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 Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:37 pm
Lorelei had often looked at one of those wagons who kept behind in the caravan, wondering. She had yet to see its inhabitant. And while she may not have yet met all of her brothers and sisters, she had at least seen most of them in passing. So a deep feeling of curiosity made her leave her bed one evening, once Vanna was already sound asleep, and creep outside.
By moonlight, uncertain and nervous, she made her way over to the wagon, as heavily constructed of wood as her own Ivy-Twined was. Coming to the door, she pursed her lips, thinking.
Should she intrude? Perhaps it was not her place. But it was even less her place to ask around - the only other way to satisfy her curiosity. So she raised one delicate hand, only slightly roughened by travel, and knocked quietly, hoping that the other woman (or man) was still awake.
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:05 pm
Ki jumped slightly... she had never been very good at listening to the things around her and therefore rarely ever knew when people or animals were approaching... but a knock on the door? Now that was pretty straightforward....
She rose from her place on the sleeping platform and tiptoed over to the door, not that Van was sleeping... the little scardey cat was never at ease enough to rest completely. As she unlatched the top portion of the door and swung in inward she saw another member of the caravan standing there... oh well, she thought, if she tries to kill me then that's that.
"Come on in." She smiled at the other woman, but barely.
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 3:40 am
Lorelei smiled back, more fully, though she was uncertain with only a hint of a smile from the other woman.
"Oh, I don't mean to intrude," she said, softly. "If you were just about to go to sleep - I just..." Fumbling with her words, she still followed Ki's request, stepping in slightly. "I've always wondered who lived here. My name's Lorelei." A smile, a half-dipped curtsy.
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:39 pm
Ki sighed... and put on a better smile. She really was going to have to make an effort at being nice, and meeting people... especially if she was going to get Van to grow any. "I'm Ki..." She smiled again, this time much more welcoming, and moved a pillow off the sleeping platform, making it a much more accessable seat. "I'm sort of an oldie, but a newie... " She laughed uncertainly. "I took my wagon off to seek fortune elsewhere but once i got there I realized I needed to be here for my son to grow... he's a fortunette animal still." She guestured towards the pile of blankets up on a wide shelf. "I obtained him back at the same timet that caroline obtained Rojiza, but poor Van's still an animal." She sighed. "I suspect that it's mostly my fault, but that's why I'm here I guess."
She turned to her guest with a smile. "It's good to meet you."
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 6:59 pm
"It's nice to meet you, as well." Laughing a little, Lorelei tilted her head and looked at the mass of blankets. "I'm more a recluse than anything else. I'm not sure I could be considered old or new... I'm somewhere in the middle, I suppose. I stumbled upon everybody last summer, and I've been here ever since."
She cast her gaze over to the blankets, taking a few steps over. "Is he sleeping?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:10 pm
"Him?" Ki snorted... and plunged a hand into the blankets... A moment later she extracted a small squirming mole and placed her other hand over it's nose lightly as it started to squeal in protest... "If you thought you were a recluse... this is my fourtunette son, Van D'ien..." She smiled and held out the mole.
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 8:24 pm
Lorelei laughed and held out her hands, cupping the small creature in her pale fingers. She was used to holding tiny animals - Vanna had been one, after all.
"Perhaps he should meet my daughter, Vanna. She can bring anybody out of a reclusive spell. She worked for me, and I think she's helping one of our newer members..."
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 3:47 pm
"Well" Ki seemed hesitant. "He really does need to meet more people. He's played with a few of the other's beck when we were here last, when they were still animals..." She sighed and sat down. "I have a sickening feeling that his lack of growth is mostly my fault... I've yet to have a chat with Val other than, HI I'm back!" Ki smiled. "I'm glad to be back. Makes me wish I'd never left."
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:58 pm
Lorelei nodded, quietly, thinking of the time not so long ago when she had considered leaving. If Fortunettes were likes this - tied to their homes so much - she was glad she hadn't left. Being with Leax wasn't worth sacrificing her daughter's happiness.
"It's getting quite late, though," Lorelei mused, coming back to the present. "Perhaps I could invite you and your son over for breakfast come morning? I'd be glad to have company, and Vanna would be awake and anxious to meet a new person!"
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:58 pm
"Well thank you." She smiled. "You're the first person to offer since we've been back, though I have to admit that I've not been a social bee." She leaned over and passed Lorelei a package of blank paper... "Hold on to that." she winked. It may come in handy later, you never know."
The paper itself was simple and homemade. At the top just off to the left was a small hand-drawn ribbon in blue. It looked simple, but kind of nice at the same time.
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 8:12 pm
Lorelei took the paper gingerly, looking at it curiously. "You never know," she murmured, nodding. Still, the gift was a bit... odd. And unprompted. But if Ki wanted her to have it...
Well, the meij worked in mysterious ways. And so did the minds of new-made friends.
"Thank you, very much," she said, smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, then, before we set out on the road again?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 11:57 am
"sure. that sounds good." She smiled and stood to walk the other woman out... even though the door was only a few steps away. If one was going to try and be sociable, might as well go whole hog.
The next morning Ki was throwing a pile of dirty leathers into the back of the wagon and trying to tidy her dishes and bowls back off the grass and into their respective cubbies. It was normal work... or would be normal work if Ki had the tendancy to clean up her messes... but she didn't.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 12:08 pm
Vanna was up and about on her feet now, the wound safely closed. It was still bandaged up, just in case, but Lorelei was fairly certain (and she'd treated a fair number of foot wounds - her own, after she finally came to rest in Valelldia's caravan) that everything would be fine. So while she mixed up a quick breakfast of thin, earthy pancakes with berries, Lorelei sent her daughter out to fetch their guests.
Generally, Lorelei didn't want Vanna wandering by herself. But they'd camped in a nice enough clearing, and Ki's wagon was just along the way. With a watchful eye trained on the little purple figure, she went about cooking with minimal anxiety.
Vanna bounded up to the wagon, giggling and looking around for somebody. When she spotted Ki, she toddled over, childishly unsteady on her feet, and waved. "Hiiii! You Ki? I Vaaaaaannaaaaaa. Momma there." She pointed back to where Lorelei's wagon was moored. "Food?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 12:24 pm
Ki turned and looked down at the small childish voice without surprise... after all stranger things had happened. She followed the small girl's pointing finger with her eyes and saw the destination. She nodded and put on a smile. "Yup. I'm Ki. You must be Lorelei's Daughter. Give me a moment to get Van and I'll be right out again ok?" She turned and stepped into the wagon. In about two seconds (owing to the smallness of the wagon and her lack of curtousy) she had unceremoniously grabbed the mole baby and a nondescript wrap to keep warm, and then she was outside again looking down at the child with a smile. "Lead on."
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 12:28 pm
But Vanna was too busy thinking over this new bit of information. Van? Something named Van? Like Vanna? It sounded almost the same. So when Ki came out holding her bundle, Vanna tried to stand up on her toes and peek in.
"Vaaaan? Wassat?" She blinked three golden eyes up at Ki before she squeaked, losing her balanced and nearly falling over. Righting herself and giggling, Vanna looked up at the woman, waiting for an answer.
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