yochva

L'kaira glared at Evangeline; Evangeline glared right back without flinching. **No.** "Yes, thou will." **No, I won't.** "Yes, thou - oh for heaven's sake! Whyever NOT?" **Because you were the one to sign me up and you did not ask ME, and I do not DO this sort of thing.** L'kaira was dangerously calm about the matter. Evangeline sighed. "Look, the worst that can happen is the no one will bid for thee. 'Tis not such a bad fate, from thy point of view!" L'kaira glared again, then sighed explosively and went on stage, flinging the curtain angrily out of her way as she passed it. Her hair laid docilely behind her ears and down her back, flat and shining dark purple. The purple chain at her waist glinted in the spotlights, against the backdrop of her straight black skirt and white shirt. She reached the end of the catwalk in what seemed like five strides and stood there, glaring at all the men in the seats. Then she put her hands on her hips and began in Broadcast MindSpeech, so that everyone - no matter if they were Gifted or not - could hear. **My name is L'kaira dae Frendsul. I am not human. I'm the strongest telepath I've ever met - you can't lie to me. I don't want to do this, Evangeline put me up to it, but I can promise that any man who bids on me - ** she said bid as if it were a dirty word ** - that it will not be what you expect.** She surveyed the massed men again, the lifted herself up and simply carried herself through the air back to the curtain - why walk when she didn't have to? - as Evangeline shook her head in despair. {{Here - http://www.patrickdurham.net/themightypen/index.php?s=&s...ndpost&p=114589 - is the link to my first IC post, in which L'kaira's outfit is described in more detail. Please go to the sixth paragraph and read that!}}

Wow! Thank you! That's so cool, I didn't even think about anagraming my name! Uh, so what does this mean, now?

Hmmm... *strokes chin thoughtfully* I'll have to think about the punctuation. I don't usually like putting unecessary marks in my poems, but you might be right. I'm glad you like my name, I like it too! ^__~

Thanks for reviving this, Mai! Say something! What did you feel when you read it? Did it flow easily? Did anything seem out of place? Here's version 1.3 - I changed one of the words in the last verse. Leaves blow dryly Wind whistles through the chicken wire A trashcan topples over Echoes rebound from the rusted benches The padlock is smashed The gates creak wearily on broken hinges Voices whisper on the empty air Memories live in the hearts of the past.

Yup! It's a tiny keychain pocketknife. Good job!

This would be best followed by holding your hands open and relaxed in front of you, preferably hidden, and with your eyes slightly unfocused. Watch the object appear in your hands, but don't LOOK at your hands. Read the words and feel the sensations on your fingertips. Begin. The object you feel when you stick your hands in the box is small. The solid part of it is only about 1 and 3/4 inches long (roughly 4.5cm), with a chain of some sort attached to one side. It's thin, and squat, and long for its dimentions. As you run your fingers over and around it, you find that it's smooth on one long narrow side, rounded on the ends, and there's a strange bump on the other long side. You explore it with your fingernails, picking at it and tryng to feel it out, when you find a groove along one side of the thin bump. You stick your thumbnail inside and tug a few times, finally getting the hang of tugging at an angle and something thin and hard pulls out. You run your fingers lightly along the edge and feel it sharp, almost breaking your skin, and that it ends in a sharp point. It's fatter on one side than the other, though not by much. Where this thin piece of cold metal used to rest in the body of the object is now a hollow, waiting for the metal to snap back in again. What is it?

Evangeline was tapping her foot, and L'kaira was standing next to the door. Rena'ah couldn't put it off any longer. Swallowing her nervousness, she stepped to the door and onto the stage. She wore an azure full-circle skirt made from very fine, hand-woven linen that swept her ankles and billowed out behind her when she walked. It had been hand-dyed, and wasn't evenly colored, but it had been skillfully hidden by layering dyes. On top she wore a fitted linen tunic in a lighter shade of blue, with sleeves that flared from elbow to just below her wrist. The ties at the dropped neckline were undone, show a small triangle of skin below the collarbone. Her only jewelry consisted of a wooden button on a light blue ribbon tied around the base of her throat, hand-carved in a pattern of twisted vines. The lights shone on dark auburn hair that tumbled in pronounced waves past her waist, pulled away from her face with a simple wooden clip in the shape of a leaf. A thin section of the gathered hair had been braided, providing a bit of contrast to the rest, and clasped at the end with another small carved leaf. Rena'ah tried to walk slowly and gracefully, like everyone else had, but it was useless - a lifetime of training can't be undone in a second - and she ended up striding silently to the end of catwalk on powerful legs, running out of stage much too soon. She stood there for a few seconds with her hands clasped behind her back and wishing she had her dagger to play with, trying to formulate what to say. Deciding to just wing it, she brought her hands around front with a small clap. "Hello, my name's Rena'ah. None of you know me, I've never been here before, so I'll tell you a bit of what I like and all that. I'm twenty..." //No need to tell them just how recent a development that is...// "...I'm a Master Woodsman, and I have been for years. I have a small" - Rena'ah held up her thumg and forefinger about an eighth of an inch apart - "small Healing Gift, I'm an Earth Sensitive, and a MindHealer." She was wracking her brains, trying to come up with something to say... "I like archery and quarter-staff, and can hold my own in a spar of either kind; I'm also proficient with a dagger. I enjoy simply spending time with people, rather than trying to find some specific activity that everyone can enjoy, which is sort of impossible. Um... yeah. My hair is off-limits," she glared, suddenly losing her nervous air. "I don't care how much you like it or want to play with it, it's mine and you can't touch it." Smiling again, she nodded her head in acknowledgement of the the many men in the room and turned to go.

Evangeline returned to the corner first, careful to keep her wide skirts away from the other changing tables. She was glad to see L'kaira still there, and resigned to the fact that she would always be scowling. As she sat back down again, she saw Rena'ah returning also, and smiled widely - the other had decided to dress in one of her better town outfits. She saw Annael returning from the stage, and realized it was their turn. "Come, 'tis our turn to look pretty and show ourselves off!" The lights blinded her for a second, but she got used to it quickly. She took one step out on stage, then remembered something and twirled around in place to whisper, "I first, then Rena'ah, and last L'kaira, all right?" The other two nodded, one nervous, the other bored. As she walked down the catwalk, her dark purple brocaded gown rustled against the layers of petticoats, and pure white lace peeked from beneath the hem with every step. Her slim waist was encircled with a bright silver chain set with small purple garnets. The end of the chain hung down from the center of her waist, almost to the floor, and at the bottom was a much larger teardrop garnet, nearly two inches long. At her wrists and neckline were bands of dagged lace, creating focal points against the monochrome of the dress. Evangeline smiled, waiting until she reached the end of the catwalk. At a measured point, when all eyes were on her, she shook her hair back away from her face, drawing attention to it and the purple garnet drops in her ears and at her throat. Her hair was as magnificent as the dress was expensive, beautiful in its simplicity. It was released from its usual braided bun, and fell gleaming to the center of her back. Evangeline had spent some time working with it, making it special. Her stash of bobbypins was much depleted, as was her bottle of anti-frizz. The heavy mass was twisted around her head in a crown, with half loose down her back. She had recruited someone to help her gently curl it into waves. The twist was scattered with tiny garnets that flashed purple, and more on thin silver chains were woven amongst the rest of her hair. She knew she was worth it. Now she had to convince all those men about it too. "Good evening," she began, in a clear, measured voice. "I don't know how many of thee know'st me, so I shall introduce myelf. My name is Evangeline Heveta. As thou art able to hear - and see - I am NOT thy usual, run-of-the-mill woman. I enjoy time spent with intellectuals and those who appreciate a good joke. As well, I am new to the Keep. I do not know that many of thee... perhaps one of thee might be able to help me get my bearings and find my way around?" She cocked her head to the right in lieu of a wink. "'Twould be much appreciated!" Surveying the crowd again... looking for a few in particular... Evangeline swept a deep curtsy and rose with a slight blush, turning to walk smoothly back to the dressing rooms. She feared that she might have gone a bit overboard there at the end... ~~~~~~~~~~~ Rena'ah greeted Evangeline with a nervous smile as she brushed at her skirt again. //No WAY am I going to able to beat that!// Needing to get her center back, she waved the next woman forward in front of her. {{Since this is about how long all three will be, I'm going to do the others in separate posts. Is there any reason why I shouldn't?}}

Evangeline sat quietly in a chair, waiting for her turn to go out on stage. Ren'ah and L'kaira were not so calm - the former was pacing and the latter was fuming. Finally, Evangeline said simply, "Calm thyselves, 'tis not as bad as all that." Rena'ah stopped and looked at her incredulously. "Now so bad? I can't decide whether to dress up or stay normal! I don't know any of these people, they'll be looking at us like we're MEAT, and BIDDING! What did you sign me UP for?" L'kaira glared. **How dare you do this without my consent! There is no possible way I'm going to go out there and let them bid on my body.** She folded her arms obstinately. Evangeline sighed and closed her book. "I thought 'twould be fun, and thou needst to relax and enjoy thyself; 'tis a Carnival - not a torture!" L'kaira muttered something mentally, causing Evangeline to glance sharply at her and shake her head. A few other women preparing backstage looked curiously at the trio, one of whom seemed to be talking to herself. Evangeline turned to Rena'ah. "Dear, thou needst wear whatever thou thinkest is best. 'Tis up to thee how thou wanteth to present thyself, not I. Thou - and thou!" she injected, turning to the stone statue in the next chair, "art going out after tonight with one of those men, and thou shouldst at least TRY to enjoy theyself." She stepped back and took a look at L'kaira. The girl was wearing a long black skirt of indeterminable fabric which swished and relected the light a bit when she moved. It swept to the floor, even over her three-inch black heels. Over her white shirt she wore a black overshirt, unbottoned, of the smae material as the skirt. She looked very put together, but... plain. The black and white washed out her pale purple complextion and dulled her black-purple hair. Evangeline stood in a rustle of skirts and went over to her. "Here." Se slipped a dark purple chain around L'kaira's slim waist, under the black shirt. The touch of color was just what she needed. Scowling still, L'kaira sat and waited. Evangeline turned on Rena'ah now. "Before you start anything," declared Rena'ah, "I just want it to be known that this was NOT my decision - if the Village heard about this, they'd never let me live it down!" Picking up a few items, Rena'ah moved off to change. Evangeline smiled happily, picked up the masses of fabric from the table, and said over her shoulder, "Don't wander, L'kaira, 'twill almost be our turn near the time we return." L'kaira grumbled mentally again, Evangeline laughed, and the corner settled into silence, until its occupancy was full again. {{I'll introduce and describe Evangeline and Rena'ah in my next post, since doing all three together would result in an epic. I'm going to wait until a more experienced person speechifies (goes out on the catwalk) before I do. ^__^}}

Well, that last one was a rather convoluted sentence, but I think I get the gist of it - and I also think I beat you to it. ^_______^ Thanks for the reassurance!

Great! Then I'll sign up with The Pen's Evangeline, Mea, and Rena'ah. Dunno if I should do my more anti-social characters... EDIT: Not Mea, she's too blah to write a date for. So, the grand total is Evangeline, Rena'ah, and L'kaira. More manageable.

{{Before I start with Evangeline, can I bring in some RP characters?}} Evangeline leaned over to look at the sign on one of the tables. "Bachelorette Auction, thatta way =>" "Hmmm... interesting." She stood up and slipped her hands into the hidden pockets at the side of her skirt, thoughtfully looking in the direction the sign pointed. A bachelorette auction... having never been nor participated in one, Evangeline was curious as to what exactly it entailed. Finally shrugging her shoulders, she said aloud to herself, "What's the harm? I do believe it would be amusing." She walked quickly toward the new booth, skirts rustling, before she got nervous and backed out.

What about the Geld totals? I see it on some people's posts but not others - like mine. Is it because I don't belong to a Guild?

Here's my entry - I think it mightb e a bit different than the rest! )X(X)X( You. You are a stranger to these lands, these wasted lands of mist and ice. You have no history in this place, and are lost in the timeless fogs and endless waters. But no matter. You are here, and so am I, and the next ferry will not be along for a great while, so I think there's time for a tale. I was not always a wooden figurehead; once I was a proud dragon, king of the mountains you see yonder and all the land beyond called the Top of the World. And yet, man has come, as it ever does, and created for itself a life unfitted to the music, rhythms and patterns of my world. That is why you feel uncomfortable as you do, in the damp and wet of this crown of the world. Ah, I see you are unused to being read so easily. Fear not, it is simply hundreds of years of experience come to bear on a race too young to know better. But I digress, and insult. I apologize. My story began as that of any other. I was young and brash, and I felt I could face down the humans who invaded my kingdom. It was a terrible battle of wills and armies, and many needless lives were lost. As I said, I was young; yet I had already seen more centuries than you can imagine – and my elders, millennia. I should have known better. We should have known better. For all our knowledge and strength, we had never met with magic. The humans had magic. They had witches, mages, hedge-wizards, you name it they had it. And we had no defense. We were decimated for generations, hunted and chased, until we began to build immunity to the Power these human wielded. For three hundred years we hid from them, secluding ourselves in the mountains and caverns that riddle this land, breeding and scheming, and begrudging them our rightful home and rule. You need not be feared, even now – how can I harm you in this useless form? No movement, save that where the captain takes me, and no power save that which was built into me. At last, three hundred years after the end of the millennium-long War, we burst from our mountain strongholds to face our great enemies… and found ourselves to be nearly forgotten, creatures of legend only. Well, no matter, it made our conquest of your cities and towns that much easier, because you weren't expecting us. But, to our dismay, your mages and magic had grown stronger and better in the intervening centuries. Whereas before they had been using bolts of lightning to accomplish the smallest task – incapable of the smallest finesse – now they could use a static spark to knock down the largest building. We weren't prepared to fight technique; we were expecting to blast you out of the water and back to whence you came. We fled again, but this time your mages followed us and murdered our eggs, those precious burdens of life that so often died on their own. And those that did not escape or were killed were captured, in body and finally in soul. Which is how I came to be here, trapped in this wooden mockery of a body, cruelly forced to stare unblinkingly at my ancestral and rightful home, the lands I once ruled with my mate at my side and a clutch every score of decades. Ah, but I see your ferry is shortly to arrive; the mists part to reveal it on its set course. My tale is done – you have no need to cower. Stay, and face a rendition of the War. Leave, and never think of it again. ~~~~~~~~ Francis watched from the mouth of the figure as the lone tourist climbed hastily aboard the ferry, chuckling silently to himself. The ferry would go and return in no less than five hours, probably more – more than enough time for him to refresh himself and snatch a nap. He slithered backwards and dropped down out of the hidden entry in the bottom of the hollow statue, glancing up and patting the carved form affectionately. Heh, tourists were so gullible. Dragons were things of legend only, not anything to be afeared of. His own grandfather had carved this one actually. Laughing to himself again, he trotted back to the staffhouse, more than ready for some hot cocoa to remove the chill from his bones. Tourists! Pah!

Evangeline blinked at the sheep fight, and neatly stepping aside, went over to sit at the edge of the cliff. THIS was really why she had created the scene, so she could look over the vista and enjoy her memories... Until a stray sheep hit her in the back of the head, knocking her sprawling into the thin air in front of her. Not unduly worried, as she knew it was an illusion, she nevertheless was quick to return to 'solid' land. Bemused, she watched the sheep sit on nothing about a yard away from the cliff edge. Then another sheep hit her in the rear and she turned with a gasp to glare at the grinning Wyvern, both hands clasped in surprise to the insulted area. "Oooh, thou useless creature!" Picking up some quite realistic looking sheep leavings, she threw it straight at Wyvern. Unfortuately, he saw them coming, and ducked - leaving it to hit the rather intimidating man standing behind him. "Oh dear..."

Realty

Evangeline was certainly surprised at the elements added to her memory, but paid it no mind. As long as some things were the same, she was satisfied. Wyvern's pun, however, was terrible, and she just barely managed to stop herself from groaning. Completely unlady-like behavior, that. She cleared her throat politely as Wyvern started to turn away, and held out her hand. The lizard-man slowly turned around, a suspiciously innocent look wreathing his scaly features. It did not fool Evangeline. "Uh... Eh-heh?" "My geld, if you would?" Evangeline's face was stern. "I do believe thou mentioned a reimbursement of five geld for participation in thy hare-brained scheme?" {{...Or did I misread something?}}

Bumpy bump. I WON! Second place, this time, but still! ^_____________________^

Evangeline had been watching curiously as Wyv was setting up, and still hung back while he explained. But when no one else was stepping forward, she decided to break the ice. Again. She always seemed to be the one to do that. Evangeline politely pushed her way to the front, trying not to catch her long black skirts on anyone's feet - as comfortable as crinolines and petticoats were, they weren't very practical for crowds of people who had no clue how to handle them. "Excuse me - pardon me! My thanks!" Finally she got to the front and stumbled a bit into the slight open area before the booth. Wyvern looked eager to see his first participant, and Evangeline was suddenly feeling a bit hesitant. But, she stepped forward anyway. "Sir Wyvern, I think I would like to try thy new machine. Perhaps it might prove enjoyable?" //Even with the glitches... the creature DID say 'twas in sight only...// Going over to the table, evangeline looked at the keyboard, looked at Wyvern, then looked back at the keyboard. All the keys were blank. "Sir, how might I type in commands if I have no guide?" Wyvern rolled his eyes and reminded her of the 'random' clause. "Ah." Eyes unfocusing for a few minutes, Evangeline pictured a scene: Mountains, snow-capped, rose in the background, thrust jagged spires through the ever-present white clouds. Below them was a series of foothills, slowly melting away into a flat plain. The plain was rife with greenery and creatures, tall grass waving gently in a soft breeze and flowers bobbing their colorful heads politely. An azure stream cut across the field, reflecting the sky and giggling to itself. On the near bank, the field levelled off and the grass was shorter, courtesy of the herd of sheep currently grazing there. The pasture was quite large, more than enough for whatever decided to happen there. The grassy sward ended in a sharp cliff plunging down for hundreds of feet or more to land in a hazy forest. The cliff edge was slightly curved, so that if you looked off into the distance you'd see it curve away from you into the horizon. There appeared to be no visible end. The sky was as clear as could be, with a few wispy clouds high in the sky. A perfect day for a Carnival. Still with her eyes unfocused, Evangeline let her fingers dance over the keys. Then she came back to the world. "Well? When shall we know thy machine has worked?"

Parah Adumah. If it's the drink... yes. Animal... no. That's actually supposed to be two words, but it's one concept.

Bite

girls beautiful girls...

saxophone

archer (does anyone know a verb form of 'archery' other than 'shooting'?)

Xmas yes, that's how I say it.