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Naples
Oct 29, 2010 15:19:38 GMT -5
Post by sycamore on Oct 29, 2010 15:19:38 GMT -5
Jaim's fight or flight sensors were tingling.
It was unusual for creatures to spend so much attention on one creature, especially in the streets of Naples, where most wanted to go about their own businesses. Even when other businesses intruded into their business, they stopped to acknowledge the other business before quickly shuffling away to set up shop elsewhere.
And as the events were coming back to the otter in short periods of enlightenment, Jaim realized that his original intentions were not as altruistic as everybeast made it out to seem. So while he would have allowed himself to be lifted and led away, being carried was another matter altogether, and one that made the otter feel cornered and restrained. However, his initial struggle as Carrow lifted his legs was stopped short at the gate, as a wave of pain tore through his back and across his left shoulder. To the mouse, it would have seemed nothing more than an involuntary spasm, but to Jaim, it told him that a dislocated limb wasn't the only injury he had sustained.
They placed him on the steps, but rather than leaving him to tend to other matters of their concern, the marten stood before him and the mouse took a seat next to him, barring any form of escape he could take. Jaim shifted uncomfortable on the stoop, and scooched away so that the mouse was not so imposing.
The otter was becoming increasingly agitated. He had never seen these creatures before, and as such had no idea what their interest in him was. The marten, he had discovered, really did possess fur of pure white—it was not just a trick of the eyes as he had hoped. Carrow, though, the mouse had been so polite that Jaim wasn't sure there could be no sincerity in his words. Perhaps they really did care for his well-being. They were foreigners, after all. Maybe that was just how things were in their country.
Jaim forced himself to relax. If there was one thing he had on the pair, it was the fact that they had come too late in the game to see anything that could incriminate the otter. Even if they had, he was sure he could play it off well enough. He never really stole the letter, so they couldn't accuse him of thievery. The shouts and cries that had filled the square had come back to him, as well, and if the masses viewed the story one way, there was no reason to add an unnecessary plot twist.
"Yiss," he said in response to the marten's question, though he was looking at the mouse. The marten's unnatural fur color still put the otter on edge. "I remember now, what it is that happened. I was walking on the street…" Jaim paused, trying to think of why he would have noticed somebeast falling from the sky with enough time to become a hero somehow, "…when I saw a flash of red." He hurried that last statement, and nodded his head for emphasis, though winced when his brain rattled inside of it.
"So I see this flash of red, and I see that there is somebeast on top of the building who is looking like he is wanting to jump. So, I try to catch him, to save his life, and I see this least weasel who is in the way and will be fallen upon." Jaim was on a roll, now. His story was perfect, flawless! There was no reason for anybeast to doubt him. "So I yell to get his attention, but he does not know it is he being yelled at, and so I push him out of the way so I can save his life, and then after he is safe I turn to catch the one that is falling, but it is too late!" He gasped to show surprise, then sighed. "I am fallen upon."
Jaim grinned then, to show that he was good and trustworthy, and that there should be no reason to doubt him because he was likable. "I suppose that is why I am in pain, no?"
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Naples
Oct 30, 2010 0:25:13 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Oct 30, 2010 0:25:13 GMT -5
Caden immediately picked up on the fact that the otter was ignoring him. Great...were his looks really that scary? He should have figured so. No matter how many times others told him he was unique...the fact of the matter was that he could put others off simply by looking at them. The marten averted his gaze, and looked up at the post office.
He only half paid attention to what Jaim was saying now, and let Carrow take this one, as the otter's attention seemed to be directed to the rodent. There wasn't much information in this story anyway. Some flash of red...someone had jumped off the building? Willard had been pushed out of the way, and Jaim had not been able to catch the faller in time.
Odd...but Caden wasn't able to wonder further at this. Suicide? Something that wasn't suicide? Whatever it was it was strange. He figured he should make himself scarce, and get back to Ladorak to tell him what had happened. "Hey Carrow...think you got this one for now? I'm thinking of heading back to Ladorak so that he doesn't start wondering. We'll wait for you...don't worry about that." the marten stated, flashing his rodent friend a smile.
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Naples
Oct 30, 2010 5:45:33 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Oct 30, 2010 5:45:33 GMT -5
Carrow, too, was quite perplexed by the otter's tale. It seemed like a suicide attempt by some creature, but then again he couldn't be too sure. The details, even as the aquatic mustelid had presented them, were quite scarce in themselves, but he figured he might as well stick around and try striking up a conversation with the Calgarian. After all, who knew what one might find out under these circumstances?
If the mouse had known anything about his character, he would have had immediate reason to suspect that the otter's story didn't fully check out. As it was, though, he could only go by what he had been told, and the newcomer's grin was rather endearing. He smiled back. "Well, I can't really say anything to that, as I wasn't here," he admitted, shrugging sheepishly. "Hold on a second, would you?"
Turning to Caden, the rodent nodded. "Sure. You can check in with him and let him know how things are going." His voice lowered perceptibly then. "I'll do what I can with this one until he can get some more help... doesn't seem to be in a good state at all, so he might need more assistance. I'll stay here with him for as long as it takes, though. Far be it from me to abandon a creature in need," he commented, smiling back at his marten companion.
"I'll catch up with you two later on then - you won't be too far away after all, and I'm sure I can walk that distance with little trouble, even despite what's happened. Thanks for lending a paw here, Caden. I really appreciate it; probably wouldn't have been able to pawdle this one on my own, I have to admit. So thanks again," he murmured, tail swishing in a pleased fashion. You're such a dependable creature, he thought to himself, preferring not to say it out loud lest Caden was embarrassed.
He returned his brown-eyed gaze to the otter. "So then, tell me, what's your name, stranger?," he addressed him gently, more than a little curious about this creature now. "Also... you said there was a least weasel involved? Did you see much of him? You and I might be thinking of the same beast, see. There were two weasels with us: one might have been the least weasel of which you speak; the other was a longtail."
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Naples
Oct 30, 2010 23:21:16 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Oct 30, 2010 23:21:16 GMT -5
"Indeed...we won't be...and no problem...wanted to lend a helping paw where I could. See you in a bit then." the marten said, and waved as he started heading down the steps. "Glad you're feeling a bit better mate" the marten stated briefly to the otter as he started to walk off.
Best remove himself. Caden could see the otter was a bit put off by him...typical it seemed. He would have to get used to that...he was born this way...and it was why Spender despised him, despite him not being able to help it. Well...he could at least remove himself from this particular situation, and get back to Ladorak.
The thought of seeing his "dad" again put a smile on the albino's face, and he began to weave through the crowd, sliding in between beasts and heading back up the street to the square...and Ladorak.
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Naples
Nov 3, 2010 15:23:28 GMT -5
Post by sycamore on Nov 3, 2010 15:23:28 GMT -5
Jaim's grin widened. He had fooled them! Perfect! He watched with pleasure as they accepted his story without so much as a question or clarification, and then as the white marten took his leave. Good! Better for his nerves. Even if the marten seemed amiable enough, he was still white, which was just weird. Who ever heard of a white marten?
His gaze lingered on the retreating beast's back, and his eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out how a creature like him could ever come into existence. He started as he remembered that Carrow had asked him a question.
"Hello. My name is Jaim," the otter said. "A least weasel? Yes, yes, there was a least weasel. I did not see him much, no. I was too busy being fallen upon. But he was no longtail; he was least. Of that I am sure." He said all this dismissively, as though he did not want to spent time elaborating on his story or what had happened to him in front of the post office, and indeed, this was all true. Jaim's interest now laid solely on the white marten.
"Your friend," the otter said, promptly changing the subject. "He is of white fur, no? How can this be? I have never seen a pine marten with white fur before. Not even in stories. I did not think they were real. Am I being wrong? You are foreigners, yes? You speak Welkin. Are there many white martens in your country?"
Jaim didn't really care if he was being rude. The whole thing was just too curious!
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Naples
Nov 3, 2010 17:12:01 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Nov 3, 2010 17:12:01 GMT -5
"Pleased to meet you, Jaim," Carrow responded, being extra polite with this creature and going so far as to offer him a paw in greeting. He liked this otter. The mustelid was being a little forward in the way he spoke, and the mouse had a little trouble understanding him at times, but he didn't mind that at all.
"You're suuure he was a least weasel," the rodent murmured, "right, well, I'm not certain where he's gone -" he broke off to take a cursory glance around - "yes, he's probably left by now." Carrow wasn't going to admit to Jaim that he was friendly with the very weasel who was the subject of their conversation. Besides, while he was indeed uncertain of Willard's whereabouts, after glimpsing him in his distressed state earlier on, he could probably guess where he'd gone.
The subject changed to Caden then, all of a sudden, and Carrow felt himself bristling. Yes... this otter was being rather *too* forward for his liking. Having been the subject of derogatory comments for quite a large part of his life, the wood mouse could detect the rudeness in the mustelid's outspoken thoughts with little difficulty. He tried not to show that he was miffed, however, answering as best he could.
"Oh, Caden?" He shrugged. "I don't know really. He is how he is, and *most beasts* -" here he shot Jaim a warning glance, as if to say 'don't even go there' - "won't think any less of him for that. He's a very likeable creature. I couldn't tell you why he's an albino, but I think that should make no difference whatsoever to how we see him. It's not what you look like. The thing that counts is what's inside," he told the otter, fighting to keep his voice from trembling. *They* had never thought that way.
"He's a great friend to us. We're seafaring creatures. There's me, there's Caden, and there's Elliot. There's also another weasel among our group, name of Selvis Frenata. I think you'll like him too." Carrow looked up then, and lo and behold, the very weasel of whom he was speaking was heading towards them, a smile on his face. He came to a halt beside the mouse, smiling at his fellow mustelid as he surveyed him.
"Heheh, hello," Selvis said softly in his lightly accented Welkin. "I had to pawdle something earlier, I would have come over to you otherwise. My name's Selvis," he told the otter, introducing himself and of course unaware that his mouse companion had been talking about him only moments earlier. The otter looked hurt, that much was clear, but he assumed - correctly - that things had already been done to help him. Of course, Selvis would be dying to assist this creature if he was indeed in need of it.
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Naples
Nov 3, 2010 18:30:54 GMT -5
Post by sycamore on Nov 3, 2010 18:30:54 GMT -5
Jaim took Carrow's paw in greeting. Throughout their talk Jaim did not take notice that he was secretly offending Carrow, either because the mouse did a spectacular job of hiding it, or Jaim was too engrossed with knowing what kind of creature Caden really was. Most likely it was a combination of the two.
"Al … BI … no?" Jaim played the word on his tongue. It was a foreign word, which he should have expected. With foreign beasts came foreign words, and foreign creatures as well. These … al-BI-nos … must be overly abundant in Welkin. To think! His father had been a Welkin native, but never had he told Jaim of pure white beasts that ran amuck in their country. Aside from the ermines, that was, but this creature was decidedly not ermine. He sought to question Carrow further on the matter.
"But he is looking like pine marten," he said, confusion taking siege on his features. "Is al-BI-no relative? Does he turn brown in summer?"
It was at that point another beast approached the pair, a weasel who introduced himself as the Selvis Carrow had mentioned.
"I am being named Jaim," the otter said, returning the greeting. "Caden is albino!" He grinned then, happy to share his knowledge of the peculiar beast. "I am not seeing albinos before. They are looking like pine marten! It is silly, I think. Is albino …" Jaim searched for the right word, "… popular in Welkin?"
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Naples
Nov 3, 2010 18:51:21 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Nov 3, 2010 18:51:21 GMT -5
Carrow had withdrawn his paw before the otter had spoken. Just as well, because Jaim's words would have forced the mouse to break contact with him. His tail rose in indignation, as his fight to suppress his irritation at the otter's words was swiftly concluded, and his protective side won.
Before he could say anything, however, Selvis stepped in, immediately coming between the seething rodent and the oblivious mustelid. "Silly, d'you think?," he repeated, frowning visibly at Jaim. He wasn't as affronted as Carrow - either that or he was doing a brilliant job of hiding it - but his fur had been ruffled.
"Well, just because you might not have seen a creature like him before - and it's not likely you would have, and I am SPEAKING of the fact that he's one of the kindest creatures I've ever had the good fortune to know - kindly refrain from passing comment on something Caden cannot obviously help."
The longtail's voice was deceptively calm. He was irritated with this creature. Never mind that he was confused over just what 'albino' meant; certain comments of his would not hold water with Selvis, and from the disapproving look on his face he was *definitely* not hiding his unease at this development.
"He's not at fault. I'll have you know Caden's a really special creature, and he would be no different to us if he weren't an albino. We don't care what he looks like, and nor should you. He doesn't like being insulted about his fur colour... so if you ever see him again... keep your mouth shut about it, alright?," he said, by way of advice for the Calgarian otter. Both friends were ready to stick up for their companion - but the weasel was becoming increasingly irritated by Jaim's attitude, and as Willard had found out, something quite unsettling needed to happen to set the normally easy-going weasel off.
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Naples
Nov 3, 2010 23:29:59 GMT -5
Post by bookity101 on Nov 3, 2010 23:29:59 GMT -5
Ellie and Janey were having fun. For the first time in a long time, there was no pretending about who she was. There was no need to make up details about Elliot and Elle’s life. No desire to pretend about instincts that were different, or be self-conscious about it when she had to do …anything. She was even wearing a real dress for the first time in a long time. Her hair was down, and not even in the tight bun she usually kept it in at the base of her neck. They had made it to the glass makers and had left the frames and pieces behind; the otter owner said that the pieces were plenty big enough to give them a repaired set in a matter of hours. So in the mean time, they wandered the streets, shopping for some things for dinner, and just talking. After awhile they found a small coffee house and took a seat at one of the outside tables. They sat and talked, just talked, mixing Ferlusan and Welkin, Rosferian and even some beginning words of Calgarian into their conversation. What fit what they were saying, however they wanted to say it. Janey eventually ordered two cups of coffee, chocolate cookies, and some other sugary treats, just like she would back in Welkin when things got to be too much for the young beech. They laughed, reminisced, and generally enjoyed each other’s company. After awhile, Janey placed her cup on the table, looking over at her young cousins, she settled into their native tongue; “Elle, Ellie, tell me, did anything… change when I left?” Janey bit her lip when the young beech didn’t answer right away. “Elle, please, they told me they wouldn’t make you be the nursemaid anymore.” Janey leaned forward, pleading with the younger martin to believe her. “That they would finally treat you like their niece, not just some beast in their house.” Elle felt her shoulders slump just a little. “And you believed them Janey?” No bitterness colored her tone. And the only thing that filled her eyes was a resigned understanding. After all, Elle had been the one who had pushed Edgar into proposing to Janey, and Janey into accepting when she found out that Edgar would be moving to Calgary. “Aunty never liked mom and dad, and she never liked me. And Uncle never does anything not accepted by Aunty unless he knows he can get away with it.” She stretched a little, cupping her paws around the warm coffee cup. “It wasn’t so bad, the kitties liked me, and for the most part they never found out that Aunty basically detested me.” She took a sip of the drink as she watched Janey continue to bite her lip. “And my back doesn’t twinge anymore, hasn’t since you left three years ago. I’m fine.” Janey nodded, not believing her completely but was willing to let it slide. “All right then dearie. Tell me about life on the ship.” Elle couldn’t help but grin; “Well the hammock’s are a pain to get used to.. I mean almost literally. One time I nearly broke my nose trying to get into one….” ((Time Filler until ya’ll get around to dinner ))
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