Here comes Peter [Haley]

[lynksys]

Gaeshin was up and about collecting herbs for certain medications. It was early in the morning, and the dew still covered much of the ground. Everything seemed so fresh, and the smell was certainly noticeable. Gaeshin always loved getting up early. The sky just seemed so brilliant as the sun woke up from its slumber. Also, things were quiet at this time of the day, and the lycanthrope was usually left undisturbed. Being alone in such a way gave him mixed feelings. Happy to not be tormented by others, but upset that he had to spend his time by himself.

Such things didn't matter though. He'd already lived over 100 years through such hardships. What would another 100 be to him? Crouching down to pick a group of leaves from the ground, he noticed that something wasn't right. That mischievous mantel of his was always running away on its own. Gaeshin knew Peter could take care of himself, but the lycanthrope couldn't help but to worry once in a while. Hopefully the rabbit would return from his little adventures soon. The air was unnervingly calm, and a thick presence of loneliness once again enveloped Gaeshin.

Skilled paws carefully chose only the best of the herbs and slid the moisture off of each leaf. For the most part, such work was enjoyable, although it could get repetitive. Taking what he had gathered, Gaeshin moved over and rested against an old and gnarled oak. Possibly thousands of years old, yet it found the strength to continue living on. As he looked down, something furry caught his eye. "Ah, there you are!" instantly, he swept up Peter into his arms and held him there. "You need to stop running off like that." said a stern, but gentle, voice. It seemed like a small rest would be appropriate, so Gaeshin slowly sat down and rested against the oak. Just a few minutes of shut eye wouldn't hurt.

(Sorry for short post)

[Haley]

Where the fuck is he? Haley was in a particularly sour mood. She had barely gotten two hours of sleep - late night spent studying - when Akuji had woken her and demanded to be let outside. She would have ignored him had he not sat directly on her face then proceeded to chomp viciously into her hand when she had shoved him off. Now it was nearly an hour later and since the damn beast had not returned to her room Haley had decided to set off in search for him. Even though Akuji was more than capable of taking care of himself, Haley was nevertheless worried - Akuji was the only friend she had at the moment. If anything happened to him she would never forgive herself.

Despite her early rise, Haley was dressed for the day with a dusting of glamour to boot. Her normally medium brown hair was bleached a bright blond and dyed in various shades of green, purple and blue. Though the circles under her eyes had been erased by glamour, she had still applied a thick layer of black and forest green eye makeup to further disguise her lack of sleep. Haley's exceptionally pain skin showed every sign of stress her body experienced, signs she didn't particularly feel like sharing with the general public. Her attire for the day was relatively subdued. Since the weather had grown warmer she had opted for one-sleeved black and lime-green splattered t-shirt and a pair of black shorts with some black and lime green checkered sneakers. A somewhat bloody bandage was wrapped loosely around her left hand, the product of Akuji's bite.

Haley was heading from the dormitory towards the kitchens when she spotted a flash of calico pelt. Her eyes narrowed as she shifted for a better look. It was Akuji alright, and the little bastard appeared to be stalking something. She adjusted her route to take her towards the dog, her head craning to spot just exactly what Akuji was so intent on. What she didn't expect to see was a garlanger and his rabbit mantel napping underneath a tree. Akuji apparently considered them breakfast and since Haley didn't fancy explaining to the Queen why her dog had severely mauled a servant (again), her pace rapidly quickened until she entered a fast jog.

She got there right before Akuji went to spring onto his unsuspecting victim. Haley's small hands darted forward, ensnaring the eighty pound creature by the neck and flinging him to the side. Akuji skidded across the wet ground, lost his balance and flopped over onto his side. He immediately came to his feet and bared his teeth silently at his bonded. She never let him have any fun! Haley completely ignored the selfish bastard and turned back to Gaeshin. By now he probably would have woken from the commotion. She placed her hands on her hips, "Sorry. Akuji's being a big fuckin' brat this morning." She really was sick of apologizing, "Though it doesn't help that you're half rabbit." She added on, as if trying to shift the blame onto Gaeshin.

[lynksys]

While Gaeshin dozed off, he dreamed happy thoughts that he cherished. Those kind of moments rarely occurred while he was young. As he slept his ears twitched occasionally as sounds came closer. The garlanger had a feeling he was being watched, but the state of being asleep was too enjoyable. Waking up was not a course of considerable action at this moment. However, the footsteps coming closer would be taken notice of. Cracking an eyelid open, Gaeshin saw a canine ready to pounce on him and his furry friend.

In an instant, Gaeshin grabbed his mantel and took off to the other side of the oak. The sounds of someone running and a heavy object being slid across the ground brought up the Lycanthrope's curiosity, so he peered around to take a look. From what he could tell, the owner of this ferocious beast seemed very annoyed at its behavior. The peace of the environment had been shattered. However, a little bit of company did ease the loneliness. It wasn't exactly the friendliest company either, though.

Gaeshin found himself staring at the strange attire of the woman before him; her hair in shades of various colors and her clothing very unusual. Perhaps this was now normal? It had been many years since Gaeshin had been in the company of others except for formal events such as festivals. Either way, the sight was very amusing to the Garlanger. Such a variety of colors was interesting.

While looking over this strange woman, Gaeshin hardly paid any attention to what she said but asked, with sleep soaking his words, "What are you doing here so early? I've never seen anyone out here before at this hour."

[Haley]

As Haley fixated her flashing hazel eyes on the rabbit-garlanger peering somewhat cautiously from behind the tree a pang of shame regret struck her hard. She shot Akuji, who had maintained his distance from her, another sour glance. That little bastard was in serious need of a good lesson. Apparently she had been too lenient on him lately. Haley couldn’t really help it. He was her only friend after all – she loved him more than anything in this world. It hurt her to smack him, but at the same time Akuji had deserved it.

The abruptness of the garlanger’s question caused Haley to whip her head back towards him. Haley raised an eyebrow as she pushed some hair from her face, ”I’m always up this early.” For the most part it was true. Haley tended to go to sleep early and wake up early. She had been that way most of her life. However, lately Haley had taken to resuming her studies. That, combined with her bouts of insomnia, had led to a few sleepless nights and even earlier rises. This was one of those days, ”I was going to sleep in,” She elaborated, as if he cared, ”But jackass over there decided that he wanted a walk.” She didn’t look towards Akuji this time, though she was well aware that he was slinking over to her, his head down.

The beast rotated to her left side and rubbed up against her leg before he nestled down. Her fingers twitched, at first reluctant to touch him, to accept his apology. Unfortunately, Haley was never able to stay mad at Akuji, and thus her petite fingers quickly found the top of his head. She rubbed it fondly, a faint smile ghosting over her still-sour look. She leveled her eyes on Gaeshin and tilted her head slightly, ”I saw you at the festival. You a servant or something?” It was a rather rude question, but Haley wasn’t much for tact. She did, however, offer her name to ease the atmosphere a bit, ”I’m Haley by the way.” Normally she would have offered her hand as well, but she figured someone like Gaeshin wouldn’t know human-gestures and thus refrained.

[lynksys]

Gaeshin did this best to pay attention, but the sight before him was distracting. At least he no longer felt that he was in harm's way, and walked out from the safety of the oak into full view. It was obvious that Haley was displeased with her mantel, so it would be best for Gaeshin to keep off her bad side. Shyly, he rubbed his paws together and looked around. He didn't want to give the impression that he was ignoring what the woman had to say, but he couldn't help it. Simply, being in the company of others was a rare event, and the poor garlanger didn't know what he should do.

At the mention of the Festival of Imbolc, the garlanger's ears perked up. Ah yes, he remembered now. Even then, this Haley had dressed quite differently from the rest. "Ah yes, the festival. I think I might have seen you there." he began. "I am not a servant at all. The Seelie do not have much regard for Garlangers, even less so for a Lycanthrope such as myself." He was not well practiced in reserving emotion. An expression of sorrow crept over his face, but a slight smile quickly followed. "I am called Gaeshin. It has been a pleasure meeting you." As expected from one who does not socialize much, he did not have any gestures of greeting to offer, only words.

Oh no. . . As he looked down, Gaeshin saw a mass of grayish black fur moving slowly towards its doom. It appeared that Peter had found a bit of courage, or stupidity, and decided to cautiously hop up right in front of the beast that tried to maul them earlier. Gaeshin made a quick mental prayer and hoped this Akuji would't get the nerve to pounce on the poor rabbit.

[Haley]

Haley gave Gaeshin a somewhat scrutinizing glare. Did he have ADD or something? What was with all the twitching and moving? He’s half rabbit, dumbass. Haley mentally scolded herself. Her intense glare softened as she observed him. So he wasn’t a servant huh? He certainly thought lowly of himself. From what Haley could see, the lycanthrope before her had some obvious uses. Despite his obvious handicap (pawed hands), his gigantic ears would be of great use. Haley briefly pondered just how well he could hear. He was also pretty inconspicuous. Why the Queen had yet to employ him in some manner was beyond this little Nimbus.

”Not all of us.” Haley scoffed at his words. She didn’t like being grouped in with the majority of the arrogant public. Seelie or not, the faerie here treated garlanger like scum. Haley didn’t so much mind their positions: servants were needed to keep the courts running smoothly. However, the blatant discrimination when it came to socialization and opportunity rubbed her the wrong way. It was just another reason on Haley’s long list of what she hated about the Seelie court and its pathetic Queen.

The Nimbus refrained from voicing these thoughts instead opting to verbally lash him for that look on his face, ”Things can change, though I take it you haven’t done much to try and advance yourself, huh?” Though her words were harsh, sentiment underlined them. Haley thoroughly disliked anyone who chose to remain in their position should they loath it, only to continue to moan over their unfortunate circumstances. She considered her verbal prodding a way of getting them to take action. Haley was about to say more when she bent down, one hand snapping out to grab the rabbit by the scruff of its neck and yank it upwards away from Akuji’s drooling maw.

The speed in which she conducted her move was noteworthy – years of reflex development showing through. It was almost as if she hadn’t had to think about the movement. Haley quickly cuddled the creature into her arms, aware of Akuji’s hungry glare. The beast had refrained from touching the rabbit, though the temptation had been strong. Had Haley’s response been any slower…..who knows what would have happened.

Haley gently scratched the rabbit on the head, smiling gently. The expression on her face softened considerably. If there was one thing that could ease Haley’s fiery temper, it was definitely a cuddly animal. Leaning forward, Haley offered the rabbit back to Gaeshin, ”You should take better care of your rabbit. He’s a cute little thing.” Her tone was light, but with a biting edge that indicated she was slightly upset with his inability to react to ensure the safety of his charge. Still, her mood considerably better, Haley continued, ”So why are you out this early? Trying to avoid the morning crowds?” After all, he didn’t seem the type that normally socialized.

[lynksys]

Gaeshin took a pipe from his robe sleeve and nibbled on the tip. He could tell the lady was annoyed by his micromovements. He had a hard time keeping still. While listening, he stuffed some green herbs into the end of the pipe and lit them up with a match. After a few puffs from the pipe, the lycanthrope had started to settle down a bit.

"As for advancing myself in the court, I see it as a rather foolish choice." He took the pipe from his mouth and tapped his paw with it while looking around. Gaeshin lowered his voice when he spoke again. "The Red Queen isn't the most pleasant one to be around. I've seen the way she uses her hand to force others into submission." He took one more puff from his pipe and spoke again. "Advancing the courts means being one step closer to the Queen, and that's the last thing I want."

As he looked down to look for Peter, he saw the bold rabbit going up to the fierce canine. His reflexes were too slow to grab the thing in time, but in reality, he wasn't worried at all. Peter always managed to get out of tough situations. After seeing a blur of motion, he saw the rabbit in Haley's arms. As he took back his mantel, he could see the woman's expression go soft. What person couldn't resist cute, cuddly animals?

Gaeshin hung the rabbit over his forearm and rubbed it behind the ears for a bit. "I know I should look out for him more, but he always manages to find his way out of trouble momentarily." the garlanger took one last puff from his pipe and offered it to Haley. Perhaps she smoked too. If not, more for him. "You could say I avoid the morning crowds. Most people tend to sleep in, so I can come get what I want and leave without people noticing. But the herbs are also freshest in the morning."

[Haley]

This lycanthrope was a smart one. Haley wasn’t sure if she liked him yet, but she didn’t dislike him – that was definitely something. The way the Garlanger spoke of the Queen brought a smile to Haley’s lips, though she refrained from commenting. The Nimbus had a tenuous relationship with the Queen; a relationship she didn’t fancy destroying. While Gaeshin was content to lurk in the shadows, Haley wanted to race to the top so that she may eventually use her status to rip the Seelie court from the clutches of that foul-mouthed bitch.

When he offered her the pipe she declined politely, raising a hand to gently dismiss it. She dropped her hand back down to scratch between Akuji’s ears, her expression thoughtful. ”Herbs? For what uses?” For all she knew he cooked with the plants, or smoked them like he was currently doing. At the same time, if he was proficient as a healer, it would be good for her to keep in contact with him. Healers in Alanor had value, especially since human garlangers were incapable of healing themselves as quickly as their pure-blooded counterparts.

[lynksys]

When Haley declined his offer, Gaeshin tapped the pipe and placed it back in his mouth. One could tell it was a favorite activity of his, and he blew a few thick rings into the air. "What do I use herbs for? Just about anything you can think of." He paused for a moment to think through to most common things he was asked to create. "Poisons and antidotes. Ointments for cuts, burns, and other external wounds. Medication for internal woes such as broken bones, loss of blood, stomach pains. Food seasonings are pretty popular too."

The rabbit man paused to think some more. "Although, the thing people wanted most after the attack on the festival were something to soothe the mind. Many seemed deeply disturbed by the events." Gaeshin sighed and took another drag from his pipe. Slowly, the Garlanger took a seat and placed his furry companion on his lap. "Poor creatures." His gaze fell to the ground for several seconds, as if here were in deep thought.

Whatever game through his mind had passed, and he focused his attention back to Haley. "Where do you come from? Even I can tell that you're not a native to Alanor."

[Haley]

The little nimbus quirked a brow at his verbal list of what she considered to be top-notch skills. Though she was Nimbus and thus healed quickly, Haley considered this sort of knowledge to be of high value. She knew very little of herbs and their uses in healing. The most she had ever gotten from them was to flavor her food, and even then Haley cooked very little thus she had no use for the green plants. Still, this conversation brought forth a variety of questions to the forefront of her mind, questions she wasn’t sure Gaeshin could answer. Was the flora of Alanor different from the flora on Earth? Were there plants here with exceptional medical value that could be exported back to Earth? Haley found this unlikely, and even if it were the case, there was still the question of whether or not the Fate would allow the plants to be taken back to Earth.

She watched as he dropped down into a sitting position and after a few moments of contemplation she dropped down beside him. She would have felt awkward just standing there anyways. ”Soothe the mind?” Haley scoffed but did not continue to voice her opinion on the matter. The little Nimbus was built to automatically reject anyone who turned to drugs to calm their minds. She considered it to be a sign of weakness.

Haley perked up at his next question, her head tilting lightly as a hand brushed through the fur on Akuji’s back. She hummed softly under her breath, ”I came from Earth. North America to be specific.” She knew nothing of the Garlanger’s knowledge of the outside world so she did not elaborate any further, ”I was unaware of the Fae people until I came here. Since I have nothing left for me back on Earth I figured a stay in Alanor was in order.” She paused briefly before continuing, ”So am I to assume you were born here then? How old might you be?” Though the question might possibly be a bit intrusive, Haley didn’t care. She wasn’t the type to tip-toe around with her questions.

[lynksys]

The garlanger smiled as Haley sat down. He wasn't afraid for once. He might have even considered himself comfortable. She was far different from the others he had observed over the years. Something soft tugged at his robes, diverting his attention. Peter had nestled into a ball of fur beside his leg and began sleeping. This was a relief, as his mantel would no longer be any trouble for now.

"Yes," Gaeshin started. "To soothe the mind." He could tell by her expression that she did not approve of such actions. He couldn't blame her for the way she thought though. Her reputation had preceded her, but lady didn't seem as fearsome as he thought she would be. "It's unfortunate though. Some will break without help. Not necessarily weakness of mind, but rather, what they encountered was too great for their experiences." But wasn't that pretty much the same thing as weakness of mind? Perhaps, but he viewed it differently, more from a healer's point of view. Everyone had their opinions after all.

Gaeshin listened carefully as Haley told of where she came from. He was not unfamiliar with the realm 'Earth', but he did not know much about it. Truly a strange place if most of the inhabitants there were like this woman before him. "Ah, that explains it. I have heard of a few others from the Seelie Court that are from Earth, or at least have visited there somehow. Possibly some from the Unseelie, but that I do not know much about. I've seen them wearing attire that are different from those that are from Alanor. "

So many questions were produced in an instant, but Gaeshin thought it polite to answer hers before he asked any more. "That is true, I am from Alanor and have been here my whole life. As for my age, I am not sure. Many years have faded together, but I would estimate my age to be around 130 years." Hoping his answer was enough, he decided to inquire more about her. "What did you do on Earth, and how is it different from here?"

[Haley]

Haley propped her legs up and pulled her knees to her chest, loosely wrapping her arms around them. Akuji, who by now had settled into position beside her, leaned the bulk of his weight up against her side. As the sun rose in the sky the temperature began to rise. Akuji didn't particularly mind the heat but he knew his mistress was not fond of the sun. It wouldn't be long before she excused herself in favor of some time indoors. In fact, the Nimbus was already thinking about her, her eyes cast towards the sky as Gaeshin related the story of his origins. She briefly pondered if she would be like him as she grew older - her years of life fading together. Even now, at the tender age of twenty-four, the female struggled to remember memories of her childhood. It frightened her. Haley treasured her time on Earth. She never wanted to lose those memories.

"That's old." She said before she actually thought it through, though her mind was quick to catch up to her mouth, "I mean, to me that is. I grew up thinking I was human. I'm used to people dying in their 80's, maybe 90's. But here, the faerie live forever." The young woman had always fantasized about immortality, yet now that she had achieved it she knew not what to do with it. Yes, she could not pursue as many realms of knowledge she so chose to, but it would only be a matter of time before she grew bored of studying. Perhaps more time in the Altar of Fate could amuse her, though Haley was finding Alanor to lack viable opponents.

"What did I do?" Haley rubbed the back of her head slightly, "I spent most of my childhood learning. When I was old enough I served in the military, our version of an army. After that I fell into Alanor. Not really much to tell. I spent my life as a pawn on Earth and now I'm a pawn here in Alanor." The contempt coloring her voice was readily apparent. She drew in a deep breath and dropped her eyes to Gaeshin, "Your question is a broad one. Earth is different from Alanor in countless ways. However, I suppose the most obvious is the lack of immortality in my realm. We learn to value life, not to take it for granted."