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Post by Kari Muffin on Feb 16, 2008 2:14:33 GMT -5
Aunt Josephine wiped her finger along the banister. Well, at least the maid was doing her work, but she was still short a personal servant. Especially now that she had more than just herself. The blond haired woman flipped her hair back as she looked at the painting and pair of swords over the mantel.
She turned to the girl in the room. "You have a lot to learn Thyme. Though you're very much on the right track with your Highlander Pride." The woman was more than happy at the moment. She actually had someone to pass the name to. They wouldn't die out completely. It was a fantastic feeling of not being doomed by a clock that slowly ticked away.
"But for now, I suppose you should get comfortable with the house before we start lessons. It would be easier if you knew where everything you needed was." Josephine smiled at Thyme. A smile was quite something from the woman. She was more prone to having a sadistic smirk than anything else. However, this girl was a future that she never thought possible.
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Post by The Jenn on Feb 17, 2008 15:02:06 GMT -5
Being out of the Wood made Thyme feel both strangely vulnerable and empowered at the same time. She'd never fit into the world of albino people and shadowy trees, but at the same time, it was all she was used to and she'd never seen anything besides the endless forests in her entire life. Before she was taken away with Aunt Josephine, anyway. It was her choice, reluctantly supported by her parents, but she really didn't know what she was getting herself into. Not at all. She walked into the large house, still feeling rather small under that wide expanse of open sky and low-lying grasses that surrounded the large manor house. Some parts of the Highlands had trees, as she'd seen, but a lot of it was fields and farms and sprawling vistas. It was just so utterly bizarre, but also incredibly beautiful. According to the older woman, she should feel like she was home. It felt more like she was on another planet. Her eyes took in as much as they were able, lingering on the portrait above the fireplace mantle and staring for a moment at the biped wolf with the red-and-white hair who dominated the large painting. Just like her... so the hair really did come from somewhere, not from thin air like stupid Alphonse's vampirism or Parsley's fairy wings or their long, fluffy fur. She had a reason behind her mane. It eased something in her mind that she hadn't even realized was there before seeing the man in the painting. And those swords were... intriguing... Turning back to her aunt, she dipped her head politely, not quite sure how to behave now that it was just her and the older wolf. She'd felt this way for most of their journey, curious but quiet at the same time. It was so strange not being in a place where her siblings were always around her. "You would know best, Aunt Josephine," she murmured, willing for now to be led around by the nose until she got a feel for this strange place and the people in it. Before, her father and her aunt were the only people she'd ever seen with any Highland blood. Ever. In her life. And now she was going to be surrounded by it. The thought brought mixed feelings. Above all, however, she was quietly excited. |
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Post by Kari Muffin on Feb 17, 2008 15:42:27 GMT -5
"Well, all the maids are off today, so I have to show you around myself. You'll get to meet all of the staff tomorrow." Josephine said with the a hint of a smile on her face. Happy really couldn't describe how it was like to have a future for the family once again. She picked up several of her smaller bags and made her way towards the stairs. "Your room is on the second floor. Mine is on the third for a variety of reasons. I do hope you're not--" Josephine was caught off by the sudden ringing of the doorbell. She raised eyebrow as she stood on the bottom step. Who on earth was at her door? She wasn't even supposed to be back today. She made a worried sound before setting down the bags. "You wait here Thyme."She hastily made for the door and peaked through the peep hole. What the... hell was that? Slowly she undid the bolts on the door contemplating if she was hallucinating from the long journey or not. When she opened it, it revealed a young biped wolf of the Hisstor Wastes region with an Eight of Hearts on his chest.  "What exactly are you here for?" Josephine asked with a raised eyebrow. He lifted up a paper and pointed to something. An ad that Josephine had put out for services needed. Crap. Never thought a Hisstor would answer that, but he was a cute little wolf and a nice ranked Heart. It couldn't hurt to have a cute looking boy around now that she had one more person to live with. "Come in, but understand that I just returned from a trip with my Niece in tow. I would appreciate it if you waited in the sitting room until I showed her her room...unless you feel like helping me carry bags."Josephine watched carefully as the man walked into the house cautiously. The clicking of his spine was really all the sound he made. Was he mute then? She shuddered. Maybe she should just kick him out right away? She shook her head and walked past him into the room where Thyme was waiting. "It seems we have an unexpected visitor. What do you think of him Thyme?"
If she didn't like him he wouldn't have a job here.
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Post by The Jenn on Feb 18, 2008 9:25:27 GMT -5
Thyme picked up her tiny bag's handle in her mouth and began to follow her aunt towards the stairs when the ringing of the doorbell distracted her and nearly made her drop it. What was that noise?! She put the bag down again and sat, both to show her aunt that she was going to stay and to show herself.
...the noise had been the door? They didn't just knock here in the Highlands? How weird. She'd have to figure out how it worked, whether it was magic or machine. If it was the former, that was just nifty. If it was the latter, her brother probably would have wanted to take it apart. But who would be at the door if nobody else was supposed to come to the house because they were off work, like Yvette sometimes took a day to herself at her grandparents'? Somebody at the door in the Wood was... usually fine, though not always.
She peered past her aunt's body, still sitting, but slowly rose to her feet when she saw the man standing outside.
What was that?! Where did he come from? Her eyes almost immediately traveled to the bones hanging at his side and she just didn't know what to make of it. Were those real? If so... whose were they? And why was he wearing them? That just looked strange.
Her aunt turned and led the man into the room where she stood and she sat down again, tossing her mane out of her eyes so she could watch them both without hair falling across her face. "Well, I'm happy he's another wolf, Aunt. His ornament is... different. Are those really bones?" She looked at him curiously and tilted her head. She was still in 'best behavior' mode. "May I ask your name?"
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Post by Kari Muffin on Feb 18, 2008 20:11:08 GMT -5
The young man nodded at her first comment. Yes, they were very much real. However, he couldn't answer her question verbally otherwise he would give away his unique condition. It was such a horrible pain in the ass.
He pointed to his throat at the older woman and made motions to prove that he couldn't speak. She gave him a frustrated look before grabbing a pen from some table top and shoving it in his hand. He gave her a cordial smile and wrote down his name as neatly as he could manage without something to write on. He handed the paper to Josephine, still giving her a rather creepy smile.
The woman shuddered, but accepted the paper. "His name is... Conway." It was a rather pretty name for someone who looked like they were dragged around by wild horses for a while. At least Thyme seemed to like him. Very well then.
"Conway can take our bags upstairs and I suppose I can show both of you around." She said with a rather annoyed tone. This wasn't how she usually went about hiring people, but she had a good mood.
She watched the boy pick up the bags, carefully balancing them. The Highlander made a 'hurmph' sound before passing him and motioning to Thyme to walk up the stairs.
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Post by The Jenn on Feb 19, 2008 10:49:55 GMT -5
Unlike her aunt, Thyme was very used to dealing with someone who was mute and it surprised her to find someone else with the same problem so soon after leaving the Wood. Lord Ghi often visited Grandpa and Grandmother and, even though she didn't know the real reason behind his being mute and assumed he was born with it, she rather liked him for his weirdness. She'd gotten decent at interpreting some of his gestures and he seemed pleased that she tried, for all that she wasn't a Tulgey. Being a wolf seemed to either help or hinder with him. In her father's case, bad. In hers, it seemed good enough.
"Conway's a pretty name," she said absently, watching him be creepy at her aunt and wondering if he knew what he looked like or if that was just how he smiled.
Seeing her aunt's motion, she trotted after her up the stairs, hearing the light clacking of the bones below but nothing else. He really was good at walking quietly, wasn't he? She'd have to ask him how he did that if she had the chance and he had time enough to motion or write out a reply. That would be a nifty trick.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Feb 19, 2008 13:16:29 GMT -5
Josephine refrained from snorting at the statement. At least the boy had something going for him. The woman mused over this briefly until she started explaining all the rooms. It was common sense to her because she had lived here for her entire life, so explaining it to someone else was a bit tiresome.
She stopped in front of a door with a knob specifically for people with their animal forms. This was her brother's old room. At least now it would be put to good use other than a rather small guest room. She slipped open the door and directed Conway to set down Thyme's bags in the corner of the room.
"This, dear, will be your room for the remained or the stay. It's rather bare right now, but you can eventually decorate it however you want." She motioned the girl inside and lingered at the door frame, watching Conway inspect the room as well.
"You can get comfortable later, I still have to show you the third floor and show you the various places where you can ring for servants." Josephine said with her arms crossed as she leaned on the door frame. She still had to show the boy his quarters.
Conway was rather impressed by the entire house. It had been a while since he was in some place that was so large. Well, a place that he could live in that is. The wolf hastily made out of the room once Josephine changed her tone to something more harsh. He didn't want to make this old lady angry when he just managed to snag a job. All he needed to do was get enough money and then leave.
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Post by The Jenn on Feb 20, 2008 13:06:14 GMT -5
Thyme padded obediently after her aunt, head turning this way and that to take in more of the large manor house as they walked. It really was grand, far nicer than what she was used to. Her parents weren't big on showcasing wealth, even though Dad apparently had enough to keep them all living comfortably and made more through the sale of his hand-crafted artisan-quality dolls. This was... something else entirely.
She noted the specially designed doorknob and felt a moment's relief that things were tailored to the point that she wouldn't have difficulty getting around in the house. That would have been horribly awkward, especially since this was apparently going to be her bedroom.
Her own room! She felt a thrill of selfish pleasure at the thought. She'd always shared a room with her sisters at home, one for the boys and one for the girls. Rosemary was fun enough as a roommate, but living in the same space as Sage drove her up one wall and down the other. It just made her dislike of her sister even worse, if that was possible. The snitty little bitch got to "play with" her baubles in front of them both all the time on her bed, showing them off shamelessly with the excuse that she was admiring them or cleaning them or some other nonsense. It made her want to rip her pillow apart sometimes.
"The room is wonderful, Aunt," she said with sincere admiration. "I've never had my own before. It's kind of... harder to get away from people when there were seven of us in the same house." And wasn't that just the understatement of the century?
Conway and his nifty bone ornament was enough to keep her attention as he settled the bags on one side of the room. Could he be from Hisstor? She didn't know her regions very well beyond the ones that Dad really focused on in his lessons. Rosemary would know. She'd have to ask her if she came to visit like she'd promised she would.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Feb 20, 2008 23:39:19 GMT -5
"I don't think I can even imagine what you have to put up with, dear. I thought having four in the family was enough," She snorted as she moved out of the room to the stairs. Sometimes Josephine thought she was getting to old for all of this, but that was a lame excuse for a lot of things. She pointed out the various places where she could call servants without actually having to find them (bells were amazing things), the study, the library, a sitting room, and the list went on until they finally made it to the stairs.
The third floor had just as many rooms. She pointed to the most important one, "That is my room. Only bother me if you absolutely need me. Otherwise the servants can take care of it, understand? Also, the basement is off limits to both of you no matter the circumstances." She said with stern look, waiting for them to respond.
Conway nodded. He was just curious to know where he got to sleep. It was probably a lot smaller than anything in the rest of the house. Not like he cared. Room and board was more than he could ask for, and good pay. It probably meant that he got to be the old woman's metaphorical bitch for his stay.
And probably got to take care of the little girl. Wonderful. At least she didn't look like June besides being a wolf. Either way this was going to be a painful job.
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Post by The Jenn on Feb 20, 2008 23:53:58 GMT -5
The fact that there were going to be servants to help her out with things made Thyme grin, but she quickly moderated the expression to a more subdued smile. She didn't want to look like an ungrateful little snot the first day she was here. She was just... so excited! This was all so different and she couldn't wait to see what kind of people her aunt would consider servants. Obviously Conway was going to be one of them...
...but he'd gotten here on the same day as her and was going to have to learn the house and, possibly, the Highlands at the same time as her. So maybe it would be different with him. It was too bad he couldn't talk, but she had adapted to that with Lord Ghi and she would adapt to it here if she had to. Which, apparently, she did. If she'd known that he thought of her as a 'little girl' then her thoughts would have been much less charitable. Fourteen wasn't little. Fourteen was practically adult! So said the fourteen-year-old.
"I won't bother you in your room, Aunt Josephine," she agreed, privately curious as to what it might look like but nowhere near inquisitive enough to go sticking her nose in there without permission. Rosemary would, a fact which amused her, but she wanted to make a good impression, not be seen as a crass hick from the middle of a forest. While she wasn't a hick, she certainly wasn't whatever her aunt was. But oh she wanted to be.
A thought occurred to her and she couldn't help but ask. It had been burning at the back of her mind the whole way there. "What exactly are you going to teach me, Aunt? The same kinds of things that Dad did? Or things he wouldn't have thought to teach?" In the question more subtly was the question of whether or not there are things her father wouldn't have taught her, deliberately, that her aunt planned to. That would certainly pique her interest.
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