Castaways of Fate: The Second Day, Housebuilding

Sorry. I didn't mean to hog the water. You can swim now. I promise, I'll be good." Her own smile softens, as her fingers trace the charms. I'm dead. Her darkness snipes. I am not in the hands of the mothers. Perhaps they didn't want me either.

"Don't worry Dichroic, I don't mind you hogging the water." Her teeth bit into her lower lip, she wanted to get some what cleaned, especially her hair with picked up anything and everything when it was undone. Finally she decided to wash. She turned her back on Dichroic and unlaced her robe. She let it fall to the ground and quickly slipped into the water, hoping the sheer amount of scars on her body would not scare the other woman.

[/i]
I'm just a broken human, who am I to question the Mother's methods? She thinks. I have been dropped off in a beautiful, interesting place with dangers and wonders both, and a salting and peppering of people, and I'm certain that if I just get to know them, they will be the best friends I can have.

"Um, Anni, what do you like to do for fun?"[/i]

She looked up at her as she undid her hair wanting to get all the dirt out. "Fun? I don't get to have much fun, I'm always running for my life or saving someone. It gets quite tedious after a while. What spare time I have I spend with my lover, Edwin. He's very sweet and good to me, though when others are around he goes back to treating everyone like they are lower that him." She rolled her eyes.

"Fortunately all I have to do is say two words now to shut him up. Nether Scroll. And he then he tries to distract me from saying more and well, things are good between. Except for my father who never shuts up. It's starting to worry me, he's been quiet for a while, I can only guess what he's up too."

Don't worry Dichroic, I don't mind you hogging the water." Her teeth bit into her lower lip, she wanted to get some what cleaned, especially her hair with picked up anything and everything when it was undone. Finally she decided to wash. She turned her back on Dichroic and unlaced her robe. She let it fall to the ground and quickly slipped into the water, hoping the sheer amount of scars on her body would not scare the other woman.

Dichroic's eyes brush the scars. One of her thought tangles switches from droneing on and on about the moisture percentage in the air and switches over to angles of blade entry and the curve and momentum of the blows. Dichroic ignores that thought tangle as much as any other. Instead, she wonders how the woman is scared...certainly, she couldn't have let that many injuries heal naturally... perhaps Anni is also older than she looks? But, no.

"Your healing magic is different," Her voice says, spilling out the topmost thoughts. "On Dereth, you can have a shattered olthio shell embedded in your arm with acid eatting through your flesh and heal it closed without having mark left on your arm, the acid melts away like ice in the desert, the jagged shell just flies off as the skin reforms, but the healing you and Onyx and Brynn use require closed wounds without material in them, and can still give scars, yes? No wonder I get looks like I do. You must all think I have never been injured." She says, blinking as if she can't believe she just said it aloud. She bites her lip. "Well, I suppose I could assure you that I've died in hundreds of horrible ways, but I don't think that will raise your oppinion of me as a fighter." Another odd smile surfaces. "But I suppose I'll be a good enough mule until I can find or create a crossbow or find out how to reach the magic here."

She looked up at her as she undid her hair wanting to get all the dirt out. "Fun? I don't get to have much fun, I'm always running for my life or saving someone. It gets quite tedious after a while. What spare time I have I spend with my lover, Edwin. He's very sweet and good to me, though when others are around he goes back to treating everyone like they are lower that him." She rolled her eyes.

"Fortunately all I have to do is say two words now to shut him up. Nether Scroll. And he then he tries to distract me from saying more and well, things are good between. Except for my father who never shuts up. It's starting to worry me, he's been quiet for a while, I can only guess what he's up too."

She smiles at the mention of Anni's lover. "Is your father Gorion like the otherses? Besides Daie, that is? Are you still getting tells from them, I can't get any tells from anyone back home, and I can't seem to contact them either." She sighs. "But maybe Toril is closer?" She smiles hopefully. Maybe they will be happy if they can contact home and be sure that their families and friends are ok. They might not even have died to get here. "How did you get here, by the way? Did you die? Did someone rip out your soul?" She tilts her head to the side curiously.

"Your healing magic is different," Her voice says, spilling out the topmost thoughts. "On Dereth, you can have a shattered olthio shell embedded in your arm with acid eatting through your flesh and heal it closed without having mark left on your arm, the acid melts away like ice in the desert, the jagged shell just flies off as the skin reforms, but the healing you and Onyx and Brynn use require closed wounds without material in them, and can still give scars, yes? No wonder I get looks like I do. You must all think I have never been injured." She says, blinking as if she can't believe she just said it aloud. She bites her lip. "Well, I suppose I could assure you that I've died in hundreds of horrible ways, but I don't think that will raise your oppinion of me as a fighter." Another odd smile surfaces. "But I suppose I'll be a good enough mule until I can find or create a crossbow or find out how to reach the magic here."

"It's good that you don't have scars. I hate mine. I was tortured you see, and left to heal naturally, that's what happened to most of us. And don't worry about what you can and can't do here. I'm a mage and a cleric but I'm powerless at the moment. You can always help with small things, no one will think badly of you. At least I won't."

She smiles at the mention of Anni's lover. "Is your father Gorion like the otherses? Besides Daie, that is? Are you still getting tells from them, I can't get any tells from anyone back home, and I can't seem to contact them either." She sighs. "But maybe Toril is closer?" She smiles hopefully. Maybe they will be happy if they can contact home and be sure that their families and friends are ok. They might not even have died to get here. "How did you get here, by the way? Did you die? Did someone rip out your soul?" She tilts her head to the side curiously.

"Most of us were raised by Gorion. But my birth father is a dead god called Bhaal. He was a very evil man and sadly some of us can't fight off the taint." -Like Talek and Kane- "Bhaal talks to me almost all the time, he lives inside of my head." She dunked her head under water as she tried to get everything out of it.

"I don't know how I got here. All I know is I took one of Edwin's potions last night and I woke up here in these clothes and everyone else was here too." She sighed. "I don't think I would be here if I had died. When I die, I go to a place called the Abyss, that's where my older brother is."

"I'll be right back." She turned and walked back to the others. She spotted Erelle, she had noticed the girl's disappointment eariler when Talek was washing. "Erelle! Come alone and we'll get you cleaned up ok?" She smiled at the girl and turned back to the waterfall, eying Dichroic, not for the first time wondering what was wrong with the girl.

Erelle looks up from the fire when Anni calls to her. "I wait for the crazy lady to finish first, ok? There is more food to cook here, and I should stay a while."

She puts a few more of the unpeeled plantains in the embers to cook, and sits back poking at the fire occasionally with a long stick.

"It's good that you don't have scars. I hate mine. I was tortured you see, and left to heal naturally, that's what happened to most of us. And don't worry about what you can and can't do here. I'm a mage and a cleric but I'm powerless at the moment. You can always help with small things, no one will think badly of you. At least I won't."

"Tortured?" She asks. A remembrence of feeling surfaces with a flinch. Her soul being squeezed slowly like a ripe juicy orange. Feeling the barriers of her soul constricted around her life essence in the pressure. Energy escaping, bleeding into the air and lost like body heat in the cold. She shakes her head. The thought tangles have risen up like a whirlwind around her mind. It takes her a moment of concentration to refocus on the world around her once more. She breaths in the moisture, focuses on the greenness, and the water, then looks back to Anni. Dichroic's eyes are wet, and tears are running down her face. Her lips continue to smile, but only slightly.

"Grapes pop slowly in your fingers, and you never think of how they feel with such crushing pressure, and the juice tearing itself out but grapes don't sceam. The skin is still there, even if some juice is not. I was a grape once...far too many times too long. Hours of grapedom, and to a grape, hours are years." The words rush out, a confession of sorts, and then her eyes glaze over. It takes another moment before she speaks, and her eyes refocus on Anni in the water, her smile spreads further. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"

"Most of us were raised by Gorion. But my birth father is a dead god called Bhaal. He was a very evil man and sadly some of us can't fight off the taint." -Like Talek and Kane- "Bhaal talks to me almost all the time, he lives inside of my head." She dunked her head under water as she tried to get everything out of it.

"I don't know how I got here. All I know is I took one of Edwin's potions last night and I woke up here in these clothes and everyone else was here too." She sighed. "I don't think I would be here if I had died. When I die, I go to a place called the Abyss, that's where my older brother is."

"You have an undead god haunting your mind?" Dichroic says. "I have a hard enough time with my own mind, I can only imagine what would happen if I had an undead god in it too." She smiles. "Gosh, I'm lucky I'm not you guys. I have it easy!" She smiles brilliantly.

"Tortured?" She asks. A remembrence of feeling surfaces with a flinch. Her soul being squeezed slowly like a ripe juicy orange. Feeling the barriers of her soul constricted around her life essence in the pressure. Energy escaping, bleeding into the air and lost like body heat in the cold. She shakes her head. The thought tangles have risen up like a whirlwind around her mind. It takes her a moment of concentration to refocus on the world around her once more. She breaths in the moisture, focuses on the greenness, and the water, then looks back to Anni. Dichroic's eyes are wet, and tears are running down her face. Her lips continue to smile, but only slightly.

"Grapes pop slowly in your fingers, and you never think of how they feel with such crushing pressure, and the juice tearing itself out but grapes don't sceam. The skin is still there, even if some juice is not. I was a grape once...far too many times too long. Hours of grapedom, and to a grape, hours are years." The words rush out, a confession of sorts, and then her eyes glaze over. It takes another moment before she speaks, and her eyes refocus on Anni in the water, her smile spreads further. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"

Anni stepped out of the water and quickly dressed in her robes. She braided her hair the best she could without a brush and tied it with a piece of her robe she had torn off. She smiled at Dichronic, understanding their worlds were vastly different and thought maybe that was why the girl was so...odd.

"You have an undead god haunting your mind?" Dichroic says. "I have a hard enough time with my own mind, I can only imagine what would happen if I had an undead god in it too." She smiles. "Gosh, I'm lucky I'm not you guys. I have it easy!" She smiles brilliantly.

"Well somedays Bhaal is rather amusing in his own way. It's only bad when he acts like he gives a damn out my life." She rolled her eyes. "Come on lets go back to the camp and get the men working on something." She smiled.

Anni stepped out of the water and quickly dressed in her robes. She braided her hair the best she could without a brush and tied it with a piece of her robe she had torn off. She smiled at Dichronic, understanding their worlds were vastly different and thought maybe that was why the girl was so...odd.

Well, whatever had slipped out of her mouth had obviously not offended Anni, so she shook off the faint feeling of dread that she might have said something wrong. She smothered the feeling with a greatful smile. One of her hands ran over the now clean green bracelet and charms absently. The metal had been cooled as well as cleaned by the water, though not polished. Lines engraved in the metal formed a shape out of what would otherwise be a flat blob. There was something her mind wanted to say but it faded.

"Well somedays Bhaal is rather amusing in his own way. It's only bad when he acts like he gives a damn out my life." She rolled her eyes. "Come on lets go back to the camp and get the men working on something." She smiled.

"I'm really lucky! My parents were just wonderful! But they can't talk to me anymore because...well the villagers...um, nevermind." She paused, left hand tracing the virindi charm over and over again, and specifically the vulnerability of 'fire'. "I really hope they haven't completely thatched the roof yet. Thatching is just talking waiting to happen!" She giggled. She cartwheeled happily, then turned back to Anni. "Did I show you the jade?" She chirped. "I still have it at my nest...unless those little monkey dogs dug it up, but I don't think so." She smiled. "We played tag." She smiles wistfully. "I haven't played tag in a while, but it was fun. Not as fun as aluvian wand tag, but fun enough." She smiled, walking along an orbitting path around and beside and behind and off to the side of Anni. "Aluvian wand tag is as a game they play on Dereth. Derethian wands are so much better than Isparian ones. Derethian wands are lighter, embued with magic and some can even can resist spells and even parry blades, if needs be. So, most people get rid of their orginal Isparian wands as quickly as possible. That's probably how it started. It's a game where instead of touching the person you are playing with to tag them, you actually have to get close enough long enough to drop your wand into their pack. Then they have to pull it back out of their pack and try to drop it back in yours. It's a really fun game. Do you have any variations of that game on Toril? Or maybe the roof jumping game?"

Talek looked around, unsure of what to do. Obviously, the swordsman was rather clueless about their course of actions. In pragmatcial things like this, he had always relied upon smarter comrades. He looked at Erelle. "Ah... you wouldn't have much experience in... buildinghouses with nothing would you?"

The man also noticed Kane sitting quite an end off. As much as he disliked the man, they needed a defensible place, and he was damned if they were going to die because he was moping somewhere. Probably thinking about betraying Edwin with Anni He called out. "Hey, Theaza! Are you gonna help, or just sit there!"

Talek looked around, unsure of what to do. Obviously, the swordsman was rather clueless about their course of actions. In pragmatcial things like this, he had always relied upon smarter comrades. He looked at Erelle. "Ah... you wouldn't have much experience in... buildinghouses with nothing would you?"

She may be smarter than him, but she's still just a kid. Try one of the adults.

Erelle looks up from her cooking and quickly swallows the food she was
'testing to see if it was done'.
"No sir, only things to be done after the shelter is made. To cook and wash and entertain, women's work."

"No sir, only things to be done after the shelter is made. To cook and wash and entertain, women's work."

Talek scowled, though he didn't raise his voice. She WAS a child after all. "Woman's work? Have you ever SEEN how Viconia washes clothes? And it's not like she did it when she was with us, just when she lived alone. Really, in our party I wash everyone's clothes, and that's a good thing too. Edwin, Viconia and Haer Dalis at least try to keep themselves clean, but Korgan, Xzar and Montaron! I almost have to tear the clothes off fo them!"

The man also noticed Kane sitting quite an end off. As much as he disliked the man, they needed a defensible place, and he was damned if they were going to die because he was moping somewhere. Probably thinking about betraying Edwin with Anni He called out. "Hey, Theaza! Are you gonna help, or just sit there!"

While the others had been washing and talking and generally messing about, Kane had been ignoring them all, lost in his own thoughts, wondering how his companions were faring without him. But Talek’s voice jolted him back to reality and the situation they had to deal with now, and he looked up. “Of course I’m going to help,” he said, as pleasantly as he could manage. “I was waiting for the rest of you to sort yourselves out.”

Talek scowled, though he didn't raise his voice. She WAS a child after all. "Woman's work? Have you ever SEEN how Viconia washes clothes? And it's not like she did it when she was with us, just when she lived alone. Really, in our party I wash everyone's clothes, and that's a good thing too. Edwin, Viconia and Haer Dalis at least try to keep themselves clean, but Korgan, Xzar and Montaron! I almost have to tear the clothes off of them!"

As much as he told himself to hold back and not do anything to deliberately piss Talek off, for the sake of the whole group, Kane couldn’t hold back a snort of laughter at the swordsman’s last sentence.

"I'm really lucky! My parents were just wonderful! But they can't talk to me anymore because...well the villagers...um, nevermind." She paused, left hand tracing the virindi charm over and over again, and specifically the vulnerability of 'fire'. "I really hope they haven't completely thatched the roof yet. Thatching is just talking waiting to happen!" She giggled. She cartwheeled happily, then turned back to Anni. "Did I show you the jade?" She chirped. "I still have it at my nest...unless those little monkey dogs dug it up, but I don't think so." She smiled. "We played tag." She smiles wistfully. "I haven't played tag in a while, but it was fun. Not as fun as aluvian wand tag, but fun enough." She smiled, walking along an orbitting path around and beside and behind and off to the side of Anni. "Aluvian wand tag is as a game they play on Dereth. Derethian wands are so much better than Isparian ones. Derethian wands are lighter, embued with magic and some can even can resist spells and even parry blades, if needs be. So, most people get rid of their orginal Isparian wands as quickly as possible. That's probably how it started. It's a game where instead of touching the person you are playing with to tag them, you actually have to get close enough long enough to drop your wand into their pack. Then they have to pull it back out of their pack and try to drop it back in yours. It's a really fun game. Do you have any variations of that game on Toril? Or maybe the roof jumping game?"

Anni shook her head slightly. Dichronic reminded her of Imoen when she was full of sugar, but some how she didn't think the girl would be normal after a while. "I never played games when I was a kid. I was always studying or doing chores, though my best friend was alway trying to get me to play." She smiled as they walked.

"...Korgan, Xzar and Montaron! I almost have to tear the clothes off fo them!"

Anni caught the last part of Talek's words and stopped dead in her tracks. "O...k Do I even want to know what the hell they are talking about? First he moans Kane's name in his sleep and now he's talking about ripping clothes off of Xzar and Montaron?!" She shivered. "Ew! Very ew!"

Anni shook her head slightly. Dichroic reminded her of Imoen when she was full of sugar, but some how she didn't think the girl would be normal after a while. "I never played games when I was a kid. I was always studying or doing chores, though my best friend was alway trying to get me to play." She smiled as they walked.

Dichroic smiles enthusiastically. "Well, I don't know why most adults don't want to play, but Marsal said he plays Aluvian wand tag with all his vassals because it helps them learn skills to quickly loot their bodies and sort their loot so they don't spend hours doing something that with a little practice takes minutes. He says the competition makes people learn faster. He's a smart guy, you know, practical but playful. It's a great excuse to get normal people to play games." She winks, "The jumping game on the roofs is because so many of the quests on Dereth take masterful jumping skills. Probably because the Empyrean were taller than us, but who knows? Maybe they liked leaping games of their own?" She shrugs. "Funny thing is...there weren't many children in my village and they wouldn't play with me after I was...hurt..." She pauses, bites her lip and continues. "So I played with myself...you know, juggling, cartwheels, flips and stuff?" She smiles, "But when I came to Dereth, after that initial period of adaptation," She says quickly, "I got to play the most I'd ever played in my life!" She clapped her hands happily. "I'm pretty good at games of balance. I don't know why that makes everyone laugh, but it seems a pretty good joke back home."

"...Korgan, Xzar and Montaron! I almost have to tear the clothes off fo them!"

Anni caught the last part of Talek's words and stopped dead in her tracks. "O...k Do I even want to know what the hell they are talking about? First he moans Kane's name in his sleep and now he's talking about ripping clothes off of Xzar and Montaron?!" She shivered. "Ew! Very ew!"

"Maybe the clothes were on fire?" She asks hopefully. "Or acid splashed? And they didn't want to part with them and they weren't thinking about how bad it would hurt?" She smiles quizzically.

Talek scowled, though he didn't raise his voice. She WAS a child after all. "Woman's work? Have you ever SEEN how Viconia washes clothes? And it's not like she did it when she was with us, just when she lived alone. Really, in our party I wash everyone's clothes, and that's a good thing too. Edwin, Viconia and Haer Dalis at least try to keep themselves clean, but Korgan, Xzar and Montaron! I almost have to tear the clothes off fo them!"

Erelle seems honestly puzzled by Talek's reaction to her simply stating how everyone in Calimshan thought things should work.

"In Calimport, these have always been a woman's work for many thousands of years. If I were married to someone of high station, perhaps I might not have to work at all. But, such is the way of things...."

She sighs and stirs the ashes with a stick, checking the plantains again.

"But these are people of the North, yes? I have heard that they do not teach how to behave properly for their station and family in the barbarian lands. How do you know who to give respect to if your names are so short, without proper titles and the names of your family?"

While the others had been washing and talking and generally messing about, Kane had been ignoring them all, lost in his own thoughts, wondering how his companions were faring without him. But Talek’s voice jolted him back to reality and the situation they had to deal with now, and he looked up. “Of course I’m going to help,” he said, as pleasantly as he could manage. “I was waiting for the rest of you to sort yourselves out.”

Talek also held back hisdistaste for the man as well as he could. Which wasn't very well. "We're out of ideas. You got any clue where and what we should build a house so we don't end up as gibberling chow tonight?" He looked around. "If we can take down some trees, maybe we can eh.... I don't know... build a wall or something? I never was good in arranging defences."

"In Calimport, these have always been a woman's work for many thousands of years. If I were married to someone of high station, perhaps I might not have to work at all. But, such is the way of things...."

Talek rubbed his chin. "Kinda like how Viconia tells me the drow let the men do all the boring work?" He shrugged. "Ah well, as for cooking, Viconia can't cook and won't cook, Edwin.... same, Korgan... eh.... I prefer not to eat what he touched, as much as I like the guy, Haer Dalis can cook, but he always uses all kind of special herbs that cost way too much, and when we don't let him cook like he wants, he goes all 'an artist does what he must, or nothing at all'. Yoshimo cooked a few times too, but he always cooks stuff from his homeland and... well... Korgan gets in a bad mood, so... cooking falls to me too.

"But these are people of the North, yes? I have heard that they do not teach how to behave properly for their station and family in the barbarian lands.

Talek laughed. "I TRIED behaving properly. Didn't get me anywhere. And hey, now that I've found my 'station' I'm behaving EXACTLY like I'm expected to act. And I enjoy it immensely too." He smelled the food. "Hmm... you kinda sound like Edwin really, he's also about 'people acting according to proper station.'" He looked thoughtful. "And Yoshimo too. Something about 'honour'. I usually leave that kinda crap to knights and paladins."

How do you know who to give respect to if your names are so short, without proper titles and the names of your family?"

He frowned. "My last name's Gorionson. That's clear enough, ain't it? As for respect..." he snorted. "I know all the people that I respect by name. All the rest is sword-fodder, well.... unless I get to like them." He shrugged. "Though I guess my friends keep an eye out for people that I shouldn't kill because... you know... it wouldn't be handy."

He looked curious. "And hwo do you do the stuff in Calimport then?" You... compare names, and if one guy's got a longer name the other one goes all 'I bow to you, oh Logana Teralidoloporalalalalalalasomehing?'"

A mile high scimitar of dark cloud stretches campward from the inland horizon.

"...Korgan, Xzar and Montaron! I almost have to tear the clothes off fo them!"

Anni caught the last part of Talek's words and stopped dead in her tracks. "O...k Do I even want to know what the hell they are talking about? First he moans Kane's name in his sleep and now he's talking about ripping clothes off of Xzar and Montaron?!" She shivered. "Ew! Very ew!"

"Maybe the clothes were on fire?" She asks hopefully. "Or acid splashed? And they didn't want to part with them and they weren't thinking about how bad it would hurt?" She smiles quizzically.

"You know I'm really starting to wonder about Talek. I mean it would explain his reaction to Kane really. We often hate others for what we keep hidden inside. From his actions I wouldn't be surprise of it at all." She looked at Di and realized the girl probably didn't know what she meant.

"What I'm saying is I think Talek's gay. Maybe I'll ask Kane about it." She smiled. "Come on let's see what the guys are doing?" They walked back to the others and Anni hissed when she saw nothing had been done.

"What the hell have you three been doing the whole time we were gone?! Just picking your noses or what ever?! And do you see that bloody cloud up there!? Well!?" She screamed at Jarren, Talek and Kane.

OOC- Anni was only gone for half hour tops. She's very impatient.

OOC: Lord, what have I gotten myself into? Now she has to try to explain how Calishite intrigues work to an idiot like Talek....Gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Talek rubbed his chin. "Kinda like how Viconia tells me the drow let the men do all the boring work?" He shrugged. "Ah well, as for cooking, Viconia can't cook and won't cook, Edwin.... same, Korgan... eh.... I prefer not to eat what he touched, as much as I like the guy, Haer Dalis can cook, but he always uses all kind of special herbs that cost way too much, and when we don't let him cook like he wants, he goes all 'an artist does what he must, or nothing at all'. Yoshimo cooked a few times too, but he always cooks stuff from his homeland and... well... Korgan gets in a bad mood, so... cooking falls to me too.

"Well, now you no longer have to cook. I can do this for you." She remembers his warning the previous day about not touching his tunic. "Do you still wish to wash your own clothes?"

He frowned. "My last name's Gorionson. That's clear enough, ain't it? As for respect..." he snorted. "I know all the people that I respect by name. All the rest is sword-fodder, well.... unless I get to like them." He shrugged. "Though I guess my friends keep an eye out for people that I shouldn't kill because... you know... it wouldn't be handy."

He looked curious. "And hwo do you do the stuff in Calimport then?" You... compare names, and if one guy's got a longer name the other one goes all 'I bow to you, oh Logana Teralidoloporalalalalalalasomehing?'"

"No...this depends on who a person is, and what they want from the other. If the one asking is of lower station, he would speak to the other person's servants first. To try to speak directly to a man of high station or even look at him in the wrong way would be a great insult, and this must not be
done. Everyone knows what face they should show to be respected, and what must remain hidden. A man's name shows this."

She looks up at the approaching storm on the horizon.

"Perhaps there might be more time to speak of the proper customs later. That looks bad."

"What I'm saying is I think Talek's gay. Maybe I'll ask Kane about it." She smiled. "Come on let's see what the guys are doing?" They walked back to the others and Anni hissed when she saw nothing had been done.

Dichroic smiled in confusion. "Gay?" She tried to run her fingers through her tangled hair. "He's never struck me as gay...though I suppose with the dangerous and exciting lives you all lead, someone as facinating as Talek can seem boring. I'm sure he's more exciting once you get to know him." She smiles optimistically. "You know, after mastering the islands, we should have contests and games and stuff...and you all can finally have fun." Her eyes sparkled mischeviously. "I'll fail all of the games spectacularly!" She declared as they stepped out into the group.

"What the hell have you three been doing the whole time we were gone?! Just picking your noses or what ever?! And do you see that bloody cloud up there!? Well!?" She screamed at Jarren, Talek and Kane.

Dichroic smiled in fright. Her eyes darted back and forth. "Um...we could..um...thatch the roof...and stick it on some trees, like grass skirts, what do you say? Um, I'm sure they have some of that bamboo hidden under the sand or something. It's probably a surprise.." She pleaded. She eyed the cloud. "It could still turn away..." She mumbled.

A mile high scimitar of dark cloud stretches campward from the inland horizon.

(OOC: Someone's seen the Lost finale )

Jarran frowned. Kay? Any idea what is causing that?

No, Master. I suppose you want me to investigate?

If you can trouble your delicate self.

The pseudodragon snorted and launched himself into the air.

"What the hell have you three been doing the whole time we were gone?! Just picking your noses or what ever?! And do you see that bloody cloud up there!? Well!?" She screamed at Jarren, Talek and Kane.

"I have been waiting to talk to the one person who has seen a likely spot for our shelter. The person, may I point out, that you dragged away the second she made a useful suggestion."

Jarran turned to Di and said, "Can you lead us to this ravine? I'd like to look at it, and see if it would provide what we need."