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 Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2015 4:06 pm
The days had changed overnight, from the stress of wondering how he would tend to the two scarlings to learning and feeling far more relaxed than he ever predicted thanks to Zar. Between the both of them, the scarlings were happy, well fed, spoiled, and well rested. They played in the sun and dark, they slept, they fed on the milk Zar gave and the bugs Calder found.
With the kids inside in their pen, Calder stood outside in the yard picking through the tall grass for larger bugs. A wicker box sat in the grass chirping and chittering inside from the prizes he found thus far.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 1:34 pm
The sound was quiet at first, a low and distant rumble which grew louder as it approached until a golden carriage could be noted on the horizon pulled by what appeared to be a team of four large black horse shaped creatures fitted with golden livery. It made its way along the path to the castle and halted short of the garden and the coachman also dressed in vibrant gold dismounted and opened the door.
From the carriage stepped a very tall, very elegant and feminine looking demon with large impractical branched antlers and wearing golden armour and a golden helmet which concealed her eyes, she had a large colour shifting crystal in her chest and her legs were similar to those of a raptor with a long sickle claw on each foot. By her side was folded a set of wings in bright golden and slightly orange plumage. There was something in her facial features reminicent of Zar, but it was difficult to put one's finger on it.
Spotting Calder, she spoke up. "Do you work here?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 1:59 pm
Close behind her was another tall, stooped figure with long, stringy hair that hung in his eyes. He was clean-shaven, thin, and pale. He looked a bit frail, and in spite of the almost palpable air of gloom that was written in his movements, he was in in good spirits.
He put his hand lightly on the back of the feminine demon's, and gave Calder a familiar wobbly smile.
He was, pound-for-pound, from skin color to the twist of his horns, a near exact replica of Barth.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 3:50 pm
The distant noise did not bother him, only assuming someone was using the far distant roads to cut through the wilderness, but as it came closer, his attention turned to the road leading up to their home, fixated to the distant trees and overgrowth. It wasn't until the pumpkin sun glimmered off of something in the distance that he full stood and dusted his hands, turning his head slightly to try and make out what was coming their way. When he finally made out that the glimmering ball was a carriage and their was some equine-like somethings pulling it along, his mind instantly went to demons. There was no one on his side of the family that would rely on other equine's strength to get them around, and none had THAT kind of seeds to afford the guilded armor (which he kinda really liked a lot.)
As the carriage stopped, he was already on guard, expected to see some familiar enough faces but was outright confused even more as the woman who stepped out. From what little he could see from under her armor, she had a demon's presence. While the wings weren't like Zar's, the rest of her had certain lines and curves that had him thinking of the other. He reconsidered what side of the family was visiting though when a man that looked spot on like some brother of Barth, aside from walking on his own without complaint, came alongside her.
His eyes narrowed as his lips parted, a question already planted in a slow, "who…." Until the woman asked if he worked here.
Closing his mouth, he looked around him, looked at the basket, looked at himself and then back at her. "No. I LIVE here. This is my home." Clearly anyone who visited would know who the owners were. Maybe she was confused, but then again, he doubted demons looked that similar to the other two occupants of the castle.
Pointed at her and then to the man, he narrowed his eyes again in confusion. "Who the hell are you?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 4:16 pm
Gilda's tail swished behind her in irritation.
"You must be the kelpie." she said, all very tightly restrained anger, using every ounce of self control she had not to set off their meeting with a lesson on how best to properly address a pride demon. "I am Lady Gilda, the matriarch of Zar's family."
She didn't understand why they let their home help wander around as if he owned the place, demanding the identity of anyone and everyone. If it had not been family she would have waged war on and claimed this little patch of soggy hill and lake land for herself just to prove a point. "This is my mate."
"We are here to see the scarelings." she said as politely as she could manage.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 4:22 pm
"Lord Rasputher," the other demon said, touching a similar set of long claws to his chest and flushing at the address of mate.
Feathers, which Barth certainly did not have, ruffled up and peeked out from under his loose and half-undone shirt in a pleased puff.
"Has..." He looked briefly grieved, "...Sam been by yet?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 4:31 pm
"THE Kelpie is named Calder, one of the members of THIS family." He said, not at all liking to be addressed as if he was something that was just hanging around, especially at his home where his family resided.
When she mentioned seeing the kids, he was instantly tense, but this was Zar's family and because of that, and because of demon traditions, he decided it might be best for Zar to have a say in what the hell was going on.
"You didn't really send any warning you were coming." He pointed out. "I'll be a moment. Just…hang out here."
Calder walked into the house heading down to stand at the door that lead down to the basement. "ZAR!" He moved to the basement door. "ZAR?! Your……Something or other and her boyfriend is here! GILDA! SHE WANTS TO SEE THE KIDS!" He certainly didn't want her seeing the kids when he sure as hell didn't know who the jack she was, but this was Zar's family and he knew whoever this woman and her boyfriend was better than him.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 4:44 pm
Gilda did not seem even slightly like she cared about what Calder considered himself to be in the family, looking off in the direction of the castle as he reminded her that he was part of the family. "Quite." she said. "I am sure you are very important for..whatever it is you are doing right now."
"And pride demons do not send warning, we arrive and the wise are pleased to have us, the foolish resist."
Zar wasn't sure what in the nine hells was going on and trotted out of the front doors with superbia still perched in his horns, dressed in a flouncy dressing gown. He stopped dead in his tracks. "...Barth?" he said, looking absolutely confused. "Gilda??"
There was a horrible moment when he felt that Barth had decided to end up with someone more his own age.
It took a moment for all of him to catch up, realising that it couldn't possibly be Barth and that Gilda had to have developed some terrifying kink in the interim between the dinner and now. "The scarelings?" he said, and just to make everything worse, Superbia chose that moment to flap from his horns to the ground and dash over to look up curiously at Ras who looked a lot like his father.
"Barther!??" he peeped.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 4:56 pm
"Oh, the demon sighed, his neck and the feathers becoming longer, shiny blue-black and handsome. The clothes shifted and melted too, and he extended a long and wicked beak to nuzzle the tiny chick.
"Were there two? Oh, Gilda, look. How splendid you are. You have her eyes, as bright and vengeful as the morning star." The words were said in soft clucks, and Rasputher settled closer to the ground, warm, his soft underfeathers puffing even more.
Barth, who had heard the shout, was just a bit...slower to get there.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 5:12 pm
Calder stood, nervous and tense as he saw their one scarling dash off to the other, but to his utter surprise, the Barth look-alike (Rasputher was it?), changed into a birdish thing himself and seemed to show nothing but warm wishes for the little one. So far. He still worried this visit might be something more and even had the paranoia to think they where here to take the children. Was that even sane?
Moving closer to Zar's side, Calder stood there, glancing to Zar and back to the demons, waiting for some signal on what to do next.
Tula, who was now prone to climbing about, was hitching a ride on Barth's back. When he wasn't moving on someone's body, he remained rather motionless and just happy to be out of the pen. Resting on the demon's upper back, it stirred at the shouting before going back to poking little fan holes into the sloth demon's clothes, trying to pull apart a thread it wanted.
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Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 3:55 pm
The small chicken scareling looked absolutely thrilled to see another creature with feathers, his own feathers at an awkward intermediate stage between pinfeathers and plumage. He reacted to the nuzzle with a return nuzzle of his own, feeling the familiarity in fear and scent and approving a great deal. He made small chirrups of his own in answer. "Who?" he asked happily, and then latching onto a new word repeated "vengeful!" before darting under Ras's feathers as if he was a broody hen.
Gilda looked on with the faintest proud smile as she watched Ras deal with the little one and though she would never admit it out loud, she was deeply, deeply glad to have the other demon back. Even though she wouldn't admit it, her gladness and pride were evident in the softening of her tone and mood towards the others, Calder included.
"Do they have a name?" she asked the Kelpie.
Zar meanwhile was in a considerable panic, not sure what to make of his grandmother, aware simply that Gilda was deeply, deeply dangerous and still at a loss as to who Rasputher was and why he had claimed to be Gilda's mate. His protectiveness kicked in but there was nothing he could really do, keeping the scareling safe primarily by being cordial, after all he did not particularly seem in danger.
Zar pulled the dressing gown closer about himself as if it was a grand robe rather than nightwear and tried to look dignified. "To what do we owe the pleasure?" he asked, only to be curtly responded to by Gilda. "It has been a long time since I have had scarelings around and Ras is very fond of them." she placed a fond hand on his rump. "And I assumed that you could use a little further help around the place, I would not have my heir and his heir grow up in an unpleasant place. The imposition is not without gain to yourselves either, I would gladly fund a little of your housewarming."
Zar couldn't help but perk his ears a little at this, seeds were a bartering chip he liked the sound of, though he did find himself a little confused by Gilda's professing to miss having scarelings around, his mother had told him only tales of deprivation and a cold and brutal mother who made her and her twin fend primarily for themselves much like animals, he wasn't sure why things had changed.
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Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 9:42 am
When Barth finally appeared (and it wasn't as if he had far to go, he lived on the first floor) Tula was nestled into his shoulder destroying his jacket and he looked slightly ruffled and not quite prepared for visitors.
He did manage, however, a bright expression at Gilda.
"Ah! Lady Gilda, what a nice surprise. Err- excuse the staffing situation, we're all still getting established. You're welcome to come inside. Grimhold can see your carriage to the stables."
The vampire appeared with a soft leathery rustle from the depths of the castle.
"Um- treat him...kindly, he's err, very loyal and err, not expendable. Thank you, Grimhold." Barth was not as surprised as the others had been, because Rasputher was now a giant and much-less-recognizable black bird.
Rasputher cooed and talked to the scareling in poetic rolls of his avian tongue. His feathers had a dusty quality, like pollen, and being underneath him somehow was like having a weight on one's chest, like wistfulness rolled up with longing. The sweet and salty mixture of loss coated the chicken's feathers, and he would also find the soft buds of weeping flowers growing in the earht between Rasputher's claws. To the scareling, however, the otherwise heavy sensations were all dulled to a mild, relaxing buzz.
Rasputher looked up in taken back surprise, however, and scooping the scareling up gently in one wing (which became an arm) stood to stride purposefully (if slowly) to Barth and give him a firm and humanoid (and very familiar) embrace.
At this, Barth was surprised.
"U...Uncle Rasputher," Barth choked, "Weren't you..err- well, I mean, last I'd heard."
"Dead no longer," Rasputher said, and holding Barth's shoulders, "Zar. Our heir. I have returned, and although I am a low creature indeed, be kind enough to dispense with that unworthy title. Address me as grandfather."
"Um, a-actually..." Barth said, looking over at Zar nervously.
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Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 9:56 am
Calder wasn't sure about any of this, but taking that Zar wasn't scooping up Sup and shooing his relatives off, Calder took their lead and just listened as he tended to do with anyone from either demon's family. Unlike Babs or Thir, the two didn't come off as bubbly and accepting - so far at least. He still was pretty pissed about how he was talked too, but it seemed Glida was being nice now that he saw Calder wasn't some house keeper.
The request for names made Calder glance at Zar and then to the side and up at the sky. They - had kind of delayed the naming of the two and he felt a bit embarrassed being asked their names now.
The commotion seemed to alert Barth and th sloth demon came out and welcomed the pair as if he had some clue they were even showing up. Glad that the demons seemed to know how to go about things, he decided he should probably make some tea when Ras hugged Barth and caused Calder to stop.
He placed one finger up on both hands. "So..." Glida was Zar's family and Ras was Barth's family and Ras and Glinda were together.
"....wait." He placed both fingers side by side as a an item. He dropped his hands and pointed between Zar and Barth.
"...are you two.....cause of them .......related?"
At least now in some way.
As Barth was hugged, the spider scarling crawled up to Barth's side under his arm and hissed at the other, not liking whoever just came to try and intrude on his parent. As he did, he still held onto the thread he was pulling between his front two arms. Yet, as they held each other, he then went quiet at the smell and feelings the other let off and remained still, gripping Barth a little less tightly than before.
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Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:23 am
Zar as always seemed to tense up when Barth arrived rather than relax, and today was no different, always on edge that the other demon might say something which would land him in trouble with his relatives despite the fact that at every other encounter he had been nothing short of polite and evasive. If anything he was better with his tongue than Zar who was prone to being rude, proud and standoffish. Still, he couldn't shake the response nor the spike of anxiety.
Gilda however seemed pleased with the politeness and accepted the hospitality with equally polite condescention, calling forth her footman who stood to one side. "Go with Grimhold here." she said. "Put up the team." the man nodded and turned back to unharness the horses who turned back to their respective shapes and joined him as they headed to the stables.
The small scareling responded to the sensation of the other demon's fear with approval and excitement, finding it very different to what he was used to and therefore absolutely thrilling. He pecked at the flowers carefully and preened the silky feathers until he was picked up and carried over to his father, cheering "Synergy!" as he squeezed himself in between the embrace.
Zar looked on at the scene with a sense of growing confusion mingled with the already huge amounts of anxiety, finding the sight of Barth and Rasputher in any sort of proximity very strange indeed, a sense of seeing double which made him close his eyes and flick his tongue if only to feel the differences in their taste and sensation. His tail twisted about his hooves and he found himself tempted to hide behind Calder and let Barth deal with the issues of being an heir to Gilda's fortune.
He wasn't sure he wanted a step-grandfather either simply because Gilda had found herself what presumably was a doppleganger.
"That is Bartholomew my precious fool. " Gilda spoke up with a faint smile. "Sam's grandson. Zar is the very grey one."
Zar flicked his ears back, finding himself unsurprised that anyone might make the error, not looking very like anyone in his family he could think of offhand.
"They don't have names yet."
Gilda couldn't help but start. "Demons without Names?? That is very lax, even for the household of an Avarice."
Zar carefully didn't answer Calder's question.
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Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:27 pm
"Sam's!" Rasputher looked at Barth's somewhat worried face. "Ah, but my light, my love, how...? I assure you, I had nothing to with Sam's progeny." His expression softened as he looked at the spider. "Hello, little one. Ah, is this the other? From Mafune, maybe, the Japanese do have an odd pantheon." Rasputher seemed to be leaving out any possibility of Echo's influence whatsoever.
Barth cleared his throat. "Uncle Rasputher, it's ah, it's very nice to meet you. I stayed in err, your old room, I think. While I was visiting him. My grandfather. You err...how's your err, memory...?"
"Completely intact," Rasputher said, long claws digging perhaps a bit too hard into Barth's arms. But he released him, and turned instead to Zar.
"Zaram," he said, "you are the carrier of our line," and wrapped Zar in his long arms, giving the avian scareling space between them. Zar would feel it intensely, the rush of sorrow, of things past and missed, of the centuries stretching between them.
"My um, my great Uncle," Barth explained quietly to Calder, scratching his beard a shade uncomfortably. "Zar is my...second? Second. Cousin. I think."
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