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Post by Kari Muffin on May 23, 2008 22:04:39 GMT -5
Kazifel nodded to Femi as she dragged Rosemary out of the room. He was about to say something when the six year old so kindly interrupted him. "Noooooooooooo!" She screamed in mighty drama Queen fashion. Enough to make her father sigh and places his face in his hands.
He heard Hatter's question but waited a few moments before answer. Kazifel felt like he was going to explode. Or just become a horrible mess in front of family and two complete strangers. That would be a horrible sight to see.
Sage glanced from her father to the doorway where her mother had been. When she was sure everything was absolutely clear she scurried forward and held up the doll, offering it to Hatter wordlessly. She was blushing though. Once he took it from her she hurried back to her father's side and sat next to him, hugging his side.
Loreta gave an amused snort. As creepy as that was... it was sort of cute. She glanced back up at the little squirrel with fairy wings. He looked at her with a steady red eyed gaze. When he grinned at the heron, she returned her eyes to the former doll man and the little girls on the couch.
"Well... sometimes the experiments seemed successful, but the subjects were "broken" and had parts of their patterns of behavior missing. They had some "personality" but a lot of their normal life patterns were missing. My sister didn't get a chance to improve her programing technique before she changed her direction." Kazifel shrugged. "You don't want a subject to bite of your hand because you thought it was perfectly normal."
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Post by The Jenn on May 24, 2008 20:17:17 GMT -5
"Yes," Femi hissed in reply to the wailing pup as she hauled her upstairs. This wasn't sitting well with her at all, leaving Kazifel and the rest of their brood in the room with those two... but he was her King, and he could protect himself. And their children. "And mine wins because I'm bigger!" she added with a chitter.
When they finally got up the stairs, the squirrel headed for the boys' room so that she could sit with Alphonse while she worked on keeping his sister in one place. She didn't want him sitting all alone in pain for too long. The door opened and red eyes glanced up at her, watery and pathetic. His mouth hurt and his tongue felt burnt and it all still tingled a little bit, in between the throbbing ache.
She closed the door with her foot and dropped Rosemary, then locked it and went to light one of the lamps. In the three seconds it would take, the wolf wouldn't be able to get the door open. It would have been an entirely different matter if the girl had her bipedal form like Sage, but she didn't, something Femi was infinitely grateful for. That could wait until she was old enough to control herself, if that magical day ever came.
Downstairs, Thyme's confused, curious expression changed to one of narrowed eyes as her sister scurried over to the strangers. What, was she being a little suck-up even with these... guests? Pfft.
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Post by Vyn on May 30, 2008 7:16:04 GMT -5
Hatter blinked slightly in surprise to Rosemary's dramatic scream, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side as he watched the scene playing out before him.
This family was odd...even for Tulgies.
Before he could recover and return his attention to Kazi, however, Sage was suddenly standing before him with her doll -- which he could swear had not resembled him a lick a few moments before -- offered out to him. He blinked slightly and then slowly found himself smiling as he took the doll. Well, that was...sweet. He loved dolls, after all.
"Thank you!" He chimed cheerfully, setting the doll in his lap beside Doorie before lifting his two-toned gaze to peer at Kazi. He would have to see about making the little girl a gift before he left...
Hatter nodded thoughtfully as Kazi spoke, frowning to himself. That was a considerable problem...but then again, he had already been aware of those little flaws before. He was working the kinks out of his programming slowly but surely... Well, more slowly than anything. "What did she turn her research to, may I ask?" It was a pity she hadn't continued her research along that line...
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jun 1, 2008 14:05:22 GMT -5
Rosemary still pouted. She wanted to talk with the man in the crazy patterns and colors. He probably had really cool stories and stuff! One day when she got hands she would learn how to pick locks. "But Mom..." she whimpered one more time as she glared at the locked door.
Sage blushed and moved closer to her dad. She nodded a bit before burying her face in his coat. Kazifel hugged her with his arm for a moment. One day she wouldn't be terrified of people--at least he hoped. As for the answer the Hatter's question he hesitated to answer. How exactly could he explain what horrible things his sister had plotted?
"She was looking for a way to extend her life, and figured out a way to turn someone into a doll. They were "immortal" so to speak but they couldn't feel anything." Kazifel shook his head. "What she turned to was horrible."
Loreta shifted uncomfortably. This was a little awkward wasn't it? She glanced at the boy who was perched on the back of the couch. He was creeping closer to Hatter it seemed."What... are you doing?" she asked quietly.
Parsley jumped and nearly fell off the couch. "Just wanted to see his hat...." he replied as equally quiet. He gave the heron an unsatisfied frown and returned to a sitting position. If the heron wasn't going to let him sneak, so be it.
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Post by The Jenn on Jun 3, 2008 10:19:29 GMT -5
If there was one thing Femi had never laid claim to, it was normalcy, for herself or her family. They were... strange. There was just no other word for it. Maybe weird would do. Had she seen Sage giving the stranger a doll, she would have thrown the biggest hissycow her children had ever seen. It was good that she missed the act of shy kindness.
"But nothing, Rosemary! But your butt stays where it is, and that's all. You are not going down there and associating with those nasty Outsiders. They're bad, and that's that. Your daddy just needs to talk to them for a little while before we can boot them out and send them back wherever they came from." She bristled slightly, then deliberately smoothed down her tail as best she could and went to sit by Alphonse, who crawled over and curled in her lap with a whimper. The more sympathy he could get, the better.
Thyme moved slowly so as not to catch attention until she was behind the couch where Parsley perched. With a small smirk, she stood on her hind legs and reached up to nip his squirrelly tail, which drooped down. Six-year-olds...
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Post by Vyn on Jun 11, 2008 20:08:38 GMT -5
Hatter hesitated thoughtfully, running his fingers through Doorie's fur and trying to put the state of her prone form out of his mind. Poor little thing...
"I agree, that's...terrible." The Hatter shook his head, that sort of thing wasn't at all what he was looking for in his own research though he was sure some of it would help. It was, however, along the vein he had offered to help Rocky with. "Is there any way to reverse the process?" The Joker tilted his head slightly, eyes scanning over Kazifel briefly. "Pardon my asking, but... from the rumors I overheard... you were part of her experiments, were you not?"
Hatter truly hoped he wasn't pressing for too much, too fast...but well, it was out and he would have to work with it as was.
Luckily, Hatter was far too preoccupied with speaking to Kazifel to really notice the squirrel behind him or the conversation going on. If he had, well, his attention span really wasn't the best and people messing with his hat came first and foremost.
Thank the suits for Loreta being there.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jun 11, 2008 23:50:03 GMT -5
Rosemary growled and pouted something fierce. "I'm gonna leave the Wood someday and meet all those "nasty" outsiders." It was a challenge. If her Mommy wanted to yell at her, so be it.
"Yes. It's reversible. I just have no idea how, and I don't think any one else can explain how I'm back to normal." Kazifel patted Sage on the head as she wiggled closer to her Dad. She was watching the events unfold between her siblings. Why was Thyme walking around the couch? What was Parsley doing besides seeing the stranger's hat?
Parsley felt the nip on his tail and yelped before falling forward. With a rather awkward clatter he landed in a surprised heron's lap. Looking up at her wide eyed he grinned while hugging his bitten tail. "Hi."
Loreta stared down at him. She wasn't about to touch the boy. "Would you kindly remove yourself from my lap, kid?"
"Parsley."
"Parsley."
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Post by The Jenn on Jun 18, 2008 13:00:19 GMT -5
Under other circumstances, the only emotions to surface at Rosemary's defiant challenge would have been upset, horror, hurt, and similar things. Now, though, she was riled and bristling and angry. She hugged Alphonse closer to her, pressing him against the soft fur of her stomach, and made a low growling noise that sounded more threatening than any sound coming out of a fluffy white squirrel should. "You try it and I'll ask Vren to cast a spell on you so that you can't even leave the house!"
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When her brother yelped and fell forward 'off' the couch, Thyme couldn't silence the bark of laughter. He was so funny when he flailed! So many limbs going every which way... sure she liked him well enough, but scaring him was soooo much fun. Even the fact that her father would know it was her didn't matter just then and she stayed behind the couch, tucked right against the back of it.
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Post by Vyn on Jul 10, 2008 1:21:43 GMT -5
Hatter nearly jumped when the little faerie-squirrel that had been perching on the back of the couch abruptly yelped and tumbled forward into Loreta's lap. He tensed briefly, glancing at the scene to his left and then slowly he looked back up to Kazifel.
Boy was this family a large and interesting sort. If only he were Tulgey and had gotten the opportunity to meet them under better circumstances. Well, of course, he could have... 'cept that he'd chosen to go in as himself instead. Ah well. What was done was done and the doll maker was at least willing to discuss business with him if nothing else.
"Well that is,... interesting, to say the least." Absently Hatter tapped his chin, musing on that situation. It did make Rocky's predicament a bit more troubling, didn't it? "Was there any events that stick out around the time it happened or..." The Hatter paused briefly, contemplating his words before he continued. "Or, if you were bound to that form by magic, might it have been a weakening of the spell over time?"
Hatter had, ironically, meant to wait a good deal before he brought up this subject in detail but there was really no resisting the curiousity of the subject now that it had been breached. How could one undergo such a drastic change and not know the trigger?
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jul 15, 2008 15:31:32 GMT -5
Rosemary "Hurumphed." She figured that Daddy would never let Mommy do that to her. After all, he understood what it was like to be outside. He understood everything about the outside world! She should have a right to see it as her Daddy's Daughter! She pouted. That was all she had left as she slapped at the doorknob.
Kazifel closed his eyes and hugged Sage briefly. He shook his head at Parsley, "Get off that young woman this instant Parsley!"
The fairy squirrel rolled off of the heron, hitting the ground with a light thump. slinking as best as possible he made his way around the couch to glare at his sister . Oh she was going to get it later.
Loreta rolled her eyes. She didn't enjoy this children thing. Not like she was following the conversation closely.
"I met Femi. That and I started thinking of myself as a man rather than a doll." Kazifel finally said. Hatter could draw his own conclusions.
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