chewing talons
Sep. 12th, 2008 08:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lavandarlizard2Does Lee make Press-On Talons, I wonder? O.O I may need some before the weekend is over...
The Bro lives in Houston. *headdesk* So, I'm feeling just a teensy bit anxious right now. >_>
And somewhat grumpy about politics... >_< Expect the unexpected from me for a while, and you know... take most of it with a grain of salt. Does that qualify as a pre-emptive apology? O.o Sounds like one... ~_~
Duo looked around, finally spotting the beady little eyes just above his eye level. A small, indeterminate species of rodent crouched in a small tunnel watching them.
“Oh, hello,” said Duo politely. “I didn’t realise anyone would be frequenting the passage.” Michael blinked at him.
“Who’re you talking to?”
The Banshee pointed and Michael took a step back. “A rat?!”
The rodent rolled its eyes. ~ Humans, ~ it snorted.
Duo grinned and shrugged agreeably. “We make allowances.” He glanced at Michael. “Don’t get crazy; she could have information. Now, hush.” He turned back to the smirking creature. “Do you know Ctik, the vampire who uses this passage?”
~ Know him. No problem. Passes through, in and out. We nod. ~
“Have you ever seen anyone else come through? Besides this one, that is.”
~ Recently. Maybe… five, six suns; more. Big. Smelled fermented. ~
“Drunk, or been drinking.”
~ Yes. Stumbly. Opened the wall. Went in. Came out maybe. Didn’t stay. ~
“You didn’t see any reason to hang around?”
~ Yes. ~
“Did you happen to notice how he opened the wall? I can tell it’s spelled, but I don’t have the tools to open it.”
~ Hand on keystone. Waited. Wall opened. ~
“Huh. No words?”
~ None heard. ~
“Interesting. Thank you very much; you’ve been very helpful. Oh, just so you know, the fermented one has sold the house and land to someone who will most likely be doing construction. I’m sorry to say that you and anyone else who has burrows in the immediate area should probably prepare to vacate.”
The rodent blinked and twitched her whiskers.
~ Dung. Appreciated. ~
“You’re welcome.” The creature backed into the tunnel and disappeared.
Duo turned to Michael, and found the kid staring open-mouthed at the spot where the rodent had disappeared.
“Michael?”
“You talk to *rats*?!”
Duo sighed. “In the first place, she’s not a rat, she’s a gopher. In the second place, I talk to a lot of creatures.”
Michael transferred the astonished look to Duo. “Like Dr Doolittle?”
“Kind of. Mammals mostly; some of the higher reptiles and birds, too. I can understand or translate and usually make myself understood to most of them. Fish don’t really ‘talk’, they just give off images, but I can sometimes make out what they’re sending.”
“Wow…!”
Duo shook his head. “It’s not that marvelous. You’d be surprised what a low opinion most creatures have of us ‘higher’ types.” He turned back to the wall. “So, your dad opened the wall… No words, just a touch.” He stretched up and laid his hand on the keystone and counted to twenty. Nothing happened.
“Maybe she just didn’t… you know, hear him?” Michael said hesitantly. Again, Duo was impressed at the kid’s ability to deal with magical things. He hadn’t argued or told Duo he was crazy; he just accepted that the Banshee talked to gophers.
“No… I think it’s a kind of blood spell. Not blood magic; that shit is dangerous,” he reassured. “I think Ctik made an unwarranted assumption… Here; put your hand against the keystone and count to twenty.” Duo rested his ear against the wall and sure enough, he heard a faint click and the stone wall began to move.
The Bro lives in Houston. *headdesk* So, I'm feeling just a teensy bit anxious right now. >_>
And somewhat grumpy about politics... >_< Expect the unexpected from me for a while, and you know... take most of it with a grain of salt. Does that qualify as a pre-emptive apology? O.o Sounds like one... ~_~
Duo looked around, finally spotting the beady little eyes just above his eye level. A small, indeterminate species of rodent crouched in a small tunnel watching them.
“Oh, hello,” said Duo politely. “I didn’t realise anyone would be frequenting the passage.” Michael blinked at him.
“Who’re you talking to?”
The Banshee pointed and Michael took a step back. “A rat?!”
The rodent rolled its eyes. ~ Humans, ~ it snorted.
Duo grinned and shrugged agreeably. “We make allowances.” He glanced at Michael. “Don’t get crazy; she could have information. Now, hush.” He turned back to the smirking creature. “Do you know Ctik, the vampire who uses this passage?”
~ Know him. No problem. Passes through, in and out. We nod. ~
“Have you ever seen anyone else come through? Besides this one, that is.”
~ Recently. Maybe… five, six suns; more. Big. Smelled fermented. ~
“Drunk, or been drinking.”
~ Yes. Stumbly. Opened the wall. Went in. Came out maybe. Didn’t stay. ~
“You didn’t see any reason to hang around?”
~ Yes. ~
“Did you happen to notice how he opened the wall? I can tell it’s spelled, but I don’t have the tools to open it.”
~ Hand on keystone. Waited. Wall opened. ~
“Huh. No words?”
~ None heard. ~
“Interesting. Thank you very much; you’ve been very helpful. Oh, just so you know, the fermented one has sold the house and land to someone who will most likely be doing construction. I’m sorry to say that you and anyone else who has burrows in the immediate area should probably prepare to vacate.”
The rodent blinked and twitched her whiskers.
~ Dung. Appreciated. ~
“You’re welcome.” The creature backed into the tunnel and disappeared.
Duo turned to Michael, and found the kid staring open-mouthed at the spot where the rodent had disappeared.
“Michael?”
“You talk to *rats*?!”
Duo sighed. “In the first place, she’s not a rat, she’s a gopher. In the second place, I talk to a lot of creatures.”
Michael transferred the astonished look to Duo. “Like Dr Doolittle?”
“Kind of. Mammals mostly; some of the higher reptiles and birds, too. I can understand or translate and usually make myself understood to most of them. Fish don’t really ‘talk’, they just give off images, but I can sometimes make out what they’re sending.”
“Wow…!”
Duo shook his head. “It’s not that marvelous. You’d be surprised what a low opinion most creatures have of us ‘higher’ types.” He turned back to the wall. “So, your dad opened the wall… No words, just a touch.” He stretched up and laid his hand on the keystone and counted to twenty. Nothing happened.
“Maybe she just didn’t… you know, hear him?” Michael said hesitantly. Again, Duo was impressed at the kid’s ability to deal with magical things. He hadn’t argued or told Duo he was crazy; he just accepted that the Banshee talked to gophers.
“No… I think it’s a kind of blood spell. Not blood magic; that shit is dangerous,” he reassured. “I think Ctik made an unwarranted assumption… Here; put your hand against the keystone and count to twenty.” Duo rested his ear against the wall and sure enough, he heard a faint click and the stone wall began to move.
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-12 09:34 pm (UTC)Now as for BFB.... love the little chat with the gopher. So they look down on us, huh? Can't say as I blame them.
Another wonderful part.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-13 02:29 am (UTC)Bro is on the east side of the bay; dirty side of the storm. They've boarded up and they're far enough from the water and high enough that they should be okay... but it's still a damn hurricane headed straight at them. (O.O) And I probably won't hear from him for another 12-24 hours. *rrrrrrh*
no subject
Date: 2008-09-12 10:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-13 02:31 am (UTC)We do rather fix on bunnies and hamsters when anyone says "rodent", don't we? ^_____^
no subject
Date: 2008-09-12 11:17 pm (UTC)No coast living for me... *shivers*
Fermented? *snork* I love that...
no subject
Date: 2008-09-13 02:35 am (UTC)I've done hurricanes and typhoons before, but those weren't near as big as this sucker. >_>
Even animals like a taste now and then. ^_~
no subject
Date: 2008-09-12 11:36 pm (UTC)I was thinking rat, but gopher is good. Blood magic is nothing to fool around with.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-13 02:39 am (UTC)Gophers are everywhere; they make great spies. ^__^
Technically, Ctik did use blood magic, just not the kind of blood magic that most people think of. ^___^ Maybe genetic magic would be more accurate. ^.o
no subject
Date: 2008-09-13 01:28 am (UTC)On the other hand... dragon spam. Very good. Lowers bp, makes me happy.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-13 02:41 am (UTC)I wish I could get hold of him, just to know they're good tonight. Neither phone will connect, though. *sigh*
no subject
Date: 2008-09-16 10:52 am (UTC)Loved Michaels reaction to it.
annakas
no subject
Date: 2008-09-16 02:14 pm (UTC)