onepassingnight | .006 These Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep

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.006 These Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep

Once upon a time, for all good stories start with once upon a time, there was a great forest. It stretched on for days, for countries, for unclaimed fairy tale after unclaimed fairy tale in fact. This was the Great Wood, the Olde Wood, the Place Where All Things Start. This was the forest of all the old tales and it will ever be, until men are legends that dogs tell each other around the fires at night. Everything lives in the depths of these woods and nothing at all. Be careful what you whisper when you go into the dark for even the trees are listening and stories have a way of happening here whether you want them to or not.

Deep in the darkness, in one of the less traveled spots, there lives a wolf. The Wolf, if you will. For he is the Big Bad, the Howler at the Door, the Winter Wolf, the Devourer, the Nightmare That Creeps In Windows, the Child's Warning and, occasionally, the Huffer and Puffer, though he's taken to outsourcing the last one after one particularly embarrassing incident involving a hay allergy. He's the wise talking beast or the prehistoric feral fear. He is, in short, whatever your story needs him to be.

Don't expect him to be particularly pleased or even helpful about it though. He's been doing this job for a while now and he's getting sick of getting yanked out of rolling in dead animals just so that he can trot his fuzzy butt over to make menacing, half-assed attempts at your basket of treats and God help you if he has to dress in old lady drag One More Time!

OOC: so. Here's Cloud to provide all your Big Bad Wolf TM needs. Or frankly, the forest isn't above dragging him in to take over any animal need. There appears to be a shortage of fairy animals going around at the moment, something about better paying jobs in Hollywood. Does your story need a talking bear? Suddenly you've got a snarky wolf as your guide. Your brothers got the mill and all you got was a cat? Well, it's a wolf now and it's not happy about having to wear boots or do all your work for you, you dolt. Need that straw spun into gold by morning? Looks like you're duck out of luck. Wolves can't spin, though he does a very impressive cats cradle if you give him enough yarn and tie the knots for him. Point being, if your fairy tale has an animal of any sort in it, you've now got a very grumpy wolf who can't say 'not interested' the way he'd really rather. And, of course, he's still here for all your big bad wolfish metaphorical needs as well.

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He's already decided to help her before she even finishes talking. Because she's pretty and smells good, because she's kind and because she's got nice fingers. And because he can't stand it when that smile isn't real and her green eyes go wet. He's not sure about all of that but he's lived in Stories long enough that he's got a general idea. Dress. Shoes. Tiara. Sexy cologne. ~~Racy~~ Fancy underwear. Sneak in in disguise.

Yep.

Got it.

So his chest puffs out a little bit and he sits up even straighter when she asks, ears flicking forward to show he's paying attention. The girl with the forest eyes wants to be cute.

side quest here he comes!

With a huff, he dips his head, mimicking a nod as best as he can. Aerith, you're going to be the healthiest looking girl at the party! Trust him.

...Maybe she should choose the dress herself. And Mister Wolf, you do not need to start thinking about her panties. Wow.

Anyhow, she swallows down her surprise when he gives such an earnest-looking wolf-nod, and the smile that emerges is real, broad and bright. "Thank you...thank you! Let's get all those pesky feathers off. You must have really shocked that chicken..." As she chatters, her finger makes neat work of the mess on Cloud's face, cleaning it up feather by feather.

Cloud's only thinking about your panties for your own good, Aerith. Sheesh. It's not like he's a notorious panty stealing pervert or anything.

...

lately.

oh hush, you.

But he does sit patiently while she defeathers him, holding in the sneezes that they make him feel like giving as they get pulled away from his nose. She's really very good at this. Soon she has a decent pile of down in her hand and Cloud is markedly less fluffy than he was before. Now it's just wolf fluff. Manly wolf fluff.

Once she's done, he stands up, glowing eyes determined in his wolfy face. She's going to be the prettiest girl at the ball and he's going to get her the dress so she can go and prove it. He knows just where. With a pointed look he heads for the gate.

Edited 2012-05-01 15:55 (UTC)

That was - a lot of logos and catch phrases all in one breath, Red Reno and Cloud was going to calmly sort through them all in his head. He was pretty sure at least one of them didn't even make sense if you looked at it too closely. Focusing back on the point though - the girl in front of him didn't understand a Fetch Quest obviously.

...and he was pretty sure she'd just roped him into helping her somehow...

That was what he got for not having cool enough theme music.

Fine. ~~whatever~~ The sooner he got this over with the sooner he could go back to doing other important stuff. Like ~~seeing if he can finally catch that butterfly in the flower field~~ appropriately wolfish and fearsome things. With a huff, he got to his feet and headed off toward the tree line.

"You need to talk to the potions dealer. He knows where the herbs in the forest are."

For step one at least. Cloud's suspicion was pretty high that the potion's master was going to need something to jog his memory in return. Maybe Little Red's stick could play replacement item though.

"Come on."

Eyes that glow faintly in the dim light blink at her. He knows the way out. And it's not easy. But it's the fastest way and it will get her home safely. With an exhaled huff of sound, he gets back to his feet. And he starts into the swallowing darkness of the ancient trees, glancing back over his shoulder, just once, to make sure she's following.

Cloud's tongue lolls from the side of his jaws for a minute in pure evil enjoyment and then he huffs. Getting up he starts to trot for the motorcycle, figuring he can give Tseng a lift for at least most of the way and he'll need help with the pepper anyway.

"Hn. For my fur. He won't be paying attention to you if he's busy sneezing."

She doesn't expect it to be easy. The dark forest is not a place calculated to be simple to leave.

The bigger question is whether to trust the wolf who'd been ready to strike a moment earlier, and now seems to be helping, and now wants to lead her in this place she doesn't know. Isn't it likely he's taking her somewhere for his own plans, or perhaps even for his own dinner? She does not quite realize that he is perhaps still fulfilling the will of the forest if he removes its intruder.

In the end, she has no better knowledge of her own, and she knew that when she asked him if he knew the way. She will follow him- cautiously, warily, but closely.

"Let's go, then."

She follows and it's a good thing. There's a small measure of atonomy when she's with him. Not enough to call the Forest off but enough to confuse it, at least for a little while. There are paths through the woods but Cloud doesn't take them, instead slipping silently between trees and shadows with the occasional glance backward to be sure his charge is following. His sense of hearing and smell let him skirt several dangers but he knows it won't last. Already, far beyond human hearing, he can hear the sounds of pursuit behind them. At least the first monster that comes dropping down out of the canopy overhead with a screech is alone.

Blue-hood stops at once. She knows the forest is full of monsters, had even known she'd have to face them; but how, here where she doesn't know the land as she should, and where it's so strong and somehow she feels her power deserting her?

Any other time, that deeper core of herself would be telling her not to give up, finding that grit of anger and resolve to face this; but right now, somehow, it makes her unsettled and nervous enough to back a step away.

She'll zip her lips as long as they don't go mysteriously missing, panty snatcher.

Aerith's following steps aren't pointed but light and fleet and--giddy. Definitely giddy. "Where to, Mister Wolf?" She wonders if maybe something or someone at the marketplace could help them.

You mistake him for a messed up guy with the mentality of a teenager, sweet lady. He'd be insulted if he was capable of denying it without lying. In the meantime though, he's off to get her a dress and while he'll be careful not to outpace her, he's moving pretty quickly on those four legs of his.

He may not be a magic bird that can somehow summon much less carry the weight of a full dress complete with accoutrements but he IS a wolf that knows what's going on in town thanks to the gossips (don't ask. For some reason all Cloud has to do is be nearby to have people spilling information. It's a ~~curse~~ gift). So they'll end up outside the back door of the tailor's shop that's been locked up for the night and Cloud will happily dig away the loose brick on the side of the wall that the spare key's been hidden behind for her.

Bird, schmird. He's got this fairy thing SO covered.

Edited 2012-05-07 12:38 (UTC)

He doesn't expect her to defend herself even though there's a quiet, buried part of himself that is surprised when she doesn't. It's his job though, as her self-appointed protector and he's more than capable, lunging forward in a blur of shadow and gray. He's smaller than the monster by quite a bit but his compact frame is entirely muscle and it drives him into the beast with more than enough power to knock it over. Once it's off its feet, it's easy for Cloud to deal with it in a violent slash of fangs. He moves almost too quickly to see and even the glow of his blue eyes seems to blur and trail.

He's a protector. It also means he's a killer. He does it with brutal efficiency and without a sound. When he's done, he shakes and his coat scatters blood, his and the monsters. His wounds are minor. Lifting his head he looks back at the blue hooded girl and exhales through his snout before starting forward again, one eye on her, pace a bit more hurried now.

It happened because of her, because she hadn't pulled herself together to fight for her own way out of this forest. The wolf is hurt; and she owes him a debt. He's a wolf, but there should still be something she can do.

She'd say it's just to clear the debt.

"I'll clean the wounds," she offers, a bit stiffly, "as soon as we're somewhere safe for it. Next time, I'll fight, too."

This may be the forest, she may not be in possession of her powers, but she can think sharply and still find a way to avoid the other monsters that dwell here, together with the wolf.

"...Are you sure you're not magic?" It's the only thing she can think to say after she sees him zero in on the brick that turns out to be hiding the key. In her excitement, the dull shine of tarnished metal is as good as glittering gold, and she giggles as she picks it up before impulsively giving Mr. Wolf a good scratch behind the ears. "You're definitely the smartest boy I've ever met!"

That's including the human ones.

Then she's up on her feet again, jiggling with the key a bit to slip it in the lock. After a scrape or two it slides in and she opens the door to slip inside the darkened shop, leaving the door ajar for her companion.

He IS a good boy and Aerith's praise goes straight to his head, accompanied by a very pleasant scratch he enjoys a great deal. She really does have the nicest fingers. Except they're on a mission and this is serious, so he huffs out a little sound and trots through the shop's door behind her.

The interior dim but the large display windows at the front let in plenty of street and moon light. There are quite a few pieces of clothing on display and several dresses as well but that's not where Cloud heads. Instead he heads to the back of the store. The tailor was working overtime on a dress for one of his patrons that came down sick and couldn't wear to the ball at the last minute and from all the white and pink and gold trim Cloud saw in the single cart that passed him on the way here, he's willing to guess it's a dress fit for a queen.

Which means it will be perfect for the girl with the smart fingers. Flat on, he headbutts the thin door, knocking it off its latch and lets himself into the back room.

Where there's a dress waiting on a clothing form that seems to catch and share every glint of moonlight that's in the air tonight.

He shakes his coat again. The wounds aren't bad, this time. He'll heal. He's more interested in getting her safely out of this place. Something tells him that she can heal him, something buried deep inside and so he takes her at her word. But first her freedom.

He isn't sure how she'll fight though. She doesn't have claws or fangs. He'd rather neither of them have to find out.

The sound of pursuit behind them though is growing louder.

She'd not going to be fast enough, trapped on two legs the way she is. Cloud is the Forest's Guardian and sometimes it's changed him in the past to suit its own needs. His form isn't as stable as it once way. He's not as stable as he once was. And so it's an easy thing to grow, spine elongating and strengthening, legs muscling even more in his lean mass. When he turns to her again, he's not exactly as large as a small pony - but he's closer to a small pony in size than a wolf. Doubling back to her, he plants himself in front of her legs sideways and rolls his shoulders. He can't talk but he catches at her cloak and tugs it across his shoulder. Two legs are two slow. Four are better.

He can't mean to carry her...? She stares at the scrap of cloak in the wolf's mouth, and her eyes follow it as it drapes across him. He's asking her to surrender, to put her trust in someone else instead of herself, to rely on someone else's power. She isn't sure she can do that.

She isn't sure she has a choice. It's another question decided by necessity, but there's no time to dwell on that. She reaches out a tentative hand to touch the wolf, as if to accustom them to each other first. And she asks, finally, "Do you mean to carry me?"

Not knowing what else lays hidden in the shop, Aerith's distracted at first by a dark red gown, a bit... racy for a ball, but beautiful all the same and something about the cut appeals to her.

Though when she hears that headbutt her head snaps up-- "Mister Wolf?" Don't tell her he's in any trouble!

She gasps when she sees what he's revealed. Aerith can no longer be surprised that he was walking on their walls, not when he's pulled yet another trick out of his bag to reveal exactly where the best dress is tucked away. It's soft and it shimmers...for all its detailing it doesn't seem bulky like other dresses, but light and delicate. There's even a small pink choker over the neck, a final touch that's just right to her.

She's already right in front of the dress before she starts thinking and realizes: a dress like this must already have a name on it. "Oh, I just couldn't... it's too nice, isn't it someone's?" she asks the wolf, because he's sure to know. Then she steals another look at the dress. "But...whoever it is, they're not using it tonight, so as long as I get it back it's just a little borrowing, right?"

...Yeah, she really doesn't need that much persuasion here, she can justify it on her own.

Hey, Red Reno knows her stupid catchphrases. And the point isn't to look closely at them, the point is to sound cool, or like you don't care. (Although secretly, she must, since she's on a quest to help people--but that's not cool.)

Nope, she was a boss, not a protagonist let's not count Before Crisis, as Reno wasn't even playable, and that, along with her superior theme music, meant she didn't have to play fetch. Like a dog. Or a wolf.

Finally, this flea-bitten beast was being cooperative, so she wouldn't have to knock him in the head. She wasn't completely sure about following a wolf around, but if he tried anything, then she could knock him in the head after all. She'd keep an eye on him.

Reno was of a cynical turn of mind herself. Potions dealer. Nice euphemism. "A dealer? I get what you're saying." There was money in drugs. What else would someone be doing out in the middle of the woods, specializing in "herbs"? She had to admit, it wasn't a bad idea. Maybe she could work out a deal (or con, or theft, whatever worked) with this dealer. There might be money in it for her, too. She'd have to scope out the situation and see what, if anything, she could get out of it.

"I'm coming, Wolfy. Lead the way. And watch yourself, because I'm watching you."

She's his kind of lady with her reasoning and he trots behind her, pleased with the look on her face, to butt his head against the backs of her knees toward the dress. It should be fine to borrow it for the night. No one's going to come looking for it and as long as she gets it's back by cock's crow - or midnight - no one will miss it. It'll even do the tailor a favor and advertise his work on the pretties girl at the ball. She's doing him a favor in fact by borrowing the dress.

None of which Cloud can articulate but they're long past the magic bird part of this tale and it's time to do things ~~AVALANCHE~~ budget style. He hopes the bumping against the backs of her knees is convincing enough because he's prepared to do it all night until she gives in.

He stands stone still under her and it feels as if the world itself could shift around him before he would. Her touch lands on solid muscle under the soft coating of fur and his blue eyes glow as they watch her without blinking. If she chooses not to trust him he will still do his best to get her out of her. But it will cost them both dearly even if he can manage it. He can't force her onto his back though. In the end, it's her decision. It always is her decision.

A huff out of his snout and a quick dip of his huge lean head. It's now or never, Blue Cloak. There won't be a second chance.

She takes a wobbly step forward at his headbutt, a small "Hey!" bursting past her lips though it's soon followed by laughter. "I've got it. I can't help it if I'm not as naughty as a big bad wolf." Though the smile and the look in her eyes is hardly claiming innocence--they're co-conspirators in this, now. And she's going to the ball!

She reaches to lift the dress gingerly off the sewing model, gathering up the material in her arms. She looks around for a place to change, but--well, the tailor's shop wasn't really meant for that, so she turns to Mister Wolf again. "Okay, I need you to turn around so I can change. No peeking!"

It's hard to trust, and she can't do it that quickly. This is a forest full of dangers and Blue Cloak knows that better than most. She also knows there isn't time to deliberate at leisure, considering all the pros and cons.

And so, as she does far too often, she makes the choice from her feeling that she simply wants to get away from here. She nods more firmly than feels, and swiftly climbs onto the wolf's back.

After all, she still has her weapon - and it'll be easier for her to reach for that and end the wolf than it will be for it to throw her off and turn on her.

"Let's go," she says simply once she's ready.

Peeking? Cloud manages to look affronted. It's like she thinks he's some kind of peeping wolf or something just because he barges into people houses and listens in on their conversations and speculates on their underwear. Clearly, she doesn't know his type at all.

There's a huff as he turns away, tail high in the air and swishing for good measure but in all actuality, he's still got some last minute jobs to run if he's going to do this whole fairy godwolf thing right. With a 'woof' and his head angled back enough so that she's knows it's for her but he can't be accused of peeking, he does his best to tell her to stay put. Then he's out the door and out of the shop and racing down the street. He's a stickler when it comes to making sure he gets every item on a sidequest and he's not done yet.

It's not hard to see the gears grinding away in Little Red Reno's head even from where he's standing and for a second, Cloud almost asks. Before his sense of preservation for what little sanity he has left kicks in and keeps his mouth firmly shut. Sometimes it's better to just not know. In fact, with Reno, it's pretty much always better that way.

The warning just gets an eyeroll and a huff. Really? Reno, your idea of capturing an Ancient alive is to shoot at her. He's really not worried about your approach, though he is a little bit concerned about your grasp of tactics if they end up in a Puzzle Game.

Why does he always get roped into the weird side quests?

No matter, he's ditching her at the Potions Dealer and hiking it as far as possible from the area until whatever disaster Red Reno causes gets over with. It's the entirety of his cunning plan and it blissfully lasts until they reach the Potions Shop hidden deep in the woods, he turns tail to mosey now that he's dropped off Red -

and realizes that there seems to be an invisible barrier that's keeping him from leaving the area.

He blames this all on you, Reno. All of it.

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Page 3 of 4

.006 These Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep

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oh god the icon made me snort.

XD My work here is done

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the forest is so not good for her mental state. stupid traps.

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evil woods can do that, I've heard

the dark kingdom forest isn't evil, it's just controlled by Kunzite. oh wait...

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sorry for the SLOW

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NO judgement at all. I wasn't even in town lol