Werewolves (RP14.3) Guardians of the Archway
Quote from Cat on June 10, 2021, 10:34 pmToby chewed his bottom lip, staring at the pot and it's phantom flower. He could just see it now: The flower was watching them, judging their worthiness to discover it's secrets. It didn't like them, they were pithy and cowardly. They were unworthy to touch it's roots! They would try to re-pot it, and in an act of ultimate vengeance, it would die. Even if they rushed to the mountain to grab a new one so Granny wouldn't notice, the stain of the dead flower would burn into their souls, and when Granny saw them again she would see it. She would know they had been snooping! Zander would be sent to the poor house or sold to a pirate captain as an indentured slave, and Toby would be thrown into the sinkhole in the middle of town! Then his spirit would face his ancestors who would sneer at him because he had failed to find the secrets. They'd disown him-- What happened if you got disowned in the afterlife?
The sound of Zander's voice snapped Toby out of his train of thought. He could feel himself trembling as he looked at the pot Zander brought up, and felt strongly inclined to back out on this whole search. What did Scout know anyway? Stupid Scout! Maybe this is why Granny hated him so well, maybe he'd tricked her into snooping through her grandmother's things. Shame on him!
"There's not enough time. " Toby said, looking around for something to catch the dirt with. He could see nothing except things that belonged to Granny, so he would have to make a sacrifice. Quickly, he removed his sweater vest and laid it on the floor.
MURDERER!! Had it really come to this? How had he stooped so low?!
Toby chewed his bottom lip, staring at the pot and it's phantom flower. He could just see it now: The flower was watching them, judging their worthiness to discover it's secrets. It didn't like them, they were pithy and cowardly. They were unworthy to touch it's roots! They would try to re-pot it, and in an act of ultimate vengeance, it would die. Even if they rushed to the mountain to grab a new one so Granny wouldn't notice, the stain of the dead flower would burn into their souls, and when Granny saw them again she would see it. She would know they had been snooping! Zander would be sent to the poor house or sold to a pirate captain as an indentured slave, and Toby would be thrown into the sinkhole in the middle of town! Then his spirit would face his ancestors who would sneer at him because he had failed to find the secrets. They'd disown him-- What happened if you got disowned in the afterlife?
The sound of Zander's voice snapped Toby out of his train of thought. He could feel himself trembling as he looked at the pot Zander brought up, and felt strongly inclined to back out on this whole search. What did Scout know anyway? Stupid Scout! Maybe this is why Granny hated him so well, maybe he'd tricked her into snooping through her grandmother's things. Shame on him!
"There's not enough time. " Toby said, looking around for something to catch the dirt with. He could see nothing except things that belonged to Granny, so he would have to make a sacrifice. Quickly, he removed his sweater vest and laid it on the floor.
MURDERER!! Had it really come to this? How had he stooped so low?!
Quote from Indy on June 10, 2021, 11:30 pmZander saw none of Toby's inner turmoil, although became frankly concerned when the young man lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. He had begun to lean in for a closer look, as though wondering whether Toby had discovered something disturbing while he'd been downstairs -only for Toby to to abruptly tear off his own sweater vest!
"Um...." Zander trailed, awkwardly placing the weird flower-bowl-thing on the sweater vest, "Alright then.... I guess I can just sweep up after, it's fine...."
He glanced to Toby, "Do you want to do the honors to dig out the fingernail, then?"
Zander saw none of Toby's inner turmoil, although became frankly concerned when the young man lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. He had begun to lean in for a closer look, as though wondering whether Toby had discovered something disturbing while he'd been downstairs -only for Toby to to abruptly tear off his own sweater vest!
"Um...." Zander trailed, awkwardly placing the weird flower-bowl-thing on the sweater vest, "Alright then.... I guess I can just sweep up after, it's fine...."
He glanced to Toby, "Do you want to do the honors to dig out the fingernail, then?"
Quote from Cat on June 10, 2021, 11:53 pmToby took a deep breath, yet strangely felt like he was unable to breath out again. This was it, his very last chance to back out. His very last chance to say; 'Oops, never mind, Zander. I've decided I want to keep living instead.' ... This was his last chance to save Zander's poor, wretched, following soul! Why couldn't Zander just be assertive and stop him? Why'd he have to go along with this like it was okay? IT'S NOT OKAY, ZANDER!
"Yeah, I'll do it." Toby said, moving the flower pot beside the new one. Last chance! LAST CHANCE! ... Yep. Last chance. There was no way Toby was EVER going to get the courage to do something like this again. It was now or never to find out what Scout (stupid Scout) had meant.
Toby impulsively shoved his hands into the dirt of the pot. At that moment, he could've sworn he heard his future cry out in a shrill shriek of terror. It was over. The deed done... His hands were dirty.
Toby carefully shifted his fingers around the plant, going deeper into the dirt, but careful not to injure the flower's roots. Finally, he could feel the hard thing they sought to unearth. With the upmost care, he lifted the flower upward, secretly begging it to have mercy on their souls.
Toby took a deep breath, yet strangely felt like he was unable to breath out again. This was it, his very last chance to back out. His very last chance to say; 'Oops, never mind, Zander. I've decided I want to keep living instead.' ... This was his last chance to save Zander's poor, wretched, following soul! Why couldn't Zander just be assertive and stop him? Why'd he have to go along with this like it was okay? IT'S NOT OKAY, ZANDER!
"Yeah, I'll do it." Toby said, moving the flower pot beside the new one. Last chance! LAST CHANCE! ... Yep. Last chance. There was no way Toby was EVER going to get the courage to do something like this again. It was now or never to find out what Scout (stupid Scout) had meant.
Toby impulsively shoved his hands into the dirt of the pot. At that moment, he could've sworn he heard his future cry out in a shrill shriek of terror. It was over. The deed done... His hands were dirty.
Toby carefully shifted his fingers around the plant, going deeper into the dirt, but careful not to injure the flower's roots. Finally, he could feel the hard thing they sought to unearth. With the upmost care, he lifted the flower upward, secretly begging it to have mercy on their souls.
Quote from Indy on June 11, 2021, 1:00 pmZander held his breath until his chest started to burn and he remembered to breath again. He watched Toby's dirt-crusted fingers come up for air with the flower in hand, it's roots angrily dangling in the air and showering clods of dirt into the bowl. If ever the Maiden's flower were a real-life woman, she would have been shaking her fist at the outrage.
Yet Zander could only loom inwards to look at whatever had been stuck at the bottom of the pot.
He squinted, "What is it?"
Zander held his breath until his chest started to burn and he remembered to breath again. He watched Toby's dirt-crusted fingers come up for air with the flower in hand, it's roots angrily dangling in the air and showering clods of dirt into the bowl. If ever the Maiden's flower were a real-life woman, she would have been shaking her fist at the outrage.
Yet Zander could only loom inwards to look at whatever had been stuck at the bottom of the pot.
He squinted, "What is it?"
Quote from Cat on August 10, 2021, 12:53 pmToby carefully and tenderly set the plant in its temporary holding pot, then eagerly went back for the whatever-it-was, hoping with all his soul that this venture would be worth it. As he drew the hard object from the pot, he was surprised to find that he knew almost immediately what he was looking at, covered in dirt though it was:
"It looks like it's the horn of an American Bison." Toby replied.
Was this what they were looking for? As Toby dusted the dirt from its surface, various runes inscribed on it became visible.
Toby carefully and tenderly set the plant in its temporary holding pot, then eagerly went back for the whatever-it-was, hoping with all his soul that this venture would be worth it. As he drew the hard object from the pot, he was surprised to find that he knew almost immediately what he was looking at, covered in dirt though it was:
"It looks like it's the horn of an American Bison." Toby replied.
Was this what they were looking for? As Toby dusted the dirt from its surface, various runes inscribed on it became visible.
Quote from Indy on August 24, 2021, 11:23 pm"What?" that got Zander's attention. Just the same as if Toby had declared - 'I've found a tiny world at the bottom of this cup full of tiny people, or his great-grandmother's lost wedding ring had been found at last.
There was always that thrilling moment of discovery, before sense had been found, and anything was possible. And in just that moment, Zander's mind raced, imagining how a bison horn might have found itself at the bottom of a mythical plant living in a small ceramic pot in an elderly werewolf's home.
Then Toby began to clear the debris and he noticed the runes.
"Let's clean it off and take an etching," Zander said suddenly, "That way we can put it back without Miss Butermilk any the wiser, and we can take our time trying to decipher it..."
"What?" that got Zander's attention. Just the same as if Toby had declared - 'I've found a tiny world at the bottom of this cup full of tiny people, or his great-grandmother's lost wedding ring had been found at last.
There was always that thrilling moment of discovery, before sense had been found, and anything was possible. And in just that moment, Zander's mind raced, imagining how a bison horn might have found itself at the bottom of a mythical plant living in a small ceramic pot in an elderly werewolf's home.
Then Toby began to clear the debris and he noticed the runes.
"Let's clean it off and take an etching," Zander said suddenly, "That way we can put it back without Miss Butermilk any the wiser, and we can take our time trying to decipher it..."
Quote from Cat on November 15, 2021, 9:24 pmToby was likewise too lost in a moment of fascination and curiosity to worry too much about the plant now. It could have grown fangs and be rearing back like a snake to bite him, but he still wouldn't have noticed.
"Good idea!" Toby replied, "There is some paper in the lower drawer in the back room--" He began, but fell quiet as he remembered that Zander probably already knew where everything was. Granny's extorted helper had been living here for quite some time, she had even given him Toby's old room. Given the circumstances, Zander's knowledge of the house would exceed Toby's if something had recently been moved.
Toby was likewise too lost in a moment of fascination and curiosity to worry too much about the plant now. It could have grown fangs and be rearing back like a snake to bite him, but he still wouldn't have noticed.
"Good idea!" Toby replied, "There is some paper in the lower drawer in the back room--" He began, but fell quiet as he remembered that Zander probably already knew where everything was. Granny's extorted helper had been living here for quite some time, she had even given him Toby's old room. Given the circumstances, Zander's knowledge of the house would exceed Toby's if something had recently been moved.
Quote from Indy on November 15, 2021, 9:30 pm"Hm?" Zander glanced upwards, already halfway across the room to fetch the proper tools. Distractedly he fished around for the proper equipment for the job, and emerged several moments later with an armful of graphite pencils and some paper.
He laid it out in front of Toby at once.
"If we have time for it.. I'd recommend trying to clean the dirt off the bison horn as best as you can so there's minimal interference with the etching. Maybe run it under some water? Then we'll have to figure out the best way to take an etching of it - I'm thinking we actually do it 4 times, each on a different side, and later reconstruct it to one cohesive image.. that way we won't have to worry about our hands slipping or anything".
Zander heard his own words suddenly and chuckled, "Sorry... that's just the anthropologist in me getting excited. Do it however makes sense to you, Toby".
"Hm?" Zander glanced upwards, already halfway across the room to fetch the proper tools. Distractedly he fished around for the proper equipment for the job, and emerged several moments later with an armful of graphite pencils and some paper.
He laid it out in front of Toby at once.
"If we have time for it.. I'd recommend trying to clean the dirt off the bison horn as best as you can so there's minimal interference with the etching. Maybe run it under some water? Then we'll have to figure out the best way to take an etching of it - I'm thinking we actually do it 4 times, each on a different side, and later reconstruct it to one cohesive image.. that way we won't have to worry about our hands slipping or anything".
Zander heard his own words suddenly and chuckled, "Sorry... that's just the anthropologist in me getting excited. Do it however makes sense to you, Toby".
Quote from Cat on November 15, 2021, 9:51 pmToby looked at Zander with surprise as the latter gave instructions on how best to go about things. With every word of common sense, he felt more and more impressed, and his view of Zander had changed from a lone wolf grunt worker to an educated man of respectability. Toby's eyes sparkled with admiration. "No, no! That's a brilliant idea! Let's do that!" He said quickly and excitedly, "I had no idea you were into anthropology."
Toby hurried to the restroom and gently ran the bison horn under some warm water. The horn had clearly been in the dirt for quite some time and was reluctant to yield its earthen cover, but with enough gentle effort, Toby managed to clear enough mud from the runes to make a proper etching. A few minutes later, he returned to the main room to dry it and begin the process of etching alongside Zander.
Toby looked at Zander with surprise as the latter gave instructions on how best to go about things. With every word of common sense, he felt more and more impressed, and his view of Zander had changed from a lone wolf grunt worker to an educated man of respectability. Toby's eyes sparkled with admiration. "No, no! That's a brilliant idea! Let's do that!" He said quickly and excitedly, "I had no idea you were into anthropology."
Toby hurried to the restroom and gently ran the bison horn under some warm water. The horn had clearly been in the dirt for quite some time and was reluctant to yield its earthen cover, but with enough gentle effort, Toby managed to clear enough mud from the runes to make a proper etching. A few minutes later, he returned to the main room to dry it and begin the process of etching alongside Zander.
Quote from Indy on November 15, 2021, 9:58 pm"Heh, well technically I'm a failed anthropologist, but that was my field of study before I dropped out of school," Zander turned musingly to the phantom herb, looking at it just sideways and half-wondering if it appeared slightly different from this angle somehow.
"I was adopted as an infant and didn't know my true parentage. When I, shall we say, grew into my legacy I had a lot of questions and not a lot of answers. That's why I chose to study Anthropology in college, with the dream of being able to learn more about the people I'd come from. Things didn't quite work out how I imagined them, but I did apply what I learned in school and have been traveling the world trying to collect our stories".
Zander paused, watching Toby's methodology as the young man scrubbed with an air of approval, "Because a people has stories, food, culture... if no one collects them, then we can't ever say we were a people, can we?"
Zander pushed the paper and graphite over to Toby, "You may as well do the honors. This is your legacy, after all. I'm just here to collect and observe".
"Heh, well technically I'm a failed anthropologist, but that was my field of study before I dropped out of school," Zander turned musingly to the phantom herb, looking at it just sideways and half-wondering if it appeared slightly different from this angle somehow.
"I was adopted as an infant and didn't know my true parentage. When I, shall we say, grew into my legacy I had a lot of questions and not a lot of answers. That's why I chose to study Anthropology in college, with the dream of being able to learn more about the people I'd come from. Things didn't quite work out how I imagined them, but I did apply what I learned in school and have been traveling the world trying to collect our stories".
Zander paused, watching Toby's methodology as the young man scrubbed with an air of approval, "Because a people has stories, food, culture... if no one collects them, then we can't ever say we were a people, can we?"
Zander pushed the paper and graphite over to Toby, "You may as well do the honors. This is your legacy, after all. I'm just here to collect and observe".
