Package for Gwen

[Willow]

(Though it is for Gwen, I believe it may stand to say it's open, as he's in the hall)


Willow - better known as Benjamin - had taken his time when it came to giving Gwen the flute. It wasn't something that needed to be rushed and besides, what better time for him to grace her with a gift than on a day where giving and receiving was looked at as an ordinary thing?

For the sake of irony he looked around until he found what he deemed the perfect wood for the instrument: a Willow branch. Still in the guise of Willow he sat in the boughs of the stated tree with the branch in hand, the short curls of his hair meaning to dangle down over his eyes while he whittled. Certain skills were bound to be learned over a couple hundred of years and it helped that he naturally had creative skills with his hands. His father was a carpenter and that skill had been passed down. It was with a wood shaver and knife that Benjamin sat in that tree transforming the branch to a flute. He took special care for the wood had to be hollowed just so and still retain the stability of the wood and not break. The holes big enough and easily spaced out for pitch and tone. The easy way to accomplish this task would have been to simply create it as he created many things, but then it wouldn't be the same.

Whenever he gave something to someone he put a tiny bit of himself in it aside from the proverbial 'elbow grease'. Each stroke of the knife imprinted his handiwork. Each note that was tested for sound was infused with his calling. Each pass of the sandpaper smoothing out the length was equal to his ability to gently wash over and surround the one who played. In the end it was a hypnotic tool. A wooden flute as smooth as glass without blemish and firm; the instrument was barely a foot long.

He then wrapped it in sheet of leaves, green leaves even in this season of winter, hop down from the tree and make his way to the inn, the cool wind outside pulling at the lapel of his jacket as the low hem of his pants trailed on the ground. Benjamin had reservations concerning entrance, be he was not going to be there long so he
stepped inside. Besides, currently he looked like anyone but himself. Quietly and with a purposful stride he climbed the steps and took himself to Gwendolyn’s room. Outside of her door he bent down and set the flute outside of her door.

He knocked three times before turning to go down the hall.

[TheWarden]

Jamison's presence about the Inn had been rather scares in these past weeks. As Ms. Epiphany had asked his assistance in creating a fire deterrent system in the kitchen, and Gwendolyn carrying her insatiable appetite for knowledge. Jamison thought he rather needed to return to the realm of his birth and gather his property, the journals and the library that the old Warden had acculturated throughout the many years of his long life, and bring them here, to the place where he now rests his head. Safe from the prying fingers of humanity, and the War the White Council had embroiled itself in against the vast hordes of the Vampiric Courts of Red and Black.

Here it was that Jamison brought his things, alchemical supplies, spell reagents, the journals of his master, and master's master, traveling clear back to Journals of both the Great Merlin, and the progenitor of his blood Morganna LeFey. In this land, known to his people as the Never-never Jamison had found an empty storage shed, a place perfect for a wizard to station his workshop. It was out of the way, nondescript, and easily protected from assaults with a minimum of collateral damage.

That, is where the Warden of the White Council had spent most of his time, he was readying his 'tower' layering spells upon spells, creating a impregnable stronghold, that would keep his things safe. Of Course though, Wizards cant spend all of their time sequestered in study, despite their best attempts to do so. One must actually enter the world and attend to the duty's befitting their league.

Which is precisely the reason that Jamison was at this very moment climbing up the stairs of the inn, his approach was not as obvious as one Dr. Donald Blake. but one could hear his coming with the light rapping of the old man's walking cane against the stairs as he climbed them.

Nary a soul would be able to tell that Ol' Jamison was a wizard purely by the sight of the rather straitlaced man he presented himself as. There where no flowing robes, or beards as long as one's belt. there was a man with definate signs that he took care of his physical form, wearing a t-shirt and a pair of rather nice slacks underneath a thick long woolen raincoat. the coat itself, feature an amazing ammoutn of intrucate spellwork. both for protection, and to assist in his spellcraft, storing a smal bit of the magical energy that permiated his being and drifted into nothingness, as if it where a sort of magic battery.

Save his shirt and slacks everything Jamison wore held some form of magical purpose, the wedding ring worn upon his left ring finger store kenetic energy every time the wizard moved his arm, energy to be released as a defensive attack to repulse an attacker. The watch worn on his right wrist could be channeled through to create a physical shield with which the Warden could protect himself from a variety of attacks. It never hurt one to stand prepared for any eventuality.

Perhaps one of the only things carrying no form of magical endowment was the old styled book bag that was slung across the man's chest. and rest at his waist, heavy with the weight of several books, most pof them about various types of Fae Creatures, as that seemed to be Gwendolyn's favorite area of exploration.

"Salutations." said softly to the other person gracing the hallway leading towards Gwendolyn's room. "Are you a new resident here?" He kept his tone friendly, but as a man who prepares for any eventuality, even this wizard was taking in the measure of the being before him, weight leaning heavily onto the walking cane held in his right hand. fingers tightening around his handle ever so slightly.

[Guest]

[ note: pris doesn't need to be engaged, she just wanted to add to the hall activity and start on her trip >.> ]

it was a day about presents but it was a day about family too. that's why pris was about to go a very long way by herself. it was the kind of trip that could make other people nervous about going alone. it should probably make her nervous about going alone. but she wasn't nervous. because she knew that if she got to where she needed to be, she wouldn't be alone at all.

she'd be with her daddy.

her most precious duck seemed a little uncertain about her taking a trip like the one she'd told him about. but when he'd pushed, pris had pushed back. when the teenager bit back like that donald knew there was no use in arguing. instead he'd done all he could to ease his mind by giving her some of the equipment he used during his trips as a doctor without boarders.

donald's gear was nothing to sniff at. in fact, as pris emerged from her room the weight of the tightly packed canvas backpack made her teeter as she shut the door behind her. she wasn't used to the change the pack brought to her balance, or the fact that the bedroll was bouncing against her bottom with every step she took. measuring just over five feet tall, she was considerably shorter than donald and for his rig, but it was better than nothing and he'd promised her that the tent would be very very easy to set up by herself.

the gear was a strange partner to the rest of her. pris was not dressed for camping, probably because she didn't consider what she was doing camping. she was wearing the dress that benjamin had made for her birthday ball, minus a few details. instead of the glass slippers, she was wearing silver ballet slippers under the full ruffled skirt. the tights she wore were white, with small bits of silver glitter decorating them. the red sash was gone, and in its place was an ice blue sash made of of a netted fabric. her long thick hair was a very rare shade for pris. white blonde, which made her green eyes pop and highlighted just how fair-skinned the girl was. she'd dusted herself with glitter, to make herself shine, and her eye make-up and her lip gloss were ice blue.

pris had made herself an ice queen, besides three very specific bits of color. the two necklaces she wore were both birthday gifts, one with red stones and one with a single green stone that matched her eyes. the first from benjamin, the latter from donald. and the Technicolor top hat on her head was the third wave of color. once upon a time, that hat had been white and it lived on benjamin's head. but in pris' possession, the white lasted for less than a day and was soon covered in swirls of fabric dye, painted to a similar effect as the room made of swirled color she and benjamin stood in a few weeks ago.

it was the perfect costume to go on her trip, because it gave her everything she needed to talk to her daddy about. as she made her way carefully, pris' thoughts were thick with preoccupation. though her head was bowed and her eyes were focused on a crumpled up map of the earth state of virginia, she could see there were people here out of her eye corners. as she turned it around and around trying figure out which way the map thought was up, her skirt swished softly around her as she passed the two men on her way to the stairs, singing softly to herself, "i'm the map i'm the map i'm the map i'm the map i'm the map..." eerily atonal as her singing was, the tune itself was something she'd heard on television.

at the stairs, her adventure to see her father had officially begun.

[Gwendolyn Zoi]

Gwen was actually not in her room. She was downstairs chatting it up with Jade, the girls had quite a bit to talk about, secrets and all the good things. Not that Gwendolyn was one to keep a secret, it was rather easy to know what was on the girls mind, she was still an open book, though she was working on that. Though there would always be some people that she couldn’t close a single page to.

Though Gwendolyn was out, that did not mean that the door did not open. For that door did open, perhaps it was best not to ask how, and out came a small sized white cat. The cat was not yet a year old, at least in appearances. Leoette tilted her head up and down the hallway, seeing the two men speaking, and the young girl walking past, before kitty dark purple eyes landed upon the package outside of the door. Seeing the leaves that wrapped the package, her nose wrinkled up as she took a few steps out the door, burying her nose into the leaves. The scent that was upon the leaves nor anywhere else on the package that she could smell were familiar in any way to the kitten.

Gwendolyn was the sort of girl that told her kitten everything. Oh the things that Leoette could spill, if one could figure out how to communicate with her, or if she allowed. When Gwen looked at Leoette all she saw was the kitten, average, run of the mill, but what were the chances of that in this land? Very rare. Moving out of the room, and shutting the door with her kitty rump, she would make her way so her eyes were upon the two men speaking. It had to be one of them that had delivered the package.

Little teeth sinking into the edge of the leave, though careful not to break the leave, no puncture wound would be in that leaf. And tugging with all her little might she would, backwards, though if either of the men gave the kitten much attention, she would pause quickly, dropping the leaf from her mouth, and purr, rolling on the ground near it.

Once the attention was once more removed from the white kitten and the leaf wrapped package, teeth would once more grasp it, moving backwards, hoping not to run into anyone, for Leoette knew where she was going, if only she could get the package where she was wanting to get it.

[Willow]

He was not so presumptuous to think that the halls of the Inn would be empty. As he knew there were quite a few people who had residency here, and the hour he had chosen to come was not very late. Of course there was bound to be a person or two about. That did not mean he had to acknowledge them and if he had come in his true form he wouldn't have, however . . . he was in another guise and therefore when Jamison spoke to him while he was placing the package at the door he nodded an acknowledgement. While his face was away from the other Willow clenched down on his teeth and his eyes narrowed just a bit. Gwendolyn was a joyous person and even if she wasn't in the room people left scents of their presence wherever they went - and that's what he felt by her door.

The mood was helped by the wizard, and even Pris - he didn't need to see her to know that she was approaching. He didn't even bother to completely block that connection they shared. In his current state it was possibly for her to feel the closeness of his presence, but not pinpoint it. Their connection was not that deep. When he turned from Gwen's door and turned around there was a smile on his face that was friendly and inviting. Approaching the other man Willow did not extend a hand of greeting but instead hooked his thumbs into the waist of his pants. There was nothing intimidating in his appearance and his aura was greatly dubbed down and replaced with one to fit this persona: slightly mischievous and playful; though a tad arrogant. There were some things that never changed. "I'm only dropping off a package. Tis the season for it," A smile was flashed at Jamison, bright with a hint of mirth behind it. "Isn't it?"

That was when Pris walked past them to start heading out. If he had not been talking to Jamison he would have looked in her direction but he stayed his eyes on the man before him. That is until he felt the object he dropped at Gwen's door roll against his foot.

"Smart cat." His voice was casual as his head tipped slightly downward to observe the feline. Wolves and cats did not mix. He spoke to the cat with a musical tone in his voice that nearly echoed the playing of his flute. Placing a command in the felines mind of what it should do, very much the same way he placed suggestions into the people he commanded. "It's not mine anymore. Give it to your owner."

Looking back to Jamison he smiled again with a tip of his head. That was his exit cue. Willow stepped to the side to continue taking his leave unless he was stopped again. Nothing would happen to the cat for touching the packaging.

[TheWarden]

Lets not say Jamison was skeptical of the person before him, but he was certainly going out of his way to look friendly and outgoing. Fortunately for Jamison though, he was a much better actor in this instance. Best part of Acting was not over acting, which is why The Older Wizards demeanor never changed. as he spoke, watching the young man as he spoke. Offering his own reply only after the boy was done speaking.

"Ah, Aye it is, it is... Rather much the reason I am here as well..." of course the kitten exiting the room had distracted the Wizard, his eyes leaving the young boy before him to fall upon the kitten. A small smile on his face watching the small cat and then the young lady singing tonelessly to herself. And he was going to allow the young man to fade from his minds eye, that was of course until he felt the tings of compulsion on the words spoken from the young man. not just in the power put forth behind the words, but the change in tone he heard. Pulled his attention back up tot he younger man.

Jamison's tone however had not changed one bit this entire time, polite and friendly."Perhaps, it is best to admire intelligence and not overwhelm it with a compulsion." Jamison stepped to the side, to allow the boy to leave. He had no desire to keep the person here if he was going to try and dominate the minds of those within. But Jamison was most certainly going to keep an eye on the cat. since they where apparently headed in the same direction.

[Guest]

" - the map i'm the mm mmmm mm mmmmmm, mm mm..." the eccentric girl was trying to negotiate the second stair, her hand gripping and regripping the railing as what she sang changed seamlessly into the different melody. while the notes themselves were hauntingly transposed into a different key, the pattern of said notes was perfectly mimicked and were hummed in the exact same tempo as she'd heard them the first time...at her birthday ball dancing with benjamin.

as pris uncertainly let go of the stair railing to shift the map from her left hand into her right, that was when her emerald eyes landed on said map and she realized she wasn't singing its song any longer. "mm mmmm mm mmmmmm?" she hummed that repeat to herself as she furrowed her brows, looking down with a gaze of great concentration. leaning precariously against the wall of the stairwell for balance, pris smoothed her hand down the bodice of her ball gown as if to ask it if it was why that melody popped into her head.

when she asked, her head snapped up as she realized she felt a very different answer. "mm mm!" she finished the melody with a relish that was similar to a eureka. now she was trying to turn in the stairway so she could better look here there and everywhere to find the source of the very familiar blanket feelings. on a stairway, with an elaborate dress like the one she currently wore and with the amount of camping gear strapped to her back, maneuvering was not the easiest thing in the world.

and turning didn't help. all that effort and she was back where she started, with nothing new to the landscape besides a white kitten. while she knew her poof could be a lot of things, for some reason she was very very certain that a white kitten would not be one of them. "huff," she said softly as a frown touched her lips. she shifted the map from her right hand back into her left, and gripped the railing tightly as she eased herself slowly down the second highest stair, then the third. each step downward made an ungraceful thud. but before the next thud, pris got a new eureka.

"yes," she crumpled up the map of the earth state of virginia that was in her left hand, and stuffed it into the bodice of her dress on the left side. it left a little bulge, but it was out of the way and her fancy ball gown certainly didn't have pockets. "yes yes yes." her left hand dipped into the center of the bodice, pulling out her cell phone. flipping it open, she brought it to her ear without pressing a single button. it hadn't been ringing, and obviously pris knew that normally phones needed to ring before you answered. still, the blanket feeling was the blanket feeling and talking to her through her phone was something mister margarve had done once before.

"other end?" she asked the phone that in a whisper whisper, as her right hand still gripped the stair railing. thud went the sound of pris descending one more stair, and thud as she dropped down yet another. all this scuffle and not a single word of the conversation the men where having in the hallway upstairs sank in.

[Gwendolyn Zoi]

Now Leoette had been attempting to take it away, though none of them knew the exact way that she was going to take the package, unless someone followed her or it had a tracking device. She was starting to tug at the leaves carefully once more, when she stopped at the words. ‘take this to your master’. She sensed something in the words, almost as if it was a command, that she was not suppose to ignore. The fur on her back was standing up on edge. And she had started changing the way she was dragging the item, almost as if she was following Willow. That was until there was a break in the tones, when Jamison spoke up.

Small feline frame went back to other side of the package, and began dragging it the same way it had been moving the in the first place, unless it was stopped once more. Tug, tug tug, careful not to break the leaves, nor for the item that was wrapped up in the items to be allowed to fall out. Pausing randomly to look up at the people, and to rest her little mouth, letting out a small meow.

[Willow]

"Perhaps, it is best to admire intelligence and not overwhelm it with a compulsion."

That line from Jamison almost caused 'Willow' to laugh out loud. Admire intelligence, there were very few people who received that type of admiration from him and none of them were cats. The sly - and often lazy - felines were to him things to be used as opposed to creatures needing to be held in high regard. Instead of laughing 'Willow's right shoulder rose and fell in a very non-caring demeanor as he answered the statement. "It's all a matter of perception."

He heard the cat following after him as he started on Why was the cat following him? He told it to take the package to it's Master and unless the cat had the ability to suddenly change Masters there was no reason. Unless... unless... the cat's master was in that direction. Thinking of that caused an interesting tip of his head, one that was so brief that it was hardly seen. Gwen was downstairs.

If he felt like being a more hands in this situation he could always seek her out using the dear old cats as a convenient excuse. None of that would happen if he first didn't get down the stairs, stairs that were currently being blocked by the fullness of Pris' skirt. Even in his current state he wasn't one for touching people and the situation was not dire enough for him to want to squeeze pass Pris on the steps so, for right now, he was 'stuck'. He shifted his position, one thumb hooking into the waistband on his pants as his weight shifted to the left. From his position behind the one on the steps he saw her take up her phone, even heard what she said into it. She was calling him.

A devilish grin crossed his face as he considered answering her and then, he decided that he shall. From her phone she heard, "Hello my phone," in the voice that she knew. Right after she'd hear, "If you'd excuse me, Miss," from behind her in a voice that was quite unlike Benjamin at all but held the lighter tone of 'Willow'. As long as he didn't have to speak at the same time in both places this was an easy task.

[Guest]

[ got clearance from jamison to post this out of turn! ]

thud-thud went pris as she dropped down to the sixth then seventh stair, taking all the time that time afforded her. she knew that one of the men from upstairs was now behind her even without looking behind her shoulder - she could "see" the change in the landscape, but the eccentric girl was caught up in more important business. pris was holding her breath as she waited to see if mister margrave was on the other end of her silent phone. when he answered, that breath was let out in a thrilled but soft little squeal.

"other en - !" the urgency in her voice quite suddenly cut off into an exasperated sigh the likes of which only teenagers could make. the transformation came just after 'willow' spoke up behind her. "hold on." pris told phone-poof before pressed the open flip phone both carefully and secretively against her chest. it wasn't that she would object to poof hearing what she and this other man had to say, it was more a gesture of possessiveness - she didn't want to share the presence of poof, even if it was just in the form of a phone presence. the action rang of a hoarding 'mine' gesture.

once she did that, she reached across her body so that her right hand was on the railing to her left, and she made quite a theatrical show of just how difficult turning around in this dress was, and just how much the man behind her was being an inconvenience. the former wasn't wholly untrue - as she turned around her foot stepped on fabric instead of wood, which caused a tangle and a slip and a rather ungraceful thunk-thud her foot as it made an unexpected twisting contact with the stair below. her one hand gripping the railing like a vice and her wrist wrapped around it as well, those things kept pris from falling farther from the eighth stair but boy did it fuel an unseemly scowl.

a scowl she gave to the short man now two stairs above her, as pris glared at his eyebrows with all the fury of an inconvenienced girl. "ahem," she began. the regal affectation of her tone could be heard even in that onomatopoeic word, perhaps because of the manner in which she held high her chin. "margravine priscilla grace of ganesvoortshire is on the phone with her dearest dearest. sssssssss!" pris leaned challengingly forward as she made the snake-hiss sound in tandem with an emphatic vertical slithering gesture of her right hand, and then she traded the phone from her right hand to her left and placed her left hand on the railing to her right, to deliberately turn herself back around. the man behind her would once more be forgotten as she pressed the phone back to her ear.

"-nd," she picked up the word right where she'd left off, all the exasperation and irritation quite gone as she spoke to phone benjamin in a warm tone with undertones of her earlier excitement, "i feel you. purr?" to the odd girl, it wasn't a question of whether or not it was purr-worthy, for she obviously knew the answer to that. the 'purr' was her asking a different question entirely in pris-speak: where are you?

that question was punctuated by a double thud. pris now had three stairs from the bottom to go. almost safe jumping distance, if one wasn't wearing a ball gown and didn't have heavy camping equipment strapped to her back.

[TheWarden]

Jamison's eyes watched the small cat, inwardly glad that his words snapped free the poor animal's mind from the compulsion forth upon its unprotected mind. Outwardly, Jamison expressed nothing but the bemusing interest he had shown thus far in the situation. 'It's all a matter of perception' It was a statement that the wizard found both ironic, and rather suspect. That was certainly not an answer one would expect from a carefree young man, dropping off a present for his sweetheart.

"Perhaps..." was the older man's reply, eyes still on the small kitten. Making a show of pushing his weight against the can gripped tightly in his hand and lowering himself to a knee the other hand outstretched to the kitten. ”Good evening little friend. Pardon the inconvenience… It appears that you and I are going in the same direction; would you care to offer me guidance to your Mistress? Perhaps I might also lighten your burden.”

It was only then that Jamison let his eyes up once again, to the stairs, the rather spirited, well dressed young lady and the young man who had done well in garnering the old Wizards attention. Seeing the interaction did a couple of things for Jamison, showed him even more evidence that this young man was not known to the residents of the inn. It also showed Jamison that perhaps he might speak to Ms. Epiphany about a potential ward about the grounds. Lest more suspicious characters find their way into this place of rest to leave packages at doors of impressionable young ladies, and then force their will upon small animals.

His Attention was back to the kitten, offering it a warm smile. “Shall we?” Still holding his hand towards the cat, offering it as a platform for the cat to climb upon. Of Course if the cat was willing to climb into his hand, the other would of course pick up the package left for Gwendolyn. Jamison would of course make sure the young lady got the package in due haste.

[Gwendolyn Zoi]

Leoette had been around the Inn long enough to know that Jamison was a tenet at the Inn. And that he was on the trusted list, at least for now, though that might change, everything was subject to change. So when he got down low enough to put out his hand for her, she would pad over, leaf wrapped gift in her mouth, tug tug tug. So she really did not hurry, for that was not possible, dragging the package that was as big as her if not bigger.

Once she reached Jamison, she let the package out of her mouth a moment. “Meow, mrow, murr, meow?” cat eyes blinked before she would pick up the package in her little mouth again, and make her way onto his hand. Though once she had her back legs up on Jamison’s hand, she tumbled over the package, and had to start all over again. Her second attempt she left the package upon the ground, and climbed up his arm, not stopping till she was perched like a parrot upon his shoulder. Her cat gaze kept steady upon the package.

[Willow]

Benjamin was a patient person and so to a degree 'Willow' was as well, although he showed a hint of aggravation in the way his foot lightly tapped against the floor while he watched Pris talk into her phone. For the most part it was all an act on his end - he could have waited there for the rest of the evening, though at the same time he didn't wish to stay in the Inn any longer.

Such the coy smile spread across his face when he heard the tone in her voice upon being interrupted, it was a pleasant relief to the joy that he could still feel trickling after him from Gwen's room. However, the smile faltered slightly and his thumb unhooked from his waist as his hands instinctively went out to help steady Pris. They almost did, and anyone who happened to be watching him at the time it happened would have known that his intention was to keep her from falling by how his hands moved and the sudden forward step in her direction. Fortunately for the both of them Pris was able to regain her balance without assistance and once he saw this his hands and stance settled once more.

'Willow' outwardly chuckled politely and even made a dramatic showing of a rolling bow with his left hand brushing back the imaginary coat tail of his while he bent at the waist and the right arm ushered off to the side. "Pardon me. I should have known that someone dressed as elaborate as yourself was Royalty." The mirth stayed on his face even as he stood back up even if he turned his head around to observe the actions of the cat. It appeared that the package was too big for the small feline to carry far on its own. Jamison could pick it up. There was nothing wrong with it, nor would it feel any way. It wasn't meant for anyone but Gwen so therefore, to anyone else, it would simply be a intricately and wonderfully hand carved flute.

While he was watching the man and the feline and deciding to take a lean against the stair wall Pris would hear Benjamin's voice on the other end of the phone answer: "I am with you."

[Guest]

with pris, it was the simplest things that made her most excitable. in this case, bejamin's very short reply bubbled up all the butterflies in her stomach with a rumble and exploded them like fireworks inside of her. "oh!" she said in a whispered squeal, clenching the railing tightly as she nearly bounced out of her skin with delight. "oh oh oh, where?" the breathless question was barely in the air for a second before more words spilled out of her like an awestruck dam. "another visit? so soon? you missed me? the interrupter behind me bows like your margravites i but i don't see a paw print is he yours?"

pris turned sideways towards the railing on the third stair from the bottom, turning her head to look up the stairs then down, up the stairs then down, like now she didn't know which way to go. she didn't. "are you peeping from the wall?" she let go of the railing to press her palm flat against it, rubbing her fingertips to see if she felt anything that felt like poof. "or in my room? should i go upstairs? downstairs? click my heels and say 'no place like home'?" the tapped tapped softly on the wall like she was looking for a secret passage, lips still popping questions a mile a minute with no signs of pause. "are we going on an outing? do i get another ball? i'm going to visit my daddy. he lives in the dirt in earth virginia and we're going to have a father-daughter talk. i think you missed me."

pris wasn't moving now at all. she wouldn't, until she could figure out which way to go. benjamin was with her. pris' touched green eyes darted here there and everywhere not erratically as was usual, but on a mission to find him. yet all she could see was the interrupter behind her on the stairs, that stuffy man who used a cane like her most precious duck, and a white kitten dragging leaves. she knew her dearest dearest poof wasn't the wall, or her fingers would have told her so. she knew benjamin wasn't the white kitten. she doubted he'd ever let himself get chewed on like those leaves. and the stuffy man who used a cane had talked to her when she was waiting for her potatoes downstairs that one day.

the interrupter. the next time her eyes darted his way she looked right into his. dots flared up in her mind, thoughts scritch-scratching lines between them. 'i don't know you' is what the fattest connect-the-dot line wanted pris to say to the man who'd bowed like a margravite. but the dots of this whole time in the hall were also reconnecting, and suddenly pris felt like she'd just ripped off a layer of canvas and was staring at a brand new landscape. slowly her eyes went from the interrupter to the stuffy man to the kitten to the leaves. from her lips slipped the "i - " but the 'don't know' never came after.

" - can meet you, yes yes yes. purr." the words surprised even her. as pris shut the phone and shoved it into the top of her dress smushing the crumpled map that was already there, she was already wondering where 'can meet you' meant to go. she just knew that for some reason it was the best thing to say. and that the best thing for her to do was keep going downstairs like she was following instructions to meet that she'd never been given.

thud. thud. thud. with both hands free and each gripping a railing, pris was able to move a little faster. turning in the first floor hallway, she went straight for the stairs to the ground floor.

[TheWarden]

A smile on the older man's face when the small feline climbed up his arm and onto his shoulder. as opposed to resting on his hand. maybe this was better. Eyes looking up at the animal on his shoulder. that offered hand picked up the package left for Ms. Gwendolyn. the package was rolled over in his hand before he pushed up with a show that looked like great effort up onto his cane. of course Jamison had no real need for the object, aside from its use as a magical focus and hand to hand combat weapon. It was always a good tactic to give people the opportunity to underestimate you and your abilities. Not to say Jamison felt that anyone here should underestimate him. He was simply a very careful methodical man, who carefully prepared for any situation.

Now that he was standing Jamison held up the leaf wrapped package and looked at the small animal on his shoulder." I dare say that we should be right good postmen and get this where it belongs 'ey?" Jamison didn't trust this package, nor the person who delivered it. For neither he knew anything about. Which meant that while Jamison was going to make sure Gwendolyn received her package, he was going to examine it with great attention beforehand. As Gwendolyn was a rather nice young lady, And the old wizard would really rather not have anything happen to her.

A few steps towards the stairs to see that the young lady in a rather excited state, tapping on the walls, asking questions of the man in her phone. Eyes watched her actions. a polite nod offered to her when she glanced his way, and then abruptly got off of her phone before turning and leaving. Maybe that was part of who Pris was, to change gears so abruptly. but to a man who didn't know her almost at all. The Behavior was suspect, not outwardly, but given his suspicions of the young man now free to leave the inn. It raised a flag or two, he was certainly someone Jamison would have to keep an eye out for, As well as someone who would find the wizard rather interested in him.

[Gwendolyn Zoi]

The kitten would stretch its little body up in a arch upon Jamison's shoulder. When Jamison spoke to the kitten, her little paws would press against his shoulder, claws coming out just a bit, not enough to do anything, before slipping back into her paws. "Merow."

Leoette was watching when Jamison started walking, she was waiting for the time to pounce, so to speak. Until then she held on, best as a kitten could do upon one's shoulder. Hopefully he did not walk to fast nor to jerky that she would go flying off. She would not be a happy kitten if that happened!

[Willow]

This was rich.

This whole encounter - dropping off the package and the effecting events - would provide him with amusement for a while and that alone made trip worthwhile. At times he enjoyed seeing how people reacted to differing situations, only he was hardly ever a continuing factor in them like he seemed to be here.

'Willow' stayed in his casual lean against the stairwell while looking over to see that white kitten climb up onto Jamison's hand and he turned his head away when he began talking to the cat just in time to catch Pris' eye. She was looking straight at him and he made no move to turn away from it. If she wanted to look she could and if she stayed the look long enough she wouldn't necessarily see the wolf but the man he was when he had taken her out. (Arguably they were the same person only one had subdued qualities.) All the dots could form together – if she focused hard enough - as he wasn't masking his presence from her at all.

To his delight she was also continuing down the stairs, therefore he pushed off from the wall and continued down as well though in a more leisurely pace. He only stuck one hand in his pocket - the left - and when he was able to reach the floor he moved around behind her to walk out. However, as he passed her he said: “Keep your eyes open.”

It was in Willow’s voice, but the small wave of warmth that passed over her as he moved away was unmistakable. And, just like that, he left out of the Inn.

[Guest]

"a door just opened on a street i lost was passing by an instant's width of warmth disclosed and wealth and company." the words originally penned by emily dickinson blurted from the frazzled teenager after benjamin spoke to her in that strange voice and gave her some of his unstrange warmth. a doleful little whimper concluded the outburst, as pris apprehensively wrung her hands in the first floor hallway.

poof made her warm like poof and his insides looked like poof, but his outsides didn't look or sound like poof. she didn't like that. she didn't like that at all. and she didn't know why. so while her mind was compulsively asking her that very question, why why why, over and over again, pris was ignoring it by continuing to mumble the dickinson poem under her breath. "the door as sudden shut and i i lost was passing by lost doubly but by contrast most enlightening misery. a door just opened…"

it was like a record on repeat, but at least pris wasn't entirely stuck. benjamin had passed her and her way was unblocked. she could keep going down the stairs and towards the front door of the inn at her own pace. benjamin had told her to keep her eyes open and she was. but pris was using the fact that she had to be careful because of her dress and the camping gear as an excuse to look downward as she muttered the poem under her breath. closing herself up, like flower petals at nighttime.

she just wanted to talk to her daddy, more than ever. so once she left the inn, she turned right down the road to walk to the first of many busses she'd have to take to get to earth virginia.

[Gwendolyn Zoi]

The kitten would stretch its little body up in a arch upon Jamison's shoulder. When Jamison spoke to the kitten, her little paws would press against his shoulder, claws coming out just a bit, not enough to do anything, before slipping back into her paws. "Merow."

Leoette was watching when Jamison started walking, she was waiting for the time to pounce, so to speak. Until then she held on, best as a kitten could do upon one's shoulder. Hopefully he did not walk to fast nor to jerky that she would go flying off. She would not be a happy kitten if that happened!

With those two people now gone,Jamison leaned less on his walking stick, making for an easier walking experience for the kitten on his shoulder."We're going down stairs right?" glancing down at the cat on his shoulder as he easily took the stairs.

When he moved to the stairs, she gave a bob of her little kitten head. She stayed in place on his shoulder as he went down the steps. But when he got to the base of the floor, and they were standing before The Door, Leoette, took a dive down from Jamison's shoulder. Careful not to touch The Door but she looked between Jamison and The Door. "Mrow."

"Is Gwendolyn in here?" eyes watching the kitten on the ground before him then looking at the package for Gwendolyn, turning it over in his hands, only to look up at the door then. raising a hand to knock.

When Jamison lifted his hand, she mrowed again. Deciding that this was not going to get her point across, her little white head looked around the hallway. Seeing that no one was in the hallway, she decided she would share her secret with Jamison. She sensed he was not of the bad sort, and he had tried to stand up for her to Willow. One second there was the white kitten there, the next there was a young woman, blonde hair that hung just low enough to cover her breasts. Bright eyes looking to Jamison. She let out a small cough, she could not help the lack of clothing, there as not a place to keep clothing when one was the size of that kitten. She herself was not so little, standing at 5'5". "Gwendolyn is with Jade...but Willow is bad news, for her." She paused a moment, "I...was going to give the item to Epiphany to experiment on."

Jamison was unflappible absolutely unflappible. this was a man that had seen the coming and going to countries, personally watched a wizard freeze themselves with fire. (its possible) so when the kitten was no longer a kitten and was instead a young lady all he did was raise a brow and shrug off his over coat. and without its wards suppressing his magical aura, the sudden rush of magic made the lights flicker a bit. the coat, then offered to the young lady." Tha boy there is Willow? hm, yes he is a suspicious sort isn't he? Well I'll be glad to inform you miss, that it wont be a necessity for Miss Epiphany to experiment on it... as that was my plan as well. and I'm a better equipped to such a task."

When he offered her the coat she would reach out and take it, putting it on. "Thank you." She gave him a smile for his thoughtfulness. "You can experiment on it? And you'd b e better at it then Epiphany?" She did not know much about Jamison, she knew about Epiphany more so because of Gwendolyn. Not that Gwendolyn realized exactly whom or what Leoette was. "I don't trust him." She frowned, "Trying to make me do his bidding how eh did."

"you're very welcome, far be it from me to allow a lady to go without.... but! I can most certainly do that. it is sort of my job to insure that things from shady characters don't do their intended harm to those unwitting people who accept them with no idea as to the devious nature behind them..." a smile offered, and his shoulders rolled up in a shrug." He tried, until i drew your attention from the task he assigned. are you well?"

She let out a twinkle of a laugh. "I don't have pockets in my other skin." She had a few other thing she changed into but for now the kitten was her prefered choice. She gave a small nod of her head, "I am glad that you were going to check it out before giving it to her." She really was. "I am fine...not as able to resist the thoughts put in my head in that form. It makes things difficult."

"Simple sciences, as an animal, there are many more moter functions to regulate. as well as a greater sense of instinct. not really as much room for logic and thought processing. he motioned her to follow him. once again using the walking stick to walk back towards his room." Gwendolyn is a sweet young lady,who's innocence knows no bounds, I'd be a lesser man if i allowed a devious creature to tarnish that. "

She nodded, thankfully the person she shared her secret with, was the right choice. He seemed to understand her and her sort rather well. "Exactly!" And she would follow behind him, "She is. And I fear that Willow fellow is not so good. And he could take advantage of her. If someone doesn't watch out for her." She was once more glad to know that others looked out for the girl as well.

I agree, he's a little... off putting." and he entered his room, which was very standard. except the lack of electronic devices, all of which where in the corner, stacked neatly there was also a large apothecarys chest. a wave of his hand and candles about he room burst to life. and he leaned his cane against the wall near the door, approaching his chest of drawers. from it, he pulled a weathered t-shirt. and a pair of Gi pants. ( loose fitting linen pants with a drawstring at the waist) ."please, come in... " a smile up at the young lady the shirt and pants offered over to her.

Leoette let out a laugh, at his wording. "Off putting. I like that." She might just use that herself to describe someone at some point of time. She blinked her eyes at the way the candles came to life. That was rather interesting. Though she was curious, which was probably why she often took the shape of a cat, and she did glance around. "Why do you have a pile of electronics?" That seemed odd, of course the man did not have to answer anything, but she felt she had to ask. Then he held out some clothes to her. She entered fully into the room at his words, "Thank you. Both for the entrance and the clothing." And seeing that she had his coat on, she would move the shirt to be held by her chin, and the pants were put on carefully under the coat. "One day I will learn to keep clothing hidden in strange places." A small laugh. "What are you planning on doing with that?" She motionted towards the gift for Gwen.

"You're very welcome. please sit." Jamison placed the flute ontop of his chest of drawers. and walked over to his apothcarys chest. not limped walked. she shared a secret, he shared one, though he did it less overtly."I don't have them plugged in, because my people make them malfunction... magic and electronics really don't mix well."

She removed the coat, it was not as if she had not already been bare once before, and put the shirt on. "Thank you." She folded his coat up, and set it down next to her when she sat down upon the couch. She did notice that he walked and did not limp, she had a hunch and it was proven right there. She knew that things were not always what they seemed. "Oh! Does it look like a ant fight?" That's what she always called it when the tv went bzz all black and white across the screen.

A smile as he went thought the drawers , pulling out a thing or two before closing them. and then he shook his head."They do, until they cease functioning all together..." he returned to where he placed the gift on his dresser. in his hands, a feather, chalk, a vial of water, what looked like an empty ziplock bag,and a small jar with a bit of dirt in it." pardon my asking, but might i have a stand of your hair?"

She was watching him, which should be expected. It was not a trust issue. It was that curiosity. It would probably appear its head quite often. "Oh! So then you haven't been able to watch tv programs? They are rather...interesting." She was a fan of quite a few shows. "Sure, do you need to take the sample or should I take one out for you?" She knew somethings had to be gathered a certain way and she was not going to stand in the way of doing something to help Gwendolyn.

"I'm able to watch television, just not for very long, and not if I'm close to it...when I'm at a pub, i can catch up on the news or something."smiling as he took the chalk and drew a circle around the package for Gwendolyn." you can pluck it yourself. that part isnt important."

"Whew! Then you don't have to miss out on all the information that the tube offers." She was a tv person. Sneaking out when Gwen was out of the room, usually in the kitten form, to not draw attention to herself, she could be found watching tv. As he did that, she reached up her right hand and plucked a strand of hair. Standing up she would take it over towards Jamison. "Here you go." She held it out to him. Still watching, yet staying out of the way.

((More to come!))

[Gwendolyn Zoi]

He took the hair while still drawing up the circle. smiling up with a nod when he was finished." oh, I'd never dream of it.I'm rather addicted to the archery competitions that they show every four years or so... when i was a bit younger, i was rather skilled...have you ever seen this sort of ritual before?

"Ive never seen those on." The archery contests that was. "Did you ever compete? Or would that of been unfair?" He might of had some sort of upper hand with that. Then she was looking at the matter at hand her head gave a shake. "I can't say that I have ever seen what you are doing before. I normally haven't been around when rituals were being done." She gave a small shrug, "Running for the errands, getting what was needed."

"I did, before the gift manifested. and even after for a little bit, when i gained greater control over the impulses the gift can bring with it." He took the hair and placed it on the ring, and then a good distance around it he placed the vial of water, and then with the bag, finally with the jar."The ritual, will show me if there is any malicious intent behind this gift... cant always detect if something is wrong... people are always finding new ways to hurt people and some of those can slip through most
methods one can employ to find it... sort of like how computer virus' work... but some testing is better then giving up immediately isn't it?"

She gave a small nod of her had. "That makes sense. I have not seen i before. Do you think that their is some sort of malicious intent behind the gift?" Her head tilted as she watched what he was doing. "And my hair will help how?" Then a righting and a nod of her head, "Exactly! It does make sense to me. To at least test it just in case. So you have tried something and not just ignored the possible threat."

"your hair will help because of your ties to Gwendolyn, and the invasion of your mind by our shadowy individual..." a nod as he finished readying the ritual, picking up his cane, a click and from the shaft of the cane came a silver blade, only about an inch of the full length sword though, enough for Jamison to press a thumb against it, cutting into his skin. there was no wince of pain or anything, just a click as the sword was slid home." how long have you been watching over her?" an index fingers rubbed against the bloody thumb before both fingers where pressed against two different points on the circle. white lines of chalk became aglow with a light blue radiance, and tagging along with that was an audible humm followed by a pop sealing the circle when the light went all the way around.

She gave a nod of her head, for it all made sense to her, so why wouldn't she nod? It was logical for her to understand that. Right? She would notice the non wince but not say anything, there was a chance he did that sort of thing all the time, he was doing a ritual, which meant it probably wasn't his first go around. She thought about that, "Well the first night she saw the white kitten, it wasn't me. But then when she,Leo and Juliet got the white kitten it was me. So...pretty close to when she got here."

A nod of his own head in understanding, reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief, which he pressed to his cut thumb while looking up to her" what made you decide to take the white cats place?"

She did not think to much on that. "You know when you can sense a innocence? And have a feeling that they are going to need many people looking out for them? Some obvious others not so obvious? Almost like a calling? Cause that's what I had. Almost like a sign, a big flashing blinking sign!"

"I understand.. simply a compulsion that you needed to fulfill. perfectly reasonable." eyes looked down, in thought fro a moment followed by a nod before returning his attention to the circle on his dresser. carefully setting the handkerchief carefully down next to it. placing both hands on the dresser top on either side of the circle." taking a deep breath and mumbling a series of words underneath his breath.

She nodded, "Exactly! So far its been very good." As in nothing really bad, but shes been there just in case. Of course she wasn't with her constantly, but Gwendolyn talked to her, so she knew pretty much all that the girl thought. She was quiet when he was mumbling under his breath having a feeling it was part of the spell.

While he mumbled the brown color from his eyes faded, milking over like someone with cataracts. darting all over while silent words in a language long dead drifted from his lips. and then suddenly. eyes closed hands withdrew and the light radiating from the items faded, the items within their containers fading as well."hm, there is nothing i can sense immediately wrong with it... but, that doesnt mean anything." reaching forward to pick the gift up."I'd still advice Miss Gwendolyn against accepting it... Fae work in mysterious ways...Gift could be C.O.D..." cash on delivery.

She watched and she gave a small nod of her head. "I would have to agree. Why else would he try to command me what to do? If it wasn't something sinister!" She was quick on that one. "It would of just been as easy to assume that I was doing what he wanted, and leave it be." At least that's what she thought. "You know she will think it all innocent." A shake of her head. "Unless...we make sure she understands the whole of it."

"She is a smart young lady. I believe if I inform her of the experience we had today... and tell her that being that no Gift from the fae is free... that she can be convinced to allow me to dispose of it."Jamison moved to sit down on the foot of his bed which was directly in front of the couch. so now he could look at the young lady in the eye." only one question remains."

She thought about that, and it did sound about right. Maybe if he could inform her of the experience, that she would listen to what he thought was best for her she would listen. She blinked and looked up to him. "Whats that?"

"Would you like her to know the extent of your participation here?" fancy way of asking if he wanted Gwendolyn to know her secret, sans any cheeky comments about her being able t sneak peeks at Gwendolyn while she dressed.

Now that made her think about it, long and hard. She was quiet for a quite a while, actually. "I don't know which way would be more beneficial. I am worried if she knows what I am, she might not confide in the white kitty anymore, or maybe knowing that I am there and yet I'm..me...she might confide more? And feel less lonely when she is not with the few people she talks about." She looked over at him, to see what he thought was best. And she had the same parts so of course she wasn't sneaking peeks, at least not at Gwen. She did move about the inn..sometimes.

Jamison brought a hand up to his chin, which got a bit of a rub as he pondered a thought." Well, given that we don't know how she'll react. and you really would rather not be so lonely. that is the path that guarantees your continued companionship... and perhaps on day introduce yourself as you stand now, so that she can get to know you... as you, and not just the white kitten."

She nods, "You do think its for the best don't you? I have never had the compulsion to watch over someone before. I am sure I might have or may in the future make mistakes." She gave a thoughtful frown, "And before tonight I had no one to share that with."

"I don't know whats for the best... it isn't for me to decide. I think you would be rather crestfallen if Gwendolyn rejected you... rest assured though, knowing her as I do, i don't think she would do that to you... Also, Know that I'm a man who knows how to keep a secret... I know what actually happened to Jimmy Hoffa... haven't told a soul."

She frowned, a thoughtful frown, before looking to him. "Do you think without blowing the fact that I am Leoette you can convince her that the gift is not a wise idea to keep and to let you get rid of it?" She paused, "Only because I think I need more time as the white kitty." Why she got the feeling she did not know but she had it. Then laughter. "Oh! I know many a people would like that information."

"I am almost certain that I can convince her of that... I've already taught her to be weary of the Fae and any gifts they offer..."He said softly before a chuckle and a shake of his head."Its true, it doesn't hurt that I've been compelled by a power greater then I am to, not share that information... doesn't stop me from knowing it."

She smiled. "Then you don't mind keeping my secret?" She knew he said he can keep them but she wanted to make sure he did not mind. She smiled, "And knowing something is half the battle!" A pause, "It was nice to meet you Jamison...my first person here...as a person!"

"Not at all, you have my word as a Warden of the White Council of Wizards, that your secret will not grace another's ears by my own lips." with the oath offered, there was a settling of power, as if an ancient form of magic bound his words to make them so. Oaths in the magical communities where nothing to ever be taken lightly. He stood then and offered her his hand, to help her stand and be a gentleman." the pleasure is all mine Ms. Leoette. unless of course that is not your true name."

She cast him another smile. "Thank you. I appericate that." And she did not take that lightly. Not that she was going to go boast about him in some way, really whom would she tell, but she wasn't just the same. When he offerd her his hand, she took it and rose, "Thank you." A small pause, "I have had many names, Leoette fits me well. Seeing she thought of it, I rather like it." Names were changeable.

"Leoette it is then." pulling her weight up as she stood to make it easier. "Know that you're always welcome here, as however you're willing to visit..." and with her standing Jamison gave her hand a short squeeze, carefully leading her to the door which he opened for her."Be well Leoette... Know that i will do all I can to assist you in keeping Gwendolyn safe."

She smiled as he helped her up. She nodded, looking to him. "Thank you! It feels good to be able to have a conversation where I can actually reply with words." A small laugh, "I don't want to get lazy on talking." A smile, "Be well." That did give her comfort and then she slipped out, but before she slipped from the room, she made sure no one was looking into the room from any angle and she slipped back into cat form, and the small kitty form slipped out of the neck of the shirt and she made her way back to Gwendolyns room.

When she returned to her feline form Jamison stepped forth and gathered up the shirt and pants he had lent to her. turning his head to watch her go back up to Gwendolyn's room before returning to his own. setting the flute down on his dresser, he'd go give to Gwendolyn, a bit later. now he needed to ponder.

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