toadstools and pixie dust

Mordecai de Fonte · 12-27-2011, 08:00 PM

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Mordecai de Fonte

OCC: I hope its okay. :x Tell me if anything needs change! /// WC: 362

Today was the today, the boy thought. He knew it his bones, in his heart that he was going to find a troll this very day! Or a fairy, or a nymph, or…

The mythical possibilities geared Mordecai forward as he bounded through the woods, his dull-red bandanna splattered in mud from the “shortcuts” he plowed through instead of taking the open trails. But, he did not mind the twigs slapping at his face, or the occasional sharp rock that tempted him to slow his pace, for he was too excited for his current goal: meeting a troll, or fairy, or nymph, or anything otherworldly, and befriend it. His paws were made for traveling, exploring, so the smarting stones did not bother the seeker. Instead, the more he stepped on, the more certain he became to find an unimaginable friend. The humans did not like the rocks that naturally littered the forest floor, and removed them; the more the boy came across, the merrier his naïve mind became.

The wolf had left early that morning to start his venture, and was nearing the coast by the time the sun was just beginning to set from the afternoon because of his impatient pace. Through the thoughts of elves and dwarves, he detected the salty scent of the sea. Instead of heading for the water, he continued deeper into the woods, deciding that the fabled folk would be hidden in an enchanted grove. He had stopped to hunt for a moment, a rabbit that happened near his path, and only rested for a moment to keep his pace as vigorous as it was in the early morning. Mordecai could not see reason to pause; why stop, why hesitate, when there were wonderful creatures to find?

He finally began to feel a little worn when he suddenly happened in a small clearing. It was nothing much, nothing looked special. But green eyes lit in an excited fire as they saw what others couldn’t possibly see: potential. Quickly, he began to nose around the area, searching for the scents he did not even know. Nonetheless, he searched, and believed in their existence more than ever.

Believing without seeing

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Sophie Hughes · 12-27-2011, 08:14 PM

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Word Count → 381 :: Hee, this is gonna be fun! Big Grin Thanks for starting!

Sophie was too young to wander far from the den. Somewhere inside, she knew that; it was dangerous to leave the little clearing just outside their home, and no matter what temptations she felt to go exploring in the trees beyond, she should resist them and content herself with the now-familiar edges of her "territory." Sophie understood all that, and she was perfectly okay with it. Most of the time. Not today.

She'd wandered out into the forest, pushing her head through thickly-woven branches and crawling under bushes to walk in the mud there, leaving a very clear trail to lead her back when the time came for such things. She knew better than to wander off without a way back, at the very least. She'd only gone a little ways, though, before she came upon another clearing, seeming to be the same size and--mostly--the same shape as her own. Her mind, somewhat addled by this odd turn of events, decided she'd gone in a very large circle, and with a small pout, she wiggled her way out into the clearing, dirty and somewhat scratched up from her journey. Lifting her paws high in a bit of a prance, she bounded out into the clearing, only to stop and stare, wide-eyed, at the dark wolf already present.

There was another confusing moment of contradicting feelings in her head and heart, same as when she'd set out for her little journey; as far as she knew, this was her clearing. And there was a stranger there, in her home and on her turf, and instinct told her to do something about it. But, after a moment of watching the wolf sniff around with the happy, eager look on her face, her curiosity got the best of her--he was too big for little Sophie to chase off, anyway--and she did nothing more than prance her way over to him, her paws making soft squelching noises from the mud between her toes, and leaving a trail of brown paw prints in the small layer of snow that covered the ground behind her. When she reached him--or rather, a safe distance, which was still a few feet away, for her--she couldn't help but ask, "Whatcher doin'?"

Mordecai de Fonte · 12-27-2011, 08:41 PM

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Mordecai de Fonte

OCC: Np!

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I found a—no… that’s a patch of grass, he thought glumly, though not discouraged. For a moment, he thought he saw the top of an elf’s hat, but it turned out to be blades of grass poking from under a bush. With a huff, he raised his head, and plunged it once more into the undergrowth. It did not hurt to double check, especially if it was an elf. Maybe elves can turn into grass when they are scared? Don’t be afraid, little elfy, I’m not here to hurt you, he called into the plant, head still poked into it as his eyes searched for the small, elusive creature, I’m a nice wolf, I don’t live in twolegger houses or anything like that. He talked with such certainty; he really did expect that it would come into existence because he did not live like the modern Luperci.

When the small voice spoke behind him, he did pay much mind to it, and replied simply, Looking for an elf. I think he might be scared of me. It took him a second to realize that he was not alone, and for a joyous moment thought it was the elf, coming out of his hiding place. Mordecai pulled himself out of the bushes, to find a small pup staring at him. Oh, well, you’re not an elf, the boy mused the obvious to himself. He felt a little disappointed that it was not an elf, but he did not remain so for long; he loved puppies anyway, so finding her was just as fine as finding an elf.

What’s your name? My name is Mordecai, he told the smaller girl, his tail wagging in a friendly gesture and tongue momentarily lolling out of the corner of his maw, ruining any image that he could be hostile. Do you live around here? Tell me, are there any trolls here? Or, any fairies, maybe?

Believing without seeing.

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Sophie Hughes · 12-27-2011, 08:52 PM

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Word Count → 255 :: Out of Character text.

The male was talking to...someone. Or himself? Sophie tilted her head a little, wondering who 'elfy' was, but then he turned to look at her, and her ears flattened against her head uncertainly. She didn't know what an elf was, but she was rather certain she wasn't one, so she nodded, taking a few more squelching steps forward to peer into the bush curiously. She didn't even know what she was looking for, but for a rather skeptical moment all she saw was a bush, until she turned back to him and tilted her head again.

" 'M Sophie!" She answered brightly, and then nodded enthusiastically at his question. "I live here! Or..." Looking around the clearing uncertainly and not spotting the branch that covered her den, she continued hesitantly, "Or...close by..." She was rather worried about that for a moment, before she remembered that she'd been smart and left a trail, and there was nothing to worry about 'cause she had paw prints she could follow back. His other question confused her, though, and she plopped down, staring at him with a small frown.

"Whatsa troll? Whatsa fai-ry?" And then, scrunching her nose up and glancing doubtfully at the bush, she added, "Whatsa elf?" They sounded strange, whatever they were, and she couldn't help but get up and peer into the bush, wondering if she'd see a pair of eyes, or a flash of teeth. Because elves and trolls and fairies were alive, right? Mordecai had talked like they were, at least.

Mordecai de Fonte · 12-27-2011, 09:13 PM

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Mordecai de Fonte

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So, you are a Sophie, he said with an amused smile, not an elf. He watched her glance around the clearing, and he followed her gaze as well. Nothing suitable for a den was there, but he was certain that the little Sophie’s parents were nearby, so he did not give the thought of her being lost much attention. Instead, he was more interested in her questions. Well, I’m not surprised you don’t know who they are, he said, matter-of-factly, since they like to hide, and not many people know about them.

He watched her peer at the bush, as if she expected the elf to be there as well, but he explained, Don’t worry, an elf isn’t there. Trust me, I looked. Mordecai may have sounded a little sadden when he stated the fact, but if he was, he became cheery again just as quick. They like to live under bushes like this one, so I might’ve thought one could have been there. They also live in tree trunks and burrows, but mainly in the bushes.

He realized that he was getting off track, and shook his head to make himself focus on the pup’s questions. Well, a troll is a stout, chubby creature with ratted clothing and a bad temper. Some of them are nice, but most of the time they like to be mean for no reason, and they usually disguise themselves as toads. Fairies are more kindred spirits, and they sometimes look like bugs, but you gotta be careful! he paused, to emphasized his warning. They like to trick people, so you have to be on your toes around them.

As for elves, they don’t like trolls for some reason. Each elf has a pointy hat that matches their pointy ears, and they can talk to mice and squirrels and help them out year round. They can disappear, so they are really hard to find, harder to find than fairies and trolls. But, I heard you can find them under mushrooms, since that’s their favorite snack, Mordecai went on, and probably would’ve continue on into the night if something did not stop him soon.

Believing without seeing.

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Sophie Hughes · 12-27-2011, 09:40 PM

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Word Count → 530 :: Wow...this totally ran away with me. xD

Sophie wrinkled her nose at his statement, and then, hesitantly and with her head twisting around to look at the clearing some more, "But why hide?" She looked up with wide eyes, her ears flattening and looking close to tears. "They gots scary Faffers?" The second was asked even more hesitantly, as she still felt that perhaps the subject of Fathers was better left alone. She, herself, still woke up some mornings expecting to be yelled at or hit. The thought of these...things hiding from the same thing made her sad, and she pouted, wondering how she could convince the elves and trolls that Fathers could be chased away. They just needed a really good Big Brother.

She was pulled from her search by Mordecai's words, and she blinked at him, then mumbled a quiet, "Okay," Sitting more at attention to listen to his explanations. He told her first where they might be found, and she scrunched her face up thoughtfully, wondering how you lived inside a tree. Then he went on to explain what the different creatures were, and her reactions throughout his monologue were rather comical. At the mention of trolls and their bad attitudes, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open, and she looked for a moment frightened, until he explained that the trolls liked to disguise themselves as toads. She was pretty sure her father wasn't a toad, although the description of a troll fit him nearly to a T. He hadn't said they could disguise themselves as other things, though, so she thought it was a safe bet that Faffer was just really mean.

At the description of fairies, she furrowed her brow a bit and wondered what "kindred" meant, but didn't bother to ask, as he was explaining something else right now. She had to interrupt after his warning, though, to ask a very important question. "What bugs?" In her mind, there were two kinds of bugs; the crawly ones that lived in the mud and bit her sometimes, and that her brother liked to eat, and the pretty ones, that her brother liked to squish. She had to know which ones she needed to save--although, if they were the crawly ones that bit her, Sophie thought somewhat resentfully that maybe she'd let Boothe threaten for a while before she did anything.

Throughout his explanation on elves, though, her expression was only fascinated, as she thought happily that she'd like to talk to mice and squirrels (whatever they were), and be able to disappear, and wear a pointy hat! Brother Leon had a hat, two of them, in fact, but they weren't pointy--they were actually sorta squished on top, but Sophie thought she'd like a pointy one. The end of his explanation had her eyes lighting up, though, and she jumped to her feet, tail wagging furiously. "Oh! Oh! Sophie saw mushrooms! Lotsa mushrooms!" She barked, and then turned and dashed into the underbrush, burrowing under bushes and through branches back the way she'd come. She wanted to meet an elf; maybe they'd teach her to talk to mice and squirrels!

And then show her what mice and squirrels were.

Mordecai de Fonte · 12-29-2011, 06:09 PM

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Mordecai de Fonte

OCC: I just want to cuddle Sophie omg. ;w; And Mordy is so full of it. /// WC: 426

He blinked in confused at Sophie’s speculation of why the creatures hide. Scary fathers? I wonder… But Mordecai kept his own questions to himself and his mind from wandering, for the pup seemed seriously bothered by the reason, and he wanted to distract her from the subject. “No, they hide because of the humans; they were like the trolls, but bigger and meaner”—to dramatically empathize what the humans looked like, he stretched up on his hind legs to show their stance, and attempted to make an evil expression, though it came out more goofed and up humorous than he really wanted—“that destroyed their homes so that they can make their own big caves made of twisted wood.”

But now that they are gone,” he continued with a flourish that clearly told that he was certainly glad that their existence was no more, “their caves are starting to rot, and I’m sure all the fairies, trolls, and elves will return. All the plants that the humans hurt will grow back. All the trees with grow up, and be stronger than ever. With that many homes for them to live in, they are bound to come out of hiding, even if it’ll take a while.”

On a roll, he was about to begin a sentence for the girl asked another question. “What kind of bugs? Well, certainly not the ones that live on the ground, since its taboo for a fairy’s feet to touch the earth. They can have wings with beautiful patterns, like butterflies, or slim, delicate fliers like a dragonfly. But, the rare kind is the tiny ones that can shine like a star at night!” He took another dramatic pause, and said in a wise, sage voice, “It is said that if you manage to catch a shining fairy, it’ll congratulate you by giving you one wish that your heart truly desires. The reason why they are so much harder to find is because greedy souls used to find and catch a whole flock of them, so they are very skittish, even for the ones who want to be their friend.”

Again interrupted, and about to comment on the pup’s outbursts, his eyes lit up at the declaration of mushrooms. He leaped from his seat and began to chase after her, his heart swelling at the thought of the pointy-hatted elves. “Lead the way, Sophie!” he encouraged, trying his best to follow the girl; being bigger than her, he had some difficulty keeping up with her pace. But, he kept up nonetheless.

Believing without seeing.

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Sophie Hughes · 12-29-2011, 07:33 PM

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Word Count → 430 :: Heee this thread is so adorable. <3 Mordecai is just priceless. xD

Sophie's eyes widened at the impression of 'humans', backing away from him a few steps uncertainly. His expression wasn't all that scary, but she was afraid all the same; humans sounded horrible. Her ears pressed against her head uncertainly, and she remained several steps away until he'd returned to his normal stance, not relaxing until he changed the subject. When he described the sorts of bugs that fairies could disguise themselves as, Sophie went back to being curious, especially at the mention of bugs--or fairies, rather--that glowed, and granted wishes. She blinked very carefully, and then thought back through her life, wondering if she'd ever seen glowing bugs. She didn't think she had.

Of course the thought crossed her mind that he might be lying, but he looked so convinced of their existence that Sophie couldn't help but believe it, too. She wondered if she might ever catch a glow-fairy, and set her mind to it--someday, she thought. Someday she would, and then...who knew what would happen, what wish would be granted? She didn't even know what her heart desired, and that might change when she got older. For a puppy still so little, she was surprisingly insightful to her own desires. Over the last few days alone, her wants had changed so much that surely they would change more with time.

She was distracted from her contemplation by the prospect of elves, though, and she dashed back into the brush, ducking under branches and crawling over tree roots as fast as her little legs would carry her. She didn't think for a moment that maybe the much larger Mordecai would have trouble keeping up; she was too excited by the thought of finding tiny pointy-hatted creatures, and when she finally came upon the tree with moss growing on the trunk, and a little circle of white mushrooms hiding between the roots--only a little ways away from where they'd been--she tumbled to a stop, and began sniffing eagerly about the mushrooms. "Little elf. Little elf." She called sweetly, dragging out the "elf" into a bit of a howl. She didn't really know what she was looking for, but her bright imagination enabled her to hear soft giggling, like the tinkling of tiny bells, and a time or two she thought she saw a pair of eyes looking back at her.

This came from the same girl who had a doll that could walk about on its own while she slept, though, and it was probably--most likely--all in her head.

Maybe.

Mordecai de Fonte · 01-01-2012, 06:59 PM

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Mordecai de Fonte

OCC: If only gnomes could run. :| They would run away from him. /// WC: 648

Mordecai saw the look upon the girl’s face as a one of fear. But he could not blame the pup, he thought, as he returned to a more normal position. He detested the humans, and the vigor in which he spoke of their riddance was full hearted. Even he was scared, scared of what they were capable of. They could mow down mountains, clear out forests, and suck up lakes. And then there was the Luperci that wanted to be them. Did they, too, want to destroy the place they live in like the humans did? But he did not bring up the question with little Sophie, since seemed to be already freaked out by the talk of the humans.

It seemed that girl, too, liked the talk of fairies as much as the boy did. Though he rather search for elves than fairies, they did hold a special place in this heart. For, if he was to ever catch a glown-fairy, he knew what it would grant for him. For all the human taint to be gone, so that all the magically creatures could return, so he could befriend them all. Sure, it was a daunting task, but Mordecai believed he could take it on by the horns, if he really wanted to. And he really did.

The black wolf bounded after the pup. He jumped over whatever he could clear with ease, but when it came for the tasks too tall for his long legs to overcome, he had to crawl. Sometimes, the space was a tight fit for the boy, while the other zipped under without any trouble at all. But, he squeezed through with enough force to keep his pace somewhat constant so that he kept up with Sophie for the short distance. Even though it was short, Mordecai believed it was longer than it truly was, and thought that maybe the pup lead him deeper into the woods where no one has been before.

The moment he saw the mushrooms, he began to search. He snuffed around the stems of the fungi, but came out sneezing with he breathed in a whole nose-full of spores. He scented nothing out of the norm, but that did not deter him from his spirited dedication. Mordy strayed a little ways from Sophie, his nose to the ground and eyes peeled for any hats. And what he found surprised him out of his fur.

There, in the bushes! He did not imagine it this time! There, staring back at him was a pair of dark, merry eyes. He became stone silent, gazing back at the elf with the same, intense eyes. It saw the wolf, yet his expression stayed gleeful. Now the boy’s tail wagged like a leaf flailing in the wind as it tried to cling to his body. “Hey, there, elf!” he barked, and poked his nose at it, maybe a little too hard. It fell backwards without trying to steady itself, and Mordecai backed off with a yelp of surprise.

“Oh, I’m sorry, sorry! Let me up you up.” He stuck his head further into the bush to grab the elf’s hat, but he stopped. “Sophie, come here, there’s a whole colony of them!” He pushed his way into the bush, nearly forgetting about the fellow he pushed over. “Oh, um, sorry again,” he murmured meekly, and pushed the little man back on his feet, still looking happy as ever.

He continued on to the small yard that was completely covered with small elves. Some were sitting with their rakes in hand, taking a break from their work. Some were still working, pushing wheel barrels. Others were standing with others, as if they were making idle chatter. “Greetings, everyone!” Mordecai called to all. He was sure at that moment his soul would leap out of his body out of the sheer discovery of this.

Believing without seeing.

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Sophie Hughes · 01-01-2012, 07:28 PM

SSWM FROM HERE DOWN.

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Word Count → 479 :: Lol! xD I can see it now, a bunch of little red and blue hats dashing through the grass and high-pitched screams echoing through the air.

Sophie stumbled back a bit as Mordecai's much larger nose came between her in the mushrooms, standing back and letting the master work. He sniffed and sneezed at the mushrooms, and then moved on to the surrounding area, with Sophie trotting along at his heels, resisting the urge to nip at them playfully--now was not the time for games! They were searching! As they came upon a bush, Mordy froze, and Sophie padded her way underneath him so that she could peer at the elf-creature from the safety between his front paws. Its gaze was almost frozen, and she hovered uncertainly while Mordecai leapt about, knocking it over and setting it back up before going on to find yet more of the creatures.

Sophie stepped up to the first elf, her ears swiveling hesitantly about her head, and she batted at its face with a paw, tumbling back about a foot for safety when it wobbled. She waited for retaliation, and when none came, stepped forward, squinting her eyes and tilting her head back and forth curiously. Finally, she let her pink-spotted tongue slide from her maw and began licking its face, not stopping until she'd knocked it over with her enthusiasm. She nudged the fallen elf with her nose, then stepped back, her eyes wary and uncertain.

"Dun like these elves..." She mumbled as she padded her way over to Mordecai, pausing to sniff at a pair who seemed to have been frozen mid-chat. Her mind should have gone into over-drive, seeing the actual figures of these knew creatures, but instead she just felt...afraid. They didn't speak, or laugh, and they didn't move. She huddled closer to Mordecai, and looked up at him uncertainly. "What wrong wit' them?" Her words grew more broken up and jumbled as she grew more concerned, and she bounded over to an elf with a long beard who was leaning on a mushroom, shoving her nose against his.

"Hey! Wake up! We friends!" She shouted, and pushed him again, knocking him over. She whined then, trying to put him back up and mumbling quiet sort-of apologies as she did so, before something caught her attention.

There was an odd tree just a few feet away--not round, but rather square, and with its branches all lined up in neat rows. It looked like there should be more of it, and her eyes traced the overgrown wall before she found the areas where it had fallen. Nearly half the building was gone, but Sophie didn't know what it was supposed to look like, only what it did; and it looked like...a den made out of twisted wood. She stood there staring for a moment before she let out a yelp that turned into a howl, running away from it with a startled cry of, "Hoomans! Hoomans!"

Mordecai de Fonte · 01-02-2012, 05:29 PM

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Mordecai: RAWR! D:<

Word Count → 482

So intent on his search, he did not notice that Sophie was actually following him. All that matter to him at the moment was that he found them. At last! They will have so much fun together. They will teach him how to talk to the squirrels and the mice, and show him how to make nests for wandering creatures, and… As his thoughts rolled on with the possibilities, he did not realize that the so-called elves were unmoving. They just stood or sat motionlessly, their faces still expressing glee.

It was only the pup that pulled him out of his thought about enjoying mushrooms with the elves. He glanced down at Sophie, confused, and barked, “What do you mean what’s wrong with them? They look happy and fine! See, they are happy to see us!” Mordecai looked back up at the scene, and finally understood her drift. He watched her silently as she yelled at the still elf, unable to quite understand the situation now; they were there, but something was wrong, amiss.

As Sophie tried to pick up a fellow she pushed over, the boy stepped up to another that was not so far off. The white-bearded man was holding up a rake, his furless skin rosy as if he felt the cold. The dark wolf pushed over the man, already knowing he would not try to get back up without his help. He sniffed the elf all over, but no signs of living came off of it. Now he felt what the pup felt: fear. This thing was not alive, and it was staring at him with empty, cheery eyes. With a slight growl echoing deep in his throat, he pawed at it, and began to push it around. He had happened to push down on it, and the man split beneath him, pieces of him cracking apart easily.

The boy jumped away from the broken pieces, his lime eyes wide as a full moon. At the same moment, Sophie began to howl. Mordecai forgot about the hollow elf, his own fears the instant she started to cry out and ran over to the pup. He stood in front, slightly hovering, over her, facing the abandoned nest with menacing, bared teeth. This was a true face that could cause any creature fear, nothing like the evil face he tried to make earlier. This was true fright.

After a moment, nothing happened. Once the male realized that no humans, nor any other hostile creature, was near, his dark fur relaxed and looked down on Sophie to check her, his once fiery eyes now round, innocent greens. “Are you okay?” he asked meekly, sounding as scared as she was. Mordecai wasn’t a fighter, a warrior. He was a momma bear; the most loving being there was, but also potentially the most dangerous, but only to protect the ones they care for.

Table by Aly, code by the Mentors!

Sophie Hughes · 01-02-2012, 06:09 PM

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Word Count → 394 :: Sophie: WAAAHHHH ;~~;

Sophie whimpered slightly as Mordecai finally realized something was wrong, her eyes turning to him for guidance. She didn't know what was wrong, but she was frightened; she wanted him to explain, to make the elves come alive and play with them. But when her yells proved fruitless and she turned to see that he'd shattered one of his own, she felt only sadness and fear. These elves weren't alive; and probably never had been, she thought resentfully. They weren't real elves; they didn't look enough like anything, except maybe humans--though she didn't know anything about them, so she didn't know--to have lived on their own once. She backed away from them, feeling suddenly frightened for herself and her new friend, and the desire to flee struck her even before she saw the awful human structure.

Her howl brought Mordecai immediately, and she put her head in her paws and whined while he stood over her, waiting for the humans to come crashing down around their ears, punishing them for disturbing their home and touching their frozen elves. But nothing happened, and after a moment she lifted her head, looking up with frightened eyes to meet Mordecai's meek words. "I wanna go home." Her voice cracked, and she suddenly found the search for elves not fun at all, not when they'd come across such horrors as these. Sniffling, she climbed slowly to her feet, and had to wipe her nose on her leg, as it was running and she was quite sure she would need to use the bathroom soon; she'd managed not to wet herself, but the need was very suddenly there.

She wanted to tell Leon about the horrible humans she'd learned of, and all the wonderful creatures she'd heard about, and then stay around the den for a few days and not venture out anywhere for a very long time. She didn't want to come across another twisted den like this one, though she doubted she'd hold that promise for very long; despite her scare, there was something oddly fascinating about the den, and she glanced at it with fear before turning quickly away and edging back the way she'd come, giving Mordecai a pleading look. She'd understand if he wanted to stay and figure out why the elves were frozen, but poor Sophie was done for the day.

Mordecai de Fonte · 01-02-2012, 06:38 PM

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We can end this after your post, unless you like this to go on longer? I don't mind~ I love this thread anyway.

Word Count → 422

Mordecai couldn’t help but not see the truth at first. He wanted, desperately, for the elves to be real, for them to laugh and sing. He had been searching for so long for them, and he did not want this to be another let down. Now he felt defeated, not feeling this down in so long because of his naturally up-beat personality. But when he felt conquered, he felt it hard. That was a problem for the boy: he felt things too much. He does not consider things without his heart in the decision, without adding his own feelings and opinions in the mix. This time, he focused so much on his own wants that he ignored Sophie’s own emotions.

“I’ll bring you home, Sophie, if you want,” he whined to her, his nose brushing past her ear to try to comfort her. He was sure that if he followed the girl’s sent, he could led her back to her parents, or in the case he did not know about, her brother. He could smell her fear, as well as his, and it would do them no good to stay in this silent, still garden any longer, with the sun starting to go down in the west. Mordecai also thought maybe he’ll head home soon, too, his new home; this was his last night in these woods before he took his leave north to go to Zalen’s new pack’s territory.

When he saw her brush her nose, he felt horrible for egging the pup to go on this excursion. He nudged her against with his muzzle, again to give comfort, but also wordlessly asking for forgiveness. The boy watched the girl slowly go back to where they came, and went after her when she turned to look at him. “Let’s get out of here,” he spoke, to himself and to Sophie, as they exited the yard. In the back of his head, he imagined the elves’ eyes staring at him, or maybe even through him. His steps sped up as his mind thought of the smiling faces with empty gazes.

“I’m sorry, Sophie,” he murmured aloud this time, his head bowed in guilt. “I should have known something was up… I guess I’m too silly with the thoughts of fairies and trolls to tell what’s real and what’s not.” He spoke with a smile, but it was as hollow as the little men. He let the pup down, and caused her fear, which was the worst thing that happened that day yet.

Table by Aly, code by the Mentors!

Sophie Hughes · 01-02-2012, 06:56 PM

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Word Count → 431 :: I DUN WANT IT TO EEENNNDD. D: But this seems like a good stopping point, if Sophie wouldn't ask so many questions. LOL We should have another soon!

Sophie sniffled and nodded hopefully as Mordecai offered to bring her home, padding her way carefully back to the small trail she'd left. "Think 's this way..." She mumbled, and nosed her way through the underbrush, this time much more slowly as she still felt a bit discouraged. The stories he'd woven of elves and trolls had seemed so real, so indisputable; and yet when they came across the creatures, they'd been nothing more than frozen imitations of themselves, of what she'd imagined them to be. It disheartened her toward the whole process, and yet...she wanted to believe there was magic in the world. She would believe there was magic in the world; it was the only way she could grow up without growing embittered.

The sun was starting to go down, and she gave a small hiccough that belied her attempts to remain strong and not cry over the unfairness of it all. When Mordecai's muzzle nudged her own gently, she pushed back, rubbing her head against him to take what comfort he offered, and also to forgive him for whatever transgressions he thought he'd made, though she didn't realize at first that he needed comfort, too. The walk back home was going slowly, and she wanted suddenly to curl up with Bug and tell him about her adventures, just to let him know what had gone on--her very best friend, who was much like those elves. Frozen in time, given life only by her own imagination...she didn't want to make that connection yet, though, and so forcefully pushed it out of her mind.

Sophie looked up as Mordecai apologized, and offered her own weak smile, though her eyes were a bit watery and she sniffled a lot. "Not your fault," She said, waving her tail briefly before it curled between her legs. "Maybe still elves just...decoys." She decided she liked that thought, and her tail waved again, her eyes wide and hopeful. "Elves put out still elves, scare away bad things. Then real elves safe, right?" She didn't know why they'd put them out around the humans' twisted den, though; maybe to scare away wolves. It had certainly worked on them.

Pausing as they came upon her clearing, Sophie sniffed and rubbed her nose again, then turned to look at Mordecai and smiled again. "Sophie home now! Go tell Bug 'bout elves and glow-fairies." She scratched at her ear with a hind paw for a moment before looking up at Mordecai again, hopefully. "Mord-Morde--Mordy friend now, right? Sophie see him lots more?"

Mordecai de Fonte · 01-02-2012, 07:33 PM

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sswm: 514

OHGODIDON'TWANTTHISTOEND. ;m; Meybe you can add one little post in, and then we MUST thread again, soon!

Word Count → 514

The boy followed after Sophie, watching her find her way back. He could not help but admire the pup’s bravery she had shown that day. It was not much, but more than he could have provided. Why, if he was alone, finding the stone-elves by himself, he would have run for miles with his tail between his legs. But, she was there, and her presence made him stay instead of run. How he saw it, she gave him courage to stand up to the twisted den, and she was brave because of that.

When she stated it was not his fault, he still could not help but feel it was still is, even if she did not feel the same. Mordecai was an adult now, he should have been more sensible. He should not be going around the woods, searching for fairies and elves like a puppy, when he was past yearling age. He lacked responsibility, to himself and to the things around him. If he was more mature, they would not have ended their search with dampened spirits and tucked tails. But, the boy did not show his misgivings about himself on his face or expressed it on his tongue, keeping his doubts to himself.

“Decoys?” he repeated her words, musing over the thought for a moment. He did not believe that elves would be able to use stone and craft it that well. But, he saw the look on Sophie’s face, how hopeful she was that her guess was like his, so he nodded eagerly. “Yes, maybe they wanted us to stay away from the den, as a warning. It makes sense; they do not like to trick others, so they must have done this for a good reason.” When he spoke the words, he realized that he liked the sound of it, too, and it did make much sense to him. Perhaps Sophie was right; maybe they were only warding off bad things.

Bug? Mordecai assumed this must be a family member, and added, “And don’t forget to tell him about the trolls, too!” When she tried to pronounce his name, he felt his heart melt. She reminded her so much of his family back home, all his little cousins that he preached to about his beliefs. But, when she asked if they will see each other often, he had to think a moment.

His new pack was fairly far away from this area, and Sophie wanted to see him even more. Mordecai thought for a moment maybe this was not possible, the distance was too long. As he started to doubt, a single thought murmured: You can do it. She is your friend. Anything is possible. “Sophie is my friend, yes! Mordy will see Sophie lots, lots more! But, later, time for elf hunters to go to bed now,” he spoke lovingly with a smile, nudging the pup closer to her home. He began to trek back to his own den, knowing that he will see that girl many more times, no matter how far apart the two friends were.

Table by Aly, code by the Mentors!

Sophie Hughes · 01-02-2012, 07:59 PM

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Word Count → 368 :: ;~~; We definitely have to, Mordecai and Sophie are just adorable together. xD <3

Mordy looked doubtful for a moment, but then he agreed that the elves must have been warning them away from the den. She wagged her tail, glad that she seemed to have had a good idea. The elves wouldn't want anyone to be hurt by the bad humans, so they would have made the decoys of themselves to warn people against it. She nearly bounced with excitement at the thought, as it meant that there were elves in the area, and ones who cared enough about those who would search for them to warn them off.

Sophie nodded as sagely as possible for one so young as he reminded her to tell Bug about the trolls, too; she definitely had to warn him about them, and should probably tell Boothe, too, just to make sure he didn't get hurt. Sophie jumped toward the clearing and her den, and then turned back, smiling brightly at Mordecai and waving her tail, all thoughts of discouragement and loss gone from her mind. They'd discovered elves after all, if in a roundabout way; and when Mordecai next came back, she'd have found the real thing, and have made friends with them already, too. He'd be so proud of her! Sophie's tongue lolled out of her mouth at the thought, and she bounced lightly, already wondering what other sorts of places they might hide in.

Sophie barked happily as Mordecai promised he'd see her lots more, and then tried to contain her glee as he told her it was time for little elf hunters to go to bed. She was rather tired, and it looked like Boothe was already in the den, considering Bug was laying in the clearing, abandoned. Sophie turned back to Mordy with a little bark and turned in a circle, watching him leave before shouting, "Bye! Bye friend!" And dashing over to her doll, dragging him over to the den and down into its depths.

If one were listening closely, they might hear her excited whispering long into the night, and it was long past dusk when Sophie finally rested her head against Bug's over-stuffed belly and closed her eyes, dreaming of her adventures going a bit differently.

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