The Long Day (In Search of Kitties)

[Veatrix]

((SOLO))

Rated 14+ for gratuitious swearing and drug use

After spending a couple of days in the hustle bustle life of Scara Brae, Veatrix Bane realized that her father may have been right. “I know, but you can handle it” was what he said, smiling at her reassuringly, while the cool sea breeze whipped her golden blonde hair as they stood near the edge of Sir Chris Forrester’s ship. He said that other Butterfly Elves were alive somewhere and that their extinction was just a massively overblown rumour, and the possibility of meeting her own kind made her blood sing in excitement. And she did want to see the world… so maybe he was right.

With a simple song and a cheerful countenance, Veatrix explored the vast city of Scara Brae. As she passed through town squares and mini-plazas, she saw vendors and shopkeepers persistently selling their wares, some more conspicuous than others. Some guy tried to sell her “balloons,” pretty plastic spheres tied to strings as they floated in the air. Another forced her to take a bite out of some odd dish, complete with squiggly tentacles and four glaring eyes. A stunningly beautiful woman smiled at her and offered her something called “The Mighty Sword of Mightiness and Might,” brandishing a fragile-looking weapon, for the low low price of 300 000 gold coins.

So many sights, sounds and smells assaulted Veatrix, as everywhere she turned, there seemed to be something new. Everything looked so fresh, so new and so alive, that she couldn’t help but be in awe of Scara Brae. There was just something so delightful about being independent, wandering the world without having any real burdens. Sure, she had to be shielded from prejudice as a child and sure, she had wings stubs instead of wings, walking through the city, she couldn’t help but feel lucky.

“Motherfucking son of a bitch!”

“Huh?”

Surprised by the crisp and genuinely pissed progression of the swear words, Veatrix wheeled around. Looking through the crowd, she tried to determine where that dirty mouth was. If her mother heard that, the instinctive response would have been “Get me my soap!” But Cassandra Bane was not there, and so the job of cleaning out that mouth, or at least giving a good scolding, was handed down to Veatrix.

“Stupid, fucking asshole of a pussy!”

Smirking as her eyes played over the cried, she whispered to herself, “Wow.” Where is that coming from, she thought, curious.

A small movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning her gaze as people walked past her hurriedly, whispering under their breath about Veatrix being so rude standing in the middle of the road, she saw a little boy, stomping up and down in a dirty alleyway.

“What the fuck, man! What the fuck!”

Her maternal instincts took over after that last expletive-filled sentence, and next thing she knew, she was standing over the boy, who couldn’t have been over ten years old. Staring him down with her thick silver eyelashes, courtesy of the Butterfly Elf blood running through her veins, she tried to look as intimidating as possible. That would have worked better if either the boy was shorter, or she was much taller, since he almost came up to her head.

“Who the fuck are you?” The boy practically spat the words out, turning a cute, chubby face filled with irritation. What a look, she thought, staring down.

“You should really clean out your mouth.” She had her hands on her hips, looking very Mom-ish.

“Why do you care? You’re not my mom!” Folding his arms across his chest, he gave her the cold shoulder.

Exasperated, Veatrix said, “You should really stop swearing so much. It’s kinda bad.”

“And why the hell should I? I have a right to be angry. My fucking kitty ran away again.”

“Your cat? You’re-“

“It’s kitty. And my kitty’s name is… uh… Rupinder. Yeah. Rupinder ran away again.” Still not looking at Veatrix, he began punching the wall, albeit weakly.

This kid, she thought, needs anger management. And some good manners.

Looking at the fuming child, Veatrix half-smiled. It was a beautiful day, sun shining brightly, cool sea breeze blowing, people walking around. And she did want to go see the world, explore and look around. Maybe this was fate… helping the kid looking for his cat was all part of some master plan. With a newfound resolve, she tapped the boy on the shoulder, startling him from her livid reverie.

“If you want, I’ll help you find your cat-“

“It’s kitty. Rupinder the kitty.”

"So, where’d your ca-, I mean, kitty run off to?”

The boy pointed to the far west, indicating a small forest just on the outskirts of Scara Brae. “I think the stupid kitty went into the Brokenthorn Forest…”

Putting a slender hand on his shoulder, she smiled at him. “Let’s go, then. I’m Veatrix, by the way.”

“Let go of me!”

The boy brushed her hand off and took off in a run, leaving Veatrix alone in the alleyway. Today’s going to be a long day, she grimaced.

[Veatrix]

“Lacey.”

“Finally.” Veatrix and the little boy named Lacey walked towards the Scara Brae gates, both on each other’s nerves. Lacey had his arms crossed across his chest again, feigning anger, while Veatrix stomped on the ground, trying to keep her cool with the devil-hell child.

“It didn’t have to take that long to give me your name.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have fucking pushed me.”

“I did not push you!”

“Did too!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Did not!”

Frustrated, Veatrix tapped Lacey on the shoulder lightly. “That’s all I did!”

“There you go again!” Lacey was obviously enjoying himself, hiding small smiles while Veatrix got angrier and angrier. But for some strange reason, walking with Lacey seemed to be the right thing… she felt at ease with him. He was like the little brother he never had, albeit an infinitely annoying one. Veatrix sped up, walking up to one of the guards leaning on the city wall, leaving the little rascal behind.

“Hey, wait up!”

The guard lazily turned a head at Veatrix. He looked about her age, 18, with fine cheekbones, sun-burnt skin and holding a wooden polearm, taller than him. Veatrix, being the friendly one, smiled at him, but he just smirked, uninterested.

“What do ya want?” he asked, spitting on the ground. The other guard, who was playing with his polearm, chuckled quietly as he looked at Veatrix’s firm behind, finely silhouetted against the dark olive green fabric of her dress.

“We just need to step into Brokenthorn Forest for a while.”

“Yeah, my fucking kitty got lost again,” Lacey added with his childish attitude.

“Go ahead. You might die, though.”

Raising an eyebrow at the nonchalant statement of impending death, Veatrix dropped her smile. “We won’t. We’ll be back before dark.”

As she walked away, following the fast footsteps of Lacey, something hard tapped her behind lightly, a casual graze she had never gotten before. Whipping her head around, she saw the other guard, the one undressing her with his eyes, quickly fall back into position, fixing his wooden polearm. Veatrix glared at him indignantly before flipping her golden hair back, walking away.

“Hmph. Pigs.”

Lacey turned around, looking at her. “What’d you say?”

“Oh nothing. Let’s just get your kitty.”

They continued on with their little search, marching cheerfully towards the Forest, like a pair of seasoned adventurers. Except, they were two children looking for a cat. Sun smiling like a mother, breeze blowing, no real threats to be seen, everything looked picturesque. As they walked towards the Brokenthorn Forest, Veatrix suddenly realized how abundant the thick, green trees looked. The Forest covered yards upon yards of land, until she couldn’t even see where it ended. It was like a sea of trees, populated by animals, insects, plants, flowers and Thayne knows what. A little unnerved, Veatrix gulped.

“We’re going in there…?”

“Yeah. What the fuck, man,” Lacey jeered. “Are you getting cold feet on me?”

“No…,” she retorted. “Just, we better not get lost. I’ll kill you if we do.”

[Veatrix]

“There’s so many trees,” Veatrix said, mouth agape at the lush flora surrounding her. Dainty flowers peppered the Forest floor, decorating it like ornaments, while the tree leaves danced in the blowing wind, giving the impression that the trees were waving. Veatrix practically overloaded with vitality, as the whole Forest vibrated with life – plants and animals humming that sacred song of life that even those not attuned to the forces of nature could feel the life bleeding out of the environment.

“Of course, there’s so many trees,” came Lacey’s snarky reply. “We’re in the Thaynedamned Forest, for crying out loud.”

“Stop your swearing, it’s offensive,” she retorted. With a smirk and a shove, Veatrix added, “And thanks for the heads-up genius.”

“Quit it!” Irritated, he shoved her back.

“You quit it!”

“No, you quit it!”

“You quit it!”

“You quit it!” Lacey shoved Veatrix harder than she expected. Waving her hands wildly to catch her balance, she fell to the earthy ground, landing on what was a beautiful shrub with purple flowers. Looking at the mess she made, she turned to the giggling Lacey, drawing her silver eyelashes closer together in aggravation. “Look what you made me do!”

Letting his laughter loose, sounding much like a crazed hyena, Lacey cheered her clumsiness on. “You’re so fucking weak, you make a twig look like Damon Kaosi!”

Standing up, brushing off the dirt stuck to her dark olive dress, Veatrix punched the hysterical boy on the arm, trying to deal as much damage as she could. Despite the fall, she felt an immense sense of affection wash over her as Lacey laughed, at her expense, of course. Letting a smile paint across her face, she ruffled his messy brown hair.

“Stop it, man!”

“You’re an idiot, you know that?”

As they walking through the Forest, occasionally calling out Rupinder the kitty’s name, a bee harmlessly flew by Veatrix’s ear, startling her so bad it made Lacey’s maniacal laughter minutes ago seem fairly tame. It passed by so quickly didn’t even have time to realize she was freaking out.

“A BEE!”

"What the f-“

“GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!”

Panic-stricken, Veatrix broke out into an impressive run, not really looking where she was going. Waving her hands riotously over her head to swat the thing away, she screamed her lungs out, much like her mother and her falling cooking pots. Only Veatrix’s screaming seemed just a tad overblown. Running in random directions, Lacey called out a warning to her.

“Veatrix, stop running or you’ll hit the tr-“

BAM.

[Veatrix]

Veatrix?

We’ll look for Luc Kraus later…

Veatrix, come on. Wake up.

I said, we'll do it later. He won't need the scrolls now, his magic's good enough...

Wake the fuck up!
……………………………………………………………

Light brushing tickled Veatrix’s cheek, her face buried in the cool soil of the Brokenthorn Forest. Figuring it was Lacey’s fingers skimming her pale skin, she swatted them away, wanting to get some more of the precious shut-eye. But of course, Lacey was a child, and an annoying one at that, so he persisted with the bothersome brushing.

“Stop it, Lacey…,” she murmured, as she slowly opened her eyes.

Shocked, Veatrix saw that it wasn’t Lacey brushing her cheeks.

Standing before her was a creature, so disgusting, so reviling, so revoltingly impure that Veatrix couldn’t help but whimper. Forcing herself into a sitting position, she quickly crawled away, backing herself into a tree. Standing on six hairy, spindly legs, three on each side of its body, the creature stared at her with curious, beady eyes, carefully nestled in its head. Its mouth, armed with dangerous mandibles, clicking and clacking away, paralleled the long and gangly antennae, which were probably the ones brushing her cheeks. A thick-looking rust-coloured carapace shelled its insectoid body, possibly even capable of flight, as wing silhouettes glimmered through the darkness of the Forest.

And gladly sitting upon the brown-red insect was Lacey, looking very proud of himself.

“What do you think?”

“Y-you… y-y-y-,” Veatrix stammered, eyes locked on the creature’s mouth, where sticky saliva dribbled to the ground. It didn’t seem to notice the drool.

“His name’s Artie. You fell on him when you hit the tree over there,” he said, pointing to where a strong oak had a very distinct marking of a person on its bark. “Poor thing, you almost fucking killed him.”

“H-he’s a-...”

“A cockroach? Yeah!” Lacey patted Artie with pride, while the disgusting thing responded by waving its antennae around. “He’s still a baby, I think, but he looks pretty damn big to me.”

Veatrix stared at the strange creature. She didn’t know Scara Brae was home to giant cockroaches. She knew about the giant spiders, goblins, harpies in the mountains and Neverscale Crawlers on the coast, but giant cockroaches? Maybe they’re just to disgusting to even be put in the books, she thought as Lacey played with the nasty thing.

“D-did you train… it?” she asked, eyes still glued to the thing.

“Nope. I just saved him from your fatty ass.”

Regaining her composure, Veatrix shot back with a snarky reply. “Thanks. Now go set your cockroach free, we still have to find your stupid ca-“

“Kitty! And Artie says he’s seen… what’s its name… Rupinder!”

Confused and slightly alarmed, Veatrix raised a questioning eyebrow. “You can understand the thing… or can it talk? Because if it can, then today’s just gotten a whole lot weirder.”

“No, Artie can’t talk. I just get him, that’s all.” Smiling, Lacey hauled the thing away from Veatrix, directing it towards a barely visible pathway in between the brush.

“Right,” she breathed, standing up. “A kid who loves to swear, a giant cockroach and a girl with freakish silver eyelashes looking for a cat named Rupinder. How stranger can this get?”

[Veatrix]

“Are they high?”

Looking very much like a notorious brother-sister duo, Veatrix and Lacey stared at the group of teenagers from under a brush. They were all sitting in a circle around a small log, like it was some ceremonial piece of sacredness or something. Whispering to each other in the bush, their heads comically side by side, they wondered what these teens were doing. Artie the giant cockroach happily pranced around behind them, feeling a questionable brown lump with its spindly antennae.

As they looked closer, Veatrix realized they were all doing some sort of drug. The musky smell of it wafted to where the two of them were crouching, and she had to admit, the smell of it wasn’t half bad. Nevertheless, she cleared her nostrils of the oddly wonderful scent to observe what the teenagers were doing. Each of them were passing a small, rolled-up piece of parchment, taking turns breathing the air it was producing. Using the log as a table, they had more of the stuff laid out for them.

“They’re all probably so fucking kite-like right now,” Lacey began, with a twinge of jealousy in his eyes. “They wouldn’t even bother if we just walked up to them and punched them in the face.”

With a stern gaze, Veatrix turned to Lacey. “Do you want to join them?”

“In all honesty, yes.”

“Aren’t you a little too young to do… whatever they’re doing?” She looked back at the group of teenagers. One of the girls, a chubby brunette wearing a simple peasant dress, took a new rolled-up piece of paper and breathed in.

“Aren’t you a little too old to be alive?”

“Why you...,” Veatrix shoved Lacey, making him land on one of Artie’s hairy legs.

The giant cockroach screeched in pain, an ear-splitting shriek that could have shattered glass, pulling its leg from under Lacey’s bony behind and kicking him for good measure. Too bad the screech was too loud, because the teenagers sitting around the log all turned towards where the Veatrix and Lacey were crouching. Reactively standing up and brushing himself off, the young boy accidentally revealed his presence to the staring group. Veatrix glared at his sheer stupidity.

Noticing the teenagers staring at him, Lacey shrugged. “Oh well. It’s not as if they’re gonna remember us in a few hours.”

“You are such an idiot.” Scowling at him, and shooing away Artie, who had tried to take refuge behind Veatrix, she stood up as well, waving at them.

As both of them stood up, Artie squealed in excitement behind them, probably thinking they were going to go horseback riding again. Veatrix cocked her head back sharply and shushed the nasty thing, very much a like a mother to that pet her son forced her to get, even though she wasn’t too fond of it in the first place. The giant cockroach rushed to Lacey’s side, brushing his arm with its antennae, wanting attention. Unfortunately, the young boy had other… hazier things at hand.

“Hey, guys!” Lacey called out.

“Yo…,” one of the boys shouted, much louder than what was needed. His voice echoed throughout the Forest, though none of the teenagers seemed to care. “What the hell are you guys doin’… and is that a cockroach?”

“Hello, good young people of Scara Br-,” Veatrix began awkwardly, raising a hand in greeting.

“Shut the fuck up. They’re not stupid, they’re just high. I’ll handle this, my parents are like this all the time.”

“Reall-"

“Hey, guys! Do you think you can help us?”

The chubby girl sniggered as she pulled out some beef jerky from an unknown pocket in her dress. With her mouth full of spicy dry meat goodness, she said, “Yeah, man. But do you guys have some jerky?”

“What?” asked the guy waving at them. “Why do we need jerky?"

“We need jerky for the munchies, man. And I’m starved.”

“Yeah, I want jerky,” some guy called out.

“Me too!” another said, raising a hand like he was in a classroom.

“Me three!”

“Me four!”

“Does anyone know how to get to the White Castle?”

[Veatrix]

“So then,” Bianca said, holding back tears of laughter. “Bloog here,” pointing to the guy who greeted them first. “He shaved the hamster, not save it!”

The group of teenagers burst into hysterical laughter, some falling over the rocks they were sitting on, clutching their stomachs. Others were slapping their knees, while the more asthmatic ones couhed their lungs away. Bianca’s tears waterfalled freely down her face as she turned a blushing red. In the midst of it all was Veatrix, Lacey and a confused-looking Artie, who was sashaying about behind the two.

“So, do you usually handle this kind of thing?” Veatrix whispered in Lacey’s ear, inconspicuously bending over so that none of the teenagers noticed.

“…No,” the young boy replied. “Let’s get out of here. At least they’re not violent yet-“

Eyes turning to him in alarm, Veatrix paused. “…Yet?”

More laughter erupted from the group as some guy named Pramapanduranga said something about the Valeena Family, a pot of cooked carrots and his pet alligator. Bianca screamed in delight, while the others sounded borderline insane. All this, while they each passed around that roll of parchment Veatrix found out was called Scarijuana, particularly a joint of it. Apparently, this Scarijuana was an illegal herb “that the Woman keeps from us,” as Bianca had so eloquently explained. Almost all everyone in Scara Brae had tried it at least once, but the peasants’ sons and daughters were the more prominent users of the drug. And the effects of it weren’t always so pleasant.

“They only turn violent when they’ve had too much.”

“And when exactly is too much?”

“…Depends on how much they can take.”

“Hey, freak girl with the eyelashes!” Bianca called to Veatrix from across their circle. “Do you have any funny stories?”

Startled, she slowly stood up, hands raised to her waist in an awkward position of apprehension. “No…," she began. But desperate to weasel her way out of the predicament, she continued. "But I do have a question…”

“A riddle?! Oh good, I love riddles!” Bianca took another whiff from her joint and clapped gleefully.

“Me too!”

“Me three!”

“Me four!”

“Can somebody please tell me how to get to the White Castle?”

Smiling uncomfortably, Veatrix clasped her hands “Oh no… not a riddle. We just want to know if you guys have seen a kitty around here, because we really need to run along and find-“

“You don’t wanna hang out with us?” Pramapanduranga said, looking hurt. The girl sitting beside him saw his drooping face and suddenly draped herself over him like a blanket.

Noticing the teenagers’ change in mood, Lacey stood up as well, beckoning Artie to brace itself. “We really should get going,” he said, chuckling uneasily.

“You don’t like us?”

“They think we’re stupid…?”

“What about the riddle?”

“Where the hell is the White Castle?”

“Fuck,” Lacey whispered, sneering at Veatrix, who was looking positively petrified. “I’m thinking they’ve taken too much.”

“Do you guys know what happens to people who don’t like us?” Bianca threatened, standing up. Looking very much like a mindless pack, they all followed suit with the standing.

“Motherfucking fucker of fucking,” he cursed, cold sweat gathering at his back. Whispering to Veatrix, he took a step back. “When I say ‘fuck,’ run.”

The peasant teenagers gathered around Veatrix, Lacey and Artie, looking quite vicious. Bianca was leading the slow charge, while Pramapanduranga and Bloog creeped with the rest of them. Heavy breathing came from the group as they closed in on them. Artie shifted from left to right, feeling the tension in the air through its antennae. Following its instincts, the giant cockroach quickly zipped away behind the Veatrix and Lacey, leaving the two of them behind.

“But don’t you always say that-“

“FUCK!”

[Veatrix]

Drenched in sweat and covered in broken twigs, Veatrix, Lacey and Artie the giant cockroach toppled over each other, a tangled mess of legs, arms and insect carapace. The sun was still shining brightly, but dimmed by the dense foliage blanketing Brokenthorn Forest like a mosquito net. The wind was still cool, a fragile pleasure on the skin, making up for the warm afternoon rays that did reach the Forest floor. The three of them burst through a bush, leaving behind a straight trail for anyone to follow them with ease.

“Did we -huff- lose -huff- them?” Veatrix asked, gasping for air.

Lacey, being so young, wasn’t as tired as her, but he took a wonderful deep breath, filling his little lungs with fresh Forest air. “I -huff- think so. I think they gave up a while ago, though.”

All of a sudden, Veatrix shoved Lacey, catching him off guard. “What in the world were you thinking when you went up to those guys?”

“What the fuck,” he complained in between breaths. “Man?”

“Don’t you use those words at me!”

“Uggghhh, whatever. We’re safe now. They were slow runners anyway.”

Hands on her knees, Veatrix took a deep breath as well, desperately trying to satiate her lungs and lower her adrenaline. She glanced over to where Artie landed, laughing internally, for laughing out loud would have required breathing and stomach movement, which wasn’t the best idea for her then. The giant cockroach looked so amusing, as if it was pulled out of a fictional fantasy story. It was lying down on a patch of fresh green grass, motionless, with the occasional jerking movement from its many legs.

“Do you think that thing’s going to be alright?” Veatrix said, pointing at the exhausted Artie.

Lacey knelt down beside the giant cockroach, putting a hand in between the space where the antennae met the head. “He’ll be fine… but do you want to just, you know… go home?”

Veatrix’s whole face shifted at Lacey, silver eyelashes glaring, making her look passably intimidating. “You want to go home?!”

“Well… the kitty can find its way back…,” Lacey began, for the first time looking apologetic.

“We are not going home,” she scolded, waving a motherly finger at him. “Until we find your kitty.” She took a deep breath to clear the air, helping her gain new resolve. “Now, where do we… restart? Kitties are smart, right? Won’t they be close to water… because they want to drink, right?”

Patting Artie one last time, as the giant cockroach got back up on its spindly legs, he smiled genuinely at her. “You’re a fucking dumbass.”

“…I’m taking that as a compliment.” Concentrating, Veatrix noticed that in the background of the Forest, she could hear running water. And it wasn’t far away. Grabbing Lacey’s arm, dragging him into a standing position, she walked towards the source of the sound.

“What the-“

“Don’t you hear the water?” Veatrix led the young boy towards the sound’s direction. Artie happily pranced along beside them, occasionally stopping beside the more debatable brown mounds on the ground. As they came closer to the water, or more specifically, waterfall, another sound filled their eyes with piercing intensity.

“AND AAAAAAAHHHHH EEEEEYAAAHHHAAAAAIII…”

“Oh wow…,” Veatrix said, rubbing her ears as they walked through the foliage, towards the horrible sound.

“Holy fuck,” Lacey said, fully covering his ears, theoretically to keep them from bleeding. Even Artie suffered from the sound, as its antennae curled up unnaturally, its reaction to displeasing elements in the surrounding.

“Maybe there’s a dying animal near the water… or maybe it’s your kitty!”

“WILL ALL-WAYSSS LOOOOOOOOVE YOU HAAAUGGGH HOOUGH HOUOUGH…”

[Veatrix]

As Veatrix and Lacey pushed aside some brush, they saw the awe-inspiring Mountain-Tear Falls, looking as spectacular as the blue afternoon sky. Flora and fauna decorated the Falls, complimenting the majestic water cascading from the geographical masterpiece. The smell of fresh water danced around the area and the air was nice and damp, positively refreshing to the skin. By the shores of the waterfall basin was a bunch of expensive-looking clothes, tailored from the finest of silk and sash, bundled messily into a ball. Looking closer, they saw the source of the ear-splitting noise that scared some of the Forest animals from the Mountain-Tear Falls.

“HOOOO HOOOO HAUUUUGHAIII WILL ALL-WAYSSS LOOOOOOVE YOUUUU…�

Submerged neck deep in the waterfall basin was a simple-faced young woman in her mid-twenties, stark naked as she painfully vocalized in the water. According to her mother and father, singing while the body is immersed water helps strengthen the diaphragm. Desperate to win, or at least be a finalist of the annual Althanas-wide singing competition, and most importantly make her parents immensely proud, the young woman had been practicing in that manner daily.

Not the brightest fish in the sea, she never realized that the reason why she was never attacked by any Brokenthorn Forest predators was because her terrible singing acted as a repellent. For almost a month, she travelled to the Mountain-Tear Falls daily to go on a skinny-dipping, vocal practicing physical medley. Little did she know that not only was singing not the right career choice for her, it would be social suicide to even compete in the contest. Nevertheless, she practiced her lungs out.

Veatrix and Lacey warily walked up to the sands of the basin, wincing at each attempted high note. Even her chest voice was bad, let alone the more difficult head and falsetto voices. Artie suffered the brunt of the sonic attacks, as its antennae curled so close to its head it looked the giant cockroach didn’t even possess them.

“Excuse me!� Veatrix called out, raising a hand to her mouth, hoping that the young woman would hear her through the crash of the waterfall and the dreadful singing. “Excuse me, miss!�

“You’re fucking calling her over?� Lacey complained. “What if she sings?�

Without skipping a beat, Veatrix replied, “Normal people don’t sing at other people.�

“…She doesn’t sound normal to me.�

“Oh shut up.�

Noticing people calling out to her, the young woman waved, smiling gleefully. She had innocent dark brown eyes and unassuming straight black hair, covering her upper body’s unmentionables quite handily. “Hello! Hello! Have you come as an audience?�

Eyes widening, Veatrix and Lacey shouted, “No!�

“No,� Veatrix said, hiding their rudeness, though Lacey didn’t seem to appreciate the effort. “We’re looking for something. We were wondering-“

“Sorry,� the woman said, clearing her throat. She performed some very complex vocal exercises, each more cringe-inducing than the next. Artie seemed to have fainted, as its panicked rapid moving.

“We were just wondering if you’ve seen a kitty pass by…,� Veatrix continued. She gestured at Lacey. “He lost the kitty a couple of hours back, and we think she ran into the forest.�

The woman put a finger to her lip, thinking. But that wasn’t enough for her to concentrate, for she opened her mouth and sang a couple of verses from her song, very much life singing was an extension of her thinking. She looked so dim-witted and distastefully random, standing naked neck-deep in water, but she didn’t seem to care at all.

“My name’s Regine,� she announced with a child-like tone.

“Hi Regine,� Veatrix said, eyes filled with confusion. “This is Lacey and I’m Veatrix. We’re looking for-“

“Is that a beetle?� Regine asked, pointing at the unconscious Artie.

“…No, Regine. That’s a giant cockroach…,� Veatrix sighed.

“His name’s Artie,� Lacey added.

“Oh… do you want to hear me sing?�

Again, the two of them shouted, “No!�

“No,� Veatrix began again, batting her silver eyelashes at Regine, trying to make her feel special. “But we need your help. We need to find a kitty…�

“Oh! A kitty just went by, maybe half an hour ago! It came by the pool, and I said hi to it, and then it started drinking from the pool, and then I said ‘Keep drinking, you cutie pie,’ and then I started to sing for it, because it looked really sad, because its whiskers were all pointing down, and so I sang for it, and then it hissed at me, like it was saying ‘I love your voice,’ and then I said ‘Thanks,’ and then it ran away into the bushes, and then-“

“Wonderful!� Veatrix quickly walked away from the submerged Regine, giving Artie a weak kick as she passed it. “Thank you so much, Regine, for all your help. You’ve been very kind.�

“Yeah…,� Lacey smiled sarcastically. “You’ve been great.�

“And you sing so well...�

A huge, genuine smile painted Regine’s simple face, brighten the day even more. “Thank you so much!�

As Veatrix walked away, trying to get as far away from the sound of terrible vocalizing, she waved pitifully at her. Lacey had taken upon the role of giant cockroach caretaker by dragging Artie by his hairy legs. With one last happy look, Regine went back to her practicing, opening her mouth to let the complex vocalizations run free, unfortunate for the rest of the Forest.

“That was the most terrible thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life.�

“Holy fucking fucker, Veatrix. Just… holy fuck,� Lacey said, shaking his head. “We are never following your instincts ever again.�

[Veatrix]

“She pointed at this direction,� Veatrix said, aimlessly walking through the vast Brokenthorn Forest. “I think.�

“You think? We’ve been walking for over a fucking hour,� Lacey complained as he rode Artie, who was happy that it was receiving so much attention.

She shushed him, aggravated at his continuous whining as she pushed leaves and twigs blocking her view of the Forest floor. Artie, yet again, skittered up to a questionable mound of dirt somewhere in the brush, while Lacey looked on, authentically interested in the giant cockroach’s endeavours for food. Looking up to the sky, Veatrix figured it was probably early on in the afternoon. Not much time had passed since they entered the Forest, which was strange, since all their adventures felt like it lasted for days.

“We’d better find your kitty soon… I want to get back before dark.�

“If only we hadn’t taken that left turn…,� Lacey began, jeering her.

“Oh, quit complaining! It’s not as if you were any help!�

“But at least I didn’t ask that dumbass for directions! Oh… do you want me to sing,� he said in a shockingly accurate mocking voice.

Tiring of his continuous talking, she simply blocked his voice out, like she was wearing earplug exclusively to be used around annoying little boys. Doing a mental summarization of the day’s events, Veatrix chuckled to herself quietly. Taming a giant cockroach that consistently sniffed around brown lumps, running into peasant teenagers in their drug-induced hostility and hearing a woman submerged neck-deep in water vocalizing badly. What a day, she thought. And after we find this kitty, I’m going back to the inn for a nice long nap.

“And when she started to sing, it was terrible, and those guys trying to kill us-“

“Be quiet! I think I hear something!�

Startling her out of her thoughts, Veatrix saw the bushes in front of her rustle violently. Lacey heard the rustling too, directing Artie away from what turned out to be a brown mound of cat feces. Putting a finger to her lips, she pointed at where the movement was as she tiptoed quietly to where Artie and Lacey were standing.

“Did you see that?� she whispered.

“No, but I heard it.�

Sensing something amiss, Artie waved its antennae wildly. Kicking back that it almost stood up on its hind legs, Lacey fell on his back.

“You stupid fucker,� he scolded. “What the hell’s wrong with you?�

Artie’s antennae curled.

The bushes rustled again, this time harder and more visibly than the last time. But it wasn’t just the bushes rustling. Trees around the bush shook, leaves falling down like dead hair. The two of them noticed a couple of rabbits hop away from the scene, looking terrified. Artie, curling its long and spindly antennae, began running around in panic, bumping into trees and walking over flowers. Looking closer through the brush, Veatrix and Lacey saw the kitty.

“Uh oh.�

[Veatrix]

“Why didn’t you tell me Rupinder was ten feet tall?�

Veatrix and Lacey looked up at the very ordinary tabby cat. Simple dirty grey-black fur, simple hazel eyes, nothing particularly amazing about the adorable thing, except for the fact that it was extraordinarily large. It towered over them, looming much like a very angry predator, almost reaching the treetops and covering most of the sunlight. Artie cowered in its presence, hiding behind Lacey’s legs, quivering.

“Yeah… Rupinder wasn’t this big when I found her,� he said, dumb-founded by the gigantic house pet.

“Oh. Well,� she replied, letting go of a smidge of worry. “That means she’s still tame, right?�

Rupinder looked threatened by the sudden appearance of three complete strangers, as the hairs on her back were slowly rising up, a cat’s natural response to danger. A deadening silence filled the Forest, as both parties seemed fairly uncertain about a fight. The tension in the air was so thick, a butter knife would be able to simply cut through it.

Veatrix, being the more optimistic of the two, bravely took a step forward, reaching out a slender hand. “Hey Rupin-“

The giant cat hissed cruelly, arching her back with fur raised to the full, while taking on a sideways feline fighting stance. She bared her sharp, knife-like fangs at them in an attempt to scare them away. And to top everything off, Rupinder swiped at the air in front of her with an oversized paw. Withdrawing her hand almost immediately, Veatrix fell back in surprise.

“Fuck.�

“Hey… you swore!� Lacey pointed out, eyes still glued to the ready-to-strike Rupinder.

“Yeah, well, she’s not tame after all.� Standing up very slowly, Veatrix cooed and wooed the threatened cat. “Don’t worry kitty… we won’t hurt.�

Another swipe.

“Come on… don’t you remember Lacey-“

Swipe.

Stupidly and instinctively, Artie ran straight towards Rupinder, antennae curled and hairy legs scurrying like it had never scurried before. Looking both terrified and valiant, Artie charged at the towering feline, in an attempt to protect its friends. A two feet tall giant cockroach versus a ten feet tall giant cat. Doing the math in his head, Lacey foolishly rushed forward to save his insectoid companion.

“No, Artie!�

With one strong swipe, Artie flew to the side from the sheer force of Rupinder’s, crashing against a tree. Twigs and leaves rained down from the tree, decorating the giant cockroach’s thick, pale underside with fallen foliage. Hurrying to its side, Lacey immediately went to care for the unconscious roach. Rupinder let out a long and deafening screech, a battle cry, at the flabbergasted Veatrix, who was standing motionlessly right in front of the cat.

Suddenly, Rupinder slowly began to creep towards Lacey and Artie, looking just a little peckish. One paw at a time, it made its way towards the two vulnerable ones, a predator hungry for something small and tasty to munch on. Staying low to the ground, an effort to keep itself hidden despite its size, Veatrix gasped at a realization. The cat was hunting.

Lacey noticed it too, as he nursed the poor Artie back to consciousness. “Do something, Veatrix!�

Startled, Rupinder lunged, claws and fangs bared, ready to sink into flesh. The young boy raised his arm in feeble defense, hoping for some salvation from a death by giant cat.

“PROTEGO!�

Magical barrier taking effect almost immediately, Rupinder bounced comically off the shield, a puzzled and aggravated look on its face. Pawing at the invisible wall keep it from two prospective snacks, Rupinder looked mystified. Even Lacey looked bewildered, as he had never before seen magic, let alone be protected by it. Sitting beside the giant cockroach, he turned to Veatrix. Struggling for breath, Veatrix had a hand extended, finger curled into a claw, to keep the barrier up, sweat gathering at her brow as the magical energy took its toll on her frail physical frame.

“Awesome!� he said, deeply impressed by the display of power, albeit weak.

“I can’t hold the wall for long! When I say so, run!�

“But-“

Letting the barrier go, she screamed, “RUN!�

Gathering the unconscious cockroach in his meagre arms, Lacey towards Veatrix as quick as his legs could carry him. Without even a glance at her, he ran past her, deathly afraid for himself, Artie and what might happen to Veatrix once he left her alone with the giant cat.

“Good luck!�

Rupinder the cat snarled at Veatrix, turning to her as its source of stomach satisfaction. Again with the swiping, hissing and snarling, Rupinder circled her, hunting her. The leaves blew as the wind picked up its speed, while the sun, though still shining brightly, was dimmed under the dense foliage. And the shadow of the cat was enough to block out light. The perfect hunting conditions for a very feisty feline.

Leaning its hind legs back, the giant cat pounced for Veatrix.

Raising her hand again, despite her power waning, she bellowed, “PROTEGO!�

Deflecting the enormous feline effectively, it landed squarely on its four feet. Preparing for another attack, Veatrix persisted with the invisible shield, as Rupinder lunged again, trying to bring down the wall. Three more times it attacked Veatrix, tackling the shield until it became weaker and weaker. When she couldn’t suppress her powers anymore, she brought down the shield and bolted to where Lacey ran while the cat was recovering from the last of its deflected attacks.

Veatrix Bane dashed through the Forest as fast as she could, which was not very fast, since her cow hide shoes began tearing the seams. Not once did she look back, but she could vividly hear Rupinder crashing through the trees. As fast as her thin legs could carry her, she ran. Despite the pain in her legs, despite the amount of power that was drained from her performing her spells and despite the primal fear coursing through her veins, she far.

“ILLUMINA!� She shot a pure ball of hot light at the cat, missing terribly. Again and again she tried to hit her pursuer, but she missed each time. All her energy began to drain and as her legs slowed down and black spots began appearing before her eyes, she smashed into the Forest floor head first.

The force of her fall made her slide across the ground painfully, her face grinding against the soil, pebbles and twigs. Blood poured out of a painful-looking wound on her temple, where she hit a sharp stone, as Veatrix drifted in and out of consciousness. She tried to get up, forcing her arms to work, but the heavy form of the cat was on her back, teeth bared and ready to bite.

And then Rupinder the cat fell off her back, howling madly. It scratched at its throat, like it was desperate for some air, and screeched loudly, making the birds in the treetops fly away in surprise. The feline convulsed wildly, jerking around the ground in searing pain. It then began couching loudly, with its claws punching its throat and mouth, as if trying to dislodge something from its wind pipe. Blood and bits of vomit shot out from the cat’s mouth, some of it splattering on to Veatrix’s still form. Finally, a spotted mushroom the size of a person’s hand was forced out of its mouth.

And as if it was all just a dream, Veatrix blinked and the cat was small. It couldn’t even be called a cat – it was a kitty.

[Veatrix]

Damn, is she dead?

What…? Luc Kraus is dead…?

Oh no… what are we gonna do?!

I thought I was going to kill him after I caught him…

Should we bury the body…?
…………………………………………†¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦

“Who’s ‘zare?�

“HOLY PURPLE PUSSIES!�

Veatrix stirred from her unconsciousness, putting her hand to her face to rub the dirt from her eyes. Everything was blurry and dim, and she could feel small twigs and stones stuck to her face. She also felt lots of dried blood, and in fact, it covered most of her face. The wound near her temple was still bleeding, but not as profusely as before, and she realized that it had been nothing more than a scratch on the surface of her skin. It was just scratched enough to let the blood flow freely.

“YOU’RE ALIVE!� Lacey shouted, tackling her back to the ground. Veatrix’s head throbbed with pain at the sound and the force of his hug, though the feeling of his beating body against hers was a warm welcome from the cool of the Forest floor.

“What happened…,� she began groggily.

“The giant cat became a kitty again, and Artie woke up and started feeling for life in your body, and then the kitty tried to bite off Artie’s antennae, so I kicked it away, and then you started waking up, but before that the mushroom came out of its mouth and I think-“

“Okay, Lacey,� she said, pushing him off of her as she tried to sit up. “Calm down… now,� she sucked in a heavy breath. “What happened?�

“The kitty ate a grow-mushroom,� he explained, gesturing to the adorable kitten bothering Artie, who was lying down contentedly in the shadow of the trees. “It made her huge… but she coughed it out, so she became small again. Then I found you!�

“Hmmm… as if today couldn’t get any weirder. How’s the cockroach?�

“He’s fine… a bit bruised, but it makes him looking tough, like he went through a battle!�

Glancing at the giant cockroach, she smiled. “If you says so.�

Lacey looked really strange, and without thought, he bawled, “I really thought you were dead!�

He hugged her again, and this time, she hugged back. An immense wave of affection came over her, an emotion she hadn’t felt in a very long while. She felt… secure, protected, safe in the arms of this strange little boy. And to think, she didn’t even know his last name, nor did she know anything about him, or his family or where he came from. All she knew was she was safe with him, and him with her. At that moment, she felt that her hopes in finding her place in the world would be an adventure much easier accomplished.

Wiping some of the dried blood of her face, Veatrix piped cheerfully, despite the throbbing pain. “Alright… no more hugging, it’s getting too cheesy!�

Lacey let go almost immediately, looking perturbed. “Whatever, let’s just get out of here… Papa might be looking for me.�

Standing up, a little woozy and clumsy, Veatrix and Lacey walked out of the Forest, into the dimming Scara Brae sunlight. Artie trialed behind them, determined to follow them even into the city, while Rupinder the ex-giant cat pounced in front of the giant cockroach, trying to catch one of its waving antennae. It was late afternoon when they came out of the Brokenthorn Forest, into the outskirts of Scara Brae City. They could see the Valeena Family Castle flaunting its impeccable natural beauty in the distance.

For a party of four, they looked quite mismatched – a bloodied young woman with strange silver eyelashes, a haggard-looking boy, a bruised giant cockroach and a very normal kitten, all headed home.

[Veatrix]

“Hey, Papa! What’s for dinner?” the young boy hollered as they came up to a closed door.

“How can he hear you?” Veatrix asked. “The door’s closed.”

“Beef Stew, Lacey!” A voice called out from the house.

“Forget I asked.”

A warm-looking man opened the door to the young boy’s home, greeting them with a paternal smile. Like his son, the man had messy shoulder-length brown hair, squirrel-y cheeks and expressive green eyes. He rustled his son’s messy hair and pulled him in closer into a strong hug. Looking past the familial scene before her, Veatrix spotted a large pot on the stove, presumably the family’s dinner. The delightful smell of stewed beef and vegetables wafted through the air, tickling her senses.

“Lacey, who’re your friends?”

“I met her,” he pointed at Veatrix, “here. I found Artie-“

Lacey’s father’s eyes opened in mild shock. “A giant cockroach? I thought the stories I told you were only stories…”

“Well, you were wrong, Papa. I found him in the Forest. And the kitty, I found her outside our house.”

Looking at the four of them, he grinned happily, not taken aback but the randomness of the gathering. “That’s quite a party you’ve got going on there, Lacey,” he declared jovially. Clapping his hands together, he gestured them all inside. “Come in, you guys can have some supper. I’m Llewelyn, by the way.”

Taking the brutish hand he offered, Veatrix smiled pleasantly. “My name’s Veatrix Bane. Very nice meeting you, sir.”

“Sir?” Llewelyn laughed heartily, a laugh full of joy and satisfaction. “Call me Llewelyn, young lady! I can’t look that old!”

Veatrix and Lacey followed Llewelyn into the comfortable house while Artie pranced along, with Rupinder adorably sitting on the giant cockroach’s back. It was a simple home, with the kitchen, living room and dining room all meshed easily in one large space on the ground floor. A narrow spiral staircase led to the second floor, where Lacey and Llewelyn shared a room. Though it wasn’t much, Veatrix was at ease, sitting politely on the lumpy coach. Llewelyn shuffled through the house, acting as both mother by feeding his son and father by teaching him standard manners on how to eat with guests around. He offered her a hot bowl of the stew, chunks of beef and vegetables floating around it delectably.

“Thank you, sir… I mean, Llewelyn,” she corrected, as he gave her a teasing look. “And if you don’t mind me asking… how long have you had Rupinder here?

Silence.

Lacey’s head shot up from his bowl of soup, his hair bouncing. Eyes wide and mouth open, he looked silly and childish.

Silence.

In the fatherliest tone she had heard in a while, Llewelyn turned to his son. “Lacey… what have you been telling this young lady?”

Silence.

“Ummm… that Rupinder was my cat and we had to go look for her…?”

Silence.

Like it wasn’t anything new, Llewelyn apologized profusely for the actions of his son. “I’m terribly sorry for all the trouble you’ve been through. You see… Lacey’s quite the pathological liar. He always brings home animals he’s found on the street or in the woods, and I guess you fell for his inappropriate act.”

Silence.

“So you’ve never had…,” she said, her voice dropping to a cold-as-ice tone. “Why you!”

fin.

[Breaker]

The Long Day (In Search of Kitties)
Quest Judgement

Since you wrote this before I judged your other quest, a lot of the comments from 'Into the Wild' apply here as well. Because of that, I'm going to keep this short and only point out new things.

STORY

Continuity ~ 5/10. You gave some backstory, but I think it would have confused me if I hadn't read 'Into the Wild'. Remember to situate the thread in your characters storyline, and tell me why your character is where she is, doing what she's doing. Also, keep in mind that there's a definite difference between a funny storyline and a sequence of random events.

Setting ~ 6/10. The setting was good at times, but (particularly in the forest) at times it fell a little flat. Be sure to point out details that will make your setting interesting and original. Also, don't forget you have five senses to work with. You brought in touch, taste and smell a bit, but this thread was largely dominated by sight and the occasional touch.

Pacing ~ 4/10. This thread lacked tension, comic or otherwise. There didn't seem to be any conflict that wasn't immediately resolved. Conflict can give a great boost to comedy-- watch some Monty Python if you need examples. Also, the events just seemed overly random. It's a lot funnier for a character to be forced into a ridiculous situation through a seemingly normal sequence of events than it is if they're just, you know, walking around the forest and finding silly things.

CHARACTER

Dialogue ~ 5/10. The dialogue was pretty consistent and true to the characters, but it never really shone. There was a kid who swore a lot, but to be honest I got tired of reading 'fuck' over and over again. Most of my dialogue comments from 'Into the Wild' apply strongly here, so take another look at them. If you need inspiration for really great comedic dialogue, I recommend watching a few Kevin Smith movies.

Action ~ 5/10. I just couldn't get into the action of this thread. Some things seemed completely out of character-- like how Veatrix led a young boy she just met into the woods. For a moment I wondered if she was turning into the Beekeeper. The biggest action sequence was the cat attack, and yet most of that was just "the cat swiped." To improve, focus on showing, not telling. Things such as "she ran in random directions", "they sounded borderline insane", "bounced comically off the shield", and "looking terrified and valiant", should really be described better. Exactly how does a cockroach look terrified and valiant? What was comical about how the cat bounced off the wall? This ties into techniqe, but a few active metaphors could really help your action.

Persona ~ 4/10. You didn't give me much until the last couple posts here. Even then, it felt forced. Veatrix suddenly feels a wave of compassion... why? Because she hit her head? There was potential, but you missed most of the oppurtunities. On several occasions you pointed out a "mother-son" or "sister-brother" -like relationship between Veatrix and Lacey. It might have been better to just pick one of the archetypes and go with it. As in action, you did too much telling and not enough showing. Every time you pointed out how weird the day was, it alienated me a little more from the characters and the thread.

WRITING STYLE

Technique ~ 6/10. I caught allusions to Harold and Kumar, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, and several others that are slipping my mind right now. While these amused me, you need to be careful; there's a fine line between alluding to something and copying it. When you use metaphor and simile, it's very good, but use them more often. A couple of humorous comparisons could have really helped the comedy. Also, if you're looking for humor, try hyperbole. A well placed exaggeration could have really fleshed out the bizarre day.

Mechanics ~ 7/10. Partially because of the non-complex posts, I found fewer errors here than Into the Wild. Most of them are verb confusion and typos that a spellcheck won't catch. Again, reading out loud to yourself will nail these things down.

Clarity ~ 7/10. For the most part, this read well. A few times I lost track of who was talking, or exactly what was going on, but I coverred that in Action and Dialogue. Overall, you write well and I enjoy reading your work.

MISCELLANEOUS

Wild Card ~ 7/10. A good wild card score for a good effort, and for mentioning chest voice, head voice, and falsetto. Girls actually have like 6 or 7 different ranges in their voice, but I can't remember them. Also... Scarijuana? :p

TOTAL ~ 56/100. Significantly lower than your last score, but don't let it discourage you. You've got loads of potential, you just need to refine it a bit and play to your strengths.

EXP and GP Rewards

Veatrix receives 600 EXP and 140 GP

Other Rewards

In thanks for taking care of his son all day, Llewelyn gives Veatrix a pair of purple fuzzy earmuffs and a bar of lavender soap.

[Zook Murnig]

EXP/GP added!