked back down at the leech chewing on Malodore's fingers. He wondered why he kept talking about Suzy and was curious to know if she was his sister or his girlfriend. Maybe she was on his mind.
"I don't know how much water they need. They all used to live in a river beside my house and then in a pond in my room. I never kept them in a jar before. I don't think they would mind. I mean, I had some people who already found one of them in their room, and I think they are just keeping them in jars. None of the leeches have yet to come to my room yelling about mistreatment." Well, making noises. They didn't really yell, but he understood their tone nonetheless. At the question, he slowly looked up. "Why?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:35 pm
"Ah... because I have a few jars in my room. You could borrow them, if you like? They are proper leech-jars, nice and spacious." Malodore filed away the information on getting in trouble, but didn't press further. It was obvious Calder was uncomfortable with it, which was entirely logical. It tickled the leech with another finger, wondering if it could be persuaded to hop to another digit. "How often do they feed, generally? Do you feed them?" Meaning, of course do they eat your blood, not do you give them kibble in a dog dish.
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Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:51 pm
Oh, this was going nowhere fast. He didn't understand. It wasn't a matter of having water not in his room, it was a matter that he couldn't have water in his room when he was there. If anyone wanted, they could flood his room - it was in the monster basement after all, but it was that it HAD to be dry in his room.
Well, it clearly seemed that Malodore didn't know who or what he was, and he was finding it hard to explain his situation by going in circles. Not only that, but the ....thing was clearly a leech lover. He felt a sort of disarming charm about the ghoul. "No. That's not it at all. I could floor my room if I wanted. It's that I'm not allowed to have water in my room." He rubbed his temple a moment before breathing out.
Suck it up. He was bound to find out. Moving over, he leaned in closer to the other, his nose nearly touching the beak of Malodore's mask. "I'm not allowed to have water in my room because I'm forbidden to have it. Well, more that I can't live i a room anymore that has too much water in it - as a punishment." he said, leaning back to sit on his rear again. The gravity of what he said set his face in a deep from, and he looked back over at the pond. "I'm a kelpie who can't go near water."
But then his ear flickered....and twitched, and Clader slowly turned back to look at the other, his eyes widening a moment. "But....but you can go near water. You can go near water all you want. You even have jars. Jars and water." It was like he was working some simple yet strange puzzle and putting the pieces together. "Malodore......................would you.....mind holding onto my leeches for me?" Sure, he only just met the guy, but he said he missed them, he came from a family that kept them, and he had jars for them. Not only that, but he didn't have any weird pin keeping him from water! It was perfect!!!
Before the other boil could object, Calder pressed his hands together and begged. "OhpleaseOhpeaseOhpleaseOhpleasOh PLEASE could you look after my little darlings? Just for a while? Until I sort out some things. Pretty, pretty, pwease with spider eggs and slug muck on top!"
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:39 am
"Ah, I see... my apologies." Malodore nodded to Calder - then paused as the boil (kelpie, apparently!) exploded into a flood of begging.
It glanced past Calder's pleading form to the leeches. They were cute (as leeches went) and well-behaved (ditto), and it did have jars and... even though it barely knew Calder... sigh.
"All right - I would be happy to take care of them for you," Malodore said, a little bit loudly to make certain the kelpie could hear it over the sound of his own begging! "Until your punishment is ended? I can bring them out to where you can visit..." It looked between Calder and the pond, realizing there must be a reason for the distance the kelpie was maintaining between himself and the water. "Sans jar, of course, if the liquid in the jar is troublesome to you. I assume from the distance you keep from this pond that it has a radius of effect?"
Apparently it was going to get some slimey roommates. It hoped Luce would be okay with this.
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 5:54 pm
Calder cried out, jumping up and down and clapping his hands together in a miniature celebration. Now he didn't have to worry about any creatures coming over and eating them if they were left in a pond, unattended, and open to the elements. He was going to have a temporary babysitter until this dreadful mess was all sorted out, and his little friends wouldn't have to suffer through his punishment. Oh, this was probably the best news he had recently, and he continued to bounce as he sat.
"Two feet." He said, raising two fingers to point out to the creature. "I can't go near two feet, but that's onlyl if it's a big jar. Like – your head big!" He said, pointing to the Plague doctor's face before Calder bounced in place again. "OHhhhhhhhhhh, Thankyouthankyouthankyou SOOOOoo MUCH!" He said, and leaped over, wrapping his arms around the creature's neck, and rather surprised to see that he just barely missed a row of rather sharp spikes up the thing's back, and nuzzles into his mask – which really took the effect away.
"Thank you, Malodore!" He said, before, as he nuzzled his cheek with the mask, he paused….then stopped, and then pulled his head back. "UH………Where's your cheek?" He asked, turning his head to look around, under, and at different angles to find where he could spot exposed part of the thing's face. It made thanking him very hard with this…thing in his was. Pulling a hand away from Malodore's neck, he reached for the beak to see if he could pull it off. Maybe his new friend was shy?
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:04 pm
"It's a very big ja...aaaar?" Malodore's statement faded into a quizzical squeak as the kelpie practically smothered it. It tensed slightly, then had to resist the urge to shove Calder away bodily as it actually reached for its beak as if to give it a tug.
"Pleasedon'tdothat," it managed. "I promise, I will take very good care of your little friends, but - please, the beak does not come off." Said beak clacked a little as it closed its mouth, warningly - the one bit of protective reflex it couldn't quite suppress entirely.
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:13 pm
Calder sat back on his bottom and stared at the mask with new, more focused interest, eyes wide as it looked at the part that had moved. "OHhhhhh....." he said, speaking as if he understood, but mostly likely that wasn't the case. It still seemed he had a deep urge to pull it now just on the challenge that Malodore said it oculdn't come off, but he refrained from doing that - at least for now. Instead, he perked up. "Oh, you are a bird thing. My friend Israfel is a bird thing too. A siren, but he has wings and lives in the water." Speaking of, Malodore had none of these. He had a beak, spikes on is back, and, tilting his head over so that his hair swept to the side, the thing had hooves.
"You don't look much like a bird thing." Instead of reaching for the beak, he reached for the hem of Malodore's robe and, pinching the end, started to lift it up to see if he could see more of the leg that was poking out and figuring what the thing was as he looked up.
It was obvious that Calder lacked some very simple social rules - along with the fact he should have kept his hands to himself. Behind him, a few leeches were slowly moving to go near Malodore and possibly hit a ride before the boil changed his mind and ran away from the crazy kelpie.
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