WHERE Creepy House In The Woods WHEN April 15th, afternoon. WHAT Laudna shows Dorian the creepy house she found! STATUS Complete! WARNINGS Pretty tame. ART CREDITHERE.
âIâm going to show everyone later, of course,â Laudna was already talking before they even got to the part of the forest she was looking for. It shifted - the forest - and so she had to be extra careful, but her and Orym had learned that on the first day and had a little time to figure it out now.
It was slightly different when she was guiding Dorian, however, because the group never would have forgiven her if she lost him, no matter how bright and colorful and easy to spot he was. If things shifted? Oh, well, they were going to be in for a bad time.
But all hope wasnât lost, yet, as she spotted a familiar marking Laudna had left out for her return. âI need to check with the local government and make sure it isnât actually owned by anyone, things are a little different when itâs not simply just squating until run out of town!â It was always remarkable how Laudna could make even dire circumstances sound cheerful, but she genuinely sounded excited as they got closer. âAnd then Iâll take pictures, which are just so incredibly handy. But I promise, itâs gorgeous. You wonât believe it when you see it. Weâre going to have just the most lovely place to live while weâre here, I promise. Oh- watch your head! Low hanging branch.â
"I can always talk to them for you," Dorian offered up as Laudna directed them through the forest. He was careful to follow each step, especially after hearing about the strange and unusual way it shifted. Dorian wasn't sure he could handle being lost in the woods when most of his time until this point was navigating cities full of people. Sometimes it was embarrassing how much he couldn't hide his inability to rough it.
Laudna's excitement was infectious, however. And he couldn't help but smile, bright and genuine. He had missed her, all of them, dearly. While the situation of their reunion wasn't typical or soothing to his nervesâCyrus's well-being was always a constant worry in the back of his mindâhaving familiar faces was a nice balm to it all.
He ducked, almost a second too late, nearly knocking the borrowed lute from his back. "The government that is. If someone is leaving a house in a state of ruin, it's only safe to assume that whatever you will do to it would be an improvement?" A scary improvement, but a style that Dorian was more than accustomed to being around Laudna. He liked to think that she had terrified her way into their friendship, and the thought of losing her was far more frightening.
It took a moment for Dorian to realize what she was actually saying. "Wait, for all of us?"
âOh!â She twisted her head, perhaps a bit unnaturally as she heard it pop, to look at him over her shoulder. âWould you? That would be fantastic. Local village leaders have gotten so touchy with me in the past despite improving things.â And really, it was no surprise, given the number of times Laudna simply hadnât asked permission, because she needed a place to live and it had been clearly abandoned.
At least here there wasnât anything unusual about being a witch living in the forest. People had already been so much more accommodating than she was used to. She waved a hand in his direction. âOf course for all of us. Did you think Imogen and I would simply run off to the forest and abandon all of you in this strange new world? Not that the tavern isnât lovely, but--â
Laudna reached another familiar sight, a gravestone sticking out of the moss of the ground. âOh weâre getting there. Look, you can see it through the trees!â She leaned back to Dorian, eyes bright and open as she grinned at him. âIsnât it lovely?â
"Of course, of course, Laudna." It was the least he could do, while he floundered around with purpose in Vallo. He was more than glad that she was taking to the newness with relative ease. "I'm happy to handle the bureaucracy. I admit that I haven't fully grasped all the idiosyncrasies of their Outlanderâit is Outlander, right? Their department, but I imagine it's a little same when we have to barter for lodging..."
For a second, he was distracted by the tombstone marker, and stumbled through by picking up the thread of the conversation about living together. "I, uh, well, no not abandon us. Never abandon anyone, but some people might like their privacy or want some space for themselves from time to time, and I would never expect you toâ" Dorian caught himself, and held up a hand. Just had to talk around the problem before coming to the right conclusion. "No, you know what, it would be lovely."
He leaned in to where he could see the house through the trees. It was absolutely terrifying. "Laudna. It'sâ" He exhaled long, considering all his options, before settling it on: "It's very you." Dorian gestured toward the house. "Show me inside."
Laudna waited patiently while Dorian talked himself around, grin still on her face. She was getting used to this, his way of taking and doing things. It was different from Imogen, but before Bells Hells came along, that was the only comparison she had, so learning other peopleâs quirks and things was something she was relishing in.
Or really just having friends. That was new! And exciting! PâtĂŠ had been her only friend for the longest time, until Imogen came along, and he was a trusty friend to haveâ she reached down to pat him while thinking about itâ but now there was something new to add to it all, and Laudna enjoyed that. âYou donât have to feel obligated of course, but ultimately anything new will have a space for everyone.â
That part was important to her now that they had become a little group. âIt is very me, though, isnât it?â She led him up to the crumbling staircase with a little hop in her step. âIâll have to build Fresh Cut Grass a ramp, of course. And replace the front doorââ It fell of the hinge just as she opened it, much like her arm after too long in a sauna. âThe flooring isnât the most stable, so watch your step!â
"Oh, oh oh oh!" Dorian was following close enough behind her, saw the door go, and quickly scrambled up to catch it before it pitched over the side. The house might have been falling apart, but Dorian wasn't about to let it get worse. Only better. It took a few tries to prop it up to keep from falling again, and it wasn't going to keep anything out, but good enough.
"Hm? What were you saying about the floorâ" Dorian was abruptly cut off with a small yelp as his normally graceful step was met with the crunch-snap of weak wood giving way. He was halfway in the floor, and halfway out and looking wholly uncomfortable. It wasn't often he was swept, quite literally, off his feet. "Um, Laudna? A little help?" Dorian asked, holding out a hand to her, then immediately second guessed it; Dorian might pull her arm right off.
"Actually, you know what, I can do it, don't you worry at all." An awkward tilt to the side, and another dubious shutter from the floorboard and Dorian was out of the hole, and sitting. He nodded looking up at her. "This is nice. I can imagine us all sitting around here, enjoying a meal together. Maybe not on the floorâŚ"
âI did warn you,â Laudna stated cheerfully, but she at least waited until he was out of the floor before pulling an I told you so, because no one ever liked an I-told-you-so. She looked to the floor and the hole Dorian left behind and muttered a few quiet words, and the floor stitched itself back up and the wood repaired right before their eyes. Sheâd have to do that a lot to this house over the next few weeks, but it wasnât anything unusual for her.
âThere! Now itâs safe to stand in that one very spot without falling through anything.â She was proud of her handiwork, the gleaming floors were perfect and shiny. âWeâll have to, you know, figure out how to cook, though I do think we could survive on those pies that Orym and I were given, theyâre brilliant.â
She swept a hand to the nearby hallway that led to the stairs, they looked no better than the floor Dorian had just deposited himself through. âI think thereâs a creepy basement, weâll have to make sure itâs free of any holes for creepy shade monsters.â Only half of a joke, given what theyâd been through with those shade monsters. âDo you prefer florals or stripes? And what is your favorite color?â
Dorian held up a finger, as if to say ah yes, you did, and so he didn't bother to waste away on the floor and heaved himself to his feet. His usual gracefulness was gone. He was in a run-down house after all. No one cared if he was holding his shoulders straight or dirtying up his clothesâthough they somehow, mysteriously managed to not look ruffled after the literal misstep.
"I'm sure we can figure it out, the cooking. But until then the local pubs will be fine. We can bring it back here, enjoy each other's company," Dorian said as he touched one of the more withered walls. It was a nice thought, to settle in a place of hisâtheirâchoosing. He could only hope that his brother might make an appearance so that he didn't feel that he was leaving him behind again.
"Laudna," Dorian said, with half seriousness at the shade creepers. It took a moment to realize she was partially joking, but now he would forever worry until they checked it out. He shook his head and stepped, cautiously further into the house. "Florals over stripes, if you must know. Too many stripes and it will make the whole place feel boxy and caged in, though they can be flattering on clothing more than walls andâ" He exhaled softly. "Blue. I do like blue, but do not feel like you have to be attached to the idea. I will like whatever you choose."
âThat sounds nice,â and it did. Laudna breathed in a happy little sigh and looked around the ruined room like she felt oddly at peace being in a place like this. Laudna didnât have many happy memories in houses like this, but Imogen and everyone else coming together as they did changed things for her.
She was a little quieter now though as she walked on her tip-toes, edging around things that looked too condemned or quickly fixing something with a bit of magic if it needed it. âWeâll have to make sure it isnât a blue that matches you, or Imogen when sheâs feeling blue, we wouldnât want you to blend in. But I like blue too, itâs calming. Iâll take your advice and stay away from too many stripes, I think. Oh! Dorian,â her musical voice rang through behind her, in his direction.
âThereâs a piano in here. Is that something that interests you?â It didnât even look that worse for wear, considering the state of everything else in this house.
Dorian smiled warmly, as Laudna considered Imogen, and the rest of the people who wouldâat the very leastâfrequent the house. The longer he spent in the condemned space, the more he could visualize Laudna's concept. Where they would sit, and talk, and hellâsharpen weapons. He almost got lost in the dream of comfort when Laudna called him to the piano.
Like a moth to flame, Dorian wandered closer. "It does, it does. It's been some time since, and pianos aren't exactly travel compatible, but... "He leaned over the keys, and hit the middle C. It was a bit off tune from disuse, but surprisingly not terrible. A spark lit up inside him, a tiny bolt of lightning of an idea.
"Come, come," Dorian beckoned Laudna, and guided her as a couple would across a dance floor to sit at the piano bench. "Hit this key, then this one, and then go low with theâooh." He cringed as the B went very flat, and directed Laudna another octave higher on the piano. "Just repeat that for a moment."
And he unholstered the lute Gilmore had loaned him, with the promise of paying him back. Somehow. Dorian wasn't quite certain of how, but he was working on it. He plucked a few strings to get it back in tune, before he strummed a soft rhythm to the harmony he showed Laudna. "Now I don't have to be the only person making music."
Laudna hadnât expected she would get pulled in for the musical madness, not when Dorian was so talented and she certainly couldnât hold a candle to what he could do. So she looked surprised as she sat down on the piano bench with his guidance, but didnât object.
âIâm not very good at musical things, just so youâre aware.â Laudna warned, but with a smile as she started hitting the note as Dorian directed. âImogen calls my voice musical, but I think sheâs just being kind, or it doesnât necessarily mean Iâll be very good at this.â She kept on, even when it tinged off tune, whereas Dorian sounded much more natural. They probably could have kept on with just music for a while, but Laudna was incurably nosy.
She looked over at Dorian with bright eyes, as she plinked away. âSo did your parents insist on musical lessons or are you just naturally inclined to this?â
"Anyone can be good at music, Laudna. I wouldn't sell yourself so short, it's just a matter of practice. And look, you've already have a good rhythm going, you and I could put on a show by the end of the week in no time," Dorian said, before wincing at the out of flat noteâwhich was no fault of Laudna's. "Maybe after we find someone to tune the piano."
The melody was a little somber, and slower than he might have played it usually, but it was nice, and fit the mood of the house. Music was very dependent on the environment, Dorian always thought. He started to close his eyes and get lost in the song before Laudna's questions startled him out of the mood.
"A little of both," Dorian answered, pausing his strumming, to slide his fingers down the frets of the lute. "Some people practice handwriting, some are very active, some are thrown into learning politics, and some want to learn how to play an instrument to vocalize their feelings when they are younger." Dorian gave her a soft secretive smile, before adding, "Once you learn one instrument you can stumble your way around others. I make it sound easy, I know, I know. You just have to put your mind to it, feel it."
âThat all sounds much nicer than I gave it credit,â Laudna admitted with a little smile. Enjoying listening to music and then feeling at all musical in oneâs own right were two different worlds as far as she was concerned, but that just came from a lack of knowledge. Sheâd developed a new appreciation for it in the time sheâd known Dorian, though he did make the admiration easy.
âYouâre very good at inspiring others and knowing what to say, too.â Laudna was usually gracious and forthcoming with compliments, liking to build people up and do a little better than what sheâd been dealt most of her life until recently. But it was still genuine, and she peered openly at him with both wide-eyed innocence and a level of creepy that Laudna never quite saw herself exhibit. âWeâre very lucky to have you back with us, Dorian. Even though I know you must be very worried about your brother.â
"Everyone is, in their own right. Inspiring. I just like to think of what would help me in a situation? Knowing someone is there supporting you and having your back. Sometimes people need to hear it, rather than just see it happening," Dorian said, continuing his little plucking at the strings. It wasn't any song at this point, just a randomization of notes and chords that sounded nice and brought warmth to the house, despite how tangled and arbitrary they were. A tangible representation of his thoughts when Laudna mentioned his brother.
He smiled, small and a little bashful at the compliment that was tucked in there. "I'm happy to be with you all, or as much of all of you as I can get. But yes, I'mâI'm always going to worry about Cyrus. Things were better after Kymal, or at least, they had the potential to get better, but they weren't solved. We would have made our way back to you eventually."
Dorian didn't like settling in the somber mood, and so he strummed a more lively tune on his lute, perking up considerably. "But now is not the time for that. You have to show me the rest of this house. I saw stairs. Are they safe? Have you been up there?"
Laudna happily hit a few notes to match his, though the piano had a mind of itâs own and barely clanked along, she didnât even falter, just smiled through it. Sheâd certainly grinned through worse than a few flat piano notes, and the combination of Dorianâs sweet sounding notes with her dead, croaking ones made her laugh.
âWell, almost everyone has joined us here now. Maybe itâs just a matter of time before he gets away from all of that for a bit too.â This place was a nice world for running from oneâs problems.
Laudna glanced towards the stairs and laughed. âOh, they were fine, but broke on my way back down.â She turned that grin to him and raised her eyebrows with it. âYou could fly us, if you were very determined?â
Dorian laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. Leave it to Laudna to find optimism in the situation. The thought of his brother arriving like they had was something he had been steadily banking on, but he knew how dangerous hope could be. Laudna was, more or less, giving him permission to let a little bit more of it free, and Dorian felt all that much lighter for the thought.
Slinging his lute back over his shoulder, he offered out his hand again, always trying to be the gentleman. And he knew that Laudna had enjoyed a little bit of formality and pageantry; the ball came to mind. "I am more than very determined. And at this point I think it might actually be the safer option."
He glanced to the ceiling, then back to Laudna. "Do you have a preference on how you'd like to be carried?"
âOh yes, I do.â Laudnaâs smile turned a little lecherous as she sized him up. She moved quickly, at an almost unnatural speed, her body moving in ways that most normal bodies could not. Before he could react, Laudna bent and climbed up his arm, shoulder, and settled her frail, delicate, figure into his arms. âThere.â She looked far too pleased with herself for someone who just spider-climbed another person. âPerfect.â