moving day + NDPD

[loveasthouwilt]

Yesterday had been a difficult day, spent in large part packing up our things from the Pirates' Treehouse (though in truth, none but I ever referred to it as such anymore, and even I did so mostly to myself) and readying them to be transported to our new home. Though I could not be thankful for anyone's disappearance from the island, I had to own,

Comments

[will_you_see]

Alcuin woke to the sound of the hawk's screech, though he was not entirely sure as he rubbed his bleary eyes whether the sound had been part of a dream. He sat up, finding his neck slightly stiff from sleeping on the mattress on the ground. Though he was more than pleased with their new home, he was dreading the task of moving the beds from the treehouse. Having appeared out of nowhere two years ago, he had never contemplated the task of trying to get his bed in or out of the room that it occupied.

He climbed off of the mattress and retrieved a robe from the box of clothes that had already made the move, pulling it on and tying the belt loose around his waist. Hearing the screech again, he looked around with some alarm, and then padded out of the house and outside in his bare feet.

[incassielsname]

I have to say that while I remembered similar gifts appearing of nowhere a year past, I hadn't anticipated it this year. And if it were to happen, I hadn't anticipated hawks as what the island would choose to deliver me. It is a fair gift, though, one that reminds me of Montreve and the easy life in the country that I had hoped to retire to.

The hawks screech curiously as I approach, examining them and attempting to figure out just what to do with them, when I hear soft footsteps behind me. I turn, seeing Alcuin, and wave. "Good morning," I say. "Just in time to greet our new friends." The hawk in the middle lets out a loud squawk.

[loveasthouwilt]

"And come see everything inside," I said, all but gushing. I took his hands and pulled him back into the house to confront my pile of dry goods. "Just look at all of it-- curtains, carpet, doorknob, windows and everything between. We shall have the finest house on the entire island when I have finished with it," I laughed, linking an arm through his.

[will_you_see]

Alcuin blinked in surprise at the pile of gifts, and then smiled broadly, giving Phedre's hand a squeeze. "It does appear that Elua has seem fit to grant us some respite." Finally.

"You may of course put me to work in whatever way you see fit," Alcuin added. "I'm not sure how useful I will be myself, but I may be able to convince Jack to assist you with some carpentry."

[red_ponytail]

Bill had heard from Phedre that they were moving to Atia's old villa, so that morning he headed over to see what he could do. Given that they had a couple of massive beds to move, Bill figured Joscelin would be needing all the help he could get.

"Today's moving day, yeah?" he called in French as he approached the villa and saw Phedre and Joscelin out front. His eyebrows raised at the sight of the birds. "When did you get pet hawks?"

[phedre + joscelin, please!]

[loveasthouwilt]

"Just this morning," I replied in kind, waving him over with a grin. "The island has seen fit to gift us with things to make our new home as much like-- well, as much like home as it can be." I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and gestured back to the house. "I promise you, most of that was not in our sitting room when we fell asleep last night," I said, laughing.

[incassielsname]

I am glad for the break in moving our belongings, and even more glad that Bill has arrived to help in moving the larger items. I was beginning to despair of managing a way to get them out of the treehouse on my own.

"It may well have been," I point out, stepping away from the trio of hawks, which are still flapping their wings and screeching. "We just may not have seen it amidst everything else sitting out to be moved."

[red_ponytail]

"Well, at least the island was considerate enough to put the stuff in your new home," Bill commented. Otherwise they would have just had that much more to move. "Well, I'm here to help, so put me to work. What can I do?"

[kaleidoscopeyed]

Karolina's running again, along the path away from where she left Monet at the Compound and heading out toward the beach. She doesn't usually take this way, the long way, had even avoided it for awhile because of Octavia, but now Octavia's gone and she's not ready to go back to the treehouse just yet.

She passes by what she thought was the empty villa and turns her head to look as she flies by it. There are definitely people and lots of things there. Karolina loops back around on the path, her curiosity enough to make her slow to a stop, breathing hard. She puts a hand on her hip and walks slowly toward the place until she sees movement out of the corner of her eye. "Phedre?" she asks, seeing the woman standing by a bunch of beautiful hawks.

[Phedre]

[loveasthouwilt]

The voice startled me out of my thoughts and I turned, peering through the leaves to see Karolina on the path just past our yard. "Karolina," I said with a grin, beckoning her with a wave of my arm. "Don't mind these," I added as one flapped its wings and screeched. "They are, I believe, my partner's gift from the island."

[kaleidoscopeyed]

Karolina grins as she watches the hawk flap out it's wings challengingly. You want to fly too, don't you buddy? I know the feeling. She's not foolish enough to put her hands near them, instead she joins Phedre where she's standing. "Did you get gifts too?" she looks back at the building and then back at Phedre. "You live here now?" she asks, trying not to sound like she's asking for a reason.

[loveasthouwilt]

"I did," I agreed with a smile. "They're inside-- this is indeed our new home, my partner, my brother and I. We kept quite the stylish house back in Terre d'Ange, and the island has seen fit to let me try and replicate it here."

Karolina glanced at the house again, not the first time she'd done so, and I wondered if she had some prior connection to it-- its previous occupant, perhaps, but I was not going to pry. Instead, I reminded myself, I ought to act like the gracious hostess I knew how to be. "May I offer you a drink?" I asked, gesturing toward the door. "I'm afraid all we have is water at the moment, but it is cool."

[notwithmyhand]

The hawks were what first caught his attention and then of course the lady he'd met before. Phedre. He raised a hand as he approached with a friendly expression on his face. "Are those your creatures, sai?" he asked. He noticed another man out of the corner of his eye and nodded to him.

[Phedre and Joscelin]

[incassielsname]

The hawks flap their wings, cawing at me. I'm already distracted by thinking of the mews I wish to build for them. "They seem to have appeared overnight," I say. "I assume they're intended for me." If they would let me get close enough, I could see perhaps if they were tagged with a message such as Phedre's gift was.

[loveasthouwilt]

"Well they were certainly not meant for Alcuin," I chuckled, returning Alain's wave as I tucked my hand through Joscelin's arm. "They are yours, my dear, or else I do not know you at all." The young gunslinger was looking them over intently, and I asked, "Are you familiar with birds, Sai Alain?"

[notwithmyhand]

He smiled at them both. "I am," he agreed. "We were taught hawking among other skills as boys. We used messenger birds as well. They look to be fine birds," Alain said although wisely made no move toward them to check them over more thoroughly.

He turned to the man and nodded. "Phedre and I are acquainted, but I don't know you, sai. I'm Alain Johns," he said, introducing himself easily.

[theunascended]

Three days since he'd seen Owen. Three days and he had no idea what to think. No idea, but he knew what he felt. Betrayed. Even though it wasn't Owen's fault that he didn't remember, Daniel couldn't help but feel as if he'd lost an important part of his life because Owen had left and now he was back and didn't know anything that had happened.

He'd gone for a walk and somehow had made his way to the treehouse and the comfort that he knew Alcuin could provide, but it seemed almost deserted and so he kept walking. He wasn't sure how much later it was that the sudden screech caught his attention but, when he looked up, it was to a familiar face. Not Alcuin, but Phedre.

"Good...it is still morning, yes?" The French words were a little thick on his tongue, not surprising since he hadn't spoken since sometime the day before.

[loveasthouwilt]

"Daniel," I said, pleased to discover I had a visitor. "It is indeed still morning, and a beautiful one at that," I said, smiling. Though I did not know him well enough to know for certain, he seemed a little distracted, and I hoped I could put him at ease. "Don't mind the birds, they appear to be my partner's gift from the island. He's something of a woodsman when he forgets to be a Cassiline."

[theunascended]

Daniel smiled a little. "I didn't realize you guys had moved. I came to say hello and the treehouse looked deserted." Luckily, he'd wandered enough that he'd found them anyway. "Do you know, I know Alcuin, I knew Ysandre, and obviously I've met you, but I don't think I've ever met your partner." Although Daniel thought he might have remembered hearing something about 'Cassiline' from Alcuin.

[loveasthouwilt]

"Well you would not have had much time to notice," I said, lightly teasing, "as today is only our first full day calling this place home. The treehouse served us well, but after three years of it, I am glad to be sleeping on solid ground once more."

I looked round then for Joscelin, but he had slipped away while I was otherwise occupied, for Hyacinthe's horse was no longer tied to the tree at the other end of the yard. "Joscelin seems to have stepped out for a moment-- but should you see a blond man with vambraces on his arms and a look of perpetual concentration on his face, you will have found him," I said with a smile.