It is so very quiet.. (Open)

[Arsenic Ruin]

Arsenic’s head was hung, as he gave an exaggeratedly pained look. Tears comically ran down his cheeks as he snorted, and sniffed while thinking about where Karuka could have dissipated to. He had only left for a moment to try and buy them some food supplies for the rest of their journey and she had gotten away from him. The mischievous little miscreant that he had come to treasure as one of his few true friends just up and left him. It was a tear jerking moment for him as he peddled his way with dragging steps towards a sound that filled him with that warm feeling he often gained; especially after mother finished a batch of her finest fish.

Arsenic’s stomach growled. That was when he remembered he left the purchased supplies back at the stall that seemed to be leagues away. However, he pushed through the hunger, wiping his face meandered over toward the music.

The notes floated through the air and through his head like a soft lullaby, he almost broke into a leaping frolic but then he saw Karuka. Like a feather in the wind he took towards her, bound rose from the ground into the air drifting down defying gravity landing on her lap, arms slung around her neck tightly as he hugged her sobbing on her shoulder.

“Don’t ever leave me like that!�

He belted, one would think his yelling would interrupt the procession of music. Soon enough though his tears dried, as if nothing had happened, precisely at that moment he had taken notice to Mime, who’s leg was the victim of Karuka’s hand. And, with widened eyes he slipped from Karuka’s lap composing himself, arms slid into opposite sleeves, and he stuck his nose into the air.

“ So that is what happened hm? You found another companion?�

Part of him felt betrayed, because he knew he told Karuka specifically to stay outside the vendor’s stall until he was done.

[Karuka]

"Er...Hallo, Nic," said Karuka as her companion leapt at her and proceeded to strangle her with the sheer joy of seeing her again. She patted his back reassuringly as he cried into her shoulder...such a scene to make!

"Another companion? Aye, I did." Karuka grinned, standing up as she was released. "This is Mime, he dinna talk much, an he likes t' sit in trees fer abnormally long periods o' time. So I thou' he could join us. Mime, this fella is th' Nic I was wonderin' where he got off t'."

She rubbed her neck gently.

"Tha' were...probably th' mos' enthusiastic 'hallo again' I've e'er ha' in mi life. I kno y' tol' me t' stay put, bu' 'twere a wee bi'...uncomfortable standin' there, dressed like this an' jus' hangin' aroun' like some sor' o' beggar. So I decided t' come an' find a place t' sit. Th' vendor's only on th' other side o' th' square an' round th' corner. 'Twere nae far."

She tilted her head and looked at him. "Well...'twould appear tha' y' were walkin' much farther than tha' wee bi'...didja get los', Nic?"

Translations

"Umm...hello, Nic."

"Another traveling companion? Yep. This is Mime, he doesn't talk much, and he likes to sit in trees for abnormally long periods of time. So I thought he could join us. Mime, this fellow is the Nic I was wondering about where he disappeared to."

"That was...probably the most enthusiastic 'hello again' I've ever had in my life. I know you told me to stay put, but it was a little bit...uncomfortable standing there, dressed like this and just hanging around like some sort of beggar. So I decided to come and find a place to sit. The vendor's only on the other side of the square and around the corner. Not at all far."

"Well...it looks like you were walking much farther than just that little bit...did you get lost, Nic?"

[The Mime]

In that display of hurried energy the Mimes notes had almost faulted but he had managed to keep the tune going, though it seemed to have a loss of feeling in it from his distraction,it still felt good but not uplifting. He was nearing the end at any rate and finished off his music before daring to see that new arrival, gently lowering the violin from his shoulder and placing it securely inside the case before turning around to look at this stranger...he...well he had none of the spark he saw in Karuka but then he didn't expect that to happen with all he saw. Not entirely sure what to do he just sort of stood there, claws clicking lightly together as he glanced to his parting audience, as much as they could have enjoyed the song his presence may have perhaps offended them too much to scatter a coin or two for his time...not that he needed such but it was often seen as a sign of appreciation.

Raising a hand slowly and gesturing with a single claw to the half-drow his question was fairly obvious and involved a single word.

Who?

[Karuka]

"He's my travellin' companion, Mime. An' I'd really like y' t' join us. Gave his full name as 'Arsenic,'" here she grinned roguishly, "But I shortened i' down a wee bit so tha' I dinna feel tha' I'm travellin' wi' a poison. An' c'mon, Nic. 'Twill be good t' ha' another person t' come wi' us, an' tho' he may seem a wee bi'...well, a wee bi' scary a' firs', he's ay go' the soul o' a poet an' he is a right fine han' a' pluckin' a tune from his violin."

She looked from one to the other. "Well, y' dinna need t' be jealous, o'er in Irelan', we ha' a firm belief in 'th' more, th' merrier,' an' since havin' friends is a new experience fer us all, 'twill be good t' ha' more than one."

The spunky red-head folded her arms and straightened up imperiously. Even though she was inarguably the worst kempt of the group, there was something, among her tone, posture, and the glint of her eye as she tossed that proud head...something almost regal.

"D' th' dhÃ* o' y' nae agree, there?"

Translations

"He's my traveling companion, Mime. And I'd really like for you to join us. He gave his full name as 'Arsenic,' but I shortened it a little so that I didn't feel like I was traveling with a poison. And come on, Nic. It'll be nice to have another person with us, and though he may seem a little bit...well, a little bit scary at first, he's got the soul of a poet and can pluck a fine tune from his violin."

"Well, you don't need to be jealous, over in Ireland, we have a firm belief in 'the more, the merrier,' and since having friends is a new experience for us all, it'll be good in more ways than one."

"Do the two of you not agree, there?

[The Mime]

Glancing about him once again the Mime managed to see that proud tree off in the distance, its not that he was attached to it, just enjoyed seeing but there would be other locales to watch other..other people to play for, yes why not...he was meant to travel and experiance and should do so.

They do look rather...close though..perhaps I would just be an errant subject...well I suppose I should find out

Giving a slow nod of his head,light bending of the back, well it was an acknowledgement of 'yes', he would travel with them...at the very least he may learn of their life-stories before they would part from him, he was not pessimistic but so far had little experiance with people to build on. Barely lowering himself down the Mime plucked up his satchel and slipped it over both shoulders,adjusting his scarf for a moment to get it out from the back. He was...pretty much ready.

[Arsenic Ruin]

Obviously he was only a variable part of the equation. Meaning, that even if he said no, it would be too late to turn the tag along bugger away. With a heavy sigh and a shrug of his shoulders he looked to the spunky red-head as if to find some fault in her stance, some weakness he could expose to get her to change her mind. Even though three was a mighty nice number, and the violin playing mute wouldn’t do much harm to either one of them, there was something which was a tiny bit perturbing about Mime’s demeanor. It was that nagging feeling.

But then his attention was snagged by a comment, a fumble even that Karuka made

"Th' vendor's only on th' other side o' th' square an' round th' cor." She tilted her head and looked at him. "Well...'twould appear tha' y' were walkin' much farther than tha' wee bi'...didja get los', Nic?"

It was almost cute as she played innocent, then looked for his response dealing with his own safety. They both knew he had no sense of direction, when it came to small cities at least, and lost wasn’t the half of it.

“I looked everywhere for you, high and low, this was the last place I came, and I would have been a bit longer had it not have been for the violin playing.�

He huffed, folding his arms across his chest, looking to the city gates for some sort of reprisal to the questions that swarmed through his head. It wasn’t the fact that she disappeared that got him worried, well yes it was, but it was more than that. Karuka was new to the land, and her presence had been more than an uplift since his own birth to the outside world, as a friend and rather interesting traveling partner.

“And yes, your friend can tarry with us.�

So he had to do what made her happy, it felt he owed her that much for being his friend.

[Karuka]

Karuka looked at Nic's face. It held such an irritated cast...it wouldn't have been fun for him to have been abandoned like that, and she could see from his stance, from the way he glared at her and at the Mime, that he'd had a real fear that she'd left.

An' he were nae worried only fer his ain sel'...he were worried abou' me, too, a wee bi'.

She stepped over to him and gave him a gentle embrace, ducking down a little so her head fit under his chin. A slightly submissive stance, to apologize and reaffirm to him that it was he that led the group (however untrue that may have been in reality).

"I'm sorry tha' y' had t' go through all o' tha'. T' let y' know fer th' future...I canna stay still more than a few minutes, so I tend t' go places. Now, go on an' get yer pack...o'er a' tha' end o' th' courtyard, turn lef' an' three down, 'tis th' one wi' th' green sign ou' in front o' i'. An' then we can be on our way, an' 'twill ay be a merry wee group we ha' here."

Translations

>>>And he wasn't just worried about himself...he was worried about me, too, a little bit.<<<

"I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that. To let you know for future reference...I can't stay still for more than a few minutes, so I tend to go places. Now, go on and get your pack...over at that end of the courtyard, turn left and three down, it's the one with the green sign out in front of it. And then we can be on our way, and it'll be a merry little group we have here."

[The Mime]

There was...mixed feelings in the Mime at the moment, he had not quite expected for such a swordsman to come rushing like a lost child, then to act as if he was being denied what he wanted and throwing what could be seen as a huff..

Perhaps my home-life was a tad too slow and laid back, I do find it difficult to understand why such a quick change and immaturity in his being...while Karuka..

He couldn't help it,there was a pang of jealousy lighting up as she embraced the 'other man' though by all rights that did make more sense, the other man was natural and had known her for longer..how long he had no idea, she could have easily met him here yesterday and like him the person became immediately attached...this would be something to think about...

Was it lonely desperation or genuine attraction that drew me so much to her...I...am not aware of the differences between them..

Despite her questioning and the individuals answer it was very clear this Nic was not the one in charge, easy manipulation..but did this make Karuka manipulative?...she could merely just be using it to keep the peace rather than get her own way..this was a rather mixed bag of an experiance at the moment but he had decided to come with her. He had also been accepted by the other half of the 'group' so it would be a waste not to make use of this offer.

One more round of posts and best to end this thread

[Karuka]

Karuka gave Nic a gentle push, repeating her directions and then giving him directions to get back -- after all, he was horrible at getting around towns.

As he rounded the corner, the sunny red-head grinned and grabbed the Mime in a hug that had been known to crack ribs. She felt the slight tingle of horror run through her at the contact, but didn't heed it. He seemed a nice enough fellow, though, and so lonely. And the lass knew this from personal experience: the lonely were the ones who most craved and needed the physical contact and emotional bond.

After a little bit, she let her new friend go and stepped back, grabbing her leather satchel and adjusting it on her shoulder. She was grimy, ragged, and doomed to look foreign no matter where she went, but on the other hand she was also chipper, friendly, and open to new concepts.

Bag adjusted, she turned back to her friend in the striped shirt with another one of those cheerful, carefree grins. "C'mon, Mime. 'Tis a wee bi' late t' travel t'nigh', bu' we'll ay fin' somewhere t' get some food an' some sleep, an'...well, I dinna kno' abou' y' an' Nic, bu' I need a bath, an' we can head ou' t' where e'er we're goin' in th' mornin'."

Translations
"Come on, Mime. It's a little late to travel tonight, but we'll find somewhere to get some food and sleep, and...well, I don't know about you and Nic, but I need a bath, and we can head out to where ever we're going in the morning.

Bunnied Arsenic out of the thread because we haven't seen him in weeks.

[The Mime]

With Arsenic gone from the scene it seemed far easy to just stand there and accept her affection, a sense of betrayel too perhaps?... he had no real idea if that was true or not. But when she brought him into that hug, his arms did not come up around her like he had seen others do, it didn't feel all that natural, she was showing affection yes... but he had no real foundation that he actually felt it towards her. The lanky homonculous felt all the more curious just towards these new fleeting hints of emotions and letting these things happened gave him a taste, like dragging ones tongue through the air only for a wisp of sugar to brush against those taste-buds.

What now then... I have yet to find myself driven from this town, but it seems like she has difficulty in being in one area for so long...

As she spoke once more in that thick alien accent the Mime had to busy himself for but a moment, gathering up his things and securing the straps of his back-pack securly onto his shoulders, a claw tracing along the red scarf wrapped around his neck... it felt warm so very often, comforting. Her offer of looking for a place for rest and necessities would have appealed to many other beings and so, while he may disturb those who also dwelt in such a place, decided to go with the status quo and offered his agreement in a simple nod... and delicately written...

I agree