[Fin]The Poet And The Pendulum (Jenn<3)

[Kitty]

Of all the times for his tail to get in the way it had to be then. The blasted thing was perpetually underfoot and at times he had threatened it with amputation only to realize he'd rather keep his tail. Amputation and anything remotely near it reminded him terribly of cannibals, which he knew existed from personal experience, and that made it all the more terrifying.

The momentary display of disgust was not missed though, he very much wanted to keep watch on the youth whom had the upper hand, and it managed to sink his spirits even lower. He could, potentially, be staring his own death in the face but still ... reactions like that always got to him.

He didn't have long to linger on that particular disappointment in life because he was soon reminded why he had been utterly terrified only moments ago. The hiss, and display of teeth that could be the dealers of a myriad of awful things, the feeling not only returned but intensified as well. The feathers on the tip of his tail fanned out fully and his short fur stood on end as he made an attempt to scoot himself away but he wouldn't get terribly far. Not long after that hiss a rather odd feeling washed over him and that was that. His form slumped back to the ground fully and he slipped into a delightful state of unconsciousness. He wouldn't want to be coherent for what the bat mix would probably do anyhow.

[The Jenn]

Satisfied with the mix's unconscious slump, Alphonse looked around briefly to make sure there were no other predators homing in on his prey. When everything seemed still, he launched himself from the branch and flapped down to the ground until he landed a few feet away from Tavor. He shuffled closer and poked him cautiously with a wing-tip.

Everything seemed to have gone smoothly. With a pleased noise, he cozied right up next to the rat and sunk his teeth into his neck, right where he would find the easiest and readiest supply of blood. Making a little slurping sound as he settled in, he spent the next few minutes taking his fill until he was satiated. There wouldn't be any permanent harm done to the mix, but as soon as he woke, he would feel incredibly mentally and emotionally drained.

And his eyes would be a disturbing blood red. The vampire thought that was a rather nice touch, himself. But what should he do with the intruder? Just leave him there?

...yes. Why not? He didn't care what happened to him. Better for a hungry slithey or enterprising jubjub bird to come along and finish him off. Belly comfortably full, the squirrel-bat went to climb up the side of a nearby tree and launch himself, heading back home.

[Kitty]

Not to terribly long after the bat-squirrel had left Tavor began to stir. He'd been... sleeping? Had his wandering into the Tulgey been just a figment of his own imagination? And why did he feel completely and totally miserable? Slowly he lifted his eyelids, taking in his surroundings and realizing he most certainly was not at home in Corvistowne. So he had gone into the Tulgey and that little thing was still around, wasn't he?

If he hadn't felt so utterly drained he would jerked himself up but instead he sat up as fast as he could manage and did a search for the teen-aged Tulgey only to find absolutely nothing. This feeling of being utterly alone was almost worse then having the little vampire near him, well, in this state anyhow. He knew what lurked the Tulgey, he knew what could happen... now if only he could get out of here. But ... where was here? The trees still all looked the same and now he didn't have a clue if he'd been moved, turned around or anything like that so .... where could he go?

He worried about that after he finally got to his feet. It took a moment of thought but finally he decided to just stop thinking and run with his own... intuition? Was that what it was called? He couldn't quite recall the exact name Maxwell used for it, but he'd follow the feeling none the less.

The walk that followed, however, felt like an eternity and a half.

[The Jenn]

Unfortunately for Tavor, his intuition on getting out of the Wood seemed to be taking a vacation. Instead, he only walked further in, closer to the 'heart' of the Wood. During his long walk, he missed the tiny village where Femi and her family made their residence by about a mile and kept on going past. For another hour in the dark, he was unbelievably fortunate and none of the more dangerous predatory Tulgey species happened across him, even with that faint smell of rot lingering.

A spot of light would become visible after that hour's walk, which would slowly turn into several spots. If he approached, they would resolve themselves into lit windows in a tower set in a clearing. Movement would be visible in one of the higher windows, the light shifting as a body blocked it every now and then. The lower lit window didn't look in any way remarkable, but right outside of it was a splash of white perched on the short planting box ledge, tending to a few night-blooming plants that had been placed there.

[Kitty]

Well, he'd never claimed his sense of direction to be all that good. In fact one could say he had no sense of direction at all.... he memorized landmarks and found his way like that. He'd developed that habit when he'd been living on the streets of the capitol and hadn't been able to read yet. It was useful there but completely useless here.

Wandering alone, in the dark and in the Tulgey would have terrified a normal person. Suits, it would normally terrify him but at this present moment in time even walking was strain enough to be utterly thought consuming and his stroll was made all the more miserable for it. He felt terrible, not the worst he'd ever felt mind you, but bad enough. The feeling wasn't dissipating at all either and what was worse was that he didn't even know what happened to him to make him feel like that.

He was beginning to feel as if he was doomed to roam the Tulgey forever when a glimmer in the distance caught his attention. It looked like it might be a light, no, lights off in the distance and suddenly a little bit of hidden hope made it's way to the surface and he shifted his direction in the slightest bit to align with them. Really, what did he have to lose? It could be a way to get out and if not... well... he still had his cloak. Not even those of the Wood could hurt a shadow, right? Hopefully.

The closer he got the more hopeful he got. Those were lights, and from windows at that. Windows meant a house, or some sort of building thus he made his way toward it and failing to see the white form tending the flowers. Presently he had a one track mind and things outside of that little line weren't immediately involved in his thoughts.

In other words, he wasn't acting like himself at all.

[Kiki]

Jenn and Kitty receive 1 token each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe. This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe. Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!

[The Jenn]

Parzifal didn't notice the figure approaching the tower until he was about halfway within the clearing, when the sound of footsteps and the slight drag of a cloak made his head perk up from his work. He stayed still for just a second, listening, and then slowly turned his head to see what might be coming so late. If necessary, he could dive through the window to safety at a moment's notice. Living in the home of a reclusive mage intent on his privacy and the sanctity of his home had its advantages. Nothing would get inside unless it was allowed in by one of the household's residents, which included himself, his siblings, and of course the tower's master.

After a brief adjustment to the nearly pitch black of the forest away from the lit window, the crow's eyes made out the shape of a bipedal Card, most likely an adult, slowly advancing. He couldn't make out much in the way of detail, but the way the stranger walked made it seem almost more a trudge than anything. The pinfeathers on the back of his neck stood on end, but he slowly straightened on the ledge and held tight with his clawed feet for balance. "Who approaches?" he asked in the most even, mature voice he could manage. He was thirteen at the time.

[Kitty]

He was meandering through the Tulgey in the dark in a bit of a daze which wouldn't actually be a good thing if he let himself focus. That voice though got his attention and pulled one snow hued auditory forward as he tried to focus his eyes on the dim light from the window and the tri colored form before it. He halted his motions, but curled up his tail and fanned out the feathers as a bit of terror washed over him anew. It finally clicked.

He stayed like that for a moment, simply staring at the young avian whilst weighing several options in his mind. At least everything didn't look the same anymore and maybe, just maybe this one would be a bit more willing to help him. He hadn't called him a trespasser yet, that was encouraging.

I ... er ...

How was he supposed to answer that? Saying who he wasn't wasn't going to make anything easier, he was a no body. No one would no who he was by name, not like Ophelia. But, maybe... the size and the sound of the voice, he sounded like a kid. That was.... oddly encouraging, but he couldn't help the crack in his voice when he said his own name.

T-Tavor....

[The Jenn]

The longer the other Card was silent, the more creeped out Parzifal became. He was just on the verge of diving through the window and leaving the rest of the plants until tomorrow when a noise finally came. It was stuttering and hesitant, but at least it was speech and it didn't sound especially... intimidating. Things could be deceptive in the Wood, especially at night, but this wasn't one of the dangers he'd been warned of before. He didn't think so, anyway.

At the very least, replying would be okay. "Tavor? Is that your name?" He was torn between worry - the person didn't look pale, so were they an outsider? - and concern. If they were wandering around in the middle of the night in the Wood, either they were more dangerous than the other predators in the area or they were in a heap of trouble and didn't realize the danger.

He extended his wings slightly to keep his balance as he leaned forward, squinting with one eye. "Are you a Card? What are you doing here? It's awfully late. If you're here to see Master Vren, I'm afraid he's already gone to sleep for the night."

[Kitty]

The boy seemed somewhat... afraid of him? That was ... terribly odd really but it also reassured him that the young avian probably wouldn't make a run at him, so he stepped into the ring of light. Said light, even dimmed from distance, caused him to blink and close his eye for a moment so they could adjust after being in nothing but pitch black for as long as he had. The light would also allow the blue, brown and white of his coat to make an appearance, he was far from being a local.

He nodded in response to the query of his name and opened first one eye, then the other. Both were eerily red and it made his already dark irises lean more toward black then they had before... but he didn't know that, he just knew he was terribly lost and ... possibly being followed by ... something. He wanted out of the dark ... out of the wood and well, he now just really wanted to go home.

M-master Vren?

He cocked his head to the side a bit in confusion, which made him realize his neck ached all over again. He lifted a hand and placed it over the spot the ache seemed to originate from only to feel the little spikes of fur that had been clumped together by the bats saliva and quite possibly a bit of his own blood as well.... and it made the fur along his spine raise. Oh yes, home sounded really right now.

I'm .... lost.

The less he spoke, the better he could keep down the newly growing fear and, well ... the stutters that he hated so much. There was a little bit of hope though maybe, just maybe the boy would be able to help him out.

Just how far into the wood was he anyhow?