Exiles

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 5:15 pm

Elana shivered. "Please good sirs and lady, can we move to somewhere warm?"

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:19 pm

Faun nodded and quickened his pace. Before long the group reached his apartment. While the windows were open, letting in the wind, no cold breeze wafted in. As Faun flipped on the lights, several sunlamps turned on with the normal lights, instantly warming up the areas around them. Besides the warmth, there was light, and the apartment was lit up as though it were midday. He went to the bottle of wine he had opened earlier that night and returned with several glasses, offering a little to everyone. "Please...have a seat." He went to lock the door after everyone had come in.

His hands had finally stopped shaking and the color had returned to his face. It was clear that being here had helped him calm down somewhat. He lingered by the plants, gently caressing them each time he passed one in his pacing around. Finally he took his own glass of wine and sipped from it gingerly, letting the liquid trickle over his tongue before it flowed into his gullet. A deep breath, and then he looked around. This could be a delusion, a dream, but it wasn't like any trip he had been on before. That left two options, neither of which was very appealing...

Reality bends around the facts.

He blinked again, looking around. It didn't sound like the other voices...but he couldn't find anyone looking at him at that specific moment. Trying to keep himself under control, he took another sip of his wine. "So...would someone please help me understand why I feel like I fell asleep in the stacks again? I'm very, very confused right now..."

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:23 pm

Metalmaw looked profoundly uncomfortable with something as fancy as wine and glasses. Still, a courtier to the Unseelie Courts like him could do it. "Stacks?" The Redcap asked simply. "What are you on?"

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:28 pm

Fluffy only looked at the fancy glass in amusement. She didn't even have to sniff at it to smell the alcohol, and just gave Faun a look similar to ones the librarians give to overly-loud library patrons. Thank you, but I'm not allowed to have alcohol.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:34 pm

Faun laughed gently and shook his head. "The library, we call the shelves we keep the books in the stacks. Sorry...I guess I'm not the only one who's confused tonight."

He looked at Fluffy and smiled softly. "Sorry, I don't know what I have that you would like," He scratched behind her ears for a moment. "What can I get you?"

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:38 pm

ooooooooooooooo.... scritches.......... and he knew just the right place too....

just... keep doing that... Fluffy answered, with a dreamy tone to her mental voice, leaning into the pets.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:39 pm

"I know what the stacks are. I'm not a flaming idiot." Metalmaw frowned. "I'm talking about: What are you on about? I've seen no library. I've seen alot of things tonight, including you save the damsel of the nice shiny courts of goodness and righteous hypocrisy.. But no libraries. I'm generally not allowed in them."

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:54 pm

Faun kept scratching between Fluffy's ears, pausing for a moment as he was taken aback by Metalmaw's little tirade. "I...work...in the library. I'm sorry, I just...my name is Faun. I'm sorry about that, I'm just really...out of it right now. This all seems so unreal..."

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 12:08 am

"Oh. Great." Metalmaw rolled his eyes. "Metalmaw, formerly of the Balor's Legion. These days I just go by Phillip Graves." Yea, that's a cute joke, for those who realize what's under the false face. "This is Fluffy. She's a bundle of fluff and love and also violence, if you cross her."

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 12:33 am

He named me. It's not my fault. Fluffy explained, still leaning into the pets she was getting from Faun.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:36 am

"Faun, do you not know the power you carry?" Mace said? trying to puzzle their new friend together. If he carried the sort of power he obviously did, then there were only a few possibilities, primary among them is that he doesnt remember a damn thing, so explaining this to him would have to be done without oblique references.

"Ok, we are all from another...universe, I suppose you could say" he spoke directly at Faun. "When I say all, I mean you as well, though you dont seem to remember it. It is the only explanation for the power you bear. It may seem unreal, but I assure you, it is."

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:04 am

Faun blinked at Metalmaw's...Phil's introduction. "So...you're military. Is Balor's Legion some sort of European army or something?" He pulled up a chair to sit near Fluffy to continue the petting, the repetitive motion soothing his nerves. "And...Fluffy, okay."

He looked at Mace quizzically as he started talking. "Power? But I...don't have any power..." The voices came back, whispering madly in his ear, but the buzzing became more than he could bear. He avoided dropping his glass, but just barely. The petting of Fluffy stopped as he held his hands to his temples. The slyphtongue came back as he whispered to the nothing around him.

"Please...stop...I...it hurts..."

The whispers of the wind stopped, creating an eerie silence around the room, broken once again by Faun's voice. "All I know is...I hear voices...I-I've heard them for a while now, I just didn't want to admit it. I just thought my imagination was going wild...but now I think I'm going crazy. I mean, this is how it starts, isn't it? Voices, then delusions, episodes? But then...this seems so real. I don't know if this is a dream or a delusion or what, but whatever it is, I'd like to know what's supposed to be going on. I'd like to wake up if this is a dream after all..."

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:34 am

Fluffy whined as Faun put his hands to his head, both in sympathy, and because she wasn't getting petted anymore.

"All I know is...I hear voices...I-I've heard them for a while now, I just didn't want to admit it. I just thought my imagination was going wild...but now I think I'm going crazy. I mean, this is how it starts, isn't it? Voices, then delusions, episodes? But then...this seems so real. I don't know if this is a dream or a delusion or what, but whatever it is, I'd like to know what's supposed to be going on. I'd like to wake up if this is a dream after all..."

Fluffy looked to the Mage, and then to MetalMaw. The Exile has weighed heavily on him, hasn't it. He's forgotten what he is.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:44 pm

Mace was given a dark look. "You shut your mouth while the adults are talking." He said simply, baring teeth in a way that only those who had an inkling of what was really in his mouth would feel terror from.

"Faun. Relax. Breath. You're going to be okay, voices or not." Metalmaw despised the coddling the newly-Exiled needed, but knew the damage that could come about. "Feel free to slap that guy. His name's Mace, he almost definitely deserves it. Burned poor Fluffy with his careless pyromania." He downed the contents of the wine glass. "Let's just say you're not nearly as mad as you think. We'll start with that."

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 4:11 pm

Faun nodded and looked around, his head still throbbing from the myriad of voices that had just assaulted him. "Okay...I think we can start from there. If it helps at all, the voices have been agreeing with you, sort of. At least until the started shouting a moment ago. So...what is going on? I mean, one minute I...I don't know what I was doing, I was leaving a party because I felt like I had something important I needed to do, then I saw Fluffy and Mace and Elana, then things got strange, and you showed up...and then it's kind of a blur. The voices made me promise, and then it all went back to normal. But, well, what's all this about?"

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 4:37 pm

"Well, to keep it in the nice and non-worrying descriptions, basically we all just saved Elana from some very unpleasant folks from the Old Country." Metalmaw said calmly, shrugging. "Now, just to warn you, the word 'Blood feud' doesn't accurately describe the bad feelings between the folks I led the Legion for and her folks. But that's then. This is now. I'm just trying to make a living now."

It was, well, all accurate. But it also sounded like it could just be the terrible fallout of wars and unrest in some country far away.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 11:06 pm

"Yes," said Elana. "Such things are of the past. And things were not always bad. I am afraid that I have little with which to reward you for your bravery."

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:35 am

Faun sighed, going back to petting Fluffy as he listened to Elana and Metalmaw. "Okay, so, Elana's got some nasty things after her. We have to keep her safe. I don't think anyone knows about this place..."

That's not true
We remember all the ones you brought back
Some would know
Some might talk

"...well, not many people, anyway," he finished with a slight blush. "Elana, is there some place you were heading? Or does anyone know a place where she might be safe? Once she's someplace safe...safer, anyway, we can figure out why those...things were after her. Unless anyone knows already?"

The winds set out and listened, trying to listen for anything, anything at all that could lend any sort of clue as to what was going on, again dutifully doing what was unasked, but needed.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:46 am

"Lots of reasons to hunt Exiles." Metalmaw said simply. "A never-ending list, actually, and I was hired to hunt this one." A doff of an unworn cap to Elana. "No offense, miss. I'm having second thoughts, at this point." He admitted, folding his arms. "Gah. Admittably, people know my place. They also know how much weaponry I keep on hand."

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:57 am

Fluffy didn't mind getting petted by Faun. She was thoroughly enjoying it, and it seemed to calm the Fae down quite a bit. Metalmaw's little statement was enough to have Fluffy momentarily sit up and take notice. The mental speak was for his ears alone. Boss! You're kidding! We're not gonna turn her in?! she exclaimed, staring at him in shock.

Oh! Ooooooooooo... yes! that's a good spot! So much for protest, as Faun found a place to scratch that nearly made her fall over in joy. ooooooooooo... can I keep him?

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 12:04 pm

"If it is a safe place you want, I live in a loft and never have guests and do not release my address. I get my mail at a PO box with a fake address attached..."

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:12 pm

"Thank you for your generosity kind sir," said Elana

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:59 pm

Faun seemed a little taken aback by MetalMaw's admission that he had been hired to capture Elana, but kept quiet for the time being, instead petting Fluffy, keeping special attention on the spot that she seemed to like. "Okay, so, is there any fast way we can get there without being seen? I'll try not to freak out too much," he gave a half hearted smile and finished off his wine.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 4:27 pm

"I can help other people fail to notice us," Elana said eventually.

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