Outsiders [Finished]

[Kari Muffin]

As far as he was concerned, his region needed inspiration. Of all the connection he had met in the Wood none of them were willing to think about changing the world. So he was going to try a connection Outside of the Wood.

Of course in the body of a feminine squirrel, not many people took him seriously. Queen or no. It was the most aggravating thing possible, and from the way things looked he would have to deal with outsiders to improve things before he went back to rally his region.

It was disgusting and he hated it.

He had managed to acquire quite a bit of money before leaving the Wood. At least people were willing to "help the cause" when it came to that. Lazy bastards. When had his region become so damn pathetic?

And where the hell was he anyway? The man...woman... stared down at the piece of paper in frustration. The address wasn't even close to where he was at the moment.... but this seemed to be rather close to that magical well didn't it.

[Lucca]

She'd been wasting time again. Staring into that stupid well, her meager week's wage held in her paw, poised as if to fall in...but yet she couldn't do it. The part of her that she let stay in control, the part of her that was a cheerful maid who loved serving others and actually cared about other Cards and her master, the part of her that craved riches and finery so much it was willing to sacrifice freedom to get them...the part of her that was a LIE...refused to let it end this way. Refused to chance her future on a wish.

And Nellwyn begrudgingly saw the reason of this, after a few moments of inner debate. It would be so much more satisfying, after all, to know that she'd gotten freedom and revenge herself than that some strange magic well had granted it to her. So she was on her way back home (she had to get there in time to serve dinner as her boss got home from work), when she saw her.

She was staring down at a piece of paper, obviously annoyed, obviously lost. Mrs. White would normally have laughed at the misfortune of others and moved on, but this one was a Tulgey. She'd seen so few from her home region since she left...that stupid Goat police officer in the Capital didn't count. He'd obviously bought into the system. This one...well.

"Excuse me, Miss? Are you looking for something?" her tone was light, but her eyes gleamed with an inner fire that seemed to be at odds with the way she was carrying herself. It was always best to approach as the friendly maid, and only show her true self if her hunch turned out to be correct...

[Kari Muffin]

When the voice reached his ears he was ready to dismiss it. Then he realized that he was the she being spoken to. For a moment he was tempted to kick whoever was speaking to him. It was probably one of those uppity Highlander bitches getting ready to mock him.

But when he turned to look at who was speaking he was terribly surprised.

A Tulgey in the Highlands. What luck was this? Perhaps that lovely individual would have anticipated this? He supposed now it was time to put on his game face.

"Ah well..." he said in a tone he would never get used to. This body was going to get better even if he had to beat a mage to death to fix it. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I'm sorry Ma'am, but could you happen to tell me where that address is? The Outside just... makes things terribly complicated,"

The squirrel offered the feline the piece of paper.

[Lucca]

At the response, Mrs. White moved with all her feline grace over towards the squirrel, tail swishing a bit. "Well, let me see..." She leaned close to peer over at the paper, taking it with a paw that was well used to doing things one wouldn't expect of a non-hand appendage, squinting to make out the writing. It was written in Tulgey and, while she certainly knew her own language, it had been...gosh...years since she'd needed to read it. The thought made her vaguely...sad.

"Ah! Yes, I believe I know where that is," she said brightly, but then shook her head. "I'm afraid it's nearly a whole day's journey by foot from where we are now, though. You've gotten a bit turned around." She studied the woman carefully, looking her over for any sign of a deeper purpose, of a personality akin to her own bloodthirsty one. "You...haven't been out of the Wood long, then, I take it?" she asked, and then a strange light came into her eyes, making them gleam like a polished drop of blood. Her voice took on a darker tone as well. "Don't try to make a living out here...it's too...mundane. Most everyone is a fool, or worse." She'd rarely been happy since she'd left, and she'd only met one person actually worth her time...that human King from the Heart Court.

[Kari Muffin]

That was delightful. She wasn't an idiot and she clearly could read her own language. So what was she doing out here? His pink eyes were focused on the feline, watching her every movement and every word.

His ears twitch with agitation. Of course he was turned around. He knew nothing of the Highlands and that damn mutt hadn't traveled around beyond the Capital City. The Highlands were completely new to him, not like he wanted to know about them.

An eyebrow perked at the feline's comment. "I've been out of the Wood every now and again. Mostly out of necessity." He smiled. He still looked like an adorable female squirrel, and he was sure the sinister intent was lost. But it was a body so he could hardly complain. "I would never bother to try to make a living out here with the disgusting Outsiders though... I have to say I'm quite confused to see a fellow Tulgey like you out here. You don't seem the type to... cater to the ridiculous notions of the Outsiders."

For now he could ignore his destination. He would just spend a bit of time at the local inn and then be on his way to that blasted Mage. They better be able to help him.

[Lucca]

Though Mrs. White noticed herself being studied, it didn't bother her like it might a saner individual. It was almost a relief to be among Tulgies again, to find a creepy pink gaze to match her own staring her down. Too few...too few of them out here...most stayed cooped up in their wood, breeding fear among themselves and of the Outside. There were days she wished she could still be living in that dark, dangerous, comforting black bubble.

"Of course," she said lightly, handing the paper back to the Squirrel. Her ears went back at the question-that-was-not. "Trust me, it's not out of choice that I live among the fools," she hissed, pupils narrowing to slits and fur bristling a bit. Once again the darker underlying tone creeping into her voice. She wasn't sure, though, how much she trusted this woman. After all, they knew nothing about one another other than the obvious, and while Tulgies tended to be more worth her time than most other Realms (especially Highlanders, PAH) she wasn't naive enough to trust all of them.

After all...her brother was a Tulgey too.

However, this one seemed to have the mindset of Tulgies and Everyone Else, which meant she'd rather eat her own tail than betray another Tulgey...unless the other Tulgey had betrayed them first. And that was where things got dicey, since 'betrayal' was a term defined quite differently depending on the circumstances. Herself, she could find reasons where a betrayal was justified. She smoothed her fur down and gave the squirrel a level look. At least she could offer something.

"My name is Nellwyn White," she said in a somewhat more even tone. "And please, if there's anything I can do to help you, as one Tulgey to another, I'd be glad to do it." She had a feeling there was more going on here than met the eye. Clearly the Squirrel was not out here without great reason, and perhaps if she could help her, the Squirrel could help her in return. One good favor deserves another.

[Kari Muffin]

The squirrel folded up the paper and slipped it in the small... purse that he was carrying. Really if he was a girl he supposed he should play the part until he became a he again. Assuming that would ever happen. That was why he needed to have a lovely conversation with a mage.

She was outside the Wood against her will? Interesting. What trouble had she gotten into for that to happen? That must have been the case... what other reason would she have to subject herself to this hideous nightmare called the Outside?

And what a nice and proper name she had. Oh that made a small sinister smile creep onto the squirrel's face, though it was far from sinister coming from the adorable Tulgey squirrel. "Most people call me Femi, but you... you can call me Lythero." Hopefully the name would ring a bell. He was finding that not many people knew history as well as they should have.

"I'll keep that in mind Miss White. Though.. at the moment would you be willing to have a conversation with me over a cup of tea? I'm sure Highlanders can at least produce something as simple as that without much trouble, and that shop over there looks somewhat respectable."

[Lucca]

"Lythero?" The light of recognition lit up in Nellwyn's eyes, the dark part of her stirring in interest. "The name of one of the Tulgey Queens from the War," she said, almost to herself. As a young girl raised by an upstanding Tulgey family, she'd learned all about the history of their glorious Realm, and why Outsiders only tended to ruin everything. Lythero would very much like Nell's parents if he ever got the chance to meet them. But Nellwyn was brooding over what this could mean...why a female Squirrel would be calling herself after one of the Queens, unless...hmm, very interesting. She might be dealing with one of those who thought the wrong side had won that War.

All the better to be on her guard, as this could turn out in her favor...

"It's actually Mrs. White," she said with an odd little smile. "Tulgey Leopard. Unfortunately deceased." What she rarely mentioned, of course, was -why- he had died. Not how, she would tell that story if it was asked of her, with appropriate mournfulness--all put on. She'd hated the man, he'd been a right old controlling b!@#$%^&, and she'd been glad when she'd engineered his de-AHEM. When the unfortunate accident that caused his death had occurred.

"As to the tea, that sounds lovely," she said, glad of the thought of having the stuff without herself having to make it. She glanced at the shop she was referring to. "I've never been to this particular place, I'm afraid, but some tea shops even know enough to serve Tulgey Red."

[Kari Muffin]

His smile grew wider, his tail twitching a bit. So she was a proper Tulgey then? That was encouraging. Perhaps there was still a chance for his realm after all? If there were more people out there like this he would be able to cause an uprising that would make all the Outsiders regret they had wronged the Wood.

"Oh, My apologies, it's a shame... though you seem so young I just assumed you were single" Lythero said shaking his head. It was a shame to waste a good Tulgey. But at the very least Mrs. White herself made up for it.

The Outsiders had Tulgey Red? Well he would believe that when he saw it. The squirrel refrained from sighing in agitation. "Let's see if they do have some Tulgey red," he said as brightly as he could muster, though the skepticism was leeching into his tone.

The little place was a rather pretty establishment on the inside. A typical Highlander motif. The squirrel narrowed his eyes with irritation before taking as seat nearest the exit. He wasn't quite sure what to think about the Highlands beyond his sheer hatred of the region.

[Lucca]

Nellwyn chuckled a bit at that, something primal and dark flashing through her eyes. "Why, I'm flattered...though I assure you I'm not as young as I look. It's been over five years since his passing..." She affected a very sad look, as if reflecting on her loss. If only she could similarly lose ALL the annoying people in her life, well, she'd be very well set. Starting with her employer...who, speaking of which, would be very confused if he got home from work to see her not there. But she had hours yet before she had to worry about that...all the better to find the measure of this Squirrel that called herself Lythero.

She didn't reply to the skeptical remark, just adding it to the list of things Lythero had said that reinforced the belief that she'd rarely been out of the Wood. It was exactly the sort of thing she herself would have said, years ago, upon first stumbling out into Torquehelm, fleeing her town and in pursuit of her traitorous half-wit of a brother. Oh, how she'd raged...she barely remembered that night, she had been so much a beast. But she could smell the blood on her fur the next morning. And she'd been sad...because it hadn't been -his-.

But that was all in the past, and in her current neat little cage, unsolvable. Her fur stood a bit on end as they walked in, distinctly uncomfortable and probably having many of the same thoughts as Lythero. She -hated- Highlanders (such a pompous, foolish lot), and being around so many of them made her homicidal urges tougher to fight down, especially without the mediating influence of Scrooge McDuck around.

To distract herself from the urge to kill things, she affected a pleasant smile and tone and turned to her companion. "If I may ask, what brings you out of the Wood and into the Outside? I can tell it's not particularly a place you want to be."