Save the Nighttime for Your Weeping [Finished]

[Kari Muffin]

((OOC: Sorry it took me so bloody long. ))

Rosemary trotted through the harsh surroundings as if it were nothing. She had been to Golfram before--but not this deep. She was quite thankful for her ability to never get lost. Of course... she didn't know where she wanted to go so it wasn't helping her all that much.

She sighed as she passed a rather nasty corpse on the side of the path. There were a lot of dead bodies in this place. Well pieces of them. This one looked to be missing it's head and the rest was sinking into the muck. Nice. Her morbid curiosity wanted to poke it, however she thought better of it and moved on.

The whole point of here was to find another story. She had heard little stories about backwater Golframs eating people and doing crazy sorts of things. Rosemary wanted to see if it was true. If worst came to worst she could poof to a safe place in the capital.

Rosemary growled and sat on the path for a moment's rest. Really. Where the hell was anything. This was an obvious path "safe" from all sorts of things, but there were no Cards or animals around. She knew full well that if a resident of the Marsh would try to attack her.... but... this was just boring.

[Vyn]

Meecha sat in a tree, eyes narrowed into slits as she watched the strange little ...whateveritwas... wandering down the path. Obviously an outsider, though, because no proper Golfram would ever survive being white like that.

So pristine ...and with ...flowers?

Meecha's curiosity grew as she watched on, fascinated to see what the Outsider would do.

Or, of course, she could always play with her a bit. Calling up her ability, Meecha projected an image of Rosemary's dearest family member standing on the path a little way up. They would stumble back, expression distressed, and then turn to begin hurrying away into the Swamp.

Most followed these without thought of how or why their loved ones were also in the Golfram Marsh, and Meecha always got a decent meal out of it so she wasn't at all about to complain of their foolishness. Who trusted their family anyway? The hamster wrinkled her nose, easing herself out of the tree so she could slink along the nearby path.

If the whathaveyou didn't follow, then Meecha would sic Lao on her.

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary looked up to see her father standing in the distance. She blinked a few extra times as she watched his distressed expression and movements....

This had to be some sort of trick. Her father would never leave the Wood--and if he had he would have left with their Mom. Plus he would only go to Corvistowne because he hated every other place in between their and the Wood. No way in hell would he be in this dirty place when he was so prim and proper.

Plus dad could take care of himself.

"Wasn't there a story about a swamp witch around here?" Rosemary said out loud, not really thinking if anyone had done that trick. Frankly for all she knew she was terribly high and about to dive off the path into the mucky water. Sitting seemed like an appropriate solution to the dilemma. Her ears swiveled back and forward as she tried to hear anything out place.

She really hoped that rustling was her imagination.

[Vyn]

Meecha had just landed on the dry ground below the tree when the rose-patterned creature spoke. She expected her to call out, to go running after her loved one... Instead she flopped down dead in the middle of the path and... asked the air a question?

Or perhaps she was asking her loved one a question?

Silly Outsider, she wasn't supposed to react like that!

Meecha slunk along the path for a moment, debating her approach. To speak to the Outsider or not to speak to the Outsider? And then she stopped dead in her tracks, causing the the brush to rustle as Meecha took in a strange scent. It was sweet and a little musty and Meecha had never too in such a thing before.

Was it the Outsider???

Slowly she stepped onto the path, looming. "A story?" She asked abruptly. "Dere be a story 'bout a swamp witch from 'round here?"

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary would have jumped out of her skin if it were possible. Her head snapped around to see the woman. Tangled hair, horribly dirty, and probably covered in some indescribable slime. She matched the description of the "swamp witch" pretty well.

Collecting what charm she had left at this point she gave the woman a rather innocent look. "Yes, there's a story about a swamp witch. I'm a bard so I collect various tales from around the realms."

Please don't eat me. She thought to herself as she slowly rose so she didn't have her back to the woman. This was an awful situation to be in wasn't it? If all the rumors were true this woman did eat people. And she was probably the first Tulgey to wander into the Marsh like the idiot she was. All for the sake of a story and an adventure. Good job!

"Would you like to hear about it?"

[Vyn]

Meecha had no clue what she meant by bard, but she figured it had something to do with stories...or tails. Stories about tales? ...Or maybe she actually had a collection of tails. Meecha would like to see that. All that was visible, however, was her big fluffy squirrel tail. She'd see one once before, they were especially amusing wet and they looked like proper rats then too.

"Your tails?" Meecha flashed a yellowed smile and then nodded. "Yeah, yeah... Tell me about 'em."

She crouched down a little, drawing closer so she could get comfortable and listen when, to her shock, she sneezed. The scent of the roses made her nose itch something terrible.

"Yur fur!" She announced suddenly, eyes growing wide before narrowing into slits. "What be dat smell?!?!" Meecha couldn't tell if she liked it. It was so sweet it was almost sickening and yet subdued just enough that she tended forget about it until she took a particularly large breath for some reason or another.

[Kari Muffin]

The canine's ears pulled back in distress. She didn't like the implication of the way the woman said "tales." It was as if she were talking about something else entirely. Why exactly would she have a collection of tails unless she was some sadomasochist witchdoctor?

Oh. RIGHT. She needed to remember where she was.

"Well, tails are a very com--" She was cut off by Meecha's sudden reaction. It took a few moments for Rosemary to process what the woman was talking about. Sometimes it slipped her mind that her roses were scented.

"Oh, it's my tattoo. I got it enchanted to smell like Roses. Sometimes I can get away without taking a bath for a while because of it." She said cheerfully. "Have you never smelt Roses before?"

Then again what did she expect from someone who lived in a place like this. "Stupid question. I can't imagine roses grow out here... but uh... I'll tell you about it along with my tails if that's all right?"

[Vyn]

Meecha's expression remained one of vaguely uncertain disgust. Roses? No she'd never smelt roses before and they were odd and made her nose itch. Terribly unpleasant things, she figured. "I be glad ifin' they didn't. I dunnt like that smell much... Why would ya ever like to smell like one?" Then again, this was coming from the woman that smelled very similar to the swamp she lived in.

Oh yes... Those tails of hers, Meecha had nearly forgotten about them.

"Yea, go on. Tell me 'bout dem roses an' tails and dat story 'bout the swamp witch, I especially want to hear that one." Meecha liked the sound of the swamp witch the best. It would either be about herself -- which she liked the prospect of -- or it would tell her about whatever other witch lived in these parts so that she could suitably remove them.

Meech did not share with others.

[Kari Muffin]

"I like the smell of roses. And this way I can go without taking a bath for a while." Of course now that she had ventured into Golfram she'd need a few baths to get the smell out of her fur. Good thing she didn't wear clothing like a lot of people did. Itchy stuff that was.

"Well, since you want to hear about the amazing witch I'll tell you that story first!" She said cheerfully. She really hoped that this person wasn't the witch in the story, otherwise...that might hurt. "There was a fortunate family that lived out in the swamp. Their ambitions were suppose to lead them to great places, you see the family was blessed with two little heart girls. A bipedal hamster and a human."

"Of course, ambitions leads to tragedy. The little bipedal girl, born a seven, went out to play like she normally did. Of course that day wasn't like a normal day, because she found something amazing among the little creatures that she chased. It was just a stone, some people said, but that stone would lead her down a path no others would take." Rosemary paused for dramatic effect.

"The little seven was falling behind in magic. Her sister was talented because of her human form, and that was what broke the little seven. Jealousy ate her alive, so in return she murder her sister, splattering her remains among the house like a painting. When her parents came home they found her eating what was left of the little human girl. Poor thing didn't stand a chance against her darling little sister. For the crime, her parents ran their remaining daughter out of the house."

"She disappeared into the swamp. Of course that wasn't the end of her, and nor is it the end of the tale. However, I'm sure you know the real story of Meecha Grimes. Am I right?" Rosemary smiled.

Oh she hoped she was right. She really really hoped.

[Vyn]

Meecha absently sniffed at herself as Rosemary commented on baths. She didn't smell like those stinky roses but she didn't need a bath... Hm. She shrugged absently and allowed the subject to be changed.

This topic was far better, it was about her.

Slowly she hunkered down, deep black eyes peering intently at Rosemary. The further the story went along the more assured Meecha was that it was about her. The hamster's eyes widened suddenly as the stone -- what she considered her best-kept secret -- was mentioned and she absently reached up to grasp the golden rat-skull around her neck. How?

...And then Rosemary was going on, talking about her sister's death and how her parents had run her off. Bah! She would've gone back and taken her revenge on them had they not already been dead! Her thoughts were interrupted by the squirrel-dog saying her name, causing Meecha to blink once before a feral grin stretched her features.

"Yer a smart li'l dog-thing," Meecha murmured. "Ya be talkin' to 'er." Her story wasn't bad, either. Sounded like one she'd told a while back to an old rat before he'd gotten too nosy and she'd decided he was tastier than he was useful, actually. "Be dat why ya came all da way out here? To talk to 'er?"

That wasn't at all uncommon. Plenty of people heard rumor of her, though few came with knowledge of her background, and came looking for hexes and spells. Meecha either found a good bargain in their searching, or a tasty meal.