GLoG 91

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

Isaac smiles and very gently picks Iknika up, holding her up very protectively on one shoulder, a hand ready to catch her in case he slips. Their combined height should give her quite a sight, especially as he walks over to a break where they can look over the lake and the smaller trees.
"Well? What do you think of it up here?" he asks her.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

"Whoa. Is that how tall people feel all the time?" Iknika asks. "Just... looking down at things, not up, is weird."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"Yeah, pretty much." Isaac tells Iknika to answer her question.
"Do you get why I kind of like being able to be big now? " he asks her.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

"Yeah, I do," the goblin says, looking around. "I don't think I'd like to be big all the time, but... getting big now and again wouldn't hurt. Just not often enough to start hitting my head on things."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

Isaac laughs.
"Well, maybe we'll see what I can whip up, if you are interested after all." he tells her, ideas bubbling into his brain. Well, if this is what convinced her maybe he ought to go for more than he was thinking. Shouldn't be too hard...

[Ashen Lilies]

[Island Center]

Cassandra sighs as she detects the powerful magic suddenly coming from the island center. As long as the two had been content to fight each other, she had been perfectly fine with just letting them be, provided their fight didn't extend past the island. Since things seem to be escalating, she feels some obligation to go over and make sure the camp is safe.

She quickly weaves a spell, then after a running start leaps on to the lake, a thin golden ripple spreading about her landing point, her minor enchantment preventing her from breaking the water's surface, if only for long enough to take the next stride. Her next spell is cast midstride, extending her steps to twice, three times, and then five times normal gait, until she's bounding across the lake towards the island, skimming the surface like a stone cast across, leaving faint ripples of light in her wake.

She takes her last jump on to the island's shore, tumbling to blunt the speed of her approach, and immediately dismisses both the spells on her, replacing them with a wispy cloak of shadows as she approaches the fight. The cloak won't stand up to any scrutiny whatsoever - a pure invisibility spell would be eminently detectable by magic without the time Cass would need to take to create a double concealment to make both her and her magic undetectable, but in between the trees and amidst the chaos, the shadows should make her fairly unobtrusive by both sight and magical detection as she looks for a closer way in.

[Zefir]

[Island Center - Lake]

The namless guy was rowing over the lake slowly, btu then he spots Cassandra. He is so suprised that he makes now move until the woman disapears on the island.

"Hell yeah I'm lucky. "he says louder then he would like, ehich might draw someones attention. "This one sure must be a summoning."

With new vigor he starts rowing again, faster then befor to reach the island. There he just jumps out and heads for the center. He doesn't really hide himself unless he can see them fighting.

[Murkus]

[Island Center]

There's a snap, and the King's carver is suddenly caught in place, his hand and the hilt coated in frozen godsblood. "Rather lovely," he does mutter feverishly, his breath coming out in great cold clouds.

The latter portions of the Scion's spellwork nearly succeed. Could the ice have penetrated the buzzard king's armor, he might have been impaled... but it seems that won't yet be tested today. With a shriek fit only for the insane and the woken dead, the King pulls... and pulls, and wrenches himself free, skipping or skittering backwards with that same shocking agility. The first and then furthest ice-spikes extend just before his helm, the tip nearly touching, but he is away before they can harm him. The sound of his armor rattling as he moves is tremendous, dwarved only by his feet and hand pounding the dirt.

"Magic," the filthy, reeking colossus-knight scoffs. "Too slow. Too slow for me." The feathers between the crevices in his armor bristle and shake, sprinkling flakes of frost on the wrent soil. Well, that wasn't wholly true... if he hadn't noticed the tendrils of chilly energy entering the earth, he might not have been able to guess her intent.

And that said, he leaps frog-like away from the wounded Empress and the newcomer Anchor. He hasn't noticed Cassandra, or at least, not yet... though he might just smell her coming. With one leap, one huge, terrifying movement, he crashes down beside his missing piece. His landing creates an eruption of turf, and before the debris has even finished peppering the ground, he has his forearm in hand and pressed to it's oozing stump.

[Recaiden]

The blade is not truly heavily enchanted. Lightly magical, the bare minimum needed to pierce the protections of certain devils and monsters.

"Wh-"
Whatever Anchor wanted to say is lost in the need to lean and dodge to get away from those spikes. Once again she finds herself giving thanks that she is a fairly small person. She's left leaning slightly, half-crouched, with an ice-spike behind her, having pierced through her cape, pressing into her back. Another in front of her, and a pair on either side, turned as she is there's just the space for her to fit nicely between them.
"Wow." She discards the sword - not enough, not nearly enough - which when it falls from her grip slips back into the shadows of the spikes. Just a trick of the light, isn't it? Wasn't it all along? Then, as she unclasps the torn cape - can't have it holding her in place, now - she tries to repeat the Empress's Words, second and third, that brought this all-too-slippery field into being. Of course, they weren't spoken to be heard, and her pronunciation would be questionable in the best of times. Nothing happens.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

"It is tempting now," Iknika says. "And what kind of knight is afraid to take risks, right? If I'm going to face down knaves and dragons, I can drink a potion."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"That's the spirit!" Isaac cheers, leaning his head towards her to give his best hug that he can manage while she's on his shoulder.
"Unfortunately flavoring polymorph potions can usually compromise the results, so it'll be nasty. But that should be the worst of it." he assures her.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

"A knight isn't going to worry about a bad-tasting potion," Iknika declares, with force. "And if you ever need something beaten up, you can count on me."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"I'll trumpet if I need ya." Isaac says with a chuckle, lowering her a bit so he can give her a more sincere hug before putting her down. He doesn't have lips so he can't sneak a kiss on her cheek, though he thought about it.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

It's hard to say how Iknika would have reacted to that. The two youths keep walking for a while, most likely.

[Cyber Punk]

[Nisha and Natalie Go Chipping]
@Earl Of Purple

Another wonderful day has arrived, full of joy, promise and possibilities. For a certain African ninja girl who goes by Nisha in this planet known as the Nexus, it is even more so, both literally and figuratively speaking. Why wouldn't it be? Her girlfriend of one year, Natalie, has promised her a date treat. She can't help but chuckle as she thinks that she must be doing something right!

Which is why she's going over everything at least thrice, to ensure that everything is where it should be on her person: from her knee-high black skirt, grey and white chequered short-sleeved blouse, well-trimmed hair, black socks and functional shoes; to her hidden storage disc of holding that holds a few weapons for emergencies. And lest we forget, Mr. Dark in sleeping teddy bear form, attached to a keyring on her waist. She has to look stunning for her Talie, after all!

When she's finally satisfied with her appearance, Nisha surveys her tidy cabin, breathing in the air. Hard to believe that she's been here for a year already, with all its ups and downs! Meeting and dating Natalie, meeting Asher and getting Cheasadh to play nice with him (at least before he left with his Momma)... So many memories built, with more to come, especially with Asher's return, his stutter all but completely gone. Didn't he say he was 8 now? Or 5-equivalent, as she's taken to calling it.

Wordlessly, Nisha turns away from the room and shuts the front door of her forest cabin, choosing to continue her reminiscing while sitting on the front steps, her chin on her hands, and waiting for her Talie.

[Earl of Purple]

Going to the Chippy

Natalie is along shortly afterwards, walking towards her girlfriend with a smile on her face.

She's a tall slender, fourteen-year-old (as I missed her birthday during my hiatus) girl with black hair spilling half way down her back, and tanned skin. Her bright green eyes are sparkling happily, and her smile is warm. She's wearing a knee-length green sleeveless dress, a light blue cardigan hanging open over the top. Her feet are, unusually, in shoes; black trainers, quite shiny and new. Slung over her back is her battered, faded red rucksack; she's refused several times to replace it. She's put on lipstick, a bit too much, and green eyeliner. She doesn't wear make-up often, and she still hasn't bothered with a lot.

When she's arrived at Nisha's cabin, she ducks into a brief, elegant curtsy, smiling widely. "Hello, Nisha. You ready for a taste of my homeland?"

[Cyber Punk]

Going to the Chippy

Nisha is just starting to make plans to visit Asher with her girlfriend when her silver eyes, surrounded by black sclera, itself capped by an eyelid painted in some light purple eyeliner, focuses on the approaching beauty in front of her. Her eyes scan Natalie from top to bottom, taking in everything about her, especially the new shoes she is sporting, evidenced by their shininess.

"Talie!" She exclaims as she gets up, disappearing in a puff of back smoke and materializing in a standing position. With a smile, she curtsies as well, her attempt not as graceful as her pale-skinned beauty. All righteousness fulfilled, she advances upon her lover and pulls her into a big hug. "You look wonderful, as always. Let's share that lipstick, shall we?" She says in a tone of voice that indicates that she's only half-teasing.

"It's all I thought about last night." Nisha replies to Natalie's question, her silvery eyes twinkling. "And the fact that Asher's back! He arrived last night with his mum, but nephilim still require sleep! We should go and see him after our date." She suggests, puckering her lips in a kissy position in a silent request for a small kiss.

[Earl of Purple]

Chippy Quest

Natalie goes barefoot often enough that she could have had the shoes for a while, and just not worn them.

Natalie's eager to hug her girlfriend back. "Oh, I'm nowhere near as pretty as you, Nisha. You look lovely." The comment on sharing the lipstick is met with a grin, but no reply. "We could, yes... But I wanted this to be just us, Nisha." Meaning whilst she'd like to greet Asher and his mother, she was not intending on sharing Nisha today, even with adorable angel-boys. After she's spoken, she leans in to answer Nisha's puckered lips with her own, puckered lips with a gentle kiss.

[Cyber Punk]

Chippy Chippy Chippy

"You flatterer!" Nisha retorts with her smile, formerly reserved only for Natalie. While the smile doesn't quite reach her eyes, as the expression goes, the pure joy she derives from being with her British ladylove is evident in her whole facial expression.

The black girl closes her eyes as she is kissed, humming in satisfaction when their lips separate, no doubt colouring the fourteen-year old's lips with a bit of lipstick. "I guess that's a yes to sharing lipstick." She replies, smiling. She then nods seriously, fully understanding Natalie's sentiment. "I understand, Talie. Just you and I, no kids tagging along." She says, remembering the last time Asher tagged along for their valentine's day ice cream date. Adorable as he may be, some things are best done alone.

"So, tell me about chipping."

[Earl of Purple]

To the Chippy

"Well, for one, it's not chipping. We're going to a fish and chip shop, also known as a chippy. They serve battered fish and chips- not the thin French Fries found in fast food outlets, but proper thick-cut chips. It's going to be greasy, and it isn't very healthy. They also do sausage, which may or may not be battered, and it's served in newspaper. Two-pronged wooden forks are optional; you can use fingers. Anything else?" Natalie's not sure what else to say, but mostly because I've run out of pertinent information.

Natalie will try to take Nisha's hand, ready to walk off, but doesn't start to move yet.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

As spring comes back to the campsite, a certain little woblin is out on the grass. He seems to be chasing his spirit weasel friend around, under Reelshka's cautious supervision. Tuskfang is certainly growing quickly, and he's doing a better job catching the ephemeral weasel now. He runs back to his mother to brag about capturing Bouncy whenever he does. The spirit doesn't seem to mind, and might even be letting itself be caught to encourage him.

[Cyber Punk]

[Chippy Date]

((I know the Nexus focuses a lot on 'attempts', but do you really think Nisha won't let Natalie hold her hand, outside of combat situations or a quarrel? Let her reach for the hand. If she somehow misses, I'll let you know.))

Nisha listens attentively, nodding at intervals to show that she's indeed listening, as Natalie explains all about this food of her homeland. At the same time, using just enough brainpower to not distract her from the discussion at hand, she wonders what taste of her own homeland she can show her girlfriend, and not just something that came about when Africa and Asia merged to become Africasia. No, something purely of her homeland, before it was called New Nigeria.

Unhealthy meals? She can do that. Burning the calories are an exercise regimen away, or a focused meditation routine, whichever she feels like doing then. At the mention of newspapers, Nisha's mind gets made up. A food made on an open fire, greasy, with newspaper wrappings? She's got just the thing!

"Nothing else, babe." Nisha replies as her hand is taken, with her beginning the walk away from her secured cabin. "After we're done with the chippy, I got somewhere to take you, as well. You reminded me with the newspapers, it's native to my tribe in my country. It's called suya. Remind me when we're done, babe." She replies excitedly, eager to have a taste of her girlfriend's homeland, and also return the favour.

[Ironoak Cabin]

A certain winged nephilim, often confused for an angel boy, is very excited this morning. He's returned to the Nexus after roughly 2 years, and is exceedingly eager to see all of his friends again in GLoG. His momma had wanted to land in somewhere different, but he'd insisted on GLoG, knowing he'd get to see friends like Tuskfang again, and create more memories to tell his mates back at home. Unfortunately he was asleep by the time they'd started their instantaneous trip.

Today, though, faced with the entirety of GLoG from their cabin, Asher finds he doesn't know where to start! That is the extent of his excitement. There's the little woblin and his friends, the little gnome, the spirit animal, the little pokemon, and all the rest, waiting for him after his one-year (to others) absence from the campgrounds.

So what does Asher do? The slightly taller boy takes off the ground, his light purple wings generating breeze with each flap, his eyes eagerly scanning the ground until his efforts are rewarded.

"Tus'fang!" Asher exclaims, hastily flying towards his friend and his mother, his hair rustling in the wind and his heart swelling with joy each passing moment. One moment he lands softly on the grass, the other moment he's running towards the now-younger boy, his arms outstretched, momentarily disregarding the fact that a boy who was once his agemate is now a year younger than him, appearance wise. In reality, he's always been older, going from 5 to 7 years.

[Earl of Purple]

Chippy Date

((Mostly? It's habit, and my fingers doing it automatically. I hadn't even realised the 'tries' was there.))

"Suya, OK. But, um, I was planning on filling myself with fish and chips, so maybe not immediately afterwards." It's a very filling meal. Natalie smiles, and will try to lead Nisha to the fish and chips shop! Which is probably in Inside, making my third scene there.

[Deathkeeper]

Ironoak, Another Time

Some days after his initial visit, Isaac comes to visit, wearing a small satchel over his usual jeans and shirt. He's also carrying an umbrella, because it was raining in the city, but not here.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

((Ah, crap. I missed this post. I'm sorry.))

Tuskfang stops when he spots someone running towards him. He's uncertain at first, but then he recognizes his smell.

"Asher?" he squeaks. "Izzat you?"

Reelshka gets up and walks towards him a little.

"Yes, Tuskfang, it's Asher."

[Ironoak, Another Time]

Iknika doesn't appear to be there. Nor do the cabin's main occupants -Reelshka, Pathfinder and Tuskfang. One person does sit on the porch, though. A very small goblin with pale grey skin, big orange eyes and brown hair. She's playing drums idly. The family resemblance to Iknika is clear. She peers at Isaac.

"Hi! You're Iknika's new friend, aren't you?"

[Deathkeeper]

Ironoak, Another Time

Isaac leans down to smile at the little one.
"Yeah, you must be her cousin Brinika. Is she here right now?" he asks her. She did say that Brinika was very small.

[Morty]

[Ironoak, Another Time]

Brinika shakes her head.

"She's not. She's back home in Underside. Your name's Isaac, right? She told me about you." After a lot of prodding and asking, but she won't say that. "Do you really turn into a big elephant person when you're hurt?"

[Deathkeeper]

Ironoak, Another Time

"Yeah, I do. Or stressed, or scared. It's kind of easy to make it happen, honestly." Isaac admits, scratching his jaw as he considers it.

[Morty]

[Ironoak, Another Time]

"That sounds really inconvenient," Iknika says. "She sounded pretty impressed, though."

[Deathkeeper]

Ironoak, Another Time

Isaac smiles. "Well, that's good! Let me know if you wanna see it. I can show you if you want." he offers.