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Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
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 Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 1:40 am
Well, Bellatrix had said that she could come and visit at any time, right? She'd also looked a lot more comfortable during the night, and Casala doesn't want to intrude on Bellatrix during a time of day that she might anger her. It isn't polite to go visiting someone's house ... erm, cave ... at an inappropriate hour, anyway. So here she is, standing in front of where she believes to be the spot that Bellatrix had told her of, with the sun slowly going down in the sky.
She certainly wasn't expecting her friend's cave entrance to have a door, of all things. Especially one that looks more like a window than a door. Intriqued, she lightly raps on a carefully selected portion of it. She'd hate to break something so precious. 'I hope she's in,' she thinks to herself.
"Cass, why are we here again?" asks a cheerful little voice as Casala's hand gets a gentle tug from the small orange one she's been holding during the entire walk here.
"We're visiting a friend," she explains to the pig-tailed little Pae that looks up to her curiously, unable to keep a smile off of her face while doing so. Friend had been a real trooper during the long walk, and didn't complain at all. She'd settled for describing all of the beautiful things she'd spotted along the way, and let that entertain her. Casala finds herself proud to be Friend's 'big sister' for this, among other things.
"Ooooh... Oh yeah! The pretty snake-lady, right?" Friend asks, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of meeting someone who can talk to any form of animal, reptile or not.
"Yes, the pretty snake-lady," she agrees with a merry chuckle as she wonders what Bellatrix would make of such a title being bestowed upon her.
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 1:54 am
Bellatrix looks up from her seat in the sitting room, frowning. She hopes it isn't Signis. . . .
Not that she doesn't want to see him. She would welcome seeing him, actually. She just doesn't want him to see her now.
She was gently rocking Bedtime, and humming to him. The little Care Pae has really grabbed hold of her heart. And, since Lenore and Eirnae seem to be having another date night, she has been asked to watch Bedtime.
The fact of the matter, though, is that she does not want Signis looking at her, with Bedtime in her arms, and getting more baby ideas! No, she is not popping one out, even for him, dammit. And, even if they ever do get together, you know, officially. . . .
She shakes her head, and stands. It is night, and she knows Bedtime is going to be keeping her up. This was a last ditch effort to get him to go back to sleep. "Bedtime, I think we have company. . . ." she says, smiling down at the little Care Pae.
Bedtime smiles, sleepily. "One of your friends? Do you think it is the big guy?"
Bellatrix chuckles. "I hope not," she says, poking the heart over his nose.
Alright, get your mean face on. It could be someone that you need to tell to go the hell away. . . .
Bedtime watches the transformation with unmasked fascination. How does she do that? He needed to learn. . . . Just, later. Right now, he is still kind of sleepy. . . .
Bellatrix looks through the panes of her door, and smiles. Alright! Not Signis!
"Casey," she calls, and blinks when she sees him already at the door. "Fast little bugger. . . ."
"Thaaaaaaank yoooooou," Casey hisses in response, and Bellatrix could swear that she hears amusement.
She walks to the door, and shifts Bedtime in her arms. "Hello, Casala," she says, stepping back to allow her entrance. "Clap, Bedtime," she says. When the little Care Pae does, every candle in the cave lights up, much to his delight. Earlier he had been playing with the candles, kept clapping them on and off, so Bellatrix had decided just to sit in the dark. "Come in. This is a pleasant surprise," she looks down at the child with her, and feels a little blinded. "Erm, hello," she says, unsure of her as yet.
"Hello!" Bedtime says, squirming in Bellatrix's arms, causing her to put him down. Another Pae his age! And, one that has some of his markings. Maybe she is family? "I'm Bedtime," he says, smiling sleepily even as his eyes droop.
Casey, on the other hand, slithers through the air and circles around his namesake, hissing his greetings. "Casey says hello," Bellatrix translates. Since Casey has come to her, she has not heard him speak anything but the snake language.
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Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:11 am
"Pretty snake-lady!" Friend squeals, hopping up and down, then ducking her head as something cold touches the top of it. "Oh.. Sorry," she apologies quickly, sliding her hand from Casala's in order to curtsey like Casala had taught her. "My name is Friend, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bellatrix... Is Mister Casey over my head?" She is fast to add, peeking up as if expecting to see something hovering there. Though once she spots Bedtime in Bellatrix's arms, now being lowered to the floor, her eyes widen. "Hello!" she replies to his greeting, the pattern on her tummy seeming to almost glow for a second. "You're like me!"
Casala almost groaned when Friend made her declaration upon seeing Bellatrix, but as always, seeing the Care Pae so happy makes her smile despite herself. "Sorry, she's just heard a lot about you from me," she offers, her smile turning sheepish. She reaches out to run fingers along Casey's length as he winds around her, not minding the chill to the digits. "Greetings, Casey. I trust you and Bellatrix are doing well?" She looks down to where Friend is all but bouncing at getting to meet another Care Pae. "His name is Bedtime, you said? He seems of a kind nature." She looks up with her amusement twinkling in her blue eyes, "Perhaps he is considered your sibling as Friend is to me?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:28 am
Bellatrix blinks at the squeal, and hides her cringe over the sound very, very well. She manages a smile down at Friend (I mean, she might be her ticket to getting the unusually-active Bedtime out of her hair!), the same wicked way as always. "You can call me pretty snake-lady if you like. And, yes. Casey was above your head a moment ago, now he is being brought to teats by Casala's petting," she says, in a teasing voice, as she looks over at Casey.
Casey raises his head in a dignified manner, and choses to ignore her teasing, as she is getting pet. . . . "Yesssss, weeeee aaaare weeeeeeell," he says to Casala. "Thaaaaaaannnk yoooooouuu fooor asssssssssssssssskkiiiiiiiiinng."
Bedtime nods, and walks over to Friend. Manners be darned, he sticks out a finger and tries to poke at Friend's stomach as she marking glows. "How did you do that?" he asks, his voice sleepy as ever. He plucks his poor star guardian out of the air and promptly hugs him close to his chest.
Bellatrix notes, with her keen eyes, the sheepish smile that Casala had offered her, and, again, extends her invitation to come inside. "It's fine, really, Casala," she says. Of course, she doesn't mind hearing that she has been spoken about. Her already massive ego gets a boost from that. "And, yes, his name is Bedtime. Bedtime, this is Casala," she says. When he waves to her, she nods, satisfied. "He sleeps most of the time, so I couldn't tell you if he has a dark side or not," she says, chuckling. "As for brother? Perhaps. . . ." she looks down at him, thoughtfully. She decides she might care about him enough to consider him family.
"Bedtime, would you like to show Friend up to the guest room? You left all of your toys in there, remember?" she says. "I'll get you two something to drink and some snacks."
Tummy-glowing temporarily forgotten, he grins, hopefully, at Friend. "Do you want to come upstairs?" he asks.
Feeling that Bedtime is doing a pretty damn good job of trying to get out of her hair, she turns back to Casala. "And, I have water, and tea. Some of them are Eirnae's blends. If you want anything to drink. I have some fruit as well, and some other things, if you are hungry." She might be a b***h, something she prides herself on, but that is no reason to not have some manners. . . .
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Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:51 am
Bedtime's actions remind Friend that she has a cool star that she can cuddle too, and promptly does so, much to her star's delight. The little golden thing shimmers as it giggles, likely adding yet another hidden cringe to Bellatrix's quota for the evening. "Go upstairs?" she replies to Bedtime's request, standing on tippy-toe to peer just over his shoulder and into the cave. She's not scared of the unknown beyond. In fact, it's just an adventure, waiting to happen! "Sure!" It takes a lot of restraint on her part not to grab for Bedtime's hand and haul him through the doorway herself, but she manages it.
"Pleased to meet you, Bedtime," she says, making sure to get that in before the two Care Pae get their chance to disappear inside Bellatrix's home. "Tea sounds nice, thank you, though first I'd like to ask where my friends should place your gift."
She sidesteps and beckons with both hands, as if drawing something out from a cluster of bushes. Floating up and out of the green leaves is an even deeper shade of green, as the jade serpentine statue that Bellatrix had loved so much when she visited Casala's temple is borne in invisible arms up towards the door to the cave.
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:00 am
Bedtime doesn't get to see the look on Bellatrix's face, as he is too busy shooting into the cave. "Come on, Friend. I will show you, just follow me!" he calls after him.
Bellatrix is struck so dumb, that she doesn't have time to tell him that he should have said he was pleased to meet Casala. Oh hell, he should only say that if he is really pleased to meet her, anyway. . . .
"Casala," she starts, finally tearing her wide eyes off of the statue. "You really shouldn't have. . . ." but, she steps aside so she isn't slammed with the statue. "I . . . I don't know what to say. . . ."
She is so thrown right now. From Signis, she expects gifts. It is part of the package, actually. And, Lenore? Yeah, she didn't ask to be given to her, so she has to provide her with some things.
But, Casala? Casala owes her nothing. So warped is her thinking at times, most of the time, she does not grasp the concept of 'kindness.' Just like now, she starts to wonder what Casala wants from her. Obviously, she has to want something, to give her something so . . . well, she doesn't have a word for it.
Then, she pushes that out of her head. Honestly, Casala has never shown her any evidence to support that thought. She seems a little selfless, actually. Why else would she sleep in such an unprotected home, all the while sweating over putting it all back into order? Certainly she would get some measure of satisfaction from it, but she doesn't think it is all for her. . . .
Shaking her head, she points, vaguely, in the direction of the sitting room. "I guess anywhere in there will do," she finally says, still dazed.
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Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:22 am
Friend is quick to follow after Bedtime, her star slipping from her hold and bobbing in the air as it follows after her. She's invigorated at the prospect of having someone not just her own age, but a fellow Care Pae, to play with!
Casala's eyes twinkle with her delight at Bellatrix's reaction to her present. She had hoped that she would catch the other Pae off guard enough to provoke a new glimpse of the person she feels Bellatrix has locked up inside of her, that hides behind the smile that still sends a chill down Casala's spine when she isn't prepared for it.
She makes sure to also be out of the way as the statue floats past her and Bellatrix, murmuring instructions to the two spirits that agreed to help her move the statue that afternoon. She owed them both favors for this, and she's still considering how best to repay them. "Find a space that isn't occupied by anything, where the statue will be easily viewed, and set it there for now," she clarifies, watching the two spirits like a hawk at this point to be sure that they don't marr the statue or anything in Bellatrix's home.
As she's already been invited in, she steps beyond the invisible barrier between a home and the outside world once the way is clear. "I'm sorry for dropping by unannounced, but I wanted to make sure that the serpent got here safely."
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:33 am
Bedtime hurries up the spiral staircase, looking behind him to make sure Friend is with him, with his star guardian still held close to him. When he is at the top of the steps, he lets go of the star guardian long enough to clap his hands again, so the candles can ignite. Once that is done, he hurries to the stone door of the guest room and pushes it open.
Some of his toys is an understatement. It is quite possible that Bedtime has decided he likes it better her rather than Emerald Haven, with how much of his stuff is in the room. Blocks, coloring books, stuffed animals out the wazoo, cars, and all sorts of toys are around the room.
Bedtime stands at the stone door handle, waiting to see Friend's reaction.
Bellatrix, still dazed, says, "It's fine. . . . uhm, tea?" she says. So dazed is she that she does not really stay to oversee the serpent being moved into the sitting room as she walks to the kitchen. "You can sit anywhere you like," she calls from there, putting the kettle on the wood-burning stove, and lighting the wood, just as Lenore instructed her. While she waits for the kettle to start whitling, she goes into the pantry, looking for Eirnae's blends, and trying to get over the stunned state she is in.
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Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:08 am
"Wooooooow..." the little Care Pae gasps, standing stock still as she surveys the stock pile of toys with wide eyes. She almost doesn't breathe, she's so enarmored with the sight of so many things to play with. Her star bips her on the top of the head, and she simply snatches it up and sticks a corner of it in her mouth to suck on, the star squeaking out a protest. She doesn't release the star from either hands or mouth as she turns to fix Bedtime in her sights and favor him with a dazzlingly bright smile. "You have so many toys!" she exclaims, her wings flapping behind her as a further expression of her excitement, "We can play with anything we want?"
"Love some," she replies as she follows after the 'movers', taking in the details of the inside of Bellatrix's home while still keeping the majority of her attention on where the statue goes. Already having a practiced eye for where to place things to bring out their beauty, she directs them over to an empty spot and hovers like a mother hen watching over a chick while the statue is lowered to the ground. Even after it is no longer floating, she fusses over it by wiping at any possible traces of dust or dirt with a handkerchief she takes from one of the pouches she's wearing on a thick black leather belt.
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:20 am
Bedtime nods, proudly, and steps away from the open door and over to the pillows that make up the bed in here as well. He plops down, and grin at Friend. She sucked on her star too! She had to be a relative!
"We can play with anything we want. You pick something," he offers, grabbing the guardian again and hugging it close.
It doesn't take too much longer for the tea to get done. Once it is, she sets it on one of her serving trays, along with two china cups, two shina saucers, honey, and a few of the tea bags.
She takes a moment to cut up some cheese, and two apples and put them on a big plate. She adds grapes to that one, and makes a smaller plate of the same fruit to add to the serving tray with the tea.
Reaching into the cold pantry, she pulls out two bottles of water, and sets them, and the larger plate of fruit and cheese on another serving tray. Taking this one, she sneaks toward the spiral stair case, and up toward the guest room.
"Alright, you two, try not to make a mess. Snakey will be watching you," Bellatrix tells Bedtime and Friend. "Snakey! Quit sulking! I need you to do me a favor. Come in here and watch Bedtime and his friend, please."
Snakey slithers, reluctantly, into the room, not looking at Bellatrix once. After the dressing down she gave him about how he acted at the dance, or whatever the hell that was the night before, he has avoided her.
Sighing, and shaking her head, she tells Bedtime and Friend, "Have fun. If you need Casala or I, we'll be downstairs." With that, she goes to refrieve the other tray.
Once she has that in her hand, she walks toward the entryway. Back to her old self, again, she has the same wicked smile on her lips. She sets down the tray onto the low table, and stands back, waiting for Casala to finish what she is doing.
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Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 pm
Friend is in the middle of picking up one of the blocks as Trixie enters the ipstairs room, her star having escaped her hold while the Care Pae was distracted and floating up high enough to evade little arms. She chirps a promise in reply to Bellatrix's request that they try not to make a mess, "We'll be good!"
Then she goes back to picking up the block and looking over at Bedtime, then back to the blocks. "We could build a picnic table and eat our snack on it?" she suggests.
Convinced that the jade statue is completely free of dust and debris, Casala tucks her handkerchief away in its original pouch, closing that up with a twist of leather cord. She turns around to spot both Bellatrix and the tea and reaches for a cup of the latter. "Thank you, it smells good.. and familiar," she adds with a slight smile, blowing on the steaming liquid. "One of Eirnae's blends?"
"How are you, and how is Snakey? He seems out of sorts," she asks while looking at the tray the rest of the tea is on to see what condiments are available.
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:32 pm
Signis hummed and walked into Bellatrix's cave, walking through the door without even thinking about it. He walked towards the sitting room and looking about. He blinked seeing the two females and he frowned. "I'm sorry," He bowed a bit, looking to Bellatrix. "Did I come at a bad time?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:42 pm
Bedtime tilts his head to the side, and looks at all of his blocks. "That sounds like a good idea," he says, smiling in his sleepy way again. Then, he sets about making the legs of the table.
"Yes, it's Eirnae's," she replies, starting to sit on one of the pillows. "And, Snakey and I just had a little talk. He'll get over it," she says, reaching for a cup of the tea.
Her hand doesn't quite make it there, because she hears the stone door open. Quirking an eyebrow, she looks toward the entry way. Her smiles becomes a tad wider.
"Not at all," she replies to Signis, and stands again, walking toward him. She puts a hand on his forarm, and gestures toward Casala. "Signis, meet Casala," she says. "Casala, this is my b- . . . teacher, Signis."
Keeping the smile on her face, she says, "Excuse me a moment, I think I am short a cup. . . . You two, talk for a little while. Signis, Casala expressed an interest in training? Perhaps you two can start with that?" and with that, Bellatrix walks toward the kitchen.
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:53 pm
Friend waits to see what part of the table Bedtime would start on, then tries to help by handing him blocks, then building one of the legs herself. She hasn't even considered yet how they'll get a large enough flat surface for the top of the table.
She is nodding to Bellatrix's answer to her questions when Signis enters the cave. Her surprise at someone just walking into Bellatrix's home shows in her eyes, though her smile is politely kept as is. When she hears of who Signis is to Bellatrix, that and catching the slip with a flare of curiousity, she walks closer to the other angelic Pae and offers her free hand with a bow of her head. "A pleasure to meet you, Signis. Bellatrix speaks highly of your skills as a Trainer. She's right in that I asked about your techniques, as I wish to begin training in the physical arts myself."
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Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:03 pm
Signis too caught the slip and grinned widely. He tried to keep the smugness down... Bellatrix had a bad habit of stomping the hell out of it when she was in the mood to. He chuckled and then bowed to Casala taking her hand and then shaking it.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Casala..." He smiled and listened to her speak for a moment. He seemed to get lost in thought for a moment.
"They are not easy..." He warned, his voice taking a serious tone. "And I am not an easy teacher, you can ask Bellatrix to confrim that, but when I teach the arts of combat, you learn them, and you learn them my way... " He chewed on his lower lip a moment and shook his head slowly. "Just the other day Bellatrix cut me wide open..." He made a motion to the fading scar across his chest. "But, if you wish to learn... I will teach you... but you must be certain you are up to it all... I do not half teach, it's either all the way, or no way at all..."
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